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Cat & Lily Adventures #1
Escape to Pirate Island
ASIN B072J9M1VD moved to the more recent edition
Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island, and Mutiny on the Bounty rolled into one thrilling adventure with a pair of feisty, independent female characters at the helm!
A MURDER. A MAP. A MUTINY.
You can’t run away from yourself…
The year is 1720 and two young women are about to find themselves in more trouble than they could ever have imagined possible.
Cat Meadows is a smuggler who’s built her reputation on the backs of unsuspecting souls.
Lily Exquemelin has been left nothing by her father but his troubles and his treasure map.
Forced to make a desperate escape, they each find themselves on a Trans-Atlantic adventure that will pit them against pirates, mutineers, lost treasure, and each other!
Can they learn to trust one another and escape the clutches of their would-be captors or will their past’s finally catch up to them?
Find out in this swashbuckling, romantic adventure!
436 pages, ebook
First published May 23, 2017
139 people are currently reading
1331 people want to read
About the author
Niamh Murphy
12 books156 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Niamh Murphy is a historian and novelist specialising in romantic lesbian fiction. She is passionate about experimenting with different genres and has a fondness for romantic action and adventure. She has written stories with vampires, werewolves, elves, magic, knights, sorceresses, and witches as well as contemporary and humorous stories, but always with a lesbian protagonist and a romantic element to the tale.
Visit her website for a free book: www.AuthorNiamh.com
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Niamh Murphy is a historian and novelist specialising in romantic lesbian fiction. She is passionate about experimenting with different genres and has a fondness for romantic action and adventure. She has written stories with vampires, werewolves, elves, magic, knights, sorceresses, and witches as well as contemporary and humorous stories, but always with a lesbian protagonist and a romantic element to the tale.
Visit her website for a free book: www.AuthorNiamh.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 11, 2017
Every page more action
I'm not the biggest fan of historic pieces. Well, I like Western and Medieval on occasion but Pirates never really stuck. So why read this...well my book allotment for the month was spent last month and it was free on kindle. But honestly, I AM REALLY GLAD I DID. The book is more about adventure than romance. The romance actually doesn't even happen until maybe 60% into the story but man does so much happen prior, during, and after. The just of the story is Cat is a smuggler that is on the run with three companions. They board a ship trying to leave England. Lily has lost her father who was so far in debt it makes the U.S. debt look small. As result it leaves her with nothing and in search of treasure her father claims to have hidden.
The book really is an adventure. There is action and things that go wrong left and right. I am glad to report that there is no extreme harassment of women depicted in this book (one reason I cringe at historic themed tales). The romance is really small. It falls behind the idea of escape, friendship, loyalty, and greed...but it is there ever so briefly and it works the book.
If pirates are your thing, I believe you will like it. If you are looking for a pirate romance...you will be disappointed. Regardless, I really enjoyed it.
I'm not the biggest fan of historic pieces. Well, I like Western and Medieval on occasion but Pirates never really stuck. So why read this...well my book allotment for the month was spent last month and it was free on kindle. But honestly, I AM REALLY GLAD I DID. The book is more about adventure than romance. The romance actually doesn't even happen until maybe 60% into the story but man does so much happen prior, during, and after. The just of the story is Cat is a smuggler that is on the run with three companions. They board a ship trying to leave England. Lily has lost her father who was so far in debt it makes the U.S. debt look small. As result it leaves her with nothing and in search of treasure her father claims to have hidden.
The book really is an adventure. There is action and things that go wrong left and right. I am glad to report that there is no extreme harassment of women depicted in this book (one reason I cringe at historic themed tales). The romance is really small. It falls behind the idea of escape, friendship, loyalty, and greed...but it is there ever so briefly and it works the book.
If pirates are your thing, I believe you will like it. If you are looking for a pirate romance...you will be disappointed. Regardless, I really enjoyed it.
April 27, 2019
Pirates! Treasures! Badass women! Romance! This was so much fun, I loved it.
August 2, 2018
‘Escape to Pirate Island’ was a non-stop adventure. While it’s sub-headlined as a romance, this is much more action than romance. We alternate perspective chapter to chapter between the main characters, Cat and Lily, and for the first 40% or so they don’t meet, let alone interact.
This tale begins with Cat, who, along with her crew, is in the midst of being overtaken by the King’s Revenue Men. I actually expected there to be a lot more pirate action in this book, but Cat is actually a smuggler and a landlord, wanted (I assume) for her illegal smuggling activities...amongst other things a bit later in the book.
Lily, on the other hand, is settling the estate of her father and dealing with the discovery of his ever mounting debt left upon his death. When her sister unexpectedly dies, she is left with a code and a map pointing her towards great fortune, hiding within a buried treasure. In desperation, she makes plans to go on a journey to find said treasure so that she can pay off her familial debts and move on with her life.
Through the paths their lives take, the MCs find themselves on the same boat heading for a far off destination. Though they don’t interact much at first because they hold much different stations on the ship, once they do start communicating, they move from head-butting to understanding to lovers fairly quickly. Neither Cat or Lily are pirates; however, they find themselves enmeshed in the pirate life and both must make decisions to ensure their personal safety. Can they trust each other? I guess if you read this book, you’ll find out!
I thought Murphy was really good with descriptors and keeping the feel of the book true to it’s time. It’s obvious that she studies her time periods and settings and I appreciated her attention to detail. The romance didn’t do much for me, but the story was a fun one.
I really enjoyed ‘Escape to Pirate Island.’ Although it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, I was still highly entertained and couldn’t stop reading once I found the time to actually start. This was a fun adventure and I will likely find myself reading another book by Murphy sometime soon. If you enjoy fast paced adventures with nary a moment of rest in sight, I definitely recommend this read and, as a bonus, it’s available on KU.
This tale begins with Cat, who, along with her crew, is in the midst of being overtaken by the King’s Revenue Men. I actually expected there to be a lot more pirate action in this book, but Cat is actually a smuggler and a landlord, wanted (I assume) for her illegal smuggling activities...amongst other things a bit later in the book.
Lily, on the other hand, is settling the estate of her father and dealing with the discovery of his ever mounting debt left upon his death. When her sister unexpectedly dies, she is left with a code and a map pointing her towards great fortune, hiding within a buried treasure. In desperation, she makes plans to go on a journey to find said treasure so that she can pay off her familial debts and move on with her life.
Through the paths their lives take, the MCs find themselves on the same boat heading for a far off destination. Though they don’t interact much at first because they hold much different stations on the ship, once they do start communicating, they move from head-butting to understanding to lovers fairly quickly. Neither Cat or Lily are pirates; however, they find themselves enmeshed in the pirate life and both must make decisions to ensure their personal safety. Can they trust each other? I guess if you read this book, you’ll find out!
I thought Murphy was really good with descriptors and keeping the feel of the book true to it’s time. It’s obvious that she studies her time periods and settings and I appreciated her attention to detail. The romance didn’t do much for me, but the story was a fun one.
I really enjoyed ‘Escape to Pirate Island.’ Although it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, I was still highly entertained and couldn’t stop reading once I found the time to actually start. This was a fun adventure and I will likely find myself reading another book by Murphy sometime soon. If you enjoy fast paced adventures with nary a moment of rest in sight, I definitely recommend this read and, as a bonus, it’s available on KU.
June 6, 2018
4 stars. This was quite an enjoyable pirate adventure. The story starts off running and never lets up until the end. I could've used some breaks from the breakneck pacing but otherwise a really solid read. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel.
January 17, 2018
Pirates, thar be pirates, hehe.
For the vast majority (like 90% or better) of this book the MC's Lily and Cat are not together in the same chapter. There was a bit of a cave thing that was 0-60 in 4 seconds but... it was what it was. I think taken as a whole it's a pretty exciting book. I read Mask of the Highwaywoman and the author definitely has a knack for historical fiction.
Because they weren't on screen that much together it's difficult to have sufficient buy in on the rom arc side of things. You can't write chemistry when they're not together. And slapping a few pages together expecting you to just accept it is... kinda meh.
But setting wise, world building wise, and being accurate as far as vernacular and whatnot is pretty well done. There's a lot of pirate'y backstabbing and wheeling and dealing that you'd kind of expect in this type of 'when'.
The cool thing about this one is that it definitely sets things up for a continuation. I'll be curious what's in the future for Cat and Lily in a book 2.
For the vast majority (like 90% or better) of this book the MC's Lily and Cat are not together in the same chapter. There was a bit of a cave thing that was 0-60 in 4 seconds but... it was what it was. I think taken as a whole it's a pretty exciting book. I read Mask of the Highwaywoman and the author definitely has a knack for historical fiction.
Because they weren't on screen that much together it's difficult to have sufficient buy in on the rom arc side of things. You can't write chemistry when they're not together. And slapping a few pages together expecting you to just accept it is... kinda meh.
But setting wise, world building wise, and being accurate as far as vernacular and whatnot is pretty well done. There's a lot of pirate'y backstabbing and wheeling and dealing that you'd kind of expect in this type of 'when'.
The cool thing about this one is that it definitely sets things up for a continuation. I'll be curious what's in the future for Cat and Lily in a book 2.
September 3, 2017
This book went directly from my 'authors-I-have-not-read' shelf to my 'all-time-favorites' shelf. What an unusual book. Be sure to read the forward, it sets your expectations appropriately for the path the story takes. Take this book to the beach with you, or read it with the lights out at night. It will transport you to another time and place. An action packed story with a lovely touch of romance.
June 20, 2017
Review originally appeared on The Lesbrary. Escape to Pirate Island is basically just what it says on the tin–a rambunctious, seafaring pirate adventure full of treasure maps and double-crossing, only this one stars women who wind up loving each other, getting by in a man’s world by the sheer strength of their determination, each in their own way. The book’s timeline flows well and features several of the type of vivid scenes that would make a wonderful movie.
Cat is a young smuggler whose hometown adventures are cut short by 18th century cops; Lily is the daughter of a retired pirate captain left broke by his debts when he dies. They don’t even meet until we’ve already come to know both of them pretty well, which made me more invested in both of them as characters rather than putting all the story’s weight on just their relationship arc alone.
Murphy did a great job making all the scenes come to life without making the reading feel like work–I breezed through this book in two days. This is the kind of book that puts you right into the middle of the action over and over again without making any of it hard to follow–with Cat, we climb up cliff faces, get into fights, hide underground with conspirators, and even have a job interview! (Yes, a pirate job interview is just as intimidating as it sounds.) Lily’s POV sections were less compelling for me but I was still pretty invested in her happiness as a character. She gets the rug pulled out from under her rather a lot over the course of the book and still holds her head high, refusing to let the undertow of life take her.
I was particularly entertained and enthralled by Cat’s storyline, with her cleverness and bravado and ability to adapt to a wild variety of situations. She’s married at the beginning of the book and her husband gets fridged as part of one of the book’s many MANY action scenes, so I was expecting her to be bi (obligatory bi-rate pun) but as the book unfolds it’s explained that she married her childhood bestie to get out from under her father’s thumb, a choice which I’m sure many real women of her time would find familiar. After her sexual encounter with Lily–which only takes up a page or two so if you’re looking for an action-adventure-and-feelings-heavy book rather than one with a lot of erotica, you’ve come to the right place — she realizes that she understands desire for the first time. That to me indicates a lesbuccaneer interpretation rather than bi-rate. (Yes, I just did that.) I also admire the author’s deftness in showing that Cat’s initial dislike and assumptions of Lily in reality came from a lingering dislike for her own upbringing, a lavish lifestyle she assumed Lily was both from and still enjoying. She was humble enough to backpedal as soon as she discovers her mistake.
There are many things I was afraid would happen in this book that didn’t — I love that she has a “found-father”-figure who doesn’t die. (Grizzled, tough older men who protect young lesbians instead of acting predatory toward them are very much a trope that makes me happy.) The women are threatened with sexual assault, but it stops at words. There isn’t any ethnically diverse representation, but that’s not as bad as having overtly racist tropes which I’ve encountered before in books set around this period. And though there’s a metric fuckton of double-crossing in this book Because Pirates, the tension between Lily and Cat over Cat’s behavior never lasts long enough to hurt the reader, and Cat isn’t betrayed by as many people as she could have been.
Props for the line “whose countenance was so livid that Lily wondered if the hair from his balding crown had been terrified into quitting his head.” Also, a possibly naïve comment: I grew up in South Florida and I was a little confused about how they could be so cold after it rained, once they were in the Caribbean, because it’s the kind of warm down there — and even up here, in summertime! — where rain doesn’t leave you chilled, if that makes any sense. It feels different from other places. But then again: that’s specifically Ft. Lauderdale/Miami; I’ve only been to the Caribbean itself on cruises in my teens and I don’t think it rained while we were there so I don’t actually know. And heaven knows it’s not that important of a detail; it just took me out of the story for 2 seconds.
I think this is self-published but I only noticed two minor copyediting errors; everything flowed nicely and I feel like I had a quality reading experience. By the way, TW for some uncomfortable and only partially challenged moments of whorephobia.
Cat is a young smuggler whose hometown adventures are cut short by 18th century cops; Lily is the daughter of a retired pirate captain left broke by his debts when he dies. They don’t even meet until we’ve already come to know both of them pretty well, which made me more invested in both of them as characters rather than putting all the story’s weight on just their relationship arc alone.
Murphy did a great job making all the scenes come to life without making the reading feel like work–I breezed through this book in two days. This is the kind of book that puts you right into the middle of the action over and over again without making any of it hard to follow–with Cat, we climb up cliff faces, get into fights, hide underground with conspirators, and even have a job interview! (Yes, a pirate job interview is just as intimidating as it sounds.) Lily’s POV sections were less compelling for me but I was still pretty invested in her happiness as a character. She gets the rug pulled out from under her rather a lot over the course of the book and still holds her head high, refusing to let the undertow of life take her.
I was particularly entertained and enthralled by Cat’s storyline, with her cleverness and bravado and ability to adapt to a wild variety of situations. She’s married at the beginning of the book and her husband gets fridged as part of one of the book’s many MANY action scenes, so I was expecting her to be bi (obligatory bi-rate pun) but as the book unfolds it’s explained that she married her childhood bestie to get out from under her father’s thumb, a choice which I’m sure many real women of her time would find familiar. After her sexual encounter with Lily–which only takes up a page or two so if you’re looking for an action-adventure-and-feelings-heavy book rather than one with a lot of erotica, you’ve come to the right place — she realizes that she understands desire for the first time. That to me indicates a lesbuccaneer interpretation rather than bi-rate. (Yes, I just did that.) I also admire the author’s deftness in showing that Cat’s initial dislike and assumptions of Lily in reality came from a lingering dislike for her own upbringing, a lavish lifestyle she assumed Lily was both from and still enjoying. She was humble enough to backpedal as soon as she discovers her mistake.
There are many things I was afraid would happen in this book that didn’t — I love that she has a “found-father”-figure who doesn’t die. (Grizzled, tough older men who protect young lesbians instead of acting predatory toward them are very much a trope that makes me happy.) The women are threatened with sexual assault, but it stops at words. There isn’t any ethnically diverse representation, but that’s not as bad as having overtly racist tropes which I’ve encountered before in books set around this period. And though there’s a metric fuckton of double-crossing in this book Because Pirates, the tension between Lily and Cat over Cat’s behavior never lasts long enough to hurt the reader, and Cat isn’t betrayed by as many people as she could have been.
Props for the line “whose countenance was so livid that Lily wondered if the hair from his balding crown had been terrified into quitting his head.” Also, a possibly naïve comment: I grew up in South Florida and I was a little confused about how they could be so cold after it rained, once they were in the Caribbean, because it’s the kind of warm down there — and even up here, in summertime! — where rain doesn’t leave you chilled, if that makes any sense. It feels different from other places. But then again: that’s specifically Ft. Lauderdale/Miami; I’ve only been to the Caribbean itself on cruises in my teens and I don’t think it rained while we were there so I don’t actually know. And heaven knows it’s not that important of a detail; it just took me out of the story for 2 seconds.
I think this is self-published but I only noticed two minor copyediting errors; everything flowed nicely and I feel like I had a quality reading experience. By the way, TW for some uncomfortable and only partially challenged moments of whorephobia.
August 31, 2017
If you want a rollocking adventure novel with pirates in search of treasure than this is the book for you! Niamh Murphy promises a swashbuckling romance and she sure delivers. There is plenty of action on the high seas, quite a bit of betrayal, rum and the lash and all that good stuff you find aboard a ship in the 1800's. And then we have our two heroines, Cat and Lily, who start out as enemies but slowly develop feelings for each other. I really liked the character of Lily Exquimelin, she had gumption :-)
I think the author knew her subject material well. She clearly did her research and it shows. I had to get used to her very detailed description of people and places at first. I was afraid it would bog down the narrative but luckily it didn't and the scenes flowed nicely in my head (like watching Pirates of the Caribbean or Erroll Flynn in Captain Blood :-).
Our two main characters Cat and Lily were apart for 40% of the book before they meet, but it was believable as they came from different paths to eventually end up on the same ship together. No insta-love and I can only applaud that! The chapters alternate between Cat and Lily pov.
I read this pirate adventure with my Book Club Buddy D. and we had a lot of fun. And you may lay to that matey, Yarrr!
* I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
I think the author knew her subject material well. She clearly did her research and it shows. I had to get used to her very detailed description of people and places at first. I was afraid it would bog down the narrative but luckily it didn't and the scenes flowed nicely in my head (like watching Pirates of the Caribbean or Erroll Flynn in Captain Blood :-).
Our two main characters Cat and Lily were apart for 40% of the book before they meet, but it was believable as they came from different paths to eventually end up on the same ship together. No insta-love and I can only applaud that! The chapters alternate between Cat and Lily pov.
I read this pirate adventure with my Book Club Buddy D. and we had a lot of fun. And you may lay to that matey, Yarrr!
* I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
August 24, 2017
This is my first book from the author and I like it a lot.
Going to check out her other books.
Well, this is another pirate book searching for lost treasures.
When you read a book with pirates, prepare yourself with deaths, torture, etc.
a lot of betrayal happen on this book. This a slow burn but I know you already figured it out. :)
This is a YA/Adventure or NA since there age is really not mentioned.
Cat - she's a rebel. She came from a wealthy family but she's not the usual daughter that will follow her parent's orders.
She's a born leader and for me she's very smart and fierce.
Lily on the other hand she's sweet and has a soft heart. She easily trust. She's a girl who follow rules. Also feisty if needed but at the end her goodness always prevails.
The two didn't interact until maybe almost half of the book but it's understandable considering they came from different paths.
This is also a enemies to friends type.
A lot of characters but you will not a hard time memorizing them.
Cute moments here and there. Their sex scene is also dreamy.
Hoping for a sequel? Please?
4.25
Going to check out her other books.
Well, this is another pirate book searching for lost treasures.
When you read a book with pirates, prepare yourself with deaths, torture, etc.
a lot of betrayal happen on this book. This a slow burn but I know you already figured it out. :)
This is a YA/Adventure or NA since there age is really not mentioned.
Cat - she's a rebel. She came from a wealthy family but she's not the usual daughter that will follow her parent's orders.
She's a born leader and for me she's very smart and fierce.
Lily on the other hand she's sweet and has a soft heart. She easily trust. She's a girl who follow rules. Also feisty if needed but at the end her goodness always prevails.
The two didn't interact until maybe almost half of the book but it's understandable considering they came from different paths.
This is also a enemies to friends type.
A lot of characters but you will not a hard time memorizing them.
Cute moments here and there. Their sex scene is also dreamy.
Hoping for a sequel? Please?
4.25
December 20, 2017
Took awhile to get into this one. Not sure if the language or the plotting meant that initially I struggled to follow the sentence structure, but after about 20-30 pages the story seemed to flow with greater ease.
Overall a pleasant read, with twists and turns enough to keep the plot moving forward and allow the two heroines to find themselves and overcome the baddies.
I would usually round up to a 4 star, but honestly this is a 3.4 star book.
Hope this author continues to write as the improvement in her storytelling has been exponential since her very first works.
Overall a pleasant read, with twists and turns enough to keep the plot moving forward and allow the two heroines to find themselves and overcome the baddies.
I would usually round up to a 4 star, but honestly this is a 3.4 star book.
Hope this author continues to write as the improvement in her storytelling has been exponential since her very first works.
August 20, 2018
This was ‘free’ on kindle unlimited, and maybe not something that I’d have chosen if I had to pay for it specifically. It took a while to get into it... On the plus side, there are things happening. On the downside, it’s not really clear what attracts the main characters to one another. A lot of the conflict is set up and resolved a bit too easily in the end.
All in all, I enjoyed it enough to read to the end.
All in all, I enjoyed it enough to read to the end.
September 30, 2017
OK. Now, that was rollicking good fun!
Historical fiction is not something of which I am generally very fond. Also, I can get bored with pure romance. But, this book - a historical lesbian romance - was really great fun. I totally recommend it. Set in the early 1700's, Cat was born into upper class England, but turned her back on it to avoid being "sold to the highest bidder" as a wife. Instead she eloped with a commoner and joined a team smuggling goods until the law caught up with her group of bandits. Meanwhile, Lily had been raised around money, but with the passing of her father and sister, finds that she is on the verge of being sent to debtor's prison. All she has left is a coded map to a treasure on an island across the sea. The two find themselves on the same ill-managed vessel with Cat as a deck lad and Lily, a penniless financier, plowing towards the Caribbean in search of the possibility of gold.
What they find, is a wild ride dodging violent deaths from every direction the whole way. There was no love lost between the two when they first met, each carrying great assumptions based on stereotypes of the other. I really enjoyed witnessing the evolution of their feelings towards one another. Also, some of the peril was surprisingly compelling. There were no holds barred. I believe that I was easily as entertained by this story as I was for the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie. There was never a dull moment and the twists and turns just kept on coming. Erotically, this book is probably PG-13, but still I didn't want the book to end.
This book does not land within my normal skiffy / fanty preferences, but it is still a genre book. That is, you won't become overwhelmed by nautical details or the horror of the hardships of 18th century life. This book is all about giving you an entertaining ride from start to finish and it totally succeeds - wonderful escapism!
Historical fiction is not something of which I am generally very fond. Also, I can get bored with pure romance. But, this book - a historical lesbian romance - was really great fun. I totally recommend it. Set in the early 1700's, Cat was born into upper class England, but turned her back on it to avoid being "sold to the highest bidder" as a wife. Instead she eloped with a commoner and joined a team smuggling goods until the law caught up with her group of bandits. Meanwhile, Lily had been raised around money, but with the passing of her father and sister, finds that she is on the verge of being sent to debtor's prison. All she has left is a coded map to a treasure on an island across the sea. The two find themselves on the same ill-managed vessel with Cat as a deck lad and Lily, a penniless financier, plowing towards the Caribbean in search of the possibility of gold.
What they find, is a wild ride dodging violent deaths from every direction the whole way. There was no love lost between the two when they first met, each carrying great assumptions based on stereotypes of the other. I really enjoyed witnessing the evolution of their feelings towards one another. Also, some of the peril was surprisingly compelling. There were no holds barred. I believe that I was easily as entertained by this story as I was for the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie. There was never a dull moment and the twists and turns just kept on coming. Erotically, this book is probably PG-13, but still I didn't want the book to end.
This book does not land within my normal skiffy / fanty preferences, but it is still a genre book. That is, you won't become overwhelmed by nautical details or the horror of the hardships of 18th century life. This book is all about giving you an entertaining ride from start to finish and it totally succeeds - wonderful escapism!
May 2, 2022
A brilliant pirate adventure! Thrown straight into the action (and the sea!), join Cat and her band of rogues as they escape the consequences of their smuggling ring and board a ship, the destination only known to one Miss Lily Exquemelin, who is on the hunt for her father's hidden treasure! With romance, mutiny, swashbuckling sword fights, twists, trickery, and more, this is absolutely a book worth checking out!!
This is my second book by this author; I've read Gretel, and I have Outlaw on my TBR, but I really (REALLY!) hope there's another Cat and Lily adventure in the future!
This is my second book by this author; I've read Gretel, and I have Outlaw on my TBR, but I really (REALLY!) hope there's another Cat and Lily adventure in the future!
January 18, 2020
I have a mix feeling with Cat. At first i didnt feel connect to her at all. And it seems like she had lots of guilt feelings 🙄 quick to her temper and didnt think things through. Though she’s always found a way out of it, i guess. Flench described her as smart, but i feel like she’s more reckless. I’m enjoyed Lily character more. I like her. Though, she trusted Cat easily and also a bit rash to made decision as well like at the start of the story. I still wonder what she would do if she really leads those crews to the treasure. The romance part is a bit bleh to me i guess. I mean i couldnt feel the connection the two. But i did enjoy their lone time bit together.
The adventures and treasures hunting were great though. I really enjoyed them. Every obstacles, mutiny, and betrayal that happened between the crews and friends. There was always one thing happened after another until the very end that is made me enjoyed thoroughly. All in all, that was a great read :)
The adventures and treasures hunting were great though. I really enjoyed them. Every obstacles, mutiny, and betrayal that happened between the crews and friends. There was always one thing happened after another until the very end that is made me enjoyed thoroughly. All in all, that was a great read :)
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April 17, 2019The year is 1720....... a walloping good story.
This is a great sea adventure about a smuggler, Cat, and a orphaned and improvised daughter of a sea captain, Lily, whose only possession is her deceased fathers treasure map. In an unfortunate event Cat looses most of her smuggling crew, her husband, her home, and her tavern while Lily’s home is being emptied and sold by bailiffs to cover her fathers debts. Cat and what’s left of her crew are running from the law and Lily is looking for a ship to hunt treasure. Serendipity puts them on the same vessel. Cat, disguised as a young sailor and Lily is a passenger. Eventually they meet and their story begin.
This book is well crafted, the characters are full. I love a good lesbian pirate romance and this book delivers in spades. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
This is a great sea adventure about a smuggler, Cat, and a orphaned and improvised daughter of a sea captain, Lily, whose only possession is her deceased fathers treasure map. In an unfortunate event Cat looses most of her smuggling crew, her husband, her home, and her tavern while Lily’s home is being emptied and sold by bailiffs to cover her fathers debts. Cat and what’s left of her crew are running from the law and Lily is looking for a ship to hunt treasure. Serendipity puts them on the same vessel. Cat, disguised as a young sailor and Lily is a passenger. Eventually they meet and their story begin.
This book is well crafted, the characters are full. I love a good lesbian pirate romance and this book delivers in spades. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
September 1, 2017
I received a free copy for my honest review!
Argh matey, it was quite a good pirate tale. Been a while since I read a pirate tale, but totally liked this one, it's excellently paced, vivid characters, historical, author Niamh Murphy hooks you from the first page, puts you in the pages and your right their for the swashbuckling adventure our two heroines take.
Liked both characters Lady Catherine Cadogan aka Cat Meadows on the run due to being a smuggler, and a murderer. Then Lily Exquemelin who losses her dad and sister then watches everything from his estate gets taken away to pay off his debt, she'll end up with just a treasure map and key code.
Cat and Lily are different as night and day, the adventure brings them together, they connect, then overcome trust issues and end up in love.
Don't want to give too much away, but Escape to Pirate Island, is a sea faring adventure, with mutiny, sword fighting, a little romance, that builds into a good verse evil adventure and ends up with a bounty of gold.
Definitely give Niamh Murphy a try, the lesbian romance is at a minimal, so if that's not your thing, it doesn't hurt the over all story and definitely will read more of her books.
Argh matey, it was quite a good pirate tale. Been a while since I read a pirate tale, but totally liked this one, it's excellently paced, vivid characters, historical, author Niamh Murphy hooks you from the first page, puts you in the pages and your right their for the swashbuckling adventure our two heroines take.
Liked both characters Lady Catherine Cadogan aka Cat Meadows on the run due to being a smuggler, and a murderer. Then Lily Exquemelin who losses her dad and sister then watches everything from his estate gets taken away to pay off his debt, she'll end up with just a treasure map and key code.
Cat and Lily are different as night and day, the adventure brings them together, they connect, then overcome trust issues and end up in love.
Don't want to give too much away, but Escape to Pirate Island, is a sea faring adventure, with mutiny, sword fighting, a little romance, that builds into a good verse evil adventure and ends up with a bounty of gold.
Definitely give Niamh Murphy a try, the lesbian romance is at a minimal, so if that's not your thing, it doesn't hurt the over all story and definitely will read more of her books.
July 20, 2017
Tremendous!
It truly is a swashbuckling adventure with twists and turns aplenty. What a fantastic read; delightfully written with all the elements to create a memorable story.
It truly is a swashbuckling adventure with twists and turns aplenty. What a fantastic read; delightfully written with all the elements to create a memorable story.
September 4, 2020
“Cat stood out to sea, her hair whipping around her head like a crackling fire. She seemed ready to challenge the incoming storm to a death match. Lily stood and moved closer, finding comfort in Cat’s relentless determination.”
Escape to Pirate Island is an action-packed, addictive adventure story about two girls, Cat and Lily, who both find themselves on the run, desperate to escape their hopeless situations: Cat is hunted by the law after her smuggling operation is caught, and the newly orphaned Lily is hounded by debtors clamouring to get the money her deceased father owed them. Lily also has her father's old map that could lead her to his hidden treasure, and decides to travel to find it, for it would guarantee her freedom and independence. This book is full of classic pirate stuff, like black spots, treasure maps, sea battles and mutinies, and it's a wonderful, wild ride. I loved following the two girls on their journeys and seeing how their stories eventually intertwined, and, as this is a romance novel, how they began to fall in love.
I love historical adventure stories, so I was naturally going to like this, but I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would. It's well written, funny and non-stop in its action, which made it super addictive to read. I loved how the story, while being a fun romp on the Atlantic sea, also had some darker moments and some truly devastating scenes that moved me a whole lot - the story was a wild ride, not just in terms of plot, but also in terms of how it made me feel. I kinda expected this book to be a silly historical romance, and I'm glad to say it's much more than that (not that there's anything wrong with book being cute and corny and silly!). It's a romance, yes, but it's also a story of two young women trying to find freedom and independence in a world that denies these things from them, as well as an uplifting story of friendship, bravery and endurance.
It was also lovely to have a trope-y pirate adventure with two fierce lesbian ladies as the leads. Cat and Lily were both well-written, complex characters who were loveable and people I rooted for from the get-go. I liked that Murphy gave them a lot of time in the beginning to develop as individuals before introducing the romance plot line of the book, so when the two girls eventually began to fall for one another, I was already invested in them as individuals. I gotta say the romance could've used a couple of extra chapters of development - it progressed quite fast - but that's not to say I didn't like it or root for Cat and Lily, I did, I just wished there'd been a few more chapters of them just getting to know one another. But, on the topic of characters, I also thoroughly enjoyed the main three side characters, Cat's friends John, Tommy and Fletcher.
I truly hope Niamh Murphy will write a second book about Cat and Lily, and all the other wonderful characters introduced in this book, since this one was so much fun!
Escape to Pirate Island is an action-packed, addictive adventure story about two girls, Cat and Lily, who both find themselves on the run, desperate to escape their hopeless situations: Cat is hunted by the law after her smuggling operation is caught, and the newly orphaned Lily is hounded by debtors clamouring to get the money her deceased father owed them. Lily also has her father's old map that could lead her to his hidden treasure, and decides to travel to find it, for it would guarantee her freedom and independence. This book is full of classic pirate stuff, like black spots, treasure maps, sea battles and mutinies, and it's a wonderful, wild ride. I loved following the two girls on their journeys and seeing how their stories eventually intertwined, and, as this is a romance novel, how they began to fall in love.
I love historical adventure stories, so I was naturally going to like this, but I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would. It's well written, funny and non-stop in its action, which made it super addictive to read. I loved how the story, while being a fun romp on the Atlantic sea, also had some darker moments and some truly devastating scenes that moved me a whole lot - the story was a wild ride, not just in terms of plot, but also in terms of how it made me feel. I kinda expected this book to be a silly historical romance, and I'm glad to say it's much more than that (not that there's anything wrong with book being cute and corny and silly!). It's a romance, yes, but it's also a story of two young women trying to find freedom and independence in a world that denies these things from them, as well as an uplifting story of friendship, bravery and endurance.
It was also lovely to have a trope-y pirate adventure with two fierce lesbian ladies as the leads. Cat and Lily were both well-written, complex characters who were loveable and people I rooted for from the get-go. I liked that Murphy gave them a lot of time in the beginning to develop as individuals before introducing the romance plot line of the book, so when the two girls eventually began to fall for one another, I was already invested in them as individuals. I gotta say the romance could've used a couple of extra chapters of development - it progressed quite fast - but that's not to say I didn't like it or root for Cat and Lily, I did, I just wished there'd been a few more chapters of them just getting to know one another. But, on the topic of characters, I also thoroughly enjoyed the main three side characters, Cat's friends John, Tommy and Fletcher.
I truly hope Niamh Murphy will write a second book about Cat and Lily, and all the other wonderful characters introduced in this book, since this one was so much fun!
November 13, 2018
At the start of the book Cat is on a smuggling mission that goes badly wrong and gets a lot of her comrades killed. Lily's father just died and left her seemingly nothing but a huge mountain of debt. So, neither of them is in a very good place emotionally...and that was in no way conveyed by the narration. Sure, we got occasionally told that they were Really Very Sad but it never felt like it because there wasn't to much time spent on it. We just got a lot of action-scenes and I grant the author that they were good. Only, well-written action scenes can only get you so far if they involve characters I don't care about. And I didn't really care about *checks notes...how were they called?* Cat and Lily.
Besided, the author seems to think you can make your dialoge old-timey by characters happily switching between Ye, You, Thou and Thee without any consideration of the fact that they were used differently.
Besided, the author seems to think you can make your dialoge old-timey by characters happily switching between Ye, You, Thou and Thee without any consideration of the fact that they were used differently.
March 19, 2021
I think the premises of this book were great, it had a lot of potential, but in the end it was kind of underwhelming.
There was a lot of action, but the pacing wasn't that good, and I didn't felt connected to the characters. The hate-to-love's trope was a bit clumsy and the slow-burn wasn't really worth it my opinion. All the plot lines were nicely tied, but again, lot of missed opportunities for great scenes.
Also, the writing wasn't bad but some mistakes and repetitions kept taking me out of the story.
There was a lot of action, but the pacing wasn't that good, and I didn't felt connected to the characters. The hate-to-love's trope was a bit clumsy and the slow-burn wasn't really worth it my opinion. All the plot lines were nicely tied, but again, lot of missed opportunities for great scenes.
Also, the writing wasn't bad but some mistakes and repetitions kept taking me out of the story.
July 15, 2018
If you ever thought that all that was missing to Geena Davis' role as a pirate captain was a sassy lass at her side, then this is the story you where always looking for.
It could do with a proofreading or two, but if you can ignore that minor fact you are rewarded with an start to end entertaining adventure with a fine dollop of romance.
It could do with a proofreading or two, but if you can ignore that minor fact you are rewarded with an start to end entertaining adventure with a fine dollop of romance.
June 17, 2020
Promising story, lacklustre romance
This had all the makings of an epic sapphic pirate adventure. I'm a sucker for a slow burn romance in the midst of an angsty adventure, but there was barely a build never mind a slow one.
The change seemed to take place with the blink of an eye, within a couple of pages, there was no weight behind any of Cat's or Lily's inner monologues when it came to their feelings towards one another. It was almost as though the author wanted to skip to the part where the two leads were together so the smut could begin, without having to write any of the exciting and tense moments that come with realising you're interested in someone. Those are the best parts! Especially for wlw romance, in my humble opinion.
It's not very often that the way a pairing is written can make me unwilling to carry on the story, especially such a promising historical wlw adventure, but here I am.
Perhaps I'm a terrible cynic and it improves as it goes on (I stopped at the cave scene, you'll know the one) but for me their interest in one another was hollow and disinteresting. For two badass women, it just didnt pack much of a punch.
If my curiosity about how the story plays out ever makes me pick it up again in the future I'll update my review!
This had all the makings of an epic sapphic pirate adventure. I'm a sucker for a slow burn romance in the midst of an angsty adventure, but there was barely a build never mind a slow one.
The change seemed to take place with the blink of an eye, within a couple of pages, there was no weight behind any of Cat's or Lily's inner monologues when it came to their feelings towards one another. It was almost as though the author wanted to skip to the part where the two leads were together so the smut could begin, without having to write any of the exciting and tense moments that come with realising you're interested in someone. Those are the best parts! Especially for wlw romance, in my humble opinion.
It's not very often that the way a pairing is written can make me unwilling to carry on the story, especially such a promising historical wlw adventure, but here I am.
Perhaps I'm a terrible cynic and it improves as it goes on (I stopped at the cave scene, you'll know the one) but for me their interest in one another was hollow and disinteresting. For two badass women, it just didnt pack much of a punch.
If my curiosity about how the story plays out ever makes me pick it up again in the future I'll update my review!
January 2, 2022
Full of grit! Piratey adventures! Sword fights! And of course sapphic romance, more pirate sapphic books please!
August 1, 2017
ESCAPE TO PIRATE ISLAND by Niamh Murphy is a rollicking adventure with a splash of romance.
November 1, 2022
I was so impressed by this. By no stretch of the imagination is it the most groundbreaking or thought-provoking piece of literature I've ever read, but for what it is: a fast-paced adventure story about lesbian pirates, it was impeccable. I'm unsure how I even found this considering it only has 444 ratings, but I am not unhappy that I did. It was so refreshing to see a lesbian story in which the romance developed so naturally and was allowed to flourish whilst also being somewhat of a side-plot. The pirate adventure really takes centre-stage; it was so compelling that the book seemed much shorter than it actually was. The author's devotion to the setting of the story in the 1700s was also executed well - a lot of the things that occurred/the way in which characters functioned appeared true to what we widely know about that period and its inundation with pirates, sea voyages and the greed of the wealthy at the expense of the poor. There was a subtle, if unintended, Marxism to this book that I also enjoyed. As a very political person, I enjoyed being able to pick out these moments. Also, the unashamed focus on multi-faceted female characters and the ways in which they were oppressed by the men around them was a highlight. My thirst for feminism in literature was sated.
final rating as of 26/06/2022: 4.5 stars
final rating as of 26/06/2022: 4.5 stars
May 30, 2017
I was introduced to this little adventurous gem on a site where the author let her readers follow her writing process. Every day she would post another scene, every scene would end with a cliffhanger. Lesbians AND pirates, I had thought excited, I would have to take a look at the first one or two scenes, and maybe later read the whole thing. Because I had many novels on my kindle waiting for me, I wouldn’t yet really start this one, just have a little peek. Or so I thought …
Well, I came back every day for the next scene, the next cliffhanger, the next surprising twist. Even though I had once told myself to never again start to read something that isn’t yet finished. Didn’t work out. Which I should have known, to be honest, because this is not the first story I’ve read by this author. The moment I dared to take a peek was also the moment I knew I would be hooked again.
Buy it!
Well, I came back every day for the next scene, the next cliffhanger, the next surprising twist. Even though I had once told myself to never again start to read something that isn’t yet finished. Didn’t work out. Which I should have known, to be honest, because this is not the first story I’ve read by this author. The moment I dared to take a peek was also the moment I knew I would be hooked again.
Buy it!
June 22, 2020
I rec'd a copy from the author.
This little tale (the third book I've read by the author) thoroughly satisfied the hidden pirate/adventurer in me. There was just the right amount of action, adventure and concise descriptions of seafaring life with a romantic ending for main characters Cat and Lily. What an exciting ride. I look forward to more from Ms. Murphy. 5 stars.
Second read of this book. Crisp writing and swashbuckling romance reinforced why this book is on my re-read shelf. Dive into seafaring adventure, action and romance with no nonsense female leads that rock.
This little tale (the third book I've read by the author) thoroughly satisfied the hidden pirate/adventurer in me. There was just the right amount of action, adventure and concise descriptions of seafaring life with a romantic ending for main characters Cat and Lily. What an exciting ride. I look forward to more from Ms. Murphy. 5 stars.
Second read of this book. Crisp writing and swashbuckling romance reinforced why this book is on my re-read shelf. Dive into seafaring adventure, action and romance with no nonsense female leads that rock.
June 18, 2018
I enjoyed this book, despite a few errors in punctuation and missing words. I know how when you're your own proofreader these things can slip past you.
However I was surprised to learn that the author is welsh - some parts read as if the first language of the author isn't English. For example at location 1653 on the kindle version, 'imbued' is used where I'm fairly certain they meant 'imbibed' - as they are talking about alcohol consumption. A few other times words have been confused or used incorrectly.
This didn't effect my enjoyment of the story though. It is an entertaining pirate romp and I didn't really mind that for the first section of the book the two main characters are separate. It reminded me a bit of Sarah Waters' 'Fingersmith' in that sense.
It was the last third of the book that sort of reduced my enjoyment. Basically everything that happens after they reach the actual island with the treasure on it. It gets a bit overly complicated, with the lovers reuniting, and separating and various different plans being put into place, then abandoned, then picked up again. For example Cat covers herself in jewellery from the treasure but it's not really explained why that is - she doesn't try to convince anyone that what she has is the only treasure to find, or use herself as a distraction, it just encumbers her.
I particularly didn't get the way in which the treasure is concealed. I assumed that Cat was going to hide the entrance to the second cavern - perhaps put some small portion of the treasure into the first cave as a decoy, saving the majority of the hoard. But what she actually does, bizarrely, is to carry the treasure, which we are told is in many many many chests, two sackfuls at a time, onto the cliff, then drag the chest out and refill it, before going on to the next. Yet in the earlier section of her being down there, it doesn't seem she's been there more than an hour. Certainly not the hours or even days necessary to carry off such a removal of solid gold objects and heavy chests.
The way in which Cat proves that there is a treasure - using a telescope to literally show the pirates the heap of gold on the cliff. Felt a bit cartoonish - as did the descriptions of gold and jewel encrusted swords, crowns and jewellery - surely the amount of these that can be looted over a pirate's short break from serving the king is finite and fairly small? I can't really imagine a ship being rammed to the gunwales with jewellery, rather than say, gold coins.
Similarly, I didn't really get how at the end Cat 1. doesn't seem at all angry that her 3 compatriots did nothing much to prevent her being marooned. We're told that one of them raged so much he was locked up below decks but, what about the other two? And 2. Cat takes control of the Sea Nymph/Kraken from Captain Hood (I think that's his name) and then he immediately challenges her and appears ready to take control back again - and so she shows him the treasure and he just...gives up? He's already led a mutiny against a far larger loyal crew AND stolen the treasure map AND marooned her on a desert island AND now he's trying it on again - and she thinks tempting him with a big pile of treasure is going to ensure his loyalty??? I anticipate Cat having her throat slit three pages after the end of the book. I would have marooned him at the very least!
Similarly Cat doesn't attempt to go after her two traitorous companions from the Blackbird who left her in a hole to die. I know she is tricking them into thinking that they have all the treasure and that she wants them to leave, but still - they left her to DIE. She shot and killed a man for betraying her in the opening chapters, yet it doesn't seem to occur to her to either send the evil Navy officer after the Blackbird or go after them in her newly acquired pirate ship.
So, in summary. I would say, it IS a good read, if you're on a long journey or a holiday. The two main characters are interesting and fully fleshed out, and the plot, for the most part, is interesting and enjoyable, apart from the ending, which lets a few balls drop.
However I was surprised to learn that the author is welsh - some parts read as if the first language of the author isn't English. For example at location 1653 on the kindle version, 'imbued' is used where I'm fairly certain they meant 'imbibed' - as they are talking about alcohol consumption. A few other times words have been confused or used incorrectly.
This didn't effect my enjoyment of the story though. It is an entertaining pirate romp and I didn't really mind that for the first section of the book the two main characters are separate. It reminded me a bit of Sarah Waters' 'Fingersmith' in that sense.
It was the last third of the book that sort of reduced my enjoyment. Basically everything that happens after they reach the actual island with the treasure on it. It gets a bit overly complicated, with the lovers reuniting, and separating and various different plans being put into place, then abandoned, then picked up again. For example Cat covers herself in jewellery from the treasure but it's not really explained why that is - she doesn't try to convince anyone that what she has is the only treasure to find, or use herself as a distraction, it just encumbers her.
I particularly didn't get the way in which the treasure is concealed. I assumed that Cat was going to hide the entrance to the second cavern - perhaps put some small portion of the treasure into the first cave as a decoy, saving the majority of the hoard. But what she actually does, bizarrely, is to carry the treasure, which we are told is in many many many chests, two sackfuls at a time, onto the cliff, then drag the chest out and refill it, before going on to the next. Yet in the earlier section of her being down there, it doesn't seem she's been there more than an hour. Certainly not the hours or even days necessary to carry off such a removal of solid gold objects and heavy chests.
The way in which Cat proves that there is a treasure - using a telescope to literally show the pirates the heap of gold on the cliff. Felt a bit cartoonish - as did the descriptions of gold and jewel encrusted swords, crowns and jewellery - surely the amount of these that can be looted over a pirate's short break from serving the king is finite and fairly small? I can't really imagine a ship being rammed to the gunwales with jewellery, rather than say, gold coins.
Similarly, I didn't really get how at the end Cat 1. doesn't seem at all angry that her 3 compatriots did nothing much to prevent her being marooned. We're told that one of them raged so much he was locked up below decks but, what about the other two? And 2. Cat takes control of the Sea Nymph/Kraken from Captain Hood (I think that's his name) and then he immediately challenges her and appears ready to take control back again - and so she shows him the treasure and he just...gives up? He's already led a mutiny against a far larger loyal crew AND stolen the treasure map AND marooned her on a desert island AND now he's trying it on again - and she thinks tempting him with a big pile of treasure is going to ensure his loyalty??? I anticipate Cat having her throat slit three pages after the end of the book. I would have marooned him at the very least!
Similarly Cat doesn't attempt to go after her two traitorous companions from the Blackbird who left her in a hole to die. I know she is tricking them into thinking that they have all the treasure and that she wants them to leave, but still - they left her to DIE. She shot and killed a man for betraying her in the opening chapters, yet it doesn't seem to occur to her to either send the evil Navy officer after the Blackbird or go after them in her newly acquired pirate ship.
So, in summary. I would say, it IS a good read, if you're on a long journey or a holiday. The two main characters are interesting and fully fleshed out, and the plot, for the most part, is interesting and enjoyable, apart from the ending, which lets a few balls drop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2025
Sigh. I came in expecting fantasy lesbian pirates with adventures on the high seas…
I got a more historical pirate story filled with portrayals of sexism that, while perhaps accurate, were not what I signed up for. But I could have accepted that if it had been well written.
Sidebar: There really needs to be some kind of proper editing service for self published works. There’s a reason editors exist and it’s not just to prevent good authors from getting their work before the people. If only big publishing houses were willing to work on more lgbt content of quality and help develop it into something great. If only more authors created lgbt literature of a higher caliber.
Anyways, the pacing was weird. It’s like someone fast forwarded through the story picking up the characters like dolls: first they’re here *plops them down* and they hate each other. Now, all of a sudden *picks them up and plops them into the next plot point slot* bam! They love each other! A man proposes in one sentence (completely stereotypically, I might add) and then in the next sentence, as he is rejected, just seemingly accepts it and that’s that. Check! Moving on to next plot point. Characters just come to major realizations all of a sudden, almost out of the blue. That’s not character development.
It’s bizarre.
The basic concept of lesbian pirates is fantastic! I want more lesbian pirates please! Preferably fantasy/swords and sorcery lesbian pirates with a great, well executed plot and exceptional characters that are more than just caricatures.
This is treasure island fanfiction with a lesbian twist. Could have been great. Ended up just so-so.
I got a more historical pirate story filled with portrayals of sexism that, while perhaps accurate, were not what I signed up for. But I could have accepted that if it had been well written.
Sidebar: There really needs to be some kind of proper editing service for self published works. There’s a reason editors exist and it’s not just to prevent good authors from getting their work before the people. If only big publishing houses were willing to work on more lgbt content of quality and help develop it into something great. If only more authors created lgbt literature of a higher caliber.
Anyways, the pacing was weird. It’s like someone fast forwarded through the story picking up the characters like dolls: first they’re here *plops them down* and they hate each other. Now, all of a sudden *picks them up and plops them into the next plot point slot* bam! They love each other! A man proposes in one sentence (completely stereotypically, I might add) and then in the next sentence, as he is rejected, just seemingly accepts it and that’s that. Check! Moving on to next plot point. Characters just come to major realizations all of a sudden, almost out of the blue. That’s not character development.
It’s bizarre.
The basic concept of lesbian pirates is fantastic! I want more lesbian pirates please! Preferably fantasy/swords and sorcery lesbian pirates with a great, well executed plot and exceptional characters that are more than just caricatures.
This is treasure island fanfiction with a lesbian twist. Could have been great. Ended up just so-so.
February 8, 2018
Let's just start off by establishing that Pirate Fantasy Fiction is one of my all-time favorite genres of anything. and, of course, I'm gay, so lesbian pirate adventure? I was so down I bought it as soon as I laid eyes on it.
And I loved it.
The characterization is great, once you start delving into why these characters are the way they are. At first, I was a little put off by Lily's blatant disgust for her mother and sister's life style (they're prostitutes, I guess), but after a while it feels less like slut-shaming and you start to realize that Lily is gay af (which was to be expected but it's still a nice realization), and it's not that she just totally hates them, she just doesn't want to be with men.
And Cat. Oh my word, she is everything I wanted to be as a child growing up watching Kiera Knightley take on Barbossa and Davey Jones and whatever else. She's a total badass. One of her character flaws is that she's quick to judge, as she does with Lily and Billy, and I thoroughly liked seeing how she dealt with that.
I low-key love the father-daughter relationship Cat has with John. Like, I feel it's especially important in a book with LGBT characters to show that you can find your family outside of a blood relation.
Honestly, this book made me so happy that it's going straight onto my favorites shelf. I will never be over this book. Bless amazon for forcing me to view this in my sponsored feed bc I love it.
And I loved it.
The characterization is great, once you start delving into why these characters are the way they are. At first, I was a little put off by Lily's blatant disgust for her mother and sister's life style (they're prostitutes, I guess), but after a while it feels less like slut-shaming and you start to realize that Lily is gay af (which was to be expected but it's still a nice realization), and it's not that she just totally hates them, she just doesn't want to be with men.
And Cat. Oh my word, she is everything I wanted to be as a child growing up watching Kiera Knightley take on Barbossa and Davey Jones and whatever else. She's a total badass. One of her character flaws is that she's quick to judge, as she does with Lily and Billy, and I thoroughly liked seeing how she dealt with that.
I low-key love the father-daughter relationship Cat has with John. Like, I feel it's especially important in a book with LGBT characters to show that you can find your family outside of a blood relation.
Honestly, this book made me so happy that it's going straight onto my favorites shelf. I will never be over this book. Bless amazon for forcing me to view this in my sponsored feed bc I love it.
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