This is a meticulously researched book based on real life characters and the additional information included at the end really added to the story for me.

Orphans of the Storm tells the story of a brave young woman, Marcella. Married at 17, she has two young sons who she adores. But after filing for divorce from her bullying and abusive husband, she is left bereft, when he absconds with them.

And here the story moves to Michael as he boards the Titanic under a false name, with the boys. This part of the story also introduces us to Margaret Hays whose kindness meant that this story ended with joy, not tragedy.

A wonderful historical account that was rich and colourful, moving and ultimately joyful.

What an excellent book. Great research & a heartbreaking story that had me gripped from the start. It’s left me wanting to know so much more…

Thoroughly recommend.

This book is based on true events and has been well researched. The pacing is so slow for most of the book. Some of the characters felt fake.
Not a huge fan of it.

It took me a few attempts to get into this book but I am so glad I persevered, it was well worth it. It takes a while to get to the main point of the story but the background and context are important to the outcome. Stick with it!

Sorry for the delay in getting back with a review, great book though. New author to me, had my emotions going. It's well written and put together, the characters and storyline are engaging. Recommended.

I found this quite slow paced and it took me a while to get into it. I thought that a lot more reference would be made to the titanic which is what drew me to the book in this first place but this didn’t come until later. It was enjoyable but didn’t grab me as much as I had hoped.

The bit I was looking forward to reading in this book was the bit based on the Titanic. however it seemed to take so long to get to that point that I started to lose interest in the story, which in the end spoilt my enjoyment of the book.
As it's a bit slow paced I feel that this would have been best for me as a holiday read where there are not normal life distractions to take you away for the story.
Having said that a number of my book club friends have really enjoyed this book but for me it was just okay.

This book was interesting but at some points felt more like it was slipping in to fact rather than telling the story.
Based on true events it makes sense. This was nothing spectacular but enjoyable

A wonderfully written story full of vibrant, realistic characters -- both good ones and bad ones. A very different story involving the Titanic to any I've read before. Once I picked it up I couldn't stop reading, and I felt extremely emotional once I put it down. Knowing that this was based on a true story made it even more emotional for me, and I really appreciated the part at the end where we get a real-world update on what happened to some of the people.

I have never read any of Celia Imrie's books before so this was a first for me. I was more than pleasantly surprised to discover a rich, succulent tale of a mother's undying love and passion. Based on a true story of a woman whose children were torn away from her by her ex-husband and ended up boarding the doomed Titantic.
This is a book that will leave a lump in the throat of the reader and is a gripping read. A book I heartily recommend.

Orphans Of The Storm is a character driven story, centred around Marcella, a young Frenchwoman. We find her as a 17 year old, being swept off her feet by her future husband, Michael, 10 years her senior. Against her Mother’s wishes, she marries, in dubious circumstances, feeling unable to spurn his advances.
As events moved forward, seeing the characters board and marvel at The Titanic, the unsinkable ship, felt unsettling.

It’s a compelling story, I eagerly read through the pages. My reading pace increasing as the tragedy of The Titanic drew closer, my knowledge of the event blending with the fictional story.

Reading the epilogue, I was surprised to find that the characters and story were based on real events. Marcella endured this life, her dear sons being subjected to this harrowing ordeal by their Father. The research hours put in by Celia and Fidelis must have been enormous. The detail they uncovered behind the story of the “waifs of The Titanic” is exceptional.
I have found a picture, while searching online, of the two boys, with Marcella. The poor woman’s eyes look tormented, the boys look angelic.
Knowing that the book is essentially fact, as opposed to the fiction I thought I was reading, makes the book even more compelling. It really does show that fact is stranger than fiction. More importantly, it shows the strength of a Mother’s love. Marcella’s two sons were always her motivation in everything she did, in spite of Michael Navratil’s worst efforts. This is a 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ engrossing tale, quite incredible.

As soon as I saw this book I had to read it, there was something about it that drew me in, I fell in love with the cover - yes, I know never to judge a book by its cover, but look at it, isn't it so pretty? I loved the sound of it too and was so pleased that I finally got the time to sit down and read it.

Orphans of the Storm is a remarkably emotional read, iI was hooked and couldn't stop turning the pages with lightning speed, It's a wonderful story, I am fascinated by anything to do with the Titanic the chapters of the actual sinking are heart-wrenching and the story that follows is emotional and so elegantly written with raw emotion and sensitivity.

A real winner!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, unfortunately I wasn’t able to get to it before it was archived but will review in full when I do. I loved Celia Imrie’s other books and this one has a really interesting concept so I really will have to try and read it soon.

I love books based on titanic and i also love how Orphans of the storm was based on true events, while there is a lot of family drama in this book the way Celia Imrie wrote this story and the things the main character Marcella went through and this lady went through a lot for her children which is beyond incredible its easy to forget that this is a titanic book until its brought up and you get hit with the emotions at the end.

This was an amazing read and one I will continue to recommend.

Thank you to Bloomsbury & netgalley for providing me with this e-arc

This wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, but it was nowhere near the best. A slow pace and writing that felt very flat added together into a book that I struggled to finish and wouldn't recommend.

Disappointing slow to get going and sadly I didn’t finish the book as I just couldn’t get into it. I have previously enjoyed books by this author.

This historical novel by acclaimed actress Celia Imrie follows three main characters - Marcella, Michael, and Margaret. Their stories collide against the backdrop of the tragedy of the Titanic. This is a poignant and compelling story which I couldn't put down.

I did find the writing a little slow to get going, but considering that this is a fictionalised retelling of real stories, I found the exposition important for the lives of the characters involved, and definitely paid off in the second half of the book. Imrie creates a vivid world that immerses the reader, and her stories hold you within that world until the very end. I highly recommend this book.

Orphans of the Storm is beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking. The well-crafted characters and plot draw you in fully.

Based on truth, with the obvious ending, but that didn’t stop me guessing how it was going to end. I loved the characters and the settings, I could see things so vividly. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but overall enjoyed the story.

Based on true events, Marcella marries Michael, a tailor, and imagines her life to be wonderful in Nice, with her adoring husband and two children. However, he turns nasty and her life becomes miserable. In desperation she seeks a divorce. In an unexpected twist Michael seeks to avoid bankruptcy and the divorce by grabbing the two boys and getting a ship to America under a fake name. But the ship he chose is the Titanic. An amazing story, however none of the main characters are likable.