New on Amazon: Unwell
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$2.99 with 79 percent savings
Print List Price: $13.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Rebecca Bryn
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

On Different Shores: A crime of passion. Separated by the English penal system, a young woman sacrifices all to follow the man she loves to Van Diemen's Land. (For Their Country's Good Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rebecca Bryn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 224 ratings
Exiled to Van Diemen's Land. 'Truly exceptional trilogy'' When Ralph kisses Ella, the daughter of his father’s housekeeper, he has no idea of the trouble he is about to unleash. Ella is sent to Yardley Hastings, Northamptonshire, to be ‘safely’ married, but she falls in love with Jem, the ‘bad boy’ of the village. (Contains some strong language and sexual scenes essential to the plot)
Jem is a poacher, and when he and his two cousins are found guilty of killing Lord Northampton's gamekeeper in 1841, he is transported to Van Diemen's Land for life, leaving behind Ella, his common-law wife. Pregnant and penniless, she faces the appalling lack of rights for women in Victorian England and is forced to make terrible choices.
While Jem suffers the deprivations of a brutal life in chains, Ella is determined her child will know its father. Brazen and shameless, if selling her body is the only way to raise the fare to follow him across the globe, then that is what she will do. Will the cost of her actions prove too high, for her, and for all those she loves? Can she and Jem ever be reunited?
On Different Shores is book one of three, and the ongoing nature of the story, inspired by real events in the author’s family history, means that these are not stand-alone books. The story is split simply because there are too many pages for one volume. (There is an e-boxset) Although each book takes you to a pivotal moment in the story, all three need to be read in order to reach the conclusion. Also, be prepared for some explicit sex and sexual abuse necessary to the plot.
The story spans twenty years in the lives of Jem and Ella and takes them around the globe, crossing perilous oceans in sailing ships to the penal colonies of Van Diemen’s Land, and to the goldfields of Australia, suffering the hardships many convicts and free emigrants suffered to found a British colony on slave labour.
Book Two is 'Beneath Strange Stars'.
Book Three is 'On Common Ground'.
Readers' Favorite Editorial Review - 5 stars ‘On Different Shores (For Their Country’s Good Book 1) by Rebecca Bryn is a powerful, character-driven, story of a young couple and their ill-fated love. Rebecca Bryn has gone a step further than any “Romeo and Juliet” tale by setting it in Victorian times. Women had no rights whatever, but Ella defies convention, earning money any way she can, and giving birth to Jem’s son, resolute in her intention to escape her abusive husband, Harry.
Will she be defeated by Harry’s single-minded passion to father a son of his own? If she escapes, can she endure crossing the globe with a toddler? Ella will move readers to tears, and to fury; she lives. All Ms Bryn’s characters, the good, the bad, and the ugly, live. On Different Shores is the first book in a brilliant historical novel that takes the reader wherever Ella and Jem lead.’
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 3
    For Their Country's Good
  2. Print length
    337 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 27, 2017
  5. File size
    2.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 3 books in this series.
This option includes 3 books.

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  1. Tidewater
    Kindle Edition
    $9.99
  3. The Old Balmain House
    Kindle Edition
    $0.00
  7. Sisters of the Soul
    Kindle Edition
    $6.99
  11. And Trouble Followed
    Kindle Edition
    $2.99
  13. Hattie Vavaseur
    Kindle Edition
    $4.99
  18. A Mourning Marriage
    Kindle Edition
    $2.99
  19. The Mysteries
    Kindle Edition
    $3.99
  20. Love and Literature
    Kindle Edition
    $0.99
  21. TEMPEST: Bermuda 1609
    Kindle Edition
    $2.99
  25. No Man's Land
    Kindle Edition
    $2.99
  29. The Promise of Unbroken Straw
    Kindle Edition
    $4.99
Next page
Loading...

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Characters that leap from the page and into your heart.' Frank Parker, author of Called to Account.It was amazing. On Different Shores (For Their Country's Good Book 1) by Rebecca Bryn opens in a country rectory in Victorian England, where Ella has been sent after being caught sharing a kiss with her employer's son. Whilst Reverend Buchanan seeks a suitable husband for his dowerless protégé, Ella falls in love with Jem, a poor poacher. Pregnant with Jem's child, she flees her loveless marriage to farmer's son, Harry, and becomes Jem's common-law wife. Jem is found guilty of the manslaughter of a gamekeeper. Lucky to escape hanging, he is transported to Van Diemen's Land for life. Ella refuses to forget him, determined that their child shall know its father. Can Ella raise the money to follow her lover? Will Jem survive the perilous sea journey, manacled in chains?
On Different Shores is a powerful, character-driven, story of a young couple and their ill-fated love. Rebecca Bryn has gone a step further than any "Romeo and Juliet" tale by setting it in Victorian times. Women had no rights whatever, but Ella defies convention, earning money anyway she can, and giving birth to Jem's son, resolute in her intention to escape Harry. Will she be defeated by Harry's single-minded passion to father a son of his own? If she escapes, can she endure crossing the globe with a toddler? Ella will move readers to tears, and to fury; she lives. All Ms Bryn's characters, the good, the bad, and the ugly, live.On Different Shores is a brilliant historical novel that takes the reader wherever Ella and Jem lead.

Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite

From the Author

This series was inspired by a family story about which my grandmother was very tight-lipped. On researching my family history a couple of years ago, I came across Jem, my great-great-great uncle, and pieced together his and his errant cousins' story from their trial transcripts, newspaper reports, and convict records. The research took me from a tiny village in Northamptonshire, England, on a convict ship across the Southern Ocean to a penal colony in Van Diemen's Land, and across the Blue Mountains to the goldfields of Australia. It has been a roller coaster ride, and I've loved every minute of it.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06ZZJH88Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rebecca Bryn (April 27, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 27, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 224 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Rebecca Bryn

Rebecca Bryn

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Rebecca lives near Britain's smallest city, St Davids, in the far west of Wales. Surrounded by stunning coastal and moorland scenery, she also loves to paint. She inherited her love of stories from her grandfather, who told stories with his hands: stories with colourful characters and unexpected endings. Her fascination with what makes people who they are, and the belief that life is many shades of grey, informs her writing. A Native American Indian proverb reads, 'Don't judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.' Rebecca has based her life on this tenet: it is certainly core to her writing. 'We may not condone what a person does, but sometimes we can understand and maybe come to forgive.' In 2019, she won the IAN Fiction Book of the Year prize, the IAN Outstanding Historical Fiction prize, and the Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for Historical era/event Fiction.

Her books have been awarded Readers' Favorite 5-star reviews.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
224 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers praise this historical romance novel for its rich portrayal of the era and beautiful writing style. The pacing receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting the extensive world-building.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

10 customers mention "Story quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with one describing it as a superbly written historical romance and another noting its rich portrayal of the era.

"Geesh! This book was so exciting... Inn so shocked at Ella behind this"risk" she is taking!..." Read more

"I love Rebecca Bryn's writing. She really knows how to weave a great tale...." Read more

"Another absorbing story told with the voice of a great story teller...." Read more

"4.5 Stars A very powerful and superbly written historical romance...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as beautifully written and very well done, with one customer noting how natural the narrative feels.

"...Pregnant to Jem, Ella marries Harry. This story, beautifully crafted by Rebecca Bryn, emphasises the total lack of control which women had over..." Read more

"...You can emphasise with her feelings and her actions. It was very realistic, well written and I can't wait to read the next part of the series...." Read more

"...No such fear here as you feel everything is quite natural and this comes not just from what is clearly a huge amount of research, but from the..." Read more

"This beautifully written novel (part one of a three-part saga) starts out as a romance, possibly even of the bodice-ripper sort...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one customer highlighting its wonderful world-building and another noting its huge amount of research.

"...’s determination and courage in her efforts to pursue her love are inspiring and so real you feel as if you are there with her, willing her on...." Read more

"...quite natural and this comes not just from what is clearly a huge amount of research, but from the sheer quality of Rebecca Brynn's story-telling..." Read more

"...Lots of action and twists & turns. Lots of wonderful world-building---you really feel you are there...." Read more

"Compelling, Dark, Historical Romance..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Book-worm53
    5.0 out of 5 stars exhale now
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Geesh! This book was so exciting... Inn so shocked at Ella behind this"risk" she is taking! I mean is Jem going to"understand" if he finds out all that she had done?? Even though she says it's for him? He's still a man.. he's not going to want a wife who has done the unthinkable!!! Even with the reverend!!! This is crazy! I didn't see ANY OF THIS COMING WOW ELLA HAS SHOCKED N DISAPPOINTED ME.. I just.. itt seems like Harry mom knows more than what she is saying. I. CAN NOT KEEP MY ANXIETY DOWN I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING To HAPPEN IN BOOK 2!! Wow this book is my first off it's genre and I love it!! This author has done the unthinkable lol I think I've held my mouth open in shock the last half off the book! This book has kept me up all night I'm too excited and impatient to goo too sleep now🤣🤣🤣🤣 great book Mrs. Bryn great stuff!
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Judith952
    4.0 out of 5 stars Part one of a series
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Although this is a terrific book that really draws you in and has great character development, it's very important to know that this is not a complete book in itself. You are left hanging in the middle of the drama and need to purchase the next book in order to continue the story.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Rita Lee Chapman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another superb story from Rebecca Bryn
    Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    On Different Shores was inspired by the author’s great, great, great uncle and his two cousins and is set in England in the 1840’s. Ella is sent by her mother’s employer, who has supported her through childhood, to a friend in another village where it is hoped she will make a suitable marriage. Ella is promised to the son of a local land owner but falls in love with a local lad, Jem, who is involved in a murder and sentenced to deportation to Australia. Pregnant to Jem, Ella marries Harry. This story, beautifully crafted by Rebecca Bryn, emphasises the total lack of control which women had over their lives in these times. Ella owns nothing, not even her child and can be beaten or locked up by her husband as he pleases. Ella’s determination and courage in her efforts to pursue her love are inspiring and so real you feel as if you are there with her, willing her on. This book will leave you impatient for the next one in the series to be published.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • M. Slavidou
    5.0 out of 5 stars I can't recommend it highly enough
    Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I love Rebecca Bryn's writing. She really knows how to weave a great tale.

    This book is set in a harsh, unforgiving society of the past, and it brings the misogyny of the day into stark relief. I won't give you any spoilers, as you will want to read this book from beginning to end, kept on the edge of the seat.

    Admittedly, the first three or four pages seeemed to me to go a bit slowly, but once it got started, I couldn't put it down. You feel sorry for Ella, trapped by social expectation as a mere teenager. You can emphasise with her feelings and her actions. It was very realistic, well written and I can't wait to read the next part of the series.

    Frankly, you need to stop reading reviews and get on with buying and reading the book!
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Patrick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Another absorbing story told with the voice of a great story teller. The detail of this book is fantastic and I was completely lost in the time and setting as though transported by the seemingly effortless style of the writer. Historical novels can drag me down into the mire of too much detail when an author tries to show the depth of their knowledge. No such fear here as you feel everything is quite natural and this comes not just from what is clearly a huge amount of research, but from the sheer quality of Rebecca Brynn's story-telling ability. I loved this book and you will too. Pick it up.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Ian
    4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, Dark, Historical Romance
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    4.5 Stars

    A very powerful and superbly written historical romance. This is a dark-toned tale with tremendous sadness, but it resonates with you. The author spares us none of the cruelty and harsh treatments and sad fate of women of the Victorian times. I found my blood running hot with all the ill-treatment of our heroine that I was made to give witness to. For those who also enjoy literary fiction and travel lit, this title fulfills, if not exceeds, the demands of those genres as well.

    It’s the first of a series of books, so bear that in mind. So, yes, there’s hope there’s some light at the end of this dark tunnel. Though who knows what installment in the series we’ll be up to by then?
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • PromptProse
    4.0 out of 5 stars Love gone wrong in Victorian England
    Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Set in Victorian England, where women were chattel and convicts where transported, 'On Different Shores' is the first book in Rebecca Bryn's series 'For Their Country's Good'.

    Ella yields to family and community pressure and marries Harry Cartwright instead of Jem Weston, the man she loves. When she is abused both by her new husband and by her father-in-law, she flees into Jem's arms.

    On Different Shores is a promising beginning to a sweeping family saga. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars women and cattle had the same rights……none
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This in-depth storyline keeps you reading until the cliff hanger ending. The characters are well developed. The scenery comes to life this is a steamy story but not overly so. It definitely keeps you turning pages. I enjoyed this book and recommend it for ages 16 and up.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Bookaholic
    5.0 out of 5 stars What would you do for love...?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Banished for a kiss that she did not initiate, Ella Maundrell finds herself at the mercy of Reverend Buchanan. The Reverend is determined to find a respectable husband for Ella. Ella has no choice but to go along with the Reverend's plans. But then she met Jem, and everything changed. Little does she know just how much she will have to sacrifice to stay with the man she loves.

    On Different Shores (For Their Country's Good, #1) is a heartbreaking story of a forbidden first love. Set in Victorian England, Ella has no rights. She is the property of her husband, Harry, and he can do with her what he wills. At times I found this book difficult to read because of the content. Ella suffers so much at the hands of her husband and his family that at one point I had to put the book down and walk away. However, I was desperate to find out what would happen to Ella, so I picked the book up again and I did not put it down until I had finished.

    Rebecca Bryn has certainly created a compelling read. The story is fast-paced, with many twists and turns. The protagonist and antagonists are all well fleshed. They came across as very real in the telling.

    On Different Shores (For Their Country's Good, #1) shows the worst of Victorian Britain. Ms Bryn spares not her readers as she describes the poverty, the injustice of the legal system, and the horror of the poorhouses. This book is very rich in historical detail, and the backdrop is very real in the telling. Kudos Ms Bryn.

    I look forward to reading the further books in the series.

    I Highly Recommend.
    Report
  • Lady Tracey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wanted downunder
    Reviewed in Australia on February 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Cannot wait to read the next 2 books. I hope Ella and Jem eventually get together.
    A great storyline of horrible times in England and Australia.
    Report
  • Tom
    5.0 out of 5 stars First Class Entertainment
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve read thirty books across a wide range of genre this year, and this story is in the top three.
    However good a book might be I generally have a reservation or two, even if they are minor. I had no such reservations by the time I arrived at the end of this superbly told tale. Love, lust, loss, deceit, honour, degradation and severe penalties are only a hint of the contents.
    What did I find so impressive?
    From sex scenes in a variety of locations, to breeds of working horses, to the conditions onboard a prison ship, the detail and imagery are outstanding. Imagination and storytelling for a tale such as this are only as good as the research, and the author has brought all three aspects together.
    I’ve been aboard a Dutch East India-man (in this century), and can confirm the spartan conditions of a ship of similar size. A prison ship converted from a battleship of its day would be claustrophobic at best.
    When the writer produces emotion as you read, their job has been done, and in this case it was done with interest. The characters in this story are plentiful and colourful, but importantly - believable. I was impressed in particular by the development of Ella, but so many others will remain clear in my memory.
    I was hoping to be entertained, and I was absorbed in the story within a few paragraphs. I have to hold back now for a while before reading the second in the series, because I’d like to savour the idea of the continuing story.
    Kudos, Rebecca Bryn.
    Report
  • Bookaholic
    5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired by True Events!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    ‘On Different Shores’ by Rebecca Bryn, is a historical fiction story inspired by true events during the Victorian era.

    The story is set in a time when men (even the married ones) were free to bed who they liked, but if a woman were to do the same she would be classed as a whore. - Ella was classed as a wanton woman for just kissing a man. As punishment she was sent by her mother’s employer to live short-term at a rectory in a faraway village, until a suitable suitor could be found. The rector chose Harry, a wealthy young man who was as ugly in nature as he was looking, as he (the rector) felt sure Harry & his family would rule Ella with a rod of iron. Ella was repulsed by the idea and would have rather married Jem, a gorgeous and genuinely nice guy - who had little or no money and could only show his love for her by gifting her a Jay’s feather - but alas, unbeknownst to Ella, he also had an impulsive nature which could be triggered when a loved one’s reputation was at stake. Ella resolved to follow Jem to the ends of the earth (or Van Diemen’s Land), even if this meant selling her soul to the devil - or her body to man - and raising her child(ren) on a convict colony.

    I would recommend Bryn’s ‘On Different Shores’ to readers who enjoy historical fiction stories depicting class distinction, women who were starting to be empowered, or prisoners who were exiled; trilogies, or fine works of literary fiction.
    Report
  • Fifty Sheds of Books
    5.0 out of 5 stars On Different Shores
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Through my family history research I have some knowledge of the nineteenth century so the subject matter of Rebecca Bryn's novel drew me to her book. The story, beautifully told, occurred all too frequently in real life, so this novel contains an extra layer of authenticity. The social divides of the time are well portrayed along with the social injustice.

    Through her characters, Rebecca Bryn brings history to life. But this is not a dry, academic study; far from it. On Different Shores is an engrossing, entertaining novel.

    On Different Shores is a thought-provoking book, well researched and well written. The social aspects alone are gripping, but the author adds much more through the human, heart felt story of her protagonists. Highly recommended.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report