My Rating: 5 stars / 5 It Was Amazing
Summary of Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks
A Regency romance on the high seas. Two hearts
yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.
As a young girl, Georgana Woodall dreamed of beautiful
dresses, fancy balls, and falling in love. However, when her mother dies, she
cannot face a future under the guardianship of her abusive grandmother and
instead chooses to join her father on his ship disguised as his cabin boy,
"George."
Lieutenant Dominic Peyton has no time in his life for love,
not with his dedication to His Majesty's Royal Navy claiming his full
attention. While trying to adjust to a new crew, he strives to be an exemplary
officer and leader. When he sees the captain's cabin boy being harassed by the
crew, he immediately puts a stop to it and takes the "boy" under his
wing. After discovering a number of clues, Dominic deduces that George is
really a woman. Knowing that revealing the cabin boy's secret would put her in
serious danger from the rowdy crew, Dominic keeps silent and hides his growing
affection for her.
Georgana is quickly losing her heart to Dominic's compassion
and care but is convinced nothing can come of her affection. She cannot
continue to live her life on the sea, and having already missed too many
seasons in London, her chances of being welcomed back into polite society and
finding a suitable husband are quickly slipping away (from Amazon).
My review
When Navy Captain’s
daughter Georgana Woodall finds herself on British Navy vessel Deborah on the way to Antigua disguised
as a cabin boy, she has to be smart not to blow her cover as First Lieutenant
Dominic Payton takes her under his wing.
Georgana’s Secret is the standalone regency romance debut by
Arlem Hawks, published by Shadow Mountain Publishing. Napoleonic Wars are
raging and Navy captain’s daughter Georgana Woodall has been removed from her abusive
grandmother’s care and is in disguise as a cabin boy on Her Majesty’s Navy
vessel Deborah headed for Antigua. First
Lieutenant Dominic Peyton takes cabin boy George under his wing. Through
the dangerous French attacks on the vessel, they become close. Dominic suspects
something is up with the little cabin boy and there seems something strange
about his family background.
Main character Navy
Captain’s daughter is Georgana Woodall. I feel desperately sorry for her
having been exposed to her grandmother’s violence most of her life and is bullied
by the other ship mates. But throughout the story she finds impressive strength
and compassion within herself and she is my favorite of this story.
Supporting character First Lieutenant Dominic Peyton seems
a light hearted and happy person in total control of who he is and what his
future holds. He seems to have slightly
liberal views on propriety which impresses me. Events on the convoy mission challenge
his view of life.
This story reminds me of a movie favorite of mine, Master
and Commander, which has similar setting aboard a British Navy vessel during Napoleonic
Wars. I can’t remember having read any plot which deal with the combination of romance
and nautical warfare quite like this. I know we are only at the beginning, but
this unique story just might turn out to be one of my favorites this year.
The beautiful writing
intrigued and enthralled me. Descriptions were so vivid I felt transferred to
the ship. It was hard to take a break to get some sleep. I just had to find
what would happen next with Georgana and Dominic. I loved that there even was light
hearted, amusing dialogue in places. It’s been a long time since a character
has engaged me like Georgana. She seemed a well developed character with the
perfect blend of human and believable. So relatable she could have lived next
door.
A little surprise gem was included as Georgana and Dominic
enjoyed a little escape to a faraway beach in Antigua where they got to
be alone together (Georgana being George). This part I felt was particularly
well written and was my absolute favorite of the story.
I am really excited to see
what Arlem Hawks comes up with next and anyone who enjoys a great
regency romance set at sea will love this story.
Similar authors to explore
might be Sarah E. Ladd or Ronda Gibb Hinrichson.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain
Publishing, Arlem Hawks and NetGalley for this opportunity to share my honest
review. All opinions
are completely my own.
Conclusion: This
beautifully written, thoroughly engaging regency is about Georgana who hides as a
sailor trying to stay away from her violent grandmother, when she meets a man
whose only love is the sea.
Where to get your copy
AMAZON | BARNES
& NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP
| INDIEBOUND
| DESERET BOOK | GOODREADS
Advance Praise
"Hawks crafts a
spellbinding tale featuring rich characters and raw emotions set against the
atmospheric backdrop of sea life in all its danger and beauty. Georgana is a
tough protagonist holding her own in a world dominated by men, while Peyton's charm
and sensitivity marks him as a true gentleman. A hidden identity, flirtation,
and treachery make for a rousing tale to captivate lovers of historical
romances."— Publishers Weekly
“This tale felt
sweepingly cinematic at times and was both action-packed and heart-wrenching
with an immersive narrative.”— Katie Jackson, RegencyProofreading.com
Arlem
Hawks wove a magnificent tale of adventure and deception and delivered a happy
ever after that was as unconventional as the rest of the story. With so many
stories of romance out there, it is refreshing when one comes along that is
very different than the stories that I am used to. A little adventure always
livens things up fabulously.”— Emily Flynn, Reading with
Emily
"Fans of sweet love
stories as well as readers who fondly remember those marvelous old traditional
Signet Regencies will quickly succumb to the siren song of Hawk’s expertly
crafted novel, which delivers the perfect blend of Jane Austen-smart romance
and Patrick O’Brian flavored seafaring adventure. Teen romance readers will
cheer on the plucky heroine as she finds the courage to forge her own path in
life and love."— Booklist, starred review
Author
Bio
Arlem Hawks began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the Western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people and the stories they have to tell. With her travels came an interest in history, especially the history of her English heritage. When she isn't writing, Arlem is baking her characters' favorite foods, sewing Regency dresses, learning how to play the tin whistle, and water coloring. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two children. Having previously published four historical romance novellas, Georgana’s Secret is her debut novel.
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Here’s the Blog Tour Schedule
Join the virtual blog tour of GEORGANA’S
SECRET (Proper Romance Regency), Arlem Hawks’ highly acclaimed debut historical
romance novel January 11 – February 14, 2021. Over
forty-five popular blogs specializing in historical
romance, inspirational fiction, and Austenesque fiction will join in the
celebration of its release with excerpts, spotlights, and reviews of this new Regency-era
novel set aboard a Royal Naval ship.
