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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
I'm not sure a book has ever made me cry in the first 15%, but wow, this book made me do just that!
This book was action-packed from start with elements that really made me feel as though I was inside the story.
Rowenya is an awesomely fierce and stabby FMC! And Grayson, our dark and mysterious MMC, had me swooning every time he spoke!
I loved the banter, the touch her and d!e, the tension, and the slow burn of this book! And that ending?!?! Aggghhh, what an ending!
This book absolutely wrecked me, and I can't wait to read the next one!
This book was action-packed from start with elements that really made me feel as though I was inside the story.
Rowenya is an awesomely fierce and stabby FMC! And Grayson, our dark and mysterious MMC, had me swooning every time he spoke!
I loved the banter, the touch her and d!e, the tension, and the slow burn of this book! And that ending?!?! Aggghhh, what an ending!
This book absolutely wrecked me, and I can't wait to read the next one!
What to Expect:
🏴☠️ Rivals to Lovers
🌊 Forced Proximity
🏴☠️ Banter
🌊 Slow Burn
🏴☠️ Pirates
My thoughts:
I really wanted to love this book. I had such high hopes going into it, but unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
The beginning was exciting and I was instantly drawn into the story, but as the book went on I felt like the story started to drag. I struggled to get through parts of it and it took me awhile to read because I wasn’t excited enough to pick it up and read. Until the last few chapters and by the end I was hooked again. It is said to be a slow burn, but I personally think it was almost too slow. For a romantasy, I felt the romance to be lacking.
On a more positive note, the characters are well written and engaging. I love a strong, sassy FMC. The side characters add value to the story. I enjoy the setting with coastal towns and pirate ships.
Is this my favourite Brianna Remus novel? Nope.
Will I still read book 2 to find out what happens next? Yes!
🏴☠️ Rivals to Lovers
🌊 Forced Proximity
🏴☠️ Banter
🌊 Slow Burn
🏴☠️ Pirates
My thoughts:
I really wanted to love this book. I had such high hopes going into it, but unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
The beginning was exciting and I was instantly drawn into the story, but as the book went on I felt like the story started to drag. I struggled to get through parts of it and it took me awhile to read because I wasn’t excited enough to pick it up and read. Until the last few chapters and by the end I was hooked again. It is said to be a slow burn, but I personally think it was almost too slow. For a romantasy, I felt the romance to be lacking.
On a more positive note, the characters are well written and engaging. I love a strong, sassy FMC. The side characters add value to the story. I enjoy the setting with coastal towns and pirate ships.
Is this my favourite Brianna Remus novel? Nope.
Will I still read book 2 to find out what happens next? Yes!
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Happy Release Day! Many thanks to Brianna Remus for the opportunity to read her novel ahead of its official release. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and can't wait for the next installment in the series.
Remus crafts an intriguing world, gradually unveiling its lore as the story unfolds. The narrative is character-driven, emphasizing internal growth and the emotional weight of confronting past choices and lingering guilt. Both plot and world-building are introduced slowly, allowing readers to ease into the story as they grow familiar with the central characters and their evolving relationships. The groundwork for the rest of the series is clearly laid, with several well-placed hints and setups that build anticipation for future revelations.
Where this story truly shines is in the dynamic banter between Rowenya and Grayson. Their addictive push-and-pull chemistry is filled with sharp quips and playful tension that kept me eagerly turning the pages. Even as their affections begin to deepen, the underlying tension largely remains. Grayson challenges Rowenya to take ownership of her choices and begin healing from her grief and guilt. At the same time, he grapples with his instinct to shield, ultimately choosing to respect her agency and support her active role in the story. Refreshingly, their communication is open and free from drawn-out drama.
While I appreciated the gradual unveiling of the plot and lore, I felt the story could have benefited from a stronger foundational setup for the overarching plot. This first novel of the series raises a compelling array of questions about the story's direction and potential reveals, however, the ending leans more toward setup than resolution. Some of the foreshadowing felt a bit too obvious, which made the lack of resolution for certain obvious mysteries feel underwhelming. Although I admire the groundwork the author is laying for future books, the momentum falters towards the end (despite the action sequence). Even the cliffhanger lacked impact as I wasn't particularly anxious about the fate of a key character. The surrounding mystery and narrative setup suggest it's unlikely their story would reach a critical conclusion this early in the series.
Overall, the pirate and treasure-hunting atmosphere, combined with the rich, evolving lore and the many unanswered questions, makes this a series I'm excited to continue.
Remus crafts an intriguing world, gradually unveiling its lore as the story unfolds. The narrative is character-driven, emphasizing internal growth and the emotional weight of confronting past choices and lingering guilt. Both plot and world-building are introduced slowly, allowing readers to ease into the story as they grow familiar with the central characters and their evolving relationships. The groundwork for the rest of the series is clearly laid, with several well-placed hints and setups that build anticipation for future revelations.
Where this story truly shines is in the dynamic banter between Rowenya and Grayson. Their addictive push-and-pull chemistry is filled with sharp quips and playful tension that kept me eagerly turning the pages. Even as their affections begin to deepen, the underlying tension largely remains. Grayson challenges Rowenya to take ownership of her choices and begin healing from her grief and guilt. At the same time, he grapples with his instinct to shield, ultimately choosing to respect her agency and support her active role in the story. Refreshingly, their communication is open and free from drawn-out drama.
While I appreciated the gradual unveiling of the plot and lore, I felt the story could have benefited from a stronger foundational setup for the overarching plot. This first novel of the series raises a compelling array of questions about the story's direction and potential reveals, however, the ending leans more toward setup than resolution. Some of the foreshadowing felt a bit too obvious, which made the lack of resolution for certain obvious mysteries feel underwhelming. Although I admire the groundwork the author is laying for future books, the momentum falters towards the end (despite the action sequence). Even the cliffhanger lacked impact as I wasn't particularly anxious about the fate of a key character. The surrounding mystery and narrative setup suggest it's unlikely their story would reach a critical conclusion this early in the series.
Overall, the pirate and treasure-hunting atmosphere, combined with the rich, evolving lore and the many unanswered questions, makes this a series I'm excited to continue.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved this book! The tension between Rowenya and Grayson was everything like the amount of times I had to put the book down to squeal over moments between them is astronomical. I also really enjoyed how well the minor characters were written and how descriptive the scenes were. It really made me feel I was right alongside them on the Caelestia!
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Of The Stars and Sea is a jam packed pirate adventure that will have you enjoying every minute! The story is single POV and follows our MFC Captain Rowenya Stone - she’s feisty, stabby, silver tongued, and 36! She’s also a pirate who breaks the Code (I mean Captain Barbossa calls the Code more of a guideline anyway) but she’s not favored among pirates while she serves under Red Beard in indentured servitude to pay off her fathers debts. When the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself to steal an artifact and finally free herself and her crew from Red Beard she takes it but not quick enough for feared Captain Greyson Tyde catches her and forces her onto his boat with the artifact. Tension and banter follow as they try to navigate avoiding the bounty on Rowenya’s head, catching feelings, and outrunning the other pirate lords on their trail for a piece of the treasure.
This book ends on a cliffhanger and I’m ready for book 2. Add this book to your TBR especially if you love pirates, age gap (she’s 36 he’s….. much older), banter, and everyone is morally grey.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
I received Of the Stars and Sea by Brianna Remus as an ARC read. Overall, the story was fast-paced, had the start of an interesting world being built, and some enjoyable characters. The story was far more focused on the romance than on the adventure, though, which just wasn't for me.
I would have loved to see FMC interact more with her ship, crew, and friends before jumping into the main story. I think it would have added a lot to her character and her relationships. I also would have loved to see more description and world building of the cities, histories, and magical beings. I was very intrigued by the sea witches, vampyres, and other beings, but just didn't see or learn enough about them.
The last fifteen percent of the book was exciting and dived more into the world building, which I loved!
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and had lots of great potential for a really cool world and fun adventure!
I would have loved to see FMC interact more with her ship, crew, and friends before jumping into the main story. I think it would have added a lot to her character and her relationships. I also would have loved to see more description and world building of the cities, histories, and magical beings. I was very intrigued by the sea witches, vampyres, and other beings, but just didn't see or learn enough about them.
The last fifteen percent of the book was exciting and dived more into the world building, which I loved!
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and had lots of great potential for a really cool world and fun adventure!
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing was great - I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions and the banter between the characters.
I liked that our FMC was older than most I've been reading lately and appreciated the maturity it added to her character.
There was so much about this book that I found refreshing even as the MMC's nickname for our girl gave me the ick (I don't like when the word 'little' is used in there okay sue me!).
It was such a bold choice to end the book the way the author did, and while it shook me to my core, I must respect it. I simply cannot wait to read more in this series and return to adventures on the open sea.
I liked that our FMC was older than most I've been reading lately and appreciated the maturity it added to her character.
There was so much about this book that I found refreshing even as the MMC's nickname for our girl gave me the ick (I don't like when the word 'little' is used in there okay sue me!).
It was such a bold choice to end the book the way the author did, and while it shook me to my core, I must respect it. I simply cannot wait to read more in this series and return to adventures on the open sea.