This definitely gave me pirates of the caribbean vibes. I liked that it went straight into action. The writing style is very easy to follow and it has a very good humor, which is a selling point for me.

I liked the lore but I would’ve liked more expansion on it given that one of the characters is a special being. We are being told about it but in a very detached way even if it can have severe consequences for the FMC.

The down side for me was first of all the MMC, while I liked him at the beginning, I didn’t see the development in him. There are several circumstances where he feels remorse about something he just did but he never acts on it. So, what's the point of making him feel bad about his reaction towards someone if he is never going to apologize or talk about it, etc. This feels a bit wasteful in his character development. Also, he can be cruel with the FMC and that I was just not fond of.

Our FMC had an out of character moment as well. Throughout the story I’m shown how she is willing to put herself in danger so other people can be safe. She likes to protect others even when they don’t appreciate her, And was against Devlin's plans. However, when the moment of saving herself comes, at first it seems she panics at killing someone but then the body count starts to rise and the panic flies out of the window. No remorse. Even if these are people who can bring her harm, I didn’t get the impression that she would be someone who can be okay with it.

There is definitely more to tell in this story. For example: I would like to know more about where the FMC comes from and the Clairs, if there’s a story there. And what happens with the others that are under the king’s ranks?

Overall, I liked the story. and it would be interesting to see what other adventures they can get into.

When I was young, one of my favourite books ever was Piratica and reading The Audient and the Phantom Night brought back little me’s pirate fantasy - with a good amount of spice! Fenna is immediately loveable with her loyalty to her family, her ferocity, her wit and her curiosity. And Devlin *fans face* - THAT BATHROOM SCENE! He is my kind of MGBB (morally grey book boyfriend). Though he is ruthlessly morally grey, he has got a soft squishy part inside of him that leads him to make sacrifice after sacrifice for those he loves. This is what I love about dual POV stories, because without his POV, we never would have know what a secret cinnamon roll he is!

The story itself kept me entertained throughout the book - there was so much action and adventure, along with some great spice. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in this series of standalones 🖤

4.5/5 ⭐️ (rounded up)
3/5 🌶️

The Audient and The Phantom Night is a fun, sexy pirate romance tale that will leave you wanting more! Fenna and Devlin are a couple that don't make sense at first (and I do wish they built their relationship more, rather than go the soulmates route) but when they're together they work.

I appreciated the higher stakes atmosphere of a pirate's life and it was a good mix of action and romance that reminded me a lot of Pirates of the Caribbean. All in all, a fun read!

This pirate fantasy book has me obsessed!! I loved every word of it and I can't wait to read the 2nd book in the series!! Seriously can't get this book off my mind. 5 star read!!
I just reviewed The Audient and The Phantom Night by Sadie Hewitt. #TheAudientandThePhantomNight #NetGalley
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THE AUDIENT AND THE PHANTOM NIGHT started out pretty strong for me but as things went on it didn't quite hold up. The world building was on the sparse side and that left a lot of questions especially considering so much of the plot seems to be influenced by a mysterious King who is working with the Sea god who controls Devlin's curse and yet we don't know anything about this King. I was also a bit surprised how forceful and tough Fenna was since the first chapter sets her up as mild and shy and she feels alone and ostracized from her fellow villagers. That being said, I did like Fenna's character, as well as Devlin's, and they had good chemistry together even when they started off at odds.

The other big glaring issue is that the first chapter makes a big deal about Fenna's mind reading abilities and yet as soon as she's on the pirate ship it's not mentioned again until almost halfway through the book. And even then it's just a brief moment of Devlin finding out about it and insisting that Fenna train how to use her powers (something we're told happens but we never actually see happening). Then Fenna's powers suddenly become a key part of her actions at the end of the book and this setup made it feel like the author wanted Fenna to have this ability but only when it was convenient to the plot instead of making it a truly organic part of her character.

Content Warning: references to sexual assault; threats of rape (not from MMC)

I loved this title. I've been on a "pirate ship" kick lately and am glad I waited to read this. Just enough pirate-y history to keep me looked and even more mysticism to make it better. I was reading so fast by the end I had to back up and reread to make sure I understood it all! A wonderful read for my rainy weekend!

If pirates, spice, and HEA are your kind of thing, then you definitely need to add this book to your TBR!
This is a story that draws inspiration from Beauty and the Beast and The Legend of the Flying Dutchman; it’s not a retelling of either one, but you can see the inspiration of both throughout. I found the characters to be likable, the world-building to be easy to understand, and the plot vs spice to be very even.
Fenna is a smart FMC who loves to read. She stands for what she believes in and has an amazing ARC within the plot.
Captain Cato is one of my new book boyfriends. He commands a strong presence, knows how to get what he wants, and has a mouth on him! His character ARC is also extremely well written and flows with the story.
The side characters are top notch, each helping to add depth and dimension to the main characters.
Once the spice hit, it hit!
Overall, a fantastic romantic fantasy for anyone who loves the morally gray main character.

This was such a fun read. There was action, adventure and romance.
Devlin Cato is the captain of a ghost ship, he collects more souls for the god of the sea in this world. When one of his newest recruits cuts and runs, Devlin goes after him. However, his sister, Fenna decides to take on her brother's debt on the specter ship.
Devlin and Fenna have instant chemistry, and spend the majority of the story trying not to give in to temptation. Their relationship has some obstacles, as Fenna has a gift that makes her a target, and Devlin struggles against his conscience when it comes to the lengths he has to go in order to break his curse.
I loved Fenna's character arc, as she goes from dreaming about new worlds and going on adventures, to actually experiencing them for herself.
If you like adventure, fantasy type stories, give this one a try.

Fenna (the FMC) is a quiet girl, who loves to read books and never expects to travel very far from her village. He brother, Dasos, has joined the King's Navy, and oppsie daisy 🤷‍♀️, he sold his soul to the devilish Captain Devlin Cato (the MMC) to save himself during a maritime battle.

Selling his soul is enough for Dasos to decide maybe he should stay on land, but unfortunately, that's not how life-debts work. So instead, Fenna takes on her brother's debt and takes to the seas with Devlin - sorry, *Captain* Cato and his merry band of pirates.

This story is a classic "he fell first" and it was very sweet. The slow burn wasn't very slow, seeing as this is a standalone book, but the evolution of their relationship was perfectly paced and very hot and heavy at times.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

✨ Dual POVs
✨ He fell first ❤️
✨ Found family
✨ Magic lite
✨ Bonded mates 💞

This book has magical elements - there's a curse upon Devlin's ship, the Phantom Night, that they're all trying the break and other elements I won't spoil. The magic almost seems secondary at times to the relationship building that happens in the book - both romantically and platonically.

* Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review *

With so many pirate themed books coming out recently the competition is high. Fortunately for The Audient & The Phantom Night, it’s no question it’s one of the top reads! Definitely one that’s going to be hard to compete with! From storyline, to character relationships, I ADORED it all. I loved understanding why characters were the way they were and how them merging and forming relations shifted them into looking at life in a different light. My only reservation for this book, the sole reason I docked it a star was the ending feeling like it just ended. While the actual ending of the storyline itself was fine, it was dropped out of nowhere and rushed to the max.. or atleast that’s how I felt. Nonetheless I still highly recommend to anyone and everyone to pick up this thrilling book!

I received an ARC for an honest review.

5/5 Stars
2/5 Spice

I selected this book because after I read The Secrets of Jane by Charlotte Mallory, and I honestly NEEDED more Pirate Romance in my life, pronto!

The ARC of this book popped up right at the perfect time.

I really enjoyed this book. The author took inspiration from Beauty and The Beast and The Flying Dutchman and it played out really well. There were pirates, tension, angst, drama, lust, spice, romance, adventure and intrigue.
Nice and easy to follow for any Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance reader.

- Dual POV
- Enemies to Lovers
- Romance with Spice
- Morally Grey MMC
- Forced Proximity
- Touch her and ....
- Cursed Ships
- Forbidden Magic
- HEA

I want to start off saying thanks for letting me be an arc reader. The Audient and the Phantom Night was a fun read. The title definitely was a great choice. The book cover drew me in from the start. Devlin was a fun character. There were a few moments in the book that I had to reread. I wasn’t sure if it was a mistake or Devlin was a liar in the book. His morals were very conflicting in the book. One part he had grabbed Fenna’s upper arm then her throat, but later told Booker he only grabbed her upper arm? I was confused and had to go back to see if I was remembering wrong or he was flat out lying. I do love how he doesn’t let his crew SA anyone. It made me like the book. Very few pirate books with a captain like that, but then again he kept threatening the FMC. I love the part where it explored his past traumas. I felt like that part could have been a little longer. I don’t like Devlin’s name at all. I’m a huge Adam Sandler fan and all I could think of was his movie, “Just Go With It.” I laughed every time I read his name. There wasn’t too much spice in it which I liked. I loved Fenna’s name. Her character mirrored Sookie Stackhouse from another book series in many ways. This concerned me for a bit. She had a bad that had a crush on her brother that wasn’t as cool as she originally thought. She’s a mind reader also. Her parents were dead. There was just so many similarities. It was kinda like Sookie’s character inside of pirates of the Caribbean. It was never elaborated on the other Clair’s, so it felt unfinished. It left me with lots of questions. I enjoyed Iris’s character a ton. She was really cool and showed loyalty/kindness to not only her captain, but Fenna as well. Overall this is a solid three star book. It would be fun for anyone that really loves pirates. I had some issues with the books consistency, but it was still a fun story. I really wish there was more explanation or the whole Clair bit was just out of the story. It would have been a five star novella with some editing, or make it longer and explain things out better. The “bones” of the story is great. Dasos’s ending did remind me of a character turning dark without explanation. It was very weird. He loved his sister, clearly had no regard for her, then finds her to kill her, and then loves her again? It really reminded me of Jason, sookies brother. He was dumb in that series so his radical morals made sense, but Dasos was supposed to be smart and brave. It really was a confusing character. Overall the book cover is gorgeous. Inside was confusing, but Devlin, Fenna, and Iris made up for it.

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read!!!! I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Inspired by the worlds of The Legend of the Flying Dutchman and Beauty and the Beast, this action-packed fantasy filled with searing romance, outlawed magic, and seafaring danger.

Loved it! Great atmosphere, very swoony pirate romance.

I had a great time reading this, it had a great mash of two legendary tales in a strong way. I enjoyed everything that was happening in this universe and the characters felt like they belonged in this world. Sadie Hewitt writes a great fairy tale fantasy novel and am glad I got to read this.

This was such a fun read! This book was action packed and fast paced from start to finish. I loved the chemistry between Fenna and Devlin, and the characters themselves were so well written. I will be reading more by Sadie Hewitt. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful. I will definitely be ordering my own physical copy.

Thank you for allowing me to be an ARC reader.

This book was a blast! It grabbed me from the beginning and I was enthralled with every page. The story was interesting, the characters were wonderful and important to the story. It was well written and fun to read.

I initially thought the romance seemed a bit rushed but it made a lot of sense as I kept reading and fit in with the story. With that, the male interest is absolutely perfect for anyone who loves morally gray men or the touch her and die trope.

My only critique was that I feel like the main characters abilities could’ve been utilized a bit more throughout the middle of the book. But overall I would recommend this book!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

★ ★ ★ 3 STARS

If you like instalust, villainous male leads and the occasional dark romance, you’ll love this book. If you’re on BookTok, you’ll also love this book.

Now if you’re here for the retelling… you may not. Just because it is non-existent. As in, I was surprised when I saw that this was being referred to as “Beauty & The Beast” retelling, non-existent.

However, this is not the reason why I’m giving this book a 3 star rating. It’s not a bad book. Like, at all. I see what people may like about it, but there a few things that kept me from truly enjoying myself.

I’ll boil it all down to one word to start. The pacing.

Nearly nothing happens once we get past the inciting incident of this story. Sure, it’s a great time to further personal and romantic development, but the way in which that was done was just not convincing, which I’ll get to later. Consequently, I’ve found that you could take the first 50 pages, and the last 50 pages, and be able to make near-perfect sense of everything going on plot-wise.

On the romantic chemistry part, I’m sorry to say it but I struggled. It’s weird bc I liked Fenna just fine, and found Captain Cato to be a pretty lively character too, but them together? I wasn’t too sure. From the beginning they had this sort of instalove attraction that I didn’t buy into, and unfortunately, the book failed to make me believe in it as it progressed.

This might also be due to the fact that Cato is a creep when they first meet and will never stop lusting over her in the middle of serious conversations. Though I can see how this might work for some girlies, it doesn’t for me when I’m trying to see where the actual plot and romantic aspects will go.

Despite this, Cato and Fenna are done wonderfully. Fenna’s character development was absolutely insane to see, because she changed so much yet so naturally as the book evolved. It was a delight to see the person that she had become by the end of the story.

Even Devlin showed a ton of development as a character, demonstrating through his reckless but kind of sweet actions that he was truly in love with Fenna.

Please note that this sentence does not negate my earlier point about there not being romantic chemistry. Rather, it shows that the pieces were there but I couldn’t understand WHY he felt this way, which made everything feel less impactful.

Anyways, the worldbuilding was perfect. The aspects introduced were rather interesting, and I wouldn’t mind diving into this world again. I also quite liked the side characters introduced, and seeing their interactions with Fenna on the ship.

I do see the strengths in Sadie Hewitt’s writing, and am still interested in seeing what future stories she might have to offer.

In summary, it was a great idea, but unfortunately, the execution fell a little bit flat for me.

Thank you to Sadie Hewitt and NetGalley for providing me with an eArc copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to netgalley and Sadie Hewitt for this arc.

This was a fun and enjoyable read full of adventure, pirates, and romance. I loved the character progression and of course the spice was a very good addition.