Passage to November is historical romance from the Wild Rose Press set on the Great Lakes in 1913. It was a fun setting and time period that I don't remember reading before.

Clara Grace is a young woman on her own, just wanting a break in the music industry. She thinks she has a job with the orchestra on the Eastland but that opportunity is lost and replaced with cook on a cargo ship, Longhope.

Captain William McTavish is a crusty Scottish bachelor with a ship full of … well … sailors. The men are rough and not excited to have a woman along for the summer.

The story has some intrique as well as sailors that won't come around to seeing Clara's good qualities and worth to the crew, which leads to trouble by November.

But in the mean time, the romance that develops between McTavish and Clara is presented in such a way that I believe it. These two characters will make it through December if you remember the old Merl Haggard song and live well together. The short time in the story where they actually embrace their feelings are flirtatious and charming.

As a caveat for Christian readers, the sailors speak like sailors.  And though the Christian flavor is light and mingled with some fun superstition, it is definitely a book written from a Christian world view with characters who understand who holds their future.

I liked this book, these characters, the setting, the violin and Clara's creativity in composing a symphony, the ship and crew and ports, even the backstory, and how it all tied together. Passage to November by Phyllis DeMarco is a well-put together book and an enjoyable read.