Mediterranean Sea, 1811

May Byam is trying to find her way amidst the sea as a lady’s maid despite her Mum’s pleading against it. If she’s going to run she might as well do it where there is food, shelter, and perhaps even adventure on the sea.

Elias Doswell, a young heartbroken chaplain returns to the harsh life of the sea preaching to disinterested sailors and starts with May on the wrong foot because of mistaken identity who doesn’t want anything to do with him.

But over time, May begins to see a side of this handsome clergyman who surprises her.

I had a hard time connecting with both characters and the story itself, but I stuck with it because I had read previous novels by Arlem Hawks and enjoyed them a lot. I didn’t like May initially but I liked that she was willing to humble herself in certain situations where she deemed herself in the wrong, and I will admit that after the half mark, it did improve but this was more a miss than a hit for me.

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

A wonderful book for you to enjoy
We all come at life with pre-conceived ideas of who and what people are. We are often wrong and that can cause issues for everyone. People confronting their personal notions is one of the underlying themes of this story that is engrossing on many levels. May is forced to find employment when her father is found to have been embezzling. Now she has found a job as a lady’s maid on a ship. When Elias, the ship’s chaplain, first sees May coming on the ship, he assumes she is a woman of ill repute and tries to keep her from coming on board only to fail as he insults her. As the ship enters the fray of the French English war, they must confront not only the war around them but their own prejudices, fears, and longings. Their story is one that will engage you immediately and hold you to the end. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

#AcrosstheStarKissedSea #NetGalley

This book is a sequel to Gorgina's Secret but can be read as a stand-alone. May has had a rough life her father is in prison for embezzling funds, and her mother has found employment and leaves May to find her own way. With a job perspective in mind, she heads to the docks and finds a job aboard the Marianne as a lady's maid,
Elias is a Chaplin who has tried and failed ar relationships. He has lost his sense of trust/.. With war raging all around, Elias has to learn to be brave.1

This is a good companion to Georgana's Secret where we first met Captain Peyton and his wife and other characters in this book. The background of that story is helpful but not required.

May is in a tough situation. Her father has been arrested for fraud, the family is now destitute and she needs a new job. She can go into service in a large house, or try to be one a lady's maid on a ship. She chooses the latter and the adventures begin. It is hard for a young girl to know who and what is in her best interest, and her quick temper lead her down some rough paths.

Elias is a chaplain running from bad relationships. He only hears intrusive thoughts in his head. Can he be brave and fight through his own self deprecation to change his future.

This is told in two points of view, which is fun. It is always fun to see both sides of a picture.

I loved this historical romance at sea. Anything that remotely resembles Titanic and I’m in! I highly enjoyed this beautiful story and look forward to offering more thoughts soon.