Reading the blurb on this and viewing the cover, you wouldn't think for a moment that it's a story about women's roles in society, about pirates, abouReading the blurb on this and viewing the cover, you wouldn't think for a moment that it's a story about women's roles in society, about pirates, about lesbian love. Thus, this is one full of surprises.
First of all, it's not explicit. Second, there's a lot to like about this book. Let me think of where to start...
1. I love the many women in this story who battle with what society expects of them and what their heart tells them to do. Hannah is called to the sea and driven to rescue sailors in need. However, her husband believes in merely maintaining the lighthouse lights and waiting until the storm is over and it's too late to save anyone. He doesn't let her out there. There's two lady pirates at some point, fighting alongside men, trying to survive a harsh world. There's even a woman who works in ship building.
2. Turns out (I read the Author Notes) that Hannah was inspired by a woman named Grace Darling, a lightkeeper's daughter in the UK who became famous for rowing into a storm to rescue a drowning sailor. The author also says, "While the male lightkeepers were known for staying ashore to watch the lights, the women became known for rowing into the sea to rescue drowning sailors."
I also recognized that the lady pirates were based on/inspired by Anne Bonney and Mary Reid.
3. I loved Hannah's passion for saving people and the way her and Billy work diligently on a special device to do this very thing.
Long story short, it's a tale of women battling their gender roles in the 1840s or thereabouts (pre Civil War), of widowhood, of conflicting emotions, of trying to make up for a poor decisions in the past.
I enjoyed it, especially the tales of piracy, though I had a very hard time liking Annie and understanding her. Her actions seemed strange to me, too abrupt and not quite explained--her sudden hatred of her husband, her coldness, her hate, interest in the ship... I'd have liked the story to get more in depth and explain more clearly somehow why she's so mean after the loss of a baby. Thousands of women lose their babies every day. It was even worse back then. I don't see it being the husband's fault. I thought her manner of retaliation was extreme.
On the other hand, the story did a very good job with Hannah's conflicting emotions. Should she grieve more, harder? Marry again? How does she really feel about Tom, and Billy?
This story is so much fun! It has a butt-whooping woman pirate, romance that has plenty of time to blossom--nothing rushed here, bits of humor in the This story is so much fun! It has a butt-whooping woman pirate, romance that has plenty of time to blossom--nothing rushed here, bits of humor in the dialogue and narrative, a modern-day hunt for a map and its treasure, thugs, and even a very lovable poodle. Poodle-doodle-noodle! LOL And the narrative is so refreshing, so honest and real. By narrative I mean the modern-day heroine's. This is one of those double-time period stories.
Obviously, the historical tale follows a lady pirate, a woman men fear at the very sight of her billowing black hair, a woman who after she takes a ship's loot, she chooses a man to bed her and then discards him because bedding men on board her own ship causes problems. She's also a woman who is tired of killing but knows no other way to make a living and she's the kind of woman who will free chained-up slaves or rescue them from the sea and kill a man for raping another woman. Did I mention she's also chasing down some Spanish treasure? And so is another pirate...who's none too fond of her. If the turbulent sea doesn't claim her...well, 'nuff said.
The historical story unfolds as the modern heroine, an "anal" librarian (Emma), and her reluctant partner, a sexy lady PI (Randi), chase after the pirate's map hundreds of years later, all the while thugs and thieves on their tails.
Unlike most stories that try to add suspense and bad guys to the tale, this story didn't come across as ridiculous...well...not until the end, anyway. It lost a point in my eyes with this the whole island-that-only-people-in-love-can-see thing.
I was kept in marvelous suspense too, all the time wondering what really happened to Tommy. Even the contemporary story line surprised me. The historical parts were my favorite, but as I said above, the contemporary narrator, her voice and wit, kept me intrigued in the modern tale too.
So why three bikes? What didn't I like? As you can see I really enjoyed this tale for the most part, but I must confess I hated the ending. I hated Randi. I didn't quite take to her. I think part of this is because the modern parts were in first-person POV--Emma's--and while Randi was aloof and distant with her, the POV style chosen to write the modern scenes meant that Randi was also aloof and distant with me, the reader, as well.
This was a really fun historical romance that was both steamy and unpredictable. You got a woman pirate who wants to get her father out of a British pThis was a really fun historical romance that was both steamy and unpredictable. You got a woman pirate who wants to get her father out of a British prison…and if that means stealing the ship of the privateer she’s been lusting after since she was 12 years old, then that’s what she’s gonna do.
His name is Blac and because he’s 12 years older than her and friends with her father, he’s afraid to allow his and Angel’s romance to flourish. Blac also has some funny, preconceived notions about women...
Read 25 percent. There's nothing wrong with this book. It's just so like many others I have read that nothing is really drawing me in or making me wanRead 25 percent. There's nothing wrong with this book. It's just so like many others I have read that nothing is really drawing me in or making me want to read further. I find it predictable. Well written, but predictable. Too many other things with interesting twists and unique story lines are calling my attention. That is all. ...more
I enjoyed this and was thoroughly entertained. The heroine, Sophie is a very strong independent woman. She has had a hard knock life and has learned tI enjoyed this and was thoroughly entertained. The heroine, Sophie is a very strong independent woman. She has had a hard knock life and has learned to take care of herself by any means necessary. She's been a gambler, a highway robber, and now, she is searching for long lost pirate's treasure.
"A woman who is financially dependent on others is at their mercy."
"I am especially enjoying traveling while not being at the beck and call of demanding male person who thinks he is in control of my life because he holds the purse strings."
Anyways.. to find this treasure, she must hook up with privateer Lucky Jack. They end up getting married... and though she plans to leave him after the treasure is found, she finds herself realizing that perhaps the treasure isn't really gold at all, but love... ?
From the ship to the overgrown vegatation of Florida, the story is action packed and fun and I got a kick out of the tumultous relationship between these two.
A favorite scene of mine is when Captain Jack pirates a slaver to steal its gold and notices that one of his "sailors" is not really a sailor.. "One of the sailors was very small, ver blonde, and wore a Florentine gold ring in one ear. She had a pistol clutched in her hand and was standing guard over some sailors seated morosely on the deck.."
Yep, that's Sophia.
I also like how this author wrote a steamy romance without making the heroine a virgin. Nice change!...more
Great writing style. I don't think I could do better, but the story itself wasn't what I hoped for. It's not as strong a woman as I expected. It's notGreat writing style. I don't think I could do better, but the story itself wasn't what I hoped for. It's not as strong a woman as I expected. It's not a lady pirate. It's a woman going through--holy moly--just about whatever a woman could be put through back then, to the point it was a bit much. And well, frankly, anytime a writer uses a real historical or famous character, someone isn't going to like your portrayal of them. I rather like Ann Bonney's bits in other books...and her character in this...ugh. It's not how I like to think of her.
It's a novel full of misfortune, hate, whores, and cruelty. It's not a light read....more
The summary sums it up nicely so I won't type paragraphs summarizing the story. I liked it, but not as much as the first one. Despite my love of piratThe summary sums it up nicely so I won't type paragraphs summarizing the story. I liked it, but not as much as the first one. Despite my love of pirates, I missed the orphanage scenes that were in the first one. I missed Hilde and her fat sister.
The new character additions just didn't intrigue me as much. Jeannot (gotta double check that spelling) didn't appeal to me as much as Tan did in book one and err.. yes.. as ashamed as I am to say it, Armand Defain. Defain had a small role in this one, but as lewd and cruel as he may be, I wanted more of him.
The plot was fast paced and had a few good twists, but the Knights were dull to me. I prefer pirates.
Just not for me. I thought it was YA and checked it from the library, but it's geared more towards ten year olds. The pirates are silly and hang out iJust not for me. I thought it was YA and checked it from the library, but it's geared more towards ten year olds. The pirates are silly and hang out in a coffee house and drink coffee rather than rum. Kinda strange. But if I was ten, I would probably love it I'm not ten though and not in the mood for coffee drinking pirates. I didn't finish....more
This novel had a similar start to another pirate book I have read in the last year, The Noble Pirates. It begins with this chick on a tourist boat (InThis novel had a similar start to another pirate book I have read in the last year, The Noble Pirates. It begins with this chick on a tourist boat (In TNP it was a cruise ship) and she falls overboard and is rescued and scooped up from the ocean and placed on the deck of a ship... back in time, a pirate ship. And thus, chick finds herself becoming a pirate too. It's that or be held captive.
This is a YA book, however and that's where the simliarities end. TNP was way more exciting. In all fairness, there's a lot more you can do with an adult pirate book than a YA pirate book, but when I think of books like The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, another YA, seafaring adventure story, I know it can be done. This one just didn't do it.
I was bored. I never laughed out loud, smiled, cried, chuckled, said "omg!" Not once. Jill finds herself on a pirate ship captained by a woman and they end up rescuing some slaves and chasing after this other pirate fellow with a magical piece of sword leading the way. Sounds great... but the way it was told was very.. unemotional. It never even says when the realization struck Jill that she had time traveled. It doesn't go into much detail about her feelings. It also doesn't address things that one wonders about with time travel tales.. You just find yourself taken back a few hundred years... people stink, have bad teeth.. you can't bathe everyday.. there's no flushing toilets.. what of that stuff?
The story even briefly introduces Anne Bonney, Captain Jack, and Mary Read... and that was boring too. They are just in a bar for one paragraph.
Will eleven year olds like it? Probably. Me? No....more
Yet another fun, fabulous read about the fiesty heroine, Jacky Faber. In this, the third installment of her adventures, Jacky has left behind a burninYet another fun, fabulous read about the fiesty heroine, Jacky Faber. In this, the third installment of her adventures, Jacky has left behind a burning Boston (literally!) and is now back to a life at sea. First stop: England. Things don't work out very well for Jacky in England tho.. She is kicked out of her beloved Jaimy's house and then sees him with another woman and well, rather than wait for any kind of explanation (It is the hotheaded Jacky Faber we are talking about here) she runs away. Unfortunately, she is once again wearing male attire and normally I would cheer her for this but the Press Gangs are about... and Jacky gets drafted.
Upon discovering she is a girl underneath her clothes, the Royal Navy ship she is placed upon doesn't let her go as would be expected. Why? It's got a horny captain. I'm dead serious. Now Jacky is dealing with a horny captain, anti woman sailmates, smugglers, mutiny, getting splinters in her arse, spies, and by the end of the book, she not only has her own ship but has also been branded a pirate with a price on her head.
Some new colorful characters appear in this one; Higgins, Robin, Georgie, and my personal favorite, another fiery vixen that wants to be the next Gracelin O Malley as well, Maeread. There is no end to the fun, the laughs, the hearstopping excitement. I also noticed throughout reading this that Jacky is growing up. She is discovering that she has a thing called "feminine charm" and is learning to use it on a few unsuspecting blokes, adding to the overall fun content of the book. I loved it....more
This is a darn good book. I question its appropriateness for young adults due to some language and sexual content, but as an adult, I really liked it This is a darn good book. I question its appropriateness for young adults due to some language and sexual content, but as an adult, I really liked it and devoured it in a day. The story goes back and forth between Emer and Saffron. They are actually one and the same. Emer was basically cursed upon her death in the late 17th century and after living as 100 separate dogs since, finally has a human body again, in the form of Saffron living in the 20th century.
18th century Emer is a tough cookie in war torn Ireland spirited away by an evil uncle and when the evil uncle tries to force her to marry a fat old bloke, she runs away and circumstances require her to board a ship and pick up a cutlass. She becomes a pirate to be reckoned with before her cursed death. 21st century Saffron aims to finish what Emer started and find some buried treasure and as she bides her time, deals with loser parents all the while visulizing poking out their eye balls or shooting them with used tampons from her imaginary musket. Wow. Tough chick.
There is also plenty of suspense on top of scalped heads and flaming maxi pads. Will Emer find her lost lover? Will Saffron dig up her treasure? She's got to get past a grotesque, crazy man named Fred first..
The dog angle is so minor, it hardly bears mentioning. After every two chapters or so, there is a page or two dedicated to a dog fact, advice, or a story from the viewpoint of a dog the heroine was in a previous life. I found it kind of irrelevant to the story, but being a dog lover, loved the excerpts nevertheless.
A fun read full of fiesty females. It's staying on my shelf where I can pick it up and read it again another day. ...more
This wasn't the best pirate tale I have ever read, but it was good. Nancy is a young daughter of a merchant and upon her father's death, she is facingThis wasn't the best pirate tale I have ever read, but it was good. Nancy is a young daughter of a merchant and upon her father's death, she is facing an unwanted marriage to a very undesirable and cruel man. With her friend and former slave, Minerva, she takes to the high seas running from the law (I am not divulging the reason) and the would be suitor.
Her big problem besides an evil Brazilian pirate on her tail is that the man her heart does desire, William, is in the Navy. What will he think of her being a pirate? Will he want her again if he even finds her?
Good tale, but the piracy doesn't enter the picture till halfway thru the novel and I actually liked Minerva better than Nancy. ...more