4 stars I received an ARC of this novel from a new-to-me author, and I hope to read more of her books. In fact, I plan to apply to be a part of her AR team. Told almost entirely from the POV of Grace Baxter, a young woman who runs from her home when her father betroths her to a monster, this book follows her onto a royal navy ship, where she is presumed to be a young man (15 years old). The story is immersive and vividly portrays the life of a sailor until, as one would expect, her subterfuge is revealed. Despite her ability to do all of the things every other sailor does, she is now shielded from work and treated like the “lady” she is. Unfortunately, this means she is often bored. The acting captain of the ship Discerning is Seamus Fitzwilliam. Because Grace met him previously through her uncle, who was a decorated navy man himself, she does her best to avoid his detection. Naturally, once Grace is discovered, Seamus takes her under his protection because he feels he owes it to her uncle, who once saved his life. A good portion of the sailors on the ship want Grace to be removed post-haste because she is certain to bring bad luck. As it turns out, she kinda does. At any rate, Grace and Seamus spend time together and realize how well-matched they actually are (even though she has a tendency to act before thinking and has a short fuse), and they fall in love. They commit to one another, but as every villain is expected to do, the monster reappears before Seamus and Grace can find their happiness together. For a while there, I had trouble understanding whether Grace and Seamus actually cared for one another beyond feeling a physical attraction. There’s a lot of talk about duty and the reader is led to believe that Seamus proposes to Grace simply because he feels this will offer her the most protection. I’m not sure what pushed their relationship into the territory of love rather than just respect for one another. Grace is, understandably, hesitant to give up her newly found independence, but Seamus assures her that he sees women almost as equals. It’s still early 1800s so we can’t really ask for more than that. Seamus is so reserved and out of touch with his feelings that even the reader has trouble comprehending his degree of tendre for Grace. I couldn’t help but feel that a bit more exploration of his family and his early experiences could have shed some light on his reticence to express his feelings. Similarly, I knew Grace’s parents were self-absorbed and uncaring but didn’t understand the full extent of it until the end. The story is well-told and riveting, with lucid descriptions and emotional connections. I found myself completely involved in the drama and worrying about Grace and Seamus. As I got closer to the end, I couldn’t put it down. I was slightly annoyed that there were some loose ends, but then I realized there is a sequel. The book does not end on a cliffhanger, thankfully, but there are a few things of lesser consequence that are not completely resolved. Overall, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. June 30, 2021
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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