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A Pirate's Heart
When rare book librarian Emma Boyd searches for a pirate's long-lost treasure map, she learns the hard way that pirates still exist in today's world--and some modern pirates steal maps, others steal hearts.
The treasure map she seeks belonged to the Caribbean pirate Thomasina Farris, who disappeared in 1715 without a trace. Did Captain Tommy steal an entire treasure from a Spanish galleon and escape? Did she die by another pirate's sword? Or did she die of a broken heart when the woman she loved disappeared? Emma's and Tommy's stories collide when Emma, after uncovering the truth about Captain Tommy's fate, must decide her own...and the choice is between romance or revenge.
The treasure map she seeks belonged to the Caribbean pirate Thomasina Farris, who disappeared in 1715 without a trace. Did Captain Tommy steal an entire treasure from a Spanish galleon and escape? Did she die by another pirate's sword? Or did she die of a broken heart when the woman she loved disappeared? Emma's and Tommy's stories collide when Emma, after uncovering the truth about Captain Tommy's fate, must decide her own...and the choice is between romance or revenge.
316 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
952 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Friend
34 books167 followersCatherine Friend had what she calls a "boring" childhood, but she says that boring was just fine -- because it gave her more time to read. She read so much her parents had to set a "no-reading-at-the dinner-table" rule. She was slightly shy as a child, but enjoyed playing Beauty Parlor with her sister, taking family trips, and watching STAR TREK and TIME TUNNEL.
She studied Economics, but because of her love for books and stories, she eventually found herself drawn to writing. Since then, the author has written six children's books, including THE PERFECT NEST, a hilarious read-aloud illustrated by John Manders; and two books in Candlewick’s Brand New Readers series. She is also the author of the acclaimed adult memoir, HIT BY A FARM: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BARN. When it comes to her writing, Catherine Friend likes to try new things and seek new challenges -- but she always likes to write stories that make her laugh.
Catherine Friend lives on a small farm in southeastern Minnesota -- which inspired both THE PERFECT NEST and HIT BY A FARM. There, she raises sheep, goats, and llamas, and has an energetic border collie named Robin.
She studied Economics, but because of her love for books and stories, she eventually found herself drawn to writing. Since then, the author has written six children's books, including THE PERFECT NEST, a hilarious read-aloud illustrated by John Manders; and two books in Candlewick’s Brand New Readers series. She is also the author of the acclaimed adult memoir, HIT BY A FARM: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BARN. When it comes to her writing, Catherine Friend likes to try new things and seek new challenges -- but she always likes to write stories that make her laugh.
Catherine Friend lives on a small farm in southeastern Minnesota -- which inspired both THE PERFECT NEST and HIT BY A FARM. There, she raises sheep, goats, and llamas, and has an energetic border collie named Robin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
July 29, 2019
Have you ever gotten into a car with a friend and before you can click in your seatbelt, their lead foot gives you whiplash? That’s this book and as a bonus, you’re immediately thrust into two separate storylines from two different time periods.
Minneapolis librarian Emma inhabits a tidy life in an orderly world that she controls tightly with the help of a PDA (2008 Fallback Book alert). Everything needs an appointment because slots fill up quickly and no exceptions. Her father even refers to it as her f**cking calendar. When maps are stolen out of her library’s antique book collection, a private investigator is sent in and there begins a journey that leads Emma to puzzle out the culprits behind the thefts and the why’s. Working alongside Emma is hot P.I., Randi, who is not all that she appears to be.
The other story involves a marvelously drawn pirate by the name of Tommy Farris, fierce and potent leader of three ships, who makes men piss on themselves at the sight of her and her wild, black hair, striped white ever since she killed her first enemy. But Tommy meets her match when she takes on a former slave as her “cabin boy.” Rebekah stirs something deep within Tommy and there’s no going back.
The stories feed off each other and climb and climb until you’re invested in both, marveling at the way the author lines up all the pieces so each scenario works independently as well as a complete whole. Pirates, adventures, battles, treasure, road trip, discovering what’s most important in your life, an amazing dog, and Romance with a capital R, this book has it all. 4.5 stars.
Minneapolis librarian Emma inhabits a tidy life in an orderly world that she controls tightly with the help of a PDA (2008 Fallback Book alert). Everything needs an appointment because slots fill up quickly and no exceptions. Her father even refers to it as her f**cking calendar. When maps are stolen out of her library’s antique book collection, a private investigator is sent in and there begins a journey that leads Emma to puzzle out the culprits behind the thefts and the why’s. Working alongside Emma is hot P.I., Randi, who is not all that she appears to be.
The other story involves a marvelously drawn pirate by the name of Tommy Farris, fierce and potent leader of three ships, who makes men piss on themselves at the sight of her and her wild, black hair, striped white ever since she killed her first enemy. But Tommy meets her match when she takes on a former slave as her “cabin boy.” Rebekah stirs something deep within Tommy and there’s no going back.
The stories feed off each other and climb and climb until you’re invested in both, marveling at the way the author lines up all the pieces so each scenario works independently as well as a complete whole. Pirates, adventures, battles, treasure, road trip, discovering what’s most important in your life, an amazing dog, and Romance with a capital R, this book has it all. 4.5 stars.
March 2, 2017
Lesbrarian! Searching for pirate treasure! Also queer woman pirate captain! It's not like I was going to be able to resist this. And it was super fun! Not sure if I'm 100% on board with the present day romance, but that's okay. I was worried about consent in the pirate storyline but I think it was okay...? Definitely annoyed at the biphobia: Emma mentions that her two previous girlfriends left her for men and mentions several times that she "turned them straight" without acknowledging that bisexuality exists?? Like, maybe they ID as straight now, I don't know, but since they both were in relationships with her for years, it seems more likely they're bi? Or you could at least raise that possibility?
Other than that, though: super fun romp of a romance book, if you're okay with complicated dynamics in the romance. I listened to the audiobook and liked it other than the generic music interludes. It's fun!
Other than that, though: super fun romp of a romance book, if you're okay with complicated dynamics in the romance. I listened to the audiobook and liked it other than the generic music interludes. It's fun!
February 13, 2018
DNF AT 40%.
I could not STAND the writing. This literally felt like cheap fanfiction.
At first I was really intrigued with Tommy's perspective, but when it shifted to Emma's I literally wanted to cry. Emma's subtle biphobia was so ugly. Newflash, bitches. Bisexual women ARE STILL BISEXUAL WOMEN EVEN IF THEY END UP DATING MEN.
I fucking can't. I literally fucking can't. I kept going, wondering if it would get better but I wasted my time because it didn't.
I could not STAND the writing. This literally felt like cheap fanfiction.
At first I was really intrigued with Tommy's perspective, but when it shifted to Emma's I literally wanted to cry. Emma's subtle biphobia was so ugly. Newflash, bitches. Bisexual women ARE STILL BISEXUAL WOMEN EVEN IF THEY END UP DATING MEN.
I fucking can't. I literally fucking can't. I kept going, wondering if it would get better but I wasted my time because it didn't.
December 12, 2014
This story is so much fun! It has a butt-whooping woman pirate, romance that has plenty of time to blossom--nothing rushed here, bits of humor in the dialogue and narrative, a modern-day hunt for a map and its treasure, thugs, and even a very lovable poodle. Poodle-doodle-noodle! LOL And the narrative is so refreshing, so honest and real. By narrative I mean the modern-day heroine's. This is one of those double-time period stories.
Obviously, the historical tale follows a lady pirate, a woman men fear at the very sight of her billowing black hair, a woman who after she takes a ship's loot, she chooses a man to bed her and then discards him because bedding men on board her own ship causes problems. She's also a woman who is tired of killing but knows no other way to make a living and she's the kind of woman who will free chained-up slaves or rescue them from the sea and kill a man for raping another woman. Did I mention she's also chasing down some Spanish treasure? And so is another pirate...who's none too fond of her. If the turbulent sea doesn't claim her...well, 'nuff said.
The historical story unfolds as the modern heroine, an "anal" librarian (Emma), and her reluctant partner, a sexy lady PI (Randi), chase after the pirate's map hundreds of years later, all the while thugs and thieves on their tails.
Unlike most stories that try to add suspense and bad guys to the tale, this story didn't come across as ridiculous...well...not until the end, anyway. It lost a point in my eyes with this the whole island-that-only-people-in-love-can-see thing.
I was kept in marvelous suspense too, all the time wondering what really happened to Tommy. Even the contemporary story line surprised me. The historical parts were my favorite, but as I said above, the contemporary narrator, her voice and wit, kept me intrigued in the modern tale too.
So why three bikes? What didn't I like? As you can see I really enjoyed this tale for the most part, but I must confess I hated the ending. I hated Randi. I didn't quite take to her. I think part of this is because the modern parts were in first-person POV--Emma's--and while Randi was aloof and distant with her, the POV style chosen to write the modern scenes meant that Randi was also aloof and distant with me, the reader, as well.
Full review, last thoughts, and quibbles: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
Obviously, the historical tale follows a lady pirate, a woman men fear at the very sight of her billowing black hair, a woman who after she takes a ship's loot, she chooses a man to bed her and then discards him because bedding men on board her own ship causes problems. She's also a woman who is tired of killing but knows no other way to make a living and she's the kind of woman who will free chained-up slaves or rescue them from the sea and kill a man for raping another woman. Did I mention she's also chasing down some Spanish treasure? And so is another pirate...who's none too fond of her. If the turbulent sea doesn't claim her...well, 'nuff said.
The historical story unfolds as the modern heroine, an "anal" librarian (Emma), and her reluctant partner, a sexy lady PI (Randi), chase after the pirate's map hundreds of years later, all the while thugs and thieves on their tails.
Unlike most stories that try to add suspense and bad guys to the tale, this story didn't come across as ridiculous...well...not until the end, anyway. It lost a point in my eyes with this the whole island-that-only-people-in-love-can-see thing.
I was kept in marvelous suspense too, all the time wondering what really happened to Tommy. Even the contemporary story line surprised me. The historical parts were my favorite, but as I said above, the contemporary narrator, her voice and wit, kept me intrigued in the modern tale too.
So why three bikes? What didn't I like? As you can see I really enjoyed this tale for the most part, but I must confess I hated the ending. I hated Randi. I didn't quite take to her. I think part of this is because the modern parts were in first-person POV--Emma's--and while Randi was aloof and distant with her, the POV style chosen to write the modern scenes meant that Randi was also aloof and distant with me, the reader, as well.
Full review, last thoughts, and quibbles: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
February 5, 2016
For clarification, I listened to the audiobook of "A Pirate's Heart" in order to provide this review.
I have to admit, I was thoroughly pleased and surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. Catherine Friend weaved a wonderful tangle of two plot lines, two time periods, and two love stories that I consistently ached for more when she flipped back and forth between the two. A section of one plot line would end (for the time), and begin with the other, and I was sad to have to shift gears to follow the next section. But then I would be immersed in the new storyline and find myself sitting in my car, letting the words and tales envelope me just so I could listen to more of this new plot line. Instead of feeling disappointed that the story shifted from one time to the other, I became excited when a switch occurred because that meant I would be hearing more from two different tales that I was so excited to be enjoying.
I loved all of the main characters equally. Emma, the librarian, felt like my kindred spirit with her anal tendencies but secret heart-gushing romancing of both love and adventure that she lived through her passions of pirates, books, and puzzles. Captain Thomasina (Tommy) Farris was just the swashbuckler and heartthrob to bring that adventurous side to the novel with her Indiana Jones-likeness and superior knowledge of the way the world worked. Randi with an "I" was hard to enjoy at first, but once the character began to develop, became my favorite among the three. Her vulnerabilities and ways that made me love her despite what occurs is what brought me to my knees in praise for this well-rounded character.
I can't praise this novel enough, and it has easily become one of my favorites in the LGBT genre. Bravo to the author and for having such a wonderful story steal me away from the confines of everyday life to a point that I slowed down my reading in order to enjoy it a little bit longer.
I have to admit, I was thoroughly pleased and surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. Catherine Friend weaved a wonderful tangle of two plot lines, two time periods, and two love stories that I consistently ached for more when she flipped back and forth between the two. A section of one plot line would end (for the time), and begin with the other, and I was sad to have to shift gears to follow the next section. But then I would be immersed in the new storyline and find myself sitting in my car, letting the words and tales envelope me just so I could listen to more of this new plot line. Instead of feeling disappointed that the story shifted from one time to the other, I became excited when a switch occurred because that meant I would be hearing more from two different tales that I was so excited to be enjoying.
I loved all of the main characters equally. Emma, the librarian, felt like my kindred spirit with her anal tendencies but secret heart-gushing romancing of both love and adventure that she lived through her passions of pirates, books, and puzzles. Captain Thomasina (Tommy) Farris was just the swashbuckler and heartthrob to bring that adventurous side to the novel with her Indiana Jones-likeness and superior knowledge of the way the world worked. Randi with an "I" was hard to enjoy at first, but once the character began to develop, became my favorite among the three. Her vulnerabilities and ways that made me love her despite what occurs is what brought me to my knees in praise for this well-rounded character.
I can't praise this novel enough, and it has easily become one of my favorites in the LGBT genre. Bravo to the author and for having such a wonderful story steal me away from the confines of everyday life to a point that I slowed down my reading in order to enjoy it a little bit longer.
January 19, 2018
3.5 star
One thing I know about my self I read to escape and patience is not one of my quality and this book need patience and presence of mind lol yup... "not gonna lie"
This book makes me irritate and love at the same time, in this book two stories going on with big twist time difference I like it but when one story shift and another come I feel irritated and excited 😂😂😂 and seriously I hated when a book did that to me lol,
anyway, I love it especially ending.
One thing I know about my self I read to escape and patience is not one of my quality and this book need patience and presence of mind lol yup... "not gonna lie"
This book makes me irritate and love at the same time, in this book two stories going on with big twist time difference I like it but when one story shift and another come I feel irritated and excited 😂😂😂 and seriously I hated when a book did that to me lol,
anyway, I love it especially ending.
January 18, 2022
I went into this book not knowing anything about it and I have to say, I’m so glad I didn’t know.
The story is two timelines, pirates, lost treasure, a feisty librarian, a crazy excitable puppy and lots of fun quirkiness.
The author also does the narration and she has done a brilliant job. Could I have done without the music moments in the audio, ah yeah, but it definitely wasn’t enough to ruin the fun and adventures on the high seas.
A great book and I’m looking forward to reading more of Catherine Friend’s work.
The story is two timelines, pirates, lost treasure, a feisty librarian, a crazy excitable puppy and lots of fun quirkiness.
The author also does the narration and she has done a brilliant job. Could I have done without the music moments in the audio, ah yeah, but it definitely wasn’t enough to ruin the fun and adventures on the high seas.
A great book and I’m looking forward to reading more of Catherine Friend’s work.
November 18, 2015
Nice parallel love stories, but... I didn't like the childish plot and the fantasy ending. And besides it's very predictable.
May 22, 2019
This book follows two different timelines: modern day story and an 18th century pirate story. The 18th century pirate plot was kind of interesting (although the battles were kind of silly. The moment that an enemy is killed or injured by the main character during a battle, their entire ship almost immediately surrenders).
The modern plot wasn't as good, and the characters were pretty annoying. It also had a ridiculous ending that came out of nowhere. If you are going to turn your historical/mystery novel into a fantasy novel at the very end, you really need to provide some setup instead of changing it out of nowhere without warning.
The modern plot wasn't as good, and the characters were pretty annoying. It also had a ridiculous ending that came out of nowhere. If you are going to turn your historical/mystery novel into a fantasy novel at the very end, you really need to provide some setup instead of changing it out of nowhere without warning.
February 28, 2015
A good book, right up until the final chapters in which the author fails to really nail the ending. Basically we get a fantasy novel ending in what HAD been up to then a realistic book. *shrug* Which may have just been me not catching the fantasy undercurrent, but it didn't work for me.
July 25, 2011
I checked out everything that Catherine Friend ever wrote from the library after loving _Sheepish_. I got about two chapters into this book before I turned to Chad and said, "I think this is a lesbian romance novel!" I read on, and was right, and the whole thing reminded me a bit of Gabaldon. It was actually pretty enjoyable, with some great characters and a fun, if a bit cheesy, storyline. Friend maintains my respect as a writer and thinker, and I can now say that I have delved into a lesbian romance novel and emerged less scathed than when I absent-mindedly read my grandmother's heterosexual romance novels so long ago ....
December 9, 2018
I generally do not like the beck and forth of two stories woven into one. Years past and present day, but this was done nicely and I wanted to know what was happening in both stories. Liked the pirate story better than the modern day. However, the modern day story was where we learn a lot about the pirates life. I did like the ending for the pirates. Wasn’t super happy with modern day ending, but it wasn’t bad, I just would have liked something a little different.
November 29, 2020
A fun adventure with two interesting dueling storylines. It did drag on a bit and requires some suspension of disbelief towards the end but overall, a fun time.
November 10, 2020
A great read!
This is a wonderful dual storyline book. A 1700s pirate adventure and a modern Librarian research effort. Both plot lines are treasure hunts and both are love stories in the making - with a little magic thrown in to help a HEA for all concerned. I can recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure and romance and is also willing to extend the suspension of disbelief to allow this tale to unfold.
This is a wonderful dual storyline book. A 1700s pirate adventure and a modern Librarian research effort. Both plot lines are treasure hunts and both are love stories in the making - with a little magic thrown in to help a HEA for all concerned. I can recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure and romance and is also willing to extend the suspension of disbelief to allow this tale to unfold.
January 4, 2025
I must admit, I have never been into romance novels - one thing I can't stand is shmoopy, fluffy romance. Don't get me wrong, I loves me a heated shmexy story, I just can't stand to be deluged with Harlequin grade super-romance stories filled with outrageous drama and cheesy dialogue that makes me wince. It's THAT kind of dubious "romance" story that makes my eyes roll, and not in a good way.
BUT, in point of that fact - the promise that this lesbian romance offered an unsolved mystery and the hunt for a long-lost treasure pulled me in, namely because, well, this story professed pirate adventure, a librarian, a private investigator, a mystery and a modern day treasure hunt, so... yeah.
Though, in reality, this book pretty much had me with the keywords "lesbian" and "pirate", what can I say. That premise alone made me eager to follow the story in and I definitely have no regrets and frankly am happy to say that I discovered my first Catherine Friend book to be quite a jewel! She is a great writer capable of giving the reader real glimpses into her characters' hearts, notably well-developed characters at that, and demonstrates exemplary storytelling by smoothly meshing two stories unfolding with 300 years between them, and it all feels quite naturally done. I was impressed with how well-structured the story was considering it was really two stories; there was no confusion at all.
When you start this story you quickly discover that there is a parallel plot between the current-day librarian Emma and what's going on in her life of working at a college while being captivated by pirate stories, as well the events as they unfold for a notorious female pirate from the past, "Tommy" Farris who has found herself enamoured with a slave rescued from a rival pirate in her own time.
Present-day Emma writes an article for a library journal with a theory about Captain Farris's long-lost treasure map existing at a time when antique maps are being stolen from libraries, including the one in Emma's trust and the engaging mystery unravels from there with eventually the two stories coming together nicely.
This is a great vacation or beach book, or for just before bedtime, but also makes a nice read for anytime, really. Though, if you blink you'll miss the sex, but that's okay, the story itself was genuinely engaging with it's suspense and perils, and the main character has a quirky and humourous inner-dialogue that only added to the total delightfulness.
I maybe have missed out on a few good books with my determined dismissive stance about romance stories, so I confess that thanks to this little charm, I will most definitely be broadening my horizons to more adventure-romances.
I love stories that really leave you feeling you've just been on a satisfying journey, and this is one of them.
Still a little shmoopy, and a little cliché, so minus a star for that, but I more than survived, enjoying this tale of swashbuckling pirates and modern-day skullduggery and maybe smiled to myself more than a few times.
I may now have to indulge in a few more "romance" stories, I just hope they are as pleasant to read as A Pirate's Heart.
BUT, in point of that fact - the promise that this lesbian romance offered an unsolved mystery and the hunt for a long-lost treasure pulled me in, namely because, well, this story professed pirate adventure, a librarian, a private investigator, a mystery and a modern day treasure hunt, so... yeah.
Though, in reality, this book pretty much had me with the keywords "lesbian" and "pirate", what can I say. That premise alone made me eager to follow the story in and I definitely have no regrets and frankly am happy to say that I discovered my first Catherine Friend book to be quite a jewel! She is a great writer capable of giving the reader real glimpses into her characters' hearts, notably well-developed characters at that, and demonstrates exemplary storytelling by smoothly meshing two stories unfolding with 300 years between them, and it all feels quite naturally done. I was impressed with how well-structured the story was considering it was really two stories; there was no confusion at all.
When you start this story you quickly discover that there is a parallel plot between the current-day librarian Emma and what's going on in her life of working at a college while being captivated by pirate stories, as well the events as they unfold for a notorious female pirate from the past, "Tommy" Farris who has found herself enamoured with a slave rescued from a rival pirate in her own time.
Present-day Emma writes an article for a library journal with a theory about Captain Farris's long-lost treasure map existing at a time when antique maps are being stolen from libraries, including the one in Emma's trust and the engaging mystery unravels from there with eventually the two stories coming together nicely.
This is a great vacation or beach book, or for just before bedtime, but also makes a nice read for anytime, really. Though, if you blink you'll miss the sex, but that's okay, the story itself was genuinely engaging with it's suspense and perils, and the main character has a quirky and humourous inner-dialogue that only added to the total delightfulness.
I maybe have missed out on a few good books with my determined dismissive stance about romance stories, so I confess that thanks to this little charm, I will most definitely be broadening my horizons to more adventure-romances.
I love stories that really leave you feeling you've just been on a satisfying journey, and this is one of them.
Still a little shmoopy, and a little cliché, so minus a star for that, but I more than survived, enjoying this tale of swashbuckling pirates and modern-day skullduggery and maybe smiled to myself more than a few times.
I may now have to indulge in a few more "romance" stories, I just hope they are as pleasant to read as A Pirate's Heart.
May 6, 2012
This is one of the few books that I will say this about it: it was amazing!! This had everything that a story like this one should have: action, drama, suspense, some comedy, adventure and romance with some 'scenes'. The story was simply amazing, I liked how it let you know when they were going to change time periods and the characters. What made me love the book was the ending, it was simply amazing, well wrote out and a little unexpected. Hope to read more books like this one. I don't really do this often but, I really recommend this book if you are into this kind of stories.
November 14, 2018
Didn’t make it to the contemporary romance so I was spared the biphobia mentioned in other reviews. Couldn’t get past the paternalism and lack of consent with the former slave woman. Handing her a coin and telling her she’s getting paid now doesn’t excuse robbing her of her autonomy on multiple occasions, especially considering the language barrier. Then there’s the bit about knowing her place and how the white Englishwoman is “basically the same colour” after getting tanned by her life on the sea. No. Fuck no.
Do better, white women. Do better.
Do better, white women. Do better.
June 15, 2017
The is the first time in a long time I wept when reading a book. I fell completely in love with the well developed character, Tommy. It has been days since I finished the book and it is all still fresh in my mind, all the emotions I went through whilst reading.
July 13, 2014
Cliche and predictable. If you're just looking for a lesbian beach read, you're good. If you're looking for a swashbuckling action/adventure with lesbians, I'm sure there are better options.
July 30, 2018
The 18th century, action-packed pirate narrative was pretty interesting and fun; the present-day research narrative, not so much. To be fair, writing two different stories in two different time periods and tying them together in a satisfying way is a challenging feat, and one timeline is probably bound to appeal a bit more than the other. To be honest, there was a lot about this book that was pretty ridiculous, like the extremely implausible fact of Emma being the first person to look at the pieces of evidence that told her about Tommy's life despite them having been in plenty of other people's possession in the past 250-300 years (you expect me to believe that nobody in all that time would have paged through those journals and found the map or the letter?? For that matter, how did Emma miss that letter on her first trip to the Cincinnati library?). Then there's the extremely implausible fact of Emma falling in love with Randi after FOUR DAYS. U-hauling lesbians are a thing, all right, but four days is stretching it, especially when the characters initially dislike each other. Then there's the extremely implausible fact of . Then there's the magical realism, and I am not even gonna get into that.
I wish Rebekah had had more presence in the book. She was definitely my favourite character. Giving her more to do would have helped make up for the lukewarm romances.
I wish Rebekah had had more presence in the book. She was definitely my favourite character. Giving her more to do would have helped make up for the lukewarm romances.
January 18, 2023
this book looks like it should be full of adventure and romance, however it falls short on every level.
we first meet pirate captain tommy who’s obviously a woman and she’s had to fight for her position. we spend the 4 opening chapters with tommy where we get a sense of her life on the boat and we see her rescue some slaves who have been dropped in the ocean. just as we are getting into that storyline, we switch. we start following a first person narrative of a librarian named emma who is interested in tommy’s life and is looking for her “secret treasure map”. so we then spend 4 chapters with her and her new PI friend before we swap.
the whole book follows this sort of style of about 4 chapters in the past and then 4 in the future until the last 12ish chapters. this totally ruins the flow of the book as just as you’re getting invested in one storyline, you get whiplash as you are thrown into another.
similarly, because of the two storylines it’s leaves the characters underbaked and not as fully fleshed out as they could be. there aren’t really any stakes to this book either and it sort of feels like someone wanted to write a pirate book with all the intrigue and mystery of the genre but didn’t quite know how to make it different from what’s already out there.
the two romances are also disappointing and i found myself not rooting for either couple. they lack that je ne sais quoi that couples should have and it means that the story falls apart because the key sub-plot of this book is clearly romance.
there are some great sapphic pirate books out there from pre-2010 but sadly this isn’t one of them.
we first meet pirate captain tommy who’s obviously a woman and she’s had to fight for her position. we spend the 4 opening chapters with tommy where we get a sense of her life on the boat and we see her rescue some slaves who have been dropped in the ocean. just as we are getting into that storyline, we switch. we start following a first person narrative of a librarian named emma who is interested in tommy’s life and is looking for her “secret treasure map”. so we then spend 4 chapters with her and her new PI friend before we swap.
the whole book follows this sort of style of about 4 chapters in the past and then 4 in the future until the last 12ish chapters. this totally ruins the flow of the book as just as you’re getting invested in one storyline, you get whiplash as you are thrown into another.
similarly, because of the two storylines it’s leaves the characters underbaked and not as fully fleshed out as they could be. there aren’t really any stakes to this book either and it sort of feels like someone wanted to write a pirate book with all the intrigue and mystery of the genre but didn’t quite know how to make it different from what’s already out there.
the two romances are also disappointing and i found myself not rooting for either couple. they lack that je ne sais quoi that couples should have and it means that the story falls apart because the key sub-plot of this book is clearly romance.
there are some great sapphic pirate books out there from pre-2010 but sadly this isn’t one of them.
March 4, 2017
“A road trip. Bags of red twizzlers, too much Mountain Dew, Hostess Twinkies and more opportunities to see if I can make the ice investigator laugh”
Yes, there’s plenty of cute imagery and dialogue in A Pirate’s Heart. There’s also enough light hearted adventure, mystery and entertaining main and side characters to keep things interesting through the end of the book. The two stories, linked yet separated in time by 300 years, are both enjoyable, and the author does a much better than usual job moving back and forth in time and interweaving the adventures.
As a lesbian romance novel, both stories are filled with the dreaded “but I can’t possibly feel that way / let the other in” syndromes, and actual interactions between the love interests are much too few for my preferences, but I did enjoy the book, and I recommend it as a light read/listen. Given the pirate theme, perhaps a beach blanket would be a good place to listen to most of it!
The author, Catherine Friend, is also the narrator. She does quite a good job, and I like her voice.
Overall, this is probably a 3.5-3.75 book, so I’ll round up to 4* for the rating.
Yes, there’s plenty of cute imagery and dialogue in A Pirate’s Heart. There’s also enough light hearted adventure, mystery and entertaining main and side characters to keep things interesting through the end of the book. The two stories, linked yet separated in time by 300 years, are both enjoyable, and the author does a much better than usual job moving back and forth in time and interweaving the adventures.
As a lesbian romance novel, both stories are filled with the dreaded “but I can’t possibly feel that way / let the other in” syndromes, and actual interactions between the love interests are much too few for my preferences, but I did enjoy the book, and I recommend it as a light read/listen. Given the pirate theme, perhaps a beach blanket would be a good place to listen to most of it!
The author, Catherine Friend, is also the narrator. She does quite a good job, and I like her voice.
Overall, this is probably a 3.5-3.75 book, so I’ll round up to 4* for the rating.
June 8, 2018
The pirate captain MC, with which the book opens, basically tells us she chooses a man to have sex with (i.e. rape him) every time she captures a boat, and she calls it "a snog". She then "frees" a female slave, only to force her to stay on her boat to work for her, but understand, she doesn't have a choice, the woman doesn't speak any language she knows so she can't explain to her that she has a choice, when two seconds earlier she told her mate she doesn't want a slave, she wants a woman who freely chose to stay on with them...
And that's not to mention the dreadful writing, narration, dialogue, and storytelling.
I am sorely tempted to DNF it right there, but we'll see if I can gather up enough motivation to at least read up to the second storyline with hopes of better content.
Edit: I have reached the librarian part and this is no better. DNF it is.
And that's not to mention the dreadful writing, narration, dialogue, and storytelling.
I am sorely tempted to DNF it right there, but we'll see if I can gather up enough motivation to at least read up to the second storyline with hopes of better content.
Edit: I have reached the librarian part and this is no better. DNF it is.
February 22, 2021
I can’t remember the last time I ready pirate book! I loved the layout of this book. I liked the alternating timelines while we were going on the adventures with the two sets of women. The plot twist were great and might have been a little cheesy but this was written a few years ago so I can understand that. It wasn’t overly cliché but there were a few but I found myself enjoying them nonetheless. It was a really quick read and I enjoyed the little quotes at the beginning of each part. The themes were nice and the character development was there. You could only slightly see it from the main character from each point of view but it was still nice. I wish we would’ve gotten some more insight from Rebekah and Randy but that’s okay. I definitely need to read more pirates. I can’t believe I’ve never delved into this genre. Loving the anti hero characters.
October 3, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, LESBIAN PIRATE STORY, 2 intrigues that I thought worked well together, and a nice mystery, kind of predictable but it felt cosy and I wasn't able to put the book down in the end.
On the other hand, there's use of the N word, one sex scene that did not seem very consensual, a relationship that starts pretty unbalanced with a "freed" slave still forced to work on a ship... i know the book is dates but that doesn't make it ok.
I wasn't bothered with the incoherences other reviewers pointed, or the writing. This is a very light read kind of fanfictiony and you should read it expecting just that. However, it cannot be considered a safe read.
On the other hand, there's use of the N word, one sex scene that did not seem very consensual, a relationship that starts pretty unbalanced with a "freed" slave still forced to work on a ship... i know the book is dates but that doesn't make it ok.
I wasn't bothered with the incoherences other reviewers pointed, or the writing. This is a very light read kind of fanfictiony and you should read it expecting just that. However, it cannot be considered a safe read.
November 17, 2023
This book was a real odd duck. It isn't, like, great, by any means. But there was surprisingly more going on with it than I expected. There are two storylines, one in modern-day and one in pirate-times. Both have their own lesbian romance stories, but also action and adventure and piracy - the old-fashioned kind and a bizarre sort of modern kind. IDK, if your bar is kinda low for lesbian romance (like mine is) because you were fed on years of all of it being pretty bad and you've exhausted like everything else (like me) give it a go? ::shrug:: It kinda reminded me of Jane Fletcher books, but not as... intricate or subtle. Far less depth of character. But, still, that's saying something.
October 16, 2019
I would have given this three stars, but Marley gets one all for himself.
I didn’t have very high expectations when I saw this one on Audible Escapes, but since I’m a sucker for pirates, I had to give it a try. Mostly I enjoyed it. The pirate accent be getting to me, but the love making between Randi and Emma makes up for it.
After a few of the romance/smutty books I read earlier this year, it was both a relief and a delight to have two people be so decent to each other while still being beautifully passionate at the same time.
All in all, I enjoyed the ride.
I didn’t have very high expectations when I saw this one on Audible Escapes, but since I’m a sucker for pirates, I had to give it a try. Mostly I enjoyed it. The pirate accent be getting to me, but the love making between Randi and Emma makes up for it.
After a few of the romance/smutty books I read earlier this year, it was both a relief and a delight to have two people be so decent to each other while still being beautifully passionate at the same time.
All in all, I enjoyed the ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2019
When I chose this book, I was hoping for maybe some paranormal/supernatural aspect, but it's actually a narrative split between two points in time. I enjoyed the high seas adventure of A Pirate's Heart, but not so much the more contemporary parts of the story. Even so, I give this book a high rating, because I love a good female pirate story. I just wish the narrator had been able to do Rebecca's voice; knowing that she should have an island accent, and it not being there was a little disruptive to the flow.
October 13, 2020
I've been enjoying reading through some books published a while back in the genre, this one contains two pretty excellent stories woven together. Perhaps it shows how the genre has shifted but I really felt the lack of narrative time spent while the couples were together.
The biphobia accusation is going to crop up with this book and it makes sense. Although Emma's voice makes it sound like a way to sardonically put herself down (and it accomplishes that pretty well) it's hella awkward to read.
The biphobia accusation is going to crop up with this book and it makes sense. Although Emma's voice makes it sound like a way to sardonically put herself down (and it accomplishes that pretty well) it's hella awkward to read.
February 14, 2022
A silly, trashy, but fun read. There's a moment in the third act where the books takes a swing toward the absurd and even the fantastical and it almost lost me, but you know what? It was silly and sweet and I'm here for the ride.
I do wish that white authors would tread more carefully about featuring Black enslaved people in escapist literature like this, though 😬 This is far less egregious than the extremely uncomfortable relationship in Spellbound, but the subject isn't treated with the respect or attention it deserves...so why include it at all?
I do wish that white authors would tread more carefully about featuring Black enslaved people in escapist literature like this, though 😬 This is far less egregious than the extremely uncomfortable relationship in Spellbound, but the subject isn't treated with the respect or attention it deserves...so why include it at all?
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