#Review: The Forever Cruise by Deborah Klée @DeborahKlee #preorder #womensfiction #secondchances #TheForeverCruise

I’m delighted today to share my review of the latest novel from the lovely Deborah Klée, The Forever Cruise. Independently published, it’s already available in paperback – but the official launch is on 1st December, release date of the kindle version (although you can pre-order now). My thanks to Deborah for providing a pre-release copy, and for inviting me to share a review.

You might already be very much aware of the wonderful support Deborah provides to other writers, through the #FriSalon on Twitter, her Castaway Books interviews with authors about books that have inspired them and influenced their writing (you’ll find her YouTube channel here), and the excellent The Mindful Writer podcasts (you’ll find them here). I’ve always found her really supportive of my blogging too – she often says very nice things about my reviews, and I think I’ve managed to add quite a few books to her bookshelves.

But she’s also a very fine writer. I never did manage to catch up with The Borrowed Boy (but was very happy to share a guest post on publication day back in 2020 – you can read it again here) – but I did read and love Just Bea, a wonderful story of personal development and self-discovery featuring a gloriously quirky heroine, but also an unlikely but convincing friendship and romance, some incisive social commentary, a race against time that seems more hopeless by the day, and an intriguing mystery to be resolved (you can read my full review again here). I said then that she was an author I’d very much like to read again – so when I saw this book was on its way, I didn’t hesitate.

Let’s take a closer look…

Lose yourself in a voyage to exotic lands in this feel good story about second chances and new beginnings.

 

When Halcyon Seas, a luxury alternative to retirement living, sets sail on her maiden voyage, three women on board dream of a better future.

 

Will Captain Marianne Moore prove herself capable in her new role? Her career depends on it.

 

Will Cabin maid Olivia Rose be able to keep her secret and her job? Her impoverished family relies on her wages.

 

And will pensioner Alice Wagstaff finally find the courage to live the life she wants?

 

When the cruise ship veers off course, the future is uncertain and dangerous.

 

Can the three women embrace this new direction, or will the journey of a lifetime turn into a living nightmare?

The premise of this book made it something refreshingly different from the very beginning – the whole notion of an alternative to traditional retirement living, one long holiday, living a life of luxury on a cruise ship, circling the globe and enjoying new experiences. And the first part of this story quite wonderfully explores that experience from the perspective of its particularly well drawn characters – yes, all conventional enough so far. But then the story shifts – a dramatic incident in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar, and the whole story becomes something quite different – and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment.

The author takes time and care to establish her characters, and I raged on Alice’s behalf as her daughter attempted to convince her to move into the claustrophobic environment of a retirement home – she’d lost her way a little after losing her husband, but most certainly hadn’t lost her marbles. After learning about the voyage on the Halcyon Seas, she shows considerable bravery in securing her berth – and goes on to make firm friendships aboard. Olivia has just completed a training course to become a cabin maid on the ship, and experienced first love – and although her income will be low, and the demands of the job greater than she might be expecting, her earnings will be life-changing for her impoverished family back in Madagascar. Marianne is to be the ship’s captain, a post she’s been promised for a very long time – the company are cutting corners, and she needs to be first officer and chief engineer too, but she hopes the experience will lead to greater things.

The story unfolds from the perspectives of those three main characters, but with an equally well drawn supporting cast – the ship’s other passengers with all their back stories, the hard-pressed crew members – and a few incidents along the way that raise some red flags about the care being provided for the vulnerable passengers. The initial excitement of visiting a new port each day begins to wane a little – one long holiday can become a little wearing. And Marianne finds that every small incident is being reported back to base, drawing adverse attention from the press for the maiden voyage – and she begins to suspect everyone. And then all the small incidents pale into insignificance – the ship’s under-maintained engines begin to fail, an act of kindness by the passengers is misunderstood and results in an announcement of “Safe Haven” (the code for a pirate attack), and the whole story moves into a different gear and in an entirely unexpected direction.

I really don’t want to spoil this book for anyone – along with the relationships, the romances in the lives of all three women, the strong friendships forged, a great deal of the joy of this book was in the surprises that follow. And I absolutely loved some of the messages that emerged – society’s perceptions and treatment of the older generation, the gulf between Western entitlement and those living in poverty, the small acts that can make such a difference, the fact that it’s never too late for new beginnings. The book is laced with gentle humour – I certainly read it with a constant smile – but its diverse themes are satisfyingly hard-hitting but never pressed too hard.

And did I mention that it’s a wonderfully told and compelling story? I really took its characters to my heart, found their stories quite inspirational, and felt I was with them on every step of their journey. It’s fair to say, I think, that this book really wasn’t at all what I was expecting – but I absolutely loved it.

About the author

Deborah has worked as an occupational therapist, a health service manager, a freelance journalist, and management consultant in health and social care.

Deborah writes page-turning, uplifting stories about friendship, community, and emotional courage. Her novels, The Borrowed Boy, and Just Bea have won multi-international awards.

She lives on the Essex coast, where she loves to walk by the sea or the surrounding countryside filling her pockets with shells, and acorns, and her head with stories.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram