This audiobook unfortunately became background noise at about 20% in for me ; and no matter how much I tried to get into it I ended up failing.

My biggest problems were that I was not much a fan of the writing and the characters weren't interesting enough to capture my attention ; also in some parts it felt extremely slow.

Don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad book per se it had its moments. Unfortunately for me those moments weren't enough to get me invested or to get me to enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this first in a new fantasy series.  Pirates, magic, spies, adventure, who could ask for more?  I listened the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator a lot.  Kit Brighling is a foundling, unaware of her own history, who was found and raised by a woman who recognized her strengths including having an affinity to water.  She’s now a captain in the Queen’s navy and given a secret mission the only complication is being paired with a Vicount, one of the elite.  Their adventures are fun and there is a hint of romance but it fits well with the story.  I can’t wait to read more and would love to get to know Kit’s family a little better.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series (in fact this is one of those series that I want to make the time to re-read and completely catch up on!), so I always keep my eye out for her work. When I read the description of this one - more of a High Fantasy series set on the high seas, I was even more excited! Captain Kit Brightling makes for an interesting heroine - orphaned, aligned to the sea (meaning that she has some innate magical abilities) and trusted by the queen - this first installment is full of adventure while also laying a solid foundation of world-building. 

Battles are brewing when an exiled leader starts making moves to regain power at any cost possible. The magical abilities here - and the way that magic as a whole works - feels unique and serves as a sort of easy parallel to environmentalist too. The relationships are solidly built as well - with great dialogue and banter that really adds to the fun of listening to it. The main romance may be a bit predictable - but in the best sort of familiar way. And if the romance follows expected lines, the plot does not and holds some real surprises! The audio is well-performed and I am looking forward to seeing where the series will go next!

The Bright and Breaking Sea is the first book in the Kit Brightling series, written by Chloe Neill and narrated by Danielle Cohen. Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles' Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte's fleet. Her ship is small, but she's fast—in part because of Kit's magical affinity to the sea. But the waters become perilous when the queen sends Kit on a special mission with a partner she never asked for. Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, may be a veteran of the Continental war, but Kit doesn't know him or his motives—and she's dealt with one too many members of the Beau Monde. But Kit has her orders, and the queen has commanded they journey to a dangerous pirate quay and rescue a spy who's been gathering intelligence on the exiled emperor of Gallia. Kit can lead her ship and clever crew on her own, but with the fate of queen and country at stake, Kit and Rian must learn to trust each other, or else the Isles will fall.

The Bright and Breaking Sea is a well written start to a series I look forward to continuing. Kit is a foundling that has worked hard and become a ship captain and trusted asset to the Queen. Her touch of magic and strong moral compass keep her on task and working hard but she is often underestimated for the very things that make her so successful. Grant is tired of war, and fighting, but would rather be thought of as Coronal than Viscount. When they are thrown together on a tough mission they discover that they might have more in common than they think. I found the information about the history, aspect of magic, and the major players to be well delivered through the entire story. While there are things I certainly want to know more about, I think that is more because of how interesting what we do know is, and my on internal curiosity, rather than missing pieces in the story. While their developing friendship, and the building of characters and setting, are a major part of this book the understanding of the dynamics of magic and the growing danger in the world around them is just as important. This book is more than the sum of its parts, and while there is a great deal going on it all fits together and builds to the promising start of what could be an epic series. Additionally, the inflections from Cohen as narrator really matched the story and helped me get lost in the world. 

The Bright and Breaking Sea is a wonderful start to a fantasy series with significant world and character building, as well as surprises, intrigue, and heart.

Hello,

I am sorry for any inconvenience, but I did not get a chance to listen to this audiobook before it was archived.  I didn't know audiobooks had archive dates.  Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this one.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.”

I loved her other books so much. I couldn’t wait to see what she could do with a cast of historical characters. 
The story was okay. I liked Kit and Grant. However, the story weaved all over the place. It felt a bit scattered in places.

Author Chloe Neill ("Chicagoland Vampires") has shifted gears into a historical fantasy and adventure novel with Regency-era underpinnings. Set in the Saxon Isles, the novel largely takes place three years after Gerard Rousseau, Emperor of Gallia (a character that is clearly to be Napoleon Bonaparte) has been exiled on Montgraf. Captain Kit Brightling, a foundling raised in a school for talented girls, operates outside the Beau Monde (the not so beautiful aristocratic society) but has risen to her rank helming her fast ship, the Diana. Deftly using water magic (a gift termed 'alignment'), Kit and her small ship can maneuver and outrun larger ships in the fleet. She is, secretly, a special agent for Queen Charlotte, and is rather dismayed when her Queen sends her on a rescue mission with Colonel Rian Grant, one of Lord Sutherland's (Wellington's) officers and also Viscount Queenscliffe. The honorable Viscount doesn't think much of those who are aligned or of sailing off with a woman captain to rescue a former colleague. With both vying to be in charge, they are forced to reevaluate their prejudices in order to sally forth. As they sail to rescue Marcus Dunwood, Kit is dismayed to find that not only does she like Grant more than she would wish, the magic that flows in the ocean has been disturbed and is even absent in some areas, portending great danger.

This was a really enjoyable read and as someone who had read one or two of Neill's Chicagoland books and found them rather forgettable, is a really admirable (as opposed to admiral) departure. The novel flies along and for anyone looking for a Regency-era fantasy, I have to say it's one of the better ones I've read in recent years. I'm looking forward to the next Kit Brightling novel. I'm also looking forward to finding out more about Louisa, Kit's own foundling child.

The audiobook was divertingly narrated by Danielle Cohen.

I received a digital audio review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely an engaging story and quite a departure from much of Neill's other works. Captain Kit is by far the most memorable character.  Great sense of mystery, adventure and just a touch of romantic potential. The narrator performed well; however, there could be more differentiation between characters. Overall, listenable and engaging.

Unfortunately, I had to get a new phone when my old one broke and when I downloaded the Netgalley app again, I didn't have this audiobook who was already archived and I couldn't download it a second time to listen to it. I'm disappointed not to be able to read and review this ARC.

A very fun translation of the Regency/Napoleonic naval genre into a more magical universe.  The magic system has some interesting aspects nd I can see a climate fiction / industrial revolution / global warming angle coming down the line.  The gender politics is less successful; the author chooses to keep strong elements of misogyny present in the culture even when women have been able to rise to major roles in very socially conservative organizations (like the home office or the Navy!).  And there's a bit of plot railroading here too; our main characters are sent on every important mission even when they are clearly not suited for it. That said, I LOVE Napoleonic naval fiction, the characters were bright and interesting and fun to root for, and the universe is interesting enough to suspend my disbelief.  An enjoyable read.

***3.5 stars rounded up***

Kit Brightling is the captain of the Diana, a small but quick ship that is known for being a courier vessel rather than her actual role as part of the queen's navy.  Kit is "aligned" with the sea, touching the magic of the water to help speed her ship's journeys.  While out on a mission, Kit and her crew come across an encoded message from an exile which throws the Diana and her crew into a rescue mission with the aid of aristocrat Colonel Grant.  The plot to overthrow the monarchy is discovered and Kit and Grant must work together to stop the enemy.

This story is engaging and the characters very likable.  Kit is a strong, smart and competent female protagonist and a pleasure to read about.  Grant is honorable, attractive, and smart, which makes the slight romance between them obvious from the beginning but that does not detract from the book.  It took me some time to actually get invested in the characters and story and by the time it was finished, it was the characters that kept me listening, not the actual plot.  It was an enjoyable listen that was light on both violence and romance.   A bit of magic, some historical fantasy, and a tinge of romance makes it fun but with enough meat to keep the reader engaged.  

Overall, not a must read, but for sure an enjoyable escape.

I've got quite a number of books from Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series but haven't had an opportunity to read any of them yet and didn't have time to catch up on all titles .  So I was super excited to get an advanced audiobook copy of The Bright and Breaking Sea, the first book in Ms. Neill's new Captain Kit Brightling series.  What a terrific start to the series with great narration by Danielle Cohen!  It was an excellent way to be introduced to this author's work.

Kit Brightling, once a foundling, has risen to the ranks as one of the few female captains of the Isles' Crown Command.  Not only is she a talented captain, but she also has a magical affinity with the sea - she can do things such as manipulate the seas to make her ship travel extremely fast.  Summoned by Queen Charlotte, Kit is given orders to go on a rescue mission at a pirate's enclave.  However, she and her crew aren't going alone - Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, a veteran of the Continental War, is also being sent on the mission.  Kit is decidedly unhappy with a member of the Beau Monde tagging along, but what the Queen demands...  Kit and Grant must overcome their distrust of each other and work together to protect the Isles from a threatened war.

This was a fun, exciting, swashbuckling story!  Listening to the audiobook, I could really picture it as a movie in my mind.  It was like a re-imagining of England's war against Napolean, with a magical twist.  Kit was simply an amazing heroine.  Though she was young and female at a time when women didn't have many leadership positions, she was an extremely strong leader and her crew would follow her to the ends of the earth.  Grant was also a great hero.  Though he was a member of the Beau Monde, he was a fighter in the most brutal battle of the Continental War.  He grew to really respect Kit and acknowledged what a fine leader she was.  Of course, there was a little bit of romance that I wouldn't mind seeing more of!  The supporting cast really enlivened the story.  Danielle Cohen, the narrator, did an excellent job with both female and male voices.  I found some of the lilting accents absolutely beautiful.  I am eagerly awaiting the next volume in this series, and here's hoping the narrator remains the same.  I had a blast listening to this adventure!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.  I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I had the pleasure of listening to an audiobook version of this new release via NetGalley once the publisher granted my request. This was my first time getting an audio through NG and listening through their app, and I was impressed. It worked just like any of my other audio apps with the ability to change the listening speed (very important for me) and the volume level was as expected as well! I hope I will have the opportunity to listen to more audiobooks through NG.

As for the narrator, Danielle Cohen, she did a great job! Sometimes a narrator can really take me out of the story, but I enjoyed Danielle's work very much and will have to see if there's anything done by her that I can add to my audio TBR.

Down to the story. I liked this book a lot. It had great pacing and a variety of interesting characters. The nautical terminology is worked in quite well and wasn't overused or underexplained. I was a little worried that the war aspect would creep in as the main climax, which I do not usually enjoy, but it did not. The war clearly influenced the story and characters as well as providing the catalyst, but I didn't feel like it was the focus. The focus was on the characters trying to prevent a major catastrophe from occurring. 

I definitely enjoyed this, but I didn't love it. And I think the reasons why are particular to me. I didn't like the romance. It seemed obvious from the beginning, and I don't know how they will be reasonably able to resolve it in this world. Also, the magic was integral and explored but didn't do much. This feeling is a bit harder to explain as I'm still not quite sure why it bothered me. Perhaps because it felt more like magical realism in a historical setting? Not sure. The last thing is that the ending felt almost anti-climatic. Again, hard for me to explain but it was obvious this was setting up a series, which I normally love. Maybe it's just 2020 clouding my enjoyment. It has certainly affected my ability to focus on reading, which is normally part of my self-care.

Looking forward to seeing what else the author has in store for our crew in future installments of this series!

I’m not really an audiobook kind of “reader” but given the opportunity to listen to Chloe’s newest book was something I just couldn’t pass up. She’s such a fantastic storyteller and this book was no different. So descriptive, it feels like you’re inside the story with these characters. Speaking of characters, I absolutely loved them. I was a little hesitant looking at the cover, since it’s not usually the kind I would pick up. But I guess it’s true about not judging a book by its cover because I loved this story. Well done and entertaining. Would definitely recommend!

Title: The Bright and Breaking Sea
Author: Chloe Neill 
Narrator: Danielle Cohen
Rating: 3.75 ⭐️ (3 on goodreads)

So I enjoyed the audiobook but the story felt like it was lacking something. I can’t pin point what it is. The story wasn’t bad, I just couldn’t get into it at first. There is an enemies to lovers element to the story that really kept me interested. This is set in New London, 1915. I really liked Kit her personality seemed very realistic. Great for people who like Pirates of the Caribbean and Fable. 

I received this audiobook from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#fantasy #romance #adult #historicalfiction #adventure #pirates #magic #historicalfantasy #thebrightandbreakingsea #netgally #audiobooks #enemiestolovers #femalebadass

I was really looking forward to this audiobook; however, it was archived so soon after I was approved that I didn't get a chance to download and listen.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill in exchange for my honest review.
This is more of an audio review, with some book review in the mix. 
Audio
The book is narrated by Danielle Cohen and I thoroughly enjoyed her narration. She pulled me in and had me hooked from the start. 

The Rest
To be honest, I had a really difficult time with this one. It killed me that I couldn’t get into the story, as Chloe Neill is one of my favorites. After the initial prologue, the first 45-50% I just couldn’t connect with. The tempo was difficult to stay with. I felt like parts were bogged down with so much description, but not the stuff I wanted to learn about. Instead of an instructional guide to how the Diana (her ship) operated, I would have preferred some world building. Maybe some explanation of the magic system, which we get small pops of info about. Unfortunately, I felt like there were more info dumps about the ship than anything else and that didn’t work for me.
That being said, I loved Kit. Kit is my favorite type of character. She’s strong, loyal, independent, confident, and she loves her family and crew with her whole heart. She’s not afraid to be emotional but keeps some at arm’s length. Her tough exterior comes out in bits and pieces, especially when she’s with her crew or family. She treats others with respect unless they disrespect her, then she puts them in their place. She’s a strong character and I enjoyed her.

With the addition of pirates, ships, and adventure, toss in a little romance, and magic, I thought this was going to be a winner for me. I’m sad to say it just dragged for me. Because it’s Chloe Neill I may give the 2nd book a chance, but to be honest if it was any other author I’d move on and forget about it. 

All that said, people will love this one and I’m happy to recommend it to anyone who shows interest in this type of story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio/Tantor Media, Chloe Neill, and Danielle Cohen for the opportunity to listen to The Bright and Breaking Sea audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

About the audiobook: This book has a runtime of 10 hours and 55 minutes. I highly enjoy Danielle Cohen's reading, though it felt a bit slow for me and hard to pay attention to. I usually listen to books at 1.25x speed, but this one was best listened at 1.5x speed, which is usually too fast for me, but really fit the pacing f the story with this book. As an audiobook, fantastically done and a great listen.

The Bright and Breaking Sea says "Book 1 in the Kit Brightling Series," meaning there will be more, though there are no announcements of further installments just yet. The end has quite a bit of promise for further adventures of the headstrong heroine, Kit Brightling.

Kit has a special connection with the ocean. She can truly feel the water beneath her ship. She strives to rise in the ranks of Queen Charlotte's Fleet, where very few women sit as captain. Kit takes on a mission from the Queen herself and is tasked with bringing Rian Grant aboard, someone she is rather unsure of at first. The quest they both must succeed in: head to a secret pirate's quay to rescue a highly important spy that has been gathering intel on the exiled emperor of Gallia.

Kit has more than enough confidence to lead herself and her crew in the right direction, though being tasked with something that involves the whole country might be a little out of her range, though Kit is determined to raise her own rank, and will do what she must to gain a higher standing under the Queen.

This was a fun adult fantasy that was all about seafaring adventure with political intrigue and a dash of romance. The characters were quirky and fun, and I would certainly be interested in reading Kit's next adventure. I would recommend this book to any lover of seafaring or pirate tales, those seeking to read about a strong female protagonist, or anyone looking for a fantasy adventure that is full of fast-paced fun.

I was really looking forward to reading this. I love Chloe Neill's Chicago Land Vampire series. Unfortunately, it was archived before I could even download it to my Netgalley shelf. Disappointed.

I'm about fifty-fifty with this book. I liked the action, the fighting, and the start of romance, but there were some slow parts and I wasn't always sure what direction the story was going. Kit is a cool character, she's strong and independent and people underestimate her which she uses to her advantage. I liked that she cared about her family and crew and made sure they were safe.

The romance was not quite enemies to lovers, but Kit and Grant definitely didn't get along at first. He slowly started seeing how capable she was and when he stood up for her against those misogynists, I was on board with them as a couple. Kit has some reservations about him, but I think in the next book we'll see some progress there.

The pacing is the thing that got me, there are bursts of fighting that are a lot of fun, but then it gets slow and I get bored. Luckily, this isn't a long story and by the end I was intrigued to see what happens next.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review