Alys is a witch in Puritanical New England. She's terrified to suffer and end her life the same way that her magical sister did, so she's trained a group of witches to sail. One night their skills are put to the test as they board a ship and head to the Caribbean. Within a year, this crew has grown in number, having employed even more witch pirates! They're not the ONLY magical ones on the high seas, however. There are mages on other ships, and one in particular aided the Royal Navy in capturing, and now using, a leviathan! There's a way to break the spell, and Alys and her crew are bound and determined to find it! Joining her ranks is Ben, a sailor who she initially takes prisoner, but quickly discovers that they have a connection like none other. Who will win? Who will love? And who will get out alive? You'll have to read to find out!

I'd never thought of witch pirates before, but what a fun premise! I loved seeing these women come into their power, especially during a time period in which they were distrusted and loathed. I enjoyed the magic, the excitement, and the developing romance between our protagonists.

While the plot is solid and will work for many, I had a difficult time personally getting into this story. I found Leigh's writing to be dry, though probably more accurate to the time period than quite a few historical romances I've read lately, which feel like contemporary novels in period dress. The pacing was often slow, and it felt a bit too bloated with dialogue, especially during conversations that repeated the same ideas (such as the fact that they are witches and won't tolerate being treated as they were before they joined the ship). I felt removed even from the romance and the excitement due to the fact that I couldn't connect to the prose. I must reiterate that this is a personal preference, so if you find that the bones of this tale interest you, give it a go! It might be the perfect writing for you!

Trigger warnings: gaslighting, perils at sea, references to slavery/indentured servitude, misogyny

I'd like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A strong FMC Pirate Witch!? Obsessed! First off - obsessed with the fact that the FMC was the pirate. Love the gender role reversal of typical characters. It's action packed, full of lovable characters, great character development, and end on a cliff hanger! Diverse characters and touches on such important historical topics. Love that the women are extremely empowered and packed with such beautiful lessons. Can't wait to see what else will happen in this series!

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is a fierce, feminist, swashbuckling action adventure and I am so Here. For. It. It’s absolutely crackling with energy and excitement and crazy fun to read. I unconditionally loved it and am simultaneously mourning that it’s over. Now begins the long, desperate wait for book 2. (Cliffhanger alert, my pretties.) I only hope Ms. Leigh has mercy on us. (Blowing you kisses, darling!)

Starting with a brazen escape from a fishing village in the Colonies to sailing the Caribbean as the only all-women crew of the pirate ship The Sea Witch, this lively tale starts off at a breakneck pace and never slows down. Filled with intrigue, romance, valor, danger, and betrayal, it’s a wildly entertaining story with brave and sassy characters you’ll love, diabolical villains and scary monsters you’ll hate, and stark good vs. evil themes. You’ll cheer for the righteous heroines (and hero!) as they go to battle for the self-determined lives they deserve, outside the confines of men’s/society’s control. This high-seas adventure is a fantastically escapist, rip-roaring tale.

There’s also a spicy, sparkling enemies-to-lovers romance between the main characters, ship’s captain/witch Alys Tanner and accidental (his fault!) prisoner/navy sailing master Benjamin Priestly, that’s well balanced in its opposites attract harmony, discord, and fiery passion. (Have fans on standby.) I loved these two together. Alys is strong, straightforward, and bold. Ben is stoic, idealistic and contained. (At first anyway.) Their push and pull, from distrustful enemies to reluctant collaborators to people who truly love, respect and appreciate each other is hard won and also a joy to behold.

Importantly, underlying all the magical derring-do, there’s a serious condemnation of the harsh inequality between women and men, regarding agency, freedom, education and opportunity. The witches and non-magic women of the ship’s crew are loyal and fierce. They have a strong moral code that doesn’t allow them to ignore a cry for help and the compassion to do the right thing. There’s a brief, severe slave trade storyline to remind us that those in power—in control of governments, money, weapons, laws, etc.—subjugated their fellow humans to the most extreme, cruel and violent degree. That ugliness and depravity must never be forgotten. Yes, this is a supernatural fantasy story, but unfortunately, those parts are based on actual historical fact. In the insanity I’m trying to survive here in 2025, I loved reading about a group of strong, fearless, defiant women.

Thanks so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an ARC. Opinions are 100% mine.

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh a pirate enemies-to-lovers.
The world building and the slow-burn romance were so well written and very well described.
I loved how Leigh brought the characters, story, magical elements to life.
An intriguing and entertaining story.

Thank You NetGalley and Canary Street Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

ARC Review: The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh
Pub Date: August 26th

Thank you to Harlequin for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Swashbuckling female pirates, witches, and adventure, oh my! Man this was a really fun and interesting book and I just had a great time with it. I love Eva Leigh's historical romances and loved this historical romance with pirates and magic so much! It may look a little different than her other historicals but I didn't love it any less.

Alys is a witch and was sentenced to die once...and then she became the captain of a ship, leading it's all female crew. They use their magic to do some good and are constantly trying to outrun the British navy. Ben Priestly is a navigator for the navy and is in hot pursuit of the pirate who killed his father. He is inadvertently captured by Alys and her crew and neither Alys or Ben are particularly pleased with this arrangement. However the forced proximity causes them both to better understand each other and eventually they find themselves on the same side of the war against the Navy and the magical sea creatures that they apparently control.

I really loved the process of Ben and Alys getting a better understanding of each other and the tension that is built really worked for me! There's a lot going on in this book but the relationship does get plenty of air time and Alys opening up to Ben after not trusting most people was really lovely. I loved the magic and the adventure as well and I think there's something here for everyone!

Romance readers be warned, this is the first of a duology following the same couple so there is not an HEA (or even an HFN) in this book! I am eagerly anticipating book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I read this book pretty quickly, wasn't a huge fan of the story line but it wasn't bad at all. I found the characters to be interesting however I feel like I've read a few books with similar plots so this story fell flat for me. I'm sure others loved it far more then I did and I still appreciate the chance to give it a try

Super unique - I love the idea of a band of women escaping 1700s New England before they can be sentenced to death for being witches to sail the seas and become pirates in the Caribbean.

As the British Navy is working hard to fight the pirates with their own brand of magic and a bonded lethal creature, one of their own becomes a hostage of the all-female crew and their captain Alys Tanner. Cue Enemies to Lovers 😉

The story has quests, magic, and themes of female empowerment and overcoming oppression.

For me, it just didn’t completely land 🤷🏻‍♀️ The pacing was off which caused my interest level to waffle and parts of the magic were never really explained which was disappointing because it played such an important role.

This is the first book in a series so there’s a cliffhanger, jury still out if I’ll read the second.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canary Street Press for the ARC of this fun, easy read.

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is a compelling pirate fantasy with a cast full of nautical characters and high stakes sea-faring hijinks.

Alys has been accused of witchcraft, and the Puritan men of her Massachusetts settlement are in pursuit. Luckily for her, she is a witch, and uses her powers to escape her upbringing for a life on the sea. Once in the Caribbean, the only option for women is piracy. When a funeral full of swashbucklers is set upon by the royal navy, Alys flees with a secret.

I loved Alys as a character, she was strong-willed, foul mouthed and cocksure. Exactly what I wanted a pirate witch to be. The other witches were also great, the sisterhood strong between them. The magic system was very interesting as well and I loved how the witches and the mages used their power differently because of their schooling, or lack of. The storyline was stressful at points, and definitely made me emotional. The ending was a surprise to me, but I’m hoping for a great second installment to this series.

The Sea Witch
*ARC review* Release date: August 26th
3.5/5⭐️

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romantasy with witches, pirates, and numerous sea creatures. The story is told from third person point of view, and I still prefer first. The book felt like the love child of the Salem witch trials and Pirates of the Caribbean. For me, the book started slow and was hard for me to get into. About halfway through the book it picked up and kept my interest more. I really enjoyed the FMC, Alys. It was refreshing to see such a strong, independent female lead. I enjoyed the emphasis on female empowerment, and would’ve liked more of the crew in the plot. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC at times was forced, and the spicy scenes were a little bit awkward. Overall, the book was an easy read that had a good idea. I feel like the characters and world building need some more development. Recommend: Maybe

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Backed by female rage brought upon societal constraints placed on woman in the 1700s where woman are forbidden to use magic, Alys, a witch, flees death and escapes to the Caribbean. She captains The Sea Witch and an all woman pirate crew, unexpectedly and ultimately finds romance with her enemy and captured naval officer, Ben, and battles the British Army along with sea monsters. A fast-paced, action packed witchy romantasy full of magic and tales of the deep sea.

Ugh, I love when women are such strong empowering characters. This was such an adventure, filled with passion and tension. I loved the witchy pirates and being on the Carribbean scenery. I’m super exited for book two

The Sea Witch:⁣
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Thank you @htpbooks , @htp_hive , @readmirabooks for my gifted copies! ⁣
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“You couldn’t lie down to sleep beside a fox and then rise in the morning to hunt it. And who was the fox?”⁣
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The Sea Witch is everything my swashbuckling little heart needed. Alys and this merry band was fun, hilarious, and spicy. ⁣
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Alys and Ben was a fun enemies to lovers. Like are they gonna fight to the end or they gonna love til the end? It was very will they? won’t they? The magic system was very neat and I cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.⁣
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Audio was wonderful! Chanté McCormick hit the banter and spice just right. It was easier to follow in audio, so I definitely recommend it!⁣
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Out now!⁣
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QOTD: Favorite mythical creature? Or book setting? ⁣
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#HiveInfluencer

This was a really fun read, full of adventure and action. The premise of the story immediately hooked me as we follow Alys Tanner and her friends out of the clutches of misogynistic villagers who would rather burn them at the stake because witches aren't like male mages, as they commandeer a ship and become pirate witches who protect other women, free enslaved folks, humiliate gross men and generally fight like hell for their freedom and independence. When Ben Priestley from the British Navy pursues Alys to her ship, they take him captive while on a quest to put the navy out of their current business and well..what happens when your captive begins to see that all his preconceived notions of pirates, the British empire and the navy are wrong, and is also pretty good looking? Trouble for Alys that's for sure.

The character work in this book was really strong and I enjoyed how feisty Alys was and what a good captain she was to her crew. The way she and Ben both struggled with their attraction to each other was rooted in some real fears-hers for the safety of her crew and his in all the lies about witches and pirates he'd been fed- and created some interesting stakes. To watch them gradually begin to trust and rely on each other was really enjoyable, and especially to watch her be decisive and know what she wanted when it came to intimacy. The found family of women made for a great set of side characters and I'm excited to see where the story goes next. I think my one quibble was that occasionally the pacing lagged and at least one section or so could have been omitted or tightened up a bit so it ensured the middle portions of the story dragged a little less. I also wished there was a little more angst to the story but that’s more of a personal thing and it certainly didn't do the novel any disservice.

After that cliffhanger, I'm deeply interested to see where Alys and Ben head next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

CWs: Death of family members in the past; some grief; mentions of witch burning; misogyny and sexism; slavery and colonial violence; blood and injury

CNs: this is a historical fantasy featuring pirates and witches and including an enemies to lovers/captor-captive trope. It is the first in an ongoing series. The book is low to mid heat and does include a few on-page sex scenes.

✨Book Review✨
Thank you to The Hive and MiraBooks for my eARC of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 by Eva Leigh!

This sweeping tale captured my heart. It’s a fierce and empowering story about women seizing control of their own destinies and becoming pirates in a world where only men were supposed to hold power. What begins as a coven of thirteen grows into a force of many, united across the Caribbean to help and save those in need.

I adored the romance woven throughout! The main love interest is strong and dashing, initially intimidated by the FMC’s strength but ultimately was drawn to the power of behind a confident woman. That slow-burn tension made the adventure even richer.

One of my favorite quotes:
“𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

If you’re craving feminist pirate vibes, found family, and a heroine who refuses to be anything less than extraordinary, this is a must-read! ⚓️🖤✨

Cannot wait for book two!!!!

This was a good book to end summer. It’s a combination of Pirates of the Caribbean and witches. Alys flees with her fellow witches from colonial Massachusetts where they steal a ship that becomes the Sea Witch. They end up heading to the Caribbean where they kidnap a British navy sailor, Ben. I loved the high sea adventures and all the creatures. As well as how badass Alys is and how much this book oozes feminism. The banter was great and so was the slow burn. Overall the book was a bit slow for me. It didn’t pick up pace until the last quarter. And I think this book could have been a bit shorter and some of Ben’s story I really didn’t care about.

4⭐️

with it’s immersive story-telling and historical setting paired with a magical twist, the sea witch was a joy to read. it’s a story of female rage and empowerment as a group of badass witches defy the norms of a male-dominated world by setting out to sea and becoming pirates. it’s a story of siezing freedom and holding onto it through whatever is necessary, even if it means wrangling sea monsters, working with your enemies, and maybe falling in love as an added bonus.

before i divulge in anything else, something prevalent i want to take note of was the sense of sisterhood and kinship amongst Alys and her crew. the theme of sisterhood is something i deeply enjoy reading in books and Eva captures it beautifully.

Alys and Ben’s chemistry, though mostly catalyzed by a magical event (💤), was fun to read and witness play out throughout the book. they are very much opposites in that she’s a rugged girlboss yearning for change and he’s a very by-the-books naval navigator set in his ways. yet, they share the same level of passion for their goals and possess a deep emotional connection (iykyk). also, their banter was sprinkled with ship terminology and pirate talk which made their exchanges more enjoyable! it was very reminiscent of watching my favorite pirate movies growing up.

overall, i enjoyed this book and i’m excited for what comes next, especially after that cliffhanger! if you’re looking for something to read that gives Pirates of the Carribean vibes and includes “f the patriarchy” energy, a ton of action, and a splash of romance, i recommend reading this one! 🌊

📚ARC Review📖
Release Date: Aug 25th 2025

The Sea Witch had all the right ingredients (badass Fmc, tortured straight laced Mmc, action, adventure, monsters, magic, and even pirates), you even get a slow burn enemies to lovers with a cliffhanger. However I just wasn’t as engaged as I aught to be for a story that checks all the boxes. All the potential is there but unfortunately it just didn’t turn out to be the reading slump breaker that I really needed. I’ll chalk it up to poor timing/ head space on my part. I will say you can tell that this is just the first chapter in a much larger story and there is a lot of sea left to explore.

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is a swashbuckling romantasy brimming with magic, rebellion, and one fierce captain who refuses to let the world dictate her fate.

I love how this story weaves together themes of women’s empowerment, found family, and fierce independence—all with a backdrop of monster-filled seas and perilous tropical islands. Pirates, witches, and a reluctant enemies-to-lovers romance? Yes, please. 🙌

🔮 Witchy elements:

⚓️ All-female pirate crew
🌙 Forbidden magic
🔥 Reluctant partnership → desire
👑 Fierce women leading the way

Oh my, I read this so fast I couldn’t put it down from start to finish—it’s action-packed, intense, and full of heart. We begin in Massachusetts, where Alys, a witch, is forced to flee from the town’s men before she’s burned at the stake. With a group of other women, she steals a ship and escapes, only to reemerge later as a pirate in the Caribbean.

From there, the adventure takes off. At the reading of another pirate’s will, Alys learns she must find a mysterious key before the British King’s Navy gets their hands on it—a key tied to unleashing terrifying sea creatures being controlled. Enter Ben, a Navy navigator who chases Alys aboard her ship but ends up captured. He’s disciplined, bound to his duty, and initially stiff, but the more time he spends with Alys, the more sparks fly between them.

Secrets unravel, the stakes get higher, and the race against time keeps the tension sharp. By the end, I was in tears—the outcome was not at all what I was ready for, and now I desperately need the next book. My heart is still aching.

Thank you to the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Net Galley for an advance copy to provide an honest review.

Wasn't able to finish this at this time. Might come back and give it a better shot a different time.