The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom

Courtney McCaskill

Nov 2022 · The Astley Chronicles Book 3 · Hazel Grove Books

About this ebook

Sometimes there’s a fine line between assessing the competition and consorting with the enemy…

Thanks to an imprudent wager made by his younger brother, Edward Astley has to win a classical translation contest being hosted by Oxford University. This means he’ll have to beat the latest star on the literary scene, the anonymous translator whose rendition of On the Sublime is taking Britain by storm. He’s supposed to be studying, but all he can seem to think about is Elissa St. Cyr, the redheaded daughter of his former tutor, who’s every bit as brainy as she is delectable.

Elissa has problems of her own. With her father’s health failing, she’ll soon need to support her mother and sisters through her translation work. And that means she needs to win the Oxford contest, so she can secure the one thing she has never had the opportunity to earn: an academic credential.

To make matters worse, she managed to get stuck in the middle of a pond during a thunderstorm, and the person who happened along to rescue her, witnessing her in the most humiliating moment of her remarkably humiliating life, was her ultimate beau idéal, the brilliant Edward Astley. Now Elissa keeps bumping into Edward everywhere she goes. Which would normally be wonderful …

… except she’s worried he’s going to figure out that she is the anonymous translator everyone is talking about.

The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom is a Regency Rom-Com featuring a bluestocking heroine and a virgin hero. It will appeal to fans of Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, and Julie Anne Long. Please note that the heat level is red hot!

Ratings and reviews

So while I was at time frustrated about Edward’s closed view of his world, he was also not much wrong, it was how the nobility has been ruled for centuries, unions were made with benefits for both parties, few out of love. So to reach the full arc of his character, he has to overcome his preconceived ideas of what makes a good viscountess then understand that loosing does not decrease the value of one’s work. 5 stars

The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom is a fantastic addition to the Astley Chronicles! I loved the characters, the literary references and translations, the intellectual conversations, and the romance. I thought this was a great addition to the series, and I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, I think you can. The cover is so lovely and charming, and so is the story.

I loved this book learning things about Latin. I have never known and am finely learning about the Art of Love. Brilliant

About the author

After reading Black Beauty for the 1,497th time, Courtney McCaskill was inspired to write her own stories. Reviews of her early work were mixed, with her fourth grade teacher, Ms. Compton, saying, “Please stop writing all of your assignments from the point of view of a horse.”

Today, Courtney lives in Austin, Texas with the hero of her own story, who holds the distinction of being the world's most sarcastic pediatrician. She is reliably informed by her seven-year-old son that she gives THE BEST hugs, “because you're so squishy, Mommy.” When she's not busy almost burning her house down while attempting to make a traditional Christmas pudding, she enjoys playing the piano, learning everything there is to know about Kodiak bears, and of course, curling up with a great book. Visit her online at https://courtneymccaskill.com/.