Synopsis
What would you give to be free?
Georgiana da Silva is catapulted out of the Victorian drawing rooms and into a world of danger when she escapes her fiendish fiance to engage in a mad dash across the world to save her brother before an unknown assassin can find him.
Meanwhile, Captain Harry Trent is setting sail for New Zealand. With a mission to complete and the law on his heels, he's got enough trouble of his own without further complications.
Thrown together, unable to trust anyone, Georgiana and Harry are intent on fulfilling their missions despite the distractions of the other. But liberty comes at a price and the closer they get, the more they must question the true cost of being free.
Sorry to use such a clichéd phrase, but this really was a brilliant swashbuckling adventure! Zana Bell had me completely lost to to the world of the 1800's and I truthfully did not want to leave.
Georgina da Silva (love that surname!) is due to marry her cousin Jasper. She has no problem with this, as she feels lucky that she will not become the spinster she believes she is destined to become. However, an overheard conversation reveals Jasper's true nature and intentions to Georgina and she now knows that her brother Charles is in serious danger. Knowing that she must make it to New Zealand before the unknown assassin does, she escapes, leaving Jasper to believe that she has run away to join the circus. This is when Georgiana and Harry's lives collide, with Harry taking her onboard as one of the crew, and unbeknownst to him as a boy and not her true self. Harry also has his own reasons for escaping to New Zealand, with the law at his heels he cannot afford any distractions, but a bond is forming between the two of them as they both head out on their dangerous quests.
Georgiana was such a fantastic female character. She was headstrong, smart and incredibly brave. I like a strong female character as we are not damsels in distress and Georgiana proves this to us greatly by leaving the 'safe' world of her Aunts home to climb aboard a ship full of rough sailors, in her quest to save her brother. As we get to know Georgiana, we know she is cut out more for adventure than being stuck in drawing room and I was completely enthralled by her character. Harry Trent, Georgiana's captain also adds some spice to this story. A handsome captain, Harry also has an element of mystery about him. Why is he running away to New Zealand? And why isn't he being honest with the crew about it? It has Georgiana and us questioning his true motives and us wanting to believe the good in him rather than the bad.
I particularly enjoyed the scenes on the ship. Georgiana manages to keep up her masquerade as a boy without the crew once suspecting a thing. She is treated just like one of the men and being a newbie and a 'young lad' made to do lots of the gruesome jobs, but not once does she complain. I was sad to leave the ship as I think Georgiana was and I was eager to read on to what would happen.
A fantastic tale full of adventure, romance and mystery, a truly brilliant read from Zana Bell!
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