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Rears & Vices
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26
Black Sails
and Hamilton meet in this queer, poly, spicy Historical Romance set during the 19th century Age of Revolution, when pirates briefly reclaimed the Gulf and Caribbean seas and provided crucial support toward anti-colonial nation-states.
Perfect for fans of K.J. Charles, Cat Sebastian, and Courtney Milan!
HE THOUGHT HE’D BE A HERO BY NOW—AND THAT IT WOULD MEAN SOMETHING.
It’s 1816. The wars with France and America are over. Royal Navy career man Everard Anderson de Anglada sails the peacetime Great Lakes, demoted to captain of a tiny ten-gun schooner. When Preston D’Arcy, Everard’s former lieutenant and too-handsome ex-flame, forewarns him about a court-martial they must judge, Everard is begrudgingly grateful.
HE’S RADICAL, RESPECTED, UNFORGETTABLE—AND A PIRATE.
On the docket, however, is Vitaliy “Vitya” Gray, infamous pirate captain and anti-colonial weapons smuggler. Everard has crossed paths with him before—not strictly as enemies.
TOGETHER, THEY COULD BE LEGENDARY…
After a hasty jailbreak, philosophical debates, and proposals—pirate marriage, no strings—Everard finds himself, his heart, and even D’Arcy commandeered: to the Gulf of México. There, piracy is nothing like he imagined, and Vitya is everything Everard ever truly wished to be.
…SO LONG AS LEGEND DOESN’T GET IN THE WAY OF LOVE.
The Spanish crown looms. Dangerous secrets and betrayals come to light. Then Everard is offered a position with the revolutionary Galveston navy. Everard must decide: fulfill his desire for legacy… or stay beside the men with whom he’s fallen in love and make a legacy of their own.
Perfect for fans of K.J. Charles, Cat Sebastian, and Courtney Milan!
HE THOUGHT HE’D BE A HERO BY NOW—AND THAT IT WOULD MEAN SOMETHING.
It’s 1816. The wars with France and America are over. Royal Navy career man Everard Anderson de Anglada sails the peacetime Great Lakes, demoted to captain of a tiny ten-gun schooner. When Preston D’Arcy, Everard’s former lieutenant and too-handsome ex-flame, forewarns him about a court-martial they must judge, Everard is begrudgingly grateful.
HE’S RADICAL, RESPECTED, UNFORGETTABLE—AND A PIRATE.
On the docket, however, is Vitaliy “Vitya” Gray, infamous pirate captain and anti-colonial weapons smuggler. Everard has crossed paths with him before—not strictly as enemies.
TOGETHER, THEY COULD BE LEGENDARY…
After a hasty jailbreak, philosophical debates, and proposals—pirate marriage, no strings—Everard finds himself, his heart, and even D’Arcy commandeered: to the Gulf of México. There, piracy is nothing like he imagined, and Vitya is everything Everard ever truly wished to be.
…SO LONG AS LEGEND DOESN’T GET IN THE WAY OF LOVE.
The Spanish crown looms. Dangerous secrets and betrayals come to light. Then Everard is offered a position with the revolutionary Galveston navy. Everard must decide: fulfill his desire for legacy… or stay beside the men with whom he’s fallen in love and make a legacy of their own.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 17, 2026
13 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
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September 28, 2025DNF
Poly pirates! I was really excited for this one but a few things didn't work for me.
I read half of Rears & Vices but not in order. At 22% I decided this wasn't the book for me. However, I was still curious to see how it ended so I skipped to the end and read the last 26% as well.
The language in this one really threw me off. So many nautical (historical) terms and the book's written with historical vocabulary and references. This probably means the author did their research well which is great but it got confusing to read at times and it wasn't really a style I enjoyed.
I liked the premise though and I could see how it might work for others. The characters were interesting but I clearly missed a bunch by skipping so much. The relationship between all three of them seemed more like a poly V than a triad until the last scene which isn't my personal preference in poly books.
A final thought: while I really like the cover, they all look much younger than what they appear to be in the book.
All in all interesting concept but the writing style wasn't for me.
Poly pirates! I was really excited for this one but a few things didn't work for me.
I read half of Rears & Vices but not in order. At 22% I decided this wasn't the book for me. However, I was still curious to see how it ended so I skipped to the end and read the last 26% as well.
The language in this one really threw me off. So many nautical (historical) terms and the book's written with historical vocabulary and references. This probably means the author did their research well which is great but it got confusing to read at times and it wasn't really a style I enjoyed.
I liked the premise though and I could see how it might work for others. The characters were interesting but I clearly missed a bunch by skipping so much. The relationship between all three of them seemed more like a poly V than a triad until the last scene which isn't my personal preference in poly books.
A final thought: while I really like the cover, they all look much younger than what they appear to be in the book.
All in all interesting concept but the writing style wasn't for me.
October 3, 2025
Historical gay poly pirate romance -- which unfortunately confused me no end.
This book has an excellent premise: a Royal Navy man who flips to piracy and a relationship with both his ex-lieutenant, and an infamous pirate captain. However, it's historically grounded, but without enough context / world-building to carry me along with the plot. I am familiar with European history of that time, but much less so the entire rest of the world ... and I have no more idea now than when I started the book.
Likewise I found the romance quite muddled. Some important aspects are only revealed at the end, and the dialogue tends to be 'life-like' rather than 'realistic but also informative to the reader'. A bit like watching a single episode of a long-running soap opera and working everyone's feelings out from ongoing conversations and flashbacks. There seems to be quite a lot of subtext that I just did not pick up. Part-way through I wondered if I might be doing better if we followed multiple POVs, rather than focusing on Everard. However, I didn't feel I fully understand even his actions, so maybe not.
I sound very grumpy about this book (I am! I was so primed to love this!) but I would still recommend it to people who know more about the Age of Revolution than me, can tell one end of a boat from the other, and are looking for a pacy mix of plot, romance and steamy scenes to carry them through.
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.
This book has an excellent premise: a Royal Navy man who flips to piracy and a relationship with both his ex-lieutenant, and an infamous pirate captain. However, it's historically grounded, but without enough context / world-building to carry me along with the plot. I am familiar with European history of that time, but much less so the entire rest of the world ... and I have no more idea now than when I started the book.
Likewise I found the romance quite muddled. Some important aspects are only revealed at the end, and the dialogue tends to be 'life-like' rather than 'realistic but also informative to the reader'. A bit like watching a single episode of a long-running soap opera and working everyone's feelings out from ongoing conversations and flashbacks. There seems to be quite a lot of subtext that I just did not pick up. Part-way through I wondered if I might be doing better if we followed multiple POVs, rather than focusing on Everard. However, I didn't feel I fully understand even his actions, so maybe not.
I sound very grumpy about this book (I am! I was so primed to love this!) but I would still recommend it to people who know more about the Age of Revolution than me, can tell one end of a boat from the other, and are looking for a pacy mix of plot, romance and steamy scenes to carry them through.
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.
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October 6, 20251816, Lake Ontario.
Everard Anderson de Anglada is career Navy, and now that the wars with France and America have ended, he's sitting on courts-marshal with his former subordinate officer Preston D’Arcy. One of the cases they hear is for the infamous Vitaliy “Vitya” Gray, pirate with a fearsome reputation...and former lover of Everard's. Everard claims he has evidence for Vitya's innocence, but instead of sharing it, all three of them go on the run.
Unfortunately this is a DNF at 45% for me. Queer poly pirates should be right up my alley, but the writing style didn't work for me. I wasn't able to discern more plot than the summary, and didn't find the character development strong enough to carry the writing. I found the idea of the marriage anachronistic in a setting that isn't queer normative (Vitya is charged with sodomy and sentenced to hang, for example.) It has a lot of potential, and could work for the right reader, but alas, I barely made it to the marriage of convenience and even the temptation of the sea couldn't hold me.
Thank you to Tides & Troth Books LLC for an eARC. Rears & Vices is out 3/17/2026.
Everard Anderson de Anglada is career Navy, and now that the wars with France and America have ended, he's sitting on courts-marshal with his former subordinate officer Preston D’Arcy. One of the cases they hear is for the infamous Vitaliy “Vitya” Gray, pirate with a fearsome reputation...and former lover of Everard's. Everard claims he has evidence for Vitya's innocence, but instead of sharing it, all three of them go on the run.
Unfortunately this is a DNF at 45% for me. Queer poly pirates should be right up my alley, but the writing style didn't work for me. I wasn't able to discern more plot than the summary, and didn't find the character development strong enough to carry the writing. I found the idea of the marriage anachronistic in a setting that isn't queer normative (Vitya is charged with sodomy and sentenced to hang, for example.) It has a lot of potential, and could work for the right reader, but alas, I barely made it to the marriage of convenience and even the temptation of the sea couldn't hold me.
Thank you to Tides & Troth Books LLC for an eARC. Rears & Vices is out 3/17/2026.
December 1, 2025
I would first like to thank the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would first like to start this review by saying that this is not a bad book. In fact, I feel like this could be a really great book. However, this book was very obviously a debut book (I don’t mean this negatively) and about a quarter of the way through I double checked that this was a debut book because that is what it felt like. I did end up DNF’ing this book about 51.9% of the way through so do take this review with a grain of salt.
The main thing that super bothered me about this story is that there didn’t seem to be character motivation. We had motivation at the beginning for the first set of actions – previous emotional entanglements – but everything after that didn’t seem to have clear motivation. Some of the actions could be extended the same motivation as the first few but after that it wasn’t believable that the motivation was singular to affect all the actions after that. And no other character's motivations are really explained or convincing, and there is no real goal of the story. There isn’t something they are trying to achieve, learn, or do. They simply float around the ocean being acted upon by other events and characters. It’s mostly because of this that I DNF’d. Because I didn’t see anywhere this story could be going.
The other thing is that this book feels like it is not written for a general audience. There were so many historical and nautical terms used without the typical writerly roundabout explanation to the reader of meaning or incorporation of common words to contextually explain the historical and nautical ones that this book feels as though it requires previous experience in either studying the time period or being a sailor. One or the other would have left the story interesting but if I had to look but 6 words in the span of a chapter (which I did at one point), I’m going to quickly lose interest in the story.
I generally think this book has a great concept and the romantic scenes were cute and rather interesting. If the story contained character motivation and a better use of writing style to explain words and concepts, I would have read this story to the end and probably loved it. As far as I read into the story the spicy level was a level 3.
Overall, I would rate this story a 3 out of 5 star rating. The concept itself was a grand idea, and the first few chapters are actually interesting but in the end, I personally feel the book could still use some work.
I would first like to start this review by saying that this is not a bad book. In fact, I feel like this could be a really great book. However, this book was very obviously a debut book (I don’t mean this negatively) and about a quarter of the way through I double checked that this was a debut book because that is what it felt like. I did end up DNF’ing this book about 51.9% of the way through so do take this review with a grain of salt.
The main thing that super bothered me about this story is that there didn’t seem to be character motivation. We had motivation at the beginning for the first set of actions – previous emotional entanglements – but everything after that didn’t seem to have clear motivation. Some of the actions could be extended the same motivation as the first few but after that it wasn’t believable that the motivation was singular to affect all the actions after that. And no other character's motivations are really explained or convincing, and there is no real goal of the story. There isn’t something they are trying to achieve, learn, or do. They simply float around the ocean being acted upon by other events and characters. It’s mostly because of this that I DNF’d. Because I didn’t see anywhere this story could be going.
The other thing is that this book feels like it is not written for a general audience. There were so many historical and nautical terms used without the typical writerly roundabout explanation to the reader of meaning or incorporation of common words to contextually explain the historical and nautical ones that this book feels as though it requires previous experience in either studying the time period or being a sailor. One or the other would have left the story interesting but if I had to look but 6 words in the span of a chapter (which I did at one point), I’m going to quickly lose interest in the story.
I generally think this book has a great concept and the romantic scenes were cute and rather interesting. If the story contained character motivation and a better use of writing style to explain words and concepts, I would have read this story to the end and probably loved it. As far as I read into the story the spicy level was a level 3.
Overall, I would rate this story a 3 out of 5 star rating. The concept itself was a grand idea, and the first few chapters are actually interesting but in the end, I personally feel the book could still use some work.
October 21, 2025
I was given an ARC by NetGalley!
While the blurb likens this to Black Sails meets Hamilton, I would substitute Hamilton with the Aubrey and Maturin series. Read: there is a lot more nautical terms than political debate. Either a lot of research was done for this book or the author is extremely good at faking it (I honestly couldn't tell, not having done the research myself), and it really worked for me. It made me feel like I was there, like it was real.
I'm so glad that I have given this book a try. You have to work for it, I won't deny it. Nothing is handed to you on a platter. Nautical terms abound, and nothing is made transparently clear whether in terms of the (geo)political situation or the motivations of the characters, but if you read between the lines, everything is there, and it frankly becomes extremely fun and rewarding to figure it out. I understand this might not be for everyone, but honestly this felt like reading Aubrey-Maturin, except lightly anti-colonial (aka a great deal more anti colonial than Aubrey-Maturin) and a whole lot queerer (both in terms of sexual orientation and politics).
Also, as a big lover of pirate stories, I can't believe I didn't know about matelotage until now.
Thanks for the ARC!
While the blurb likens this to Black Sails meets Hamilton, I would substitute Hamilton with the Aubrey and Maturin series. Read: there is a lot more nautical terms than political debate. Either a lot of research was done for this book or the author is extremely good at faking it (I honestly couldn't tell, not having done the research myself), and it really worked for me. It made me feel like I was there, like it was real.
I'm so glad that I have given this book a try. You have to work for it, I won't deny it. Nothing is handed to you on a platter. Nautical terms abound, and nothing is made transparently clear whether in terms of the (geo)political situation or the motivations of the characters, but if you read between the lines, everything is there, and it frankly becomes extremely fun and rewarding to figure it out. I understand this might not be for everyone, but honestly this felt like reading Aubrey-Maturin, except lightly anti-colonial (aka a great deal more anti colonial than Aubrey-Maturin) and a whole lot queerer (both in terms of sexual orientation and politics).
Also, as a big lover of pirate stories, I can't believe I didn't know about matelotage until now.
Thanks for the ARC!
September 29, 2025
This was such a fun read! The dynamic between the main three characters was beautifully balanced. We got to see Everard interacting with them both separately and together, which I really enjoyed. I also liked that they had a history before the story even began.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into the writing style and the historical marine terminology. I really don’t know much about what’s going on with the ships and sails, magazines, and kegs. This wouldn’t have been much of a problem if NetGalley’s app allowed me to copy, paste, or directly search the text for definitions — but alas, I did struggle a bit in that regard. Also, sometimes, especially at the start, I felt the conversations were a bit clunky. This might have been because of the marine terminology and the historical setting again.
I wasn’t expecting the plot to be this intriguing. There was a surprising amount of politics involved, which I really appreciated, though I think it could have been even better with fewer issues and more focus on one particular political conflict. I also wasn’t completely satisfied with the pacing, especially toward the end.
My favorite character was Preston! I would have enjoyed the book even more if we’d had the chance to see more of him 🙂↕️ The intimate scenes were filled with passion and affection, and there was plenty of dialogue in those moments. This not only allowed us to get to know the characters better, but also helped them develop as individuals.
Overall, this was a fun romance book with three hot pirates, each with their own unique principles and personalities.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tides & Troth Books LLC for the arc!
I had a bit of a hard time getting into the writing style and the historical marine terminology. I really don’t know much about what’s going on with the ships and sails, magazines, and kegs. This wouldn’t have been much of a problem if NetGalley’s app allowed me to copy, paste, or directly search the text for definitions — but alas, I did struggle a bit in that regard. Also, sometimes, especially at the start, I felt the conversations were a bit clunky. This might have been because of the marine terminology and the historical setting again.
I wasn’t expecting the plot to be this intriguing. There was a surprising amount of politics involved, which I really appreciated, though I think it could have been even better with fewer issues and more focus on one particular political conflict. I also wasn’t completely satisfied with the pacing, especially toward the end.
My favorite character was Preston! I would have enjoyed the book even more if we’d had the chance to see more of him 🙂↕️ The intimate scenes were filled with passion and affection, and there was plenty of dialogue in those moments. This not only allowed us to get to know the characters better, but also helped them develop as individuals.
Overall, this was a fun romance book with three hot pirates, each with their own unique principles and personalities.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tides & Troth Books LLC for the arc!
September 28, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc. I rate this book 5 stars and 4 chili peppers for spice. I freaking ate this book up! The pirate/sailing lingo felt so realistic. The writing made me feel like I was dropped onto a ship from Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but make it a gay love triangle. I loved the secrets and backstories. All the side characters were awesome too. I could have kept reading about these three characters because their dynamic and history was so interesting. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
December 9, 2025
3.5
I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rears & Vices is a fun, sexy and adventurous sailing historical romance. Written in an old 19th century style voice, the novel is still very digestible and fast pace. The romantic dynamic between the 3 love interests is the heart of book and what had me invested in the story, they are well developed characters from the moment we meet them.
What stopped me from rating the book more than 3.5 stars were the historical and pirating plot points which I just couldn't get myself to care about because they weren't properly laid out in a way I could actually understand. I think there was too much going on politically at certain points and character motivations about certain actions where lost on the reader.
The prose was a little hard to follow at some points, especially during dialogue but I do think it helped greatly in setting the atmosphere.
That being said if the synopsis of Rears & Vices interests you I highly recommend you check it out when it's released.
I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rears & Vices is a fun, sexy and adventurous sailing historical romance. Written in an old 19th century style voice, the novel is still very digestible and fast pace. The romantic dynamic between the 3 love interests is the heart of book and what had me invested in the story, they are well developed characters from the moment we meet them.
What stopped me from rating the book more than 3.5 stars were the historical and pirating plot points which I just couldn't get myself to care about because they weren't properly laid out in a way I could actually understand. I think there was too much going on politically at certain points and character motivations about certain actions where lost on the reader.
The prose was a little hard to follow at some points, especially during dialogue but I do think it helped greatly in setting the atmosphere.
That being said if the synopsis of Rears & Vices interests you I highly recommend you check it out when it's released.
October 5, 2025
i really, really wanted to like this book. it has an excellent premise: a navy captain and his former lieutenant (also former lover) get entangled with an infamous pirate captain, who is also someone from their not so distant past. also the promise of a poly, spicy Historical Romance.
everard anderson de anglada and preston d'arcy find their lives in utter chaos after they rescue the mysterious and elusive vitaliy gray from the hangman. now the three of them, well more so the two (we'll get to that) have to navigate the high seas, pirates, politics, pirate politics, and marriage.
the promise of a spicy romance gives the impression that this is meant for mature audiences. and while there are plenty of hot, open door, explicit scenes, the book reads more like YA/NA. that's not a knock on the book though. i flew through this in a day and a half. it felt easy and engaging to read. also, you can tell how much research the author put into writing this setting, and it's just great.
the problem i had is that these characters feel very young. everard is said to be in his mid 30s, with 20+ years of naval service. and it would make sense for the rest of our trio to be around the same age. these characters don't feel immature, but neither do they feel matured or particularly fleshed out.
there is this part in the book where everard and d'arcy are having an argument. d'arcy is saying that he doesn't mind being a standby for everard, but it guts him that everard looks disbelieving or horrified whenever d'arcy shows any affection outside of just sex. it's a really good conversation, one of the best in the book. it's raw and emotional, and everard has to confront the fact that he's been kind of a jerk. i would expect that after this that there would be some kind of revelation for everard, or a conversation for them both to resolve this in some way. there isn't. not only is there no introspection from everard, besides a few lines, they don't even have a follow up conversation about it. the next time they meet everard just asks "have you forgiven me yet?" and d'arcy presumably says yes, and everard moves on to wooing vitaliy.
the problem of the book starting with these three already entangled, already in love/like and willing to give up everything for the other, is that we don't see their relationships grow or deepen. their feelings don't change, it's just revelations at different points of "oh he loves me" and "oh he likes him" and declarations of "you have me" and "mine" and "i belong here with you". it's sweet, it's cute and just a bit shallow.
which brings me to our not-so-poly, poly romance. for the most part it feels like an open romance/relationship than a poly one. d'arcy loves everard, and everard cares for d'arcy. everard and vitaliy and desparately into each other. but d'arcy and vitaliy? there's nothing there as far as everard (and the reader is concerned). in fact, at a point vitaliy calls the d'arcy the pretty lieutenant and everard goes he thinks preston is pretty and that is the extent of vitaliy's affections for d'arcy, that we are shown, until they actually get together at the 70% mark.
I'm not saying they have to all be kissing all the time, but any kind of meaningful conversation would be nice. two people of this triad feel completely unconnected for the most part of the book. preston himself feels other to everard and d'arcy, like a voyeur to their romance, which is a shame, because he was by far the most interesting part of this book for me.
if you've read iron widow, the relationship is similar to that. both the male leads like the female lead. there's a scene where they all just look at each other while making out, the two male leads kiss, and now they're a throuple.
granted, there is a Revelation towards the very end of the book, that puts things in perspective, but it didn't really remedy what I felt was lacking.
that said, the scene where they do finally get together was so good. actually, the last third of the book was so, so good and is the reason why I ended up rating this as high as I did. a lot of interesting character work and emotions and feelings that everard and the rest have to confront and overcome.
the best part of this book (besides d'arcy who was a personal favourite) was the character of everard, who was in no means perfect or simple. he was messy and complicated and impulsive, and sometimes thoughtlessly cruel. he's not used to being in a position of higher standing, but he also wants his 20+ years in the navy to have meant something. and this brings an interesting conflict of him wanting to help vitaliy by not stepping on too many toes on the pirate ship, but also not wanting to just be a kept man who feels useless. I loved how this was explored and resolved.
all in all, while rears and vices was not completely for me, it was still a fun, entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
everard anderson de anglada and preston d'arcy find their lives in utter chaos after they rescue the mysterious and elusive vitaliy gray from the hangman. now the three of them, well more so the two (we'll get to that) have to navigate the high seas, pirates, politics, pirate politics, and marriage.
the promise of a spicy romance gives the impression that this is meant for mature audiences. and while there are plenty of hot, open door, explicit scenes, the book reads more like YA/NA. that's not a knock on the book though. i flew through this in a day and a half. it felt easy and engaging to read. also, you can tell how much research the author put into writing this setting, and it's just great.
the problem i had is that these characters feel very young. everard is said to be in his mid 30s, with 20+ years of naval service. and it would make sense for the rest of our trio to be around the same age. these characters don't feel immature, but neither do they feel matured or particularly fleshed out.
there is this part in the book where everard and d'arcy are having an argument. d'arcy is saying that he doesn't mind being a standby for everard, but it guts him that everard looks disbelieving or horrified whenever d'arcy shows any affection outside of just sex. it's a really good conversation, one of the best in the book. it's raw and emotional, and everard has to confront the fact that he's been kind of a jerk. i would expect that after this that there would be some kind of revelation for everard, or a conversation for them both to resolve this in some way. there isn't. not only is there no introspection from everard, besides a few lines, they don't even have a follow up conversation about it. the next time they meet everard just asks "have you forgiven me yet?" and d'arcy presumably says yes, and everard moves on to wooing vitaliy.
the problem of the book starting with these three already entangled, already in love/like and willing to give up everything for the other, is that we don't see their relationships grow or deepen. their feelings don't change, it's just revelations at different points of "oh he loves me" and "oh he likes him" and declarations of "you have me" and "mine" and "i belong here with you". it's sweet, it's cute and just a bit shallow.
which brings me to our not-so-poly, poly romance. for the most part it feels like an open romance/relationship than a poly one. d'arcy loves everard, and everard cares for d'arcy. everard and vitaliy and desparately into each other. but d'arcy and vitaliy? there's nothing there as far as everard (and the reader is concerned). in fact, at a point vitaliy calls the d'arcy the pretty lieutenant and everard goes he thinks preston is pretty and that is the extent of vitaliy's affections for d'arcy, that we are shown, until they actually get together at the 70% mark.
I'm not saying they have to all be kissing all the time, but any kind of meaningful conversation would be nice. two people of this triad feel completely unconnected for the most part of the book. preston himself feels other to everard and d'arcy, like a voyeur to their romance, which is a shame, because he was by far the most interesting part of this book for me.
if you've read iron widow, the relationship is similar to that. both the male leads like the female lead. there's a scene where they all just look at each other while making out, the two male leads kiss, and now they're a throuple.
granted, there is a Revelation towards the very end of the book, that puts things in perspective, but it didn't really remedy what I felt was lacking.
that said, the scene where they do finally get together was so good. actually, the last third of the book was so, so good and is the reason why I ended up rating this as high as I did. a lot of interesting character work and emotions and feelings that everard and the rest have to confront and overcome.
the best part of this book (besides d'arcy who was a personal favourite) was the character of everard, who was in no means perfect or simple. he was messy and complicated and impulsive, and sometimes thoughtlessly cruel. he's not used to being in a position of higher standing, but he also wants his 20+ years in the navy to have meant something. and this brings an interesting conflict of him wanting to help vitaliy by not stepping on too many toes on the pirate ship, but also not wanting to just be a kept man who feels useless. I loved how this was explored and resolved.
all in all, while rears and vices was not completely for me, it was still a fun, entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
November 26, 2025
He wanted... partnership. Companionship. Trust. Maybe something else, too. Rainy nights in the doublewide cot. Sunsets in the shrouds. To see the colorwork appear on the pair of socks Vitaliy had just cast on, for he suspected they might be meant for him. What use was ambition, compared to that?
When Everard, English navy captain, decides to free his former lover, a notorious pirate captain, from imprisonment, aided by his colleague and other former lover, the trio find themselves having to navigate their new lives and their feelings for each other.
I got invested in the plot and characters really quickly, but the book lost me along the way. The plot seems to meander, and significant moments for character and relationship development are relegated to being briefly described after they already happened. There never seem to be any truly exciting scenes that are expanded on. I enjoyed the conflicts between the love interests, which always showed their differences in upbringing and worldview, but the arguments also confused me, since they seemed to jump between therapy-speak self-awareness and naive, juvenile assumptions.
I think the book fails as a romance, since momentous developments between love interests () are really only mentioned after the fact, and it makes it difficult to remain invested in the lovestories. Since both of Everard's love interests are his exes, I also couldn't quite tell where his deep affection for them comes from, since we are almost never privy to flashbacks between them and the origin of his attraction and devotion. The book also fails as a swashbuckling pirate adventure, as we barely see any fun action or pirate battles. There is some early on, which left me hopeful, but very little in that regard follows later. Lastly, it fails as a serious political historical fiction novel, which I'm not entirely sure it wants to be, but I got the impression that the author felt obligated to infuse their pirate romance with in depth-politics.
I have no issue with politics in a romance, especially since I'm aware that all literature, as all art, is inherently political. But this was obnoxious in its overtness and specifically too overtly 21st-century in its politics. Every time the characters would start talking about their ideologies I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Clearly someone wanted to proof their novel against any possible online backlash. God forbid a male character in a historical novel holds 19th-century-appropriate biases! The threat of getting cancelled on Twitter is too great, it seems. Since the blurb invokes Black Sails, I have to interject - nobody on Black Sails proclaims outright that "Woman are people! And Black people deserve to be free because they are human! And being extremely wealthy makes you immoral!" (This isn't a verbatim quote from Rears & Vices, but it may as well be.) Instead, characters on the show are written to represent their era appropriately, and their revolutionary sentiment calls for solidarity with women and the enslaved and underprivileged, often as means to an end. Anyway, watch Black Sails.
The politics actually hinder proper character writing, in my opinion. Everard doesn't really have an edge, he's just your morally upstanding anti-capitalist anti-racist gay cardboard cutout. His Spanish heritage adds some complexity to his motivations, that's for sure, but it doesn't justify his entire ideology. In addition to being a navy captain, Everard is a caricaturist, but we never learn of any of his political art. The author basically says, trust me, it's good and complex and woke, and I have to shrug and say, well, I guess it must be. We also don't really learn what Everard plans to use these skills for; there's no overarching clear mission besides theoretically supporting independence and freedom.
I still enjoyed the book on various levels, my three stars are firm, it just could have gone more in depth in literally any direction. If you like your historical protagonists unproblematic I would recommend this. The smutty scenes were hot, I had to suspend my disbelief a little, considering they're in 1807, but it's fiction and meant to be erotic, so I'll allow it. I think the book sets up a possible sequel, potentially for different characters, so if you're into series like The Gentleman's Guide or The Last Binding, this could provide similar entertainment.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a digital copy of this book for review consideration.
When Everard, English navy captain, decides to free his former lover, a notorious pirate captain, from imprisonment, aided by his colleague and other former lover, the trio find themselves having to navigate their new lives and their feelings for each other.
I got invested in the plot and characters really quickly, but the book lost me along the way. The plot seems to meander, and significant moments for character and relationship development are relegated to being briefly described after they already happened. There never seem to be any truly exciting scenes that are expanded on. I enjoyed the conflicts between the love interests, which always showed their differences in upbringing and worldview, but the arguments also confused me, since they seemed to jump between therapy-speak self-awareness and naive, juvenile assumptions.
I think the book fails as a romance, since momentous developments between love interests () are really only mentioned after the fact, and it makes it difficult to remain invested in the lovestories. Since both of Everard's love interests are his exes, I also couldn't quite tell where his deep affection for them comes from, since we are almost never privy to flashbacks between them and the origin of his attraction and devotion. The book also fails as a swashbuckling pirate adventure, as we barely see any fun action or pirate battles. There is some early on, which left me hopeful, but very little in that regard follows later. Lastly, it fails as a serious political historical fiction novel, which I'm not entirely sure it wants to be, but I got the impression that the author felt obligated to infuse their pirate romance with in depth-politics.
I have no issue with politics in a romance, especially since I'm aware that all literature, as all art, is inherently political. But this was obnoxious in its overtness and specifically too overtly 21st-century in its politics. Every time the characters would start talking about their ideologies I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Clearly someone wanted to proof their novel against any possible online backlash. God forbid a male character in a historical novel holds 19th-century-appropriate biases! The threat of getting cancelled on Twitter is too great, it seems. Since the blurb invokes Black Sails, I have to interject - nobody on Black Sails proclaims outright that "Woman are people! And Black people deserve to be free because they are human! And being extremely wealthy makes you immoral!" (This isn't a verbatim quote from Rears & Vices, but it may as well be.) Instead, characters on the show are written to represent their era appropriately, and their revolutionary sentiment calls for solidarity with women and the enslaved and underprivileged, often as means to an end. Anyway, watch Black Sails.
The politics actually hinder proper character writing, in my opinion. Everard doesn't really have an edge, he's just your morally upstanding anti-capitalist anti-racist gay cardboard cutout. His Spanish heritage adds some complexity to his motivations, that's for sure, but it doesn't justify his entire ideology. In addition to being a navy captain, Everard is a caricaturist, but we never learn of any of his political art. The author basically says, trust me, it's good and complex and woke, and I have to shrug and say, well, I guess it must be. We also don't really learn what Everard plans to use these skills for; there's no overarching clear mission besides theoretically supporting independence and freedom.
I still enjoyed the book on various levels, my three stars are firm, it just could have gone more in depth in literally any direction. If you like your historical protagonists unproblematic I would recommend this. The smutty scenes were hot, I had to suspend my disbelief a little, considering they're in 1807, but it's fiction and meant to be erotic, so I'll allow it. I think the book sets up a possible sequel, potentially for different characters, so if you're into series like The Gentleman's Guide or The Last Binding, this could provide similar entertainment.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a digital copy of this book for review consideration.
October 15, 2025
I went into this book with high expectations because gay poly pirates? Sign me the f*ck up! And I was not disappointed.
I will not claim to have extensive knowledge of the historical time period, but I’ve read enough books over rather years to have understood it enough. And I do enjoy historical fiction, something in particular that kept my attention was the writing style in which it was written with the use of historical language and dialogue patterns and words. This was for me quite enjoyable as it put me deeper in to the story and deeper into the early 1800s which it was set.
Within the first 40 pages I was ready to riot if ANYTHING happened to any of the main characters. This is also included few other characters, Thom being one. The characters, especially the main three Everard, D’Arcy and Vitaliy/Vitya I found were rather well written both individually and in their interactions with each other. I found their different dynamics with each other refreshing, especially towards the end as things developed and new aspects were revealed.
The pacing was done extremely well, with the intimacy between the characters developing alongside the plot. While the sexual tensions between Everard and both other men was there from very early on, it still took time for anything to actually occur. This felt realistic considering the circumstances being they have to undergo daily task of pirate business and the like. And when they did get down to it was executed well, with heavy emphasis being made on consent. I also found that the development of their relationship, especially the sexual side of it was done well. This was because it didn't immediately include all three of them but rather Everard with both men separately before it progressed to be all three of them.
Don't get me started on the plot twists. I like to think I am good at picking plot twists out, and some of them I saw coming but others completely caught me off guard and I found myself absolutely flabbergasted in the best way possible. Without spoiling anything, these moments of reveal added even more depth to the story and some individual characters as well as their relationships with others because of it.
Overall, I loved this book in every part of it. Additionally, the inclusion of content warnings in the first few pages is much appreciated and worth checking before reading.
ARC received through NetGalley all opinions are my own.
I will not claim to have extensive knowledge of the historical time period, but I’ve read enough books over rather years to have understood it enough. And I do enjoy historical fiction, something in particular that kept my attention was the writing style in which it was written with the use of historical language and dialogue patterns and words. This was for me quite enjoyable as it put me deeper in to the story and deeper into the early 1800s which it was set.
Within the first 40 pages I was ready to riot if ANYTHING happened to any of the main characters. This is also included few other characters, Thom being one. The characters, especially the main three Everard, D’Arcy and Vitaliy/Vitya I found were rather well written both individually and in their interactions with each other. I found their different dynamics with each other refreshing, especially towards the end as things developed and new aspects were revealed.
The pacing was done extremely well, with the intimacy between the characters developing alongside the plot. While the sexual tensions between Everard and both other men was there from very early on, it still took time for anything to actually occur. This felt realistic considering the circumstances being they have to undergo daily task of pirate business and the like. And when they did get down to it was executed well, with heavy emphasis being made on consent. I also found that the development of their relationship, especially the sexual side of it was done well. This was because it didn't immediately include all three of them but rather Everard with both men separately before it progressed to be all three of them.
Don't get me started on the plot twists. I like to think I am good at picking plot twists out, and some of them I saw coming but others completely caught me off guard and I found myself absolutely flabbergasted in the best way possible. Without spoiling anything, these moments of reveal added even more depth to the story and some individual characters as well as their relationships with others because of it.
Overall, I loved this book in every part of it. Additionally, the inclusion of content warnings in the first few pages is much appreciated and worth checking before reading.
ARC received through NetGalley all opinions are my own.
December 4, 2025
Honestly I think this book had the wrong main character. The plot had real substance but the MC didn't know about most of it until almost the very end, at which point his emotional distress far outweighed his rationality and caused him to ally himself to someone he actively disliked, cue a time skip, ethical disasters and imprisonment... Not that I think his fleeing them wasn't justified, they lied to him for the entirety of the book and then tried to gaslight him into acceptance of their manipulation. He absolutely should have left the relationship just for happier pastures, maybe for home, or his own ship. Or he could have commandeered his lover's ship and sailed off with his printing press and a small crew, very small since he barely interacts with any of them... Let alone positively.
Due to his general obliviousness the main plot was not espionage, political piracy and complicated revolution, it was saving a pirate from being arrested turns into being an (in-denial) kept man aboard a ship, with very little responsibility, extravagant gifts and the freedom to be jealous of anyone who had previously gained the trust of his pirate lover, dragging along for the ride his on-again off-again lover and only friend, to occasionally fight with and occasionally sleep with... Eventually his relationship with his pirate and his friend settle, then merge. It was fun, but in a very messy way! The sudden convergence of plot in the end was slightly disjointed. It also changed the dynamics of their relationship incredibly suddenly and not in the healthiest way... If the narrative had been led by one of his lovers, with more information on the table and being actively sought, it might have read differently, though their constant lying to him would still have been inadvisable. Or if the MC had been more engaged with actively unfolding plots, and less inclined to jump to conclusions based purely on jealousy, he might have been more clued in and the plot more balanced. The timeskip was jarring, the sudden flooding of information in the end confusing, and the smutty ending somewhat disappointing. There was no conversation, establishing boundaries or honesty in future, just immediate forgiveness and self-flagellation and then smut to conclude.
A good concept, enjoyable at times, just a bit too messy!
Due to his general obliviousness the main plot was not espionage, political piracy and complicated revolution, it was saving a pirate from being arrested turns into being an (in-denial) kept man aboard a ship, with very little responsibility, extravagant gifts and the freedom to be jealous of anyone who had previously gained the trust of his pirate lover, dragging along for the ride his on-again off-again lover and only friend, to occasionally fight with and occasionally sleep with... Eventually his relationship with his pirate and his friend settle, then merge. It was fun, but in a very messy way! The sudden convergence of plot in the end was slightly disjointed. It also changed the dynamics of their relationship incredibly suddenly and not in the healthiest way... If the narrative had been led by one of his lovers, with more information on the table and being actively sought, it might have read differently, though their constant lying to him would still have been inadvisable. Or if the MC had been more engaged with actively unfolding plots, and less inclined to jump to conclusions based purely on jealousy, he might have been more clued in and the plot more balanced. The timeskip was jarring, the sudden flooding of information in the end confusing, and the smutty ending somewhat disappointing. There was no conversation, establishing boundaries or honesty in future, just immediate forgiveness and self-flagellation and then smut to conclude.
A good concept, enjoyable at times, just a bit too messy!
October 10, 2025
Crossposted to Netgalley
4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you for the digital ARC.
The moment I saw this cover, I knew this book would be for me. The Age of Sail, polyamory, and pirates? Yes please!
Everard Anderson de Anglada is a great character to follow, especially given his Catalan background, which allows the author to explore issues of racial discrimination. I do feel like D'Arcy wasn't quite fleshed out as well as he could have been, and he vanishes from the story for a good portion, even if Everard is thinking about him often, it feels like their prior relationship is told rather than shown to readers.
Everard is a warm, kind, and intensely loyal man (which is how he got himself into this mess). He has a tendency to overthink, especially trying to align himself with Vitaliy's crew, which ends in some extremely funny moments with Vitaliy's second-in-command.
I also felt that after the initial excitement and action of Everard deserting the Navy to rescue Vitaliy, we spent an awful lot of time in the great cabin. I didn't mind spending that time with Everard, it was good character development for him to grapple with being ex-Navy and the things he was asked to do in the service, but it did slow things down. There were a couple of instances where we skipped over some action that would have been tasty and better explained the political action happening in the background.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the one big fight scene we had taking another warship, and the Vitaliy's ingenuity when it came to fighting. The spice is also definitely there, I will not spoil things, but they get creative with certain machinery.
If this becomes a series (and I really hope that it does), I would love to read about René and her ship of lady pirates. The author has clearly done a lot of research, and I want to see more of the historical details and daily ship life. Overall, I had a great time with this book, and would gladly read more from E.M. Caro in the future. I flew through the story, loved the characters and setting, and adored the cover.
4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you for the digital ARC.
The moment I saw this cover, I knew this book would be for me. The Age of Sail, polyamory, and pirates? Yes please!
Everard Anderson de Anglada is a great character to follow, especially given his Catalan background, which allows the author to explore issues of racial discrimination. I do feel like D'Arcy wasn't quite fleshed out as well as he could have been, and he vanishes from the story for a good portion, even if Everard is thinking about him often, it feels like their prior relationship is told rather than shown to readers.
Everard is a warm, kind, and intensely loyal man (which is how he got himself into this mess). He has a tendency to overthink, especially trying to align himself with Vitaliy's crew, which ends in some extremely funny moments with Vitaliy's second-in-command.
I also felt that after the initial excitement and action of Everard deserting the Navy to rescue Vitaliy, we spent an awful lot of time in the great cabin. I didn't mind spending that time with Everard, it was good character development for him to grapple with being ex-Navy and the things he was asked to do in the service, but it did slow things down. There were a couple of instances where we skipped over some action that would have been tasty and better explained the political action happening in the background.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the one big fight scene we had taking another warship, and the Vitaliy's ingenuity when it came to fighting. The spice is also definitely there, I will not spoil things, but they get creative with certain machinery.
If this becomes a series (and I really hope that it does), I would love to read about René and her ship of lady pirates. The author has clearly done a lot of research, and I want to see more of the historical details and daily ship life. Overall, I had a great time with this book, and would gladly read more from E.M. Caro in the future. I flew through the story, loved the characters and setting, and adored the cover.
November 18, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
(Please note this was an ARC, and some pieces may be revised or adjusted in the final published version.)
I went into this expecting a more relationship focused character driven polyamorous romance and that’s not really what I got. The first 100 pages had some promise, and I thought the setup of the characters and their dynamics could def lead to something compelling. One thing that also threw me off early on was the language you can tell the author did her research on how people spoke in that time period, but the writing would fluctuate between that older style and more modern phrasing. The inconsistency made it a little harder to follow at times, especially when I was already trying to settle into the story.
By the 200-page mark, I was still waiting for the poly aspect to actually start. Most of the romantic focus stayed on two characters for much longer than I expected, and it took quite a while for the actual poly dynamic to even begin forming. Even when the third character finally entered the relationship side of things it felt like the story leaned more on their shared history than developing that connection fully on page.
Outside of the romance the plot was a lot heavier than I anticipated and not in a way that fully worked for me. I kept losing track of what was happening because the worldbuilding and conflicts weren’t always clear or easy to follow. The pacing felt uneven, and whenever the story shifted away from the relationships it didn’t always have enough structure to keep me pulled in.
That said, the actual relationship moments were good when we got them and there were parts of the story and character interactions that I genuinely enjoyed. Overall, though, it just didn’t totally click for me. Not bad just felt like it had more potential
(Please note this was an ARC, and some pieces may be revised or adjusted in the final published version.)
I went into this expecting a more relationship focused character driven polyamorous romance and that’s not really what I got. The first 100 pages had some promise, and I thought the setup of the characters and their dynamics could def lead to something compelling. One thing that also threw me off early on was the language you can tell the author did her research on how people spoke in that time period, but the writing would fluctuate between that older style and more modern phrasing. The inconsistency made it a little harder to follow at times, especially when I was already trying to settle into the story.
By the 200-page mark, I was still waiting for the poly aspect to actually start. Most of the romantic focus stayed on two characters for much longer than I expected, and it took quite a while for the actual poly dynamic to even begin forming. Even when the third character finally entered the relationship side of things it felt like the story leaned more on their shared history than developing that connection fully on page.
Outside of the romance the plot was a lot heavier than I anticipated and not in a way that fully worked for me. I kept losing track of what was happening because the worldbuilding and conflicts weren’t always clear or easy to follow. The pacing felt uneven, and whenever the story shifted away from the relationships it didn’t always have enough structure to keep me pulled in.
That said, the actual relationship moments were good when we got them and there were parts of the story and character interactions that I genuinely enjoyed. Overall, though, it just didn’t totally click for me. Not bad just felt like it had more potential
November 27, 2025
2.25⭐️
I would have given this 1 star for the overall writing as parts were barely comprehensible however the some of the characters were interesting and I could see places where it could have been really good and I do think the interactions between characters were written well
The writing in places was confusing and heavy handed with some of the points it was trying to make, I also noticed some inconsistencies through out and the way it was written assumed u knew things without telling you anything to do with it
Preston and everard were really cute together, I didn’t really like Everard and vitaliy together I felt like they just didn’t suit each other very well maybe it was just because I thought Preston and Everard had so much chemistry that compared to them Everard and Vitaliy just seemed lacking. I also think the discussion of polyamory isn’t there it’s never really discusses how the characters feel about any of them having multiple partners.i do think the 3 of them worked well together but i would have like to see the relationship between Vitaliy and Preston a lot more
Vitaliy lacked personality he seemed very dull and one dimensional, however I found D’arcy a really fun character and Everard while in places annoyed me I did find his character interesting
Overall the premise is there and the characters have a lot of potential however the writing isn’t clear and leads to an inability to get completely immersed in the book
Thank you Netgalley and Tides and Troth books for the digital arc
I would have given this 1 star for the overall writing as parts were barely comprehensible however the some of the characters were interesting and I could see places where it could have been really good and I do think the interactions between characters were written well
The writing in places was confusing and heavy handed with some of the points it was trying to make, I also noticed some inconsistencies through out and the way it was written assumed u knew things without telling you anything to do with it
Preston and everard were really cute together, I didn’t really like Everard and vitaliy together I felt like they just didn’t suit each other very well maybe it was just because I thought Preston and Everard had so much chemistry that compared to them Everard and Vitaliy just seemed lacking. I also think the discussion of polyamory isn’t there it’s never really discusses how the characters feel about any of them having multiple partners.i do think the 3 of them worked well together but i would have like to see the relationship between Vitaliy and Preston a lot more
Vitaliy lacked personality he seemed very dull and one dimensional, however I found D’arcy a really fun character and Everard while in places annoyed me I did find his character interesting
Overall the premise is there and the characters have a lot of potential however the writing isn’t clear and leads to an inability to get completely immersed in the book
Thank you Netgalley and Tides and Troth books for the digital arc
October 7, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Tides and Troth books for the ARC
Rears and Vice was such a surprising read, I went into it expecting one thing and being pleasantly redirected.
I’m usually fine with period-style writing, but it’s been a while, so it took me a minute to get my boots on and back in the saddle. Once I did, I had such a good time with it, who doesn't like sexy pirates, a marriage of convenience, second chances and some incredibly written period typical drama, which I am a sucker for.
I’m honestly so fond of Everard and all his overthinking, he just wants to protect his wifey . The story balances a lot of the angst, drama and the tense moments from period typical homophobia and how the characters interact really well.
One this is that the publishers or the marketing does a bit of disservice to the book and the readers by saying this is purely romance, there are some depth to the overall plot points that might throw someone who expects less JAG at Sea. (I was going to say the Caine Mutiny but I don't know how many have seen that lol)
Rears and Vice was such a surprising read, I went into it expecting one thing and being pleasantly redirected.
I’m usually fine with period-style writing, but it’s been a while, so it took me a minute to get my boots on and back in the saddle. Once I did, I had such a good time with it, who doesn't like sexy pirates, a marriage of convenience, second chances and some incredibly written period typical drama, which I am a sucker for.
I’m honestly so fond of Everard and all his overthinking, he just wants to protect his wifey . The story balances a lot of the angst, drama and the tense moments from period typical homophobia and how the characters interact really well.
One this is that the publishers or the marketing does a bit of disservice to the book and the readers by saying this is purely romance, there are some depth to the overall plot points that might throw someone who expects less JAG at Sea. (I was going to say the Caine Mutiny but I don't know how many have seen that lol)
abandoned
November 2, 2025Dnf at about a third and really disappointed by this one. I was having fun in the beginning as shenanigans started but then it absolutely floundered. To give an idea of the wild mismatch of the plot, we have established that we are on the run traveling with a pirate that is wanted so badly by the crown they're willing to frame any witness in his defense. And what do we do? Walk about barefaced in the daylight in the very town next to the harbor we just escaped from so we can...go to a coffee shop?? What in the fanfic hell is this. I was trying to scrape along to see if it go better but the next part of the book is a revelation they've traveled hundreds of miles and gotten a lot of equipment that it was previously established it was hard to get. I have too many questions to go on, and that's not even bringing up what's going on with the other characters! I am all for prioritizing character over plot but you *do* have to have a plot. I am so game for gay high seas shenanigans and so I would try another book from the author out of hope but this just really baffled me.
November 29, 2025
My rating is 4 stars.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
"Rears & Vices" was exactly the kind of chaotic steamy escape I was hoping for. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is-messy entertaining full of attitude and absolutely committed to giving you a wild time. And honestly? I loved that. It was Fun spicy and way more addictive than I expected
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
The characters have that perfect blend of disaster energy and chemistry you can’t look away from. The banter is sharp the tension is delicious and the spice is definitely spice. But what surprised me most is that beneath all the heat and humor there’s a soft emotional core that caught me off guard in the best way.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
It’s bold it’s fun it leans all the way into its own vibe and I tore through it faster than I meant to. If you're in the mood for something shamelessly entertaining with attitude heat and heart this one delivers.
Thanks again for NetGalley for providing me with this absolute jam of an ARC!
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
"Rears & Vices" was exactly the kind of chaotic steamy escape I was hoping for. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is-messy entertaining full of attitude and absolutely committed to giving you a wild time. And honestly? I loved that. It was Fun spicy and way more addictive than I expected
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
The characters have that perfect blend of disaster energy and chemistry you can’t look away from. The banter is sharp the tension is delicious and the spice is definitely spice. But what surprised me most is that beneath all the heat and humor there’s a soft emotional core that caught me off guard in the best way.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
It’s bold it’s fun it leans all the way into its own vibe and I tore through it faster than I meant to. If you're in the mood for something shamelessly entertaining with attitude heat and heart this one delivers.
Thanks again for NetGalley for providing me with this absolute jam of an ARC!
September 25, 2025
The summary of this book immediately drew me in. I really enjoyed the writing style, I could really feel the emotions Everard was feeling towards D'Arcy and Vee. I also felt the book was really well researched and placed the reader into the time period. Sometimes books claim to be historical romances but will use slang that doesn't fit and that can ruin a reading experience, but that absolutely was not the case here. E.M. Caro clearly did research and wrote about a time period they're into and that helped make this a better book. I feel like we got a really good look into Everard and Vee's relationship but not as much as D'arcy and Everard, and Vee and D'Arcy. Those relationships we were told about as they had happened in the part but not really shown, I would have enjoyed seeing more of them especially as I did really like E.M. Caro's writing. Overall I thought this was a fun romance novel!
October 26, 2025
Historical pirate poly romance!
I really wanted to like this book because with that description it was really promising. I just found it wanting however.
I did like the first part of the book, starting off with a trial and intrigue and it built up some mystery.
The characters were intriguing and I did enjoy the complicated history between them. Everard’s history with Vitaliy and D’arcy was also very interesting.
However I found, especially when they left the Great Lakes, the pacing hard to follow and there would be jumps of time where I just felt like I missed something.
I also struggled with combination of historical nautical terms. I found it made it hard to follow and I didn’t have enough interest to really research those parts.
I really wanted to love this and was sad I didn’t. Someone with a bit more knowledge of this time period of history might enjoy it more.
Thank you for NetGalley and Tides & Troth Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book because with that description it was really promising. I just found it wanting however.
I did like the first part of the book, starting off with a trial and intrigue and it built up some mystery.
The characters were intriguing and I did enjoy the complicated history between them. Everard’s history with Vitaliy and D’arcy was also very interesting.
However I found, especially when they left the Great Lakes, the pacing hard to follow and there would be jumps of time where I just felt like I missed something.
I also struggled with combination of historical nautical terms. I found it made it hard to follow and I didn’t have enough interest to really research those parts.
I really wanted to love this and was sad I didn’t. Someone with a bit more knowledge of this time period of history might enjoy it more.
Thank you for NetGalley and Tides & Troth Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2025
i am going to be honest with you, i read this book at the worst hours when my brain was half functioning and i couldn’t understand half of the s*** they were saying
this being a historical piece with historical vocabulary and historical conversations didn’t help either
i know nothing about boats, or pirates—i just watched pirates of the caribbean for the first time two weeks ago— so the whole lingo was incredibly confusing to me
however, i did like the characters and the plot was enjoyable too, which is a great thing in my books
what i did not enjoy was the fact that the last scene of the book was cut in half (i need that part) so abruptly
many thanks to Tides & Troth Books LLC and the author for the arc of rears and vices
this being a historical piece with historical vocabulary and historical conversations didn’t help either
i know nothing about boats, or pirates—i just watched pirates of the caribbean for the first time two weeks ago— so the whole lingo was incredibly confusing to me
however, i did like the characters and the plot was enjoyable too, which is a great thing in my books
what i did not enjoy was the fact that the last scene of the book was cut in half (i need that part) so abruptly
many thanks to Tides & Troth Books LLC and the author for the arc of rears and vices
November 21, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up
I had a great time with this book! The homage to other maritime fiction was clear (I see you, half-Catalan protagonist serving under the English navy) but it was probably the most accessible-yet-reasonably-accurate novel on a ship I've ever read (yes, this is me side-eyeing the other reviews talking about how confusing it was. It wasn't confusing at all, the sailing and historical terms are clear if you just pay attention to the context. And it would make no sense for the narrator, a life-long sailor, to be explaining them in the text. Anyway.) The sex was actually sexy. The romance focuses on the Everard/Vitya pairing within the throuple, and I would have liked to see a little more development of their separate relationships with D'Arcy happen on page, but that's really my only quibble.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I had a great time with this book! The homage to other maritime fiction was clear (I see you, half-Catalan protagonist serving under the English navy) but it was probably the most accessible-yet-reasonably-accurate novel on a ship I've ever read (yes, this is me side-eyeing the other reviews talking about how confusing it was. It wasn't confusing at all, the sailing and historical terms are clear if you just pay attention to the context. And it would make no sense for the narrator, a life-long sailor, to be explaining them in the text. Anyway.) The sex was actually sexy. The romance focuses on the Everard/Vitya pairing within the throuple, and I would have liked to see a little more development of their separate relationships with D'Arcy happen on page, but that's really my only quibble.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
September 26, 2025
Amazing. An absolutely wonderful story.
Poly pirates was enough to sell me, and then the story itself knocked it out of the park. I was hooked immediately by the wonderful cast of characters (Vitaliy especially), and then the story itself exceeded all of my expectations. Piracy, politics, stupid idiots in love, what more could I ask for? The balance between the story and the romance was done incredibly well, focusing on our three lovers without ignoring the world building around them. Everyone felt like a person with their own motivations, which can often get overlooked in romance as a genre. I devoured the whole thing in two days and can't wait to read it again. Wonderful. Stupendous. I'm so glad I picked this up.
(I received a free copy from the publishers for review)
Poly pirates was enough to sell me, and then the story itself knocked it out of the park. I was hooked immediately by the wonderful cast of characters (Vitaliy especially), and then the story itself exceeded all of my expectations. Piracy, politics, stupid idiots in love, what more could I ask for? The balance between the story and the romance was done incredibly well, focusing on our three lovers without ignoring the world building around them. Everyone felt like a person with their own motivations, which can often get overlooked in romance as a genre. I devoured the whole thing in two days and can't wait to read it again. Wonderful. Stupendous. I'm so glad I picked this up.
(I received a free copy from the publishers for review)
October 3, 2025
ARC provided by publisher:
This was my first “why choose” read, so I can’t say if it’s standard for the genre, but I appreciated that it wasn’t framed as a love triangle, just one simp for another simp
The book is exactly what it promises: why-choose pirates in the golden age of piracy, with a splash of spies. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have fun here. Personally, I struggled a bit with the dialogueof the old-timey phrasing, the big words, and the tendency to allude to things rather than state them outright. The plot also didn’t feel like it followed a traditional rise and fall, and some twists didn’t quite land for me.
Still, the vibes were on point. It’s kinky, tropey, and sexy in a way that makes it easy to just enjoy for what it is.
This was my first “why choose” read, so I can’t say if it’s standard for the genre, but I appreciated that it wasn’t framed as a love triangle, just one simp for another simp
The book is exactly what it promises: why-choose pirates in the golden age of piracy, with a splash of spies. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have fun here. Personally, I struggled a bit with the dialogueof the old-timey phrasing, the big words, and the tendency to allude to things rather than state them outright. The plot also didn’t feel like it followed a traditional rise and fall, and some twists didn’t quite land for me.
Still, the vibes were on point. It’s kinky, tropey, and sexy in a way that makes it easy to just enjoy for what it is.
did-not-finish
October 19, 2025Thank you to Tides & Troth Books for the eARC.
Did Not Finish.
I hungrily downloaded this one after it was shared in a chat. Historical, gay, poly pirates? Say less. But...it's on this list so you can guess. The historical accuracy of the ships and law felt very well researched. In fact, it felt almost too technical at times, and that may have contributed to the fact that I never grew an attachment to any of the characters. Everard is the nucleus of this poly relationship (as D'Arcy and Vitaliy don't seem to interact ever) but he has the emotional intelligence of a walnut, and him being our only point-of-view made it so I lost all interest to continue. Sad day.
Did Not Finish.
I hungrily downloaded this one after it was shared in a chat. Historical, gay, poly pirates? Say less. But...it's on this list so you can guess. The historical accuracy of the ships and law felt very well researched. In fact, it felt almost too technical at times, and that may have contributed to the fact that I never grew an attachment to any of the characters. Everard is the nucleus of this poly relationship (as D'Arcy and Vitaliy don't seem to interact ever) but he has the emotional intelligence of a walnut, and him being our only point-of-view made it so I lost all interest to continue. Sad day.
December 7, 2025
I love pirates and gays, so surely gay pirates would've been up my alley. Unfortunately that wasn't the case here.
I think if you want to read a book about pirates having sex, then go for it. But I was having a really hard time finding a worthwhile plot here. The way the story advances also was difficult for me to pay attention. One moment I'm interested, and then the next I don't care. Maybe I simply am under the wrong impression for how this book would be. I also didn't connect with any of the characters, nor with their relationships with each other? Perhaps that could have been developed better?
thank you to netgalley and Tides & Troth Books LLC for the eARC!
I think if you want to read a book about pirates having sex, then go for it. But I was having a really hard time finding a worthwhile plot here. The way the story advances also was difficult for me to pay attention. One moment I'm interested, and then the next I don't care. Maybe I simply am under the wrong impression for how this book would be. I also didn't connect with any of the characters, nor with their relationships with each other? Perhaps that could have been developed better?
thank you to netgalley and Tides & Troth Books LLC for the eARC!
Read
September 29, 2025I’m DNFing at 60% - I wanted to love this book so much.
This cover really sold me - Gay Pirates! Say less
I can safely say this is unlike anything else I have read before , the writing and terminology were historically correct.
However , due to this I found myself lost to the plot and villains at some points. It felt like we were jumping around a lot, and there dynamic between the three love interests seem a bit overlooked at times.
I really wanted to love this , and I think the fact that I was struggling to understand what was happening was my fault and not the author.
This cover really sold me - Gay Pirates! Say less
I can safely say this is unlike anything else I have read before , the writing and terminology were historically correct.
However , due to this I found myself lost to the plot and villains at some points. It felt like we were jumping around a lot, and there dynamic between the three love interests seem a bit overlooked at times.
I really wanted to love this , and I think the fact that I was struggling to understand what was happening was my fault and not the author.
September 29, 2025
this was actually such a fun read! i honestly couldn't put it down sometimes.
☀️mmm romance
☀️the good kind of angst
☀️marriage of convivence
☀️pirates
☀️spice 3/5
honestly i think this book could have been an easy five star for me if it hadn't been so hard to read sometimes. the period typical language, writing style, and dialogue just did NOT flow smoothly in my head. there was a lot of slang too. i'd also say the plot was pretty secondary to the characters, but i was SAT for all three of them so i honestly didn't care.
☀️mmm romance
☀️the good kind of angst
☀️marriage of convivence
☀️pirates
☀️spice 3/5
honestly i think this book could have been an easy five star for me if it hadn't been so hard to read sometimes. the period typical language, writing style, and dialogue just did NOT flow smoothly in my head. there was a lot of slang too. i'd also say the plot was pretty secondary to the characters, but i was SAT for all three of them so i honestly didn't care.
October 31, 2025
I really thought this was going to be a four star read for me, but it sadly lost me half way through. I thought it was fun and I actually liked the romance quite a lot, I just felt like I wanted more from it. The polyamarous element doesn't really come into it until the seventy percent mark, and then I just felt like there was so much history between all three characters that literally just didn't get delved into. I think maybe more flashbacks would have fleshed it all out a little. I would still read from the author though because I think there's a lot of potential.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC for this book!
For sure this book definitely achieves what it set out to do - if you want polyamorous 1800s pirates then this surely is the book for you! At times the plot lost me a little and gets a bit bogged down by nautical terms/language but ultimately I really felt like the author's love and vision for their characters really shines through. Much preferred the later parts of the book to the beginning, overall I enjoyed this read :)
For sure this book definitely achieves what it set out to do - if you want polyamorous 1800s pirates then this surely is the book for you! At times the plot lost me a little and gets a bit bogged down by nautical terms/language but ultimately I really felt like the author's love and vision for their characters really shines through. Much preferred the later parts of the book to the beginning, overall I enjoyed this read :)
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