In Over Raging Tides, the pirate crew of the Lady Luck lives by many rules, but chief among them is this: they do not allow men on board.

That’s a rule that quartermaster Grace Porter is willing to break when a shipwrecked young nobleman offers her information of an omniscient map, stolen from his warship by an enemy vessel. Until now, the map was only the stuff of legend… but with its help, Grace may

finally be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who stole her mother away from her.

Unfortunately, some members of her crew have other plans...To find the map and face the Mordgris, Grace will have to confront her past, put the Luck between warring nations, and uncover treachery aboard the ship. And ultimately, her revenge and the destruction of the Mordgris will come at a hefty price: the betrayal of her crew.

Grace promised them they wouldn’t regret this.

She just isn’t sure that she won’t. (via Goodreads)

I RECEIVED AN EARC OF OVER RAGING TIDES FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
I had high hopes for Over Raging Tides. With the description of a ship full of lady pirates with a badass cover, I was sold right away.

I liked the characters in Over Raging Tides, and I think there was some good plot in the story. However, there was a point where things got really shitty for me

When I say shitty, I mean it literally. One of the rules in the ship's charter is that no one can relieve themselves on the deck. Because that's nasty, right? As pirates, they may not be the most civilized bunch of women you've ever heard of. However, they're still able-bodied adults who wouldn't just shit on the deck they work on. Right?

Apparently, no. When Gracie puts her foot down and keeps the two boys aboard, about half of the crew decides that their method of protest is going to be LITERALLY SHITTING ON THE DECK that the older boy has been charged with swabbing. And then it was kind of never dealt with again. It was ridiculous, and is honestly the only big thing I remember from the book.

I liked the idea of the Mordgris, and the story had elements that could have been really awesome if they were expanded on. That never happened though, to my disappointment.

Overall, Over Raging Tides had too much binarist gender essentialism and too much LITERAL SHIT for me. It didn't have enough awesome plot to make it worth recommending for me. It could have used a couple more edit passes before being published to be a better book.

First of all, I want to thank Netgalley and Jennifer Ellison for choosing me to read this book in exchange for an *honest* review. <3

I gave this book 4 stars over all, but could have been 5 stars easily had it been longer, with more world building and a little more character development. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but never felt completely connected with the situations, or the characters. I wanted to care a lot more than what I did about Grace and Leo, and the rest of the cast.

Over Raging Tides begins with Grace Porter, Quartermaster, 1st Mate, and pirate on the Lady Luck. We quickly learn that this is not only the life she wants, but the life she's only known for most of her years alive. She's brave, loyal, ruthless, and sassy as ever which are most of the qualities we come to expect from a pirate-extraordinaire. We also learn that she mourns the loss of her mother closely, and are introduced to a weird sea creature called the Mordgris who haunts Gracie's every move with fervor. The concept of these fear-inducing creatures was fantastic, but I would have liked to know a little more about them. Their history, their description, but perhaps the author will touch on those points more in book 2.

I felt that the connection between Leo and Grace was a bit forced and rushed. I really wish we could have had more time to watch this develop. As well as her friendship with Sam, and the frustratingly live-wire relationship with Captain Ilene. I think this could have been deeper as well, and maybe we will get to see that come to fruition in book 2 also.

Overall, I loved being on the ship, (would totally love more description of the Lady Luck by the way) being with the crew, watching the dynamics of how each member pulls their weight, and the rules of what it means to be a female pirate. I'm excited to see more of the mysterious map, and how it works as well. I'll for sure be picking up the second book, and will probably look into other works by Jennifer Ellison as well.

Sorry but I couldn't get into the book at all. I tried though, I'm so sorry for my ADD brain.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I say hell yes to lady pirates!
Actual rating : 4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I only wish it was longer and that the ending wasn't such a cliffhanger (seriously, how can I wait at least another year to find out what happens?)
I really liked writing style and our heroine Gracie. She was strong and smart, even though I didn't agree with her actions I could see why she did what she did. I also liked how sweet is the romance in this book and the fact that it wasn't overdone. The whole crew is charming and interesting and I'm sorry we didn't get to see more of them and their interactions. My other complaint was that plot twist (you know who I'm talking about) could be seen from miles. I guessed what will happen from the first time that character was mentioned.
I will definitely continue the series.

Did you like Pirates of the Caribbean? Do you like female protagonists? This book is for you if you answered yes. Jennifer Ellison takes the stories we have all heard of pirates and turns them on their head with an all female crew on her pirate ship. Our main character has grown up on the ship and takes us along on an adventure that she, nor the reader, will likely forget. This book is a Young Adult book, but it does have some coarser language and sexual content that make it a good choice for older readers of YA.

Our main character, Grace Porter, is the quartermaster of the Lady Luck and takes us along as she looks for clues on how to solve what happened to her mother, how to destroy the creatures called the Mordgris who took her mother, and find a map that is all knowing and will help her find her answers. There are fellow pirates, a handsome man, battles at sea, and a crew member with a secret. The story shows us the truth of friendship, the rules of the sea that must be followed, and most of all how far a person will go to seek the truth they are driven towards.

This book is the beginning of the Lady Pirates Series, and as such spends a lot of time giving us background on the characters, building the world, and setting the stage. While the book is a fun read, it did leaving me feeling unfulfilled as nothing was resolved in this book. I will definitely be reading the next book, Through Fathoms Dark and Deep, when it is written because I want to know what happens next, just know that this book leaves the reader with more questions than answers. I felt that the author simply took the behavior of male pirates and applied it to lady pirates. I would have liked to see some more nuances that are particular to women because while we are equal to men, we are also our own creatures and as such would not simply be women pirates acting as men, but instead an invention of its own. Some of the characters seem to be caricatures and felt like they needed to be fleshed out more to go beyond that. Overall, the book is a fun read with creative ideas hidden in the story and the series has a lot of potential. I will be looking forward to book 2!

I received a free copy of this for review from NetGalley **

I requested this book for an easy read not really expecting much from the story and man. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A team of female pirates in a time and place where women as pirates is unthinkable was the first thing that sold me. And then the writing was simple and easy to eat right up. I genuinely liked the main character and her relationships, I liked the world and plot line with her mother. There's almost nothing I didn't like about this book except the length. I wish it was about 100 pages longer, and slightly more in depth with some of the plot and back stories.

I finished this book in one sitting. It was fun and interesting and I can't wait to continue the adventure. Will definitely be buying a hard copy for my collection.

I have loved Jennifer Ellision’s books since the day I came across her Threats of Sky and Sea series. When I heard she was writing a book about lady pirates, I was immediately interested in getting my hands on a copy of the book. This was a fairly quick read and once I started I couldn’t put it down.

Right away, we are introduced to Grace Porter, the quartermaster of the Lady Luck, a pirate ship crewed only by women. The group lives by a number of rules but the most important one is no men are allowed on board. When the crew comes across a shipwreck and start to look for treasure, Grace makes the decision to break the rule and bring two male survivors on board and from that point on, things take a definite turn for Grace.

Leo and his brother John are the shipwrecked nobles. They happened to be on a ship that was carrying a map that has great value to anyone who possesses it…this is because the map is said to be able to guide the holder to all the treasure they want. Leo decides to use his knowledge of the map as a bargaining chip to keep him and his brother on the ship and (hopefully) headed to somewhere safe.

As the story moves forward, we find out more about Grace and what she really wants the map for. Yes, treasure is important but what Grace really wants is to be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who took her mother away from her. I was intrigued by this aspect of the story and while we get glimpses into these creatures, I wanted to know more about them. There is clearly a lot more to the story than we know although I have thoughts about it…and I am very interested in learning more.

I liked both Grace and Leo. They both did some growing up in this book and I appreciated how Ellision built their friendship out in the pages. Neither of them really trusts the other at first and there are times toward the end of the book where I wasn’t really sure which way things were going to go for them, but I love how this book was wrapped. There was a clear cutoff point here but there is definitely more story to tell and I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters.

In addition to Grace and Leo, there are some other character that help move the story. I definitely want to know more about what happened with Grace’s parents and the captain of the Lady Luck, Ilene. Sam is another character who I look forward to seeing more of and it will be interesting to see how things end up with the crew based on what happens at the end of this book.

Overall, I enjoyed the first book of this series. If you’re looking for something quick that has a bit of mystery, some tough/dangerous women, and a story that will have you turning the pages to see what happens next, consider checking this one out. I will be picking up the second book when it is available, no question, and recommend you check out Ellision’s other books if you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet.

I was super excited to start this book: lady pirates, adventures, treasures and monsters? Hell yeah! But if it was a good read, there was nothing.... extra special about it. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it because I think there is a good potential for this series. There are interesting characters, a universe with secrets to reveal, and a lot of action. But if it was me, I would place this book in the children section (12-15) more than in the young adult one, except for some "hotter" pages maybe.

First let's talk of our main character, Grace. She is a young pirate, not afraid to use her blade, and a lot more to use her heart. We discover more of her with each page, and she is really the one keeping the adventure going. She is the one surrounded by secrets and we see them reveal through the books. Some are yet to be learned by the end ;) I really liked her and her interactions with secondary characters, like Captain Ilene or Leo. Speaking of, the secondary characters were not all explored as well as they could have, maybe more pages would have helped in that.

The Eleven seas
The book starts on a pirate ship, and it is where you will stay for 90% of it. I loved this unusual scenery, this book set on a ship where the crew is 100% female. It was really original and well done! You can feel the piracy vibe waking up in you!

A treasure hunt
As in any good pirate story, there are treasures to hunt. Yes, plural, because not every pirate want the same thing... even when there is only one map to point you towards the right direction! We follow here the Luck crew in search for a mysterious map who can lead them wherever they want... but what will happen when they realize not all of them want the same thing?

Good book but..
So yes, overall, I have nothing to say against this book but for me, it was lacking a bit of depth, of more consistency. It was interesting and promising, with good characters and plot, but belongs more for me with a younger public than the one advertised. Definitely Teen and not so YA.

Review coming on the blog on April 6th.

I started reading this book around 10am this morning and finished it around 1pm - I didn't even notice that I had nearly finished it until it happened to end - it's a relatively short book but it's really good. ♤

The story follows Grace a lady pirate a quartermaster on board a ship for only women, she then rescues a man (Leo) and his younger brother (John) from a shipwreck and takes them on-board the ship where one of the main rules is that men are not allowed to board the ship. They then go on an adventure in search of a magical map, and where murderous creatures and betrayal and strong famillial bonds happen. ◇

I did enjoy this book but I was obviously so put out when I'd finished it!

The pirate crew of the Lady Luck lives by many rules, but chief among them is this: they do not allow men on board. 

That’s a rule that quartermaster Grace Porter is willing to break when a shipwrecked young nobleman offers her information of an omniscient map, stolen from his warship by an enemy vessel. Until now, the map was only the stuff of legend… but with its help, Grace may finally be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who stole her mother away from her.

Unfortunately, some members of her crew have other plans...

To find the map and face the Mordgris, Grace will have to confront her past, put the Luck between warring nations, and uncover treachery aboard the ship. And ultimately, her revenge and the destruction of the Mordgris will come at a hefty price: the betrayal of her crew.

Grace promised them they wouldn’t regret this.

She just isn’t sure that she won’t.- Goodreads

This book could have changed the game. It really could have but although the summary caught your attention too many things led to its downfall.

Grace Porter is weak. She is emotional, untrustworthy and selfish (to a certain extent). For a woman, who was raised, most if not all her life at sea, by two women onboard of a all women's ship, she couldn't have turned out worst. Grace allows her emotions take over her responsibilities as a leader and I know this is supposed to make her "human" so to speak but its annoying because she does this throughout the book.

She's untrustworthy because she hides the most important things that can affect her crew from who she considers family. She is shady and I wanted to like her but she gave me no reason to. Her relationship with the Captain left you wanting to know more about her backstory. I wanted to know more about her mother's relationship with her father and the Captain. I wanted to know what type of inspiration the Captain was to Grace. None of those really came. You got glimpses of their past together but nothing that made you feel there was a real love bond between each other. 

Speaking of relationships, you don't see a real relationship between Grace and her crew. It was disappointing; considering that she had a title and some form of leadership on that boat. 

The overall story was slow and not a whole lot happens towards the end. The romance wasn't worth the curiosity because it was predictable and it contained not chemistry. This book feels like a rough draft. It feels like the author needed to get the story out but didn't go back to add anything into it. 

2 Pickles

I received this eARC in exchange for a fair review.
This was a great read for fans of Daughter of the Pirate King and To Kill a Kingdom! I always wish there were more pirate books, and there is an even bigger need for FEMALE pirates! This all-lady crew of swashbucklers fills that gap nicely! The main character, Grace, was interesting and I definitely became invested in her character. There was a little added mystery, some adventure, and definitely a few twists. I love that they didn’t force a relationship between Grace and the only man (Leo), since that would have been at odds with Grace’s character. The book left off with quite the cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for the next in the series to see what happens!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this earc copy. First let me say that I have never read Jennifer Ellison. I was pleasantly surprised by what a wonderful storyteller she is and how easily she captivates you to keep turning the page. Before I knew it I had read over half the book and didn't even realize it. She makes lady pirates fun but bad asses at the same time. I love the wit and charm of this book. I will definitely be reading her books in the future. I will also be recommending her as an author to check out!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

OMG!!! This book was fantastic! I couldn't put this book down, it was so good!
The book could have for sure been a lot longer. The characters could have been a lot more developed. There wasn't a lot of character development.
I love the idea of the female pirates. A story that is based solely on strong women is something that isn't very common but is an excellent idea.
I absolutely loved Grace, she's so sassy and strong-willed. She knows what she wants and will do anything to get it, even if it means betraying the people she's close to and loves.

Overall, this book was great! The cliffhanger was killer though. I absolutely can't wait for the next book.

Over Raging Tides had the recipe to be a great book: a ship full of lady buccaneers, an entertaining plot, competent writing, interesting characters, and fun dialogue. Unfortunately, in a year full of many other Young Adult pirate books (and also featuring female crews), this just didn't stand out that much. 

The main issue is that the book is severely undeveloped. The plot is too fast-paced, there is hardly any world-building, and the characters don't have any time for growth. The ending is also very abrupt; you're in the middle of the story's action on one page, and on the next the book is over. I understanding the appeal of a cliff-hanger, but the way this one was executed was too sudden. Over Raging Tides was not an unlikable book, I did enjoy reading it, but it was definitely premature and lacking.

Arr! A hearty Thank Ye to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now, on we go!

Having recently read "Daughter of the Pirate King" by Tricia Levenseller I cautioned myself before digging into "Over Raging Tides".

"Jaime" I whispered (I only speak to myself in hushed tones. It draws just the right amount of attention), "You just read a book about female pirates. Don't you think that it might be overkill? That you might tire of reading about the swashbuckling, grog-filled, treasure hunting adventures of a posse of cussing, devil-may-care ladies who don't need no man to get shit done?"

NO.
The answer will always be No.

I will never get bored of pirate tales, especially if it's badass lady pirates and especially if there's a treasure hunt involved. "Over Raging Tides" is a decent book. It's exciting and it's fun. It's biggest issue is that it feels like a sequel. The story unfolds in what feels like mid-adventure and the reader is left with too many questions right from the get go, heave ho.

For starters, we have our lovely, very nondescript main character Grace Porter, Quartermaster of the all-female pirate ship The Lady Luck. Grace has a back story and it involves her being chased by these creatures called the Mordgris which I'm pretty sure are the bastard children of the mermaids from Harry Potter and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Not sure! The Mordgris are there from the story's start and we never do get any explanation as to their fixation with Grace. Eh, I'm sure it will be in the sequel! But yeah, this book was a quick read - maybe 3.5 hours. I would have preferred a more fleshed out story with an expanded beginning and less of a cliffhanger ending.

As for the characters. I liked the characters Ellision has created. Love would be taking it too far. Grace is just OK. She's our main character, though, and I wanted to love her. I think in some ways she suffers from being outshined by some of her fellow shipmates. Grace's love interest - Leo - well he kind of sucks. He's whiny and wishy-washy and just not very alluring. Throughout the book he also touches Grace in ways I think are there to titillate the reader but they just seem out of place and forced. The whole romance is forced really. Captain Ilene is pretty interesting. I wouldn't mind hearing more of her back story. Sam? Grace's best friend on the ship? Well, Sam is FANTASTIC! Sam should have been the main character! Seriously, if the book centered around her adventures of trying to break free from The Lady Luck and captain her own ship, then I would be all over it.

So the book suffers from having a dull main character with a dull romance between two people who might be bipolar and who have zero chemistry. And Leo confirms my dislike of him with something he pulls towards the end of the book. If you want the spoiler, check out my review on Goodreads (I'm able to hide it on there)

And that's it. "Over Raging Tides" ends before the real treasure hunt begins and while I enjoyed the read I'm not sure I'm going to wait around for a sequel to find out what happens next. If you're really looking for an all-female pirating adventure then, sure, this might be worth your time. The truth, however, is that this story doesn't cover any new ground and swapping genders doesn't do enough to refresh and renew a tale that has been done before.

*3.5 stars*

This could have been one of my favorites if only it was a bit longer!

“Over Raging Tides” takes us on an adventure with the all female crew of the Lady Luck with our lead Grace plagued by the loss of her mother and the mysterious creatures who taunt her every move using her mothers voice and face beneath the waves. When the opportunity arises to find a map that can be used to find whatever the owner desires she breaks all the rules and defies her crew in the hopes of seeking revenge.

This book has so many great opportunities but because of the length some parts are wrapped up rather quickly causing the overall pacing to seem a bit rushed in places, that said however I am so happy that a love story wasn’t thrown into the mix because that definitely would have been pushing the instant love trope a bit further than that already goes.

A positive however is the crew of all female pirates! I love anything dealing with the open waters and having a crew of strong women doing what the need to and holding their own among the male counterparts is always going to be a favorite and this book had it all I just wish we would have gotten to spend more time with them!

Fans of “Daughter of the Pirate King” should be able to slip into this world easily and I look forward to seeing what comes next in the series and hopefully there’s a bit more to the remaining books so we really get to enjoy this world and these characters for all that they’re worth!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**