Hawks, “Georgana’s Secret” (Reviewed by Christine Tensmeyer)

Georgana's Secret (Proper Romance Regency): Arlem Hawks: 9781629727929:  Amazon.com: Books

Review

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Title: Georgana’s Secret
Author: Arlem Hawks
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Romance Fiction
Year Published: 2021
Number of Pages: 316
Binding: Paperback
ISBN 13:  978-1-62972-792-9
Price: 15.99

Reviewed by Christine Tensmeyer for the Association for Mormon Letters

Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks is a great read! I really enjoy proper romance novels from a variety of authors, but Arlem Hawks made her story stand out in a few different ways. Instead of Georgana being a spinster, or a governess, or a lonely debutante, Georgana is disguised as a cabin boy on a British Naval ship, with her father as the captain. This book delves into Georgana’s life as a cabin boy, how she got there, and what she is going to do with her future.

I felt like the characters in Georgana’s Secret were well developed. Ms. Hawks excelled at weaving the character’s backstory into the current events of the book. I felt that I really knew her characters and what made them tick. None of the characters are perfect, but I like how Ms. Hawks had them work through their various problems in a realistic and likable way. The only character in the book who is abhorrent is the Grandmother, and she’s supposed to be.

The pacing of Georgana’s Secret is fantastic. I read this book in 24 hours or less; I had to find out how everything would work out in the end! As I finished reading the last page, I felt that everything was wrapped up very satisfactorily, and yet I somehow wanted more.

If you like proper romance, regency stories, or stories about adventures on the high seas, I would highly recommend Georgana’s Secret. I am looking forward to reading more books by Arlem Hawks.