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No Safe Harbor
No Safe Harbor
No Safe Harbor
Audiobook9 hours

No Safe Harbor

Written by Elizabeth Ludwig

Narrated by Eleni Pappageorge

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

New York City, 1897. She came to America searching for her brother. Instead all she's found is a web of danger. Cara Hamilton had thought her brother to be dead. Now, clutching his letter, she leaves Ireland for America, desperate to find him. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend - Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother's warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York. She's then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother - but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps. With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke... a man she's grown to love?
LanguageEnglish
PublisherOasis Audio
Release dateOct 1, 2012
ISBN9781621881230
No Safe Harbor
Author

Elizabeth Ludwig

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award winning author who is an accomplished speaker and teacher, and often attends conferences and seminars, where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in the great state of Texas.

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Reviews for No Safe Harbor

Rating: 3.6785714285714284 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

28 ratings28 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Elizabeth Ludwig brings readers to 1890's America where Irish immigrant, Cara Hamilton, is alone in America and searching for the only bit of hope life has left her. No Safe Harbor is a historical fiction romance full of suspense, secrets, and mystery.Ludwig's excellent writing brings reality to this fictional tale. Cara's vulnerability when arriving alone in an unfamiliar country reaches out and grabs your heartstrings. When Rourke rolls around lending a helpful hand it seems like fate, until his intentions become known as less than generous. Switching between perspectives of the main players of this novel is a great way to keep readers engaged in the turn of events. While we may know what's going on, true intentions are still hidden until Ludwig is ready to reveal all.The suspense is light but saturated throughout the whole novel. Tension radiates from Cara as she tries to keep her secrets close to her heart while searching for her brother. Her searching gives her insight into the political unrest of Ireland that found its way to America. I liked that the story didn't just focus on the budding romance between Cara and Rourke, or the dislike that radiated from one of Cara's housemates. The historical fiction aspect is very prominent in the plot and helps you feel as though you've been transported back in time over a hundred years.No Safe Harbor is just the beginning of the Edge of Freedom series and it's extremely exciting to see how Ludwig will continue the plot! *ARC provided from publisher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review*Also published at Lovey Dovey Books
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cara sets off to America to find her twin brother in New York City after receiving a letter. She has wrongly assumed that he was dead. The book has the undercurrent of "trust no one" with lies, danger, betrayals, and deceit twisting the plot in different directions to keep the reader guessing. Historical Christian fiction readers will enjoy this story, interspersed with just enough romance and suspense to keep the pages turning. Looking forward to the continuation of the series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Couldn't even finish the book. The plot line was interesting but it plodded along and could not keep my interest. I skipped to the end to see how it ended up and was disappointed that the story continued on into a next book and didn't really resolve. I have very little patience for heroines who are stupid and put themselves in danger because they don't burn letters they're supposed to and confide secrets to strangers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cara Hamilton thought her brother (Eoghan) was dead until she received a letter. She travels to America to search for him. Despite the fact he tells her to talk to no one, she befriends Rourke Walsh, a man who says he's a friend. Not realizing all that her brother was involved in, she becomes a pawn in a deadly game of revenge. Rourke seems to care for Cara, but he's not who she thinks he is. Her growing feelings for him cause her to trust him. With little faith and hope left, she wonders if she should have trusted Rourke Walsh. As she gets closer to finding her brother the closer to danger she finds herself in. Will she learn the truth about Rourke? Will she ever find her brother or will revenge find it's target?What a wonderful turn-of-the-century story of Irish immigrants coming to America. It was loaded with danger, suspense and of course romance. As you arrive at Ellis Island with Cara, you immediately feel her apprehension and rightly so. Not knowing who to trust can make you weary. That immediately drew me into the story. The author keeps you turning pages to see how it will all turn out. The characters were well drawn and fully fleshed out. The tension between Rourke and Cara was tangible. It's easy to see why Cara reacted to Rourke the way she did. As I was reading I was thinking that despite our circumstances and though we lose faith, the Lord is always there. Sometimes we have to come to the very end of ourselves before we're reminded of that. I loved the very satisfying ending but the door is wide open for Eoghan's story. Looking forward to reading 'Dark Road Home', book 2 in the Edge of Freedom Series.Paperback: 336 pagesPublisher: Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (October 1, 2012)ISBN-10: 0764210394ISBN-13: 978-0764210396*This complimentary copy provided by Bethany House through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    No Safe Harbor is a captivating story, clearly book 1 in a series. Set in 1890s New York, No Safe Harbor tells the story of a young woman who emigrated from Ireland to find her twin brother, the brother who may be mixed up in the political discord of the day. Unbeknownst to her, Cara is searching for a brother who is being hunted by several parties blaming him for the deaths of their loved ones and thusly, fled to New York to hide. Upon arriving in New York, Cara meets Rourke. Ignoring her brother's admonishment to trust no one, she befriends Rourke and eventually falls in love with him. But Rourke is not who Cara believes him to be, and her growing feelings for him could put both her brother and herself in danger. For his part, Rourke is torn between is own growing feelings for Cara and his need to use her to find her brother.Ludwig slowly parses out the truth about Rourke and about brother Eoghan. Rourke's truth quickly becomes apparent, but not Eoghan's nor that of some of the others who seek him, which makes the story a little confusing at times. Still, Ludwig does a good job of capturing turn of the century New York, I believe, and overall writes an intriguing historical that makes me wonder what the rest of the series will entail.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cara Hamilton arrives from Ireland at Ellis Island...she got help getting through customs from a kind man she met on her ship? As soon as she is through she begins searching the crowd and looking at all faces for her brother.She thought her brother Eoghan was dead, and when she receives a precious letter from him, she set off to America. He has told her to "trust no one!"The trust no one rings true throughout the story. No one really seems to be whom they present themselves as.We travel around late 1890's New York City, and danger seems to lurk everywhere! Things I never thought of...fire wood in NYC. There still was!As we go along with Cara looking for her brother, you will wonder if she will ever find him? If she does will he still be alive. Will the people she ends up trusting betray her?The answers are here in this historical mystery, reaching from Ireland to NY. Enjoy!I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this novel difficult to get into, moderately enjoyable in the middle, and not unsatisfying at the end. It wasn't a bad book, but it was unremarkable in every way. I suppose I can only blame myself, as historical romance novels can be very hit or miss. A miss, for me, though others might enjoy it.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book started off with great potential, but it quickly got predictable. I was excited by the premise of a yooung lady coming to America alone in such an age when it ws looked down upon, but the story was a bit slow. I did feel that the two main charachters were given enough attention, so you could root for them, but the women (and man) of the inn were only given bit parts, so you didn't really know where they were coming from. I also felt a little more background into the happenings in Ireland prior to the story would have helped. It was almost like this was the second book in a series and if you hadn't read the first you weren't sure what was going on. I guess I just expected a little more out of this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cara Hamilton left Ireland to go to New York to look for her twin brother. While on the boat she met a man who suggested she go and stay at a boarding house. When she first arrived in New York she thought it would be easy to find her brother but it didn't quite turn out like she had thought. Then she met a guy who befriended her in an attempt to also find her brother but she ended up falling in love with him. This book was full of suspense, twists and turns. Just when you thought you had it figured out something else happened. If you like historical fiction full of mystery you will definetely like this.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this book an enjoyable read but not an overwhelmingly thrilling read. Elizabeth Ludwig has created an adventurous novel with excellent main characters to connect readers to the story. The story has a quick plot with the readers moving quickly through the story. The plot development is well structured if not very original. Having read similar novels, the storyline is overly predictable. For those readers who enjoy this plotline, No Safe Haven will fulfill their every wish.I felt some of the minor characters were a little underdeveloped. Cara and Rourke are fully developed characters, but many of the other characters are not developed enough especially the antagonists. Their appear to be character flaws in some of the minor characters. No Safe Harbor neatly wraps up part of the story with some ends hanging to make the reader anxious for the next book in this saga. No Safe Harbor is book 1 in the Edge of Freedom series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "No Safe Harbor" by Elizabeth Ludwig is a wonderful book, that is both a romance and mystery. Cara is an Irish immigrant that travels to New York to find her twin brother. Her brother has been hiding in New York to hide from several groups of people, who all claimed that he had killed a relative. Cara is unsure of who to trust, in order to help locate her brother. The story twists and turns, and with a series of close misses of being killed, Cara falls in love with the right man. This book says it is volume one, so I look forward to reading more of this series!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The mystery, romance, and period details wove together to create a nice story. I was a bit disappointed in the ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very suspenseful! This is good historical Christian fiction. Cara Hamilton has come to America from Ireland in search of her twin brother. She had thought he was dead but he had fled to America because of a misunderstanding involving the death of Daniel Turner. He warns her in a letter not to speak to anyone about her reasons for coming. But he doesn't show when she arrives and she begins to trust and fall in love with Rourke Walsh. A few twists and turns later, those trying to harm she and her brother meet with their own ends.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This story is about a young Irish girl coming to the United States in search of her twin brother. Her parents are dead and for a while she believed her brother to be dead also. A letter from him tells her to TRUST nobody. The longer she is in the New York City the more she lets down her guard which puts not only her brother who is in hiding in danger but her life as well. Can she trust Rourke a man after she arrived in the States? Will she ever be reunited with her brother? Why do people want him dead? You will have to read to find out the answers. This was a good story but at times I had a hard time following the story and the book still left a mystery which I hope will be solved in sequels. I cannot give away what the mystery is because that would spoil it for those who want to read this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good book. I enjoy historic fiction and Elizabeth Ludwig didn't disappoint with her take on New York City in the 1890s. I enjoyed getting to know the character, Cara, and her quest to find her brother. The suspense in the end left me wondering where the next book in the series will take us. I look forward to seeing where it leads.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an excellent book. The story was engaging and kept you guessing! It seemed to be true to NYC in the 1800's towards the Irish.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    No Safe Harbor tells the story of Cara who leaves Ireland searching for her twin brother whom she had believed to be dead. She befriends a gentlemen on the boat who conventiently gives her a hand up by sending her to a boardinghouse run by a friend. While I admit that it seemed to come pretty easy for Cara compared to what I have read about other Irish immigrants it didn't distract overmuch from the plotline in the book. While a little more history on the Irish rebellions may have helped one know exaclty what was being discussed as Cara finds herself searching for the brother who never appeared to meet her enough dialogue takes place that you can easily follow the plot. While this is a Chirstian romance neither the Christian elements nor the romance are such that they overpower the actual plot. I LOVED this book and enjoyed trying to figure out who really were good/bad guys throughout. I would very much look forward to reading the subsequent books in this series!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    No Safe Harbor is an historical Christian novel that follows Cara as she leaves Ireland in 1896 in search of her twin brother, who she thought was dead. She doesn't know why he left Ireland and doesn't find out until well into the novel. While this is considered Christian fiction, it is not a preachy book - in fact, the religious message is not particularly strong, although it is present. While I did get caught up in the story in the end, I had some problems with some details that just made the book less than enjoyable for me. Right off the bat, I could not wrap my mind around this newly arrived Irish immigrant, a young woman, landing a 9-5 job as a bookkeeper for a candle maker. She seems to live quite well for an Irish immigrant during the time. In fact, a lot of this seems rather sugar-coated. Perhaps things were that way for some fortunate immigrants in New York, but it doesn't mesh with other books I've read from the same time period. While this is a romance, it isn't an overly pushy romance - what got me caught up in the novel was the suspense in the last part of the book. Sometimes I found myself confused by what was going on, like I was missing something. A brief summary of Irish history at this time would have been helpful, even just a page. I think it is assumed that everyone knows about Irish rebellions, and that isn't the case. Overall, the story is a good one, but some polish would make it better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story of a sister who comes to America when the brother she thought dead sends her a letter. The book opens with the arrival of the ship into the New York harbor. Cara's letter from her brother warns her not to discuss her reason for coming to America or mention his name. And assures her he will contact her when she arrives. She learns there are revolutionaries who are looking for her brother and she is in grave danger.I found the character of Cara to be weak. She does not heed the dire warning given by her brother, ignores directions to not pursue situations because of the danger and even though the author tried to build her character as strong, she falls short. This is the first book of a series and even though I did not struggle to read the book, I am not sure I would spend money to purchase the next book. The ending did not leave a desire to find out what happens next.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. I generally enjoy historical fiction and this did not disappoint. Cara Hamilton leaves Ireland in 1896 to search for her brother, armed only with a letter warning her to trust no one. She finds herself in a boardinghouse in New York City, living with several curious women and having drawn the attention of a man who claims to be a friend. As time goes on, she finds that things are more complicated than she ever imagined and people are rarely what they seem to be.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I started to listen and quickly realized I had to stop because the narrator kept taking deep breaths. I couldn't listen to 9 hours of it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The story was ok I like the historical scenes about the big apple I think it's the same nothing really changes in that city the characters are ok but a little slow the suspense was not really a surprise and the romance was next to nothing the narrator was ok I will stil listen to the next in the series
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Looking for historical romance with mystery and intrigue? Then No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig could be for you. Set amidst the bustling immigrant population of New York at the end of the 19th century, it has danger and suspense and an enduring love story. A perfect read for the cooler nights of Autumn.Cara Hamilton believed she had lost everyone she loved until receiving a mysterious letter from her twin brother she had presumed dead. Summoned to New York City, Cara braves the Atlantic crossing determined to find her brother and discover the reason behind his flight to America. Rourke Turner/Walsh believes Cara is the key to finding his father's murderer, but as their relationship strengthens, he is torn between family duty and love.Cara and Rourke are great characters. They each struggle with faith and loyalty to family. The mystery surrounding Cara's brother Eoghan leads them into danger. And you can never be sure whom can be trusted. I liked the New York that Ludwig recreates -- streets busy with vendors and carriages and wagons, dark alleys filled with secrets and danger and a boarding house with women hurt by the past and determined to make a new life in a new land. Ellis Island is a central landmark and familiar to all of us whose great-grands passed through its gates. Irish politics makes its way to New York as well, and I was glad for the lesson on Fenians and the role of immigrant support in the quest for Irish Home Rule. The theme of revenge vs. forgiveness runs throughout the No Safe Harbor. It is clear that revenge leads to bitterness and corruption, yet forgiveness leads to freedom. And God is never far from His people. I loved how Clara recalls her mother's words -- God's help is closer than the door.No Safe Harbor is the first in the 3-part Edge of Freedom series (all are currently available). I am looking forward to more with those I met in this book.Recommended.Audience: older teens to adults.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with Cara and hoped through the whole book that she would find her brother. I knew once she trusted Rourke that everything would get more complicated but I hoped that in the end things would work out for her. On a side note I have recently started listening to a group of singers called Celtic Thunder and I imagine Rourke to be one of the singers from that group so I always liked him. Anyway, back to the review I have to say I liked the ending in once sense but on the other hand it made me sad as well. I wish that everything would have worked out for her but the way it is left it could still work out and I hope that it does.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The year is 1897 and the excitement of being in New York Harbor is spreading among the new immigrants that came from far away places to start over, Cara Hamilton clutches a reminder of someone she longs to see again. She searches the crowds for a glimpse of a familiar face which in the massive crowd she finds impossible. With only a letter from her missing brother she is destined to set out to find him not knowing where to start. /all seems overwhelming until a strange man befriends Cara and guides her to a rooming house where she is introduced to a group of curious strangers. Being forewarned to not trust anyone Cara allows herself to trust Rourke the stranger from the boat. As she searches for clues to the whereabouts of her brother she gets drawn into a world far beyond anything she could have imagined. A world where her life is threatened and she is repeatedly warned to leave things alone. Cara finds that Rourke is far more than the helpful stranger and soon starts to mistrust his intentions while Rourke learns he has been mislead by those he works with and decides to aide Cara in finding her brother. Through a world of attempted murder, angry revolutionaries who seek revenge and a mysterious secret that hangs over everything Can Cara find friendship, love and possibly a new meaning to her life?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    No Safe HarborElizabeth LudwigBook Summary: She came to America searching for her brother. Instead all she's found is a web of danger. Cara Hamilton had thought her brother to be dead. Now, clutching his letter, she leaves Ireland for America, desperate to find him. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother's warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York. She's then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother--but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps. With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke... a man she's grown to love?Book Review: The cover of this book is what drew me in first. I really was looking forward to reading this book and was not disappointed. I liked Cara and Ana. The premise and some of the details was complex regarding the civil unrest in Ireland. I was not always clear about who was on which side. Overall there seemed to be no good side that at some point in civil issues everyone loses something tangible as in the case of this book families were separated and/or divided. I loved the characters and how complex they were on the whole. The current secondary characters set up nicely for the next in the series. The mystery dragged at times and I am hopeful that it was due to setting up the series and the future characters which would help make all of them flow together. I think the real mystery was more subtle than Eoghan on the run from his civil enemies. This is a timely novel about significant division in a nation and the sides’ people choose. I would like to thank Library Thing and Bethany House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This review originally appeared on the Historical Novel Society website. Review copy provided by publisher.Cara Hamilton arrives in 1897 New York alone on an immigrant ship from Ireland, looking for her brother Eoghan, who fled to America after becoming mixed up with Irish nationalists. She is helped by Rourke Walsh, and the pair fall in love but, unknown to Cara, Rourke also wants to find Eoghan—for revenge.Setting a romance against the fragmented politics of Irish nationalism is a bold move, and at times I feel Ludwig overestimates the reader’s familiarity with the Catholic/Protestant divide and the distinctions between northern and southern Irish. This impression is not helped by every character’s tendency to speak alternately in proper English and an improbable brogue; I would like to have seen more differences between them.The highly figurative language that Ludwig employs keeps the tension high, but many phrases sail too close to purple prose for my liking (“He added admiration to the growing list of things he liked about her, then carved it free with an inward snarl.”) But the novel delivers the sweet love story sought by readers of inspirational romance, and Ludwig does not over-preach the spiritual aspects.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really liked the idea of this book. An immigrant sets off to America after learning that the brother she thought was dead is alive an well. She arrives in America and try to immerse herself so that she can support herself until her brother finds her. All the while she falls in love with the one person she shouldn’t. It was a pretty good plot. And it was executed fairly well. There were some slow spots to the story but there were lots of places where the story moves very fast and keeps you turning the pages.I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this one though. I liked Cara well enough, but I just didn’t get pulled into her plight like I normally do. I liked Rourke – mainly because he had devious intentions when he came upon Cara. But as the story progresses we see a much softer, much more likable side of Rourke. The rest of the characters were well developed and played nicely into the story. I did like how the plots all came together and meshed into the main plot. It made for an interesting turn of events at the end and showed off the reason for all the character’s inclusion.The story takes place during a time of religious upheaval in the Irish American community. So there is a hint of religious theme to the story. But to me the faith Cara and Rourke struggle with really played a back seat to the rest of the story. So it was an interesting story, and I did like it. I just didn’t fall in love with this one. But it was worth the read, as the story was decent and there were a couple of twists that I didn’t really see coming. In the end it was mixed for me. I just didn’t get the connection with this one that I normally do.