IniciGrupsConversesMésTendències
Cerca al lloc
Aquest lloc utilitza galetes per a oferir els nostres serveis, millorar el desenvolupament, per a anàlisis i (si no has iniciat la sessió) per a publicitat. Utilitzant LibraryThing acceptes que has llegit i entès els nostres Termes de servei i política de privacitat. L'ús que facis del lloc i dels seus serveis està subjecte a aquestes polítiques i termes.

Resultats de Google Books

Clica una miniatura per anar a Google Books.

S'està carregant…

Beyond the Lavender Fields

de Arlem Hawks

MembresRessenyesPopularitatValoració mitjanaConverses
276858,287 (3.58)Cap
1792, France Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles ?tienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory. A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles's efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought. As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And, Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family's safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose si… (més)
Cap
S'està carregant…

Apunta't a LibraryThing per saber si aquest llibre et pot agradar.

No hi ha cap discussió a Converses sobre aquesta obra.

Es mostren 1-5 de 6 (següent | mostra-les totes)
Not to show my meme-age here, but *headdesk* I just want one, one decent four star minimum read before the end of the year. Historical romance, with the emphasis on romance, was never going to hit the mark but sadly I can't resist an F-Rev novel.

Gather all ye tropes while ye may! We have the 'fierce' heroine with the 'fire in her eyes' - and even, I do believe, a feisty jaw - who does nothing to earn that label except argue the toss with the hero and turn 'I do not want to kiss you' into some kind of catchphrase (oh honey, this is romance - I would much rather read a book where you held firm to that principle, but you exist solely to be kissed, sorry). The hero is the polar opposite in political ideals to the heroine but he's kind and yet strong and goes round telling young women that they deserve better than falling prey to cads like his brother and friends. He's basically the prose version of John Legend's bland rewriting of Baby, it's cold outside. Both he and she are horrifically boring and flirt like sloths - for 75% of the damn story. In fact, there is no plot to speak of, until the final chapters, when the author crams in a Scarlet Pimpernel style rescue. There is also no real sense that the story is set in France, bar the use of occasional French words and phrases (in italics, and translated by other characters, for those readers who can't figure out 'mon freres'), or during the Revolution. This could be a Hallmark movie set on a Christmas tree farm, with the rugged employee with aspirations to become a doctor making eyes at the boss' daughter for all the impact of the historical context.

Next! ( )
1 vota AdonisGuilfoyle | Dec 18, 2023 |
“Jamais en vain.” Never in vain. Arlem Hawks’ Georgana’s Secret is definitely a favorite book. So when I saw Beyond the Lavender Fields on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. Set in Revolutionary France in the 1790’s, this story captivated me from the beginning with its enemies to lovers premise. Can a royalist and a Jacobin ever be friends?

Caught up in the revolutionary fervor, Gilles Étienne wants to leave behind his father’s profession of a privateer/pirate and his current job as a clerk in a soap factory to become a doctor all while pushing for a new free France. A silly bet proposed by his brother, upends his world when he tries to steal a kiss from a stranger who turns out to be none other than his boss’ daughter who’s also a royalist.

Both Gilles and Caroline are attracted to each other from the beginning. Where other silly girls would welcome a kiss from Gilles or laugh off his attempts, Caroline clearly puts him in his place. As their relationship grows from enemies to friends, Gilles begins to question everything he thought he knew about the revolution and what it means to be a Jacobin. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Gilles and Caroline try to navigate the dangerous situation they find themselves in where one wrong word or association can get them killed.

I loved this unique love story set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The historical aspects were so interesting and so deftly woven into the story. I loved the banter back and forth between Gilles and Caroline and the way they discussed their philosophical differences. I loved how Caroline would always say “I do not wish to kiss you,” each time she sees Gilles as a teasing reminder of how they first met. They grew together, challenging each other and I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress.

Caroline was such a brave, strong character despite her losses. I loved how she fought for her religious convictions and yet was willing to change her perspective. Gilles was such a caring, thoughtful young man who was humble enough to question his beliefs and his future. I loved his grandmother’s ring with the “never in vain” inscription. It was a great reminder throughout of what was truly important and not to regret showing love and humanity.

Highly recommend this epic story! Historical romance and historical fiction lovers will especially enjoy this amazing book. I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. ( )
  Melissas-Bookshelf | Jan 25, 2022 |
I enjoyed this story of two very different people falling in love in the early part of the French Revolution. It was interesting to have opposite viewpoints: that of a royalist and that of a Jacobin. It was also interesting to see how the ideals that began the revolution quickly became so corrupted.

I didn't know how to feel about Gilles at the beginning of the book as he seemed very immature. However, he grew a lot through the course of the story. Marie-Caroline's perspective was presented through letters. I liked how this allowed us to understand her thoughts and see her softening as the story progressed.

Revolutionary France was really brought to life, and I found this book quite suspenseful. I enjoyed the characters and their journey and hope to see them again in a future book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the early read. ( )
  ang709 | Dec 19, 2021 |
Set in France in 1792 during the French Revolution, this story paints a vivid picture of the turmoil and the division between the two sides involved. It was interesting and thought-provoking to learn more about this slice of history. With obvious careful research and rich historical detail, the story unfolds to show that things are sometimes not just black and white.
“Doing what is right is more important than who is right, I think.”
“If the upholders of liberty only protect liberty for those who think as they do, can they really call themselves champions of freedom?”

Arlem Hawks is a master at creating colorful, realistic, and emotionally-layered characters. Gilles and Marie-Caroline shine as the courageous main characters, while a stellar cast of supporting characters add great depth and dimension. I enjoyed seeing the relationships change and grow throughout the tale.

“Life throws us more things we don’t choose than things we do.”

While this book started out a little slow for me, mostly due to the preponderance of names and words in French which I’m not fluent in, once I got into it my interest was piqued and I greatly enjoyed it. I appreciated the glossaries of French names and words in the back of the book. They really helped with pronunciation and understanding. I did find myself flipping back to the glossaries often, which took me out of the story a bit.

This story is a perfect blend of a riveting plot, compelling characters, and a swoony romance, and is sure to please those who enjoy historical romantic fiction. I’m looking forward to more books from this author. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing. All opinions are my own. ( )
  swissgranny | Dec 2, 2021 |
Revolution swirls in France. Gilles Étienne, a fervent Jacobin, is committed to doing whatever he needs to support equality while he saves for medical school. His employer's daughter, Marie-Caroline, is a fervent royalist. When they meet, they clash as they disagree, but attraction soon follows. What chance do two people have when they hold such differing beliefs?

Since I’ve finished reading this one, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I picked it up because I thought it would be interesting since it was set in a time period I rarely read. I should have expected it, but I was caught off guard by how politically charged it was.

The majority of the story follows Gilles, so he is the character we see the most growth from. When we are first introduced to him, he has little problem accepting bets from his brother and friends to kiss whatever girl they point out, thinking it harmless fun. Marie-Caroline takes him to task for this when they meet, and so does his mother shortly after. This makes Marie-Caroline the “She’s not like other girls” character that I don’t care for. We get most of our glimpses of her through letters she writes to her cousin, so in her, I saw little growth.

I honestly kept thinking, “These two have no chance.” I was not rooting for them to put aside their differences, since neither seemed willing to compromise. Even in the end, it is more of an agree to disagree kind of situation because they just love each other so much.

It is well written and seems to have a lot of details of the era. I honestly would have loved a little more details about the soap making of the time. Overall, it just isn’t a favorite of mine.

I received an advance reader copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. ( )
  TheQuietReader | Nov 14, 2021 |
Es mostren 1-5 de 6 (següent | mostra-les totes)
Sense ressenyes | afegeix-hi una ressenya
Has d'iniciar sessió per poder modificar les dades del coneixement compartit.
Si et cal més ajuda, mira la pàgina d'ajuda del coneixement compartit.
Títol normalitzat
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
Títol original
Títols alternatius
Data original de publicació
Gent/Personatges
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
Llocs importants
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
Esdeveniments importants
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
Pel·lícules relacionades
Epígraf
Dedicatòria
Primeres paraules
Citacions
Darreres paraules
Nota de desambiguació
Editor de l'editorial
Creadors de notes promocionals a la coberta
Llengua original
CDD/SMD canònics
LCC canònic

Referències a aquesta obra en fonts externes.

Wikipedia en anglès

Cap

1792, France Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles ?tienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory. A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles's efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought. As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And, Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family's safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose si

No s'han trobat descripcions de biblioteca.

Descripció del llibre
Sumari haiku

Debats actuals

Cap

Cobertes populars

Dreceres

Valoració

Mitjana: (3.58)
0.5
1
1.5
2 1
2.5
3 1
3.5 1
4 1
4.5 2
5

Ets tu?

Fes-te Autor del LibraryThing.

 

Quant a | Contacte | LibraryThing.com | Privadesa/Condicions | Ajuda/PMF | Blog | Botiga | APIs | TinyCat | Biblioteques llegades | Crítics Matiners | Coneixement comú | 203,206,975 llibres! | Barra superior: Sempre visible