Ink & Saltwater by Kayden Etter

Southampton, 1912.

Thomas Bennett has spent most of his life just getting by. After years of hiding who he is and carefully navigating a world that allows little room for people like him, he receives an unexpected gift: a third-class ticket aboard the RMS Titanic and a chance to start anew in America under his chosen name.

For the first time, no one on the great ship knows his past. To his fellow passengers, he is simply Tom. As the Titanic takes him farther from England and closer to the future he has always dreamed of, he begins to discover something he never thought possible: friendship, belonging, and the chance for a life that feels like his own.

Among the crowded decks and lively third-class gatherings, Tom is drawn to Nora, a sharp-witted young woman whose confidence pushes him and whose kindness slowly earns his trust. What starts as chance meetings soon becomes something neither of them expected. But love is hard enough without secrets, and Tom must decide if he is willing to risk the life he has built for the chance to be truly known.

Set against the backdrop of the Titanic's maiden voyage, Ink & Saltwater is a sweeping historical romance about identity, bravery, found family, and the people who show us how to take up space in the world. Heartfelt, hopeful, and ultimately heartbreaking, it is a story of survival, love, and the lives forever changed aboard the most famous ship in history.