Despite being married to an ex sailor sea story's aren't my favourite as I find them somewhat limiting. However I do like the author so thought I'd give it a go. While as well written as I would expect I did find parts of this story very cringe worthy and the heroine somewhat annoying. This might be fine if this is your sort of story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley though all my thoughts are my own.

Nathaniel is a reluctant marquess after his older brothers death. He has one last Sea Mission before he is saddled with a dukedom and an arranged marriage. Cassia wants to see the world and stows away on her brother's best friend's Ship. Only, she picks the wrong ship! Now chatty Cassia is stuck on a ship with a Surly Captain and a rogue crew that thinks she's the worst cabin boy in the world. How long before she's found out and how long til she turns this gruff captain's heart?

What worked for me? I love this cover and the hero's gruff demanding nature. The majority of this book is spent at sea, which works because I love a good pirate romance (privateer in this case).

What didn't work for me? The heroine. She's extremely chatty, which is a big point in the book and annoys everyone, including me. she also never gets the heroes sarcasm. This book is fade to black, but the relationship wasn't strong enough without it, honestly. it was silly without really being that funny.

Why should you read it?
If you want a soft, seafaring, fade to blck historical romance, you might like this one.

The Heiress at Sea had a lot of potential. I loved the beginning and the potential that this plot had. In the end, it just fell flat. The good moments were completely overshadowed by trying to deal with the heroine's personality(?) and ability to gauge the environment/situations around her. This character seemed to have never interacted with another human before the start of the story. I was hoping that it would get better over time (a plot that would have made this book decent) but she constantly was just always misunderstanding or just being unable to communicate with anyone. I don't mind a heroine that starts off as naive, pretentious, and unaware but grows over the story but this just didn't work for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for providing an ARC of this book.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 0 peppers (closed doors)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone, but tied to The Duke Alone, as we are following the older sister of the main character from that book. Cassia, the often invisible eldest daughter of an earl, is setting off an adventure, dressing as a boy and sneaking onto her brother’s best friend’s ship so she can see the world. Turns out she’s on the wrong ship and ends up on Nathaniel’s boat, which is aimed to intercept a French war ship. Nathaniel is the second son of a duke, but recently became the heir after his brother fell off a horse. With his father’s demands in mind, this mission is likely to be his last. With everyone trapped on a ship, there’s plenty of drama to go around: Cassia is still pretending to be a boy, but she’s so terribly naive and sensitive that the other men mock her work; when they discover she’s actually a lady, there’s most definitely potential for scandal; and she cannot stop talking and chattering and also cannot detect sarcasm. It makes for annoying and infuriating conversation every time Nathaniel has to deal with her. But it’s a romance novel after all, and he starts to see her as someone brave (though naive) and also someone he wants to care for a protect. It was definitely a fun read and I enjoyed how all the conflict got resolved.

I received this copy of The Heiress at Sea as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the novel. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book before it will be published in early March, and all thoughts expressed herein are my own.

This novel was not a good use of my reading time unfortunately. I really didn't like the female main character, Cassia McQuoid, and I also objected to Nathaniel Ellsby, for whom I felt bad much of the time after finding a woman stowed away on his ship, but who was also too harsh for my liking. I really enjoy the grumpy-sunshine trope, but for me, Nathaniel was a bit too grumpy. I didn't like that he referred to Cassia as a "birdbrain", asking her several times early in the novel whether she had a brain at all and whether she ever stopped talking - I just don't enjoy male MC's calling the female MC's names, insulting them and degrading them, even if they are angry and have every reason to be livid with them. Ironically, I liked the calm gentleness of Nicholas Hayes, his quartermaster and even Alexander Albion, his sailing master. At times, I wished one of them had a romance with Cassia rather than Nathaniel.
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I thought Cassia was quite a silly character, at least for the first half of the book - painting murals on the walls of the ship when asked to paint them (most young women wouldn't think that was what the Captain meant by giving them that task), calling him Nathan as a short form of Nathaniel - when the short form is Nate - and no one called him that, not even his family members. She was pretty disrespectful of him by refusing to call him Captain or by his full given name, and her wittering on and on wasn't even slightly amusing. If their dialogue was meant to be funny or witty (as Hayes thought it was), it fell way flat. I was not even remotely amused.

I also had difficulty with characters' names changing during the story - at one point, Quartermaster Hayes is referred to as Hawthorn, and Alexander Albion is later referred to as Roxby a few times. This seemed more like author identification error rather than the assignment of nicknames to Nathaniel's crew. Additionally, she frequently referred to the "plains" of his face, when the correct word is planes, as in angles and planes. Such that the text of this ARC was in serious need of a good editing. I do mind spelling and editing errors because it detracts from the storyline if I have to stop and consider which character she is taking about or whether she means planes rather than the plains of Nebraska. And it was often redundant in themes previously expressed, with some phrases repeated verbatim - so no new wording a few pages later. I think this book could have sheared off about 50 pages and been made tighter and more streamlined as a read.

It is fade to black with the love scenes, which are not my favorite way to experience the MCs' growing relationship. There is a lot of telling us what the MC's feel rather than showing us through the story (and that includes times when they are not being intimate as well).

This book really did not work for me, which is unfortunate because it is the first I've read by this new-to-me author. After reading this novel, I admit that I am hard-pressed to want to read her other books if her heroes consistently insult their lady loves, and the heroines are really "dumb as bricks" (which I think might actually be something Nathaniel thinks about Cassia early on). Also Cassia's frequent bouts of crying and vomiting were just way too overdone. This book was a disappointment for me, and I really like love on the high seas. It just has to be done right - and this book, in my opinion, was not.

After mistakenly stowing away on the wrong ship in the hopes of having an adventure on the high seas (and I'm sure scarring her family to death, which doesn't seem to bother her in the least) and then failing to pass for a man, Cassia McQuoid is taken under the protection of the captain and future Duke, Nathan Ellsby.

I usually love a good shipboard romance, but the heroine in this one, Cassia, is so dumb it was annoying, I just want to shake her or tell her it's okay to have an INNER monologue sometimes and not just say every stupid thing that occurs to her. It was hard not to root for the sailors who wanted to throw her off the ship. Poor Nathan. He spent the whole time trying to keep this chick (who didn't have the sense that God gave her) alive.

There's a pirate fight, a ball, a lot of Nathan trying to figure out what kind of life he actually wants. The sex scene was completely glossed over so I'm classifying this as a "sweet romance." There's just kissing and a lot of wishing you could push Cassia overboard yourself and help Nathan out. Not my favorite Christi Caldwell novel so far.

The title sucked me in. I should have guessed – this is the story of the sister from The Duke Alone which, unfortunately, I also did not like. I really enjoy Christi’s dark romances, in fact I absolutely love them, but these kind of side books I do not enjoy at all. The characters just got on my nerves and are so blah. Maybe it is the mood I am in at the time or maybe it is just that I have read so many books that these types do not appeal to me anymore. I need to be more mindful of what books I chose because I hate giving less than stellar reviews for authors that I really enjoy.

Lady Cassia McQuoid is determined that she wants her life to be more than that of marriage and being confined to drawing rooms and royal balls. She is determined to discover the world, so she decides to masquerade as a young boy and stowaway on a ship only to find herself on the wrong one. Rather than be onboard that of her brother’s friend, she finds herself confronted by a notorious privateer, Nathaniel Ellsby. Yet Nathaniel has one last voyage before he must return to fulfil the expectations of his father, the Duke of Roxburghe. Having been the second son, until the death of his older brother, he finds that he must give up pursuing enemy ships in service of the war effort and instead marry his brother’s betrothed. Yet when he finds himself protecting Cassia from his crew, he realises that his life might be more than just one at sea.

Every time I pick up a Christi Caldwell book, I find myself totally immersed in the characters and ‘The Heiress at Sea’ is no different. I loved both characters, finding Cassia’s ability to find joy in her surroundings and to fill the void with speech and laughter, quite endearing. Nathan was an honourable man who despite his gruff manner, would do anything to ensure Cassia’s happiness. Soon, her personality has Nathan reflecting on others and not seeing things solely from his own perspective. Whilst part of a series, with ‘The Duke alone’ as another great read, this is a standalone book. I do so look forward to reading more in this series, especially with so many interesting characters appearing in Cassia’s family.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is about Cassie who is a spinster, but she wants to lead an exciting life. She decides to masquerade as a boy and stows away on a ship, she thought she was on her brother’s ship, but she was not. Privateer Nathaniel is now the heir to the duke because his brother died. His parents want him to take up the duke’s responsibilities and marry the bride of his parents’ choice. This is his last trip at sea and he is not happy there is a stow away. This book is a well written book which at times had me laughing out loud and other times had me smiling. I really enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am leaving my honest opinion.

“I was sneaking off to see the world.”

A fun adventure, with a heroine that starts as annoying and ends as lovable.

For at least the first half of this book I thought it might be a one star. The FMC is just blundering so often. Then she said something and I realized- she reminds me of a young Scarlett O’Hara. She is spunky, fiery, and makes mistakes left and right because she’s not thinking, but it rings true! After that lightbulb I came to really like her!
The hero is so much fun, the perfect pirate with a heart of gold. He is so protective. His journey of discovery was one of my favorite parts of the book.
Now I know Christi Caldwell’s website says this is a standalone. However, we’ve already heard Cassia’s sister Mertyl’s story. So would it be too much to hope this becomes a family saga? I just adore the McQuoid family shenanigans!
The writing can feel a bit clunky at times. Other than that though, it is a very fun book that I highly recommend!

Tropes: Mistaken identity, mortal peril, enemies to lovers
CW: Fighting, gun violence, bullying

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. These are my opinions.
I loved this book. I haven't read a good at sea adventure for a long time and this one didn't disappoint. Cassia just wants an adventure, so she decides to stow away on the ship that her brother is on. She misreads the name of the ship and gets on Nathaniel Ellsby the Marquess of Winfield's ship instead.
The book is a fun grumpy meets sunshine read with a lot of adventures.

I’ve read quite a few Christi Caldwell books, and this one was very cute! I do recommend reading the first in the series, though. Cassia and Nathaniel are both funny characters and their chemistry is excellent. I’ll definitely read the first in this series and come back to this one with more context.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was so much fun and I love their banter. I loved that she never backed down from him. It was so cute seeing him slowly start to care about her and fall in love.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This story made me laugh so hard. Christi Caldwell has written two characters that will not be easily forgotten by readers. Lady Cassia is a remarkable young lady who will capture the hearts of readers with her wit and vibrancy. Nathaniel is a master at keeping his emotions in check until he comes up against Cassia. Once you start reading you will not be able to resist turning the pages to see what happens next. It is a super wonderful story that can be enjoyed more than once.

This is the 2nd book in the McQuoids series. Both can be read as a stand alone.
Cassia is tired of her boring, non existent life. Her brothers have traveled and her sister has gone away to school. But she has been stuck at home, smiling and posing and trying to attract a husband (with no success). She wants more and decided to take things into her own hands. She decides to stow away on her brother and his friend Jeremy's ship. She has the worst case of sea sickness and the crew doesn't like her. When she finally asks to see the Captain, she realizes she's on the wrong ship when Jeremy doesn't show up but Nathan does.
This may be Nathan's last voyage, as his father is insisting on his taking on the responsibility of the dukedom. He insists he marries. Now on top of everything else he has a stowaway.
But not just a stowaway, a female stowaway and a Lady at that. What is he going to do with her?:
The adventure begins. This book kept me smiling and laughing all the way through. I enjoyed it greatly. I like Nathaniel. He was an alpha male and yet vulnerable at the same time.
I give Cassia credit for taking things into her own hands and not settling for a mundane life. I just thought, she was a little whiney. She died at the drop of a hat. She had very poor self esteem. She had her good points and her bad
I give this 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

A very enjoyable read. I was laughing within the first few chapters and loving the adorable heroine and the hero who didn’t know what hit him. He is protective and tender with her and she brings light into his life.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

Lots of fun on the high seas!

After feeling invisible for most of her life, Cassia is ready to grab life by the horns so she sneaks onto her brother's ship - or at least, that's what she meant to do. Ending up on another ship entirely, she has to admit she is totally out of her element and completely at the mercy of a merciless captain. Yes, she does come across as quite naïve, but understandably so, given her extremely sheltered upbringing, and she's gradually becoming aware of just how much she has to learn.

Nathaniel's father, a powerful duke, wants nothing more than to browbeat Nathaniel into submitting to the life he has planned for his heir, forcing him to give up his shipping career if he doesn't fall in line. Out on the open sea is the only place where Nathaniel feels at home, and he's not about to let a young stowaway - a female, at that - derail his plans for independence.

I loved the way Cassia relied on her inner fortitude, standing up to Nathan whenever possible. I thought her inability to hold her tongue was endearing, and clearly Nathan needed someone to drive him to exasperation every now and then. Their relationship was combative and intense with more than a few moments of sweet understanding as they began to develop true feelings for each other.

This exciting story has notes of Master and Commander as most of the action takes place at sea with Nathaniel's ship in pursuit of a French ship in the spring of 1814. I heartily enjoyed all the sailing aspects of this story, and I absolutely adored the way the sea battle was decided.

The first book in this series detailed the romance of Cassia's sister, Myrtle, in The Duke Alone, and while each is a complete standalone romance, readers of the earlier book will appreciate the further insight into the McQuoid family. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical romance, pirate stories, or romantic comedies. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I love the McQuoids!

I'm a sucker for a stowaway story and this one did not disappoint! As always, Christi Caldwell has absolutely smashed it!

I'm really hoping we get one of the brothers next!

This is a Stand-alone book by Christi Caldwell but it really to me is the 2nd book in the McQuoids series following book 1 The Duke Alone.
This is Cassia McQuoid's story. Cassia is the eldest McQuoid sister. After 2 seasons she feels she is always overlooked, especially now that her sister Myrtle is married before she even had her come out. Cassia decides to take a grand adventure and sneak onto her brother and his best friends boat to see the world since no man has taken notice of her. Or as The Captain says...The Ship! Nathaniel is a Strict, hard, fair, and honorable man. This is his last secret mission before he has to take up his place as his father the Duke's Heir since his elder brother passed away.
These two are definitely different, but you will see that their differences make each other whole. If you like quirky and super talkative ladies and hard as nails Hero's this is definitely a must read!

I liked this story. It was the being at sea I thought was most exciting in the story. The background story surrounding Nathaniel was entertaining. His father was a ogre I thought. The book reads fast, which is good. The characters are wonderful. They certainly kept the story moving. Until next time my fellow readers… read on! I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.