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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.

 

Book Review-Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin

by | Mar 24, 2022 | Book Reviews | 11 comments

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

About The Book

Bennett Sharp is on the run.
Wanted for piracy, she fears neither God nor death nor man.
Except Priest Farrell.

The unfaithful, stormy-eyed libertine hunts her with terrifying possessiveness. Nothing will stop him from coming for her. Not his unforgivable betrayal. Not when she’s captured by the ice-cold pirate hunter, Lord Ashley Cutler.
She must escape Ashley’s prison and Priest’s deceit. But can she walk away from their twisted desires?

Two gorgeous captains stand on opposite sides of the law. When they collide in a battle to protect her, the lines blur between enemies and lovers.
Passion heats, secrets unravel, and hearts entangle until they break.
Can love prevail in the sea of ruin?

Love isn’t a decision. It arrives unannounced, breeds madness, and leaves a sea of ruin in its wake. Hate him or love him. Either way, he’s in certain hell.

My Review

Sea of Ruin was a story that I was highly nervous in reading because of the hype surrounding this book and to be honest I didn’t even look at the trigger warnings for this book and I maybe I should have due to some of the content (If you want to read this make sure you check the trigger warnings on this one) I was drawn to this book due to booktube and yes I blame my booktube gals in raving about this book, I have just started exploring this author’s books but every single one I have truly enjoyed. I have always been a fan of pirate romance whether it’s historical or contemporary and I was so intrigued to see how Pam Godwin would handle a historical setting, some authors that write contemporary settings, don’t always know how to write this sub-genre of historical romance, but I can delightfully say that Pam Godwin knew what she was doing when she was writing this book. Now I would like to put this disclaimer that this book is DARK, so go into this one expecting darker themes and is a rough road for our heroine and it won’t be an easy read. But I was so delighted in reading this book because it leads you on a journey you don’t expect and delivers in hidden facets that will only endear you more into the story.

It doesn’t matter how far we fall, how much pain we inflict, or how dark it becomes in the ruin. I’m going to be with you, waiting for you, loving you, forgiving you. I’m never letting go, Bennett. Never.

Sea of Ruin sets off with our heroine as a teenager, who is about to be betrothed to a man her father’s age, but one fateful night her father who is an infamous pirate, and her mother are both killed and she survives a horrific assault from her betrothed and embraces a destiny her beloved father left behind for her. She becomes just as famous of a pirate captain as her father once was, she embraces the rough but passion-filled life of living on the seas and thought to have found herself a great passion and love in a man she trusted until he betrayed her and they have been separated for over two years. But now he has found her again and is determined to keep her, but through a series of events, Bennett finds herself captured by a pirate hunter, who is determined to take her to the Gallows in England. The relationship that she forms with her captor is rife with erotic kinks that Bennett doesn’t expect to find or to discover love with this man who has made her open her heart once again knowing he is leading her to a path of destruction. But not everything is black and white or at all what it seems. Bennett will be taken on an adventure that will lead to some dark paths but also will help her discover her true strength and capabilities and a future that is one of beauty and love of epic proportions.

He was complicated, iron-bound, steadfast, and passionate. Like Priest in the best of ways. Not better. Just… He was everything I longed for, for so very long. To give up on him would be to give up on myself.

Sea of Ruin is a story that blew my heart away and I didn’t know where this story was taking me. It actually surprises me in some ways that I was able to love this one so dearly. But if you have read any of the old-style bodice ripper romances, this story was so reminiscent of those stories and if you know you are going into a darker read, then this story just might work for you. It deals with some serious material in this story and won’t be for every reader. And yes it has a love triangle/cheating in this book and some other elements that won’t be for everyone. This heroine really gets put through the wringer, but I just admired her strength in overcoming such adversity that she faces and coming out stronger through it all. I have had this book on my TBR for the longest time, for almost two years now, and I was so apprehensive about the setup of the book because I just am not a reader that can do the “cheating” portions and I will be honest that is what kept me from reading this earlier. However, this book is beyond beautiful in so many intricate ways. There are layers to the layers of this romance and the way it turns out won’t be what you expect (I certainly didn’t expect the turnout of this story) and I was beyond pleased to see how this author was able to craft this HEA that just worked and satisfied such a journey that we see these characters go on.

You’re the overruling destiny that he and I have been traveling toward our whole lives. Our paths forked, veered, crossed, and forked again a dozen times. And here we are, right where we started. With you.

There isn’t too much that I want to say without spoiling the ending too much, but I do want to talk about the setting of this story. I absolutely indulged in the authenticity of the setting that is written here. From what we see happening in America, to the culture of a pirate ship, all the way to the strict happenings aboard a British sealiner. This author goes deep into helping the reader understand the setting and the societal machinations but also the challenges that women faced back then but also perfectly portrays the true strength of women and capitalizes on that strength and courage that we see from Bennett here. I absolutely adored this heroine in so many ways. The way she is able to handle what comes at her is beyond admirable but also how she is able to stand up to the men in her life is empowering in many ways. I just wanted to cheer her on all the way through the story. But you will also see her go through such hardships as well, so be prepared for some dark moments that Bennett will have to face in order to reach her well-deserved HEA.

Love had hunted me, captured me, bred madness, and yes, it left a sea of ruin in its wake. But the devastation washed away. The skies cleared, and now we were calm, free, sailing on the winds of our hard-won peace.

Overall I found Sea of Ruin to be a stunning pirate romance that fed my historical romantic heart into epic delights. It’s a story of hardship, trial, complexities of the heart, and the profound ability of the human condition to brave the wildness of life.

Love prevailed, not in the windless calm of life, but in the ruin.  

Title: Sea of Ruin

Author: Pam Godwin

Genre: Historical Dark Romance

Format: eBook

Source: Library

Length: 482 Pages

Amazon| Barnes and Noble| Kobo| Goodreads| LibraryThing| StoryGraph| Literal Club

Book Evaluation

Storytelling Quality: 4.5

Story Itself: 4.5

Character Development: 4.25

Writing Style: 5

World Building 5

Feels + The Romantic Heart 4.25

Pacing 5

Plot 5

Cover Art 5

Ending 5

Book Ratings

Overall Rating of the Book

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Steam Level

Simmering—soft warm touches and light intimacy

Warm- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.

Steamin’ up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

About The Author

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

Website| Goodreads| Facebook

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11 Comments

  1. Sophia Rose

    Truthfully, if a pirate romance were to be authentic, I would think that it would get pretty dark (though I like the light, dreamy ones, too). I haven’t been in the mood for dark romance in a while, but you are not the first person to praise Pam Godwin’s books so I’ve got her books on the list.

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      oh yes I agree Sophia!! I found this one to be so authentic feeling so as long as you are aware of what you are getting into, you will enjoy it more and I think its a pirate romance up your alley,

      Reply
  2. Nadene

    I think I need to ass Pam Goodwin’s books to my reading list. I am intrigued by this one. Its been ages since I read a pirate romance.

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Yes you definitely need to Nadene. She has become such a favorite of mine.

      Reply
  3. Carole @ Carole's Random Life

    I do like darker stories so I am intrigued by this one. This is the first that I have heard of it so thanks for putting it on my radar!

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Yes if you like darker themed books, then this one will work for you. I recommend it.

      Reply
  4. Jen

    Wow! This is not what I was expecting upon seeing the cover (which I love). Sounds good, but I’m not always a fan of super dark. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

    Reply
  5. anovelglimpse

    This cover is really cool. I don’t think I’ve ever read a pirate romance before. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Reply
  6. Christine @ Captivated Reading

    See, I’m like you–I don’t like cheating in my books, either. Sometimes it just ruins the story for me. BUT, if done correctly, I feel like it can work. And in a darker book like this–about pirates, nonetheless, I feel like it could work. Great review!

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Yeah, I felt like there was a realism to this story, And I do think it makes sense in the story when you read it as it didn’t bother me when you see their circumstances.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Carole @ Carole's Random LifeCancel reply