I think that everyone need pirates, romances, fantasy all mixed together and escape to this world.
This did and excellent job and I thoroughly enjoyed it
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

📣 marriage of convenience romantasy. Sign me up!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what are your Sunday plans? We went to visit family in Kentucky this weekend, but I pushed through & drove us back last night. So glad I did, because now we have a relaxingly productive day ahead of us! I’m probably going to clean my floors & maybe make homemade pasta with my husband later. Hopefully fit in some couch time too 💁🏻‍♀️.

Although this book took me a while to get into, once it picked up for me, it picked up in a great way. Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier is a yummy marriage of convenience romatasy set on the high seas. The stakes are high, the secrets are big, & the “my wife” references are killer.

Saoirse has been isolated from her family after a tragedy they all blame her curse for. Promised to the Stone King, she chooses her own path instead, winding up with The Wolf of the Wild. The Wolf is a charmer with a lover in every port, but his rep is no match for our heroine.

This book has so many things romance fans love, including a sickbed scene. Though it was confusing for me at first, listening on audio really helped. By the end, this romantasy really delivered.

4.5 ⭐️, out now.

CWs: death, ghosts, branding, violence.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of a pond with trees.]

Rapier's descriptive writing, compelling characters, and visceral setting immediately sucked me into the story like the tide, and it still has yet to remove its claws from my mind. Saoirse is not only a relatable hero, but she is also someone to aspire to. Both grounded and surreal, this story continues to haunt me long after reading it. I know it won't be long before its sweet siren's call beckons me back beneath the waves.

DNF at 52%.

I found the main character incredibly frustrating. She’s been “cursed” with this magic her whole life that she doesn’t understand (although it seemed fairly obvious to me), and continues to reject opportunities to learn more about it. If I truly thought that my magic was a danger to my loved ones I would do anything I could to learn everything about it, but she kept ignoring several opportunities to do so. I found it really frustrating and unrealistic, and was too annoyed with her to keep reading

is it just me, or does every romantasy copy and paste the same MMC? he’s always tall and dark-haired, broody and rakish (but with a secret heart of gold, of course).

saoirse will do anything to escape her arranged marriage to a cruel king, including offering up her volatile suppressed magic to a legendary pirate captain in exchange for his protection. their deal is simple: she will guide him and his crew to a mythical island, and he will marry her to ensure her safety from her controlling father and would-be fiancé.

i was lured in with promises of celtic pirates and a marriage of convenience, and while soulgazer technically delivered on those things, it was not for me.

it’s fine for what it is, i guess? but “what it is” is a generic romantasy. i found the characters and their world to be underdeveloped, relying too heavily on tropes—a sheltered young woman, a pirate who felt very jack sparrow meets that dude from outlander, a vaguely celtic-inspired fantasy world—but objectively fine. the development of the romance was a little perfunctory for my preferences and lacked the tension i was hoping for from a book featuring a marriage of convenience, but i didn’t mind it. i would have enjoyed the story more if the fantasy elements and world-building had been fleshed out further.

and i’m sorry, but the mood ring eyes were ridiculous.

Nothing tempts me like a pirate romantasy! As expected, I absolutely LOVED everything about the hero in this one😍

Rapier continued to deliver though! Not only giving us the swoon-worthy pirate Faolan, but also a strong heroine with depth in Saoirse, rich lore, and a fast-paced plot brimming with adventure! The stakes were high and I was so invested!

If you’re not a fan of info-dumping, I think this is for you. The world building felt really accessible, you’ll easily be able to jump in and enjoy the ride!

After finding out this is to be a duology, I feel a lot better about that ending! It felt like so much happened in the last quarter of the book, and now I’m just dying to see where Rapier goes with it next! Such an impressive debut!

**Thank you to Ace Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy to read and review! All opinions are my own.**

4.5 ⭐️ it’s like the romantasy gods knew I was sick and tired of the same reused tropes and fmcs who hone their newfound magic in the blink of an eye and said “here damn!!! take this celtic-inspired pirate romance about an fmc who doesn’t even WANT her powers and shut up”… and I said “say less!!” 🙂‍↔️🏴‍☠️

war is over because I have FINALLY been blessed with a beautiful, unique romantasy that’s the perfect balance of romance and plot ✨ from the detailed world-building and magic system to the lyrical writing and romantic tension, I was hooked from the very beginning.

saoirse is the epitome of a soft girl with big feelings, but I LOVED that she never came across as weak or was dismissed as useless because of this. she truly went through so much at the hands of her family, and her growth by the end of the story was so inspiring 🩵 faolan on the other hand was her complete opposite- he was loud, confident, & closed off about his emotions, which really helped them balance each other out 🙂‍↕️ I loved that he was so patient and sweet with her, and the fact that he was willing to give up his freedom as a pirate to protect her from her evil father & fiancé?? saoirse girl I don’t blame you, I’d ask him to marry me too🧎🏼‍♀️💍

the magic system took me a little bit to get into at first just because of the language barrier (best believe I had that glossary bookmarked so I could keep going back to it lol), but at the same time I really appreciated how nothing was spoon-fed to me as a reader and I had to work for it a little bit to understand what was going on 👏🏼 this was an incredible debut and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!! with how things left off, I’m v excited (and slightly scared) 😦

I absolutely adored the writing style of this one, as Maggie Rapier drew me right in with her gorgeous prose and setting the scene ability. I feel like Pirate Fantasies are making a comeback (finally, since Pirates of the Caribbean!), and this one is a fun and sexy adventure in the vein of Black Sails. Maggie Rapier crafted a really unique clever bit of magic in her world, with a tragic backstory to our FMC (and the intrigue of what, exactly, her magic IS and does is what kept me hooked, not to mention her horrid family at the beginning). It starts off with an achingly romantic, forced proximity "fake" marriage to a pirate-- and one that has plenty of his own drama, allegiances, and familial betrayal. Add in a quest to a hidden world, a "coming of age" discovery of FMC's magic, and just enough of what we all expect and hope for from a pirate MMC. Sets up for a perfect book 2.

Readers who love the opening portions of Shield of Sparrows will absolutely want to jump right into this one!

3.5 ⭐️

Soulgazer sets sail with a unique magic system, strong Irish influences, and a sea-soaked sense of adventure. Saoirse is the only known survivor of touching a soulstone, locked away her entire life until she escapes a forced marriage with the help of Faolan, a roguish pirate who promises her freedom if she helps him find the mythical Isle of Lost Souls. She begins as meek and naive, but there’s a quiet determination beneath her softness, and watching that strength emerge is one of the book’s most rewarding elements. Faolan, meanwhile, is pure charm—part Killian Jones, part Jack Sparrow, part Will Turner—cheeky, protective, and respectful of Saoirse’s boundaries in their growing romantic tension. Their chemistry is easy to root for, even if one or two steamy scenes felt unnecessary and a predictable misunderstanding dragged things down.

The first half is engaging, with poetic, atmospheric writing that drops you straight into the world. That same flowery style, combined with a complex magical setup, can be disorienting early on, and it takes time before the rules of the soulstones, curse, and world fully click. Once they do, the ocean setting, political undercurrents, and dark, eerie magic are absorbing. The second half slows into a more meandering travel narrative, with some rushed character development and occasional scene transitions that feel abrupt, as if we missed the connective tissue between moments.

While the pacing issues, uneven clarity in the worldbuilding, and a few romance missteps keep it from reaching its full potential, the lush prose, heartfelt themes, and sea-swept romance make it worth the read. Fans of quieter heroines, layered pirates, and myth-tinged ocean adventures will find plenty to love here.

Super fun!! Maggie came to my local indie for a signing and talked to us about her novel which instantly sucked me in! I had such a fun time with these characters and a sexy pirate man that we all love! Getting to hear more from Maggie on the background of her writing process, and her heart behind this story made it so much more special to read! We're reading it for my book club next month and I'm so excited for everyone else to read it!

Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance
Tropes: Chosen One, Marriage of Convenience

I loved: Pirates. I love pirates. More pirates, please.

Could've done without: Underdeveloped world and characters. Lack of chemistry in the romance. Formulaic feel of everything.

Final Thoughts: Sadly, I found this to be painfully surface level in all facets. It felt more like an unintentional parody of some of the most popular romantasies right now.

3.5⭐️

I have mixed feelings about this book but I can genuinely say that I overall really enjoyed it. I just didn’t love it. The world building and magic system were very confusing and it wasn’t until over the halfway mark where I felt like I had begun to somewhat grasp it better.

This isn’t a book that I would consider action packed. You’re there mainly for the character development and the romance. The mystery is slow to be resolved (in a good way) so I think that just made the lack of background and context to certain scenes more apparent.

This book was incredibly written and I genuinely can’t think of any plot I’ve ever read in a romantasy that is similar. It’s very unique. I really enjoyed the romance and I did really like that the FMC, Saoirse, doesn’t fit the mold of the average romantasy female lead we see.

Overall, an enjoyable book and I’d recommend it to anyone that has it in their TBR!

Thank you so much to Ace and Berkley Romance for the gifted copy.

I really wanted to love this but I kept getting a bit lost in the writing style. Very interesting premise but I think the authors writing style just didn’t jive with me unfortunately.

Soul Gazer is a wonderful blend of romance and fantasy, adventure and found family. I enjoyed the magical aspects and solving the puzzle as we read along with the characters.
At first, the story was a little confusing, considering we jumped straight into it. I found myself wondering if I was missing details as I was figuring out magic systems, character connections, and the general plotline. A little further into the story, I found it easier to go with the flow of storytelling and understand that we are learning the mystery with the characters.
I enjoyed the imagery and the language. Rapier did a great job of relating events to the characters' emotions.
Faolan gives me pirate x Flynn Rider x Lost Boys vibes, and I am so here for it. All the characters were unique but came together beautifully.
The last portion of the book seemed a little rushed, especially considering how much time and care were put into other portions of the writing. I would have been okay with fewer words in other scenes and more towards the end to round the story out.
Will I be reading the next book? Absolutely.
PS. I really hope book two has the same cover artist because it is STUNNING.

5⭐️

a cursed and isolated girl flees from an awful arranged marriage to a monstrous king by marrying a roguish pirate instead. together, they embark on an adventure across the high seas in search of a lost island in hopes to reverse her lethal curse.

i am now fully entering my pirate romantasy era because of this book 🏴‍☠️ "soulgazer" was such a fun read, the magic system felt unique and i loved saoirse & faolan together. their dynamic was unforgettable, undeniable, and the slow burn was delicious. the found-family aspect also really tugged at my heart and i adored all of the side characters (the rest of the wolf crew) as well. i absolutely ate up the yearning for one another and how protective faolan was over saoirse; who doesn't love a "my wife" moment? so many moments had me kicking my feet and blushing over this man.

thank you ACE publishing for the ARC.

Honestly the hook wasn't on the first page for me, I am ruthless when it comes to that critical first introduction between author and reader, there is sooo much out there that needs reading. Perhaps the hook was already in me with the title, the cover, or the premise of a magical FMC and a feral pirate MMC, but I kept reading. Once Saoirse met Faolan and the fireworks began going off in my little heart. He is refreshingly cheeky and protective, giving major consent vibes! Cannot wait for book two!

I love when a fantasy novel features a soft girl juxtaposed with a wild untamed man. Saoirse & Faolan my lovely wolves I adore you two so much.

The vibes and aesthetic of Soulgazer is just so beautiful - the dark sea, beautiful backdrops of the islands, and the magic system was so intriguing and fun.

Maggie’s writing is so beautiful and lyrical too. I really felt her heart when reading this, especially after I read the author’s note.

The high stakes plot mixed with the found family, yearning, and the “touch my wife” moment?! Swoon. Absolutely will be tuned into book 2.

P.S the entire time I read this I had the Pirates of Caribbean theme song playing in my head lol

Thank you Ace Publishing for the gifted copy! #berkleypartner

This was an interesting but also kind of frustrating read. The world-building was a lot, and it got confusing sometimes. The chemistry between Saoirse and Faolan was just okay—I really felt her side of things, but his feelings didn't come through until the last few chapters. I think the author could have done more to show how his feelings for her grew. The character Aidan was introduced way too late, which was weird, and his appearance seemed to make the mother vanish completely with zero explanation. Even with those problems, I'm hooked enough to want to know what happens to Saoirse and Faolan in their new "prison."

I though this was a fascinating and enthralling read. I enjoyed the take on fates and mythical lore, as well as the worldbuilding and character arcs

I enjoyed this. It took me a little bit to really sink into the story because the lyrical prose could be a bit daunting/hard to parse at times. But, once I was able to get going in the narrative, that didn't affect me quite as much. The characters and the worldbuilding were all well-realized and felt real and woven together in a compelling way. I will say, though, that the ending was a whirlwind but not necessarily in a good way. It felt a bit rushed, and I wish there had just been a little bit more time to sit with it (like 20/30 more pages would have been perfect, I think). Overall, I really enjoyed this!