Book Details
Title: Across the Star-Kissed Sea
Author: Arlem Hawks
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
Book Synopsis
When May becomes a lady’s maid at sea, she’s hoping for an innocent adventure but instead must navigate rough waters, deadly combat, and unexpected love.
Mediterranean Sea, 1811
May Byam grew up following her father to his work at the ropemaking factory and listening to her uncle’s tales of life aboard a Royal Navy ship. After tragedy and scandal shatter her family, May is desperate to escape the shame that follows her. Despite her mother’s pleadings against it, May signs on as a lady’s maid to the young wife of a naval captain. If she’s going to run, she may as well do it in honor of her late uncle and cousin and where there is food, shelter, and perhaps even adventure. But the frosty reception she receives from the ship’s clergyman makes her feel far from welcome.
Heartbroken young Chaplain Elias Doswell returns to a harsh life at sea, but preaching to disinterested sailors isn’t the escape he’d hoped for—until a captivating young woman boards the ship. However, a case of mistaken identity ensures that he starts off on the wrong foot with the newly hired lady’s maid, who clearly wants nothing to do with him. But the close quarters of the ship forces the pair together, and May begins to see a side of the handsome clergyman she didn’t expect. As they struggle to navigate their deepening feelings, the danger of war with the French looms on the horizon, threatening their lives—and their love.
My Review
Across The Star-Kissed Sea is a fantastic book by Arlem Hawks, and it's the sequel to Georgana's Secret, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was eager to dive into this new story. Like the first, this novel is part of the Proper Romance series, meaning it's a clean read. I have a soft spot for historical romance, especially since much of the story unfolds in 1811 aboard a Royal Navy ship, the HMS Marianne, in the Mediterranean Sea.
May is a headstrong young woman who impulsively becomes the lady's maid for the ship's captain. She's escaping a family scandal and is still mourning her uncle and cousin, who died at sea the previous year. May is in a lot of pain and faces the tough journey of learning to forgive. When she first meets the young Chaplain Elias Doswell on the ship, there's a misunderstanding, and they start off as enemies before becoming friends and eventually more. This romance builds slowly, and I loved watching their relationship grow. Elias also has his own struggles, dealing with rejection and heartache. He joins the ship to escape his past but finds it hard to trust. He's a unique leading man, and I found him very likable.
It was great to see characters from Georgana's Secret return in this book, and the ship setting added a special touch to the story. Across The Star-Kissed Sea is well-written, exciting, and often heartfelt, taking you on a fun adventure.
****Meet Author Arlem Hawks****
Arlem Hawks began making up stories before she could write. A hopeless romantic from a young age, she grew up wanting to be just like her writer father, who instilled in her a passion for stories. Living all over the Western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures, people, and the stories they have to tell. With her travels came an interest in history, especially that of the places tied to her heritage.
She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in communications and an emphasis in print journalism. She also studied French for seven years. After college she worked as a sports information director for BYU Athletics, helping with media relations for football, volleyball, and women’s basketball. It wasn’t until she moved with her husband to Arizona that she was finally able to get back to her first love, creative writing. She’d always enjoyed Jane Austen and the Regency era, and tending small children in a place she hardly knew pushed Arlem back to those beloved stories. When the time came to write again, she turned to the genre that had helped her through the difficult days. When she isn’t writing, Arlem is baking her characters’ favorite foods, sewing Regency dresses, learning how to play the tin whistle, and painting with watercolors.
You can find out more about Arlem and her books HERE:
⇒ Giveaway – (1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card & a print copy of Georgana’s Secret, a companion novel.
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Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on November 11, 2024.)
~*~*~*~*Purchase Across The Star-Kissed Sea~*~*~*~*
HERE:
Paperback-https://a.co/d/0KRR83P
Kindle-https://a.co/d/2qdvdGV
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