Genre: Historical, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Linda, Paranormal Romance Guild
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Abducted by pirates, a naval officer must choose between duty and desire.
Billy knows no greater joy than the life of a pirate, where no man is his master and his destination is the horizon. Aboard the most beautiful ship to grace the ocean, he revels in his freedom. But his world changes when his captain tasks him with an unexpected duty—guarding the naval officer they’ve compelled to join their crew. Billy’s hatred for the navy burns stronger than the Caribbean sun.
Crispin Merrick’s deepest yearning has always been to command a vessel in the Royal Navy. Stripped of his duties after the war, he’s reduced to serving on a merchant ship. When marauding pirates board the vessel and abduct him, his dreams of naval glory have never seemed further away.
When disaster strikes the pirate ship, the two men face a desperate fight for survival. Billy and Crispin must set aside their animosity and join forces. But trust is a precious commodity, and it’s in woefully short supply when they loathe everything the other stands for.
The book contains material some readers may find upsetting. Full details are given on the contents warning page of the author’s website.
The Review
Wow – a trip at sea on a pirate ship, and I learned more about sailing the open seas and being a pirate than I ever had before. Crispin Merrick was once a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and is now a second mate on a merchant ship the Eurydice. His ship was decommissioned right along with him, but his dream is to once again find himself back with the Royal Navy. That dream will face many trials and tribulations.
By itself, the merchant ship is unable to protect itself in the event of a pirate attack, so she has an escort for protection, but that escort disappears after a violent storm. Now the Eurydice and its crew are undefended when the pirates appear, and the captain surrenders. He hopes they will take what they want and leave everyone alive. Crispin thinks they should at least try to fight, but it isn’t his call to make.
The captain of the pirate ship Hermione doesn’t believe in violence unless it’s absolutely necessary, so he gives the crew of the Eurydice a choice to stay or join the pirates and become one of them. A few are happy to join. But Crispin is taken against his will, since he has navigational skills.
While the other crew members who joined willingly will share in any profits, Crispin refuses, because signing would indicate that he is willing to join in attacking ships for their trade goods, which he would never get over, and which would end any hope of rejoining the Royal Navy.
Billy the Master Gunner resents Crispin. His hatred of the Royal Navy is something he can’t hide, and when he is given the responsibility to watch over the ex Navy man, he’s not happy. But the captain’s orders gospel and there’s no fighting the order. Now Crispin and Billy find themselves sharing a cabin, something neither is happy about. Crispin thinks Billy has no morals, and Billy sees in Crispin everything he hates, and everything he ran away from in his past.
Over time, the two are able to set their hatred aside and see each other with fresh eyes. It’s hard to be around someone 24-7 and continue to hate each other. The crew has also begrudgingly accepted Crispin’s presence, but he is always in danger. While planning how he would escape – not easy when you’re in the middle of the ocean – something far worse happens. The captain is challenged and looses his position, replaced a pirate known to be cruel, one who is anxious to throw Crispin overboard.
The only thing that saves him is the fact that they need someone to fill in when the navigator is having one of his headaches or is too drunk to see straight. The situation is not any better for Billy, but the two stick together and try to hold on till they reach Nassau. As the Royal Navy ex-lieutenant and the pirate finally give in to their feelings, Crispin makes it his mission to escape and take Billy with him.
I won’t go into too much detail on what happens next – you’ll have to read for yourself to truly enjoy it.
The story is full of surprise, betrayals, cruelty, sex, secrets and ordeals, which has given me a new appreciation for what life on the sea was like – hard, dangerous and sometimes deadly.
Crispin and Billy are amazing characters. I loved them and kept waiting to see if there would be a well-deserved HEA for them, but that’s another thing I won’t reveal. If you enjoy historical books where the lead characters are gay, this one it has it all.
5 Stars.
The Reviewer
I am an avid reader the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to seven grandchildren. Since retiring I have been doing more reading while volunteering as a CASA worker. CASA is an organization that works with the family court system to ensure that children are in the best living situation. There are way too many children that get overlooked in the foster care system and I visit homes and make visits to the parents. I was born and raised in New York and my husband of 50 years and I live in Upstate New York.
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