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cheye13's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
For a dime romance published in 2001? excellent.
As a story that I read myself? ridiculous. The aughts-era feminism was a nice touch to a historical, but it did push more modern gender issues into the light. There was a weird mystery plot that made no sense and added literally nothing to the story – except maybe 20 or so pages. The leads had no chemistry whatsoever and the writing style was overly simple, too blunt, and lacked nuance.
The book's shining gem is the cast of misfit pirates and the (intentional) humor sprinkled throughout. Despite not enjoying the plot, I did have fun with the tone, and found the moments of laughter genuinely amusing. There was also a sort of Taming of the Shrew vibe in the middle that would've made me mad, but I appreciated the subversion of the trope.
I felt like this could have been a stellar book, and just didn't push far enough. For instance, rather than the odd mystery plotline, there could have been more emotional depth in the leads and better-paced relationship development. There was an odd adherence to the letter of the law wrt piracy v privateering, that may have been more nuanced with some research. Reading it nowadays, all I see is what could've been. It's not a bad read, just a disappointing one.
As a story that I read myself? ridiculous. The aughts-era feminism was a nice touch to a historical, but it did push more modern gender issues into the light. There was a weird mystery plot that made no sense and added literally nothing to the story – except maybe 20 or so pages. The leads had no chemistry whatsoever and the writing style was overly simple, too blunt, and lacked nuance.
The book's shining gem is the cast of misfit pirates and the (intentional) humor sprinkled throughout. Despite not enjoying the plot, I did have fun with the tone, and found the moments of laughter genuinely amusing. There was also a sort of Taming of the Shrew vibe in the middle that would've made me mad, but I appreciated the subversion of the trope.
I felt like this could have been a stellar book, and just didn't push far enough. For instance, rather than the odd mystery plotline, there could have been more emotional depth in the leads and better-paced relationship development. There was an odd adherence to the letter of the law wrt piracy v privateering, that may have been more nuanced with some research. Reading it nowadays, all I see is what could've been. It's not a bad read, just a disappointing one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Death, Torture, and Alcohol
Minor: Xenophobia, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
the primary sex scene has dubious consent vibes, typical of the genre at the time
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