The Legend of Gasparilla

by S.T. Fernandez

Bridgerton meets Pirates of the Caribbean in a story many argue is not a myth but a legend.

Admiral José Gaspar of the Spanish Royal Navy had it all: the love of his life, Joséfa de Mayorga; the confidence of the King; and a plan to become one of the most successful merchants in all of Spain. But when a jilted former lover accuses him of stealing the crown jewels, he escapes Sevilla only to realize he’s duped into piracy, further staining his legacy. Gaspar continues down an immoral path he works relentlessly to resist. The dream life he yearned for with Joséfa slowly slips away, his reputation far too ruined to be worthy of her honor.

After having her beloved ripped from her life, Joséfa and Gaspar’s friends work tirelessly to clear his name to no avail. When fate finally hands her a chance, she sets sail to find José, but fate is both friend and foe. Joséfa discovers the man she lost is different from the viscous pirate she rescues from certain death.

When infamous pirate hunter Lieutenant Kearny of the USS Enterprise sets his sights on the new pirate, Gaspar must decide between a dark and perilous addiction to piracy or living a subdued life in the shadows. His darker inhibitions may take his soul hostage, and Joséfa’s love may not be enough to save him.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Historical, Pirates, Historical Romance

322 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

S.T. Fernandez (a.k.a. Stephanie) is a Latinx, award-winning author originally from Orlando, Florida. She now lives in the charming beach town of Ventura, California, with her husband and their two spirited wiener dogs.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Saint Leo University and has been a lifelong fan of romantic fiction, particularly fantasy and paranormal romance. As a proud BookFest Award winner, she crafts immersive stories that transport readers to vivid, emotional worlds filled with magic, passion, and heart.

When she’s not writing or marketing like a mad woman, you’ll likely find her on the patio soaking up the California sun, a glass of red wine in one hand and a book in the other—probably one with a swoon-worthy shadow daddy and a strong, unforgettable heroine.

Reviews

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean will absolutely love this reimagining inspired by a legend! 🥰 it has all the sea and pirate life vibes put together with a pinch of Bridgerton!

My favorite aspect of the story was that Jose Gaspar is an anti-hero. Starting as an Admiral for the Royal navy but due to a terrible betrayal, he turns to the life of pirating. He is conflicted about ruining his reputation, he has morals but now feels betrayed by them. As he starts living the pirate life he sees that there is more to it than meets the eye. He is also constantly in fear of losing his long time love, Joséfa, who might not want him now that he’s a pirate. Fans of slow burn romance will adore these two, it’s really true love!🥰

The story is very action packed, not so spicy so good for those who want a more plot focused historical romance full of political intrigue!

Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy for review

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did get Pirates of the Caribbean vibes and was all for it! I feel like this was a completely different story than I’m use to reading in a good way!

I received this ARC for an honest review, all thoughts/opinions above are my own!

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay as someone who grew up in the FL panhandle, I’ve always been so curious about the Tampa Bay Area Gasparilla. I really enjoyed reading this fun backstory on the lore! This book is FULL of action, adventure, and a deliciously slow burn romance that def pays off 😍 I really enjoy pirate stories, but I’d only previously read purely fantasy pirate stories. So this historical take on a pirate lore story was really fun! Also the book is gorgeous…the interior formatting is STUNNING 😱 def recommend picking up a copy!

Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Tati Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh this book, where to even begin? I didn't know I needed a Pirates of the Caribbean
meets Bridgerton book, but here we are and I'm obsessed.

Gaspar and Joséfa are everything. The yearning in this book is top tier. I love the journey both characters go on as a couple, but also individually. I loved watching their growth.

The writing of this book was so good and easy to understand. I'm excited to read more from this author!

[Ve (ve_xo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so fun! I love Pirates of the Caribbean and although I havent watched Bridgerton, I could see how the two have mixed into one in this title. Perfect for lovers of historical romance, childhood friends to lovers, and adventure.

Filled with Pirate lore and details on a location in Florida this was super intriguing. I loved the dynamic between the two. This was plot driven but I loved seeing Josefa and Gaspar grow and become more obsessed with each other. The romance was definitely enticing, deserves a chef's kiss!

The world definitely reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean with a romantic twist, it was beautifully woven. The plot was action packed and filled with twists and turns. So glad I got to review this one! Huge thanks to the author for sending me a copy.

All opinions are my own.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I receieved this as an eARC for my honest review:

Rounding up but a solid 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and was hooked right at the start. This gave me all the piracy vibes it promised and if you're looking for a historical romance type vibe this is for you. I really enjoyed the Spanish words sprinkled in and how it was formatted in the book. This book also made my middle schooler pirate obsessed heart happy ad it made me google Gasparilla, only to find out that he's an actual myth/legend. I love that the author pulled inspiration from that. Overall I would read again and have pre ordered the physical copy.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book enticed me with the promise of pirates meets Bridgerton - and I suppose in some ways that sort of sells it, but for a regency fan, this really isn’t very recognisable. There are a few scenes at the start that sort of fit that era, but it’s clear that the author isn’t a regency expert - and there’s definitely a lot more pirates than ballrooms, which, to be fair, I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the frequent insertion of Spanish words and phrases in the dialogue - this was done well, in my opinion. The plot was also engaging and the characters largely likeable, if not especially complex. The pace worked for me and the action description was mostly good, although I felt the scene where José confronts Rodgers could have been more detailed and a bit longer, given that it was the climax of that part of the story.

However, a major issue I had with this book is the number of grammatical mistakes. It took me a very long time to read this book because I wanted to give a thorough review and my goodness, there were a LOT of errors to note. Almost every other page. There is lots of awkward phrasing and odd word order in sentences; it gives me the impression that the author is perhaps not a native English speaker. The whole book could do with a thorough editing - I have messaged the author and given suggestions for remedying most of the issues I picked up on. The other thing that struck me was the stilted way in which the characters speak; it’s far too formal or descriptive to pass for natural speech in several instances; eg ““If I had to spend months upon months with the despicable captain, I might hang myself from the trees” (p252). This may well be the way José feels, but he’d be unlikely to describe the captain in this way when speaking casually with a friend - more likely he’d refer to “that bastard” or maybe “that despicable man” if he’s being very proper.

The first chapter is confusing as to who is being written about; we don’t know the characters yet and they’re not really introduced but both are male so it’s not always clear to the reader who is being referred to or who is speaking. I had to reread this part at least twice and still wasn’t sure I was following. For example, the awkward/confusing phrasing on P6 “Their secluded rancho welcomed only those who were his companions—the very same man who shared the face of the young man before him. The sight of the light olive skin, the dark brown hair, and a chiseled jaw just shy of shedding off the fat of his youth gave Lawrence chills.”

Another issue that made the beginning of the book difficult to read was that there are a lot of POVs introduced very quickly; by chapter 4 we’re onto our 3rd POV. This does slow down considerably; we pretty much only hear from José and Joséfa for most of the rest of the book - but I do question why Kearney was given a POV at all?

The steamy scenes were a bit unexpected from my perspective, because the story is supposedly being told by José Gaspar to his son. Would it not be weird to describe in detail your sexual exploits with his mother to your own son? It seemed bizarre to me! I get why the author wanted to include those scenes - and they fit within the context of the story at the time, but not when you’re saying it’s being relayed by a father to a teenage boy. Perhaps this element of the book ought to be rethought?

The final scene in modern-day Tampa felt pretty unnecessary to me - and I have to say I didn’t particularly enjoy the last scene of José’s story either, with him as an old man. For me, they detracted from the main story and didn’t really flow very well. It sort of felt like there were about 4 endings to this book! After reading the author’s notes, I get why she included the modern-day element because that was her way into the Gasparilla legend, but personally, I wouldn’t have. It doesn’t add to the story in a meaningful way in my opinion.

Overall I enjoyed the tales of pirate exploits and following José Gaspar’s story, which I had not heard of before - but I couldn’t realistically recommend this book to someone else without knowing it had been proofread! I’ve no idea how it got past any other readers in this form, to be honest! The story has promise but the writing needs work.

Thank you to BookSirens and the author for an eARC of this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and rrbooktours for the earc copy in return for an honest review.

As we know, I am deep into pirate romance, but this one is also historical fiction! Before I dove head first into bookstagram all I read was nonfiction and Historical Fiction. So it was nice to experience an old flame of a genre.

This was such a good time, and it made me so happy to read. The book is formatted by having the main character, Jose Gaspar, telling his son the story of his legend. I loved how this was set up reminding me of the princess bride. The romance reminded me so much of Westley and Buttercup. Gaspar embodied the "As you wish" vibe. This book has been compared to Pirates of the Carribean and Brigerton, and I think that's pretty spot on with the time period! You get all the regency manners but with a hint of debauchery of the pirate life, and it was balanced so nicely.

I was enthralled in Gaspars tale and the lengths his love would go to find him again! It was so sweet and romantic with mild spice. The tale of how he was betrayed just kept getting juicier as we peeled back more and more layers. We even get a bit of a found family as Gaspar is forced into a life of piracy, and I enjoyed all the character chemistry! Gaspars character development was so well done as we get the insight to his internal struggle with doing what he must to survive and keeping his morals in place from his days as an admiral. He is such a gem as a charachter, and I couldn't get enough. But let's not forget about insightful Rodrigo and fierce Joesfa! All the characters were east to fall in live with.

Lastly, the historical elements added were really interesting, leading me to do research on the true individuals. I love it when a book sparks your curiosity. But be warned the ending had me tear up as we jump forward in time it was such a good way to end his tale!

[Resh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first pirate book and I really enjoyed the plot, the adventures and the characters. I also love historical fiction and the blend of history with legends and romance was very interesting. I’m also a lover of dances and courtship and really enjoyed all the lovely details of them. Another minor perk I loved is the short chapters. I get distracted if the chapters are too long so the short and fast paced chapters were an easy read. I never knew about Gaspar and how there’s an actual story surrounding Tampa Bay which is so cool to know.

The story starts fast paced but slows down after 3/4 of the book which I wish was more eventful. I also wish there was more introduction to the characters initially which could have helped me to connect with them more. But overall I enjoyed reading this pirate romance and am excited to see what the author has in stock for the future.

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

[Amanda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical romance featuring Pirates. It takes place in the 1800s in FL. We follow Jose Gaspar as he falls from grace by no fault of his own and is literally forced into piracy. This is a tale of long suffering, true love, adventure, found family and a surprising amount of spicy spice. I enjoyed the story. At times the writing did seem to drag and felt a little disjointed, but overall it didn't stop me from enjoying The Legend of Gasparilla. 3.75 star read for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Can Dragons Read? · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just really really love pirate stories. A combination of Pirates of The Caribbean and Bridgerton immediately piqued my interest and I fell in love with this story. Gaspar and Joséfa made a lovely couple and I loved their character arcs as the story progressed. I also loved that this was more plot driven and full of political intrigue rather than spice.

[Sabine Arsitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a creative and interesting take on a historic tale. I really loved the themes, and honestly.... crossing pirates of the carribbean and bridgerton really topped it off for me. This story was fantastic.

I'd definitely recommend this for adventure lovers and romance lovers. Gasper and Josefa were a whole vibe.

Thank you so much for the copy in exchange for an honest review ☺️

[Brooke Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A devastating historical romance. I was not prepared for how touching this love story was. When I think of pirates, this is not at all what I had in mind and it was delightful! Shocking twists and turns with a slow-burn romance. What a lovely story!

[Liv Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one knows yearning the way Jośe Gaspar does.

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️ (5/5 Stars)
S.T. Fernandez’s historical fiction romance, The Legend of Gasparilla, was an exciting adventure. Especially being the first pirate book I've read. I found myself hooked from page one and couldn't put it down. It made me laugh out loud, blush, and cry. I even wanted to make a few characters walk the plank. I adored this story of triumphant love and unending devotion. I was lucky to have been selected as a member of the street team for this book so I received an ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. However, it will be released on November 7th and you can pre-order it now on Amazon.

[DarkStar's Book Cavern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new novel, and the author describes it as being “where Bridgerton meets Pirates of the Caribbean”. This story revolves around the legend of Jose Gaspar – a notorious Spanish pirate who terrorised the seas – mainly around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. I received this ARC copy for free, I’m not sponsored, and I’m not paid and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

The first chapter sets everything up really nicely. We begin with the POV of Lieutenant Lawrence Kearny, Captain of the USS Enterprise and notorious and feared pirate hunter. He is a practical bloodhound, and he can no longer ignore a niggling thought that all is not how it would seem. He believed that he had finally sent Jose Gaspar to the depths of the ocean decades previously but can’t shake the thought that there might be something amiss with that, even though he saw it with his own eyes. There have been recent pirate raids bearing Gaspar’s mark and too many similarities. So, he shows up at Gaspar’s widows, Josefa’s house on the pirate island Gasparilla to find out once and for all. What he finds there leads to his demise at Jose’s hands. All in the first chapter! The story goes on as Jose’s eldest son – Ivan – believes that it is time that he be told his father’s history in all it’s glory and can the stories really be true? Gaspar starts regaling the tale to his son, beginning with when he was an Admiral in Sevilla, Spain 1783 some 33 years previous, when he was a highly regarded consultant to the King.

This story begins with a bold move from the author whereby it begins with the end. So all elements of tension on behalf of the reader is gone, you already know the main characters don’t die and have their happy ending in the first chapter. This means that the main story must be strong enough to hold everything up on its’ own and at the beginning it does. The characters are set up strongly and the intrigue is reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo. You have Gaspar, the young gentleman who has a blossoming naval career ahead of him and the love of his life consenting to marry him. A band of friends who are more like brothers. Add into this mix a jilted lover who is merciless and a man whose goal is to bring him down and you have a fantastic Part 1 for the set up. However, it tends to lose itself around the middle of Part 2. There is a glaring continuity error. Jose finds out that the captain of the ship he has escaped on is none other than the fearsome pirate, Captain Rodgers. He finds this out after two weeks at sea but when it switches back to Josefa’s POV they already know that that is who they need to get Jose back from. How they know this is unexplained.

I liked the internal struggle that Gaspar wrestles with, especially at the beginning between having to choose between his morals and his need to survive in his new setting. I’m a fan of Bridgerton and the love/longing scenes between Jose and Josefa are beautifully written but the pirate aspect leaves something to be desired. For a story that is based on a notorious scourge of the seas the piracy scenes are wishy-washy at best. The action is skipped over, and you get pages of build up and then the actual scenes of Jose being a pirate is skipped over and we get pages of the aftermath. I wanted a swashbuckling pirate legend and instead got a tormented Edward Cullen on the high seas. Battles were skipped, there were unnecessary time jumps when what we needed was more time with Gaspar as a pirate Captain. More piracy deeds on the sea to earn the legend that the character is based on. The antagonists were set up and then too swiftly despatched or glossed over, without having the satisfaction of the Gaspar vs. Rodgers & Kearny build up, battles barely escaped, and the intrigue was missing. Kearny especially was disappointing. In the first chapter he is described as a fearsome pirate hunter and the scenes he is in after that are boring and for the main antagonist that is the worst. Events in the last two parts feel incredibly rushed and even the ending, that we are teased with at the very beginning, the ultimate showdown between Gaspar and Kearny feels like it only lasted 30 seconds if that. It started so strong and had so much potential but ultimately, I was left wanting more.

More detailed review here: https://youtu.be/bi2JA0QMMkQ

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw that this was a historical romance and contained pirates I was sold. I was hooked by Fernandez's writing style straight away, it was such beautiful prose. I love how the story is set up in the present with Gaspar presumed dead for twenty years, and how José and Joséfa tell their story and lead us back to the present. As someone who has studied spanish I also really enjoyed how much spanish there was throughout the book.

If you like history, romance and dashing pirates, you will love this book!
An exciting debut.


I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Hayley Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Let them watch my Queen unravel for her King."

Okay ... so I never thought I would have a thing for pirates, but damn, I guess I do now!

I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it so fast.

The story was so so so good and I loved it from the beginning until the end.

I actually loved all of the characters and I really liked how the story was the MMC retelling his history to his son. It definitely fit the pirate theme.

Josefa is so bad ass and she was my favourite character!

You get:
• Banishment
• Forced Into Piracy
• It's Always Been You
• Dark Secrets
• Don't Trust Anyone
• Spicy
• Pirate Romance

I highly suggest you pick this one up! Available through KU, ebook, and paperback!

[destiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.


This book was a lot better than I had set my expectations on. It felt like we were thrown straight in with action and the two timelines was a really good plot device move the story along. I love anything with good non-stereotypical Hispanic representation so that was another lovely aspect. I just wish the supporting characters were less 2D and more fleshed out. I think it would have been really amazing to understand why the baddies were baddies and what motivated them other than being a baddie.

[Britt 🐺 · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO PROUD OF MY FRIEND FOR WRITING AND RELEASING HER DEBUT BOOK! GO READ IT PLS!

As someone who lived in the Tampa Bay throughout college and a few years after, I enjoyed seeing one of our traditions come to life in the form of a book character.

If you’re familiar with the Tampa Bay region then you may have heard of the yearly pirate festival - Gasparilla. It’s like pirate-coded Mardi Gras that was inspired by pirate Jose Gaspar.

In TLOG, we get a story about Jose Gaspar and how he became the man who lives on in the form of Gasparilla every year. I loved reading the historical elements and know how much research was done to portray the time period and history of Tampa Bay.

We get pirates, action, twists & turns, romance, steam, angst and so much more. I was so lucky to play a role in the editing, formatting and development of this book and could not be more proud of S.T.

[Sou]

I DNF’ed this book at 60%
The blurb said it was a Pirates Of The Caribbean meets Bridgerton, and for someone who loves both of those ‘genres’ and grew up reading and falling in love with every character from The Malory-Anderson series, I was intrigued.
This was honestly a disappointment. I felt the story dragged on. Maybe if the story was shorter, I would have enjoyed it more, but from what I read I don’t feel the blurb is true to the plot.
There are very few Regency scenes and many more ‘pirate’ scenes with no actual action or life to the plot.
I am really sad about this because I honestly really wanted to like it.
The chapters are really short, and I wanted to close the book at about 30% but I tried to push through, until I couldn’t anymore.

[Tracey Magruder · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who lived in the Tampa Bay area for over ten years I was really excited when I saw the title of this book. José Gaspar is a very large part of the culture of Tampa where every year they host parades and other activities that are themed around his tale. No one knows for sure if he actually existed but his influence was felt throughout much of my time in Tampa.

The book, The Legend of Gasparilla by S.T. Fernandez, is a romantic interpretation of the life of José Gaspar and his true love Joséfa. It is described as Bridgerton meets Pirates of the Caribbean, and that is a very fitting description. Overall I liked the book, but I didn’t instantly fall in love with it and I am still struggling to figure out why that happened. The version of José Gaspar in this book is the perfect combination of pirate and gentleman, and his love for Joséfa is everything you want in a romance novel. Yet, something still didn’t click for me.

Things I loved about this book:
The familiarity of the legend of José Gaspar
The yearning between José and Joséfa when they are forced apart
Joséfa’s eventual acceptance that José is a changed man
The way José clings to certain aspects of his morality, especially when it pertains to women
The pacing - great for people like me who say to themselves “just one more chapter”

Things I wasn’t crazy about:
The villains of the story were a bit two dimensional for my taste and I never truly understood their actions
I would have liked to see a bit more of José and Joséfa before he is forced into piracy
I also would have liked to see more of José personal journey and changes over the years that are skipped in the book

In my overall assessment I can honestly say there was a lot I liked about the book. José, Joséfa and their family are all incredibly interesting and likable characters. The chemistry between José and Joséfa is also amazingly well written, and when they are finally able to give into their passion it is so incredibly satisfying.

Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I gave this book 3.5 out 5 stars and would definitely recommend it to any Bridgerton fan. Check it out and as they say in Tampa, “Hoist the sails and fire the cannons!”

[Ginger Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of getting an ARC paperback copy of this book, and I'm so happy I did! This is one of my favorite books I've read this year!

This book is a historical pirate romance, but with a twist- the pirate doesn't want to be a pirate.
The MMC José Gaspar is an honorable man and admiral in the Spanish Navy. He has built his career fighting and stopping pirates. And while he has had the attention and desires of many women, he only has eyes for Joséfa. This becomes a problem when a woman he made the mistake of giving attention to one night becomes scorned when she sees José and Joséfa together. This jealous woman and one of his rivals come up with a plan to accuse him of stealing from the king.

José is arrested and has no choice but to go on the run, and realizes too late that the ship he was led to was a pirate ship, run by one of the most dangerous and unhinged pirate captains there is. José is faced with a choice, join the crew or die.

Years pass while Joséfa and José's friends work to clear his name. But while Joséfa has remained pure, José has been forced to transform into the very thing he despised. And José is VERY good at being a pirate. When they finally find themselves together again, Joséfa discovers the man she's longed for has changed - he's no longer the José she fell in love with. To make matters worse, a new pirate hunter has set his sights on José, and Joséfa.

This story is action packed and exciting. You get to see José's transformation from hero to villain, all the while rooting for Joséfa to find him and save him from himself. The spice is a slow burn build up and so good once it finally happens! Also, the paperback version is GORGIOUS! I'm usually pretty neutral about the format of ARCS and books in general, but this is one that the paperback is for sure the way to go. This is a book I will want to read again.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of historical romance and I wanted to read this one. I love the map and note in the front of the book also:) I also really liked the illustrated edges on this book.
So I am a huge fan of pirate romances, and this one is about a man named Jose who is an admiral in the Spanish Royal navy. He is very close to the king as a kind of advisor and helper to him. However, one night a vengeful woman points him out to the king as a traitor. He must leave the country and his dear woman that he loves Josefa.
Josefa is a woman of virtue and she does catch the eye of Jose, surprisingly to everyone in the city. However, she does loose Jose after he is branded a traitor, he must leave on the next ship out of the country. And it's up to Josefa and Jose's friends to clear his name and bring him back home. But does Jose really want to come back home?
The writing was engaging and well done by the author. There is action and also mystery in this book. We also have some Spanish interwoven into the story which makes perfect sense with the characters and the setting. The author really went into the story and the world building of these characters and Sevilla.
And I love that Jose is an honorable man while away from Josefa. That makes me love him more as the MMC. I can't say that I was surprised about the ending of the book really and what happened with Captain Rodgers.
I really liked the story of Jose Gaspar and how he is a real person in history. The author did a great job taking a bad version of the story and making it into her very own story along with her very own Jose Gaspar:)
I highly recommend this book to historical romance fans and there are no spoilers, READ the book!

[theromantasybookcorner._ · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏴‍☠️🌹𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞•𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪🌹🏴‍☠️

🏴‍☠️𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙴𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝙵 𝙶𝙰𝚂𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙰 𝙱𝚈 𝚂.𝚃. 𝙵𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚉
🏴‍☠️𝙷𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴
🏴‍☠️𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ || 𝟻

Thank you so much to ST Fernandez for my gifted physical copy of The Legend of Gasparilla! I absolutely loved this read and am so honored to have been apart of the ARC team for S.T. Fernandez’s debut novel!

When I read that this book was a mix between Pirates of the Caribbean and Bridgerton, I knew I needed to read it! It was such a fast paced and exciting read and I loved everything about it.

The lore, folklore, and the world building were extremely interesting to me and I loved all the historical references throughout the story. Josè and Josèfa are amazing and I love their chemistry so much. I love that she never gave up on him, and I love how strong their love and connection to each other is, despite everything they went through.

This was so excited and action packed and I loved every word of it! The plot was really unique and I loved the development the characters went through. Seeing Josè’s character change throughout the story was so interesting to me and I thought the author did an amazing job of showing how his morals change as he becomes the very thing he fought and stopped in the beginning of the book.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of pirates and historical romance! It was unique, and full of twists and turns and had the perfect blend of plot, action, and romance.

🌹𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄🌹
✨Morally Gray Characters
✨Pirates
✨Missing Treasure
✨Steamy Historical Romance
✨Best Friend’s Little Sister
✨Slow Burn Romance
✨Action and Adventure
✨Based on Tampa Folklore

✽★༻༺*✽*༻༺★✽

[Casey Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided a copy of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was advertised as Bridgerton meets Pirates of the Caribbean, so naturally I jumped at the chance to read it, and can happily confirm that it very much gives those vibes.

This is a tale of a love that can endure, of adventure and treachery on the sea, and the legacy of a legend that will transcend time.

I really love the story within a story concept, and this is a GOOD one.

“I will not be a pirate.”

At the start of our tale, Gaspar is most determined not to give himself over to a life of piracy, in spite of the circumstances he’s been thrust into. He is an honorable man with morals, and everything he knows about this life makes him certain it isn’t one he wants. He longs for one thing alone: to return to his fiancée Josefa and begin their lives together. Time and the sea open his eyes to things he never imagined he’d learn, but throughout it all, the thought of his beloved is his driving force.

Meanwhile Josefa, likewise very much in love, sets out to do anything within her power to clear the name of the man she loves and bring him home to her. These two share something that no amount of time or distance can sever, and are determined to make it back to one another, no matter what it may cost them, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

The romance is certainly there, as you’ll come to learn that every choice that these two make alone is with the other in mind— but more than that we get all the action-packed and treacherous high seas adventure that birthed the legend and how it is passed throughout time.

Thank you to R&R Book Tours and the author for the stunning gifted copy of this epic and fun tale full of fun historical pirate lore!

[Maria Elena | pagesofmaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice: 3 peppers

The pirates I've met in fiction before were always people who had embraced their lives, no matter the circumstances that had brought them to it. But what happens when a person—a good person, with a good life—is framed for a crime they did not commit and are thrust begrudgingly into the pirate life?

The Legend of Gasparilla has this sort of premise, and we follow José Gaspar as he loses everything he has and desperately tries not to give into the life of a pirate.
And parallel to his misadventures on the high seas we also see his beloved Joséfina's efforts to clear his name and return him to his home and country so they may finally be married.

This book is adventurous and intriguing, with some great characters and family/friendship ties. The character I especially loved was Joséfina. She reminds me of Elena in The Mask of Zorro in a way. Determined, intelligent, beautiful. The romance also has an important role in the story, seeing the strong bond between José and Joséfina and the lengths they are willing to go for each other. I would have liked to see a little more of their relationship before the whole drama started. I feel it would have added to the urgency of wanting to see the two reunited.

This book is pitched as Bridgerton x Pirates of the Caribbean and the description couldn't be more perfect!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.

[im.booked.on.a.feeling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much @stfernandez and @rrbooktours for the gifted copy of The Legend of Gasparilla! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As soon as I saw the summary for The Legend of Gasparilla, I knew I had to read it. How could I not immediately request a copy of a novel that combines historical romance, pirates, and the glittering balls of the peerage?!?!

The book follows tenacious MMC Admiral José Gaspar as he is unfairly removed from his position in the Spanish Navy and is forced into a life of piracy. I really felt for José as he attempted again and again to hold onto his sense of self, while at the same time, tried to stay alive in the cutthroat world of the high seas. His chapters were full of adventure and kept the pages turning late into the night.

If you’re a romance fan, you’ll find a lot of sweet moments to capture your heart. Although José and Joséfa (his fiancée) are separated for part of the novel by both distance and time, they never give up on their goal of reuniting. I adored the tender moments these two shared after years apart. Their chemistry was palpable and the spicy scenes are 🔥!

On a final note, S. T. Fernandez was inspired to write the story of José Gaspar based on an actual pirate legend of the same name! How cool is that?!?!

In the pages, you will find:

🏴‍☠️ Pirates
❤️ Romance
💎 Stolen jewels
🤫 Secrtes
⚔️ Sword fights
👑 Royalty
👗 Balls
🏝️ Tropical islands
🔥 Spice
💰Treasure

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/ 5

4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5!

[Stephanie Rhamstine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Legend of Gasparilla" is a captivating tale that masterfully blends the intrigue and romance of "Bridgerton" with the swashbuckling adventure of "Pirates of the Caribbean." This novel follows Admiral José Gaspar, a man of honor and ambition in the Spanish Royal Navy, whose life takes a dramatic turn when falsely accused of a crime. His journey from respected admiral to reluctant pirate is both thrilling and heart-wrenching.

José's love story with Joséfa de Mayorga is the cornerstone of the narrative. Their romance is beautifully portrayed, adding a profound emotional depth to the story. José, as the anti-hero, is a complex character whose internal struggle between his noble origins and the pirate life he's been thrust into makes for a gripping read.

The author skillfully weaves a tale of betrayal, redemption, and the power of love. The high-seas adventures are exhilarating, filled with battles and treachery, yet it's the character development and emotional undercurrents that truly make this book stand out. Joséfa's unwavering determination to clear José's name adds a compelling layer to the story, making their reunion and the transformation of José all the more powerful.

Overall, "The Legend of Gasparilla" is an enthralling read, offering a perfect blend of romance, adventure, and moral complexity. It's a book that you won't want to put down, deserving a resounding 5 stars for its unique storyline, engaging characters, and the sheer enjoyment it delivers.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars
2/5 spice

Regency era pirate romance with Spanish characters. I really enjoyed this one.

Tropes:
Pirate romance
Childhood friends to lovers
Morally rigid turned Morally grey MMC
Progressive FMC
Secrecy and action
Betrayal
Found family
Spanish endearments
Multiple POVs

Fast-paced and full of secrecy, action, and passion. I really admired how the author played with the moral dilemma of piracy. José was very nobel and had a very strong sense of right and wrong in the beginning of the story. For him, everything was black and white. But once he was throat into the life of a pirate, you see how he changes and his morals become more grey. I love how the author showed us that pirates aren't inherently evil and worthless and that the crown and nobility aren't inherently good and moral. It's a wonderful dichotomy.

As for the romance, I enjoyed seeing Josefa and José fight so ardently for their future. Even though he was stuck in piracy for years, she never gave up. They never lost the love they had for each other, and he remained loyal to her despite so much temptation.

Overall, this was a fun read with a lot of great moments. Highly recommend for fans of pirate romance and friends to lovers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.