I found the story captivating and beautifully written, easily drawing me into its enchanting world. This tale of magic and mystery kept me on my edge from beginning to end. Ultimately, "The Sea Witch" is a delightful read that I would gladly recommend to anyone seeking a good fantasy book.

The Sea Witch sails into uncharted waters with a premise that hooked me right away—think Pirates of the Caribbean, but the crew are fierce female witches. The worldbuilding is rich and refreshingly different, full of magical twists and maritime lore that make it feel unlike any other fantasy I’ve read. Kudos to the author for crafting such an inventive setting.

That said, the pacing sometimes gets tangled in its own net. The story meanders into side quests that, while interesting in their own right, pulled me away from the main plot and slowed the momentum. The slow-burn elements work in places, but at times I wished the sails caught a little more wind to keep things moving.

If you love immersive, creative worlds and don’t mind taking the scenic route to the climax, The Sea Witch might be worth boarding—just be prepared for a few detours along the way.


Review will be posted on Instagram. See link attached. Review posted August 21 2025

I had a blast with this book! A female pirate captain kidnaps a navy navigator? Sign me up!! I'm a huge lover of pirate stories so it was really fun to see pirate romance tropes explored in a slightly different way when the male love interest was the captive. I love a man who loves a powerful woman so this book really worked for me! Ben initially looks down on her piratical ways but he can't help but be drawn to her. I loved seeing them realize what a great team they are as sailors and as lovers. Watching them try to fight their attraction was one of my favorite parts of the book. I'm very invested in their story and I need book 2 as soon as possible!

I'm not a huge pirate fan admittedly but this sounded so good that I had to read it. Happy to report THE SEA WITCH was such a great time. Highly recommend.

I really loved this book! The concept was so fun, I loved the mix of pirates and witches, and a powerful female group. It’s so strong and special to read about and I had so much fun with it!

I loved our fmc, Alys. Her story was so entertaining to be a part of, and I loved the slow burn romance that took place in this book. There was such a strong theme of feminine rage and rebellion which I LOVED, and of course a treasure hunt. This book had just the right amount of danger, wild magic, and empowering adventure. Such a well done story with a crazy ending, I can’t wait to keep reading in the series!!

I love a good pirate fantasy/romantasy and this was it! Not only did it have some of my favorite trope, enemies to lovers, slow burn, but the sea witch pirates were badass, especially the captain, Alys. This is a fun book full of strong, female characters, feminine rage, and high seas adventures

“Underestimating women sends you straight to hell.”

A group of witches flee colonial New England to become a fierce, all-women pirate crew in the Caribbean. Captain Alys Tanner finds herself on a magical scavenger hunt, while being pursued by a member of the Royal Navy seeking revenge. Naturally, the man is captured and held prisoner on her ship, The Sea Witch. The two grow to form a bond as he witnesses firsthand how the women use their power for good and his world view is flipped upside down.

This book started off a little slow… it almost felt cozy? Like, there was a steady pace of events, but each was quickly resolved without ever feeling truly dangerous. That said, the last quarter of the book is all gas and no brakes, building to a climax that sets the stage for a sequel.

Overall, I enjoyed The Sea Witch and will certainly read the next in the series. Savor it over a few cool late summer mornings with a cup of tea!

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for access to the ARC!

#TheSeaWitch #NetGalley #hiveinfluencer #htphive

This was an okay book and it was refreshing to see a badass FMC where the MMC had to do most of the learning in the book. I definitely see that the next book in the series will be more action packed because this one felt mainly setup. It was a bit of a slow burn and I do see the chemistry between the leads, however, the romance definitely felt rushed. I really enjoyed the pirates of the Caribbean element to it but i definitely need more pirate action to feel engaged.

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh is a fast-paced, feminist fantasy romance that blends witchy magic, ocean adventure, and steamy enemies-to-lovers tension into one wild ride. Set in a magic infused version of the Caribbean, the story follows Alys Tanner, a witch condemned in Puritan New England who escaped, takes control of a ship, and becomes captain of The Sea Witch, an all-female, magic wielding pirate crew.

Enter Ben Priestly, a straight laced British naval navigator who ends up captured by Alys and her crew. What follows is an adventure filled with magical sea monsters, dangerous islands, betrayals, slow-burn romance, and some excellent banter.

What I loved:
* Alys is a total badass
* Enemies-to-lovers arc
* Feminist themes. This book is about power, choice, and survival.
* High-stakes adventure scenes

The Sea Witch is a thrilling, romantic, and rebellious fantasy that’s perfect for anyone who wants more witches and women at the helm of pirate stories. I can’t wait for the next book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Eva Leigh, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Pub and Eva Leigh for this gifted ARC.

The Sea Witch has such a fantastic premise, witches escaping persecution in the 1700's to become pirate queens of the sea. The blend of genres and tropes really drew me in, and I loved the overarching theme of women’s empowerment. Alys, the fearless main character, is a total powerhouse, and I enjoyed that she led the charge both in battle and in her romance with Ben, a captured British naval officer. Their dynamic being natural enemies forced to work together while uncovering two linked mysteries had plenty of tension, and I appreciated Ben’s softer more uncertain exploration of himself. The mythical sea creatures and pirate/witch vibes added a lot of fun atmosphere.

That said, the execution didn’t fully live up to the concept. The witches magic often felt overly convenient, swooping in to solve problems too neatly. And recharging their magic with "a cuddle" was a laughably convenient way to break the ice between their sexual tension (I mean this in the nicest way possible, giggling because I knew exactly where this was going to lead lol). The side characters also had so much potential but were pushed to the sidelines, leaving the entire story focused almost exclusively on Alys and Ben. While the romance and action kept me turning pages, the lack of depth in the worldbuilding and supporting cast left the story falling flatter than I hoped.

Overall, this was a quick, entertaining read and a 5-star concept and I genuinely had a good time but the book itself landed more in the 2–3 star range for me when it came to execution.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. I had to DNF the book as it didn’t pull me in and I didn’t like the double POV.

If Pirates of the Caribbean and Practical Magic had a baby, it would be this book! Coming from a reader that only slightly dabbles in the fantasy world, this was such a page-turning fun time! And only further convinces me that someone like Ursula in The Little Mermaid was criminally misunderstood!

Alys is our queen captain and she is unapologetically fierce. I did wish we got more of her background and motivation, though. The one-year jump didn’t feel long enough for her and the witches to become such seasoned pirates. A lot of her strength was told rather than shown. Still, she carried the story, and I liked that her leadership showed both power and flaws.

Ben was really hard to like at first which was the point. He came off self-righteous and too bound and loyal to authority. His gradual arc worked really well. It wasn’t abrupt or only tied to his romance. He grew by observing the women and their purpose. His relationship with his father was kind of confusing. The father seemed oppressive, yet Ben still fought in his name. That vengeance thread was messy.

The romance was a a wonderful slow burn. I really loved how intimacy was tied to healing giving their physical connection purpose more than chemistry and sexual gratification. Their relationship had balance, respect, and mutual growth.

As a non-fantasy reader, I found all the magic and world-building stimulating and fun. Some monsters felt over the top, bordering on spectacle (gave me “Lost” vibes when it went off the rails), but not hard to follow. WHY DIDNT I KNOW THERE WAS A CLIFFHANGER?!

The feminism themes was definitely front and center which I always love to see portrayed in creative ways. At times it felt a little heavv-handed, but it worked. The crew’s resistance to oppression and their role in freeing enslaved people stood out but the actual colonialism and power structures could have been explored more.

Loved the family dynamic was on the ship, but I wanted more depth to the crew’s backstories. But the book was already over 400 pages so maybe we will get more in subsequent books.

The start was a little slow, but once the story took off I was so stimulated I couldn’t put it down! Book 2 better be on its way ASAP!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This pirate and witch combination made for what felt like a great book to transition from summer into autumn! Unfortunately, I did not love this book. I felt the pacing was rather slow, which made it hard for me to keep interest. The chemistry between the main characters felt lacking, and I didn't feel a strong connection to them.

I have loved Eva Leigh's writing of historical romance. I followed along on this new journey to romantasy because of how much I loved her writing style and voice. I just don't feel like romantasy is for me as a reader as what happened at the end of the book ruined it all for me. If I had known that was how the novel was going to end, I would not have read it.

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh had such a promising premise, and the opening really grabbed me. A ship full of witches who also happen to be a pirate crew? Yes, please; I loved that energy and the found-family vibes between the women on board. The atmosphere felt adventurous, magical, and empowering in the best way.

Where the book lost me was in the execution of the romance and central conflict. The insta-lust between the leads didn’t quite land for me, and I found myself wishing their relationship had been built with more depth and tension. Give me more yearning! The Leviathan plotline was creative, but it felt a little rushed and underdeveloped compared to the potential of the setup.

That said, this was still a fun and breezy read overall. If you’re in the mood for an entertaining pirate romantasy, with a dash of magic, high-seas adventure, and witchy camaraderie, this could be the perfect pick. It might not be a new favorite for me, but I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a lighter fantasy romance with a unique premise.

Intro/synopsis:
“The Sea Witch” was a surprise in a good way until the end and then I did struggle a bit with it. Alys is able to find her freedom on the Caribbean Sea with a band of female witches that are escaping persecution for being female and having magic, because only men are aloud to do that apparently. Ben is seeking revenge against the pirates who killed his father and ends up chasing Alys back to her ship where he is taken captive. A race begins to find the fail safe that will free the magical creatures from the corrupt navy’s control but Ben becomes a more and more willing participant in this hunt to free the animals and in the hunt for Alys’ heart.

My thoughts:
I loved the world that Eva Leigh created and I really enjoyed seeing how Alys was able to take her freedom from that world. The chemistry between Ben and Alys was steamy and I liked the push and pull of their enemies to lovers relationship. The mysterious elements of the corrupt Navy and their use of pirates, mages (male witches) and magical creatures to serve their purpose added a great element of suspense. The writing was well done and had me hooked from the start with the right amount of world building and action. What I struggled with was the ending, it reminded me of Fourth Wing and kind of ripped my heart out. Now to wait for book 2….

When I saw this book was about witch pirates I had to read it. It's not something I've read before!

Alys gathers a bunch of women from her small town and leaves on a ship. They are all about to be hanged for being witches. To survive they become pirates in the Caribbean. Being an all female ship in a man's world is hard. Especially when men with magic are revered and women with magic are killed.

When a pirate dies and leads her on a chase to save sea creatures from being at the will of the Navy, Alys is joined by the navigator of the Navy.

Together they must learn to trust each other, and evade wild creatures, the Navy, mages, and more to find the fail safe.

But Ben seems to have magic in him...though no one has seen it before, and it's another mystery they are working on.

This book was full of adventure, love, trust, and so much more. The end left me with my jaw on the floor and I cannot wait for the sequel!

I was pretty much in when I saw Eva Leigh's name on a pirate witch romantasy.

I loved Alys and Ben. They're both alone while surrounded by people and thriving on the idea of having freedom. Together they have animosity and interest and it slowly morphs into respect and chemistry for days. There's a pretty big cast of characters here, but the ladies are lovely and fun to go on this journey with.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow go, but the world building is intriguing. I didn't realize this wasn't a standalone, so I went in not at all expecting the ending...and holy shit what an ending.

Overall, this was fun and I can't even wait for the next book to see how it all plays out.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I DNF this book. I tried, but this style of writing- it’s just not for me! (And that’s okay) I think the right person will love it!

So I had pretty high hopes for this title - I love pirate/seafaring stories and I also really like reading about witches. Unfortunately the story overall fell a little short of my expectations.

In the story, Alys Tanner is a witch in Massachusetts (not a great place to be a witch during this era), and after her husband is killed she finds out that she and her 'coven' of sorts are being hunted to be hanged. She manages to escape with her fellow witches by stealing a boat and they head down to the Caribbean where the opinion of witches is less hostile.

They become a pirate crew comprised solely of women and mostly of witches - which is a really fun premise. This beginning part where we're learning about the world and learning about the witches is probably the best part of the story. The fear that we see Alys feel and the way women are treated hits home and is very well written.

But the rest of the story, most of the pirate parts, are just alright. It was very much shoved down our throats that these women aren't "ladies" and they just ~aren't like other women~ which is a peeve I have in general when it comes to storytelling.

The romance was okay, but honestly a bit strange. The relationship between Ben and Alys felt forced and at times some of their actions felt very out of character and out of place. The spicy scenes also felt incredibly awkward and I cringed quite often while reading them. Also, the way Ben turned into a simp basically overnight was a tad strange. It's okay for BOTH of them to be strong and capable - it doesn't have to be one or the other.

I don't know if I'll read book 2, this one ended on a cliffhanger but I honestly don't find myself particularly curious about what happens to any of the characters.

If you REALLY enjoy pirates and/or witches I would still give it a shot, it's not bad, but if you don't adore those things I wouldn't prioritize it.