On Starlit Seas

Chocolate. Smuggling. Secrets and Lies. Brazil and London, 1824: charged with a mission by the Empress of Brazil, celebrated writer and the toast of Georgian London Maria Graham sets off for England with the Brazilian civil war at its height. Newly widowed and a woman traveling alone, the stakes are high and when she accepts roguish smuggler Captain James Henderson's offer of passage on his ship, she gets more than she bargains for . . . Henderson is on a journey of his own, back to his childhood home in Covent Garden. Onboard Maria discovers both a dangerous secret concealed in a chocolate bar and an irresistible attraction to the mysterious captain. But falling in love with a smuggler is almost unthinkable for a woman of Maria's social standing. Though Henderson tries his utmost to abandon his life of crime and forge a new identity as a London gentleman, he is caught in a dangerous tangle with a deadly aristocratic smuggling ring. The only chance he has to save himself and prove worthy of Maria is to unmask the gang and break free from their clutches, but will it be enough?

"A story as rich and velvety as the chocolate at its heart . . . A joy to read." —Mary Chamberlain, author, The Dressmaker of Dachau

"This is a novel to take one seamlessly from exotic places to shadowy underworlds and polite drawing rooms, in order to revel in an emotionally charged and socially challenged Victorian romance, coupled with the cliff-hanging jeopardy of Brazilian and London low-life . . . Five stars with extra phosphorescence!" —Joanna Hickson, author, The Tudor Bride

"Sheridan binds together social comment, romance on the high seas, pursuit by excisemen, knife-wielding toerags in the stench of 19th-century London and the consumption of so much hot chocolate that the pages seem impregnated with its heady aroma. It all makes On Starlit Seas a pleasure to consume, and not even a guilty one." —Herald

"What a delight! The pure richness of words wrapped by the cover of On Starlit Seas allowed me to be swept away on a magical, epic voyage that simply took my breath away . . . a magnificent and captivating read, blended to perfection." —Little Bookness Lane

"On Starlit Seas is of the era and charming at times, and exciting at others." —Scot Lit Fest

"This really is an amazing story and Sara has plotted it well, and painted a tapestry of such a vivid picture with her words . . . It’s hard to praise this novel more than to say if you love books and chocolate and want to know more about both, then this is the book for you." —Book Trail

"It’s a book to lose yourself in as you enter a world of smuggling, chocolate, adventure and love in the 1820s." —Portobello Book Blog

“This charming tale will appeal to fans of Georgette Heyer and Georgian and Regency romances.” —Booklist

Sara Sheridan is the author of Brighton Belle, England Expects, and London Calling. She is a cultural commentator who appears regularly on television and radio. In 2014 she was named one of the Saltire Society's 365 Most Influential Scottish Women, past and present.