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I am Lover of romance, who indulges in the romantic adventures of literature

My name is Renee, and I am the host of this site. I am a 34 year old woman, on the prowl for her mate, searching out the best of books, exploring the wilds of the imagination and delving into the heart of a beautiful love story.

 

Tea and Biscuits: Book Discussion- Romance on the Seas

by | Jan 23, 2017 | Tea and Biscuits Discussions | 10 comments

So one of my personal favorite scenarios when reading romance is books that takes you on an adventure, and romance and excitement on the sea just fit so right together. It works so well for a love story, because for one you can’t go to far, and there is more interaction between a couple. This can be whether pirates, sailors, captains of a trade ship or even a privateer ship or even a passenger ship. There are quite a few possibilities that you can explore and it is so fun to see the way authors explore this trope. And I have seen it on both historical and contemporary romance although its way way more common on historical. So why does this trope do it for me so much? I love the passion and the thrill and the adventures you can find. Stories like these are what really pique my interest and any time I see one on the shelf that screams “a sea romance” I grab it right up. I first got hooked on this setting when I read Catherine and the Pirate and Pirate Lord by Sabrina Jeffries. Now this story is so fabulous and wildly entertaining and one of the best of Jeffries works.  It was full of great wit, sweetly romantic and just a fun adventure and I was sold pretty quickly. And ever since I have always gotten a kick out of those sexy pirate romances….or seeing a heroine pose as a cabin boy and get found out….or a stowaway. occasionally we get a captive romance but depending on the author it can go very well or not so well. And I have seen quite a few times a female captain which is fun too. Going on a trip…falling in love and even searching for some “lost treasure” . Of course like with everything not everything is for everyone. We all have certain books that appeal to us in a certain way and Nautical Romance is one of those that just sing to me in a certain way and I don’t think that I will ever get enough. So let me share some of my personal favorites that have impacted me the most.

The Pirate Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

This was the first Adult pirate romance I read and what a well written and fun story. And not only do you fall in love with the main couple here, but you also fall in love with the other characters involved. What is unique about Jeffries, especially her backlisted books are how adventurous they are. In this story we have our hero, who is a bit bitter against anyone English. And he has his reasons for it. Our heroine is the step sister to an Aristocrat. But she is a “bluestocking”. And goes on a trip with a group of women and children. These women are prisoners who are to be taken to be indentured servants. Our hero is done pirating and has his own “island” and needs wives for his men. But Sara is all about Women’s rights and will do anything to stop his plans. Yeah these two have fireworks but what is also unique about this one is the way that they both grow and change for the better in different ways and still gives the readers tons of laughs to enjoy for the adventure.

Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey

Now this is just a classic pirate romance. Now our hero James is more of a ex pirate more of a trade captain now. And our heroine really needs to get home and quick but its hard going as a woman. So she disguises herself as a cabin boy. But James (he has definitely sowed his oats) and recognizes what she is pretty quickly and he likes to play. So he plays with her and its fun and sensual and there are times they go at it like cats and dogs. But Lindsey gives us a wild ride here and both characters will surprise you!! This is the book that got me hooked on the Malory series in the first place.

Captured by The Pirate Laird

Amy Jackeri did such a tremendous job with this book. First off it has the right”historical” feel to it. It has a more medieval era feel to it which is one that I really loved. I don’t know what it is about this author that gets to me, but the way she handles this book is so well done, and would be a great start to this type of set up. What is really wonderful about this book is the friendship and companionship that this couple builds together.

Enslaved by the Ocean by Bella Jewel

This is one of the few contemporary settings I have read with this trope. It isn’t light at all though. It tough and gritty and very sensual but it also is such a great romance. It battles with your emotions and isn’t an “easy” read but a full belly satisfying one. It isn’t for everyone though but if you like the toughness of MC romances than I recommend you try picking this one up.

Catherine and the Pirate by Karen Hawkins

This was my very “first” pirate romance and such a light and sweet story. This is part of a teen series that Avon put together quite a few years ago. And this book made me fall in love with this genre and the style that most romance novels are written in. This story has such a feel of innocence and charm and a light but romantic feel to it. It also shows us some adventure, danger and a romance you can cheer on!!!


Of Noble Birth

Now this story packs a punch and so unfortunate that this author hasn’t written much in this genre because this is one of my all time favorites. I had such a blast with this book and couldn’t put it down. Its drama filled, a hidden identity theme and a sensual romance and great characters that leave you coming back for more. I loved the feel of the story, very good detail and obvious the author did their research well on this one.

Destiny’s Captive

Now this was a unique one and typical Beverly Jenkins, she makes you fall in love with everything about the story and most especially the romance and diversity. Our heroine is the pirate of the story and steals our heroe’s ship from him…..unconventional, fun and surprising. Definitely a story to give you kicks and giggles.

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10 Comments

  1. Lola

    One of the few historical romances I read took place on the sea, it was a fun setting. Besides that i can’t remember many books i read that take place on sea, but I would love to read more of them. I always like close proximity or forced proximity type of tropes in a story and like you said a ship is a good example of that as they can’t go far. The books you listed here all sound good! I might have to look up a few of these.

    Reply
  2. LilyElement

    I plan on reading a Beverly Jenkins book soon 😀 I hear such good things about her books, love that she writes diverse romance!!

    Reply
  3. Bookworm Brandee

    You’ve just put more books on my tbr, Renee! 😉 You’re absolutely right about adventure in romance being wonderful and having an adventure at sea is that much more exciting!

    Reply
  4. Michele H

    Such a fun trope! I’ve read a few on your list and they stood out to me as well (Karen Hawkins, Johanna Lindsey, Sabrina Jeffries) but I missed Brenda Novak’s somehow. I’ll be adding that on my TBR. 🙂 Another one I had fun with with was The Lady’s Command by Stephanie Laurens. It was hit or miss with some readers but I liked the characters and their adventurous spirit.

    Reply
  5. Sophia Rose

    I’m a fan of ‘sea romances’ too. I think my first ones were when I read Carla Kelly’s older Harlequins featuring sea captains during the Napoleonic War. I also liked Shana Galen’s lost pirate brother one, The Rogue Pirate Bride. I enjoyed those Bella Jewel modern pirates, too. I also liked a few ‘cruise’ romances along similar lines.

    Reply
  6. Quinn's Book Nook

    I used to love romance on the seas stories, but they don’t draw me in quite as much these days. I do like The Gift by Julie Garwood, but seriously, what historical of hers don’t I like.

    Reply
  7. Blodeuedd

    I liked them until I read this one book and arghhhhhh, I still get angry

    Reply
  8. Wickedly Delicious

    I have not read a lot in this trope. I did like Enslaved by the ocean

    Reply
  9. Zeee @ I Heart Romance & YA

    I’ve read Gentle Rogue…and a few Pirate romances…. I guess this was a huge sub-genre in the 90s? Anyway, I saw a lot of them at the used bookstore that I went so so I read a few…there were some I like but not anymore. I don’t see a lot of this trope now, though…

    Reply

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