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The Plundered Chronicles #1

The Pirate's Booty

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When Quinn Gallagher’s childhood friend is abducted from a dock in Ireland, she’ll do whatever it takes to come to the rescue—even if that means dressing as a man and joining the crew of one of the most notorious pirate captains the world has ever seen.

Quinn soon finds there is much to enjoy living as a man, in particular the company of other women. When she finds herself falling hard for Lady Fiona, a woman far above her own station, she is torn between revealing her true identity and continuing the façade of being a male pirate. Love is never easy, especially in the sixteenth century and especially under false pretenses.

Can Quinn live with one foot in two different worlds, or must she consign herself to either the lusty life of a pirate or the loveless life of a noble woman? Come sail the high seas in this exciting and erotic adventure with the fierce pirate Gallagher as your guide. You’re in for a wild ride and may even score some booty along the way.

344 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2015

92 people are currently reading
1302 people want to read

About the author

Alex Westmore

42 books146 followers
Alex Westmore lives in the oven called Palm Springs, where she rescues desert tortoises, lizards, and a snake or two. One tortoise, Fancy Pants, is nearing 80 pounds and is eating Alex out of house and home! Havig travelled around the world to get closer to the action, she has spent time with Voodun in New Orleans, medicine men in the Southwest, and a Shaman in the Amazon. She has travelled to Galway, Ireland where her pirate captain, Grace O'Malley lived, ridden on the back of an elephant on safari, and raced an ostrich. Her adventures both keep her OUT of trouble as well as put her INTO trouble.

Alex is also a five-time award winning author of several series, from zombies to demons to empaths, oh my! When she isn’t writing, she’s thinking about writing and imagining where her next great adventure will take her, often, it takes her out onto the backroads of Southern California on her awesome beast of a Harley.
Spice up your life! Join Alex on her next amazing adventure… you will be so glad you did.

aka Linda Kay Silva

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5 stars
323 (36%)
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310 (34%)
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149 (16%)
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72 (8%)
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34 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
Profile Image for Gail Carriger.
Author 63 books15.4k followers
January 22, 2016
I don't quite know what to say about The Pirate's Booty. I finished it late one night over the holidays, and I kept waking up in the middle of the night afterwards ~ not thinking about the book, but thinking about how to write a review of the book. The story really had the emotional tenor of a 1960s pulp mystery, like J.D. McDonald's Travis McGee series. By that, I mean there is a Gary Sue element to the central character. In Pirate's Booty the protagonist is a woman, Quinn, but she is not a Mary Sue. She is flirtatious with all of the girls, romances everybody, and is generally utterly charming and dashing in a "hunky hero please sweep me off my feet" kind of way. Quinn rescues women via her sexual prowess (a hallmark of Travis McGee). There adds to the swashbuckling pirate aspect, which reminded me of something like Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers.

So let's get into some detail.

Main Character: Quinn

Quinn is an extremely appealing character, she is meant to be. She is also a lesbian in a time period when the concept doesn't even really exist. Yet every woman who she meets falls in love with her and the few who find out she is a woman stay in love with her. Also, all of her friends who find out are immediately accepting. This didn't bother me as much as it should. She is a womanizer, although she is nice about it. And I did find myself questioning whether I would be as tolerant of Quinn if she were male. I don't think I would. And since I don't want to self-examine my own judgement in this matter, I'll just leave that there and proceed with this review.

Historical Setting

The historical research, apart from certain social issues previously mentioned, is very good. Although the author does tend to include lots of information about existing historical characters in info-dump form that is a little detrimental to pace. I personally would have preferred a few more small details about the time period, since it isn't one I'm familiar with. For example: I'd like some more about the clothing, the food, the texture, the materials on the ship, and the smell of the towns. However, this is a mere quibble, these are things that are peculiar to my interests. Westmore is clearly a historian rather than an archaeologist, for her concern is over accuracy in language, town layouts, geography, older place names, and so forth.

Some Final Thoughts

I am bothered by the way so many people so quickly fall in love with Quinn. In that regard, romance is the least effective aspect of this book. I did very much enjoy the historical accuracy, the swashbuckling pirate attitude, and the simple old-fashioned adventure. And while the romance is not effective, the friendships are come and go. In the end, I found myself thinking most about those Victorian sea ballads sung by sailors to women explaining how they will never settle on land because their love of the sea is Eternal. "Don't fall in love with me, my darling, for I will inevitably break your heart." Very melodramatic. In that regard this book is romantic, but in the original Victorian sentimental sense of the word and judged under that umbrella, I forgive it its foibles.
Profile Image for The Shayne-Train.
440 reviews103 followers
January 20, 2016
Sometimes, you'll read a book that sounds amazing. The blurb, the plot, the genre, the title, the cover; it all clicks with you. And then you read it and you're left deflated and disappointed. This book was the opposite of that bullcrap.

I read this book because lesbian pirates. That's all. No other reason. Lesbian pirates, and maybe the chuckle that the title gave me. I expected some hawt f/f lovin' scenes, and maybe some bucklin' of swashes.

What I gotst was amazingly-written and well-researched historical fiction with a few hawt f/f lovin' scenes. I loved it. I loved the main character, and her inner struggle to find herself in a man's world. I loved the Irish brogue that dripped sweet as clover honey from the dialogue. I loved the camaraderie of those who fight for each other, the blood pacts of childhood still held close to heart, the high seas intrigue of Queen Elizabeth and Francis Drake.

The last book that so surprised in this way was Amish Vampires in Space. Like this book, that one held a beautiful hidden gem, obscured by a pulpy-sounding title and premise.

I'd recommend this for any fan of action/adventure fiction. I'd also recommend this for anyone who appreciates those who do not bend to what the world expects them to be.
Profile Image for Bárbara Sousa.
376 reviews49 followers
October 11, 2020
Wow! This book was so cool! I loved everything. I gotta be honest, I thought about not finishing this one because of the way the dialogues are written. It was just messing with my head at first lol but I decided to keep on reading because I was enjoying the story so much. And thank god I didn’t stop. This was the best pirate story I have ever read, and in the end I was loving the way the dialogues are written and I was reading them with what I my head is a pirate’s voice 😂😂 and now I lowkey wanna be a pirate 💀😂 I will definitely read the other books in this series. I wanna read more about Quinn’s adventures. I’m just sad she couldn’t be with Fiona 🥺 But her home is in O’Maley’s ship, it’s in the sea, and she’ll def be more happy there. But I do hope she gets to have her own family in the end of the series 🙏🏻 imma read it all ASAP to find that out 😉
Profile Image for . (not active on this account stop adding me).
613 reviews232 followers
dnf
June 24, 2019
representation: lesbian mc


DNF @ 73%

I don't really want to write a full review on this, so I'll just give you a list of my thoughts:

➵ I loved the main character and Lady Fiona's romance, but it was short-lived and very sporadic. Fiona only appears about four times in the entire book, and the circumstances towards the end aren't very hopeful.
➵ The battle scenes were so awkwardly written. They were summarised in less than a paragraph and barely described any of the action.
➵ There were a lot of girl-on-girl sex scenes, but I do feel weird knowing Quinn is having sex with these women and they have no idea she's a girl.
➵ The only male gay(?) character forces himself on Quinn when she's in her male persona.
➵ The gender identity of the main character was confusing. She identifies as a woman, but dresses as a man and constantly says she prefers being a man and "never wants to go back to being a woman". I'm only mentioning this because that phrase comes up a lot throughout the book.
➵ They encounter slaves around the 70% point and speak to the "light-skinned" one because he's the only one who can speak English. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
➵ It was just a boring book, overall.

I wouldn't say this book was bad, it just wasn't something I was interested in. If I continued reading, I would've lowered my rating considerably. I might finish in the future because it's wonderful representation and I do love the characters, but the plot was so dull that it was difficult for me to garner the motivation to read.
Profile Image for Bridget Essex.
Author 54 books460 followers
January 14, 2016
See here for details and info on how to get your book reviewed, if you're an author! :)



I've read so many books throughout my life that they're practically uncountable at this point. That's what I have to preface this review with. I am very well-read. So, when I tell you that the main character of Westmore's The Pirate's Booty , Quinn Gallagher, is one of the most likable characters I've ever read, you have to understand that that's saying something.  :)

There's everything to love about Quinn. She's a pirate, which really doesn't put you on the "likable" scale, historically speaking (historically, pirates were a whole lot less "shiver me timbers!" and "yo ho ho," so much as "I'm going to kill everyone on this boat and really enjoy doing so"), but Quinn isn't really a pirate, at least not at the start of the book. She's a woman who's donned men's clothes so that she could make her way onto the Malendroke, the ship of the fiery female pirate queen Grace O'Malley. Quinn needs to be on the Malendroke, because her childhood best friend was stolen away by pirates--and come hell or high water, Quinn is going to rescue her friend. Quinn has literally left her entire life behind in order to find her friend, selflessly sacrificing everything to get her back.

But that's not to say that Quinn doesn't enjoy dressing in men's clothes. She actually loves it. Her whole life, she was pigeon-holed into being a "lady," and she despised it. As a man, she's able to be free, to go on daring adventures, and to fall in love with all sorts of charming ladies.

The book opens up with Quinn literally between the thighs of a gorgeous young woman. I laughed out loud when I started the book--Quinn is cheeky and charming and with an opener like that, how can you NOT fall in love with her? That's the thing about Quinn--she charms your socks off. While the other pirates are trying to woo ladies with lewdness, she's charming them with kind words and sweet sentiments.

As an author myself, I know that it's (relatively) easy to get the reader to fall in love with the love interest. I also know how very, very hard it is to get the reader to fall in love with the main character. It's built into the story for you to fall in love with the love interest--you're seeing her through the eyes of the main character who loves her, so it's easy to love her. It's MUCH harder to have you fall in love with the main character, because she has to stand alone. There's no one "seeing" her but you, so her personality, the way she interacts with people, has to say everything. And in The Pirate's Booty, that's exactly what happens. From the very first page, I was smitten with Quinn, smitten with her adventure and rooting for her. And that's very, very difficult to pull off, but Westmore did it with such ease, that I didn't even realize it was happening until three o'clock in the morning, and I hadn't gone to sleep yet, because I was too enthralled with the book. :)

The SECOND I was done with The Pirate's Booty, I pre-ordered the second book in The Plundered Chronicles, Shiver Her Timbers (released today!!!). I NEVER pre-order books (I have thousands of books to read on my Kindle that have been stacking up!), but that's a testament to how wonderful this book was, how deeply I fell in love with Quinn, and how I couldn't WAIT to continue her adventures.

If you're looking for a fantastic adventure with one of the most likable main characters you've ever read, a lot of sexy shenanigans, and an amazing story that will keep you reading far past your bedtime, The Pirate's Booty by Alex Westmore is a book I can't recommend highly enough!

Five stars!


Full disclosure: I bought a copy of this book myself. :)
Profile Image for Alealea.
649 reviews10 followers
August 19, 2018
Hmm, hard time to connect with the story so I'm not sure I will read the next ones.

Main character Quinn is weird, between being brilliant, roguish, and sometimes exasperatingly naive.
She doesn't seem to have a great understanding of the world, so her quest and its conclusion were hard to believe in.

Some secondary characters were great though, like Fitz, Tavish and of course Grace O'Maley.
Profile Image for Amanda (Books, Life and Everything Nice).
439 reviews19 followers
August 14, 2018
I was contacted by the publicist of the author and offered a free ebook in exchange for a review. I read the synopsis and of course said yes! As always, an honest review.

I don't usually read pirate adventure stories, but when I read that The Pirate's Booty featured a female pirate queen I was very intrigued. Initially there was a bit of an adjustment regarding the language. It's written in a 16th century pirate dialect, so I didn't read it as quickly as modern American English. But as time went on, I became quite used to the writing style. It definitely adds to the atmosphere of the story.

The Pirate's Booty isn't what I think of when I imagine a typical pirate adventure novel, but it's so much better. Female pirate queens, lesbians, women disguised as men, and of course the action packed adventure aboard the high seas!

I found myself captivated by the adventures and heartfelt stories. I loved the focus on woman power. Women proving that they are just as capable as men. The underlying themes of women's freedom, literally and figuratively, provides interesting parallels to current day women's issues.

Occasionally there were parts of the story that didn't captivate me as much as others. However, there was so much going on, that it wasn't long before another storyline came along to grab my focus.

The Pirate's Booty is the first in a series of books featuring badass lesbian pirates. A wonderful unique story of heart, bravery and determination.
Profile Image for Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~.
1,897 reviews139 followers
dnf
May 22, 2019
DNF @ 19%

I was promised swashbuckling and crossdressing shenanigans, and there certainly was that. Like, a lot. Almost nonstop really. As soon as any hint of a plot started to take shape, more swashbuckling came along to nip it in the bud. Quinn was fun, even if I couldn't figure out how she could possibly keep her true identity a secret whilst on a pirate ship. Even if you assume pirates don't bathe that often, at some point, someone's got to notice something, right?

If all you're looking for is swashbuckling and shenanigans, this is the book for you. I just needed something more.
Profile Image for AnnMaree Of Oz.
1,510 reviews130 followers
did-not-finish
July 27, 2020
Very well written and the author had clearly done a lot of historic research.

However the story and characters just didn't hold my interest neither did their adventures. So perhaps I am not one for pirate tales?

I highly recommend others try it and see what you think.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
350 reviews9 followers
September 25, 2018
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

And I am going to be honest, mostly because I don't know how to be otherwise when it comes to books, but also because if I can help other readers in their journeys, I'm going to do it and do it well.

Let me start off by pointing out that all books - every single one you read - are, in their own way, a mini miracle. The time, dedication, work and passion that go into creating a novel should always be acknowledged when reviewing a book. This author poured their heart into a book and then gave you that book. Keep that in mind!

That being said, I have to admit that my expectations going into The Pirate's Booty were on the low side. And to be honest, I think it was the title because The Pirate's Booty sounds a little like a pirate erotica novel and that generally isn't my jam. I'm happy to say my expectations were, for the most part exceeded on every level. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of sexy times throughout, but it wasn't the focus of the novel. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more boring then a novel with sex as the main focus of the story.

On the whole, this book is about finding yourself, finding where you fit in the world, finding your home. The main character, Quinn, in searching for one of her oldest friends, explores this important question of where she fits in the world. For me, this was the most compelling part of the book. Everyone has a place where they fit, a place that is perfect for them and i really enjoyed watching Quinn search for that fulfillment.

I will also say that the historical aspects of the book also appeared well thought out and well researched. I will admit I am a sucker for historical fiction done well and I applaud the author's hard work in this area.

I am not saying that this book was perfect. No book is perfect. I did find the pacing to be slow in places, mostly because I felt like there were some unnecessary scenes that could have been combined or trimmed down, especially in the beginning third of the book. I did also have occasional trouble following the flow of the author's ideas because she did sometimes seem to suddenly jump from one idea to the next. But, like I said, no book is perfect and these issues are not deal-breakers by any means.

In conclusion, I found The Pirate's Booty to be a fun, light-hearted (slightly cheesy), sometimes serious and thought-provoking romp. It's not a book I would have selected for myself, but I did like it and I'm thankful I was asked to give it a read. Give this one a chance - it might just surprise you!
1 review2 followers
August 4, 2018
//summary//
Quin Gallagher is a noble irish woman, wearing dresses and following commands like any other woman. Killian Callaghan is a pirate, and a big fraud. He joins the crew of Grace O'Malley, one of the few female pirates, and an outstanding one for that matter, to chase after a beloved friend who was abducted by pirates. This mission, and a secret is what connects these people. A secret no one has to know: Quin IS Killian. A female in disquise, a dangerous mission, fighting, drinking and woman loving pirates, A love that can't be loved and a woman not knowing who she really is, and where she really belongs. This is the story of Quin Gallagher. This is the pirate's booty.

I will be honest with you, when I was asked to read & review this book I did not expect much. I thought a pirate book was not for me and that I would NOT like it. But I gave it a shot, because I wanted to discover more genres than those I usually read. I am grateful I got this chance, and I am happy I took it. Because this book...was amazing. There were so many historical figures and storylines, it felt like a mix of pirates, the tv show Reign, and a hint of Outlander. All of which I love. This is what made it not just a pirate book, but an Historical novel. I think it is awsome that Quin is a lesbian, because it shows that love is equal in every way, even in history. And besides that my inner feminist came to life when reading about Grace O'malley, queen of the sea in a time when men ruled the world, this book is one i truly recommend to all feminists! Reading about the pirate life was thrilling and I loved it a lot! But maybe it can be less entertaining to people who read about pirates often, because the storyline of saving a friend was more of a background story. Anyway, this book has easily become my favorite of this year! And I look forward to reading more about Quin in the next books of the series.

Love, Esmeé
Profile Image for Jess.
218 reviews15 followers
July 30, 2018
We received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Alex Westmore!

Are you a fan of:
-Lesbian pirates?
-Swashbuckling antics?
-Historical fiction?

Then you will definitely love this book! The Pirate’s Booty is a fun read about a crossdressing lesbian trying to navigate a man’s world and rescue her friend. The book is full of adventure, hilarious antics, and romance that’ll knock your boots off. At the same time this book tackles important topics like human rights, women’s rights and overcoming prejudice in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you are reading an op-ed or textbook. Plus, Westmore’s research into the time period was intensive and so well integrated into this novel that I honestly wanted to join a pirate crew and resist the English as well!

Quinn, Quinn, Quin. Everyone loves her, she’s fun, independent and loyal to a fault. She is the epitome of a pirate Don Juan and seduces all of the ladies in what seems to be a considerate way. Quinn was a gentlewoman and made the jump to pirate surprisingly quick. She adapts to life on the ship immediately, even becoming a better pirate than some of the senior crew members. It was fun to watch her tackle the world with confidence and ease!

The only thing that annoyed us about Quinn is that every single person falls in love with her immediately. And she dresses up like a man to win over the women and rarely tells them the truth which seems a little rapey. Yes, they are having a one-night stand, but it was a little much that she flat out lied to them. That was Quinn’s big fault our opinion.

The dialogue was also a little difficult to read. We love accents and when done sparingly they are effective. However, it was accent overload. We know it’s pirates and we need the accent, but it made it difficult to read at times.

Overall, this story is about accepting and loving yourself for who you are and it’s a fun read for all those who enjoy pirates, f/f romance, and historical fiction.
Profile Image for Ilse :).
38 reviews
September 10, 2021
Honestly, I only read this book because I thought the title was funny and obviously because of gay pirates. And I was not disappointed.

I loved how everybody really spoke with an Irish accent and the best part was of course how the main character was a lesbian.

Quinn is a great character and I loved how she made almost every woman fall in love with her because she treated them so well.
It was also really interesting to read about the slavery and that really did make it feel a bit more historically accurate.

Basically this book will definitely in my top three favourite and I hope that the rest of the series will be even better:)

Also, Grace O’Malley, I love you.
Profile Image for Celina.
1,547 reviews69 followers
February 19, 2023
Stunning.... Though there better be a Grace-Quinn endgame because how can people get along that well and not fall in love.... yahhhh, I refuse those lies.
Profile Image for Angie.
2,367 reviews251 followers
December 5, 2015
There was no way I couldn't read a book with this title that's about a cross-dressing lesbian pirate. The Pirate's Booty had a super fun concept and it ended up being a pretty fun read. Quinn is living the pirate's life. She's dressed as a man and has never felt more free. However, Quinn isn't looking for a lifetime of piracy. It's just a means to an end. When they were kids, she and her friend Shea swore to come to the other's rescue if they were ever taken by slave traders. Now, Quinn is making good on that promise.

The Pirate's Booty was a fun story. It's a mix of real people from history and fictional ones. Quinn is sailing under Grace O'Malley, and even though the captain is a woman, there's no way she'd let a female crew member onboard. So Quinn is now known as Kieran. Quinn is fiercely loyal to her friend and her captain, and she's determined to find Shea while also being an exceptional pirate. She fits right in with the crew, even better than her twin bother who tagged along to keep an eye on her. Quinn can fight, drink, and seduce with the best of them! In fact, she can teach those men a thing or two and does!

The one thing that kept me from loving The Pirate's Booty was that everything seemed to come so easily to Quinn. Everyone who meets her loves her. She's the best lover in the world (probably because she knows what women like). She's the best swordsman. She can knock out a man with a single punch. She frees slaves. She rescues crewmen. She befriends the queen of Scotland. She's just super awesome at everything! Where are her flaws?! And on top of that, her charade as a man comes easy as well. No one ever catches or suspects. There's never any mention of how she keeps her identity hidden when it comes to things like...using the bathroom, her period, or washing.

In the end, I did enjoy The Pirate's Booty. It's an exciting seafaring adventure! Not only is Quinn on a mission to find her friend, but her captain is trying to protect Ireland from the English lurking about their shores. She refuses to bow to Queen Elizabeth, and luckily her plans to fight the English happen to meld with Quinn's mission, so there's lots of action on the high seas!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
105 reviews35 followers
February 5, 2016
This book completely had me hooked up until the last 10 pages. I mean, WTF? I felt like someone came along and told Alex Westmore to make her novel a series instead of one long piratey adventure, and in deciding to do so, abruptly changed the ending to this novel to just teeter off and die in a hole.

I'm giving the novel 4-stars though because, up until then, it was utterly fantastic. Swashbuckling pirates, crazy adventures, the MC hiding in men's clothing, romance, intrigue, sex, and history - what isn't to like? The language was a bit hard to get used to at first, but it ended up working, and I didn't notice it any longer after the first 10 pages or so. The love story was a bit sudden and didn't seem well-paced in implementation, but it's charming and I hope to see more of it in the next books.

The lack of 5-stars is strictly because of the ending. I hope the next few books make it worthwhile, because I felt a serious lack of closure at the end.
Profile Image for Erika.
65 reviews21 followers
July 11, 2016
Wealthy Irish lady dresses as a man, joins the pirate crew of none other than Grace O'Malley, becomes a valued and beloved member of said crew, and falls in love with a woman all while on a quest to save her friend who was kidnapped by slavers. And damn let's throw in some historical events and characters for good measure with Grace O'Malley being a badass pirate queen defending Ireland from the English and allying with Mary Queen of Scots. There is also no romantic love for the friend she's out to save, it's just friendship and loyalty (THANK YOU this is so nice to see). There is sort of a love triangle but I didn't hate it. Bless this crazy lesbian pirate historical romance adventure.
Profile Image for Laura R.
1,101 reviews18 followers
November 1, 2018
I was given a copy of this book "The Pirate's Booty" in exchange for an honest review
.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.
Let me start out by saying that historical fiction isnt my thing. Though the reason behind that stems from my lack of knowledge about history. Nothing more. One of the best things about tPB is that at the beginning there is a few pages of history in which we are told about certain people and their contributions to history before we even dive in. So when I went into this book, it wasn't blindly.

Now, we follow Kieran Callaghan aka Quinn, a lady disguised as a man -- pirate, to be exact -- on Grace O'Malley's ship the Malendroke. She, along with her twin brother, sail the seas as a part of Grace's crew as they search for a childhood friend. Enter in a sweet romance, with every lady falling over themselves for Kieran/Quinn, and we have the makings for an awesome, sexy, LGBTQ, swashbuckling tale set to the backdrop of Queen Elizabeth I and her taking of Ireland.

So. Things that I greatly liked:
This wasnt just an awesome tale of action or an intense and emotional historical piece, but also a romance. The language flows around you like water, and you drink in every word that comes your way. The characters were great, their conversations even greater -- like real, fleshed out people talking rather than characters on a page. The romance scenes had me cheering and the banter between certain people had me cracking up; I was definitely emotionally invested.

Overall, I dont really have much to say in regards to dislikes. I know I spotted a couple of historically incorrect phrases -- but tbh I couldn't care less as it did not effect my reading in the slightest. The only thing I had to say that I wasn't so crazy about was how much goes Quinn's way all of the time. I wanted her to be challenged but everything felt almost too easy at some points.

I gave this ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Susan Welch.
378 reviews6 followers
May 18, 2022
First off, the title does not do this book justice. It sounds cheesy, porny, cliche. It made me unsure of even picking it up, but I have read many terrible lesbian pirate books so I tried it anyway figuring it wouldn't be the worst.

As it turned out, it's fantastic. A queer swashbuckling adventure, with historical figures, brutal battles and brilliant plans. The main character starts bold and clever and through determination and hard work earns the love and respect of her captain and crew. This is a book where the women are smart, resourceful, and competent from the get-go and it's a pleasure to read. It is not a romance, though there is some of that. Neither is it an angst-ridden story of hiding things and fighting against one's true nature. Quinn has a secret, sure, and it is an element of her character, but the keeping of the secret and the threat of discovery is not the thing the plot revolves around as it does in many cross dressing pirate stories. Again and again this book deftly avoids cliches and brings pure fun and adventure. Might be the best queer pirate book I've read, and I read all of them I can find. Highly recommend.
97 reviews7 followers
October 22, 2017
Fun! Good escapism. I will enjoy reading about the further adventures of Quinn / Kieran. But, I will take a break.

There are a lot of good reasons to enjoy this book, so don't overanalyze what I perceive as negatives. I'm merely pointing out why this book did not get 5 stars... First, I felt like the author was rushing to push as much as possible into the story. I felt like so much was going on near the end that the emotion became muted as the constant march of plot ticks marched by. Secondly, there was a certain fool-hardiness that the main character had as she dove head-first into life or death struggles where she was heavily outnumbered, yet she went forth with no thought of her own physical peril. I mean... we see the character bleed, but her cavalier attitude and the fact that the reader is only < 80% of the way through the novel makes it feel as though her survival is guaranteed with no great personal risk.

That said... Oh, hell yeah I will read the next in the series... in good time.
Profile Image for Arin Barry.
36 reviews7 followers
August 1, 2019
Ok, so. I very rarely step out of the sci-fi/fantasy corner that I’ve buried myself in, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book.

It has a baddass protagonist, that kicks ass while looking good 😉, and is filled with swashbuckling goodness, so what more can you truely want from a book?

I was initially drawn towards the book because I heard “lesbian pirates” and was sold, but I ended up loving how the protagonist clearly shows how women had to struggle to be taken seriously in a mans world. And how by “becoming” a man, she was able to set out on this crazy adventure.

I received a free eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Bin Userkaf.
Author 1 book140 followers
July 26, 2018
IM ABSOLUTELY SCREAMING THAT THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES PHEWWWW. i honestly love it so much what. I was sent this book for an honest review and it had to be fate because it was the most amazing thing. it was downright hilarious and heartfelt and i felt so many things reading this. I think it's a beautiful story about becoming who you are and accepting yourself and support i just wow. my heart is full <3
Profile Image for Randa Mathias.
74 reviews5 followers
August 29, 2018
I honestly didn't expect to like this as much as I did.
Review to come.
Profile Image for Kate Hershberger.
Author 8 books32 followers
July 10, 2019
Loved this book!

I came across this series accidentally. Now I'm angry I hadn't found it sooner. This a fantastic pirate book that is also historically accurate. Already bought book 2 before I finished this one and can't wait to see Callaghan's adventures continue.
Profile Image for Liz  ݁ ˖ִ ࣪✩₊ ⊹˚ - INACTIVE.
240 reviews24 followers
July 12, 2025
yay grace o'malley! yay piratey shenanigans! this story felt very full, eventhough at points it felt like there was more tell than show, but I didn't really mind. also this girl has insane amounts of game
Profile Image for Dale.
64 reviews10 followers
July 26, 2018
Overall I found this book to be a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed Quinn and what lengths she would do to find and save her best friend from the hell she was living in. I love how Quinn grew as a character, she was unsure of who she was as a person but by then end she knew she belonged out on the sea with her new family. As a reader, you can relate to her with her struggles with finding a woman in that time period to love openly. I did have a hard time getting pass the word 'ya', it just did not seem natural to me even for the time period. I am used to hearing 'ye' instead. I also did not really like that there were no distinct chapters, yes I read it fairly quickly but breaks would be nice. The only other thing I will mention is the editing could be done better. I recommend this book to anyone who loves pirates and Ireland.
Profile Image for Honey & Anjali .
550 reviews57 followers
October 20, 2018
Let me just start by saying that this is by far the hardest review I had to write and hence it took me a lot of time too. I kept writing and deleting because I wanted to do justice to the book. At first, I thought about how will I ever able to able to read a pirate’s book, since I have never read it before, and that too one with such a wicked title. But as they say, don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

The fact that there is a female pirate queen was enough for me to pick it up. And I’m so happy that I was given this opportunity because this book has made me feel so many things that I wasn’t even expecting.

Quinn, the protagonist who dresses up as a man because of the promise she made as a kid to her friend, has become my favorite female character.

She is a smooth talker with wit and she talks louder with her sword. She is a complete badass and a female protagonist that the world needs. Her inner struggles, her journey from a member of an upper class family to a member of a pirate crew, everything is so well written. Her need to break free of the norms of society makes her an icon.

Also, did I mention she is gay? GAYYY.

The story is set in the 16th century and stays true to the fact as the writing style is top notch and the use of symbolic imagery is as vivid as it can be.

All the characters, even the ones you’ll think are insignificant are given equal importance.

The pace of the story is smooth enough for you to be comfortable while reading.

I was in awe of how much it talks about women and does it so beautifully. There are so many amazing things in the book; Quinn’s homosexuality in an era where the concept didn’t even exist for people because they were ignorant. It talks about women empowerment and feminism in the best way possible. It’s an action packed adventure filled with insightful lessons and teaches you the importance of family and promises. It even touches racism and sexism.

There were some moments that touched me more than they should’ve. For example, Quinn goes to meet her other childhood friend Kennedy, who is aware of her secret. She says “Do not lose my Quinn by becoming someone else’s Kieran.” This line tugged my heart because I was aware of the inner turmoil of Quinn’s heart.

Every conversation Quinn has with her brother Patrick aka Paddy made me love her even more. I enjoyed their heartfelt conversations.

I have nothing negative to say about this book.

The journey of Quinn is secretive and is full of drinking ale, sailing, fighting battles, making love to women and it all leads to one dangerous mission against someone she doesn’t even know and if that doesn’t make you want to pick up this book, I don’t know what will.

Read full review on blog: www.whatireadandreviewed.wordpress.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews

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