#netgalley #georganassecret

This book was tricky for me. I think the storyline is cute and unique, the characters were well developed. I quite enjoyed this story!

Really entertaining book. I loved the secrecy, the camaraderie, and the courage. It was a fun journey with the main characters.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Georgans’s Secret by Arlem Hawks

The author has masterful creativity with her characters and the flow of the book. She doesn’t miss out on how to grow them or her pull to keep the readers enticed to keep turning the pages!
I wanted to know how the relationship between “George “ and Dominic was going to happen amongst all the sailors and go undetected. What happened to the evil grandmother? Stay tuned because as you know the wicked come back time and time again! How will her father protect her without letting the crew figure out that she is a girl. You all know that daddy’s are partial to their little girls.

Can you imagine being stuck on this ship with nobody to commiserate with other than your father who I am sure is busy and can’t be spending time with a crewman. How lonely for this girl, but then Dominic comes aboard!
The author takes it from there and you will not believe what adventures take place for a lonely Boy!
Excellent book!

Thank you to the authors and publishers who work diligently for us the readers.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

The book opens with a captain rescuing his daughter from an abusive relationship in one of the most unlikely ways possible: disguising her as a cabin boy aboard his ship. We rejoin the story a few years later and learn the consequences of this decision.

Upon rejoining the story, we also meet Dominic Peyton, an extremely skilled First Lieutenant who lives for the sea. Shortly after boarding ship, Dominic feels a strange pull towards the captain's cabin boy, George. In George he sees a friendless young boy, woefully out of his element, 100% not suited to sea life, stuck on board a ship. Dominic reaches out and befriends the, er, lad -- and then the story truly begins.

Side note: I was a little concerned how the love story would play out as it begins with Dominic believing that Georgana is a young boy. Please know that it follows a very proper path!

In addition to our main focus, we also see Georgana build another unlikely friendship that strengthens through intense conflict. Her moral character sees her through some extremely dark times, including harsh and prolonged verbal & (mostly alluded to) physical abuse during childhood. With Dominic's help, Georgana learns to not take guidance from her tyrannical inner critic. As a result, Georgana perseveres through self-doubt and fear, maturing into a strong young woman.

Dominic holds an unwavering sense of responsibility towards those he treasures, and he selflessly makes some hard life choices to better the lives of others. On multiple occasions we also see Dominic treating members of the crew with kindness, while a fellow officer lashes out in cruelty. We can learn so much from the actions of both Dominic and Georgana.

It has been a long while since I've read a book set at sea and found myself frequently Googling the definitions of various nautical terms. Thank you, author, for adding in these details rather than dumbing down the story. We witness some intense moments and again the author does not shy away from reality. Illness strikes. Battles and freak accidents injure. People die. In all cases the author takes care to not describe any of those occurrences in graphic detail. Those dark moments happen but are not glorified.

Sometimes when I pick up a book I find myself almost skim-reading by the end. Not in this case. I was enraptured by the plot and found myself slowly savoring every chapter. Multiple evenings, my mind would continue on with introspection after sitting the book down for the night. After finishing my advance reader copy, I immediately pre-ordered the paperback edition. This one is a keeper and re-reader.

Thank you, author and publisher, for sharing an advance copy in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Georgana’s secret is part of the Proper Romance series. It has a unique pretense. It’s 1811, and Georgiana Woodall is living on her father’s ship, HMS Deborah, in disguise. He is the captain, and she is George, his cabin boy. If this secret were to become known, her reputation would be destroyed. They guard their secret carefully, and it’s decided that this will be George’s last voyage before making her debut in society.

Lieutenant Dominic Peyton is dedicated to the Navy and his career at sea. He’s the new first officer on board, and he becomes an unlikely mentor to young George, who is getting picked on by the other young boys on the ship. They form a friendship, and Lieutenant Peyton eventually puts enough clues together to discover that George is in fact a young lady. He keeps his discovery to himself as he tries to discover the reason for the deception. He struggles to protect her and still keep her identity under wraps.

There are more than friends feelings, yet both parties find themselves in an impossible situation. The captain doesn’t think L Peyton is a good influence on George, and he fears the clever lieutenant will unravel their secret. He tries to put a stop to their friendship. I recommend reading this one to find out how everything works out in the end.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. My review reflects my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication!

I've been enjoying the titles I've read in the Proper Romance line, and while I enjoyed this as well, it feels more like plain old historical fiction than a romance - for the first three-quarters, at least. The plot, that Georgeana's father has spirited her away from her abusive grandmother to live at sea with him disguised as a cabin boy, is one that does a good job of combining the "girl at sea" trope with what more of the realities of actually doing so might have entailed. The toll her grandmother's abuse took on Georgeana doesn't magically go away (to the point where her defining moment of courage feels a bit less triumphant than it might have, but it really is more believable for the character) and the strain of hiding his daughter definitely wears on her father, who believably retreats into his shell over the course of the novel. The hero, Dominic, is definitely a busybody, which trait did not endear him to me (full disclosure: I was sort of hoping she'd end up with Fitz the formerly-evil cabin boy), so I wasn't as invested in the outcome of the romance as I might have been.

But the writing is strong throughout and Georgeana is a heroine who doesn't need to be a Strong Female Character to carry her part of the story, and the real victory is over herself. That may not be traditional in a romance, but it does make the book a success in my eyes.

This is not your typical Regency romance. Georgana is 18 and has been at sea for three years serving as cabin boy to her father the captain of the HMS Deborah. She joined her father after the death of her mother and to get away from an abusive grandmother. She poses as George to all the crew. Lieutenant Dominic Peyton is new to the ship. He loves the sea and takes a friendly interest in George as he sees her mistreated by fellow crew mates.

The many details of the ship and life aboard enhance the story. During the voyage to and from Antigua there is illness, death, and cannon battles. It made for an exciting adventure. The romance was handled well, particularly in how Dominic comes to realize George's secret.

I did have a few questions that weren't answered by the end of the book. What was the mysterious illness? Why wasn't the Captain more aware of how George was treated by the crew? Could family members of the Captain travel on ship or only spouses?

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to future books by the author. It is refreshingly clean for language and sex and has mildly graphic battle scenes. Thank you Net Galley and Shadow Mountain for the ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I normally don't read romance but this book caught my eye, I liked the idea of a woman dressed as a boy on a Navy Ship. I was expecting a Princess Bride like adventure with witty humor. While there where Ship Battles the pacing of the book was slow, both the main characters where likable and I liked getting to know about their backstories. However Georgeana's dialogue and thoughts where very repetitive, the hardest part to believe is that she spent three whole years on a Navy ship without being discovered, I think it would have been more believable if it was three months and not three years. All in all it was an ok book, if you like light cliche romance book then you would like this book.

A good regency novel that takes you on an adventure on the high seas. Started off slow but the tempo picked up. Secrets and surprises await readers in this proper romance novel that wraps up with a nice HEA.

A different kind of tale. Georgana is the daughter of a captain in the British Navy in command of a frigate. She and her mother live with their grandmother while he is at sea. She is cold and heartless. When her mother dies, she comes aboard the ship as a cabin boy. For three years she has kept her disguise. Lieutenant Dominick Peyton is married to the sea. He adores his widowed mother and provides for her. He joins Georgana’s father’s ship aNd meets “George”, the cabin boy. A friendship develops during their voyage that leads to an HEA. Sweet story.

This is the story of Georgana, disguised as a cabin boy to her captain father, and Dominic, the new first lieutenant. It is a cute story. The writing is solid, and the characters are good. There were some character inconsistencies that were not explained to my personal satisfaction, but I don’t think they would bother most other readers. There is some depth to this story, which is nice.

I felt like the main focus was on life in the navy. So there is a certain amount of violence and roughness. The romance, therefore, took a backseat, and that was rather unsatisfying. To be fair, though, I’m not sure it could have been otherwise considering the situation.

I love how the Proper Romance series keeps expanding its collection of authors!
This was the first time I've read this author (I'm not sure though if this is her first published book). I've read a few books where a woman was disguised as a man for some reason or another but I think this was the first where it was done with a guardians permission. It's usually that they have no guardian and therefore no other choice. I liked that Dominic figured out Georgana's secret but kept it to himself for her sake. I liked that the story had action but wasn't overly violent or graphic. Overall I would give it a solid 4 stars and would happily recommend to others.

I honestly struggled with this book. I felt it started slow and got better as it went. but the premise was hard to believe. The characters were well developed. I enjoyed the growing relationship between the two characters, but I felt the story was too contrived.

Story in 1810 Navy ship set for Antigua from England. I enjoyed this #ProperRomance so much but I will admit, I had to Google a bunch of the sailing terms to be able to understand and get a clear picture at times.

“As a young girl, Georgana Woodall had 2 loving parents but with her father a Capitan in the Navy. 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 Payton has only one love, the sea! 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 several clues, Dominic deduces that George is really a woman. Knowing that revealing the cabin boy’s secret would put her in danger from the rowdy crew, Dominic keeps silent and hides his growing affection for her.”

Absolutely spellbinding! I could not put this book down.
Imagine being a young woman and hiding that fact from all around you except your father. Imagine hiding that on a ship of the British Royal Navy in 1810 being surround totally by a male crew. If you are discovered it would mean social ruin or worse. That is the life Georganna, or George as her father calls her, finds herself in. Escaping from a physically and emotionally abusive grandmother she finds herself in disguise on the ship her father captains. She is shielded as much as possible from the crew, assigned to be the captain’s cabin “boy”. Given lighter duties and when in battle, assigned to the safest duty area. Still the secret and fear of discovery weigh on her making her wonder if returning to her grandmother’s and hoping for a quick marriage might be preferable. Then a new first lieutenant, Dominic Peyton, is assigned to her father’s ship and as their relationship grows so do her fears and longing for release from the charade she finds herself in. But she does not want a husband in the Navy. Mix in attacks by privateers, an onboard illness that can be fatal, bullying from other boys assigned to the ship and an attempted mutiny and you have a book you won’t want to set down. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read and one of the better Regency novels that I've encountered in some time. I really appreciated the character development that unfolded throughout the story and thought that the overall concept (exploring navy life through the eyes of a woman) was a unique and refreshing take! I also appreciated how much of a slow burn this was; the ending did not disappoint! I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a in depth look at life at sea in the English Navy. The author does a good job of giving you a very clear picture without adding too much detail/history that would bog a story like this down. It is a slow moving romance that really was a little too slow for me. There could have been some chopping down of the first half of the story. I thought the author did a good job with the characters. I could have had a little more lightheartedness tho. There was just such a sad feeling in the first half of the book. The second half was much funner to read and had some good movement. This is a sweet story with a little violence, some fighting.

I knew as soon as I read the synopsis that I would enjoy this book. This is one of the more wholesome and authentic historical romance novels I’ve read. All of the lead characters have clear and pure intentions and their goal is to be upstanding as possible.

I loved the way Hawk penned this book. The dialogue, the slow and tense build of romance, and the subtle ways the characters expressed affection and adoration.

Georgana and Peyton were perfect characters. They found connection beyond lust as their relationship began as friendship and grew into a dependency. Their love was organic and fresh. I found this to be a much welcomed novel with the tendency for romance to deliver many lines about swelling bosoms and straining pants.

I would love to read more by this author and I’d recommend this book ten times over.

I’ll write a more much formal review with synopsis and character analysis much later.

There is SO much to love about Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks. First, the story is HIGHLY engaging. The pages flew by in this novel because the action is non-stop: there’s a strange illness onboard the HMS Deborah that’s only hitting a certain part of the crew, there are battles on the high sea with the French, and there’s mutiny. There are adventures in Antigua, learning to stand up against bullies, and a seriously sweet romance. I read 70% of this book in one sitting because I could not put it down! In addition to the storyline, I absolutely love the way characters relate in this novel. The camaraderie of most of the crew onboard the HMS Deborah is fun to imagine. The interaction between George and her father, Captain Woodall, appears stiff and formal, but in reality, it is exceptionally evident how much he cares for his child. And, how Georgana and Dominic’s relationship blossoms from friendship to romance is great. The Victor/Victoria relationship in this book works really well and progresses nicely. I especially enjoyed the intelligent journey Dominic takes to figure out who George truly is. And, the historical and nautical details are rich. The detail is written so vividly I felt like I was on board with the crew of the HMS Deborah. Working a boat in the 1800s was an insanely arduous task, and Hawks does a stellar job of portraying this.

Lieutenant Dominic Peyton is an excellent hero. There is so much to love about his character. His attention to detail is wonderful. He’s not an “actions first, questions later” kind of guy. Dominic is a man who watches and listens, makes intelligent assessments based on what he hears and sees, and then moves to action. I LOVE how unselfish he is. Once he learns George’s secret he feels he must have answers, but before he confronts anyone he metaphorically steps into George’s and her father’s shoes and looks at the situation from their perspectives. What he “discovers” from standing in their shoes for a moment is that they need protection. Dominic is a protector to his core, and some of my most favorite moments in this novel are when he comes to George’s defense (both before and after he finds out who she is). This, more than the swoony kisses and heartfelt words, makes Dominic a perfect hero in my humble opinion. Swoony kisses and heartfelt words are great, but truly seeing and understanding someone is the best show of love one person can give to another.

I have to mention how much I love Georgana’s character. She is AWESOME. If I had to boil her character down to one word, that word would be resilient. Georgana is a character who gets beat up a lot, and I don’t mean metaphorically. She is the quintessential underdog. She is an 18-year-old girl posing as a boy on her father’s ship in 1811. Ironically, she is doing it for her safety. In this world, Georgana gets knocked down often but she always gets back up. She is a true fighter and she is not afraid to fight for what is good and what is right, and later she is not afraid to fight for love. Georgana is definitely the perfect heroine for Dominic.

Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks is a great historical romance that I cannot recommend enough. It’s a fun, adventurous romance that will have the reader turning pages well into the night. If you are in the mood for a swashbuckling adventure with a sweet romance and timely themes then Georgana’s Secret is the book for you!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishers, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was definitely a unique take on a Regency era book and I really loved that! Georgana sneaks on her father’s ship as a cabin boy George where she meets Lt. Dominic Peyton.

Their relationship, both the development of it and it’s continue md growth during the story was wonderfully done. Most importantly to me though was how well written they were as individual characters who not only found love and acceptance with each other, but also became stronger characters on their own as the book progressed.

The writing and characterization was fantastic so I’ll certainly be reading more books by Arlem Hawks!