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Time Sailors #1

Braving Strange Waters

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Stella Lindy is supposed to be soaking up the sunshine with her bridesmaids on a bachelorette cruise to Hawaii. But when she hits the wrong button on the elevator, the glamorous luxury of the modern ship is replaced with the Missouri River steamboat Arabia filled with strangers—and a mysterious doctor informs her it is 1856.

Communicating through an antique mailbox, her friends on the cruise try to guide her back home before the steamboat sinks, but Stella finds herself caught in a tangled web between pro-slavery Border Ruffians and anti-slavery Jayhawkers. Standing up for what’s right in the face of peril and uncertainty might mean never making it home.

Braving Strange Waters is a riveting time-slip novel with memorable characters, exciting twists, and rich internal conflict that fans of Gabrielle Meyer will love.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2024

45 people are currently reading
922 people want to read

About the author

Sarah Hanks

53 books164 followers
Sarah Hanks is a multi-award-winning author of split-time Christian fiction. Her background in teaching and children’s ministry prepared her for exercising her creativity as a writer, now her full -time job. She and her husband have ten children, a couple of whom seem to have inherited their mother’s love for playing with words and crafting stories. Though Sarah dreams of a cabin by the beach, the family lives jammed together in beautiful chaos near St. Louis, Missouri. She buys earplugs in bulk.
You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram @authorsarahhanks. Check out the freebie page of her website at www.sarah-hanks.com.

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5 stars
69 (63%)
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23 (21%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Clay Davis.
Author 4 books166 followers
April 3, 2024
A very good time travel historical fantasy and modern day romance.
Profile Image for Sarah VanBuskirk.
41 reviews2 followers
April 20, 2024
Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks is a time-slip novel, the first in the Time Sailors series. The story is about three friends who head out on a cruise to celebrate Stella’s bachelorette party. Stella is whisked away to the year 1856, where she is needed for an important mission of which she does not know and is also very confused as to how she has landed in 1856. As she spends the majority of her time in this time era her two friends are back on the cruise wondering where she has gone and are faced with all sorts of issues that come out in their friendship and things in their personal life are brought to the surface. I feel like no matter where you are in life you are bound to be able to relate to at least one of these characters and the struggles they face. Even though this a fun light hearted novel it dives deep into some heart issues and will point you to the creator and healer, Jesus Christ. I absolutely loved the history shared and learned some new things about steamboats and the things going on in the year 1856. The issue of slavery and racism is addressed in an amazing way to show you the struggles of it in the past, but also some of what still exists today. There is just enough splash of romance in this book to not overwhelm you with it, but give you just enough to feel all warm and gooey inside. As you can imagine with three different women there are going to be different approaches to romance. I absolutely loved this story and can't wait until book two. I might just read Braving Strange Waters again while I wait.
Profile Image for Heather Wood.
Author 7 books255 followers
April 17, 2024
For endorsement:

Three friends get swept up in the adventure of a lifetime when they embark on a girls' trip together, not knowing that they would experience time travel, face their greatest weaknesses, find love, forge healing, and encounter Jesus calling them deeper trust and intimacy with Him. Readers will find a piece of themselves in each woman, being offered the opportunity to walk the path with them, letting go of mindsets, behaviors, and assumptions that keep us shackled. Once again, Sarah Hanks uses her incredible storytelling gifts to jar us out of the status quo and into a higher, more excellent Way. Pick up Braving Strange Waters if you like relatable characters in high-stakes situations, women's fiction with a bit of love and a lot of faith, and twists and turns that keep you on your toes.
Profile Image for Sherry Bendorf.
220 reviews35 followers
April 17, 2024
So, so good. Sarah Hanks is a new to me author and I am so glad that I picked up this first book in her time sailor series.

Basically the story is about three best friends who go on a cruise to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of one of the friends. As the cruise takes place, one of the friends, Stella, ends up time-sailing into the past. She is told that she has a mission, unbeknownst to her, to complete before she can return home.

Stella struggles with being brave, I can also relate. One of the quotes that struck me regarding her bravery was this: "The Lord knew her through and through. He had to be aware of what a coward she was. And He loved her anyway, right? He knew what He was getting into when He chose her for His kingdom, and He still chose her." This gives me hope when I'm feeling less than brave.

While she is completing that mission, we also spend time with the other two friends and see what happens to them as they try to figure out what has happened to Stella and how to help her. They have their own escapades in the process.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these 3 characters. I thought they were well developed and I could see myself in one specific character. Sometimes I wanted, and did out right tell them they were making a bad choice. 😊

There is so much faith content intertwined throughout the story which I appreciated. I look forward to the next book in the series and where she'll take the character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Sherry Shindelar.
Author 5 books259 followers
April 12, 2024
I usually read historicals and occasionally branch out to a contemporary. Sarah Hanks does an excellent job of mixing both. In Braving Strange Waters, she takes us into the hearts of three women struggling with fear and self-doubt. We cheer them on as they struggle with friendships, faith, and finding a man to share their lives with. Hanks’s characters come alive on the page, showing us much of ourselves as they stumble and fall short, only to get back up again. And we, along with them, learn to see ourselves as God sees us. We learn a good bit of history, too.

Profile Image for Abigail.
109 reviews12 followers
April 17, 2024
3.5 stars
Braving Strange Waters is a time travel historical book. There was a lot of interesting history that I learned in this book. I did get a little irritated with some of the side characters fighting throughout the book and didn’t care for the swimsuit scene fiasco. Stella has to figure out what mission she must accomplish to get back home to her friends and current time. There is adventure and faith throughout the book along with some important lessons. This is the beginning of the series and I’ll be curious to see where the next adventure takes us.

I was given a copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review.
Profile Image for Hosanna.
87 reviews
April 8, 2024
This is a great book! I loved the message and adventure! But there were some moments that were cringe and hard to read. The rest of it was amazing, I loved their journey though faith with Jesus! The character Wendy and Claire fought a whole lot. I couldn't tell if I liked them or not. Everyone was really judgy. But, I liked the historical side more, it showed stella's journey and how god walked it though with her. It metioned a lot of serious topics, but overall it turned out pretty good!
Profile Image for Carolyn Bryant.
917 reviews79 followers
April 1, 2024
Braving Strange Waters, which launches the Time Sailors series, is a captivating, entertaining story. The unique, well-executed dual timeline featuring time sailing drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading expectantly to the end. I loved this intriguing twist on time travel with its own set of rules. Toggling between 1856 and modern day, the timelines are equally engaging. I came to care about the beautifully crafted characters with their struggles and complicated relationships. Rich historical detail enhances the story. The issue of racism is handled thoughtfully yet boldly. The inspiring faith thread reminds us of God’s power to transform lives and calm all fears. I totally enjoyed this book and recommend it especially for fans of historical fiction and time travel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
51 reviews
April 21, 2024
Sarah has done it again… a page turner from the first page! When three friend set out on a cruise they have no idea how much their lives will change in just a few short days… a modern times tale with a twist of time travel back to before the sinking of the steamboat Arabia. The characters where so relatable at different points i really felt like i was going through the story with them!
35 reviews
April 23, 2024
I love how the author weaves struggle and victory in tangible personalities. Each character (though very different) is relatable. Funny moments, fearful moments, and all in a novel that is easy to read and absorb. A fun read with depth and meaning. Definitely a hard to find combination.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Profile Image for Rebecca Trump.
Author 1 book77 followers
April 29, 2024
Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks is nothing less than creativity at its finest. This imaginative tale she crafted was amazing, certain to draw you in, unable to put the book down until the last page. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait for book 2!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
722 reviews
April 16, 2024
I loved the whole concept of time sailing and being able to communicate through the antique mailbox. I also liked the character development as each of the main characters became aware of their failings and the need to do something about it in God's strength. I also loved the glimpse into times past and just how entrenched racial prejudice is even now. I received an ARC but this review is my own.
Profile Image for Crystal Grant.
Author 19 books112 followers
December 28, 2024
This story pulled me in and kept me interested from start to finish! Three friends—all with their own worries and insecurities—thrown into a situation beyond their imagination. One is taken into another time in history, and the two remaining friends struggle to overcome their differences to help their missing comrade. The historical side feels so authentic and real, but the story also deals with current issues like social media and job stress. The author also tackles racism both in the past and present. A great book for readers not afraid to read about tough issues and lovers of time travel, history, and friendship!
Profile Image for Deanna Mosier.
498 reviews14 followers
September 2, 2025
A different take on dual time…very good!

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to part and read part as I couldn’t stop; it was so good! 3 gals on a bachelorette cruise and dual time on a paddle wheeler on Missouri River in 1856. It’s called time-sailing. A unique take on dual time! Lots of happenings to keep you “turning pages” and keep you on the edge of your seat!
Profile Image for SK.
241 reviews
May 7, 2024
When I see a Time-fiction book, I immediately read the synopsis to see if the book looks like “my type of Time-fiction.” This book seemed to fit, but the dialogue, the demeanor, the self-centeredness of Wendy and Claire just became more and more of an annoyance. I found myself skimming through the pages when confronted with Wendy or Claire’s antics. I recognize that books and our evaluation of them are very subjective, and are influenced by so many things. When sitting to review the book, I found myself divided: I liked some things about this book and at the same time found some things that were not compelling, enjoyable, or edifying.

Things I liked:
• I like the creativeness of Time-travel fiction and the premise of this book seemed to hold promise.
• I like history and the virtual-reality vibe of mixing history with contemporary characters - promising.
• I like the idea of bringing fresh-eyes to an historic, debated, & fought for issue, which our heroine Stella is confronted with during her time-sailing, even as she had seemingly suppressed dealing with the issue in the present.
• I enjoy learning more about my newly adopted state of Missouri. I plan to visit The Arabia Steamboat Museum in KC.
• I’m passionate about antiques and have enjoyed decades of antique collecting, and because of that, I found I liked the use of historical artifacts throughout the story; clever. The juxtaposition of the elevator and the mailbox to facilitate time-sailing was great.
• Hanks used the “snags in the Missouri River” experienced by the steamboat as plot devices to jump time forward, a few minutes to a period of weeks. This also helped build suspense, as Stella is informed that the Arabia is going to sink at a propitious point in time, which could be critical to Stella’s survival.
• I also appreciated that Stella isn’t just on a vacation time-trip, but cannot/will not return to her time, unless she can complete the mission, she was pulled into another time to accomplish. She doesn’t know what that mission is and we do not know what that mission is, but nevertheless, she must accomplish the mission. Nice touch to add to the genre of time-travel fiction.
• The Dr. Duncan who appears in the contemporary time-line and the Dr. Duncan who appears to Stella on the steamboat is intriguing. Just like Wendy & Claire wonder about him and his “knowledge” of time-travel, and Stella has questions about her Dr. Duncan, I was pulled into the story and the mystery around the Drs. Duncan.

Conversely, the following things were Frustrating or Annoying:
• The conversations, thoughts, and fixations of Wendy & Claire, both together and as they interacted with others or ruminated, fixated on their personal wants and needs had me ending my reading sessions numerous times. They were so self-focused and absolutely nauseating.
• I enjoy time-fiction that doesn’t jump back and forth between the current time and the “jumped-to-time.” When the reader is anchoring in the traveled-to-time, they can become enmeshed into the feel and experience of being in a different time, which helps me, the reader to identify with character who jumped into a different time and all they experience. Sadly, as soon as I was invested in Stella’s story, I was yanked out of it, just to hear the inane babblings of Wendy or Claire.
• Both Wendy and Claire had issues that plagued them, they fought themselves, they fought with others, and their issues hurt their abilities to make good choices (job, boyfriend, and even their relationship with the Lord).
• Added to my trouble in investing in the story was that it seemed odd that the girls (Stella, Wendy, & Claire) went off on a cruise, when shortly, Stella would be getting married and the girls (Wendy & Claire) were the besties who would be involved in all the festivities. I question how they could take time for a cruise when they each seemed to have struggles with time loss, money issues, job security, and interpersonal challenges, it just didn’t make sense.
• The last item I struggled with was the awkward relationship the three main characters had with their faith; it just didn’t seem credible. At times, especially Wendy and Claire seemed to treat faith and their relationship with the Lord like a rabbit’s foot that is used when the character got into a jam.

My Conclusions: This book was my first encounter with Sarah Hanks and I have to say she is talented. I didn’t notice any sloppiness as to editing and there were many creative elements. Kudos that the book focused on history and time-travel, but I could have wished that more time was spent in the past and not in the present. I felt this was a solid read, although I couldn’t rate the book higher, because for me the actions, demeanor, and dialogue of Wendy and Claire seemed limited. It was as if the story was geared to a young adult audience and would be more appreciated by those dealing with the angst of young adulthood then more established adults. But even so, I would read another book by Sarah Hanks as she is very talented and a worthy author.
Profile Image for Kay Nield.
7 reviews9 followers
April 14, 2024
Faith, friendships, romance, adventure, history, time travel…this book checks all of the boxes! I can’t wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Pamela Baker.
Author 2 books22 followers
April 1, 2024
Three college friends set out on a cruise vacation to celebrate Stella’s upcoming marriage. Stella time-travels to a steamboat in 1856 and has to complete a mission in order to return. Her friends face their fears and their other issues while communicating with her by sending letters through an antique mailbox. All three women learn more about themselves and learn to trust Jesus more. All three find or continue a romance.
This was a fun read with a good message. Lots of chuckles, but some sobering thoughts. None of us is perfect and we need to extend grace to ourselves and others. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Cindy Pye.
119 reviews8 followers
May 1, 2024
This was a wonderful trip!

Braving Strange Waters has so many facets that kept my attention. I love the character development and how each one grew in the way they needed to. The way God worked in their lives showed how our own relationship with God is personal and unique, and shows He never leaves us.
34 reviews5 followers
April 11, 2024
It was an intriguing book. At first I wasn’t sure how the storyline would really work, but it did in very intricate ways. Sarah made the topic of slavery/ racism in the past & in some ways the present come alive. The relationships between the 3 friends showed the good & the ugly of real friendships, letting go of guilt, pretending to be someone you aren’t & finding your own personal purpose themselves were interwoven seamlessly. I found myself turning pages to see how everything would play out & then sad that it’s over. Probably the biggest takeaway for me was trusting God in overwhelming/ scary & even embarrassing situations.
Profile Image for Sarah Hanks.
Author 53 books164 followers
April 12, 2024
This was my favorite book to write thus far. I hope it ends up on your favorite list too.
Profile Image for Stacie Matuszeski.
12 reviews
April 15, 2024
I very much enjoyed this book! It was so fun to read . It’s about three friends that go on a girls week cruise. I loved the time traveling element. It was also so fun to read about a historic marker near to my area. I felt like the characters were very relatable and their struggles easy to understand.
Profile Image for Jenny Powell.
92 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2024
I love this concept! It’s a great method to the dual-timelines. The author created her rules for the time-travel and it works.
The three friends are likable and their relationship issues are realistic. These side conflicts add to the plot nicely, adding depth.
I look forward to the next Time Sailor saga!
Profile Image for Andrette Herron.
Author 1 book15 followers
April 21, 2024
Let me start off by saying how much I love this story. The author did an amazing job devising a unique approach to writing a time travel story. I love time sailing - what an absolutely great idea that opens up a world of possibilities for the characters and plot.

For the main character Stella, we learn that she has failed to step up when she should have and that is mostly out of fear. Of course, her mission requires her to choose between her fears and doing the right thing. I love the fact that we see all 3 ladies struggle with insecurity, fear and identity issues in their own ways and this journey brings all three of them back to the truths they need to be grounded in. Thank you to this author for writing these stories. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I received an early copy for review and the opinions shared are my own.
Profile Image for Sarah.
Author 14 books24 followers
March 10, 2024
From start to finish, Braving Strange Waters sucked me in to a realistic world of friendship complications with a shocking time travel twist. Sarah Hanks masterfully intertwines historical details with modern issues, addressing complicated race issues and trials of faith with both sensitivity and directness. She doesn’t shy away from the hard, and yet she has this bubbly spirit that keeps the heaviness of the topics from weighing down the story, while still dropping nuggets of wisdom along the way that had me stopping to take notes.
Profile Image for Riannon.
21 reviews1 follower
August 16, 2024
This was a great story of friendship, relationships and what they should look like, racial struggles, and redeeming love. I loved reading as the story unfolded, changed, and self-corrected. Highly recommend!
35 reviews1 follower
September 3, 2024
Braving Strange Waters is an exciting time-slip novel based around the friendship of three girls Stella, Wendy and Claire who are on a cruise vacation before Stella's wedding. Whilst on the boat Stella time sails back to 1856 finding herself on board the steamboat Arabia. Faced with a mission to complete to enable her to return, Stella in the past and her two friends in the present both face their fears and work through issues of faith and trust to heal their own emotional wounds.

This book had a well researched historical side as well of lots of adventure and a touch of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will be looking out for more form this author in the future.
Profile Image for Karen.
509 reviews43 followers
April 14, 2024
Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I am a huge fan of time travel stories, so when I realized Sarah Hank's newest book had time travel in it, I was so excited. This has got to be my favorite book of hers. I was even more excited to realize it is the first book of the Time Sailors series, so more books are to come.
What a unique take on time travel. Stella and her best friends, Wendy and Claire, are on a cruise on their way to Hawaii prior to her marriage to Everett. Though they are such close friends, they are all hiding something from the other two. Suddenly, Stella mysteriously steps out of the elevator to find herself on a steamboat over a hundred years in the past, in anti-bellum Missouri. A Dr. Duncan comes to her aid, but is he someone she should put her trust in? Adding to the mystery is that there is a Dr. Duncan who introduces himself to her friends in the current day timeline. Yes, we get to see the story from both timelines, and from all three friends' points of view. And Wendy and Claire are able to communicate to Stella, and vice versa, through an antique mailbox.
Stella has a mission to fulfill in order to make it back to her time, but she's not sure how she can accomplish that when she has no clue what it is. Wendy and Claire attempt to help her, researching what they can, discovering what happened to the steamboat she is on back in the 1850s. But they are dealing with their own issues as well.
This story drew me right in and wouldn't let go. I was intrigued by the time sailor take on time travel. The author did a great job making me care for all the characters, though there were quite a few times I was frustrated with them when they failed to communicate with each other. Which I guess is sort of hypocritical seeing as I am bad at communicating and opening up. The conflict and danger in the 1856 timeline gripped me and kept me swiping through the pages. As did the relationship issues in modern day. But most importantly there was the faith thread that wove through each of these storylines. Learning to fully trust in Jesus and put one's life in His all-powerful hands.
I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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