Thanks to Montlake and Christi Caldwell for an e-arc of The Heiress at Sea.

Look… I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. I wanted to… I really did. Cassia though annoyed the hell out of me for about 70% of the book. She talks soooo much while not listening and is very naive, which I mean I get; she is 20-something in the late 1700s and hasn’t experienced the world, but she just kept digging herself into a hole more and more. She never understood anyone’s sarcasm or listened to people on the ship - which at some point I just wanted her to realize that maybe, just maybe, the captain had some pertinent information and should be listened to - but yes I know challenging the male love interest was key.

I was super excited for Cassia at the beginning taking things into her own hands and jumping aboard a ship, but once she finds herself on the wrong ship, I wasn’t loving her character - at some point I just wanted her to figure shit out.

I was excited once the action picked up around 80%. I almost DNF’ed multiple times, but I was so far at 65%, that I figured I would keep going and was glad I did.

I’m giving it 3 stars, because I think a lot of others are going to love this, but I just didn’t really enjoy Cassia. Aside from character dislike, I really enjoyed the change of scenery for a historical romance. The ship was interesting and I liked seeing how the other men aboard took to Cassia as well.

I will say the last 10% was wonderful and Cassia was redeemed a little for me. So if you enjoy historical romances do give this a whirl - it just wasn’t my favorite but it will be someone else’s. I will absolutely read something else from Caldwell in the future though.

Lady Cassia McQuoid feels invisible. She is from a large and loving family, but has had two London seasons with no proposals. Not even a courtship has been thrown her way. She has watched her younger sister marry well, and more importantly, for love. Her other siblings have their accomplishments, and she is proud of them all but insecure in her worth.
To overcome that self-doubt she has decided to go on an adventure, and see the world.
Cassia has hatched a plan to disguise herself and travel on her brother's ship with him and his best friend, who acts as the ship's captain. But even the best travel plans can go awry.
Captain Nathaniel Ellsby is the heir to a dukedom and not particularly thrilled about it. He is an English privateer during wartime with the French, unbeknownst to his parents, and lives a dangerous existence. He is on a mission for king and country and is being pressured by his parents to return home to marry a woman of their choosing.
As Cassia's travel plans have a hitch in them, Nathaniel's are greatly affected by where she lands.
Cassia is a delightful, funny, and sometimes impetuous heroine. Nate is a strong hero, who is confused by his feelings for this woman presently causing more trouble on his ship than he may be able to handle- and he wants to do more than "handle" her.
The plot is entertaining, with a cast of colorful characters ending up in situations that had this reader laughing more than once.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and am greatly anticipating the next in this series.

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh I love the McQuoid family - they are so much fun. In this adventure we see Cassia, Myrtle's sister, take her life in both hands when she tries to have an adventure by stowing away on her brother's friend's ship. Calamity ensues and she eventually realises that she has boarded the wrong ship when she is face to face with Captain Nathaniel. He has no time for her prattling on, her red hair and her total lack of understanding of sarcasm - but then she begins to grow on him.

This is madcap adventure full of laughs and the love story is so sweet.

Can't wait for the next instalment!

It's been a minute since I've read a good historical on a boat - er, ship, and I am always intrigued by that premise. Small quarters, adventure, men in uniform... what's not to like? But something about the female main character started to grate about 30% of the way through. A personality that was kind of quirky and funny at first became unbelievable and strange. And honestly, the male main character was hard to believe too - a gentleman privateer who is respected and feared by all, including the King, but not his father also has the ample free time and emotional intelligence to spend hours gently reading to a stowaway... What?

Christi Caldwell's The Heiress at Sea follows Cassia McQuoid (the sister of Myrtle from The Duke Alone) on a misguided attempt to stow away on her brother's best friend's ship disguised as a boy. She is very insecure and naive, but longs for adventure. She finds just that, when she ends up on the wrong ship.

Captain Nathaniel Ellsby prefers the sea to land. As a second son, he became a privateer, but now finds himself a marquess and heir to a dukedom. His parents want him to marry his brother's fiance and the duke gives him an ultimatum. He defies his father and plans one last voyage before he offers for the lady. Neither Nathaniel or Cassia realize that they are about to find what they didn't know they were looking for.

I enjoyed this story as I do most of Christi Caldwell's books. I really liked Nathaniel. He is a well developed character, and I loved his gruffness and also his compassion. Cassia is a little harder to like which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. I don't mind a little naivete, but her lack of common sense was a little unbelievable. The whole painting misunderstanding had me scratching my head. With that being said, I realize that I am reading make-believe and can put aside some of her tiresome scrapes and enjoy the story as a whole. I really liked a lot of the other characters too. Arron and Jeremy will each make great heroes. Mr. Hayes is very intriguing too. I also hope we get to meet Angela, his brother's fiance, in the future, so fingers crossed that Caldwell is already planning/writing these books.

Oops! Our heroine, Cassia, sneaks aboard a ship dressed as a boy-seeking adventure. Well, she got it because unfortunately, it's not the ship captained by her brother's friend. Instead, Nathaniel, a future Duke and current privateer, is the captain. I had to shake my head at our heroine so many times, but she won me over in the end. Great story!

A delightful read from beginning to ending! After first reading about Cassia McQuoid in her sister's story, The Duke Alone, I was curious to see how Cassia would fare as the heroine of her own story, The Heiress at Sea. I was pleasantly surprised at how charming this rather clueless Lady was as she managed to cope while being completely out of her element. The frustration our hero, Nathaniel Ellsby, feels is palpable but leads to some truly laugh out loud moments. Ms. Caldwell has a knack for writing about the weaknesses we all feel and suffer from. How her characters work through them and find their happily ever after is always fulfilling. Nathaniel and Cassia's story was well worth the lost sleep to read uninterrupted! Oh, and the proposal is swoonworthy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for a e-arc for review.

3.5 starts rounded up to 4.

Lady Cassia McQuoid wants to be seen as an adult and also see the world as she's tired of her life as the older unmarried sister. Nathaniel Ellsby is the second son of the Duke of Roxburghe but with the death of his older brother is now the heir. He does not want to give up his life at sea. Cassia ends up on Nathaniel's ship and they are a fun to read growing relashonship. That is the best part of the book. Early Cassia is very weepy. I believe she is portrayed as neurodivergent, but I'm not sure weepy and literal is intended - it is what I took. Nathaniel is a typical regency hero of the not wanting to take his title variety. He's a fun grumpy marshmallow.

I don't thin the parental relationships make a lot of sense. Both MCs seem to in great conflict with their families but in the closing their families are on board and supportive (with grumbling). Perhaps this is intended to show both MCs as unreliable narrators. It didn't really work for me.

I enjoy Napoleonic plots so I was hoping for more plot rather than one disjointed sea battle where almost everything is resolved off-page. This is me problem - I suspect most readers will appreciate the lack of detail in this area.

Cassia sneaks aboard what she believes to be her brother's best friend's ship. She wants to sketch the world. Once out to sea she demands to see the captain and finds herself on the wrong ship, the lone woman aboard a ship of men. Nathan, a gentleman turned privateer, struggles to keep her safe from his crew as well as from himself. I feel that Cassia is portrayed as way too naive, almost to the point of her being annoying. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Montlake for my honest review.

This book was a fun and entertaining read. The banter was phenomenal.

Smart writing that kept you engaged in the story.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review.
I had a whole long review written and Goodreads closed while I was writing it. Nothing was saved and I don’t care to re-write it all. So, to sum it up… I did not enjoy this book. Cassia was a completely unlikable heroine. She talks incessantly, cries constantly, has zero self awareness and is pretty freaking annoying. She makes poor decisions with little thought to the consequences to herself or those around her and she honestly doesn’t seem that smart. How she supposedly survived 2 seasons is beyond me. She speaks to people as if she’s never had a proper polite conversation in her life or she’s somehow woefully unfamiliar with social mores which again, makes no sense since she’s a member of the Ton. I could hardly focus on Nathaniel (the hero) because she was so frustrating to read. I don’t care to go into examples as I did originally because rehashing them just annoys me anew. I’ve read other books by Christy Caldwell and enjoyed them, but this one.. no thank you.

Lady Cassia McQuoid feels invisible. She is from a large and loving family, but has had two London seasons with no proposals. Not even a courtship has been thrown her way. She has watched her younger sister marry well, and more importantly, for love. Her other siblings have their accomplishments, and she is proud of them all but insecure in her worth.
To overcome that self-doubt she has decided to go on an adventure, and see the world.
Cassia has hatched a plan to disguise herself and travel on her brother's ship with him and his best friend, who acts as the ship's captain. But even the best travel plans can go awry.
Captain Nathaniel Ellsby is the heir to a dukedom and not particularly thrilled about it. He is an English privateer during wartime with the French, unbeknownst to his parents, and lives a dangerous existence. He is on a mission for king and country and is being pressured by his parents to return home to marry a woman of their choosing.
As Cassia's travel plans have a hitch in them, Nathaniel's are greatly affected by where she lands.
Cassia is a delightful, funny, and sometimes impetuous heroine. Nate is a strong hero, who is confused by his feelings for this woman presently causing more trouble on his ship than he may be able to handle- and he wants to do more than "handle" her.
The plot is entertaining, with a cast of colorful characters ending up in situations that had this reader laughing more than once.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and am greatly anticipating the next in this series.

Historical romance set at sea. Didn't find the main female character convincing. Followed the usual route for this genrr.

Lord Nathaniel Ellsby hates land. He lives for the sea and capturing French ships as a privateer. Not known for a soft heart, he's not ready for the stowaway on his ship, Lady Cassia McQuoid. Cassia longs for adventure and boards the wrong Dragon ship. Nathaniel doesn't stand a chance when he finds out she's a lady. Her unusual personality keeps him confused, but grabs his heart, the one he never knew he had for anyone but his mother. Caught in his father's trap, Nathaniel has little hope of having Cassia as his wife. Hilarious with tears, Cassia keeps Nathaniel in constant confusion. As great a read as The Duke Alone.
Kissing and a little petting.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5
Spice: closed door (does feature some kissing scenes)

I enjoyed The Duke Alone immensely and when I saw this pop up on Netgalley I immediately requested it.

This book is about Myrtle’s sister Cassia, she is craving adventure since she has always had to be a proper lady and she is sick of it. Especially after seeing Myrtle married with the duke and the adventure Myrtle had over the winter.

She decides to board the ship that her brother works on with his best friend who she’s known all her life in a boy disguise. She plans to reveal herself to the captain but when she demands him she finds herself facing Captain Nathan.

Nathan recently lost his elder brother which means he is now a marquess and a future duke. His parents want him to marry the bethrothed of his late brother and for him to stop going back to sea. In an effort to outrun them he takes up a job that requires him to sail the next day on his ship.

This was again a lovely book by Christi Caldwell and I enjoyed it a lot. I related to Cassia because of her rejection sensitivity and her having so many symptoms of ADHD (I really wonder if she is neurodivergent).
I never read a book that takes place on a ship before and it was refreshing to be out of London and out of the country houses settings.
I liked how Nathan wasn’t scared to go after what he wanted in spite of what his father demanded of him.
The best part for me may be the in the final part with Nathan’s parents. We get a picture painted from Nathan’s pov about their relationship and in hindsight it’s totally the opposite. I laughed out loud a lot.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake romance for providing an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for an egalley in exchange for a review. I chose this title from the Read Now section

*New author to me *

Oh, I love a good historical romance on the high seas. However, this one was a bit silly.

Cassia MacQuoid yearns for the same type of adventure as her brother, Arran. Coming up with the plan to masquerade as a crew member to join Arran's best friend, Jeremy's crew, Cassia ends up on another ship altogether. Captain Nathaniel Ellsby is at sea to escape the demands of his father to marry the fiancée of his dead brother. Both are about to find themselves tested and changed on this voyage.

This is a standalone Regency romance with a heroine that doesn't adhere to societal rules. Cassia doesn't exactly know anything about seafaring and by speaking so loftily to crew members and the Captain finds her identity soon exposed. A lot of the choices this heroine made during this book had me looking through my fingers. Yet I cannot deny that I couldn't stop reading.

Overall, a good read with some action and adventure.


Expected Publication Date 14/03/23
Goodreads Review Published 05/02/23

This was fun, had all my favorite tropes, made me laugh, enjoyed all the dialogue between the characters

Gone without a letter or goodbye to her family, Cassia runs off in search of adventure. Who would have thought that she would end up on the wrong ship and fall in love? Going through voyage with Cassia and Nathan, the trials and emotions that they experienced during this voyage...some so unexpected. Aa always, Christi gives us another amazing story to disappear into. She gives so much detail about her characters that they feel like they're real.

I loved The Heiress at Sea! I am a huge fan of Christi Caldwell novels and have been really excited for this one. I am not sure if The Heiress at Sea is part of a series, but Lady Cassia is a sibling of the heroine of The Duke Alone, another great book. It was fun to see the mentions of the couple of that book, and to see things in Cassia's point of view this time.
I loved Cassia's determination to experience life, and Nathaniel was a great hero. His competence and attitude was just perfect, and Cassia and Nathaniel had great chemistry. I loved their dialogue and then reading their thoughts and perceptions of everything. So good! Although I'm an avid fan of HR, I have not read that many with the trope of being in close proximity on a ship. I am here for it! I'm hoping we get to see a book with either Cassia's brother or friend next!
This was a really fun read. I kept laughing as I was reading, because there was a lot of good, subtle and nuanced humor. The dialogue is fast and snappy, the situations of the book are very descriptive and well-written and also rare to a lot of HR, very humorous. Another great book from Christi Caldwell!
I received The Heiress at Sea as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest opinion. HR fans will really enjoy this one!!

The Heiress at Sea by Christi Caldwell follows Lady Cassia McQuoid who is tired of an unexciting and tedious life amongst the ton. After hearing numerous stories from her brother and friend about travel and adventure on the seas, she decides to take matters into her own hand and stowaway on a ship. However, it does not go according to plan, and she finds herself on a ship whose captain is Nathaniel Ellsby, heir of the Duke of Roxburghe.
This story, much more comedic than I expected, was a delight to read. It did, however, have moments of self-searching and self-discovery for both of the main characters.
After her discovery on the ship, for her safety, Cassia had to be kept in the captain’s quarters. Cue the many heartwarming and hilarious moments. The personality clashes between Cassia and Nathaniel led to many “laugh out loud” moments. This book was wrought with tension, character growth, romance and adventure. I highly recommend this delightful historical romcom.