In historical fiction give me a solid story, good writing, a shield and sword, or a ship and the sea, and I will be thoroughly happy and satisfied. It has now been nearly a day since I have read the last lines of “Discerning Grace,” and I can still feel HMS Discerning rocking under my feet, smell the salty air of the ocean, and feel the absence of Grace, Seamus, and the crew like a deep void in my delicate reader’s heart. Before talking about my personal opinions, let me explain what you should expect from Discerning Grace. Simply put, if you enjoy Outlander and/or Poldark, you will definitely enjoy this series. There is history, there is adventure, and there is also love.The plot: We are in London and it is 1826. Grace Baxter, a 19-year-old girl already tired of the restrictions of the patriarchal society she was born into, is being forced into a strategic union with a despicable man. It is, in fact, this man’s actions that will push the already restless and reluctant Grace to make the biggest decision of her life and escape the false safety of her rich family home to save herself. Destiny and circumstances will have Grace ending up aboard Her Majesty’s Ship Discerning disguised as a man. Although Grace enjoys her newfound freedom, she is well aware her disguise will not last forever, yet her consolation lays in the distance she has put between herself and London. As Grace learns to live like a man and a sailor, there are yet more challenges along the way and the looming shadow of the man she despises and fears draws everyday nearer. Grace’s new reality becomes even more complicated when, as expected, her true identity is revealed. Lieutenant Fitzwilliam and the rest of the crew are shocked and unhappy with the circumstances. She has not only lied to many people that she now calls friends, but she is also the physical representation of a sailor’s worst superstition with no way to be returned to the land.I will stop here, as I don’t wish to unveil too much of the plot. I should probably quote my husband now with “I must tell this author her book stole my wife.” This could not be truer! I was so engrossed with Discerning Grace that I barely wanted to pay attention to anything else around me. Emma Lombard writes with the experience and polish of a writer that has been published for years, yet this is her debut book. I am in awe of her skills. As I often point out in my reviews, I am not one of these extremely cynical readers that sits there hoping to find a tray of mistakes to turn her nose to and then eagerly slap 1 or 2 stars reviews just because I can, but I am an avid reader and my trained eyes usually catch “immersion breaking” errors. I can tell you with confidence this book was spotless. Discerning Grace is the work of a professional, a woman that has clearly honed her skills, done a ton of research, and cared for every detail before sending her book out into the world. You know this from the moment you lay eyes on the captivating and elegant cover of Discerning Grace. I appreciate a book cover that was given thought, for it often also means the author has given the story that much thought and more. This was indeed the case for Discerning Grace. The cover, which promised a tall ship, the sea, and a petite heroine with bravery and dreams twinkling in her eyes, immediately seized my attention, and the content of the book sealed that promise right away. Here I was in the 19th century following this very relatable and stubborn 19-year-old in all of her impetuousness, driven not only by survival but also by dreams of freedom, adventure, and eventually a chance at true love. Emma Lombard’s writing succeeds at doing that little thing I always yearn for when I am reading historical fiction: she allowed me to time travel. I was really there, during the Age of Sails, feeling the hardship and fatigue of working aboard a tall ship, smelling the salty air and the stench of unwashed bodies, watching the sails puff up fiercely with the wind. I especially loved the amount of research poured into the making of the story and its settings. The Age of Sail is one of my favorite historical periods, hence I had high expectations, and surprise surprise, Emma Lombard met them just right! The plot was fast paced, with a few twists very well placed within the story, the writing and descriptions smooth and elegant. Never did I feel like the writer was dumping a cold bucket of information on my head, disrupting the story’s harmonious beat. It was instead all gradually exposed through the events and through the characters’ eyes. The romantic scenes were never over the top or distracting. They perfectly flowed with the story. Lombard’s writing holds the perfect amount of elegance, even in the most intimate or brutal scenes. The writer has also done a marvelous job with the cast of supporting characters and their development. I loved them all, for they were all so realistic and utterly flawed, and I truly cared for them. Most importantly, despite Grace’s fierceness and determination for equality, the author did not turn her petite heroine into a broad shoulders, 6 foot tall seasoned sailor. No. Grace was always Grace, even while disguised as a man. Grace learns to fight, but Grace fights with the strength, experience, and technique of a woman that has spent less than a year on a tall ship, making it even more relatable. I am tired of writers turning their female heroine into something utterly unfeasible. A woman and a man are intellectual equals, of course, but their bodies are different and as such they interact differently with the world around them. Grace thinks, fights, and performs like a woman, and she uses all that she’s learned to her advantage, often failing like any normal human being, male or female. Grace wants to be treated as an equal, but she is also perfectly aware of her size and capability. Bravo Lombard! Thank you for that fine realism. Also thank you for the laughs and the tears (and when I say tears I mean it). Why?? Oh, why Emma??? Why did you do that!? You know what I am talking about. Yes… that. Although I forgive you, for I know these choices were necessary to your successful story and I thank you for satisfying my obsessive need for sea stories and good historical fiction. Now please hurry with book two because I need my mateys back and a ship rocking under my feet. I shall be here waiting very impatiently, in the meantime let me give you my 5 STARS review.~ Kiki