Amazing! I didn't realize this was a sequel to Georgana's Secret. I'm so glad. However, this can be read as a stand alone. I do reccommend reading the first book for full enjoyment.
I thought the beginning of this story had a great hook. Once again I think this author did exceptional with giving us some history into the story with excitement and not bogging down the story. The plot and pacing was fantastic. The battle scenes were exciting. I loved getting to be on the ship during that time period. Life on the sea was tough and I appreciated the author showed this with different scenes. As well, as the captain making tough choices. I felt this story was like a great period drama but in print. Including some swoony Pride and Prejudice hand flex moments. IFYKYK! There was great attention to detail. I liked their romance and character arc. Lots of nuance to the people and their slowly emerging romance. In this story I really felt the emotions with the characters. The story makes you feel deeply! I loved the introspection, the great imagery, wonderful lines, the characters old and new.
*thank you to Netgalley for the arc. All opinions are 100% my own

REVIEW OF Across the Star-Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks

EXPECT
🌊 Headstrong FMC, sweet chaplain MMC
🌊 British Navy ship setting
🌊 Early 1800s
🌊 Appearances from Georgana's Secret characters
🌊 Some Navy battles

REVIEW
This was an engaging, enjoyable read for me! I absolutely adored Georgana's Secret, so I was excited for this sequel. There were just a couple, relatively small things I didn't love.

Elias is a sweet leading man, and I liked the differences-in-class romance. It was fun to have a chaplain MMC! There were sweet moments between the MCs, as well as one part that actually made me tear up out of sadness (no spoilers, but it was a sad and stormy day). I loved seeing Dominic Peyton (from Georgana's Secret) as captain of his own ship, and I always like Arlem's ship settings.

CONTENT
😘Mild, sweet
🙊Implied swearing only
🍷Mild substance use
🤕Moderate injury/death but no gory details

BOTTOM LINE
Definitely read Georgana's Secret first for maximum enjoyment. Otherwise, you can read this one and still enjoy it, but expect some spoilers for the first book.

THANK YOU to @shadowmountainpub @arlemhawks and @netgalley for the physical and e-ARCs!

Across the Star-Kissed Sea is the sequel to Arlem Hawks' previous book, "Georgana's Secret." I read Georgana's Secret last year, and I recommend reading it first before this one since many of the main characters make a reappearance again.

This novel takes place in Regency England (early 1800s), onboard a British naval ship. Main character May has found herself in a desperate situation and needs any job that will provide a roof over her head. When she finds an job opening onboard a ship as a lady's maid, she takes it and soon meets the ship's chaplain, Elias. Elias is young and handsome, but has some past disappointments in love.

Both Elias and May soon learn they share a wall on board their ship's quarters, and discover many other things about one another due to the forced proximity. Together with the crew they battle rival warships, torrential storms, and a host of personal conflicts. They must each decide to fight for their love, against the forces working against them. The book was evenly paced, with dual POV of both Elias and May.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is that the author takes care to research and portray the characters and naval facts with accurate historical detail. I enjoyed seeing Captain Peyton and Georgana again in this book.

I didn't personally connect to the main male character, as his character was often self-depreciating, but I did like the fact that the author wrote him in a unique way instead of the strong alpha male that is used in most books. I also had a hard time understanding the battle scenes. I normally like to envision how the fight was taking place, but I think I would need a map of a 1800s naval ship to better understand the battle scenes.

Content was clean, no swearing and kisses only.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the complementary copy of this book and ebook. My review is my honest opinion and is in no way influenced by the publisher or author.

May Byam has no choice but to take what job opportunity she can get… even if that means working under someone her family despises.

Chaplain Elias Doswell is a good man but first impressions aren’t his strong suit when meeting May.

This is an enemy to love story. They eventually help each other through their struggles. Their sweet moments on the ship were my favorite!

This is the sequel to Georgana’s Secret. The interweaving of all these characters who have pasts together is so beautifully written. I absolutely love that we got more of Georgana and now Captain Peyton!

This does have a battle scene!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for giving me this opportunity to read this wonderful book!

This book has lots of interesting historical details woven into the storyline, which was very cool. I didn't quite click with the characters as much as I have with the author's other books. I found May to be realistic but not always likable, and Elias was super sweet but a bit bland. The connection between them didn't seem super believable or developed. I enjoyed seeing Georgana and Dominic from Georgana's Secret. Overall, enjoyable but not as gripping as Hawks' other books.
3.5 stars.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Georgana’s Secret is my all time favorite book and when I heard Arlen Hawks was writing a continuation, I immediately knew I needed to read it. I honestly had a hard time getting through the first few chapters because May was so negative toward Georgana and Dominic (whom I love with all my heart) but I decided to continue on and I’m SO glad I did!

Elias … what a gentle, kind, loving sweetheart. I absolutely adored him and honestly agree with May’s closing statement(s) that she hoped one day to deserve him lol. He was way too good for her 😂 BUT alas, they were meant to be together so I guess I am happy for them.

It was also sooo nice to read more about Dom & Georgana. My heart was so full at the end of the book and I just couldn’t stop smiling over this fantastic book!


(I have not posted my review on IG yet but I will be doing that later. I have, however, shared it on Goodreads)

Ms. Hawks writes to most amazing stories about life in the Royal Navy. I read Georgana’s Secret and was so happy to see her and Dominic in this story too! I loved reading about our Chaplin and learning more about the Byam family after the last voyage. This story told a remarkable tale of forgiveness and bravery; that love is worth fighting for and that heartache does not need to be handled alone. I loved reading the tender moments between May and Elias. They encouraged each other to be their best selves. The ending was thrilling! A wonderful sequel to one of my favorite romances.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Arlem Hawks is becoming an instant read for me so I was very excited to get my hands on this one.

Sadly, about a third into this I was struggling to continue reading. I think this one was just not for me just out of personal taste. Her writing prose is beautiful though, and the ship setting was fun! The unusual characters were what made it a hard read for me. I never became invested in the couple or really felt they had a spark, and since this is relationship focused it made it a hard read.

Elias was sweet but his constant negative self talk made him a less than aspiring character, I had to remind myself he was a grown adult because his self sabotaging instincts reminded me of a teenager. I understand it related to past hurt, but it was very off putting. Our female lead, May, was equally difficult to root for with her fiery personality that often made her appear rude on page. I admire what Hawks was doing here though in writing two very realistic, unique characters portraying issues we deal with as humans, but made for a difficult read for me.

Thank you to Shadow Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was amazing. I love how this author packs so much historical detail into her books without it being boring or over the top. I learned so much about the nautical aspects of life back then. I especially liked getting a glimpse of how life aboard ship would be for a woman.
The writing was wonderful. Not your typical fluffy romance- there was some depth. The characters were well developed, likable and dynamic. There was humor peppered throughout and best of all…. There was a happy ending. I can’t wait for more from this author- her books are the best.

ACROSS THE STAR-KISSED SEA by ARLEM HAWKS is an interesting and well written novel that takes place in the early 1800’s, with Britain and France at war and the frigate HMS Marianne doing her part for Britain under the captaincy of Captain Peyton, whose wife Georgana employs May Byam , the destitute daughter of a convict to be her lady’s maid ……
There are some wonderful characters in the book including the handsome chaplain, Elias Doswell. After a shaky start, May and Elias become good friends, each supporting the other. Elias, who has come on the ship to get over the many hurts he has received from women he was courting, and to get over his fears after experiencing horrific battles at sea, sees himself as a total coward and failure,while May sees him as brave, caring and compassionate. She, on the other hand, is angry and unforgiving of imagined deeds done against her family by Georgana’s father……
The book is full of excitement, sea battles and romance, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Shadow Mountain Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Sweet Romance, Historical Romance, Regency Romance
Spice Level: Kissing only
Content: Not really on the page, but some sailors are making lewd suggestions about women.

Give me all your plucky, sassy women! I love how the sass of May is also among her faults. Other characters break the mold too because they're not 100% bad or good. Isn't that true to real life? And just how I like my books! I will definitely read more from this author. (I think I've read one other book by her, but now, I'm going to keep an open eye for her work.)

This is such a fun enemies to lovers style Regency romance set on the ocean. Having women on the ships during the war with Napoleon is something I know nothing about. Is this accurate? (*Me shrugging.*) But it was sure fun for tension and conflict, especially with another strong-willed woman involved—the captain's wife.

Having May and Elias fall in love was so much fun. (Watch for the hat scene.) I would go back and read this one again.

Happy reading!

-Dual POV
-Takes place mostly at sea
-Characters with flaws and baggage
-FMC that has a lot of character growth
-Cinnamon roll MMC, you can't help but root for him

This is my first book by this author. This was the sequel to Georgana's Secret which I would like to read. I was still able to enjoy this book without having read that one but it would be fun to read Dominic and Georgana's story.

4.5*

Across the Star-Kissed Sea is perfect for readers who enjoy historical romance with a unique setting, a dose of history, and complex characters. Arlem Hawks hits all these and more in this story set on the sea (and I learned I’m very glad I didn’t live at sea in that era!). I didn’t connect with the two main characters as much as I have with others in Hawks’ books, but I loved seeing familiar faces and getting even more excited for future stories. This is one to add to your TBR! 3.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This sweet romance featured May and Elias, two characters who had each been hurt in distinct ways in the past. As a result, May wasn't able to fully trust others, and Elias had built up walls to protect himself. Once they were finally able to overcome their issues, it was easy to see how each brought out the best in and could be an anchor for the other.

This book could definitely be read as a stand-alone. However, having read Georgana's Secret first, this one felt like coming back to old friends as some of the characters from that book were present here as well, so I recommend picking up the companion novel also.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for the early read.

This was my first book by Arlem Hawks. A great story filled with adventure, danger, and romance.
May and Elias definitely had a rough start aboard ship. They both had deep hurts to overcome. Their growth, facing those hurts, becoming friends, and that friendship growing to more was sweet.
I found the book very interesting as the majority of the book takes place on the ship and from the viewpoint of “crew members” (vs captain or passenger like most books I’ve read).
Favorite quote: “Somehow, I was always following her into these kisses. I hardly minded. I’d follow her love wherever it led us, to sunlit mountaintops or across Star-kissed seas.”
This ARC was provided through NetGalley by the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

Really cute story!

I loved the ship life, the different life circumstances, and all the characters!

This story kept your attention the whole time and you just kept reading, very interested in what these characters would do next!

I love stories of two broken souls finding comfort and healing in their troubled lives through each other. Elias and May have both had very different but crushing blows dealt to them and seek out lives at sea to escape their difficulties and sorrows. They end up turning to each other as they work through their struggles and learn to trust again. They discover that even though life may be hard, it is infinitely easier with the support and love of someone who helps and encourages them to be their best selves. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing but was not required to give a positive review.

You can say whatever you want about this book, one thing is certain: the title and cover are just gorgeous. These, and the fact that I loved Arlem Hawks's previous books, made me grab this book as soon as I saw it.

Sadly, it fell a little short of my expectations. I had really enjoyed "Georgana's Secret", the first book in this series, so I hoped this one would be as good.
I rather liked the way Elias Doswell, the chaplain, was portrayed here: a blushing, blustering young gentleman who feels rather cowardly due to PTSD. That's a rather unusual combination for a character, especially for a man, so I found it very refreshing. His love interest, May Byam, also had a rather unexpected personality: very fiery, she didn't let anyone walk over her, and could even be hurtful towards others when she was angry and hurt — not your typical damsel! Unfortunately, I found that her personality grated on me and there was little character development, or at least her change of heart was a bit abrupt and rather unrealistic. I understand how both characters' personalities could theoretically complement each other but I didn't see it in the book, I don't understand why they loved the other (apart from the lack of better candidates, perhaps!).
I enjoyed the apparition of Georgana and Captain Peyton, however, it kinda broke my heart to see Georgana withdrawn, secretive and unhappy. When we meet characters from previous romances, we want to see them happy!

As always, I enjoy books that take place on historic ship, so that was very nice. The other settings of the book, on land, are more blurry.

Overall, a good read but that fell a little short of my expectations, maybe because the author wrote it at a challenging time in her life. I'll still be looking forward to reading other books by Arlem Hawks, because I loved her other books.

3.5 stars

4.5 stars
This book is so pretty and I was super excited to read it. I greatly enjoyed Georgana’s Secret and I wanted to see how this story would turn out. Across the Star-Kissed Sea is written by Arlem Hawks and it is a sequel to Georgana’s Secret.
I adored Elias from the beginning. He was so sweet and just trying his best. Life had thrown him many curveballs and he was trying to make sense of everything. He was honorable but he was also scared of letting others in. It was sweet to read about him falling so soundly for May.
May was more complicated. She definitely had to grow on me and it took a while. She was stubborn and stuck in her ways but as the book went on. She grew and learned. May’s life hadn’t been easy and she had to learn to allow others into her life instead of pushing them away.
The romance was sweet and the story was engaging. I wanted to see how Elias and May would overcome their differences. They had a bit of a rough start but life at sea drew them together. I loved seeing old characters and it was interesting to see them through the eyes of someone else. I also enjoyed the themes woven into the book, learning to forgive, standing firm, being brave and loyalty shown in different ways.
Overall, this was a lovely story and I would recommend it to those who had enjoyed Hawk’s other books. I ended up finishing it in one day. Across the Star-Kissed Sea is a clean historical romance.

Content warnings: violence, mentions of war, ship fights, drunkenness, mentions of abandonment

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

May has few options left for her and in order to secure some type of a future, she takes a job as a Lady's maid for a Captain's wife on board a ship. Not only will this allow her an income to live, but it will allow for some adventure along the way. Elias is a Navy chaplain on the ship May is set to sail on. Elias has been burned by love several times and wishes to escape from his memories. A misunderstanding leads to understanding, forgiveness, and eventually love for the couple.

I really enjoyed this story. There were a few times when the story felt slow, but overall it is an enjoyable read!