I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

To me this one felt more like spice with some plot thrown in. Not a ton of character building or anything I like to see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This novel started off super strong for me: dual POVs, high stakes, fantasy world, female protagonist with interesting magical powers, and pirates! All my favorites. However, I had to DNF this at 35%.

Fenna and Devlin’s romance was way too fast paced for me, and unfortunately, because of that, wasn’t very believable. The blurb on NetGalley also didn’t communicate that the ‘spice’ level in this novel would be very high – something that immediately made me wary as a reader. That type of literature just isn’t for me. But if you’re a reader of ‘spice’, you’d probably love this one!

Fenna’s mind reading abilities were super prevalent in the first handful of pages, and then completely forgotten. As I DNF’d this one pretty early, I don’t know if they came back into play later in the plot but given how sparse the magic became once Fenna was on Devlin’s ship, I can’t imagine this would have resolved in any way I would have appreciated.

I had no idea until reading other reviews that this was meant to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I cannot see that in the plot in the least. The Flying Dutchman elements are prevalent: pirates, a cursed ship, souls sacrificed to a scary sea god; the retelling label should have been left at that.

The world building was too superficial for me, as a big fantasy novel consumer. The secondary characters did not seem well fleshed-out to me, either. Overall, this had the makings of a good novel, but really fell flat for me.

Never read a book about the Flying Dutchman/Pirates but I was thoroughly surprised by how much I liked it. It was a nice and fun read filled with romance and adventure. I wish the book was longer but I really enjoyed it and will definitely be rereading in the future:)

This book was a passion filled pirate ‘flying-Dutchman-like’ adventure and romance. It is meant to be a beauty and the beast retelling, and I could see the comparison mostly within Fenna. It is a story able to grab your attention for the very beginning, and had me immersed enough to not be thrown off by learning about ships and the ways to upkeep them. Fenna and Devlin are Insta-love, with a morally ambiguous pirate captain. It definitely was more than I expected, and it kept me up reading.

A spicy pirate romance with a sprinkle of danger and magic. Did I mention that our male love interest is a cursed pirate captain? Spicy Booktok and Jack Sparrow fans will love this!

Fenna Terrigan takes the place of her beloved brother aboard a pirate ship run by Captain Devlin Cato. He’s handsome, he’s cursed, and he won’t stop flirting with her! Can she break his curse and fulfill her brother’s twenty-five-year debt, or will she lose her soul in the process?

I love a good spicy romance, and aboard a pirate ship is an added bonus! It is insta-love, but the teasing dynamic makes up for it. My one issue is that it’s not a Beauty and the Beast retelling, seeing as the Captain is handsome and alluring. Nonetheless, it’s fast and fun to read. Live your pirate romance dreams!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sadie Hewitt for this ARC.

Quick and Fun

Devlin is known as The Spector and captain of The Phantom Night. Devlin roams the seas looking for souls to barter with the god of the sea. When one of these souls abandons ship, Devlin chases him down to defend his due. Except, when Devlin gets there, instead of the cowardly sailor, he gets the sister instead.

Fenna has always been scrutinized and ostracized in her town. After her brother comes home from being at sea claiming he owes a debt to an evil spector, Fenna knows she would do anything for her brother. But if the captain of The Phantom Night is so evil, why does Fenna feel such an attraction towards him?

This is a good pirate romance mixed with Beauty and the Beast elements. It is definitely first and foremost a romance. There is a magic system, but it isn’t really developed and explained. I enjoyed Devlin and Fenna’s chemistry. I think their attraction to one another made sense. I wish that the world and magic were more developed. This is definitely a fantasy romance, and not a romantic fantasy. Still a very fun read.

4/5 stars

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sadie Hewitt for a chance to read and review this book!

The Audient and The Phantom Night is a simple and very enjoyable read from beginning to end. The tone is reminiscent of the tales of The Flying Dutchman with a well blended mix of pirates, adventure, romance, and hints of magic that flowed together in an easily absorbed melody. I ate it up. The MC’s Fenna Terrigan and Captain Devlin Cato are the definition of opposites attract and their connection is searing. Despite the bargain the captain made 150 year ago, not even the sea god himself could keep Devlin from getting what he wants. And I respect that 🫡

Overall, there’s not many intricacies to the plot aside from Fenna’s gift and the curse + stipulations given by the sea god Liddros. I thought both of those secondary plot points were actually very intriguing, although it wasn’t as expanded upon as I would’ve liked. Except for the short details that had been established at the beginning of the story, the world building takes a bit of backseat but given that the primary backdrop took place on the ship, it didn’t provide much room for a lot of expansion. But what ultimately carries this book, and drives it very steadily and well, are the writing and the characters.

The chemistry between Devlin and Fenna is palpable. They feed off of one another with their banter and the tension and intensity is savory. Yes, the attraction does happen quickly, but there’s still a build up throughout the story where attraction turns to genuine feeling. Sometimes inexplicably. These two people who’ve been starved of closeness and vulnerability for most of their lives finally finding one another. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship and how each MC had their own mind, voice, and complexities. Complexities that also extended to the crew aboard The Phantom Night. I enjoyed their interactions when we got to see them.

The pacing of the story very rarely faltered and only continued to increase as it progressed. The most thrilling part though, is probably the latter half as it kind of grips you in a vice and doesn’t let go. So much so that I didn’t really want the story to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think it’s worth the read for anyone seeking a bit of pirate romance in their life!

3.5⭐️
3🌶
I had a good time reading this book.
A retelling of the story of Davy Jones with parallels to Beauty and the Beast, though I would not say it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The first few chapters started off action packed, but the next third of the book was a bit on the low stakes side. The pivotal plot hook of this book was brought up pretty late in the game, but the tension between the characters carried the book through. I do think this book could have been a bit longer. There was a missed opportunity for stronger world building, and I would have liked to see a more in depth magic system. Despite that, I still think this was a fun read.

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

Publication date: November 24, 2023

This is my first book by the author Sadie Hewitt and I really enjoyed the story and writing! Advertised as a retelling of The Flying Dutchman and Beaty and the Beast had me hooked to give it a try!

Fenna Terrigan was a bit of an outcast in her small seaside village. Working in the local bookstore and sharing a home with her brother, she never thought her life would be more than that.

When Fenna’s brother signs on to a naval ship and shows up months later is utterly terrified of the ghost pirate chasing him, Fenna offers herself to the pirate captain in exchange for her brothers debt.

Fenna is sworn to the sea for the next 25 years and is meant to be a lowly member of the crew like her brother. But Fenna and Captain Devlin Cato can’t seem to fight the pull that keeps bringing them together.

Devlin has spent the last 150 years cursed by the god of the sea and is expected to spend a thousand more years dedicated to the sea until Fenna joins his crew.

Can the love of a human with secret abilities be the answer to breaking the curse? Devlin loves Fenna enough to let her go so she can live a normal life but can Fenna walk away from the only love she’s known?

I really enjoyed Fenna and Devlin’s story. I’m not sure it’s quite a retelling but it’s hot pirate romance so I’m giving this one 4 stars and would recommend it to any spicy romance lovers out there!

#NetGalley #sadiehewitt #theaudientandthephantomnight

BOOK: THE AUDIENT AND THE PHANTOM SHIP- 4.5 stars
AUTHOR: SADIE HEWITT @sadiehewitt
PUB DATE: 21 NOVEMBER 2023
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
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I'm so glad I read this book, it was wonderful! A quick, easy read, and I couldn't put it down once I started, the kind of book you'd like to reread. I liked almost everything about it.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. The chemistry between the MCs,🥵🥵
2. The world building
3. How fast-paced it was
4. Absence of miscommunication trope
5. The author's imagination and creativity
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. I liked the world building, but I felt like it was not fully developed, and there were a lot of things missing. I didn't even know the name of the country (among other things)
2. Fenna changed too fast, she was timid and then she was suddenly brave, too fast!
3. Devlin fell in love with Fenna too fast.
(I know, it's kinda contradictory)
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Regardless, this book was very good and it's one you should read, it's worth your time!

I have to admit, in my life, I never thought about what a combo Beauty and the Beast meets the Flying Dutchman would make- and let me tell you that I should have before because this was so fun!

This has all the classic BATB elements: a bookworm outcast of a small town with a big heart, a broody (pirate) king with a curse only true love can break, a crew of characters (in this case a literal crew) who serve him and also kind of care about him, a whiny brat boy who just wants to claim our special gal and her skills for his own gain, and magical beings who have too much vested interest in the lives of humans!! Now take this all, add piracy, soul-trading, magical skills and curses, and you've created The Audient and The Phantom Night.

I genuinely enjoyed this book, not just for the story I know and love, but for the new characters we got to journey and grow with! Fenna, our FMC, shows a different kind of strength than most fantasy heroines- she may not be able to swim, fight, or use any sort of weapon BUT she is strong of heart and brave beyond bounds. Devlin (Captain Cato to you), our intrepid MMC, has been cursed to wander the seas for hundreds of years but shows that he has not been broken, that he can grow, that he wants love as much as any of the rest of those still living. Watching the two of them take these journeys separately and together was so delightful!!

Thanks to Sadie Hewitt and NetGalley for the chance to read this book! The Audient and the Phantom Night comes out tomorrow- November 21!!

The Audient and the Phantom Night has a Davy Jones/Beauty and the Beast mixture going on that is so compelling! I have never read a Flying Dutchman/Davy Jones romance until now, and now I feel cheated I haven’t had one before! The book follows two characters, Captain Devlin, who is cursed to collect souls for the god of the sea, Liddros, and Fenna, a girl ostracized in her small town to her ability to hear thoughts. When her brother is reported killed on his first mission with the navy, she’s devastated. Until he comes flying in, reporting that the Spector is after him, and he’s traded his soul away. Fenna gives herself in place of her brother, offering to take his debt. Devlin is drawn to her the moment he sees her, and can’t resist taking her offer to have her aboard, despite how he knows it will distract and upend him. Especially when the debt doesn’t take as it should.

Fenna is very sweet and innocent, despite the hardships she’d dealt with. Her parents are dead, her only friend is into her brother, her brother was her only protector until he left and was reported to have gone down with his ship, and her entire town literally crosses the street when they see her to get away from her. Her ability to hear thoughts means she hears every awful thing they think about her too. And her brother and friend aren’t much better. And she still runs out to try to help people when the town is attacked. When she offers to go aboard the Phantom Night in her brother’s place, she’s thrust into a whole new world. She always expected her brother to have the adventures, and her to merely read about them in books. Yet she finds there’s more to herself than she ever expected.

One of the things I love is how different she is from the usual strong female protagonist. Not that she isn’t strong in her own way, she definitely is! But she still has that soft, sweet side, and she never looses that. It’s a great contrast to Captain Devlin, especially. She finds new aspects to herself aboard the ship. New strength and courage. But she doesn’t become someone totally new either. It just helps her shed the meekness she hid behind her whole life. Devlin does a lot to help bring this out of her. She was taunted and teased by the men of her town, and having someone be genuinely interested in her throws her for a bit of a loop.

Devlin himself is operating under a curse. Liddros owns his soul and he has to collect dying souls to join his crew, who will gain more years, but owe them to Liddros at the end. Unless they win a challenge, where they could possibly go free. Unlike other Spectors, Devlin always gives people a choice to join him. He has more integrity than the others, and he refuses to give into that ruthlessness. He is a ruthless pirate captain, of course, but he’s more honorable and true. He made some bad decisions, trusted a girl he believed he loved who was awful to him, and landed himself in this mess. He’s just trying to survive and help his crew, until Fenna enters his life.

Their relationship is wonderful. You get great push and pull at the beginning, and as they progress, they each balance the other so well. It makes sense, in the way they are connected. She is soft where he is hard, and yet, she hardens up and he softens in the presence of the other. The balance lets them meet perfectly in the middle. You can see the changes progressing in the both of them. A la Beauty and the Beast, the Davy Jones figure here is under a curse, that only the love of a woman will solve. Where he softens up and falls in love after being a bastard at first to her. Of course, the curse is more complicated here! It’s not just her falling in love that would break it. That would be much too easy!

I really enjoyed this story! It’s such an interesting concept, and it was executed perfectly. The relationship is great, as is the setting of the pirate ship, the Phantom Night. There’s fantastic and interesting side characters that I can’t help but be intrigued by. The way Fenna joins the crew and gets them interested in stories and critically analyzing them is such an amazing addition as well! The crew is not the typical stereotype of pirates, which I much appreciated! Fenna’s gift, the curse, the gods…the magic here is just an accepted, if minor, part of the world they life in. I found the whole concept really fascinating. The way all those aspects came together to create this environment and inform the relationships. All in all, I definitely recommend this book!

Works as a pirate romance, but not as a Beauty & Beast plus Flying Dutchman retelling. It has more of the latter, and the style of the story and the tropes it contains should make it appealing for the romance crowd, but it didn't work for me.

Thank you to Sadie Hewitt and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow I have been really getting in my fantasy reading era, but this was my first pirate story and it did NOT disappoint. The soundtrack I heard when reading this was Taylor Swifts “Blank Space. Specifically, “Magic, madness, Heaven, sin”. It had all of those elements and more!

If you’re looking for a new fantasy, spicy romance, and bit of a thriller all wrapped into one then this is the book for you! My only critique of this book is that I would have loved to see an extended epilogue to see more of Devlin & Fenna together. (Or possibly even another book because I loved reading about them).

When Fennas brother Dasos takes a gamble to get out of death at sea with Captain Devlin, his debt is made and he will have to live his time on the specter, The Phantom Ship. But Dasos escapes the ship, and it doesn’t take long for Devlin to come to shore and destroy the entire town to find him and haul him back to the ship.

But what he finds instead is Dasos’ sister Fenna who agrees to take over his debt. He takes her back to the Phantom, where she begins to pay back the debt that's owed. But Devlin is intrigued by Fenna, and not only because he’s attracted to her, there’s something else. She is a Clair with magical powers; an Audient who can hear and interrupt the thoughts of others. And as soon as other people find this out about her they will try to turn her over to the King for a reward. How is he going to navigate this, does he give Fenna up? Or does Fenna have feelings for him, and could they possibly ever be together?

Filled with so many nail biting adventures, mishaps, and mysteries to solve this story is just so good. The spice showed up about the last 1/4 of the story, but it was still fire! I didn’t know until this read how much I would enjoy smutty pirate books, but sign me up!

Short review incoming!

I really liked the cover for this one which is why I wanted to read it. It really draws you in with the ship! I loved it a lot. Unfortunately, the romance was really lacking for me. It is very much insta-lust and I just don’t like that. It never works for me and then I just don’t understand the relationship and why they are together. It doesn’t build a connection.

The plot twists were easy to spot and felt like they were just rushed through to get to the point. Characters you thought would be important ended up only being there for one specific reason. It was hard to feel sorry for anyone. I thought the main character was kind of dumb and even she wanted an adventure there was a better way to go about it.

Overall, this wasn’t for me. I wish I had liked it more.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Sadie Hewitt for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did I literally get this book like yesterday? Yes. Did I already read it in 24 hours? Also, yes. Will forever be screaming about this book and recommending it to like EVERYONE. Most definitely yes.

The Audient and The Phantom Night by Sadie Hewitt is a fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast and the Flying Dutchman. Yes, you read that correctly. Fenna Terrigan never expected to leave her seaside village. She was too quiet, too gentle, and far too kind to take on life outside of the bookshop she works at. But when her brother shows up on her doorstep begging for aid with a pirate lord hot on his tail, Fenna will do anything to protect him. Devlin Cato is the captain of a cursed ship and can step foot on land for one day every seven years. Once again, he’s found himself using it to chase a deserter across the continent. his hunt is short-lived when Fenna agrees to take on her brother’s twenty-five-year debt in exchange for leaving her smoldering city to heal. As Fenna spends more time aboard the phantom night with the ship’s mysterious and seductive captain, she soon finds herself caught between loyalty to her brother and her fiery passion for Devlin Cato. But the path to ending the curse isn’t as easy as it seems when Fenna’s dark secret is discovered. a secret that threatens the very foundation of the continent’s stability and one that anyone would be willing to kill for.

I did not expect this kind of story mashup to work, but it did. In all the best possible ways. The plot was amazing, the characters were relatable and swoon-worthy. And though I'm not always the biggest fan of stories set on the seven seas, this book read like the Pirates of the Caribbean and I was living for it. Everyone needs to read this book!