France, 1794

Maxence Etienne is soldier for the Republique and he believes strongly in the changes that are bringing liberty to France, but despite that he is still lost and looking for a place to belong.

He meets a young woman from Breton who has decided to confront the priest who betrayed her father, and she herself is ordered to be executed, an order to be carried out by Maxence.

This was definitely the opposites attract, but in the end, they were better together than apart. I didn’t really like Maxence’s character in Beyond the Lavender Field but by reading Along a Breton Shore, it was decidedly changed for the better! Armelle was so spirited, strong, and beautiful in spirit and I loved she didn’t let Maxence get away with anything! I really enjoyed reading this! It was nice to see the other character from the first book.

A word of caution while this can definitely be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading Caroline’s and Gilles's story first, and then you’ll get a much more balanced story from Beyond the Lavender Field, and just segway into Along a Breton Shore, and I promise you you’ll feel a part of the family, I know I did!

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions expressed are mine and honest.

#AlongaBretonShore #NetGalley.
This book set in the French revolution is a sequel to Beyond the Lavender Fields but can also be read as a stand-alone.
Armelle Benard lives in Breton she is feisty and filled with ready comebacks. I loved her strength and determination to find solutions.
Maxence Etienne is a soldier in the French Repulique who is in turmoil and determined to hide it. When he is told to get rid of a young woman he finds that he can't follow through. He finds himself in combat with a fellow soldier.
Maxence and Armelle find themselves fleeing from their pursuers and making their way across France. I loved the interaction between these two. What a great sequel to Beyond the Lavender Fields.

I typically am hit or miss when it comes to historical romances. Either it is love or hate there typically isn't an in between and Along a Breton Shore is definitely Love. It was a little intimidating at first just looking through all the glossary for the French and Breton words that would be helpful to know but Arlem did such an amazing job of giving the readers enough information that they didn't need to go back and forth from the glossary to know what was going on during the novel.

Armelle and Max were such great characters and really well written. They balanced each other well and were very believable in their journey together. I loved that it was as slow burn and that they really did have to work together to not only survive but grow together as a couple.

The setting of the French Revolution was perfection and added to the suspense and thrill of the romance. I have loved all of Arlem's novels thus far and will continue to read hers from now on.

Thank you to Netgalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing and of course Arlem Hawks for my eARC copy.

This is the second book in a series, and while it can stand alone it is better to read the books in order. This is Maxence" story. Having seen and been through the hardships of war he is pretty bitter. He believes his family has abandoned him and so hasn't written them in a long while. He left with bitter words spoken to his brother. He watched his best friend die during a battle. He feels he is facing everything alone. Then he is ordered to kill a girl from the village because she was scrubbing the floor of the church to harass the priest. He chooses not to follow orders and lets the girl live but that decision leads to his enprisonment and possible death. The girl he chose to save however is built of gumption and daring and she decides to rescue him with the help of her friend.
They go on the run and the following story is mesmerizing. This is a story of survival, redemption, forgiveness and love. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history and the before mentioned themes.

I loved this book! I enjoyed Beyond the Lavendar Fields and was expecting to feel similarly about this one, but I must say it exceeded my expectations. I found it very hard to put down, so I recommend, if at all possible, clear your schedule before starting this!

In BTLF, Max was not a very sympathetic character, so I wondered how he would come off here. If I had any doubts, the author immediately dispelled them. First was the prologue. It was a scene from the previous book, but this time it was shown through Max's eyes. I was surprised by how much the shift in focus changed the way I felt about that scene. Next, the book moves ahead to a year and a half later. By this point, experiences have changed Max so that he is no longer the same person as in the previous book. Still, he continues to grow throughout this story, and I loved that.

Armelle was so extremely naive but in the sweetest way. She sought and expected the best in others, and she was so hopeful and optimistic about the future. The horrors around her hadn't spoiled her. I loved seeing these two together.

Before reading this book, I knew nothing about the Chouans. Actually, I was unfamiliar with any of the history of Brittany during the French Revolution. It was very interesting reading about it here, and it sparked my interest to learn more. I also appreciated the author's notes at the end.

While this book could technically be read and understood on its own, I highly recommend reading Beyond the Lavendar Fields first. It will make this one even more satisfying if you can see Max's whole transformation and when you see other characters you've met before too.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or historical romance. Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the early read.

Along a Breton Shore by Arlem Hawks

Another fantastic book by Arlem Hawks. If you want to make sure to feel ALL the feels, read Beyond the Lavender Fields first. Though, this works great as a stand alone as well.

First let’s talk about the tropes because this book has them all: one bed, fake marriage, forced proximity, enemies to friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first. Do I even need to go on? No? Good. But I’m going to anyway.

Max may come off as an unredeemable grump at the beginning but you quickly come to realize that he has been through some stuff. What he really needs is to know his worth and that love can be found in the most unlikely of places.

Armelle is a happy go-lucky, go-getter. She has a tendency to act first and think later and wears her heart on her sleeve. She believes in the power of family and protecting those you love.

Due to some truly terrible circumstances, these two end up on a perilous journey across Brittney during the height of the French Revolution.

I love how they are thrown together and come to learn to understand one another. Watching their relationship blossom is oh so sweet. They both help each other to grow and the character arcs are next level.

Yes, I do love this book. Can you tell?

Content: guns, violence, kisses, death

I’m not joking when I say I couldn’t put this down. It pulled me in so fast and kept my attention until late at night. I loved how it was a slow burn, and enemies to lovers! My favorite trope!! The way the characters learned to care for each other put put the others needs above their own was beautiful to watch. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes books set during/around the French Revolution.

I received a complementary copy from netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was an amazing book. The author has done some incredible research on the history of that time period. I loved the perspective from both sides from the main characters. There were heavy themes. But I think they are very important to be addressed. Like how much freedom is important but when it comes to forcing others to have it then is it really freedom? I really liked how the resolution was focused on fighting and defending those people you love. Neither of the main characters had to let go of their passions and beliefs but they all came into resolution that you can live those beliefs with those you love. I also loved how the author showed miscommunications. Hurt people hurt people. Meaning miscommunications cause hurt and that hurt causes more hurt. Until there is an entire cycle of hurt. There was a satisfying reconciliation at the end with second and third chances.

The only part I struggled with is that there was a sad resolution from the previous book in this series

Thank you @shadowmountainpub for the arc of Along a Breton Shore!

Here’s what I loved about this book:
• the history was amazing
• reluctant allies
• forced proximity
• the loveliest romance
• emotional

This book hit me in the feels in the most uncool way and made me feel all the things! It was a masterfully written historical romance that swept me away and I was addicted to the story.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: kisses

Out June 6
TW: war times, death

I can’t get enough of this series! It’s absolutely gorgeous and this book fits perfectly. Maxence wasn’t a character I liked before, but he is revealed to have depth to him that I hadn’t seen before. Beautifully done!

This is the story of Maxence Ètienne, the brother of Gilles from the book “Beyond the Lavender Fields.” I liked BtLF a lot, but I loved this one even more. I recommend reading BtLF before reading this one because it gives you a good background and more insight into the Ètienne family. Also, there is a revelation later in this book that I don’t think will mean as much to you if you haven’t read the previous book.

The Max we met in the last book was a zealous Jacobite who left home to fight against the aristocracy at the beginning of the French Revolution. He was a conceited young man and a shameless flirt with women. This book begins a year after Max left and he is a very different man than he used to be. His best friend Emile died in battle and Max is struggling with grief over his death.

Armelle Bernard is a young woman whose father was executed for hiding counterrevolutionaries. She loves her family, but she despises the Jacobins for killing her father and oppressing her people. She meets Max after a silly act of rebellion. As a result Max is ordered by his superior officer to “dispose of” Armelle, but he can’t bring himself to do it. They both end up on the run from from his fellow Jacobins.

They are two very different people with different views of the revolution. They butt heads quite a bit along their journey, but very soon Max falls for Armelle. She is the sunshine to his grumpy, but she doesn’t realize the depth of her feelings for him until it seems too late for them to be together. This book drew me in more than the last one did. It was definitely more emotional for me and the angst between the two MCs was well done. As much as I disliked the Max of the first book, I loved him in this one.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but one minor character’s misfortune broke my heart and had me crying. I was hoping that they would have their own HEA, but it didn’t work out that way. Being a beloved character, I was surprised that it happened, but I guess it is more realistic that way.

This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Netgalley and the publisher. I was not required to give a favorable review.

**Review will be published on my sites and socials June 1st, 2023**

LOVED.

There is something incredibly soothing about Arlem Hawks writing style. It is slow paced in all the best ways. I kept continually wanting to pick this up to know what happens next + taking my time with it to savor all of the goodness.

I adored this grumpy x sunshine duo of Maxence and Armelle. I can’t even begin to pick a favorite moment because I feel attached to them all. From the disasterous meeting to being chased by soldiers and learning new things about each other (and themselves), it’s all there. All of the beautiful character growth and hard things that make this book sing.

The setting is unique. Being apart of the French Revolution I learned a lot!! Especially with the notes at the end to further explain details and facts from this time period.

Alongside the main characters (and it’s dual POV y’all!!) the side characters were great too. I loved the roles the others played and was very anxious to get to the happy ending. Another fantastic historical romance read by an auto-read author.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: battle themes, near executions (and mentions of executions), near death experiences, gun violence, surgery, loss of loved ones, imprisonment

So apparently this is a sequel, and I had no idea? It can be read as a standalone, so don't worry if you haven't read "Beyond the Lavender Fields."

I really enjoyed the character dynamics and the historical details. I especially loved how the author included a final history section to elaborate on these aspects of the novel. Hawks clearly put a lot of time and research into crafting this story. However, the plot began to drag after the first third. Unfortunately, the second act couldn't live up to the beginning and end. I couldn't get as invested in the characters and romance as I would have liked.

I received this free eARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the story, the redemption arc of Maxence and the love story, not to mention them being on the run together (so romantic!) they had great chemistry and wonderful moments together. The historical aspect is so well done and researched, and I learned a lot about that time period and the people in Brittany.

But.

Then a reveal came to light that involved characters from the first book in this series and I was devastated. It pulled me out of this book entirely and made me feel blindsided. Unfortunately it kind of made the rest of the book hard to finish and enjoy.

Good story, good romance, good bits of history. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Set in the midst of the French Revolution, it's hard to know where loyalties lie. Maxence believes in the future of the Republique and in joining the army, hopes to prove himself not only as a competent soldier but also to his family. However, his loyalty abruptly dissolves when he's ordered to execute Breton native, Armelle. As fugitives, their fates become entwined, and they need to rely on each other in order to make it to safety.

I had mixed feelings about this story. I felt Arlem Hawks did a great amount of research on the French revolution and the difficulty in uniting a Republique after ousting the monarchy. It provided an interesting and unique backdrop. I also enjoyed the characters of Armelle and Maxence and their budding romance. However, I really missed some more background and character development on Armelle and Maxence individually. Aspects of their history were alluded to but never fully resolved in my opinion. Overall, this was an ok read for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In her latest book, Arlem Hawks brings the reader to Brittany, a region in northwest France, during the radical phase of the French Revolution (the Reign of Terror). The reader follows the story of Maxence, a soldier in the national guard, and Armelle, a young Breton woman set to be executed. Instead, the two embark on an intense journey to Saint-Malo, where they hope to escape the soldiers (who want Maxence dead) and reunite with family members. Along the way, their relationship changes from survivors forced together by circumstance to begrudging allies. Hawks’s clear familiarity with revolutionary-era Brittany, the French Revolution, and the French language adds a level of authenticity and information to an enjoyable historical fiction novel. Hawks’s detailed notes at the end of the book highlight her reliance on and implementation of historical documents, setting her book apart. The characters are incredibly alive, and Hawks brings every character and location to life throughout Along a Breton Shore. Her masterful writing style and clever character and world development enhance the experience of this book and its ability to immerse the reader in revolutionary-era Brittany. Along a Breton Shore is a compelling work of historical fiction full of moving characters, vivid locations, and high stakes.

What a beautiful story. Not only with the depth of the characters but how well Arlem Hawks builds the true humanity of their souls. They do what they should even if it goes way against everything they’ve been taught. Highly recommend!!!

This is rare, but I loved this book more than the first! I love the historical context. The French Revolution was such a fascinating but heartbreaking time. The brutality was shocking. I loved that the main characters have different opinions, but realize that neither is completely correct.

The slow burn romance was delightful, with forced proximity and adventure at every turn! The only thing I had hoped for was more of a tie-in with the first book and some of those familiar characters!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing, NetGalley, and Arlem Hawks for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had loads of insurmountable odds, crazy dangerous settings, and all the romance for page turning anticipation to keep me wanting more. I've always really liked this author--boy, does she do her homework. Great writing plus a stickler for accurate history. With all of this said, I still gave it 4 stars, not 5. And here's why--when you're writing about a time in history that the reader isn't likely super familiar with, too many historical details can get lost on your reader. When. you're writing with A LOT of foreign language thrown in, with so many groups of government, monarchy, churches, military, and radical social justice, getting lost and distracted happens EASILY. I kept reading, but many times I almost stopped. I had to skip and skim to stay focused and interested. Maybe others can keep up easier than me (I do have a senior brain), so I still recommend it.