Review of 'An Ocean of Longing' by Kennedy Kerr
Release date: July 31, 2026
Publisher: Storm Publishing
REVIEW
I absolutely adore the gothic Echoes of Cornwall series by Kennedy Kerr! Book two An Ocean of Longing is quite an appropriate title as Tegan and William divided by centuries, miss each other desperately. If you read the first book you will know they might be separated when she tries to return to her current time (21st Century). She was trying to save him from some nasty trouble in the 1700s. But while they are attempting to escape, everything goes terribly wrong. When the story ends, we are left with a nail-biting cliff hanger not knowing if they are still together or torn apart by time! Does he make it back with her?
When book two opens, Tegan is standing in front of the Trevarron House, alone. Obviously she has been transported but she realises with horror that the scene is not right. The old manor is not in ruins as it should be in her timeline but rather the lawns are mowed, the lamps are lit, the walls are straight and steps are free of moss. Basically the manor is in good condition. Which means one thing: she is not back in the 21st century. And as she notes: ‘… that was very, very bad.’ She soon discovers she is in 1867, meaning she is separated one hundred years from the love of her life.
Heartbroken, Tegan wonders who can she turn to in a place and time she does no know? Well, a Cornish pillar named Nancy Willcock lives in what becomes her Aunt Bill’s home in current day time. This lady takes her in and reveals she has known other time travellers. She understands the situation and this offers Tegan at least some temporary relief. Nancy is a likeable character who I really enjoyed as she offers some good advice and provides the assistance Tegan needs.
There are some delightful and fearful surprises in this book. One is the latest Lord of Trevarron is a horrible abusive man. And another bit of news startles her. A drunken raving man says he is Lord of Trevarron and his physical description sounds a lot like William. Is it possible he escaped the trouble in his time period and made it with her to the 1800s?
This book contains more on the edge-of-your-seat heart-racing tension and drama like the first one. And not to mention it sizzles with passion and intense desire. It is reminiscent of Outlander with its special time portal. And it has a gorgeous, strong, feisty hero from the past and a determined, independent, dedicated heroine in the present. Both are equal in bravery and carry an intense sense of purpose to help others in need. They particularly are driven by honour to rescue women and children who have been abused and treated wrongly.
All the characters are brilliant. Each one is well-presented and serve key purposes in the plot. There is plenty of drama, tension and mystery to this time travel story. But beyond the fun and exciting elements runs some very dark threads. This is also a history lesson on the awful treatment of women and children across different eras. There were some horrible injustices done to them which are boldly and accurately depicted in the novel. So in many ways, beyond the time travel and timeless love story, the novel provides a journey across the ages showing the history of women struggling for independence and personal rights. The battles they fought, the male dominance over every aspect of their lives. They had no freedom, no privileges, no choices of their own. Fear reigned supreme, as they had to bow to the male figures who lorded over their lives. We saw how women in the working classes were treated and compared those with the upper classes. In many ways the elite sometimes were worse off as they had less freedom and were often pawns in their parents’ schemes for prestige or financial gain. They often suffered from forced unions that resulted in bad marriages (as we see in this novel).
So An Ocean of Longing carries many serious as well as entertaining elements. I cannot say enough how much I loved this sequel. I flew through it as I could not put it down. And the next one won’t come quick enough! For, yes, we are left with another cliff hanger and a painful choice. My heart is still racing and aching from this story. It is so tension packed—particularly towards the end. This is a beautiful must-read-novel for those who enjoy gothic time travel romances with heart, depth and important messages. And isn’t the cover just stunning and so atmospheric! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley
