Captivating! I loved watching this beautiful romance bloom! Georgana disquises herself as a boy to be able to escape the cruelty of her grandmother and to sail the seas with her Navy Captian father. Dominic catches the attention of Georgana and they form an incredible friendship. Dominic is a very caring and gentle soul perfect for the hurting Georgana. I loved watching them encourage each other and help the other face their fears/past. It was fun to watch Dominic finally fit the pieces together. Arlem Hawks' writing is incredible and you feel as tho you are facing the battles with the characters! This book is a great insight into the life at sea during the 1800's. I cannot imagine being on the sea for years on end. Beautiful book and I cannot wait to read more books by Arlem Hawks!!!

I loved this story so much!

This was the first book I read from this author and I didn't know what to expect, but I really liked her writing.

This is a Regency story but it's set on a ship, which is very different from the usual balls and halls and all those other clichés.

Georgana is on a ship captained by her father, and she's disguised as a cabin boy under the name of George. They've been doing this for three years, after her mother's death, to escape her grandmother's abuse. She guards this secret for her sake and her father's, even though this life is hard for her.

Dominic is the new first lieutenant and he loves being on the high seas. When he witnesses the other boys harassing George, he comes to the his rescue. Slowly, a friendship forms between them, with him not knowing she's a young lady. Dominic's kindness is a balm to Georgana and her feelings for him change.

The setting was amazing and I loved the interactions between Georgana and Dominic, especially later in the story.

There was adventure, and peril, and beautiful moments that were a treat to read. The epilogue was so good!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Okay. If you've seen the movie Princess Bride you'll remember the conversation the grandfather has about the kind of book he was reading to his grandson. I don't know the exact lines but he talks about all the wonderful elements of the book. Swordfighting, romance, pirates, etc... The grandson replies, "Murdered by pirates is good". Ha ha. That is kind of how I felt about this book. So many elements to enjoy. I thought I'd get a couple hours of reading in before going to bed. I couldn't stop reading. My heart was pounding during the battle. I finished the book about 1:30 am. And then I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about the story for another hour.
This book has romance but is also a war story. There is conflict with the enemy and inner-crew conflict aboard ship. We have a woman dressed as a boy who has been fooling the crew for three years. And she is dealing with the inner demons of having been physically and emotionally abused for years by her grandmother.
I won't go into detail about anything except to say I really appreciated the way the author wrote the romance. And I'm not even sure I can explain my thoughts clearly on this. So often when a story is a woman disguised as a man and there is attraction between her and a man, I am left wondering how that other man feels about being attracted to a "man". If you are heterosexual and suddenly having same sex feelings, wouldn't you be questioning yourself and your sexual orientation? The books I've read with this scenario never really deal with that. But instead of having a budding romance between what appears to be two men, their relationship in this book is more mentoring. He takes the "boy" under his wing to help him stand up for himself against the bullies and they gain an affection for each other because of that. It is only later the romance really begins and he has figured out she is a woman. By writing it this way, the author avoided having to omit an obvious part of the story (why am I having feelings for a man?) Hope that makes sense.
So yes, I did really enjoy this book and can honestly say I couldn't put it down. I loved the main characters. Georgana grows and learns to stand up for herself and then was kind even to her tormentor. Dominic also grows both as a leader and a person and gives confidence to those who are weaker than he. Plus, he is good to his mother. But neither of them are perfect. They both have room for continued growth. I only hope that Georgana doesn't grow tired of the sea in time.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

4.5 Stars! Absolutely delightful. I loved this one from start to finish. It was compelling, beautiful, and the cover is stunning!

Georgana's Secret is an absolutely captivating story. The plot is captivating and the characters were well developed. I look forward to more from Arlem Hawks!

Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks is an excellent historical fiction romance that was such a joy to read. This book was so unique, refreshing, uplifting, and truly a breath of fresh air.

I loved the concept and plot of Georgana going undercover as a young boy, George Taylor, under father’s watch on his ship, HMS Deborah. The dynamics of Captain Woodall, Georgana, the men on the ship, and newly added Lt. Dominic Peyton was brilliant. The character cast was well-developed, the plot well-thought out, and the suspense and outcome placed at the end-perfect.

I loved how both Dominic and Georgana (as well as several others) were able to learn, grow, adapt, find themselves, and find support, love, forgiveness, and acceptance in each other. There were so many wonderful relationships represented.

I loved the time: early 1800s
The place: Portsmouth, England, but mainly aboard the ship on the seas. I learned so much about the workings of a ship, the job positions, the battles, the grit and determination it took to survive, thrive, and find a satisfying life in the Royal Navy.

Most of all, I loved Georgana and Dominic. The incomplete characters with strong moral compasses, unsure of themselves and the love that they found through first friendship, truly wonderful. Both seem to bring out the best in each other. I loved the respect, the mutual interests, the loyalties, and of course the love that they developed with one another. The ending was just perfect.

Truly one of the best books I have read in a long time.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 7/19/20 a listing on BB has not been created) and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I'm not sure how to review this. The writing was excellent, the characters well formed and the story held its own throughout. However, there were so many little things that niggled at me, such as Captain Woodhall not actually disciplining his crew at all, Georgana so rapidly changing her mind from not wanting anything else to dk with the navy to living on a ship, the complete loss of the father/daughter relationship from the beginning of the book... I could go on.
Overall, I liked it but there are several things I would change to make it more enjoyable.

I admit I requested this book off Netgalley based off the cover alone. The fact it’s a Proper Romance was a bonus because I’ve enjoyed their books before so I trust them to put out solid reading material. Georgana’s Secret is no exception. And when I realized it had themes of secret identity and romance on the high seas I was all in! Now I just wish someone could take me sailing. 😅

I really loved this book by Arlem Hawks! It was one of my favorite reads this year! It was so different from most of the "ballroom" regencies as almost all of the action takes place on an English frigate. Speaking of action --there was a lot of it! Batten down the hatches as there are deaths, injuries, illnesses, attacks by enemy frigates, and an attempted mutiny. I am not usually attracted to books that take place on a ship, but Arlem Hawks really has a talent for describing all the activity on board a ship in such an interesting way! She wowed me with her knowledge!

Georgana Taylor has traveled with her father for three years on his father's ship the HMS Deborah, All the shipmates thinks she is a boy, as she goes by the name George, and dresses as a boy. Her father has taken her on his ship to get her away from his abusive mother -- Geogana's grandmother.

Lieutenant Dominic Peyton's heart was with the sea, and he anxiously awaited his new assignment as second in command on the HMS Deborah, Dominic has compassion on George Taylor, the third-class boy, who is shoved around by the other shipmates. He teaches George how to defend herself, and takes it upon himself to watch over him! What will happen when he discovers her disguise?

This was such a unique and fun book, full of action, adventure, and romance (clean). Reading this book would be just the cure for the doldrums!