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Pirate's Queen
An abducted ruler. A brave buccaneer. Will these two women sail into a sensuously tempting alliance?
Queen Lucia of Moranth secretly yearns for adventure. Focused on the seriousness and monotony of regal responsibilities, the intelligent royal prepares for war when she learns a cruel cousin seeks her hand in marriage. But her plans are derailed when she’s kidnapped and stolen away on a ship belonging to a striking lady.
Alessandra D’Allyon despises the monarchy that killed her mother. Yet the new pirate captain is less than pleased to discover her crew holding the sovereign hostage without her permission. And she can barely resist her saucy guest’s advances when the alluring woman attempts a seduction.
Failing to convince the quippy commander into a roll between the sheets, Lucia lands in the midst of a battle after a rival vessel attacks. But when Alessandra ends up marooned with her gorgeous captive, working together to survive on a remote island stokes desires that can no longer be denied.
Will this unlikely pairing’s complicated passions forge a bond that lasts forever?
Pirate's Queen is the spicy first book in the Shades Of The Seas lesbian romance series. If you like complex characters, sexy scenes, and witty banter, then you’ll love Riley West's new book!
Queen Lucia of Moranth secretly yearns for adventure. Focused on the seriousness and monotony of regal responsibilities, the intelligent royal prepares for war when she learns a cruel cousin seeks her hand in marriage. But her plans are derailed when she’s kidnapped and stolen away on a ship belonging to a striking lady.
Alessandra D’Allyon despises the monarchy that killed her mother. Yet the new pirate captain is less than pleased to discover her crew holding the sovereign hostage without her permission. And she can barely resist her saucy guest’s advances when the alluring woman attempts a seduction.
Failing to convince the quippy commander into a roll between the sheets, Lucia lands in the midst of a battle after a rival vessel attacks. But when Alessandra ends up marooned with her gorgeous captive, working together to survive on a remote island stokes desires that can no longer be denied.
Will this unlikely pairing’s complicated passions forge a bond that lasts forever?
Pirate's Queen is the spicy first book in the Shades Of The Seas lesbian romance series. If you like complex characters, sexy scenes, and witty banter, then you’ll love Riley West's new book!
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2023
157 people are currently reading
789 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 10, 2023
Queen Lucia would do anything not to have her day to day responsibilities. She misses her childhood days of building forts and hunting game in the Royal forest. Now her days are filled with ruling her country. All this changes when her nefarious cousin has her kidnapped by a band of pirates. Pirate Captain Alessandra is just who Lucia needs to romance her way out if this situation. And it will not be a hardship.
West’s novel has a lot going for it. Strong female protagonists, high seas action and even castaways. The romance is believable and sweet. The one thing going against it is the predictability of the plot. If you don’t mind this then you will have fun playing out you pirate fantasies.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
West’s novel has a lot going for it. Strong female protagonists, high seas action and even castaways. The romance is believable and sweet. The one thing going against it is the predictability of the plot. If you don’t mind this then you will have fun playing out you pirate fantasies.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 24, 2023
Be still my beating heart - a sexy lady pirate and beautiful kidnapped queen and we have Book 1 in the Shades of the Seas series.
Leads Alessandra and Lucia star in this romance with pirates, the fight for a queendom and rejection of a forced marriage proposal, kidnapping and castaways. Clear descriptions add nicely to the storyline with battles on the high seas, the growing attraction between two lusty women and of course the possibility of better days ahead.
Yes, this plot's been done before but West satisfied my pirate dreams with this book and I look forward to what is to come.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for the swashbuckling scenes.
I rec'd a copy through BookSirens. My review is completely voluntary.
Leads Alessandra and Lucia star in this romance with pirates, the fight for a queendom and rejection of a forced marriage proposal, kidnapping and castaways. Clear descriptions add nicely to the storyline with battles on the high seas, the growing attraction between two lusty women and of course the possibility of better days ahead.
Yes, this plot's been done before but West satisfied my pirate dreams with this book and I look forward to what is to come.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for the swashbuckling scenes.
I rec'd a copy through BookSirens. My review is completely voluntary.
February 15, 2023
I enjoyed a Pirate’s Queen. The action was well written and the lesbian romance build up between the pirate and the captured queen was both sweet and spicy (& explicit). I hope to see the author, Riley West, turn this into a series.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 27, 2024very sad to say that I'm not vibing with this story. which is saying a lot because I love pirates and lesbians, but this is just not the one for me. I need more swashbuckling and less smut (didn't read the synopsis well enough to see it would be the focus lol)
DNF at 37%
DNF at 37%
April 17, 2023
i’m basically a pirate book connoisseur at this point so hold onto your hats because this one’s a doozy.
this one has the makings of a classic pirate book. pirate kidnaps queen. pirate and queen fall in love. boom. finished. or is it?
now normally i prefer my kidnappee a bit more useless but lucia is such a strong character that she makes up for it. i loved her so much. then alessandra was everything you can ask for in a pirate captain, she’s not needlessly ruthless or malicious and it’s very easy to see why she’s such a good captain.
i do think this could’ve probably been one longer book of ~500ish pages based on where i can guess the story is going to go in the next one but alas i am a mere reader and clearly there’s going to be something a bit more going on.
this was such a nice, easy, enjoyable, read and i will definitely be reading to see where the girls go next.
this one has the makings of a classic pirate book. pirate kidnaps queen. pirate and queen fall in love. boom. finished. or is it?
now normally i prefer my kidnappee a bit more useless but lucia is such a strong character that she makes up for it. i loved her so much. then alessandra was everything you can ask for in a pirate captain, she’s not needlessly ruthless or malicious and it’s very easy to see why she’s such a good captain.
i do think this could’ve probably been one longer book of ~500ish pages based on where i can guess the story is going to go in the next one but alas i am a mere reader and clearly there’s going to be something a bit more going on.
this was such a nice, easy, enjoyable, read and i will definitely be reading to see where the girls go next.
May 30, 2023
I think (hope) this will be a series, especially with how it ended though it felt like it could end there if the author decided to do that, it also left it open to a future book (or books) they would want to write. This was super well written I liked that the Queen wasn’t helpless like royals are so often portrayed. The characters are all endearing and funny to read and I enjoyed the romance between the two mains. Hopefully there’s more to this story because I’d love to see how they continue the story.
February 13, 2024
Exiled Lady, now CAPTAIN Alessandra D’Allyon and her crew kidnap Queen Lucia of Moranth. Along the voyage to claim a reward for the Queens capture, passions soar and love might even be found between the Pirate Captain and her queen.
*received ARC through booksirens*
A worthwhile book to add to your LGBT book stack. I enjoyed exploring Lucia and Alessandra’s feelings and history. If you enjoy pirates tales and women who love women, this book is for you.
*received ARC through booksirens*
A worthwhile book to add to your LGBT book stack. I enjoyed exploring Lucia and Alessandra’s feelings and history. If you enjoy pirates tales and women who love women, this book is for you.
March 27, 2023
Though I received an arc copy of this book from Booksirens, I have not been compensated in any way for this review and all of my thoughts are my own.
A sexy lesbian pirate who just recently lost her captain father. A sexy lesbian queen on the brink of war with a tyrant for rejecting his marriage proposal. A world and a tension that seems just like it's on the precipice of an explosion that comes to a head when without knowing the pirate's men kidnap her with the intention of of selling the queen to her monster of a cousin. All of these things seem to spell out an explosive plot where we have enemies to lovers and angry attraction. It's something that I'm extremely here for. However, things went incredibly different in a way that I liked, even if it wasn't my expectations.
In a lot of ways, this definitely feels much more like an almost cozy fantasy with spice rather than anything that has real stakes. Let me say this first: the author's style is great! West's writing style is definitely excellent. The prose is well written, and the characters are quite fleshed out with distinct personalities and voices when it comes to the protagonists. While there is spice, it's done in a way that definitely tasteful in a way that definitely has a more female gaze viewpoint to it, like watching a good erotic romance crafted with all of the skill of an auteur in the genre. As this is a romance novel, of course the two women are going end up together at the end, but West subverts some expectations in the way that it happens much more quickly than one might expect.
My issues with this book however, are definitely related to the aspect of how quickly they get together, and how much lower the stakes feel because of it. As I said earlier, this definitely has the feel of a cozy fantasy to it, which is definitely valid. But without some conflict, it feels like there's both too much to drive the narrative and also not enough. The plot itself has one level of tension that should increase the tension: you have two countries on the verge of war, you have a tyrant on the other side of the world who would do anything in order to be able to marry the queen, and you have the fact thatAlessandra's crew literally kidnapped the queen without her knowledge or agreement.
The crux of what should be the central conflict between the two protagonists practically vanishes immediately because of their attraction to one another, which is apparent from their first interaction. If I were reading a dark romance book--something that I do frequently--of course I would expect the person who was kidnapped to immediately forgive their kidnapper and become engaged in an affair with them. However, Lucia forgivesAlessandra and the rest of her crew with a quickness that would make Belle from Beauty and the Beast go 'what?' It feels like an attempt at enemies to lovers, a trope that I love but in this instance it's one that lacks any kind of teeth. While this isn't a bad thing if that's what you're looking for, I wish that it was more clearly marked as a cozy sort of story.
One of the issues with the lack of conflict is that it means that the middle part of the book definitely drags. It needs something to drive the narrative almost like a car trying to go up a steep hill, and I wish that the momentum from the beginning of the book carried through more thoroughly here.
All of that being said, I did enjoy this book! But I think I would have enjoyed it that much more if I'd know just what kind of thing it was actually going to be. I both will be reading the sequel that comes out and will also be picking up more of West's work to read. I give this a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to four stars. Would recommend but with the caveat that this is a cozy book more than anything else. There's nothing wrong with it being a cozy book, I just wish that it was conveyed more clearly.
A sexy lesbian pirate who just recently lost her captain father. A sexy lesbian queen on the brink of war with a tyrant for rejecting his marriage proposal. A world and a tension that seems just like it's on the precipice of an explosion that comes to a head when without knowing the pirate's men kidnap her with the intention of of selling the queen to her monster of a cousin. All of these things seem to spell out an explosive plot where we have enemies to lovers and angry attraction. It's something that I'm extremely here for. However, things went incredibly different in a way that I liked, even if it wasn't my expectations.
In a lot of ways, this definitely feels much more like an almost cozy fantasy with spice rather than anything that has real stakes. Let me say this first: the author's style is great! West's writing style is definitely excellent. The prose is well written, and the characters are quite fleshed out with distinct personalities and voices when it comes to the protagonists. While there is spice, it's done in a way that definitely tasteful in a way that definitely has a more female gaze viewpoint to it, like watching a good erotic romance crafted with all of the skill of an auteur in the genre. As this is a romance novel, of course the two women are going end up together at the end, but West subverts some expectations in the way that it happens much more quickly than one might expect.
My issues with this book however, are definitely related to the aspect of how quickly they get together, and how much lower the stakes feel because of it. As I said earlier, this definitely has the feel of a cozy fantasy to it, which is definitely valid. But without some conflict, it feels like there's both too much to drive the narrative and also not enough. The plot itself has one level of tension that should increase the tension: you have two countries on the verge of war, you have a tyrant on the other side of the world who would do anything in order to be able to marry the queen, and you have the fact thatAlessandra's crew literally kidnapped the queen without her knowledge or agreement.
The crux of what should be the central conflict between the two protagonists practically vanishes immediately because of their attraction to one another, which is apparent from their first interaction. If I were reading a dark romance book--something that I do frequently--of course I would expect the person who was kidnapped to immediately forgive their kidnapper and become engaged in an affair with them. However, Lucia forgivesAlessandra and the rest of her crew with a quickness that would make Belle from Beauty and the Beast go 'what?' It feels like an attempt at enemies to lovers, a trope that I love but in this instance it's one that lacks any kind of teeth. While this isn't a bad thing if that's what you're looking for, I wish that it was more clearly marked as a cozy sort of story.
One of the issues with the lack of conflict is that it means that the middle part of the book definitely drags. It needs something to drive the narrative almost like a car trying to go up a steep hill, and I wish that the momentum from the beginning of the book carried through more thoroughly here.
All of that being said, I did enjoy this book! But I think I would have enjoyed it that much more if I'd know just what kind of thing it was actually going to be. I both will be reading the sequel that comes out and will also be picking up more of West's work to read. I give this a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to four stars. Would recommend but with the caveat that this is a cozy book more than anything else. There's nothing wrong with it being a cozy book, I just wish that it was conveyed more clearly.
August 21, 2024
5/10
I always feel it is unfair to give a book 2 stars when there is nothing objectively wrong with it. So, I give them a very lukewarm 3 stars, planning to forget all about them as soon as possible. This is one such book.
My main complaints were:
1. The pacing was odd. The middle dragged, despite having a lot of changes of scenery, the ending was interesting but cut off without resolving any of the MCs' worries.
2. The romance felt unbelievable to me because of its odd pacing too. There was no actual hate or reluctance between the MCs in the beginning, just instant lust, and then it turned to supposed love just as quickly. The fleshing out came later, and thus didn't stick.
3. The length... Nothing actually happened in this book, so I don't understand why it had to span above 300 pages. Hell, I think condensing the exact same plot to about 250 pages would have made it a much more solid story.
Despite all that, the characters themselves were well written enough to keep my interest enough for me to finish the book.
Unfortunately, I have not yet found the pirate book for me. Safe to say, I won't be following the rest of the series when/if they come out.
I always feel it is unfair to give a book 2 stars when there is nothing objectively wrong with it. So, I give them a very lukewarm 3 stars, planning to forget all about them as soon as possible. This is one such book.
My main complaints were:
1. The pacing was odd. The middle dragged, despite having a lot of changes of scenery, the ending was interesting but cut off without resolving any of the MCs' worries.
2. The romance felt unbelievable to me because of its odd pacing too. There was no actual hate or reluctance between the MCs in the beginning, just instant lust, and then it turned to supposed love just as quickly. The fleshing out came later, and thus didn't stick.
3. The length... Nothing actually happened in this book, so I don't understand why it had to span above 300 pages. Hell, I think condensing the exact same plot to about 250 pages would have made it a much more solid story.
Despite all that, the characters themselves were well written enough to keep my interest enough for me to finish the book.
Unfortunately, I have not yet found the pirate book for me. Safe to say, I won't be following the rest of the series when/if they come out.
April 22, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Every good story and I can not wait for the sequel. Very well written and I found the unusual format very easy to read. This story revolves around the meeting of the two main characters under extreme conditions. One is a pirate captain and the other a queen. Their adventures lead them to a happy ever after but with the potential of was.
Every good story and I can not wait for the sequel. Very well written and I found the unusual format very easy to read. This story revolves around the meeting of the two main characters under extreme conditions. One is a pirate captain and the other a queen. Their adventures lead them to a happy ever after but with the potential of was.
April 20, 2023
Great read
This was a rollicking read, full of adventure and action. I cared for the characters and enjoyed their journey to live and survival. The side characters helped to bring the world to life. Looking forward to more.
This was a rollicking read, full of adventure and action. I cared for the characters and enjoyed their journey to live and survival. The side characters helped to bring the world to life. Looking forward to more.
April 24, 2023
Despite being slow for the first few chapters, this read was extremely enjoyable. At some point, I just found it impossible to put it down and stayed up just to finish it. The passion is well-written and despite it developing a bit too fast for my taste, by the end I believed they truly loved one another.
As a reader with adhd, I felt like the descriptions and perspective shift of the characters, made it difficult for me to focus. But you couldn’t call them unnecessary, beca usethey were needed to help explain events that were happening outside of the main plot-line. That being said, I hope we get more from these characters in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As a reader with adhd, I felt like the descriptions and perspective shift of the characters, made it difficult for me to focus. But you couldn’t call them unnecessary, beca usethey were needed to help explain events that were happening outside of the main plot-line. That being said, I hope we get more from these characters in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 27, 2023
Happy publication day 🎊
I’ve received an arc from booksirens and all thoughts are mine .
With that said, I LOVED THIS. It checked all of my favourite without being cliché at all.
It’s literally enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. WITH LESBIANS. And it’s so much more. It’s also about politics, traumas, love, friendship, found-family.
I loved how Lucia discovered more about herself thanks to Alessandra. And tbh I would read 10 more books about them.
Shoutout to Royce and Rafe respectively Lucia’s best friend and Alessandra’s one. I really hope we’ll have a second book, I need more of everyone ! Also I crave a bath right now!
I’ve received an arc from booksirens and all thoughts are mine .
With that said, I LOVED THIS. It checked all of my favourite without being cliché at all.
It’s literally enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. WITH LESBIANS. And it’s so much more. It’s also about politics, traumas, love, friendship, found-family.
I loved how Lucia discovered more about herself thanks to Alessandra. And tbh I would read 10 more books about them.
Shoutout to Royce and Rafe respectively Lucia’s best friend and Alessandra’s one. I really hope we’ll have a second book, I need more of everyone ! Also I crave a bath right now!
July 24, 2023
Looks like I'm still on the hunt for a good sapphic pirate story 😭
I enjoyed this one much more at the start, but the pacing was so odd! For an enemies to lovers situation where one has kidnapped the other to deliver her to a violent, maniacal tyrant as his bride, the kidnappee wasn't nearly as upset as she should have been.
I was going to try and stick it out, but when the word love got thrown around at 37%? Too much, too soon - I'm out
I enjoyed this one much more at the start, but the pacing was so odd! For an enemies to lovers situation where one has kidnapped the other to deliver her to a violent, maniacal tyrant as his bride, the kidnappee wasn't nearly as upset as she should have been.
I was going to try and stick it out, but when the word love got thrown around at 37%? Too much, too soon - I'm out
March 11, 2023
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Thank you to BookSirens and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to get an ARC for this book, and I'm grateful to have been considered. I loved the idea of a lesbian pirate romance and, while I'm not generally a fan of enemies to lovers, this story had a lot of potential to make the trope good. Despite the good quality of the writing and interesting premise, however, this book lacked the tension and complexity I was hoping for.
We have Queen Lucia of Moranth, who is dutifully trying to fix her father's wrongs even though she finds court life generally boring. Her horrible cousin wants to marry her and take over her kingdom, but Lucia is neither into men, nor willing to live under another tyrant's rule. As she prepares for war, she's kidnapped by the crew of The Medusa, a pirate ship, unbeknownst to their grieving Captain Alessandra. So far, so good. The characters are both likeable, with depth and motivations that make sense, and it has some nice supporting characters as well.
There's an initial dislike between the two women, and we know they should be enemies - but they never really are. They are immediately attracted to each other, and there's a little tension between them as they try to hold back (Alessandra) or use it for their own gains (Lucia), but that tension burns fast, and the women give in to a relationship. And while it's purely sexual at first, it turns way too fast into a serious romance, to the point that halfway through the book they already love each other and the plot has veered into the predictable twist.
This unfortunately made the story lose steam for me, even though it was full of smut and even some kink. For a book about pirates who kidnap a queen, this ended up being too wholesome to the point of cheesy. And I love wholesome, I'm not saying that a story about pirates should be about violence and tragedy! It just lacked proper tension to make me feel invested - and since the overarching plot wasn't resolved in this book, a lot of it ended up feeling like Alessandra and Lucia were playing house (and having sex). I felt like the book couldn't make up its mind about whether it was sexy, fun erotica or a fantasy adventure that happened to include romance - and that ended up working against both of those things, imo. For example, I also thought that it could have done with less POV characters, and less POV splits altogether, but that's because I was still unsure about the genre. Was it smutty romance? Keep it to two POVs! Was it a fantasy? Have several - but still with less middle-of-the-chapter splits!
Another reason this felt very low stakes/too wholesome for a fantasy was that the author seemed loath to make any living characters (except King Ramir) a bad guy, so it would turn out that someone did a betrayal, and the other characters would just give them a pat and all was forgiven. I think I understand the intent, and I appreciate it, but it felt like too much/too little risk for it too happen more than once.
That said, this would be a fun adventure for anyone looking for a low-stakes lesbian romance fantasy with plenty of spice.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to get an ARC for this book, and I'm grateful to have been considered. I loved the idea of a lesbian pirate romance and, while I'm not generally a fan of enemies to lovers, this story had a lot of potential to make the trope good. Despite the good quality of the writing and interesting premise, however, this book lacked the tension and complexity I was hoping for.
We have Queen Lucia of Moranth, who is dutifully trying to fix her father's wrongs even though she finds court life generally boring. Her horrible cousin wants to marry her and take over her kingdom, but Lucia is neither into men, nor willing to live under another tyrant's rule. As she prepares for war, she's kidnapped by the crew of The Medusa, a pirate ship, unbeknownst to their grieving Captain Alessandra. So far, so good. The characters are both likeable, with depth and motivations that make sense, and it has some nice supporting characters as well.
There's an initial dislike between the two women, and we know they should be enemies - but they never really are. They are immediately attracted to each other, and there's a little tension between them as they try to hold back (Alessandra) or use it for their own gains (Lucia), but that tension burns fast, and the women give in to a relationship. And while it's purely sexual at first, it turns way too fast into a serious romance, to the point that halfway through the book they already love each other and the plot has veered into the predictable twist.
This unfortunately made the story lose steam for me, even though it was full of smut and even some kink. For a book about pirates who kidnap a queen, this ended up being too wholesome to the point of cheesy. And I love wholesome, I'm not saying that a story about pirates should be about violence and tragedy! It just lacked proper tension to make me feel invested - and since the overarching plot wasn't resolved in this book, a lot of it ended up feeling like Alessandra and Lucia were playing house (and having sex). I felt like the book couldn't make up its mind about whether it was sexy, fun erotica or a fantasy adventure that happened to include romance - and that ended up working against both of those things, imo. For example, I also thought that it could have done with less POV characters, and less POV splits altogether, but that's because I was still unsure about the genre. Was it smutty romance? Keep it to two POVs! Was it a fantasy? Have several - but still with less middle-of-the-chapter splits!
Another reason this felt very low stakes/too wholesome for a fantasy was that the author seemed loath to make any living characters (except King Ramir) a bad guy, so it would turn out that someone did a betrayal, and the other characters would just give them a pat and all was forgiven. I think I understand the intent, and I appreciate it, but it felt like too much/too little risk for it too happen more than once.
That said, this would be a fun adventure for anyone looking for a low-stakes lesbian romance fantasy with plenty of spice.
March 21, 2023
I need more gay pirates books like this!
This was such a cosy read. I’ve been in a pirate media frenzy lately, which has only been enhanced by this book, and for that I’m thankful.
Although the plot is quite weak and a simple frame to what is the real focus of the book, the developing of the relationship between the main characters, I didn’t really mind; the book could have surely been shorter, but the dynamic between Lucia and Alex was so fun to read that I ate the book up nonetheless, and gladly. The writing style certainly had a big part in making the read so fun: the characters have such an instant attraction that I don’t think I would have liked if it hadn’t been written so well, and the characters have more than one occasion to prove their connection is not a shallow one. The author did a great job in creating the right atmosphere in almost every scene, only hinting at textures, sounds and images which managed to create full cinematic scenes that made reading so much smoother than usual. In terms of characters, I wish there were more focus on the single characters, that we see interact very soon in the story and proceed to be in close proximity for the entirety of the book onwards; we do see a bit of Alessandra’s doubts regarding her father, and Lucia’s conflicting emotions towards her mother, but those aspects are pushed aside by the foregrounded relationship between the two. I particularly liked Lucia’s anger issues, that again, I wish were explored a bit further; it’s not a character trait that I’ve seen very often, especially in female characters, and in this book Alessandra’s rationality made for a perfect counterpart.
Overall it’s a great queer pirate book, which managed to grasp my feeble attention and bring many smiles to my face.
I received an eARC of the book from BookSirens and this represents my honest opinion.
This was such a cosy read. I’ve been in a pirate media frenzy lately, which has only been enhanced by this book, and for that I’m thankful.
Although the plot is quite weak and a simple frame to what is the real focus of the book, the developing of the relationship between the main characters, I didn’t really mind; the book could have surely been shorter, but the dynamic between Lucia and Alex was so fun to read that I ate the book up nonetheless, and gladly. The writing style certainly had a big part in making the read so fun: the characters have such an instant attraction that I don’t think I would have liked if it hadn’t been written so well, and the characters have more than one occasion to prove their connection is not a shallow one. The author did a great job in creating the right atmosphere in almost every scene, only hinting at textures, sounds and images which managed to create full cinematic scenes that made reading so much smoother than usual. In terms of characters, I wish there were more focus on the single characters, that we see interact very soon in the story and proceed to be in close proximity for the entirety of the book onwards; we do see a bit of Alessandra’s doubts regarding her father, and Lucia’s conflicting emotions towards her mother, but those aspects are pushed aside by the foregrounded relationship between the two. I particularly liked Lucia’s anger issues, that again, I wish were explored a bit further; it’s not a character trait that I’ve seen very often, especially in female characters, and in this book Alessandra’s rationality made for a perfect counterpart.
Overall it’s a great queer pirate book, which managed to grasp my feeble attention and bring many smiles to my face.
I received an eARC of the book from BookSirens and this represents my honest opinion.
April 22, 2023
I think overall this book was one of the better w/w pirate themed stories out there that I've come across. However, I can't say I was an exact fan of the multiple POVs outside of the main love interests. While it was interesting to see what Lucia's advisors were doing behind the scenes, I think it would have made the story more interesting, perhaps exhilarating, if we were told in passing during their travels perhaps near the end of the story. I think there may have been a lot more imagery than was necessary at times. Long rows of just text tends to put me off from enjoying some books. I found myself skipping a few sections because it had too much description and not enough action. The adult scene were tasteful at times, though some of the wording choices made me think a man was writing it at times, which isn't necessarily bad but it did have me questioning things at times. I did like how Alessandra and Lucia bonded over their similar issues they had growing up and realizing they weren't so different after all, despite what life threw at them, they were all the more wiser, stronger, and caring to each other and the people they loved. I would definitely recommend this as one of the better pirate books I've read for w/w to my other friends who enjoy this genre and do look forward to seeing the next book in the series. I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 28, 2023
Pirate ‘s Queen is the story of Lucia, a smart and ambitious queen and Alessandra, the captain of a pirate ship.
After the king (her father) ‘s death, Lucia tries her best to repair all his wrongs and gain back the trust of her people, unfortunately, a distant cousin puts a stop to her great plans for her kingdom when he asks for her hand in marriage. Her cousin, Ramir, is not a good king, nor is he a good man and Lucia knows that such an alliance wouldn’t benefit her people, or herself. When she refuses, Ramir takes it as a provocation and soon, the queen is kidnapped by a bunch of pirates on a mission to deliver her to the cruel king.
Historical romance mixed with a bit of fantasy was certainly a discovery for me as I had never read anything in that genre before but I must say I quite enjoyed it. The first few chapters were a bit slow to me, mostly because I always struggle with understanding politics but once the story gained rhythm I was hooked!
I loved the depths of both Lucia and Alessandra’s characters, their backstories are important and interesting and add up to how much they grow and change from the first pages to the last ones.
I very much enjoyed reading a story about two very strong, independent and powerful women who won’t take sh** from men and I loved how the romance between both women slowly unfolded.
The only thing I didn’t like that much is that the story is written in four different points of view (Alessandra, Lucia, Lucia’s advisor and Ramir’s advisor) at times, which made it a bit confusing for me and took a bit away from the thrill of wondering how Lucia’s kingdom was holding on without her presence, if anyone was trying to rescue her and if Ramir was aware of her whereabouts, I would have preferred for Lucia, and Alessandra, to be wondering and worrying about it than knowing from the other POVs exactly what was going on far away from the Medusa.
Other than that, it was a very enjoyable read and I definitely recommend if you are looking for a good and realistic queer romance in a fantasy world setting!
** I received an advanced reader copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily. **
After the king (her father) ‘s death, Lucia tries her best to repair all his wrongs and gain back the trust of her people, unfortunately, a distant cousin puts a stop to her great plans for her kingdom when he asks for her hand in marriage. Her cousin, Ramir, is not a good king, nor is he a good man and Lucia knows that such an alliance wouldn’t benefit her people, or herself. When she refuses, Ramir takes it as a provocation and soon, the queen is kidnapped by a bunch of pirates on a mission to deliver her to the cruel king.
Historical romance mixed with a bit of fantasy was certainly a discovery for me as I had never read anything in that genre before but I must say I quite enjoyed it. The first few chapters were a bit slow to me, mostly because I always struggle with understanding politics but once the story gained rhythm I was hooked!
I loved the depths of both Lucia and Alessandra’s characters, their backstories are important and interesting and add up to how much they grow and change from the first pages to the last ones.
I very much enjoyed reading a story about two very strong, independent and powerful women who won’t take sh** from men and I loved how the romance between both women slowly unfolded.
The only thing I didn’t like that much is that the story is written in four different points of view (Alessandra, Lucia, Lucia’s advisor and Ramir’s advisor) at times, which made it a bit confusing for me and took a bit away from the thrill of wondering how Lucia’s kingdom was holding on without her presence, if anyone was trying to rescue her and if Ramir was aware of her whereabouts, I would have preferred for Lucia, and Alessandra, to be wondering and worrying about it than knowing from the other POVs exactly what was going on far away from the Medusa.
Other than that, it was a very enjoyable read and I definitely recommend if you are looking for a good and realistic queer romance in a fantasy world setting!
** I received an advanced reader copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily. **
February 22, 2023
I picked up this book, because pirates, and that's enough of a reason for me, and I ended up enjoying this so much more than I expected!!! Both Lucia and Alessandra are such good characters, and their dynamic works so well, there's this attraction from the start, and wanting this type of partnership and care with each other that's fun to read - it's a good romance story!!!
Pirate-y wise, there's not much, I like the crew but they don't really get to star enough on the book, it tries for the found family feel, but it doesn't give you enough of them for that, but you see the signs that people care and they have a support system, which makes me look forward to the future books. And not just with the crew, but also Queen Lucia's people at the palace, and I especially need more about the heir, and his relationship with Lucia.
Really a recommendation if you're looking for good, fun and action packed wlw romance book, this is the one for you to pick up!!!!
(I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of a honest review :) )
Pirate-y wise, there's not much, I like the crew but they don't really get to star enough on the book, it tries for the found family feel, but it doesn't give you enough of them for that, but you see the signs that people care and they have a support system, which makes me look forward to the future books. And not just with the crew, but also Queen Lucia's people at the palace, and I especially need more about the heir, and his relationship with Lucia.
Really a recommendation if you're looking for good, fun and action packed wlw romance book, this is the one for you to pick up!!!!
(I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of a honest review :) )
June 3, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I cannot wait for the second! I love a good WLW!
When the crew kidnaps Queen Lucia while Captain Alessandra is passed out drunk, the two of them are thrust into an adventure that has them targeted on both sides of warring kingdoms, all the while fighting their feelings for each other.
Their romance develops quickly and dives deep. The spice level is great; it even touches on some BDSM. I love that the theme of trust develops between them, not just "take me to bed." It becomes a deeper thing with meaning. Alessandra is by far my favorite and I loved that she is able to separate herself as lover and captain. Lucia has a lot of growing to do and eventually loses herself in the freedom of piracy. I won't spoil the end, but they both are able to bring their strengths together for the greater good.
This is book one, but the ending is not a cliffhanger. Can't wait to read book 2!
When the crew kidnaps Queen Lucia while Captain Alessandra is passed out drunk, the two of them are thrust into an adventure that has them targeted on both sides of warring kingdoms, all the while fighting their feelings for each other.
Their romance develops quickly and dives deep. The spice level is great; it even touches on some BDSM. I love that the theme of trust develops between them, not just "take me to bed." It becomes a deeper thing with meaning. Alessandra is by far my favorite and I loved that she is able to separate herself as lover and captain. Lucia has a lot of growing to do and eventually loses herself in the freedom of piracy. I won't spoil the end, but they both are able to bring their strengths together for the greater good.
This is book one, but the ending is not a cliffhanger. Can't wait to read book 2!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2023
A young queen forced to marry or declare war and the pirate queen who kidnaps her. I will say that the author did an excellent job of writing this. Very detailed scenes and characters, you really get a sense of the world around them. Great tension and storyline -for the first part of the book.
Where this book suffered was the overall lack of everything once the two women fell for each other. Once they hooked up, the story was basically over and the rest of the book just fell flat. There is also a lack of real conflict or villain once the ladies get cozy with each other. And the book ends predictably as well.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Where this book suffered was the overall lack of everything once the two women fell for each other. Once they hooked up, the story was basically over and the rest of the book just fell flat. There is also a lack of real conflict or villain once the ladies get cozy with each other. And the book ends predictably as well.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 29, 2023
This is a wonderful pirate story full of adventure. The Queen of Moranth is Lucia. Her father was an evil King. Killed and exiled with abandon. Lucia is trying to find a way to not marry her cousin. The other MC is Captain Alessandra of the Medusa. It is a high adventure when they meet. Riley has written a wonderful tale. Full of colorful characters. Lucia and Alex continue to get into one mess after another. I just really enjoyed this book. I hope Riley has another adventure for Lucia, Alex, and the crew of the Medusa
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May 18, 2023
Riley West hit the booty here for pirate treasure!!! I have recently discovered the wlw genre of pirate journeys. This was an incredible read for many reasons. I was impressed with the characters and their ability to navigate difficult emotional and social challenges individually and together. The angst is just right and the sensual/sexual element was so well written. I was able to see the story in my head as I read like a movie. I am hoping the next book isn't too far away. I am hooked....LOL...bring me more of the Captain and the Queen.
September 2, 2023
Yeah this was just okay to me :,( It felt way too fast and like we went from zero to 100 so quick with throwing around love after seemingly a couple days/a week or so and then the main plot I was hoping for with the creation of them being abandoned together went so fast and they were rescued halfway through the book? Idk this was just odd and as much as I love my smut too there seemed to be a lot of it in the most oddly placed areas of the story. Not really interested in continuing at this rate so dnf @ 56%
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2023
An ARC copy was given to me from BookSirens for a honest review.
This book is about two strong woman, who had be thrown together by fate. Lucia (Queen of Moranth) and Alessandra D´Allyon (Pirate). The queen is bored with her life and Allesandra has to find her new purpose in life. I really enjoyed reading this book and hope for a sequel, the story has some good twists (spies, revenge) and is also really good.
This book is about two strong woman, who had be thrown together by fate. Lucia (Queen of Moranth) and Alessandra D´Allyon (Pirate). The queen is bored with her life and Allesandra has to find her new purpose in life. I really enjoyed reading this book and hope for a sequel, the story has some good twists (spies, revenge) and is also really good.
November 21, 2023
Spice yes
Story not a fan of...
The sovereign utterly baffles me, how does she forget her duty that fast. Also if the promise of gold and refuge and pardon which was going to be extended at the very end of the book was available why wasn't this the queen's first play?? Also she got kidnapped from her bed by I think 3 or 4 guys who scaled a wall? What is the kingdom's defense. Who runs it when the queen is off playing house?
Story not a fan of...
The sovereign utterly baffles me, how does she forget her duty that fast. Also if the promise of gold and refuge and pardon which was going to be extended at the very end of the book was available why wasn't this the queen's first play?? Also she got kidnapped from her bed by I think 3 or 4 guys who scaled a wall? What is the kingdom's defense. Who runs it when the queen is off playing house?
November 23, 2023
Well I picked this up and couldn't put it down, I was reluctant to read it at first because it was the first in the series and I don't like waiting for the sequel.
The book does wrap up at an appropriate time so you aren't on a cliffhanger but there's lots of story still to unfold at well Lucia and Alessandra were both amazing characters who drew me in and I'm already eager for the sequel.
The book does wrap up at an appropriate time so you aren't on a cliffhanger but there's lots of story still to unfold at well Lucia and Alessandra were both amazing characters who drew me in and I'm already eager for the sequel.
March 5, 2023
Omg wow what a storyline it was filled with so much depth it was hard to put down which I failed and read it in one go. It captured me from first page till last I loved the main characters chemistry and their connection was written with so much love understanding, definitely a must read you won't regret it. I can't wait to read more congratulations.
April 13, 2023
I found this book on kindle unlimited. I loved it! I hope it is turned into a series. This would be a perfect book to set the background for an amazing adventure/love story between Lucia and Alessandra. I would love to see Lucia learn and explore more of her heritage from her mother. I feel like there were stones left unturned that are perfect for a series.
April 28, 2023
Beautiful
I love a good pirate story. This one goes above and beyond. Nothing is more exciting than beautiful, strong women loving women in a man's world, running said world. These women physically , emotionally and intellectually making life and love happening. As it should be in our world. I love this story and can't wait for more.
I love a good pirate story. This one goes above and beyond. Nothing is more exciting than beautiful, strong women loving women in a man's world, running said world. These women physically , emotionally and intellectually making life and love happening. As it should be in our world. I love this story and can't wait for more.
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