A review by stacyrenee
If the Tide Turns by Rachel Rueckert

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Adult
Historical fiction
w/ romance

Set during the Golden Age of Pirates and the end of the Salem Witch Trials. 

Maria (Muh-rye-uh) Brown  decided to learn to swim before being sentenced to marriage to an older man that her father has chosen for her but she quickly falls for the young man named Sam Bellamy that teaches her to swim. 
Sam Bellamy decided to sail off to make his fortune in scavenging for the crown but quickly falls into pirating where, as history tells, made him the richest pirate in history. 

Interchanging POVs detail Black Sam Bellamy’s pirating and Maria’s hardships. 

Happy ending! 

I flew through this! It’s well-written, intriguing, and is more history and action / adventure than romance, which is my jam. I also loved that it is based on the real pirate, Black Sam Bellamy! 

This is the author’s debut novel.