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pam2375's review
3.0
This book was certainly not my usual genre. I must say that I did enjoy the adventure of Miss Gray and the other ladies on their voyage from England to India in search of a husband.
Will Miss Gray and the Captain figure out that they belong together? Will other's on the voyage make it impossible for them to actually be together? What about young Tom? For the answers to these questions and a lot more, read the book!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this advanced readers copy. This book released on March 2, 2021.
Will Miss Gray and the Captain figure out that they belong together? Will other's on the voyage make it impossible for them to actually be together? What about young Tom? For the answers to these questions and a lot more, read the book!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this advanced readers copy. This book released on March 2, 2021.
deanab's review
3.0
Thank you Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the ARC of this lovely book. It was a story about a woman on a 3-month voyage to meet her future husband arranged by his parents. I found the stories of the women on this voyage to be interesting. I liked the main character, Caroline, and really liked the Captain Scott’s character, which had you pulling for them throughout this voyage. It was an enjoyable, easy read. One thing that I didn’t like is that I could not find what year this was to be taking place. I don’t think I missed it because I was really looking for it. Would have liked to have know that.
frompemberleytomiltonblog's review
5.0
Review published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com/2021/03/22/a-captain-for-caroline-gray-by-julie-wright/
A Captain for Caroline Gray is a well written book with strong lead characters placed in a different and interesting setting that I could not have loved more.
In this novel we are introduced to Caroline Gray, a witty young woman who takes interest in many things that are not usually discussed among society ladies. This characteristic makes her a bluestocking in the eyes of society, and after several seasons without any success in attracting a man who is not afraid or disgusted with her intellect, she is faced with a terrible situation. Her late fathers estate is entailed to a distant cousin who has recently married, which means both she and her mother need to vacate their home. Without anywhere to go, or relatives able to assist both her and her mother, she accepts a proposal made to her by an acquaintance. She will pay for Caroline’s trip to India if Caroline accepts to have dinner with her son who is stationed there. The purpose is obviously for Caroline to marry him, but she is not obliged to do so if she doesn’t like the gentleman. This is not a prospect that pleases an independent mind like Caroline, but without any other options in front of her, she has to accept that travelling to India may be the only chance she has to get married and not be a burden to her family.
Aboard the HMS Persistence, Caroline Gray meets several ladies who are also travelling to India with hopes of finding husbands, and many different crew members, but the most memorable one is Captain Scott.
Captain Scott is the perfect romantic hero. He is strong, intelligent, honorable and is not afraid of a lady who can think and speak her mind, so when Miss Caroline Gray starts speaking, unlike the other man she has met until that moment, he is fascinated by her.
When the growing attraction and affection between Caroline Gray and Captain Scott can no longer be denied, what will she do about the Captain waiting for her in India?
I loved everything about this book, but I believe I can sum it up to : the writing; the characters and the setting.
The writing of this book is enticing and addictive. Once I started reading this story I could not put it down. The pace of the novel is ideal with a perfect balance of page time between the secondary characters and the main ones, with some adventure and small problems being intertwined with romantic scenes, and the intensity of the romance and dialogues between Caroline and Captain Gray is prodigious. I kept highlighting passages of this book, and during chapter 17 I literally held my breath because I was afraid that even my own breathing would interfere with the intense and overwhelming moment I was witnessing. I felt transported into Persistence and even if for a long time the story takes place in a ship, I never felt the narrative was taking place in a confined space. There were always different things happening in the ship and many different places inside it to where the author takes us to making it always an adventure. I kept imagining where Caroline would go next to make her drawings. This was the first book I’ve read from Julie Wright, but I am now convinced I must read more of her works.
The main characters are both perfect! If you love Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, you will love Caroline Gray and Captain Thomas Scott. She is intelligent, interesting and outspoken, and he is honorable, blunt and with a strength of character that is charming. I loved them both and they seem to me like the perfect romantic couple. The secondary characters were also very interesting and definitely a plus to the story. From the ladies travelling on the Persistence to Lieutenant Peterson, Black and young Tom, I never felt they were less important in the progression of the story, and they all played important parts in it.
The setting was also something I adored because this ship is not the usual military ship I am used to seeing in regency stories, so we are able to see different interactions between characters during the dinner time and to visit many places we don’t usually see in ships. But the story also moves along to India, and it was also very nice to see the author characterize Mumbai and its inhabitants. That was something completely new to me and I loved it very much, even if it was not a big part of the book.
Summing up, A Captain for Caroline Gray is a novel that should not be missed! Its characters are unforgettable, the romance is intense and captivating, and the plot is full of adventures. The only quibble I had with this book was that the ending scene seemed a bit abrupt and I would have liked to either see it extended or to have an epilogue giving us more insight into the lives of Caroline, Captain Scott and even young Tom. Nevertheless, this is a book I highly recommend to everyone!
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com/2021/03/22/a-captain-for-caroline-gray-by-julie-wright/
A Captain for Caroline Gray is a well written book with strong lead characters placed in a different and interesting setting that I could not have loved more.
In this novel we are introduced to Caroline Gray, a witty young woman who takes interest in many things that are not usually discussed among society ladies. This characteristic makes her a bluestocking in the eyes of society, and after several seasons without any success in attracting a man who is not afraid or disgusted with her intellect, she is faced with a terrible situation. Her late fathers estate is entailed to a distant cousin who has recently married, which means both she and her mother need to vacate their home. Without anywhere to go, or relatives able to assist both her and her mother, she accepts a proposal made to her by an acquaintance. She will pay for Caroline’s trip to India if Caroline accepts to have dinner with her son who is stationed there. The purpose is obviously for Caroline to marry him, but she is not obliged to do so if she doesn’t like the gentleman. This is not a prospect that pleases an independent mind like Caroline, but without any other options in front of her, she has to accept that travelling to India may be the only chance she has to get married and not be a burden to her family.
Aboard the HMS Persistence, Caroline Gray meets several ladies who are also travelling to India with hopes of finding husbands, and many different crew members, but the most memorable one is Captain Scott.
Captain Scott is the perfect romantic hero. He is strong, intelligent, honorable and is not afraid of a lady who can think and speak her mind, so when Miss Caroline Gray starts speaking, unlike the other man she has met until that moment, he is fascinated by her.
When the growing attraction and affection between Caroline Gray and Captain Scott can no longer be denied, what will she do about the Captain waiting for her in India?
I loved everything about this book, but I believe I can sum it up to : the writing; the characters and the setting.
The writing of this book is enticing and addictive. Once I started reading this story I could not put it down. The pace of the novel is ideal with a perfect balance of page time between the secondary characters and the main ones, with some adventure and small problems being intertwined with romantic scenes, and the intensity of the romance and dialogues between Caroline and Captain Gray is prodigious. I kept highlighting passages of this book, and during chapter 17 I literally held my breath because I was afraid that even my own breathing would interfere with the intense and overwhelming moment I was witnessing. I felt transported into Persistence and even if for a long time the story takes place in a ship, I never felt the narrative was taking place in a confined space. There were always different things happening in the ship and many different places inside it to where the author takes us to making it always an adventure. I kept imagining where Caroline would go next to make her drawings. This was the first book I’ve read from Julie Wright, but I am now convinced I must read more of her works.
The main characters are both perfect! If you love Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, you will love Caroline Gray and Captain Thomas Scott. She is intelligent, interesting and outspoken, and he is honorable, blunt and with a strength of character that is charming. I loved them both and they seem to me like the perfect romantic couple. The secondary characters were also very interesting and definitely a plus to the story. From the ladies travelling on the Persistence to Lieutenant Peterson, Black and young Tom, I never felt they were less important in the progression of the story, and they all played important parts in it.
The setting was also something I adored because this ship is not the usual military ship I am used to seeing in regency stories, so we are able to see different interactions between characters during the dinner time and to visit many places we don’t usually see in ships. But the story also moves along to India, and it was also very nice to see the author characterize Mumbai and its inhabitants. That was something completely new to me and I loved it very much, even if it was not a big part of the book.
Summing up, A Captain for Caroline Gray is a novel that should not be missed! Its characters are unforgettable, the romance is intense and captivating, and the plot is full of adventures. The only quibble I had with this book was that the ending scene seemed a bit abrupt and I would have liked to either see it extended or to have an epilogue giving us more insight into the lives of Caroline, Captain Scott and even young Tom. Nevertheless, this is a book I highly recommend to everyone!
cari1268's review
3.0
This was a sweet read. Unfortunately, the reader is hit over and over the head with not-like-other-girls rhetoric. Can we stop this misogyny in books?
3 Stars.
3 Stars.
rosannelortz's review
3.0
Too headstrong and opinionated to “take” during her seasons in London, Caroline is doomed to a life of penury. When a gauche couple suggests that they help pay her passage to India so she can be introduced to their son, a military captain, as a potential bride, Caroline agrees out of desperation. While on board the ship, Caroline continues to make enemies among the gentler sex with her forthright conversation.
The ship’s captain, Thomas Scott, despises the fishing fleet of ladies bound for India in search of scoundrels of husbands. Miss Caroline Gray seems…different, however, and he can’t help defending her to the others when she gets into hot water with her bold opinions. As the attraction grows between them, they both must face the question of whether their relationship will continue beyond this one sea voyage.
This unusual Regency had strong and memorable main characters. Caroline’s feminism does get a little grating at times, but her plight is something to sympathize with. The plot does suffer from a misunderstanding that could have been solved by an honest conversation. Instead, the hero is left to languish in mistrust of Caroline until the over-the-top villain plotting a mutiny/revenge serves his purpose by throwing the sundered couple together at the end.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The ship’s captain, Thomas Scott, despises the fishing fleet of ladies bound for India in search of scoundrels of husbands. Miss Caroline Gray seems…different, however, and he can’t help defending her to the others when she gets into hot water with her bold opinions. As the attraction grows between them, they both must face the question of whether their relationship will continue beyond this one sea voyage.
This unusual Regency had strong and memorable main characters. Caroline’s feminism does get a little grating at times, but her plight is something to sympathize with. The plot does suffer from a misunderstanding that could have been solved by an honest conversation. Instead, the hero is left to languish in mistrust of Caroline until the over-the-top villain plotting a mutiny/revenge serves his purpose by throwing the sundered couple together at the end.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
scfrederick33's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ihavenouseforit's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hugbandit7's review
4.0
Sometimes you just need a romance for that feel-good feeling and this one was a perfect fit for my reading mood.
It is fascinating to read how marriages and lives were in the Regency period. I feel bad for the women that lost pretty much everything when their husband died because they didn't inherit the estate. This forces them to find other accommodations and they hope that they do not wear out their welcome with whomever they live with at this stage in their life.
Caroline is not like the other ladies seeking a husband. She is inquisitive and seeks knowledge and wants to be appreciated for her mind and not just be a wife that does not contribute to intellectual conversations and the like. She is most likely considered a bluestocking for that time. So far she hasn't found that with any of the gentleman in England and possibly her last hope is to discover love with the son of a family friend that is living in India. She doesn't expect to fall in love on the way to India with Thomas, the captain of the ship. I enjoyed the banter between the two and they both learning how to interact without jumping to the wrong conclusions as was wont to happen.
There is a bit of an adventure throughout the book. There is the three month journey to India from England, the storms they encountered, the pettiness of some of the ladies on the ship, and exploring and enjoying India once they arrived. We also find Caroline standing up for a young boy on the ship and endearing nearly all of the crew to her as she talks to them, asks questions, and is able to sketch a likeness of them to send home to mothers and wives.
I do think that there needed to be an epilogue...what happened with Caroline and Thomas? There is the indication of a happily ever after, but what exactly happened?
An enjoyable book and we give it 4 paws up.
It is fascinating to read how marriages and lives were in the Regency period. I feel bad for the women that lost pretty much everything when their husband died because they didn't inherit the estate. This forces them to find other accommodations and they hope that they do not wear out their welcome with whomever they live with at this stage in their life.
Caroline is not like the other ladies seeking a husband. She is inquisitive and seeks knowledge and wants to be appreciated for her mind and not just be a wife that does not contribute to intellectual conversations and the like. She is most likely considered a bluestocking for that time. So far she hasn't found that with any of the gentleman in England and possibly her last hope is to discover love with the son of a family friend that is living in India. She doesn't expect to fall in love on the way to India with Thomas, the captain of the ship. I enjoyed the banter between the two and they both learning how to interact without jumping to the wrong conclusions as was wont to happen.
There is a bit of an adventure throughout the book. There is the three month journey to India from England, the storms they encountered, the pettiness of some of the ladies on the ship, and exploring and enjoying India once they arrived. We also find Caroline standing up for a young boy on the ship and endearing nearly all of the crew to her as she talks to them, asks questions, and is able to sketch a likeness of them to send home to mothers and wives.
I do think that there needed to be an epilogue...what happened with Caroline and Thomas? There is the indication of a happily ever after, but what exactly happened?
An enjoyable book and we give it 4 paws up.
alsellis1412's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
3.25
A typical romance. Not a re-read type of book.