The Sea Child

In this enchanting, adventurous debut novel, a band of seafaring smugglers land on the Cornish coast, where a young widow with a mysterious past becomes entangled in their schemesand with their charismatic captain.

Coming Jan. 20 (US) and Feb. 12 (UK), 2026. US pre-order below, UK coming soon!

Cover coming soon

The Sea Child

Cornwall, England, early 1800s: Destitute and forced to leave her home in London, Isabel, a young widow of the Napoleonic Wars, returns to the village on the rugged Cornish coast where she was found as a small child, dripping wet and alone. Hoping to learn more about her enigmatic origins, she’s shocked to find herself at the center of a local legend claiming she’s the daughter of a sea spirit.

As Isabel adjusts to life in her rented cottage, the coast is rife with smugglers and the Revenue Officers who hunt them. One evening, a group of dangerous raiders arrive at her door, carrying their wounded captain, Jack. Remembering her late husband’s fatal injuries, Isabel decides to care for Jack and soon senses a powerful connection between them. Even after Jack recovers, Isabel finds herself unable to forget him. Meanwhile, the sea calls to her, and a Revenue Officer who likes to hang smugglers poses a threat in more ways than one. Before long, she finds herself caught on the wrong side of the law, with violence and heartbreak looming.

From the coves of Cornwall to the wild coast of Brittany, during perilous raids at sea and society dinner parties, Isabel fights to understand her kinship with the ocean while seeking answers about her past. But when the threat catches up with them and Jack’s life hangs in the balance, she must draw on all her courage and delve deep into mythical heart of the Cornish coast. For only a Sea Child can turn the tide…

US pre-order link below, UK pre-order link coming soon!

The Sea Child will be available on 20 January 2026 (US, Ballantine) and 12 February 2026 (UK, Simon & Schuster)

Hi and welcome! I’m Linda, author of historical fiction with a heavy dose of romance, folklore and mystery. My debut novel The Sea Child is coming out in January 2026 and I’m so excited for readers to meet main character Isabel and join her on her journey in 1800s Cornwall, England. If you’d like to learn more about The Sea Child or my other projects, including my short fiction, please have a look around the site. Happy travels!

Linda

The Sea Child

Available January 20, 2026 (US) and February 12, 2026 (UK)

Find me on Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter/X and Bluesky!