My Thoughts on Across the Star-Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks

 

About:

When May becomes a lady’s maid at sea, she’s hoping for an innocent adventure but instead must navigate rough waters, deadly combat, and unexpected love.

1811, Mediterranean Sea

May Byam grew up following her father to his work at the ropemaking factory and listening to her uncle’s tales of life aboard a Royal Navy ship. After tragedy and scandal shatter her family, May is desperate to escape the shame that follows her. Despite her mother’s pleadings against it, May signs on as a lady’s maid to the young wife of a naval captain. If she’s going to run, she may as well do it in honor of her late uncle and cousin and where there is food, shelter, and perhaps even adventure. But the frosty reception she receives from the ship’s clergyman makes her feel far from welcome.

Heartbroken young Chaplain Elias Doswell returns to a harsh life at sea, but preaching to disinterested sailors isn’t the escape he’d hoped—until a captivating young woman boards the ship. However, a case of mistaken identity ensures that he starts off on the wrong foot with the newly hired lady’s maid, who clearly wants nothing to do with him. But the close quarters of the ship forces the pair together, and May begins to see a side of the handsome clergyman she didn’t expect. As they struggle to navigate their deepening feelings, the danger of war with the French looms on the horizon, threatening their lives—and their love.

My Thoughts:

There is just something about ship stories that really gets to me. Especially romance ones. I don't know if it is the close proximity that they have or the beautiful ocean they are sailing on not to mention the dangers of storms and in this story, war. Whatever it is, I certainly like reading about it much more then I think I would like to experience it.

May Byam has suffered a lot in regard to her family. Tragedy and her father's imprisonment has chased away any good reputation. Her mother and aunt are moving on to be servants at an estate and would like her to come with them. May has other plans and wants to see the seas and adventure she and her late cousin used to talk about. However, her first meeting with the ship's chaplain goes awry and when she finds out her family connections to her new mistress, well that sets off a lot of feelings that May must now deal with. Not to mention the other sailors and there less than gentlemanly behavior. But her biggest nemesis, is the red-haired chaplain, who always seems to get under her skin.

Chaplain Elias Doswell is going back out to see after heartbreak. He will even face the horrors of war again to just get away from his broken heart. When he runs into May, things really couldn't get any worse, especially when he finds out she has been hired to be the captain's wife's lady's maid. He really should apologize. 

Like I said, being on the ship really didn't give them a chance to run away from one another and battles and sea life bring them even closer together in this drama filled romance on the seas. Their relationship was a tug of war, and that title itself is perfectly romantic and describes the story well.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.