Blackhearts

DNF at page 120. This is definitely written like a cheap romance novel without the payoff. It's mostly mediocre dialogue with a lot of frustrating back-and-forth between characters. People who love British period dramas like Pride and Prejudice will probably enjoy this book but I find it boring. In my opinion, the title and cover are very misleading because, besides the fact that Teach later becomes Blackbeard, I wanted some actual pirate action and halfway through the book, we've hardly even stepped on a ship. It's almost all about Anne's daily chores and her stealing or eavesdropping on the upper class. 2 stars because it's exactly not horrible, but definitely not for me or what I expected.

Actual Rating: 3.5

I really, really, really wanted to love Blackhearts. And for the most part, I enjoyed it. The story was interesting and the relationship was nice. But the plot moved at the speed of tortoise running from a predator. And by that I mean the author made an effort to move it along, but ultimately it didn't work out so much for the first 2/3 of the book.

The writing is enjoyable, it really is. As far as retellings go, I'm not sure yet. I hope the sequel is much more piratey and Blackbeardy. The romance was actually pretty decent. It wasn't quite insta-love (more like insta-attraction, but there's a difference). Moreover, it kept me on my toes guessing at what would happen next.

As for my grievances...

Anne, while she was a decent main character, really annoyed me. I think Castroman tried to make her into the stereotypical strong-minded female heroine, but fell short. Anne was strong at some points and so incredibly weak in others. Her plans were often foolish and not well thought out. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with this, except for the fact the Castroman consistently stressed Anne's intelligence.

The dialogue... was unrealistic. At times, it was fully believable, and others, not so much. And while I recognize this was a different time period, people don't just random whip out beautifully worded poetry out of thin air consistently. It just... doesn't happen. Coupled with this was the fact that they occasionally used slang. Sometimes it felt like a 16-year-old girl was speaking and then a 70-year-old man was speaking in the next sentence.

The lack of piracy was upsetting! I wanted a pirate book. I got yet another book with pretty gowns. Like any girl, I love hearing about pretty dresses. When it's advertised and I'm in the mood. But when I want a pirate book, I want a gosh darn pirate book.

Overall, the book had a very good message that was portrayed consistently throughout. It was entertaining, there were just several flaws I couldn't overlook. I'm curious as to how Castroman will develop as an author, as this is her first novel.