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rian3x3's review against another edition
4.0
Most of my issues with the book could have been solved by starting me just a scene or two, a chapter at the absolute most. Conventional wisdom is to begin as close to the inciting incident as possible and right in the thick of the action, which I usually agree with. For this one, though, I wished that I'd had a little more time to get used to the main before being thrown into the shipwreck that sets events in action. While I clicked immediately with Ben, the problem was that I didn't feel anything for his crew or his ship or the life he was giving up to try to survive as a smuggler. So, when the inevitable happened, I wasn't saddened by the wreck or the loss of his men, which I really needed to be for some of the events that come later in the book.
After that first chapter, I found my footing. Ben's relationship with Sun and the way it progresses feels really natural to me, so I loved that. I ripped through the rest of the first half of the book, eager to see them get their happy ending.
Just after halfway, though, I hit another stumbling block. The novel changes direction, not in a bad way, just in one that I wasn't expecting. I think, again, taking a little longer at the start to lay out some of the politics at play in the early 19th century Caribbean would have made the transition a little smoother for me, and I wouldn't have been so disoriented by the sudden switch.
I lost a little precious time adjusting to the new path that the plot takes, but I was very satisfied with the way the novel ends. It's sweet without being saccarine, and it rings true to the characters. At the end of the day, it's exactly what I want from a romance!
After that first chapter, I found my footing. Ben's relationship with Sun and the way it progresses feels really natural to me, so I loved that. I ripped through the rest of the first half of the book, eager to see them get their happy ending.
Just after halfway, though, I hit another stumbling block. The novel changes direction, not in a bad way, just in one that I wasn't expecting. I think, again, taking a little longer at the start to lay out some of the politics at play in the early 19th century Caribbean would have made the transition a little smoother for me, and I wouldn't have been so disoriented by the sudden switch.
I lost a little precious time adjusting to the new path that the plot takes, but I was very satisfied with the way the novel ends. It's sweet without being saccarine, and it rings true to the characters. At the end of the day, it's exactly what I want from a romance!
sjhanlin's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic read that thrusts you into a historical world of love and survival. A story that is quite eye opening to a world of romance that I have not had the pleasure to explore yet. Karen Bovenmyer also makes the reader feel a spectrum of emotions. From sadness, to gut dropping horror, to heart-warming joy. There are characters you'll love, and those you despise, but only because they are well written villains. The ending seems to hint at another story to tell, one that I am greatly looking forward to.
anitalouise's review
4.0
Wheee!!! This was a rip roaring, rollicking, aye me hardies, roller coaster pirate ship ride!! A combination of Robinson Crusoe, Gilligan's Island and On The Island a MF read from some years ago), this was an engaging, action-packed story of a guy who is impersonating a pirate ship captain, Benjamin, and Sun, a near savage who's been living on Dread Island after escaping dire circumstances. It's never quite clear, at least initially, why Benji has been impersonating a pirate ship captain and smuggler but he finds himself and his crew in a horrible storm and after spending hours tossed about in the ocean, finds himself on an island every ship captain stays away from - Dread Island. Great action combined with some lovely geopolitical intrigue. There was some muddled explanations of the treaties, the colonies involving France, Portugal and Brazil, etc. and it taxed my mind to try to remember who was fighting whom and who conquered whom, but it was still fascinating. Also great weaving of the story of how one defines who is a mulatto and what that meant in the US at that time. Just a bit confusing, though, particularly at the end. Benjamin and Sun are great together. Lots of blood and gore, fighting, and beware, an on page sexual assault. Lots of attention to detail although at times, it appears that the dialogue slipped. This is a new to me author and this appears to be her first novel. Really enjoyed it and look forward to whatever she has in store for her next mm read.
gwiltyascharged's review
5.0
This book is lovingly and thrillingly crafted, and I was hooked from start to finish. Filled with adventure, romance, and more than a few lovable rogues, Swift for the Sun is a masterpiece. Both of the Benjis, Sun, and especially Marisol were breathed into life, and I couldn't turn each page fast enough. Totally deserving of every star.
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