Close To The Wind by Zana Bell

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 fiancé 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. 

Masquerades, deceptions and subterfuge – and that’s just on the heroine’s part. 

Although Georgiana da Silva is not passionately in love with her cousin Jasper, she has agreed to marry him knowing that this is the only way that she can escape from her Aunt - a woman who has just about endured her and her brother since their parents died.   When Georgie discovers that Jasper's intentions are not what they seem, she has to escape.  She is determined to travel across the world, to be by the side of her beloved brother in New Zealand.

And so the adventures begin.  Georgie manages to secure a passage, disguised as a boy and using the skills she learnt from her trapeze artiste parents.  Captaining the ship is the dashing, if a little dangerous Harry Trent; on the run from the law and certainly not interested in taking on any more complications.    Harry is not the only love interest during Georgie's journey, she is rescued by the delightful Tom Mellors, a man who is instantly smitten by her.

This is a story of adventure, of pirates and a good old-fashioned romance.  Georgie is young and quite innocent, but also tough and resilient.  She finds it difficult to be completely honest, she worries about getting to her destination, she's often confused about her feelings.  Despite this, she's an endearing character, well formed and her interesting background adds another dimension to her character.  

Close To The Wind is a fun read, it has a dash of suspense, a great plot, a good splash of romance and a great cast of characters.  

Close To The Wind is published in paperback by Choc Lit on 7 October 2013 - my thanks to the
publisher who sent my copy for review.

For more information about Zana Bell, visit her website www.zanabell.com, visit her Facebook page or follow her on Twitter