Close to the Wind by Zana Bell

Close to the Wind by Zana Bell
Buy Close to the Wind by Zana Bell at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Historical Fiction
Reviewer: Louise Jones
Summary: Georgina runs away to sea to warn her brother of a plot against his life. On the way, she meets and falls for two very different men, but can either of them be trusted?
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 320	Date: October 2013
Publisher: Choc Lit
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9781781890264
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Georgiana da Silva seems to have everything to look forward to; an engagement to her dashing cousin Jasper will finally allow her to escape the clutches of her oppressive aunt and open up the opportunity for her to travel the world, broadening her horizons considerably. Unfortunately, when she overhears a conversation between Jasper and the duplicitous Lord Walsingham, she realises that her engagement is a sham and that her brother’s life is in danger from a ruthless assassin. Can she reach her brother in New Zealand before the assassin has time to strike? The scene is set for an exciting cross-continental race against time which will pitch Georgiana headlong into a world of deceit, intrigue and adventure.

Georgiana is an appealing, multi-layered heroine. It is clear from the beginning that she considers herself quite plain in appearance and this allows her to disguise herself successfully as a young boy in order to gain passage on a ship headed for New Zealand. She also has an interesting back story, having been raised in the circus for most of her life, but later raised by an affluent, overbearing aunt when her parents died. She is a woman ahead of her time, headstrong and independent, which causes more than a few complications in her relationships with the opposite sex.

Close to the Wind sees two very different men competing for Georgie’s affections. She is instantly and powerfully drawn to Captain Harry Trent, a roguish Pirate King on the run from the law. However, when she finds herself abandoned in a strange country, she is rescued by a gallant and amiable Norfolk gentleman, Tom Mellors, who falls for her immediately. Georgie finds it hard to be entirely honest with either of them, when so much is at stake. After all, with a would-be assassin headed for the same destination, can she afford to get close to any man?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, with its heady mix of romance and adventure, with plenty of twists in the tale. The love story was very sweet and the tantalising 'Will they, won’t they?' aspect of the tale showed how adept the author is at playing with the emotions of her readers. I have a long list of friends queuing up to borrow this one now I have finished reading it! Close to the Wind is a perfectly indulgent, cosy read.

Mistress of the Sea by Jenny Barden is another story of a woman running away to sea disguised as a boy, although the heroine, Ellyn, is not nearly as successful as Georgie at convincing the crew that she is male!

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