Skip to main content

Member Reviews

I loved reading this book! Romantasy can be very hit or miss for me - I often worry that the plot is sacrificed to move along the romance. That is not the case in this book! The Sea Witch is filled with action, magic, swashbuckling, and female empowerment - not to mention a love story that will warm your heart (and potentially make you blush). If love on the high seas featuring a pirate witch and a member of the navy sounds like your kind of book, then let me tell you, The Sea Witch is the love story for you. I can't wait to continue this series.

Was this review helpful?

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Sea Witch ⚓🪄

Witches and pirates? Say less.. I’m in!!!
This book was a magical ride that blend d real world grit with sea bound fantasy.

Alys is the kind of FMC I love, smart, strong, and unapologetically herself. Watching her go from hiding her magic to commanding her own ship was chef’s kiss..
Ben, the MMC, was dutiful, sweet, and torn between order and freedom. Their romance felt real and earned, with banter that actually made me smile. 💘

I also loved the third person writing style and the worldbuilding was beautiful without being too much.
My only wish? More from the supporting women! They were intriguing but underdeveloped.

Still, this story was empowering, romantic, and fun. Highly recommend if you’re craving ocean magic and a romance with depth! 🌊🖤✨

Thank you to Canary Street Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

Okay WOW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Witches and pirates ?!?! A combo I didn't know I needed in my books. This book is so different from every fantasy/romantasy (or would this one be considered magical realism?) I have read lately. It is set in our real world yet contains magic and fantastical beasts.

First off, our strong and witty FMC Alys goes from being a badass fisherman's wife who has to hide her witching abilities to a female pirate who is reputable as being fierce, and cunning. She navigates the sea alongside her crew of other women, all seeking to make a better life for themselves where they answer to no one but the laws of the ocean.

The MMC, Ben Priestly, is a breath of fresh air when it comes to MMCs I have read lately. He isn't dark and broody and shadowy, and if anything, he cares a bit too much for the rules. He struggles with an internal conflict-one side of him wanting to abide to the order, and protocol that being the navigator for the Royal Navy has instilled in him, and the other side yearning for a life of freedom, and wildness.

Usually in fantasies, I have a hard time buying the romance-it feels too obvious and forced. The banter feels fake-like who actually talks to other people like that ?! In this novel though-the natural, playful, yet yearning nature of Alys & Ben's relationship set a new standard for me.

This novel surprised me in so many ways-the eloquent way in which it is written, the fresh romance, women saving men instead of the other way around. AND it was written in third person which is just favourite way to read this genre-no endless, boring internal monologue here!

My only complaint was that I wish the side characters were more developed with more scenes from their POVs. There are so many interesting women in this story, yet their backgrounds and personalities were revealed just at the very surface level, and I think the story could be much richer with their development.

Was this review helpful?

I struggled to connect with this story at first because it’s written in third person. and while I love themes of women’s empowerment, they didn’t resonate for me until around the midpoint. I never fully bonded with the magic system, but the second half of the book definitely won me over. I'm happy I stuck with it!

Was this review helpful?

This fantasy tries very hard, but doesn't quite come together. The world-building--with pirates in the Caribbean, the British Navy, and magic mixed together--is a little too sketchy. Alys Tanner begins the books as a fisherman's wife who has had her magic stifled by her community and her controlling husband. While men who exhibit magic are trained and empowered, women with the same traits are killed and despised. The trampling of women's strengths by men who fear their power dominates most of the book and except for Alys' love interest--Ben Priestley--all the men in the book treat women with fear, loathing, and contempt. When Alys' husband dies, and her sister is hung as a witch, Alys escapes her New England village along with a few other women in the area who also show abilities in magic. They end up with a stolen ship in the Caribbean to become an all-women pirate crew, which is where Alys and Ben meet. A lot of magical battles follow, where all too often the magic conveniently allows the various Sea Witch crew members to escape a variety of predicaments, including evil mages, the British Navy, and assorted sea monsters. This is not a bad book, but it ends with an unsatisfying cliffhanger. And I don't really find myself invested enough in the characters to find out what happens in the next installment.
'

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“Men think women need to show how much they deserve something.” Her finger stroked back and forth along his jaw. “When they themselves take whatever they want without considering whether or not they merit it. Most of the time, they don’t.”

Feminine rage? Check. Forced proximity? Check. Slow burn? Absolutely, check.

Eva Leigh turned feminine rage into a fun adventure filled with witch pirates & vengeance. I was hooked from the first page, drawn in by the mystery of where our FMC would escape to & the promise of a high-stakes treasure hunt. The pacing starts off fast, pulling you into the chaos, then settles into calmer waters. The slow burn built tension between our FMC & MMC in the best possible way

This is a fierce story of women scorned who refuse to be silenced. If anyone has a map to the sequel, please share, because I was not ready for this book to end.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to review.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I love pirate fantasy/romantasy but I couldn’t connect to the characters. The writing itself was phenomenal, but I do think the pacing was a little off. I do think that my lack of enjoyment is mostly my fault, so I didn’t want to rate the book on goodreads to bring the star rating down because that didn’t feel fair.

There will be so many people that will love this book, I just wasn’t one of them

Was this review helpful?

The Sea Witch pulled me in with the tide and didn’t let me go. As a feminist, this book felt like a reclamation—of desire, of voice, of power. Set in a richly imagined historical fantasy world, Eva Leigh doesn’t just tell a story; she challenges the traditional narrative that women exist only to reflect and support the ambitions of men. The heroine of this novel refuses to be just a cup to hold a man’s hopes and dreams—she is the storm, the sea, and the spell itself.

What moved me most was how Leigh carved out a space where women can be unapologetically bold and complex. This wasn’t about a woman rising in spite of love, but because she chose a love that saw her. Ben absolutely stole my heart. He wasn’t written as a savior, but as a partner—curious, kind, and respectful of her power. Their relationship unfolded with such care and depth, allowing both of them to bloom. It was romantic, yes, but it also felt radical in its equality.

This book reminded me of what can happen when women own their stories—when we stop shrinking ourselves to fit into the margins of someone else’s narrative. The Sea Witch is not just a love story, it’s a powerful reminder of what it looks like when we write our own spells.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for that ARC in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh takes classic fairytale vibes and drenches them in steamy romance, salty sea air, and a bold heroine who isn’t afraid to make waves. Think Ursula meets Bridgerton, but with a feminist twist and plenty of heat! It’s got magic, passion, high-stakes deals, and that perfect blend of danger-meets-desire.

The banter is sharp, the chemistry sizzles, and the worldbuilding? Dripping with dark enchantment. Eva Leigh clearly had fun writing this—and it shows. If you love fantasy romance with strong characters and sultry plotlines, The Sea Witch definitely deserves a spot on your TBR (and maybe your freezer to cool down after, just sayin’).

Was this review helpful?

⚓️🧜‍♀️ Magic, mayhem, and maritime rebellion? Count me all the way IN.

Eva Leigh’s The Sea Witch is a fierce, fast-paced pirate romantasy that delivers exactly what it promises—female rage, sea monsters, forbidden magic, and a romance you’ll root for. 🩵🔥

🌊 Condemned for her magic and sentenced to die, Alys Tanner escapes New England and becomes the badass captain of The Sea Witch, commanding an all-female pirate crew of witches. When she captures a stiff, rule-following British navy navigator (Ben 😏), the slow-burn tension and reluctant alliance begins to simmer...

Here’s what you can expect:
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Magic-wielding pirate women
🖤 Buttoned-up British boy, captured & undone
🖤 Sea monsters, ship battles, and dangerous secrets
🖤 A fantasy world pulsing with feminist power

If you love:
🗡️ Pirates of the Caribbean meets A Discovery of Witches
🗡️ Smart, subversive, emotionally charged fantasy
🗡️ Magical rebellion and romance on the high seas

…then this one’s for YOU.

Thank you @netgalley and @canarystpress / @harlequinbooks for the advanced copy!
Pub Date: Aug 26, 2025

#TheSeaWitch #EvaLeigh #NetGalley #SaltAndSorcery #Romantasy #PirateRomance #FeministFantasy #FantasyRomanceBooks #EnemiesToLovers #WitchyReads #HighSeasAdventure #Bookstagram #SpicyFantasy #WomenWithMagic #RomanticFantasy #AdvancedReadersCopy

Was this review helpful?

2 ⭐️

Basically a gender role reversed Pirates of the Caribbean, but poorly executed and completely lacking in the cheeky humor.

I think maybe there was too much going on here between the witchcraft and magic elements combined with the piracy. The lore was half baked. The characters were flat. The crew’s camaraderie wasn’t believable. The writing was wordy without actually being valuable. The dialogue was cringe. The spice had me reading it aloud to my husband so we could discuss how terrible it was.

The fact that this wasn’t wrapped up in 450 pages and ends on a cliffhanger is annoying. It definitely still is not enough to make me interested in sequels.

The ideas were there, but as I said the execution was a letdown.


Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press | Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

very fun fantasy with some strong romance aspects and some very interesting vibes. the setting is really interesting, too. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

🧜‍♀️⚓ The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is the pirate witch romantasy I didn’t know I needed—and now can’t stop thinking about.

From the very first chapter, Alys Tanner had me hooked. She’s a fierce, magic-wielding pirate captain who escapes execution and leads an all-female crew on the Caribbean seas. When she captures buttoned-up British navigator Ben Priestley, what follows is a wild, steamy, and high-stakes ride full of magical sea monsters, forbidden power, and enemies-to-lovers tension so good it hurts.

This book has it all:
✨ Witches vs. the colonial navy
💘 Forced proximity & sizzling slow burn
⚔️ Political rebellion with a splash of myth
🌊 A richly imagined world where sisterhood and power collide

If you love your romantasy with teeth, ships, spells, and a heroine who takes no orders—The Sea Witch needs to be at the top of your TBR.

Was this review helpful?

I think this book made me fall in love with pirates and sea tales again. The Sea Witch combines (in my opinion) Black Sails & Salem Witches in the most astounding story I’ve read in a while. At the helm, we have Alys, a secret witch who flees persecution in her hometown with several other secret witches to the sea for freedom. In their retreat, they become the first women lead pirate crew of the Sea Witch. Their magic is self taught and their freedom is self earned and fought for. This book is feminine rage against the patriarchy done appetizingly well.

Enter Ben, a navigator for the navy who is seeking the truth of his father’s murder, blaming pirates, caught in the foray of war of naval forces versus pirates. He crosses Alys’s path and our story ensues from here. There is forced proximity, pirate lore, slow burn, enemies to lovers, a well established magic system, secrets, and action and adventure tossed together to make this book such a great summer read. If you enjoyed the Ever King, I know you’ll enjoy The Sea Witch just as much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheSeaWitch

Was this review helpful?

Alys is a witch from a small New England coastal town. She knows she’s about to be killed, like her sister, because she’s a witch. So what does she do? She quickly gathers the women of her town who are the same as her and they steal a ship and flee to the Caribbean to be free, to be pirates. ✨

After a year of Alys leading her all woman crew in the caribbean, they have a run in with The British Navy. The Navigational Officer, Ben, somehow ends up in a chase with our dear Alys and ends up a captive. Now usually i’m ALL about a spicy enemies to lovers pirate story. Toss in magical elements and monsters? SIGN ME UP. But The Sea Witch just didn’t do that for me. Also, I do struggle with 3rd pov a bit so that probably didn’t help.

Alys and Ben’s relationship just didn’t really hit the mark for me. I didn’t feel that connection that I was looking for. Their spicy scenes were a bit off for me as well… cringy? The magic also didn’t make the most sense to me? Maybe book 2 will explain more?

Some Tropes:
- Historical Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Pirates, Witches & Creatures
- Enemies to Lovers
- Quests
- Forced Proximity
- FMC holding MMC captive

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, NetGalley & Eva Leigh for this earc in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼

Was this review helpful?

The formatting on this one really threw me, had to DNF but will check out the published version when it drops!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 Stars

After finishing The Sea Witch, my first thought was, where have pirate witch books been all my life!! This was such a great story, and the combination of a crew of witches sailing as pirates, with the disparity of magic usage between witches and mages, was fantastic. I really loved the world that Leigh created, set during the 1700s, with the dangers of Puritanical New England, the way women were treated during this time, the oppression of British rule, and the adventure of swashbuckling pirates.

Alys was a very strong FMC, and I loved seeing the way she commanded her crew, didn't back down from what she wanted, and took control in every aspect of her life. I enjoyed the relationship she developed with Ben, but I did wish there would have been a bit more lingering antagonism between the two of them. The pacing of the book worked great, with slower moments followed by action, as the crew follows clues to a hidden item that could help them fight against the royal Navy. I did find myself wishing for a bit more character development with some of the side characters. I felt like the story could have really benefited from including more back story for a few of the women on Alys' ship.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* Witches & Mages
* Spells & Magic
* Historical Fiction
* Enemies to Lovers
* Creatures
* Forced Proximity
* High Seas Quest
* Dream Walking

𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲?
😉 - 😘 (Mild to Medium)

If you love a mix of historical fiction with the paranormal and fantasy, featuring strong women practicing forbidden magic, while making their way among a world of male pirates and mages, then I would highly recommend The Sea Witch.

Was this review helpful?

Romantic pirate fiction is becoming all the rage again (I definitely read some pirate romance in high school, although without the fantasy of it), but I really loved that this book was interested in a lot of ideas around naval politics (yeah, I know, I'm a nerd) and the power structures of the Caribbean - as well as the fantasy and romance.

Our lead character has fled Connecticut with other women accused of witchcraft, and fled the Caribbean, where the limited options for careers led to Alys and her crew pirating on the Sea Witch - a ship that has become a home for other women who need a refuge at sea.

I loved that this book was interested in the relationship between slavery and the British Navy and is interested in engaging with the idea of who is considered the hero in history. I'm not sure I had ever thought about the fact that slavery and the persecution of women as witches were around the same times in history, and I enjoyed that this book linked the two.

I see this book is planned as a series, and I'm excited that Leigh will continue to build on the world she created. I am fairly sure we haven't seen the last of rogue antihero mage Luca Pasquale, or the freed slave Olachi and I'm excited to hang out with them in the next instalment of this thoughtful pirate romantasy series. Thanks to Canary Street Press for the early copy.

Was this review helpful?

A ship of all femme witch pirates? Sign me up! The Sea Witch was an interesting read yet entertaining. There were times that it was difficult to stay on track especially in the first half of the book. I'm not sure if its because the timeline was being established or something, but it felt a little slower or disjointed in the beginning. However, in the latter half of the story, we are in full fledged swashbuckling, adventure, and romance. The pacing felt smoother and we got a bit more dimension from some of the other side characters. I would have loved to know more about her earlier years before piracy back in New England, as I feel.like it would explain more about what shaped Alys as a person and how her power grew and developed over time.

Was this review helpful?

I got a sneak peek at this August 2025 romantasy, and when I say it was a swashbuckling good time? Just WOW! A group of Massachusetts witches fleeing persecution in the 18th century steal a ship and set out to be…pirates! The magical worldbuilding is fantastic, the feminist adventures are rollicking, and the romance is a sizzling slow burn. What more could you ask for? Pre-order now!

Was this review helpful?