Thank you NetGalley and HTP for this free ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Set in a world where women are forbidden from using magic but men are applauded and trained, The Sea Witch is a unique take on freedom in a world meant to lock you up. The sea is their last refuge and being a Pirate is the only way to guarantee that they have control over their magic and their lives. This pirate filled romantasy covers hard topics in bodily autonomy, the enslavement of creatures and revenge for a murder.

Alys, our FMC, is the captain of the all female crew. She runs her ship differently than others in that every woman aboard has a say not only in their own lives but in the lives of the crew as a whole. Mutiny is a word these women do not understand as they love and respect Alys in all ways. After only a year of escaping her old life and the dangers that hunted her, she has more control of her magic but still has a long way to go. I loved watching her character growth, especially when it comes to her magic. She doesn't suddenly have everything figured out. She struggles and adapts, having many moments of pushing herself too far and having to adjust to non-magical means. She is powerful, but not overpowered and it makes me love her that much more.

Ben, our MMC, is a member of the Royal Navy who hates everything that pirates stand for. He is trying to discover the identity of the pirate rumored to have a hand in his fathers death. After a chance encounter with Alys, he finds himself aboard her ship and taken prisoner. He has information that she needs, information to find an object to stop the enslavement of sea-creatures. A pirate story wouldn't be complete without a treasure hunt. He is prim and proper and finds himself at odds with the women on board who go against traditional feminine values he was raised around.

The chemistry between Alys and Ben is just ... everything. It's a slow burn filled with tension, spice and a dynamic that keeps Alys firmly on top. She is the stronger of the two, even with those more intimate moments, and having her be the more experienced partner was a nice change.


I really enjoyed this story and can not wait for book two, especially after the cliffhanger!

I need all the pirate books and this one did not disappoint!! This is exactly how you write feminine rage and keep it respectful. All of the anger and hatred towards men who think women should be quiet and obedient was felt in the characters of the women who run the Sea Witch. However, it was a romance and showed that there are men who believe in equality. The two main characters are enemies to lovers which is one of my favorite tropes and it was done so well in this book. Also the plot was well thought out and the last half of the book was un-put-downable! ( I know that's no a real word but I don't know how else to explain it) I devoured this book.

Thank you so much for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! I absolutely loved that Alys was the captain of an all female crew which was just so so cool! I loved the treasure hunt and the characters!

The Sea Witch was sultry, atmospheric, and utterly enchanting. The tension? Immaculate. The writing? Lush. And the romance? Deliciously dark and deeply satisfying. Eva Leigh understood the assignment—I was hooked.

✨ Female empowerment
✨ Slow burn
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Forced proximity

Who doesn’t love a good pirate book? Add in girl power vibes with female rage and mix in some romance and you have The Sea Witch

There were so many great things about this book to love. Alys and her crew have to navigate a world where their very existence is a death sentence but they didn’t let it stop them, in fact it fueled and motivated them. Not only did they make their own rules they created their own safe place. Man or bear?? They chose the bear or more accurately the leviathan 🤭

This is definitely a slow burn but I enjoyed seeing the gradual shift and was happy when the enemies started lovering 💕. Also, Alys taking the reins sexually and teaching Ben how to be a lover was a pleasant change from what we usually see in books

I think some parts were a little slow and drawn out but I still enjoyed the story

This does end with a cliffhanger so be prepared for that final scene 😬. If Pirates of the Caribbean with a twist sounds like a good read then add this to your tbr

Note to publisher: I will make a release day post on IG on August 26th with a mini review

Finally, a true pirate romance, magic, AND a strong plot! Wins all around. The Sea Witch has it all, its plot driven with character development. The story follows an exciting race across the Caribbean in a bit of scavenger hunt to find a magical “cure” while the British Navy is hot on their heels. There’s plenty of magic, creatures, and secrets! Additionally, the character development makes the romance sweet and realistic. The timeline of the story felt rushed and there were a lot of plot points to cover. However, the ending is quite the cliff hanger and sets up the story for a sequel that will explore the unfinished parts of the story. Overall, this was an incredibly fun read!

3.5

I really enjoyed this story! The FMC (and crew) come from a place that hunt females that wield magic. A band of female misfits come from nothing and make something of themselves as an all female crew of magical witchy pirates. Throw in an enemies to lovers / forbidden romance with a (British) Navy Man and you've got the gist of this book.

Excellent writing, slow burn, great flow. The story takes awhile to take off but gets better as you go.

A swashbuckling good time! I don't read a lot of romantasy but when I saw Eva Leigh was writing one, I knew I had to pick it up.

This has female pirates, magic, action and lots of female empowerment. Plus the romance is between a female witch pirate and a member of the navy so you know it's going to be forbidden love deliciousness.

I loved the pirate crew and thought the magic system was really cool.

The romance was forbidden love and full of chemistry that will make you blush.

This was exciting from start to finish. I didn't want to put it down. Highly recommend!!

This is the perfect summer read. Pirates. Caribbean Islands. Adventure. Magic. Lots of feminine rage. And a beautiful slow burn romance.

The start is a bit slow as we build the world and are given the context behind how Alys becomes the captain of an all-female pirate crew headed for the Caribbean. Fast forward a year, the sea witch has built a name for itself. An all-female crew is unheard of then you consider the majority of them are witches. Alys is attending a wake for a fellow pirate who left letters to be read and in those letters a number of bombs are dropped including. One of these revelations is about a fail-safe to release the sea monsters being controlled by the Royal Navy, thus Alys’ mission is to find this fail-safe. The wake is interrupted but none other than the royal navy, everyone flees, Alys is followed by Ben, a royal sailing master. Once upon her ship, Ben is officially a captive and will either be helpful or left. And our adventure really takes off from there.

These women are truly bada** in every sense. They each have a story and reason for being aboard the Sea Witch. They have found their strength and their power along with their freedom. The captor captive slow burn romance was so good. Watching Bens journey from this tailored navy man who played by the rules and trusted the law to a man who realizes he’s been on the wrong side the entire time. Realizing the true monsters he’s help protect up until this point.

Overall, this story is an action packed adventure full of magic, bada** women and a beautiful slow burn. And with that ending ….. I need more.

In a world where women are hunted for their magic, the open sea becomes the only place to be truly free—and The Sea Witch takes that premise and sails with it. This swashbuckling romantasy throws you onto a ship crewed by witches and captained by Alys, a powerful woman who takes no orders and no prisoners. Except Ben. A naval officer with something to prove and everything to unlearn.

Their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc simmers with power shifts, restrained tension, and real vulnerability. Alys stays in control throughout, even in the intimate moments, and the book never forgets whose story it is. Feminine rage and rebellion ripple through every scene. You can practically feel the salt and fire in the air.

Between dreamwalks, sea monsters, and a high-stakes treasure hunt, this story never lets the magic drown the message. It’s smart, searing, and cinematic, with a cliffhanger that makes you want to board the next ship immediately. Thank you to Canary Street Press and HTP Books for the gifted ARC.

In a world where women are forbidden from using magic, the only place to truly be free is on the open sea and The Sea Witch takes full advantage of that premise. This swashbuckling romantasy throws you onto a pirate ship crewed entirely by witches, led by the fierce and powerful Alys. She’s the captain, the witch, and completely in control especially when she takes Ben, an enemy Navy sailor, prisoner.

The dynamic between them is everything. This is a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of tension, spice, and power shifts that stay firmly in Alys’s favor. I loved how she’s the strong one throughout, even in the intimate moments. The story also weaves in strong themes of feminine rage and rebellion, with a clear “burn it all down” energy that totally worked for me.

Of course, no pirate tale is complete without a treasure hunt, and this one delivers set against the lush backdrop of the Caribbean, with sparkling waters, island sunsets, and just the right amount of danger. It’s a wild, magical, and empowering adventure, perfect for summer reading. Thanks to Canary Street Press and HTP books for the gifted ARC.

Thanks to Net galley but this one just wasn't for me.
It reminded my of a toss up of Black Sails and Pirates of the Caribbean but with Witches. Maybe the mix of history, enemies to lovers,and the 3rd person point of view is what threw this off for me.

I had SUCH a good time with this paranormal pirate adventure feminist witch romance! If that description doesn't do it for you, this one is for fans of THE RAKESS and, let's be real, all of Eva Leigh's backlist. I cannot wait for the next installment.

This one just didn't get me hooked for some reason. It could have been the writing style or something else, but I just couldn't get through it.

There’s something feral and irresistible about The Sea Witch. It doesn’t ask permission, it boards your ship, casts a curse, and dares you not to love it. And for the most part, I did.

This is a story where the sea is both setting and character. It crashes through the pages with its moods, secrets, and merciless rules. At the center of it all is Alys, a woman hiding power and pain in equal measure, trying to carve out freedom in a world that was never going to hand it to her. Her journey is gritty, magical, and deeply rooted in survival, not just of the body, but of the spirit.

The magic system here is interesting, not overly complex, but grounded in emotion, intention, and ancestry. It didn’t overwhelm the story, which I appreciated. The strength of the narrative lies more in the atmosphere and emotional tension than the mechanics of spells.

The romance arc is a slow smolder, but not the star of the show. What worked for me was the steady build of distrust, understanding, and reluctant alliance. There are no perfect people here, just scarred ones trying not to drown in their pasts.

I will say, some pacing issues cropped up in the middle, and a few side characters felt underused, especially given how vibrant the world felt. But even with those flaws, the story held me. It knew what it wanted to say, and it said it with salt, steel, and sorcery.

This is for readers who like their historical fantasy soaked in danger and driven by women who refuse to die quietly. The sea calls, and this story answers with teeth.

"From a world where women are forbidden to use magic and the only freedom is found on the Caribbean high seas comes a swashbuckling romantasy from USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh.

Condemned as a witch, sentenced to die, Alys Tanner uses her innate magical power to flee Puritanical New England. Stealing a ship, Alys becomes captain of The Sea Witch, leading its all-female, sorcery-wielding pirate crew. But the colonial British navy is in hot pursuit. The navy fights for a choke hold on the Caribbean and will destroy anything they cannot control, especially witches.

When Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates, dangerous truths are revealed. A quest that could turn the tides against the navy's might ignites a reluctant partnership between the by-the-books prisoner and the fierce witch pirate captain. While they brave backstabbing pirates, perilous tropical islands and monster-filled seas, Alys and Ben's mistrust grows into unexpected desire as they battle an enemy that will stop at nothing to rule the waves."

This book is all that child me could have wished for her life to be.

Pirate witches, forbidden magic, and slow-burn tension that smolders.
The Sea Witch is everything I want in a romantasy: fierce female rage, an enemies-to-lovers romance that delivers, and high-stakes adventure on the high seas. Alys is a badass pirate captain and secret witch leading an all-female crew in a world that wants her magic silenced. When a stubborn British naval officer tries to chase her down and ends up her captive instead, things get complicated—especially after she accidentally dreamwalks into his head.

Add in magical sea monsters, a dangerous quest, and a bond neither of them can shake—and I flew through this book. This is for the girls who bite back, the witches who refuse to burn, and anyone who loves tension-filled forced proximity and pirate banter.
Thank you to Eva Leigh, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy!
This was a great adventure. This is the story of a female pirate captain who escapes a horrible marriage and persecution as a witch with multiple women who were also likely to be executed and they all become pirates. The male main character is a British officer who is quite stuffy and rule following who ends up their prisoner and comes along for the ride. Over the course of the book you get to see him loosen up and slowly come over to their side. Overall it is a really good time!

I did not realize that this was the first in a series so there was an unexpected cliffhanger at the end! This is an upcoming book for Litjoy book box and their edition is stunning!

I really enjoyed this one. Alys is the kind of main character you can’t help but root for. She’s tough, smart, and refuses to back down. Right from the start, I was pulled in. She escapes a death sentence, takes a ship, and builds her own crew of magical women. Honestly, it was fun to watch her take control.

I liked the tension between her and Ben. He follows rules. She doesn’t. Their dynamic added some extra spark without taking over the story. The pacing was quick, and the setting had that dreamy, dangerous vibe I always love in sea-based fantasy.

I wouldn’t have minded more depth in the magic system, but it didn’t stop me from flying through it. If you’re into fierce women, pirate stories, and a little slow-burn tension, definitely give this a shot.

Oh the riches Eva Leigh has showered us in with her new romantasy, The Sea Witch!

🏴‍☠️Swashbuckling pirate witches
🏴‍☠️Magic fueled by sisterhood, empathic connection to the natural world, and elemental rage!
🏴‍☠️A daring quest for the key that will make the Caribbean safer for buccaneers by liberating the magically controlled sea monsters that give the British Navy its ill-begotten hegemony
🏴‍☠️An erstwhile British naval navigator (with cursed markings of mysterious magical origin) forced to face the reality of the systems he’s put his faith in
🏴‍☠️A mystical psychic bond between pirate witch sea captain and said British navigator

This is such a fun read, cinematic with an episodic plot structure that lends itself to the world and character building of part one of a series. Leigh’s writing is forthright and direct, softened and saturated with lovely, vibrant imagery. It is so clear to me that Leigh wrote the book so many of us need right now, about women who have embraced a dangerous life on their own terms over a life of drudgery whose perils are simply less overt.

Our MCs Alys and Ben, complement each other well. Oh Ben. We love a hero who takes direction…😉. Speaking of the world as it is, at first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to emotionally invest in a mmc who put his head down and accepted what he was told about the “natural order” and status quo until a woman educated him…but I’m glad I hung in there. Alys is bold, honest, with hard earned confidence and dignity; I like that she never tries to convince Ben when he’s wrong, but he eventually gets there himself, learning literally just from watching her and her crew. She’s his compass and his anchor when his entire world (or rather, his perception of the world) falls apart. He shows her that love doesnt have to come with shackles; his love won’t cage her, eclipse her, or try to control her. While there are a handful of moments that feed the sexual tension but perhaps strain credulity in terms of pirate competence, I suggest you do as I did: push those thoughts aside and surrender to the magic. Disclaimer—Holy cliffhanger Batman! Be prepared, I was not.

4.5 stars