#Arlem Hawks

[penspagesandpulses]

Book Review: Across the Star-Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks

In her most recent release, Across the Star-Kissed Sea Arlem Hawks has penned a sweet romance about compassion, forgiveness, and following your heart. Book Blurb 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.1811, Mediterranean SeaMay Byam grew up following her father to his work at the…

[teenageread]

Review: Along a Breton Shore

Synopsis:

A soldier and a young woman, on opposite sides of the revolution, must run for their lives across a war-torn France in this gripping novel of friendship, love, and survival.

France, 1794

Maxence Étienne, a soldier for the République, believes fiercely in the revolution that is bringing liberty to France. But even though the monarchy has fallen and Maxence is part of a great cause, he is still searching for a place to belong.

Armelle Bernard is a young woman from Breton whose father was sentenced to death for hiding counterrevolutionaries. She decides to confront the priest who betrayed her father, and as the conflict escalates, she herself is ordered to be executed—an order to be carried out by Maxence.

Maxence has seen his share of violence and bloodshed, but he also carries a tragic secret and can’t bring himself to carry out his assignment. In allowing Armelle to escape, he is forced to combat a fellow soldier, who dies in the struggle.

Though Armelle and Maxence are strangers and on opposite sides of the revolution, they find themselves united as fugitives of the new republic. Now they must find a way to trust each other as they search for a path to peace, and to freedom.

Plot:

Armelle Bernard had not felt peace since the war started. With France divided, Armelle’s family is on the wrong side, and when her father was caught trying to help, he was sentenced to death. Determined to do something, foolish as it might be, Armelle heads to the church that hosts the priest who betrayed their family, and with a scrub and bucket, decides to “wash” the filth from her town. A childish, petty attack on those who caused her harm, Armelle was shocked when this little act of rebellion resulted in a death sentence. Tasked with the job of “disposing” of her, Maxence Entieen is a young soldier who believes in their cause, but not all their methods of going so. After being betrayed by his brother, and losing a friend in battle, Maxence is trying to find his place within the new order. The task of killing Armelle did not feel worthy of the cause, his commander saw it as an act of betrayal and ordered Maxence to death. Reckless as she is, Armelle is thankful that Maxence spared her life, and felt obligated to save him from his death. Busing Maxence out of prison, the two of them set off on their journey to France’s countryside and coast where Armelle is to go to her grandparents, and Maxence to find his father’s ship. Where once strangers, Armelle considers herself Maxence’s friend, as the two grow closer on their travels pretending to be everything from siblings, and nobles, to newlyweds, all while learning how to trust each other and form a bond that is stronger than friendship.

Thoughts:

Arlem Hawks strikes again with another beautiful romance story set during the french revolution. Set in the year 1794, the story is told from an alternating perspective of Armelle and Maxence, who find themselves dependent on each other despite being on opposite sides of the war. Armelle is fantastic, as our headstrong girl leads with her feelings and does what she believes is right, no matter what gets her in trouble. Her willingness to see the best and positive attitude made her a delight throughout the story, and a character to really root for and want to see with a happy ending. On the other side of the story, Maxence is also a fantastic character with strong morals and a duty to do what he believes is right. As a soldier, Maxence firmly believes in the cause, seeing its beauty despite losing a brother and a friend to it. Yet when tasked with killing Armelle, someone who defies the cause, Maxence saw no purpose in taking her life. With his strong morals, you get to experience Maxence throughout this novel making the right choices, despite what his predecessors tell him to do. As a pair, Hawks could have used a bit more work in the chemistry department. Friends? Yes, as Hawks made them have several enjoyable conversations and a good banter throughout the story, but as lovers? I just felt like it could have used a bit more work. Still, Hawks has the structure down for a proper romance, and having the novel set during the French Revolution gave it enough of a spin to keep things interesting, and allow this medium pace novel to be enjoyable. With some characters from their previous French Revolution Romance Novel (Beyond the Lavender Field) talked about during this novel, Hawk is setting up their own little world that makes it worth coming back to. Overall this is a romance novel with a historical edge, providing us with two headstrong characters who despite opposite beliefs find love in the middle ground and make peace with past mistakes.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[nightofnyx8]

Book read this year that I thoroughly enjoyed:

-Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (at least the 5th time I've read it, but I absolutely love the way Funke writes).

-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (I really do believe everyone should read this at least once in their lives)

-The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (I read Coraline last year and really liked it. I might move into some Stephen King next Halloween).

-The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (classic lit is definitely a different writing style, but it's rubbing off on me a bit)

-The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (this book is a whole lot better when you aren't required to read for your high school English class)

-Georgana's Secret by Arlem Hawks (cliche Regency tropes, loved every moment of this guilty pleasure)

-It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (absolutely heartbreaking. I also really appreciated the complexity of the entire situation in general)

-The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (FMA totally inspired this one but it turned out being one of my favorite books of all time).

-Finally, I'm halfway through Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (My first Sanderson book! Man, this guy knows how to worldbuild while still creating great characters)

I must confess that almost all of these were on audiobook, but it's made my daily commute and household cleaning so much more bearable :) I'm looking forward to the next year!

[listening-to-free-audiobooks]

Letters for Phoebe - A Regency Romance Novella by Sally Britton

Phoebe Kimball grew up believing in love, but after failing to find a gentleman capable of capturing her heart, she has turned more practical than romantic. She is determined to find a husband in London this season. If only the annoying Mr. Fenwick would stop appearing every time she sets her cap at someone! When an anonymous letter arrives warning her that her current target is unsuitable marital material, Phoebe begins a relationship with the letter writer that promises something more than a practical alliance.

Griffin Fenwick does not usually care for women on the hunt for a husband, but Miss Kimball's quick wit and refusal to admit she enjoys his company intrigues him. When he realizes the gentlemen on her list of eligible bachelors is full with scoundrels, he warns her the only way he can - through a letter. As he comes to know Phoebe better, he soon realizes he wishes to put his own name on her list. If only she liked Griffin as much as she liked her anonymous correspondent.

When Phoebe realizes it's been Griffin writing her all along, will she put aside practicality for love, or spurn Griffin for even trying to woo her?

~ ~ ~

Sign-up for Sally's Newsletter to receive updates about all her work here: https://geni.us/SallyNL

~ Letters for Phoebe is the first in a series of books about five friends. The next three novellas are by authors Joanna Barker, Megan Walker, and Arlem Hawks. You can grab ebooks or physical copies here (aff. link): https://amzn.to/3SAUVgS

Get the book on Chirp to avoid ads: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks...

©2020 Sally Britton (Production Copyright) 2020 Sally Britton Narrated by Jessica Elisa Boyd

[cupofteajones]

Book Review: Georgana's Secret by Arlem Hawks

Book Review: Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks

Format: Paperback Pages: 320 pages Published: January 12, 2021 Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction Continue reading

[bookdivareads]

Book Showcase: GEORGANA'S SECRET by Arlem Hawks

Read an excerpt from #GeorganasSecret by @ArlemHawks, published by @ShadowMountn. #HistoricalRomance #RegencyRomance #InspirationalFiction #BlogTour #AustenProse

Georgana’s Secret by Arlem HawksISBN: 9781629727929 (paperback)ISBN: 9781629739526 (ebook)ASIN: B08RLRZ65Q (Audible audiobook)ASIN: B08Q5MW1SG (Kindle edition)Publisher: Shadow Mountain PublishingRelease Date: January 12, 2021   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…

[grotesquehorse]

yessss I could use some book recs, I love both thrillers and historical romances

hiiiii jules <3

thrillers

finlay donovan series - elle cosimano (more mystery than thriller, but the plots are so layered)

no exit - taylor adams

historical romance (i've only read clean historical romances so the characters are all relatively young ~17 to mid 20s)

edenbrooke - julianne donaldson (blackmoore is also pretty good but not as good)

lakeshire park - megan walker

commander of his heart - arlem hawks

the sea ain't mine alone - c l beaumont (i binge read this in 2018 on an 8 hour train ride so i have NO clue if it holds up but i gave it 5/5 stars in goodreads and i remember it fondly) also there's sex scenes in this one and the "historical" is like, the 70s, not regency

ask for a book rec

[wishuponabookshelf]

hey everyone! i hope you’re all well and that you’ve have a great weekend 😚 • do you ever get those sudden urges to just go on a road trip and explore the countryside, visit and maybe get acquainted with a gothic castle/building or two and just live the heart out of those dark academia dreams you read about in books 🍂 • for me it’s been that kind of day 🌝 i really need an escape and (thank god for books!) 😅 • what have you guys been reading lately? • i’m still reading ‘georgana’s secret’ by arlem hawks—it’s been a pretty slow reading week for me. i’m def enjoying this book but i feel like everything is happening a lil’ too quickly and i’m only like 45% into the book. just hope there’s more action and good parts left for the remainder of the story tho other wise i’ll be facepalming the rest of the way 🙈 • #bookstagram #lifestyleblogger #love #vintage #manuscript #rustic #shakespeare #autumn #cosyvibes #inspiration #mybeigelife #bookblogger #bookphotography #thehappynow #babysbreath #livethelittlethings #vscocam #winter #fantasy #journalspread #beautiful #highfantasy #darkacademia #gothic #gloucestercathedral https://www.instagram.com/p/CFGav3PAzxs/?igshid=1xwyptqorqz5e

[rincondejoss]

Tour & Giveaway | Georgana's Secret

Tour & Giveaway | Georgana’s Secret

On Tour with Prism Book Tours Georgana’s Secret By Arlem Hawks Historical Romance Paperback, E-book & Audiobook, 335 Pages January 12, 2021 by Shadow Mountain 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…

[penspagesandpulses]

Why authors write clean romance, part 1

I’ve mentioned it before, but I want to publish a book with lots of clean romance for my future readers to fall in love with. Since I am fairly young and inexperienced when it comes to romance in my personal life, I don’t know much about how to write romantic scenes. Once I made the mistake of Googling something along the lines of “how to write romance.” You can probably imagine the types of…

[teenageread]

Review: Beyond the Lavender Fields

Synopsis:

Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles Étienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.

A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles’s efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought.

As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family’s safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose sides.

Plot:

Gilles Etienne wants to be a doctor like his older brother, Maxence. Where he has been offered to study under the doctor on his father’s privateer ship, Gilles thinks the proper education is the way to go. However, it also costs money, which is how Gillies ended up being a clerk to Monsieur Daubin. Gilles, Maxence, and Daubin’s son Emile are all members of the Jacobin Club and have vowed to dethrone their king and make the country a democracy. Not to mention, being a Jacobin makes them popular with the ladies. When Emile, who often dares the Etienne brothers, dares Gilles to kiss the girl in his father’s office, Gilles was thoroughly outwitted when that girl turned out to be Marie-Caroline, Emile’s old sister. Intertwining with him at once, Marie-Carolines steps on more toes when she announces herself to be a royalist, who is for the king and class separation. Butting heads, it was Gilles's mother and father who made him realize his reactions towards Marie-Caroline were wrong and that he should apologize. Getting off on a shaky friendship, Gills and Marie-Caroline work around their political differences, and often find common ground on what they want France to look like after the revolution. Dodging Jacobin’s duties, Gilles says he is prioritizing saving money for medical school when in reality he wants to stay home and be close to Marie-Caroline. When their political differences get the better of them, and the revolution takes a life closest to them, Gilles and Marie-Caroline must come to terms with if their almost-more-than-friendship is worth it, or if their political differences will keep them apart.        

Thoughts:

Arlem Hawks writes this beautiful historical fiction around two lovers on opposite sides of the French Revolution. Written from the point of view of Gilles, and letters to her cousin from Marie-Caroline, you really get to see these two go from enemies to friends, to somewhat more, back to enemies, until the plot has settled and we get that happily ever after that only a proper romance can give us. Gilles is an amazing character to read from, as you get to see him at the beginning of the book where he is a flirt and fully involved in the Jacobins propaganda, to how Marie-Caroline makes him open his eyes and realize what he truly wants. With fast writing and an easy plotline, Hawks keeps you on your toes as any second Marie-Caroline can be harmed for her beliefs, or Gilles can slip up and put her in harm's way. This story contains a large family aspect that is unlike proper romances who normally focus on the main love interests. There is the relationship Gilles has with his mother, his father, Max, then there is Marie-Caroline’s relationship with her brother, her parents, and her cousin. The French Revolution plot was cool and interesting. Hawks displayed both sides of the political argument, and saw the everyday activities that people experience due to living during the revolution.

 The only thing this novel lacked, and what I desperately wanted, was for Marie-Caroline to have the limelight, instead of her thoughts and feelings to be contained in a letter between Gill’s narrative. Overall, a classic proper romance novel is good for a fall day to curl up into and believe in the strongest bond within this planet: love.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[amongthereads]

Georgana's Secret by Arlem Hawks - Book Review

Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks – Book Review

I spent such a delightful day getting to know Georgana and Dominic! Georgana’s Secret engaged so many of my emotions! Hope, fear, disappointment, jubilation. It was not what I was expecting and yet it was everything I had hoped… The events that had driven Georgana and her father to perpetuate the subterfuge, pretending she was a third-class ship’s boy, were tragic. The loss of her mother and the…

[teenageread]

Review: Georgana’s Secret

Synopsis: 

1811, HMS Deborah

A Regency romance on the high seas.

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. Determined to prove himself to his new captain, 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 have slipped away.

Georgana’s Secret is about two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.

Plot:

Despite his mother's wishes, Dominic Peyton knew he could not have a wife, as he the only lady for him, besides his mother, was the sea. No well respected English lady would spend her life at sea with him, thus spending six weeks of a year with her would not be enough, but for his mother, Dominic will try to find one after this voyage on HRM Deborah led by Captain Woodall. The girl of interest would be Captain Woodall's daughter, Georgana, whom his mother feels would be a perfect match for Dominic. Not having a close relationship with his daughter, Captain Woodall would only say that she is studying in York and is being cared for by his mother. With nothing else to ask the captain about, Dominic turned back to enjoying the months at sea and decided to help out George Taylor, a young cabin boy whom the other boys like to pick on. Establishing a friendship with George, Dominic cannot help to wonder why George chose the navy life when clearly he had no love for the sea. Finding the relationship between Captain Woodall and George to be much closer than the distant relation the two claim to have, Dominic is unable to get George to open up about them.

George Taylor does have a huge secret, one she cannot share with Dominic. If Dominic found out that George Taylor was really Georgana Woodall, who has been pretending to be a boy on HMS Deborah for the past three years, there would be a mutiny to remove her father from Captain for lying. They had to, as that was the only way Captain Woodall saw to remove his daughter from his abusive mother after his wife died. He could not leave Gerogana to suffer in that house, agonizing over every mistake she made and thought the only solution was to take her aboard his ship as a cabin boy as no woman has ever sailed on HMS Deborah before. Georgana knew her odds of finding a husband grew less which every season she missed out on the sea and has basically given up on love when Lieutenant Peyton caught her eye. Growing close to him, sharing parts of herself that she has not told anyone before, she formed a connection to Dominic, despite him thinking her as George and calling her lad. Wanting Dominic to know her secret, but unable to risk it on a ship with no secrets, Georgana also knew she could not marry a navy man and spend their entire life apart because of the sea. Knowing Dominic is a navy man through and through, Georgana is faced with accepting a living life as her mother did, or making Dominic choose her over the sea if she could even pull her secret and reveal herself as a woman and not some boy Dominic thinks she could be. 

Thoughts:

Arlem Hawks writes a visualized story of sea travel and love, between a Lieutenant and a cabin boy who turns out to be a girl. With a third-person point of view switching between following Georgana and Dominic around, not only is there tension between them in the book, but others as well: Georgana and her father, Dominic and the other lieutenants, Georgana and the cabin boys, and Dominic and Captain Woodall. Hawks keep the story moving at a fast pace and keep the storytime period accurate with how life in the Royal Navy works, then stopping at port towns, and what sea life was like in the 18th century. Georgana was a character to sympathize with, dealing with the tram her grandmother has inflicted upon her, mourning her mother, having this strained relationship with her father of being close to him physically, but emotionally distant as they have their covers to protect. Hawks also give Georgana the task of fitting into a man's world, from the taunts of being called “pretty boy”, the laboring work, and seeing battles that no proper lady should even have to think of. Dominic, a more light-hearted character, loves the sea and his mother, and while knowing he has to find a wife, is unable to come to terms with leaving her or the sea behind during his life. The best part of the novel is the timing in which Dominic discovers George is Georgana, allowing for plenty of time for him to fall in love with her, while she was staying portrayed as George to the entire crew. With a mushy ending that will melt your heart, Hawks does a fantastic job with this navy love story that is sure to put a smile on your face. 

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[wishuponabookshelf]

hey everyone! 👋🏽 • what have you been up to lately? also what are you currently reading and what are your thoughts? • i managed to finish ‘the grand sophy’ by georgette heyer over the weekend. it was certainly an enjoyable read esp since i loved sophy, the headstrong and sassy titular character (she is def someone you cannot mess with and will most certainly win if you engage in a battle of wits). ☺️ • the next book i will read is ‘georgana’s secret’ by arlem hawks. i was able to get my hands on an advance readers e-copy of this book through netgalley, thanks to @shadowmountainpub. i really enjoyed other books from this publishing house (‘edenbrooke’ and ‘blackmoore’ by julianne donaldson and ‘lakeshire park’ by megan walker) so i’m really looking forward to this one and the synopsis also looks really promising. let’s see how this goes 🤞🏽 • #bookstagram #lifestyleblogger #vintage #manuscript #rustic #shakespeare #autumn #cosyvibes #inspiration #mybeigelife #bookblogger #bookphotography #thehappynow #babysbreath #livethelittlethings #vscocam #winter #fantasy #journalspread #beautiful #highfantasy #historicalfiction #tapestry #tapestrydecor #medieval #historicalromance https://www.instagram.com/p/CEzb2TyA9oX/?igshid=w3mttkztcpg3