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THE PIRATE'S HEART a swashbuckling and adventurous pirate romance
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2026
About the author
Sally Malcolm
37 books298 followersSally Malcolm was bitten by the m/m romance bug in 2016 and hasn’t looked back. It’s fair to say she’s obsessed with the genre. She has four contemporary m/m romances out, set in the fictional Long Island seaside town of New Milton.
She's also the author of eight Stargate novels and novellas, including the hit "Apocalypse" trilogy. She has penned four Stargate audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, including Stargate SG-1: "An Eye for an Eye" starring Michael Shanks, Claudia Black, and Cliff Simon.
Sally lives in South West London.
She's also the author of eight Stargate novels and novellas, including the hit "Apocalypse" trilogy. She has penned four Stargate audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, including Stargate SG-1: "An Eye for an Eye" starring Michael Shanks, Claudia Black, and Cliff Simon.
Sally lives in South West London.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 21, 2026
4 stars.
Amelia is a pirate, and the daughter of a pirate. Her father believes wholeheartedly in freedom for everyone, be they rich or poor. So much so, he is willing to die for it, which he passes on to Amelia. Zach is a pirate, but he doesn't buy into the same idea of freedom that Amelia and her father do. However, because he has a complicated relationship with his father, who also lives on the island, he comes to warn them that a storm is coming, and it won't be pretty. Because this idea of freedom threatens powerful men, and they don't like it. (Not to mention the looting the pirates do.)
I enjoyed this. Amelia was steadfast and, while she did consider herself, she did what she thought was best for the whole of her community. It meant that Zach didn't fare that well, but what she thought would be the consequences were worth it. (Of course, the consequences weren't quite what she thought they would be, because, shocker, people in power generally don't tell the truth when they are trying to squash any idea that opposes them.) I don't know that I saw enough of Zach and Amelia together in the beginning to believe that they formed a lasting attachment. Or even enough of them in England together, but they seemed to know one another well in spite of me not thinking that they got to know one another, so I believed in their happy ending. I'm very curious as to who the big, powerful man is that has everyone quaking in their boots. A king? Someone very rich? A leader of a country? (Did any of the countries have separation of crown and state in the 1700s?)
I also liked that Amelia got called out on her parroted ideals, when she was banging on about how all people should be equal. The gentleman she was talking to pointed out that her father lived in the most opulent house on the island, so obviously not everyone was equal. (Although, she basically ignored that point in her response, having a little bit vague repost of "Oh, well, that's just the way it is." (Not her actual response.)) And there were definitely people living in squalor on the island, but I guess they just meant that people got to not be told what to do by a government, rather than wealth and privilege and power equality? Except, that wasn't quite true, either. Because the inhabitants of the island didn't get to decide whether or not they wanted to fight off invaders, or flee. (Is that what Zach meant when he declared to Amelia that what they had on the island wasn't true freedom, more of an illusion of freedom? I actually took the chains that he kept talking about to mean the roots and familial and obligation ties, as opposed to his choice of life, which was the open sea with no ties of that nature. Maybe it was both that he was talking about?)
Amelia was very strong and determined, if a bit naive in the ways of the world. Of course, when you live in an isolated bubble, that will happen. I did like how she kept her humanity and her integrity in her beliefs and her steadfastness to her ideals once she had her eyes opened. I mean, do I think she was a little misguided? Yes. And it took until the end of the book to realize that saving and caring for one person was just as important as saving and caring for many people. And for her to realize that she did have a choice, when she couldn't see any before. Also, she was one tough cookie, both mentally and physically. Both Zach and Amelia were, but I felt that Amelia was more so.
I realize that I haven't really talked about Zach, just about him in relation to Amelia. And I think that's because most of the time, he was just kind of there. He was doing things and effecting things, but it always seemed to be because of Amelia and for Amelia. Almost like he was an extension, or extra limb. And there was pining. And maybe a little bit of pouting about Amelia's choices. (Some were justified, in my opinion. But then it kind of seemed in the end that his pouting wasn't about what I thought it would/should be about?) Anyway, Zach was strong and rescued Amelia when she couldn't rescue herself, was always there when she needed him for the really big, life threatening things. (Although, a lot of the time, she rescued herself.) I also had the idea that maybe Zach was bisexual? (Or else he used sex as a means of manipulation for both men and women. Or it was a "needs must" situation.) It didn't feel that harsh or deliberate, though, so I'm thinking bi or pan. In the end, I thought he was a fitting love for Amelia. I just wish that Amelia hadn't overpowered him on the page.
All in all, an enjoyable read that flew by quickly once I got started. I didn't notice any historical inaccuracies, and although I thought that the ideals and the execution of them by the characters was a little modern, it wasn't completely jarring. Plus, we wouldn't have the ideals and ideas we have today without at least some people having them in the 1700s and 1800s and early 1900s and fighting for them. I mean, we evolve, but it has to have basis somewhere in history, otherwise nothing would change or grow.
Note: I didn't think that I had a lot to say about this book, because I enjoyed it, but it didn't make an immediate impression. However, once I started typing, ideas just kept popping into my head. And I can't promise that I won't make yet more changes if any more occur to me.
*I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Amelia is a pirate, and the daughter of a pirate. Her father believes wholeheartedly in freedom for everyone, be they rich or poor. So much so, he is willing to die for it, which he passes on to Amelia. Zach is a pirate, but he doesn't buy into the same idea of freedom that Amelia and her father do. However, because he has a complicated relationship with his father, who also lives on the island, he comes to warn them that a storm is coming, and it won't be pretty. Because this idea of freedom threatens powerful men, and they don't like it. (Not to mention the looting the pirates do.)
I enjoyed this. Amelia was steadfast and, while she did consider herself, she did what she thought was best for the whole of her community. It meant that Zach didn't fare that well, but what she thought would be the consequences were worth it. (Of course, the consequences weren't quite what she thought they would be, because, shocker, people in power generally don't tell the truth when they are trying to squash any idea that opposes them.) I don't know that I saw enough of Zach and Amelia together in the beginning to believe that they formed a lasting attachment. Or even enough of them in England together, but they seemed to know one another well in spite of me not thinking that they got to know one another, so I believed in their happy ending. I'm very curious as to who the big, powerful man is that has everyone quaking in their boots. A king? Someone very rich? A leader of a country? (Did any of the countries have separation of crown and state in the 1700s?)
I also liked that Amelia got called out on her parroted ideals, when she was banging on about how all people should be equal. The gentleman she was talking to pointed out that her father lived in the most opulent house on the island, so obviously not everyone was equal. (Although, she basically ignored that point in her response, having a little bit vague repost of "Oh, well, that's just the way it is." (Not her actual response.)) And there were definitely people living in squalor on the island, but I guess they just meant that people got to not be told what to do by a government, rather than wealth and privilege and power equality? Except, that wasn't quite true, either. Because the inhabitants of the island didn't get to decide whether or not they wanted to fight off invaders, or flee. (Is that what Zach meant when he declared to Amelia that what they had on the island wasn't true freedom, more of an illusion of freedom? I actually took the chains that he kept talking about to mean the roots and familial and obligation ties, as opposed to his choice of life, which was the open sea with no ties of that nature. Maybe it was both that he was talking about?)
Amelia was very strong and determined, if a bit naive in the ways of the world. Of course, when you live in an isolated bubble, that will happen. I did like how she kept her humanity and her integrity in her beliefs and her steadfastness to her ideals once she had her eyes opened. I mean, do I think she was a little misguided? Yes. And it took until the end of the book to realize that saving and caring for one person was just as important as saving and caring for many people. And for her to realize that she did have a choice, when she couldn't see any before. Also, she was one tough cookie, both mentally and physically. Both Zach and Amelia were, but I felt that Amelia was more so.
I realize that I haven't really talked about Zach, just about him in relation to Amelia. And I think that's because most of the time, he was just kind of there. He was doing things and effecting things, but it always seemed to be because of Amelia and for Amelia. Almost like he was an extension, or extra limb. And there was pining. And maybe a little bit of pouting about Amelia's choices. (Some were justified, in my opinion. But then it kind of seemed in the end that his pouting wasn't about what I thought it would/should be about?) Anyway, Zach was strong and rescued Amelia when she couldn't rescue herself, was always there when she needed him for the really big, life threatening things. (Although, a lot of the time, she rescued herself.) I also had the idea that maybe Zach was bisexual? (Or else he used sex as a means of manipulation for both men and women. Or it was a "needs must" situation.) It didn't feel that harsh or deliberate, though, so I'm thinking bi or pan. In the end, I thought he was a fitting love for Amelia. I just wish that Amelia hadn't overpowered him on the page.
All in all, an enjoyable read that flew by quickly once I got started. I didn't notice any historical inaccuracies, and although I thought that the ideals and the execution of them by the characters was a little modern, it wasn't completely jarring. Plus, we wouldn't have the ideals and ideas we have today without at least some people having them in the 1700s and 1800s and early 1900s and fighting for them. I mean, we evolve, but it has to have basis somewhere in history, otherwise nothing would change or grow.
Note: I didn't think that I had a lot to say about this book, because I enjoyed it, but it didn't make an immediate impression. However, once I started typing, ideas just kept popping into my head. And I can't promise that I won't make yet more changes if any more occur to me.
*I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
February 13, 2026
Amelia Dauphin, a beautiful woman aged 21, was already a
seasoned pirate captain with several years experience. Zach
Hazard, older, was one of the most successful of all pirate
captains. Amelia's father, Captain James Dauphin, ruled from
a clifftop fortress the tiny Ile Sainte Anne off the coast
of Africa. Here pirates and their women had a safe haven,
truly free according to the Articles of Agreement, which
asserted the right of every man, whether highborn or baseborn,
to live and die free beneath the open skies.
But Zach Hazard brings a warning. A vast English-French-Dutch
fleet, with military strength vastly exceeding that of the
Ile Sainte Anne, will within six months sail to the Ile to
hang most of the pirate population.
Zach Hazard has some sweet feelings for Amelia that she doesn't
share. And then Captain Luc Geroux sails into port. Zach tells
of Luc's bad, more than bad, reputation of betraying people for
personal gain. Luc admits to being a "business man." He is a
charmer, and begins to charm Amelia away from Zach without being
in any way sexually intrusive. He also suggests that business
with him and the trading of goods with the French East Indies
Company that he represents will be the salvation of the people
of Ile Sainte Anne. This reviewer was already feeling dread.
Was Luc Geroux a "Pied Piper of Hamlin" figure who was luring
them all into disaster?
Amelia's adoration began to shift to Luc from realistic Zach,
who perceived Luc for the villain he really was. My feeling
was more of frustration than sadness or anger that the heroine
of the story, Amelia, was allowing herself to be duped. I did
feel sadness for the people of Ile Sainte Anne, destined to be
destroyed by the coming invasion. They were pirates and pirate
families, and they drank too much. But I perceived them as
good people, living in accordance with the noble Articles of
Agreement.
Zach could sail away before the invasion fleet arrived. Amelia
and her father elect to stay, citing their loyalty for the good
people who live in the Isle Sainte Anne. Zach, because of his
fondness for Amelia, also stays. Luc insists that they can trade
with the "invaders." My distrust of Luc seethed.
Amelia almost dies in a storm, but is saved by Zach. And then,
one morning, the masts of the invading ships appear. It is too
late for Zach to sail away.
And now I feel compelled to write a spoiler. For the first
one-third of the story, author Sally Malcolm made me really feel
fondness for the people of Ile Sainte Anne. Then the British
fleet came and British soldiers killed many of the people,
including the fathers of both Zach and Amelia. As the story was
only half over, both Zach and Amelia, the two main characters,
had to be spared execution, and each of them barely escaped. I
won't give out another spoiler to write about how they escaped.
The character descriptions, scene descriptions, level of drama
and suspense, were all very good. But because of this unnecessary
cruelty to people the author made me like, I cannot in good
conscience give a 5 star rating.
About the last half of the story, I shall write only that the
level of drama and suspense remained very high.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving
this review voluntarily.
seasoned pirate captain with several years experience. Zach
Hazard, older, was one of the most successful of all pirate
captains. Amelia's father, Captain James Dauphin, ruled from
a clifftop fortress the tiny Ile Sainte Anne off the coast
of Africa. Here pirates and their women had a safe haven,
truly free according to the Articles of Agreement, which
asserted the right of every man, whether highborn or baseborn,
to live and die free beneath the open skies.
But Zach Hazard brings a warning. A vast English-French-Dutch
fleet, with military strength vastly exceeding that of the
Ile Sainte Anne, will within six months sail to the Ile to
hang most of the pirate population.
Zach Hazard has some sweet feelings for Amelia that she doesn't
share. And then Captain Luc Geroux sails into port. Zach tells
of Luc's bad, more than bad, reputation of betraying people for
personal gain. Luc admits to being a "business man." He is a
charmer, and begins to charm Amelia away from Zach without being
in any way sexually intrusive. He also suggests that business
with him and the trading of goods with the French East Indies
Company that he represents will be the salvation of the people
of Ile Sainte Anne. This reviewer was already feeling dread.
Was Luc Geroux a "Pied Piper of Hamlin" figure who was luring
them all into disaster?
Amelia's adoration began to shift to Luc from realistic Zach,
who perceived Luc for the villain he really was. My feeling
was more of frustration than sadness or anger that the heroine
of the story, Amelia, was allowing herself to be duped. I did
feel sadness for the people of Ile Sainte Anne, destined to be
destroyed by the coming invasion. They were pirates and pirate
families, and they drank too much. But I perceived them as
good people, living in accordance with the noble Articles of
Agreement.
Zach could sail away before the invasion fleet arrived. Amelia
and her father elect to stay, citing their loyalty for the good
people who live in the Isle Sainte Anne. Zach, because of his
fondness for Amelia, also stays. Luc insists that they can trade
with the "invaders." My distrust of Luc seethed.
Amelia almost dies in a storm, but is saved by Zach. And then,
one morning, the masts of the invading ships appear. It is too
late for Zach to sail away.
And now I feel compelled to write a spoiler. For the first
one-third of the story, author Sally Malcolm made me really feel
fondness for the people of Ile Sainte Anne. Then the British
fleet came and British soldiers killed many of the people,
including the fathers of both Zach and Amelia. As the story was
only half over, both Zach and Amelia, the two main characters,
had to be spared execution, and each of them barely escaped. I
won't give out another spoiler to write about how they escaped.
The character descriptions, scene descriptions, level of drama
and suspense, were all very good. But because of this unnecessary
cruelty to people the author made me like, I cannot in good
conscience give a 5 star rating.
About the last half of the story, I shall write only that the
level of drama and suspense remained very high.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving
this review voluntarily.
February 5, 2026
Well, now I want to read more pirate books. This was such an incredible story. If you love your MMC’s yearning, and willing to do anything for their love, meet Zach Hazard. A pirate, in love with the freedom of open waters, but more in love with Amelia Dauphin. Amelia, our fearless pirate queen FMC, caught between duty and love, fights her way through hell and back again and again.
Swashbuckling romance indeed, full of danger, suspense, betrayal, forgiveness, and unconditional love. The Pirate’s Heart is well written, captivating and will steal your heart.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.
Swashbuckling romance indeed, full of danger, suspense, betrayal, forgiveness, and unconditional love. The Pirate’s Heart is well written, captivating and will steal your heart.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.
March 15, 2026
I love Sally’s writing so I was excited to get my hands on this one. I admit that at first it was pretty slow going for me, but after pirate-y things start to happen (and there’s not actually much in the way of piracy, but there are adventures, drama, and danger) it really picked up. I liked the interplay between Zach and Amelia, and I loved the sense of duty both characters displayed. I admit I was surprised by the route to the HEA (I love being surprised), and I was gratified that it was not all brawny man rescuing fair maiden. A very touching ending that packs an emotional wallop without being maudlin rounds out an entirely satisfactory tale. 4.5 stars, matey!
February 23, 2026
This is pirates tale of love and conquering on all fonts. Amelia and Zach found a lot of battles on every front including love. This is liken to watching and binging on a full 3 season series packed in one book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 26, 2026
A good story with lots of twists and turns. It has been a while since I read it, but enjoyed it. Both MCs have very strong personalities and opinions. They do find a way to happiness after all the crazy adventures.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews