Review - - The Heiress at Sea

The Heiress at Sea

by Christi Caldwell

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: March 14, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

A seafaring journey is the second chance for a lady and the last chance for a marquess in a thrilling novel about rebellious love, secrets, and danger by USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell.

Perpetually unattached Lady Cassia McQuoid has accepted her fate as a spinster. But how can she be expected to lead a life confined to drawing rooms and royal balls when there’s a vast, exciting world to explore? Cassia can find but one solution: she masquerades as a thrill-seeking lad and stows away on a ship bound for open waters. Adventure awaits. So does notorious privateer Nathaniel Ellsby.

Nathaniel doesn’t want to be the Duke of Roxburghe. Instead, the second-born son relishes his freedom to do as he pleases: pursuing enemy ships in service of the war effort. But when his older brother dies, Nathaniel embarks on one last mission before he fulfills his ducal duties with an arranged marriage. That’s the intention, at least―until he discovers that his woefully green deckhand is a fetching but vulnerable woman in disguise.

Nathaniel’s new mission is to protect Cassia from the perils of the sea, both above and below the water, by sharing the close confines of the captain’s quarters. As roiling emotions turn to love, Nathaniel and Cassia realize the greatest risks―to the Crown, to their futures, and to the heart―still lie ahead.

PJ's Thoughts:

I may as well admit it right upfront: I'm a pushover for a stowaway-heroine-in-disguise and a stern privateer (with a marshmallow center) thrown together in a seagoing romance. Pair them with Christi Caldwell's snappy banter, impeccably-timed humor, and crackling chemistry and you have a book I happily read in one sitting, pretty much grinning from beginning to end. But don't think this is all fluff and no substance. There's plenty of emotional depth here too, something at which Caldwell excels.

The Heiress at Sea has gone straight to my comfort-read keeper shelf where I can visit it again and again whenever I need a mood boost. If you're looking for a feel-good, sea-adventuring romance that will lift your spirits give this one a go. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.

Although it's not marketed as part of a series, Cassia is the older sister of Lady Myrtle McQuoid, heroine of Caldwell's The Duke Alone (click to read PJ's review). I'm hoping this means we'll be seeing more McQuoid siblings find their happily ever after in future books!