Georgana's Secret by Arlem Hawks (Blog Tour)

Georgana's Secret 

By Arlem Hawks 

Published by Shadow Mountain 

A Regency romance on the high seas. Two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love. 

Description: 

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. 

My Review:

This book hooked me from the start. The idea of a young lady posing as a cabin was intriguing, but it was Lieutenant Dominic Peyton who just completely drew me. He was just such a wonderful character--I loved how he was so concerned about his mother and her well-being and then how, seeing a lonely, bullied boy on board, reached out to "him." I did occasionally wish George didn't tear up quite so much, but at the same time, her backstory made it understandable and believable--and made those moments when Georgana did actually stand up for herself that much more gratifying. The details about ship life were excellent; they really helped me feel like I knew what life on board would have been like, and they were woven into the story really well. There was also plenty of action. All in all, this was a totally enjoyable read and I'm already picking it as one of my favorites for 2021. 

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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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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. 

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE: 

Jan 11 My Jane Austen Book Club 

Jan 11 Austenprose — A Jane Austen Blog 

Jan 12 Wishful Endings 

Jan 12 Lu Reviews Books 

Jan 13 Lady with a Quill 

Jan 13 Timeless Novels 

 Jan 14 Reading is My Superpower 

Jan 14 The Bibliophile Files 

Jan 15 Randi Loves 2 Read 

Jan 16 The Christian Fiction Girl 

Jan 17 Nurse Bookie 

Jan 18 The Silver Petticoat Review 

Jan 18 Heidi Reads 

Jan 19 Bookfoolery 

Jan 20 Captivated Reading 

Jan 21 Greenish Bookshelf 

Jan 21 Bookworm Lisa 

Jan 22 Among the Reads 

Jan 23 Gwendalyn's Books 

Jan 24 My Bookish Bliss 

Jan 25 Wishful Endings 

Jan 25 Christian Chick's Thoughts 

Jan 26 Relz Reviewz 

Jan 27 The Lit B$tch 

Jan 28 Reading with Emily 

Jan 29 Books, Teacups & Reviews

Jan 30 A Darn Good Read 

Jan 31 From Pemberley to Milton 

Jan 31 Impressions in Ink 

Feb 01 Austenesque Reviews 

Feb 02 Laura's Reviews 

Feb 03 Literary Time Out 

Feb 04 Chicks, Rogues & Scandals 

Feb 05 The Bluestocking 

Feb 05 Library of Clean Reads 

Feb 06 The Caffeinated Bibliophile 

Feb 07 So Little Time… 

Feb 08 The Readathon

Feb 09 The Book Diva Reads 

Feb 09 Books and Socks Rock 

Feb 10 Our Book Confessions 

Feb 10 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen 

Feb 11 Rosanne E. Lortz 

Feb 11 Jorie Loves a Story 

Feb 12 Fire & Ice 

Feb 13 Cup of Tea with that Book, Please 

Feb 14 Book Confessions of an Ex-ballerina 

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White

Dreams of Savannah

By Roseanna M. White

Published by Bethany House

Publication Date: January 5th, 2021

Description:

Cordelia Owens can weave a hopeful dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister. 

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him. Matters of black and white don't seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite her best efforts, Delia's smiles can't erase all the complications in his life. And when Fort Pulaski falls and the future wavers, they both must decide where the dreams of a new America will take them, and if they will go together. 

Review:

To preface my review, I'll admit that I was born and raised in New York and have spent less than three weeks of my entire life south of the Mason-Dixon line and in anything related to the Civil War have a strong Northern bias. I've also been making concerted efforts in the past year to become more aware of and involved in issues of social justice, so I'm probably extra sensitive currently to anything race-related. I'm also a character-driven reader, so if you don't give me characters I can love, I'm probably not going to like your book. So, with that background, I might not be the author's ideal audience for a book where the main characters are slave owners during the Civil War, but having quite enjoyed all of Roseanna M. White's previous books, I was eagerly awaiting the chance to read Dreams of Savannah. 

Unfortunately, I didn't like it at all. Not only did I not love ANY of the characters, but I struggled to even find someone I LIKED. At the outset of the book, when I didn't really like either Cordelia or Phin, I hoped that they'd enough growth throughout the book that I'd come to like them. They DID grow somewhat (not enough, in my opinion), but it also came really slowly (particularly for Cordelia). While the slow growth and awareness of enslaved people actually BEING human beings. with hopes and dreams and talents beyond forced servitude might be realistic, it was torturous to read. There honestly were times that I felt sick to my stomach as Phin expressed thoughts such as slavery being "a situation his family particularly liked but there was nothing they could do about it" or Cordelia's treatment of Salina (whom she's supposed to care for so much--but whose true well-being she doesn't really consider very often) and things such as (even at the end of the book, when she has supposedly had some growth), asking Luther, a black minister, who has just been reunited with his wife, who had been illegally kidnapped and enslaved, to pray for her father--the same father who forced Salina's mother to be his mistress and is adamantly pro-slavery. Cordelia's first thought, even at the end of the book, is always for HERSELF and her family, not for the people who have been enslaved and oppressed. 

And Phin, even though he has experienced some growth as well, at the end of the book still remains more concerned about his sense of honor and defends his cause by telling Luther not to "make the mistake of thinking the Yankees are any fairer toward your people than Southerners are. They might oppose slavery, but they don't consider you equals." Um, I will readily admit that Northerners had a LONG way to go toward treating blacks equally, but to equate Northern treatment with Southern slavery is wrong, and if your way of life includes enslaving others, you need to change it--and it's really difficult to like characters who can't see that. 

Secondary characters weren't any better; Cordelia's parents and sister Lacy were awful. Even Salina, who serves as Cordelia's "maid" seems to exist just to support Cordelia--she cares more about Cordelia staying "innocent" and not realizing that they share a father and helping her than about her own well-being. (It was a little easier to read Salina's POV, considering she'd been oppressed her whole life, than Cordelia's ignorance, which came from her being a spoiled little princess, but it was still hard to her sacrificing herself instead of fighting for herself). 

So, I reiterate that I didn't like this book at all. Maybe the author's intent was to share a message that she wrote in the author's note at the end: "There were heroes--and villains--on both sides of the conflict. Most of all, there were people. People, as Cordelia discovered, with stories to tell" However, given that many of the people involved in the conflict--and even their descendants today--weren't allowed to share their stories, I found it to be insensitive to racial and social issues in our day. A story about a couple of Southerner white people who sorta-kinda start to see that slavery might be wrong isn't the sort of book that I think the world needs now or that I can recommend to anyone. 

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

His Accidental Bride by Carolyn Twede Frank

His Accidental Bride

By Carolyn Twede Frank

Published by Covenant Communications

Publication Date: January 4th, 2021

Description:

Dorothy Bednar is living a life she despises. Forced to work as a double-dealing saloon girl, Dorothy has finally had enough. The next train out of town is her ticket to freedom, and Dorothy jumps aboard without a thought for where she’s going—until she meets a kind woman aboard the train. Her fellow passenger was originally traveling to Colorado to marry a man she’d never met, but her cold feet offer Dorothy the perfect opportunity to set up roots somewhere new. Dorothy soon finds herself posing as the mail-order bride—after all, marrying a stranger can’t be worse than what she left behind. 

Young Colorado lawyer Ronald Smith is astonished when he spies the lovely woman who comes to greet him—the woman who is to be his wife. Dorothy is beyond Ronald’s wildest dreams, a kindhearted partner eager to be a homemaker and mother. To Dorothy, Ronald is the most gentlemanly man she’s ever met—a man who makes her feel safe and cherished. What begins as a deception soon deepens into true love, but too soon, Dorothy’s secret past threatens the beautiful life she’s built—a life that feels truer than anything she’s ever known. 

Review:

I think my favorite thing about this book was that Ronald wasn't a dashing hero; he was steady and pragmatic, and his attempts to research how to court a woman and make plans accordingly were totally endearing. And I loved how Dorothy, after the mistreatment of her brother and a more "exciting" life could appreciate Ronald for who he was. Some parts of the books were predictable and sometimes the writing felt stilted sometimes, but all in all, this was a pleasant story. 

3.5 stars. 

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Duke Meets His Match by Karen Tuft

The Duke Meets His Match

By Karen Tuft

Published by Covenant Communications

Description:

At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season—if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall. 

George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slip-up: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love. 

Review:

I was hooked by this book and sped through the beginning of it; my enjoyment did taper at the point where George and Susan confront Prinny--that whole scene just didn't draw me in for some reason--but then I liked the ending. I liked the fact that Susan was 30--very different from the typical Regency heroine--and I adored several of the secondary characters. All in all, a very enjoyable read. 

4 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Wrong Train to Paris (Romance on the Orient Express #2)

Wrong Train to Paris (Romance on the Orient Express #2) 

By Jennifer Moore 

 Published by Covenant Communications 

Publication Date: December 1, 2020 

Description: 

At nineteen years of age, Julia Weston fancies herself a capable woman, far too old to require a traveling companion. But at the insistence of her overprotective father, Julia finds herself aboard the Orient Express in the care of an approved escort. In an ill-advised demonstration of independence, Julia leaves the train on a quick errand and then re-boards and sleeps away her exhaustion. Upon awakening, however, she realizes her plan went terribly awry: she boarded the wrong train and is now stranded alone in the French countryside of Provence. 

Now she must rely on the help of Luc Paquet, a young French farmer who offers her accommodations with his aunt while Julia awaits the next train to Paris in five days’ time. As she settles into the rhythms of the household alongside Luc and his aunt, Julia learns more than she ever dreamed she would about France, farm life, and her handsome rescuer. There is more to Luc than meets the eye, and their chemistry is undeniable. But Julia and Luc are from different worlds, and all too soon, the train will bear Julia back to a life that suddenly feels incomplete. 

Review: 

I liked this book quite a bit more than the first in the series. The first was more gothic, which isn't something I particularly enjoy. This story is a light-hearted romance set in pastoral France, which is much more aligned with my reading preferences. Julia was both annoying and charming--she made quite a few mistakes by rushing into things but always had good intentions, and the reader, along with Luc and others Julia encounters can't help but forgive her for her mishaps and appreciate her spirit. This is a great choice for those looking for an upbeat romance. 

4 stars. 

I read an ARC provided by the author via #NetGalley.

Courting Misfortune (The Joplin Chronicles #1)

Courting Misfortune (The Joplin Chronicles #1) 

By Regina Jennings 

Published by Bethany House 

Publication Date: December 1st, 2020 

Description:

Calista York needs one more successful case as a Pinkerton operative to secure her job. When she's assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss, she's sent to the rowdy mining town of Joplin, Missouri, despite having extended family in the area. Will their meddling expose her mission and keep Lila Seaton from being recovered? 

When Matthew Cook decided to be a missionary, he never expected to be sent only a short train ride away. While fighting against corruption of all sorts, Matthew hears of a baby raffle being held to raise funds for a children's home. He'll do what he can to stop it, but he also wants to stop the reckless Miss York, whose bad judgment consistently seems to be putting her in harm's way. 

Calista doesn't need the handsome pastor interfering with her investigation, and she can't let her disguise slip. Her job and the life of a young lady depend on keeping Matthew in the dark.

Review:

I really liked the last third of this book, but the first two-thirds dragged for me somewhat. I just didn't enjoy Calista or Matthew as characters; Calista's constant lies, while perhaps necessary for her job, made it hard to really connect with her--and the lies she tried to pass off about being a nurse, when she obviously couldn't even handle anything remotely connected to nursing didn't make her seem like the most competent of detectives. It made it hard to see why Matthew would even want to put up with her at all. I also found myself more irritated than endeared by Calista's extended family. So, I struggled through the first two-thirds of the book, but I did like the remainder. There were some good messages about how God works in people's lives as well as some really nice romantic lines. 

3 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

To Dwell among Cedars (The Covenant House #1) by Connilyn Cossette

To Dwell among Cedars

By Connilyn Cossette

Published by Bethany House 

Publication Date: December 1st, 2020 

Description: 

Eight years ago, when the Philistines stole and then surrendered the ark of the covenant back to the Israelites, Eliora left her Philistine homeland to follow the ark to the community of Kiryat Yearim. There, the family she was adopted into has guarded the ark at the top of a mountain in seclusion. 

Ronen is a Levite musician determined to secret away the ark to a more fitting resting place, watched over by priests who would restore the Holy of Holies. He never expected that the Philistine girl he rescued years ago would now be part of the very family he's tasked to deceive. As Ronen's attempts to charm Eliora lead them in unexpected directions, betrayal leaves Eliora with strained family ties and Ronen questioning his own loyalties. 

Ultimately, Eliora and Ronen are caught up in the battle for the soul of Israel and its future under the leadership of Samuel, the last judge before the era of the kings begins. 

Review: 

Wow. Another fabulous book from Connilyn Cossette. The historical background for the story is so fascinating; I was absolutely drawn in by the idea of two Philistine children following the Ark as it's sent back to the Hebrews from the Philistines, who no longer want it after they've been stricken by plagues and pestilences. The idea of different factions within the Levites was also so interesting, with some wanting it to remain at Kiryat Yearim and others wanting to return it to Shiloh. That was an excellent backdrop for Eliora's and Ronen's stories. Cossette did a fantastic job showing why Eliora and Ronen acted the way that they did--how their earlier hurts and traumas really impacted the choices that they made. They were both realistic and likable characters, and I loved seeing the realizations they each came to about themselves, their families, and God. This book is really well-written, and I can't wait to read the sequel. 

5 stars. 

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.