Review: Romance on the High Seas Box Set

As a kid, I loved the old pirate movies on TV. Movies like Captain Blood with Errol Flynn, The Black Swan with Tyrone Power, and so many others.

I was thrilled when Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise became a huge hit. Now I’ve discovered a new romance genre to read: pirate romance.

If you like romances with swashbuckling heroes and saucy heroines, matey, hie thee to Amazon and purchase Romance on the High Seas.

In The Pirate's Debt by Katherine Bone, Basil Halford seeks redemption for the sins of his father. At odds with the law and honorable men, he owes a favor to the man who “rescued” him. He takes on the quest to find and return a young runaway, but the runaway turns out to be a young woman with an over-developed imagination who fancies herself in love with Basil. In seeking redemption, the reader is gratified that Basil finds more than he knew he wanted.

Dead Man's Kiss by Jennifer Bray-Weber opens with an explosive bar fight. Valeryn, captain of the Rissa, ends up in jail, his ship seized, and a threatened death sentence. Offered a deal, he agrees to escort Catalina, the alcalde’s niece, to a remote island and bring her back safely. Catalina is more than he bargained for. The two together generate enough heat to make the Caribbean boil! This book has lots of action, and it’s well-plotted with believable characters and emotional depth.

The Black Morass by Barbara Devlin is a quest for redemption. Captain Jean Marc Cavalier rescues Maddie, a shipwreck survivor, who proceeds to complicate his life, arousing his desire along with his long-buried conscience. A nice “woman in jeopardy” mystery rounds out this tale.

Pirate Heiress by Chloe Flowers is about a treasure hunt inspired by a letter from the famous Irish woman pirate Anne Bonny. A family thinks to recover their losses with Anne Bonny’s treasure, but they need a ship--Conal O’Brien’s ship. Stevie, a would-be lady pirate, takes Conal hostage. They set sail for Jamaica on a voyage fraught with disasters, not the least of which is the desire that rises between Conal and Stevie. Likable secondary characters nicely round out the story.

My Lady Pirate by Danelle Harmon features Maeve, a pirate queen, who sees visions. Her latest one kicks off an adventure that turns her life upside down. Maeve doesn’t believe in love nor does she trust it, but that doesn’t stop her from falling for a pirate named Gray–except he’s not really a pirate but an admiral in the British Navy. Maeve and Gray have to figure out if love is enough to overcome their differences.

Captivated by the Captain by Amanda Mariel has Prudence, victim of pirates, and Jasper, a pirate captain, in forced companionship. She hates pirates because they killed those she loved, but Jasper isn’t your average pirate. He has scruples, and Prudence tests them all. If you like “lovers from two different worlds,” you’ll enjoy this.

Carried Away by Kamery Solomon has time travel as part of the story. Throw in some of history’s most compelling conspiracy theories, and you have a a nice mashup of speculative fiction and pirate romance. It’s not immediately apparent that this is Tristan and Samantha’s romance because this is part of a series. It tries to tie this to past books and also foreshadow the next book. You may have a quibble with the ending because there's not a solid romantic ending with the heroine and hero, but a hook ending for the next book.

Takeaway Truth

All in all, this is a satisfying romance box set that should appeal to those who love Regency romance and the Master and Commander set of books from that same era.

So grab it, me hearties, for some weekend reading fun.