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meg_31's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I quite enjoyed this book. It was an interesting dive into the desire for women to reject femininity and the restrictions that come with womanhood.
Dona wants the freedom that comes with being a young single man (i.e. a cabin-boy), but unfortunately she is a married mother of 2. Her life has lost its excitement and she just wants a taste of that again.
It’s sad thatshe ultimately has to go back to the life she was trying to escape. But it brings home the reality of the expectations placed on women, especially mothers.
Dona wants the freedom that comes with being a young single man (i.e. a cabin-boy), but unfortunately she is a married mother of 2. Her life has lost its excitement and she just wants a taste of that again.
It’s sad that
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
Why not make your 100th book of the year a pirate romance set way back in the days of old!?
Having read some of the less than complimentary reviews about this book I was half waiting to DNF. The biggest complaint was that it wasn't very tense but I thought it was fairly pacy.
The scene setting is as vivid is this book as any of the other Du Maurier novels that I have read. You can practically see and smell the salty, Cornwall beach air as you read.
I also liked the romance which felt natural and passionate.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as say, Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel, but I did enjoy it for sure.
Having read some of the less than complimentary reviews about this book I was half waiting to DNF. The biggest complaint was that it wasn't very tense but I thought it was fairly pacy.
The scene setting is as vivid is this book as any of the other Du Maurier novels that I have read. You can practically see and smell the salty, Cornwall beach air as you read.
I also liked the romance which felt natural and passionate.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as say, Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel, but I did enjoy it for sure.
a_chickletz's review against another edition
3.0
I originally was going to give this book four out of five, but then I sat a it on it and decided to give it a steady 3.
That Frenchman. If there was a gorgeous rogue, a man that was in all purposes bad (a pirate!), I think I found the man I'd run away with. I say this because he was perhaps one of my favorite pirates ever written. He is handsome, he is a shit, he is a thinker, he cares about his crew, he draws (birds!), and he can say the most prettiest thing... meanwhile, he steals ships, robs rich folk of their stuff and gives to the needy.
But the girl. Dona. She does not deserve him. She is the most self-centered, annoying woman. The reason I say this is that she runs away from her life in the city to the country to get away from the husband who she married and had children with. The husband who is head-over-heels in love with her, and by all means, dumb as bricks too. She brings her children with her to her husband's old country home and finds out it has been used by a pirate. When she finds out about the pirate, she commits her life to this pirate and forgets about her husband. HOW THE FUCK do you do that? Even if you didn't want to have children, woman, you have them and you have to commit to this relationship and the fact you are a mother to them. Nope. Dona does not give a fuck, and so that was the problem with her throughout the whole book. The pirate did not deserve her, and I think he realized that in the end. She would always be this married woman with children. He would always be the pirate who wasn't tied down.
Maybe if the husband was an awful shit, and she didn't have children, and there was more danger than his friends... maybe I'd want her to be with the pirate. But no, not this woman and especially not the circumstances of this book.
So, yeah. That's why it's a three star read. It's not bad, but that woman just brought it down two stars for me.
That Frenchman. If there was a gorgeous rogue, a man that was in all purposes bad (a pirate!), I think I found the man I'd run away with. I say this because he was perhaps one of my favorite pirates ever written. He is handsome, he is a shit, he is a thinker, he cares about his crew, he draws (birds!), and he can say the most prettiest thing... meanwhile, he steals ships, robs rich folk of their stuff and gives to the needy.
But the girl. Dona. She does not deserve him. She is the most self-centered, annoying woman. The reason I say this is that she runs away from her life in the city to the country to get away from the husband who she married and had children with. The husband who is head-over-heels in love with her, and by all means, dumb as bricks too. She brings her children with her to her husband's old country home and finds out it has been used by a pirate. When she finds out about the pirate, she commits her life to this pirate and forgets about her husband. HOW THE FUCK do you do that? Even if you didn't want to have children, woman, you have them and you have to commit to this relationship and the fact you are a mother to them. Nope. Dona does not give a fuck, and so that was the problem with her throughout the whole book. The pirate did not deserve her, and I think he realized that in the end. She would always be this married woman with children. He would always be the pirate who wasn't tied down.
Maybe if the husband was an awful shit, and she didn't have children, and there was more danger than his friends... maybe I'd want her to be with the pirate. But no, not this woman and especially not the circumstances of this book.
So, yeah. That's why it's a three star read. It's not bad, but that woman just brought it down two stars for me.
jetpackbingo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kateolivia's review against another edition
4.0
once i know pirates are involved i’m always sold. 10/10 for escapism.
hollyberry_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Racial slurs and Rape
ktfytz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was so pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It was fun, and sexy, and at times very camp and silly. However, the love affair and the action packed plot reel you in in such a wonderful way. I had a blast reading and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and quick read. The book also has lots to say about otherness, sexuality, and motherhood, and I would definitely read again to think about these a bit more.
danyaaladil17's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
cjones16's review against another edition
4.0
I will never get over how beautiful du Maurier's writing is. The story was so romantic while also being super thrilling and feminist (woo!!). I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5, simply because it didn't leave me in pieces on the floor like Rebecca, but it is such a well crafted tale.
catburglar_'s review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
frenchman’s PEAK more like.
what a cute romance! honestly it’s rare for me to ever care or ship (haha get it) people but i loved these 2. i like how different it is as dona, our heroine is already married with 2 kids and is unsatisfied with her monotonous daily routine and of life overall as she craves freedom whereas the male love interest, a pirate, has all the freedom one can have.
this book is fast paced, surprisingly but incredibly funny, great escapism, very adventurous, lovely writing and overall an amazing romance! the characters are good too especially william and even rockingham and godolphin who are so dislikable that you kind of like them. i loved dona as a character so much. she’s incredibly fast thinking and a complete joy to read about.
spoiler: i’m indifferent to the ending. i understand that she feels that her duty lies with her children (more specifically james as she seems to give 0 fucks about henrietta) so she decides to stay and imagines herself telling her grandkids the story of the pirate she fell in love with. i get it, and it feels realistic in that sense but it just made me feel very sad. there’s a lot of sexism of women not being able to do things that men can and dona gets the most joy whenever she’s dressed as the cabin-boy persona so i kind of wished that it stayed that way and she felt that kind of freedom and that instead, the pirate could settle down at some point with her. i don’t know how to describe exactly what’s bothering me. i think it just makes the whole adventure and the risks they took kind of not worth it if dona will live like how she did at the start. i was silently hoping she’d just..take james? and raise him on the ship somehow? or leave him with william someplace in france?