And excellent follow up to Leeward. Really nice to get a different point of view of the drama and danger of life at sea, and enough romance dotted in to keep me happy.

ARC REVIEW

This was my first time dipping into the Courtney and Nightingale queer naval adventure series - and I absolutely loved it.

Set in 1802, Courtney and Nightingale are two men in love, keeping it hidden while they travel the seas, searching for Nightingale's father in law whose ship has gone missing.

Despite not reading the first in the series, I found that it did not limit my understanding of the relationship or history around Courtney and Nightingale. There were enough references and brief summaries sprinkled throughout the narrative that gave me enough information to appreciate the journey the main characters had been on. I found this book endearing, tense, and gut wrenching at times, and it was incredibly well written.

The only thing that stopped this being 5 stars for me is the technical language. The author has clearly done so much research into naval terms of reference because they are everywhere (I assume correctly so). However, possibly due to the fact I have not read book #1, the use of technical language slowed down my reading, as I was having to look up and work out what certain objects were, the specific locations etc. Overall though, this didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, it just took me a bit longer than usual!

I am absolutely going to look for book #1 in this series, and keep an eye out for other publications from Katie Daysh!

This can easily be the best thing I´ve read this year so far... Which is not that surprising, because I loved the first book of Nightingale and Courtney when I got the ARC last year, so I had high hopes for this one as well.

And I don´t know if it´s because I knew what to expect or since I was in the mood for a naval story, but I think I even enjoyed this one better than the first one (I´ll need a reread to check). Anyway, here are the things that I liked the most on this one you can know what it contains:

- The MC for this story is Courtney and, instead of the Caribbean seas, this time we can expect an adventure through (mainly) the Mediterranean.
- Similar to the previous book, the mission is searching for a missing ship. In this case, it´s one that Nightingale´s father in law is travelling in, along with more English and French sailors.
- The alliances are so well done (there is a redemption plot and quite a few unjustices going on aboard those ships that are beatifully handled) and so are the enemies.
- Something in this book made me cry (it is a compliment, I hardly ever cry with a book)
- There are pirates. But like, real pirates, not those unfriendly characters of some books that bark a lot but don´t do anything dangerous.
- The romance is subtle, as it is not the main focus of the story, but it´s a 10 out of 10 for me. When you got a story this well crafted, you really don´t need much more in those terms.

I´ll be waiting for the next book by this author :D

<blockquote><I>But Courtney had always performed in the margins, in the grey waters between the tides. She, and all her men, depended upon him, and he depended upon her and them. For the first time despite having had temporary commend before, he felt the weight of it. It would be his plan which saved, or condemned, the lost men and this very ship.</I></blockquote>

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because this series is criminally under-appreciated.

First of all, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

<u>Leeward</u> was one of my favorite finds of 2023, so I was incredibly excited to learn that the story that started in <u>Leeward</u> would continue in a trilogy. I added <u>The Devil to Pay</u> to my Goodreads TBR as soon as it was available, and this was easily one of my most-anticipated releases of 2024. Suffice to say, my expectations for this book were high. Fortunately, Ms. Daysh and her amazing characters did not disappoint.

Before delving into my review of <u>The Devil to Pay</u> it's important to back up and provide some commentary on <u>Leeward</u>. The first book in this series follows the crew of the <I>Scylla</I>, captained by Hiram Nightingale, as they search for a missing Royal Navy ship. The story is entirely told through Nightingale's POV. Nightingale has suffered a great deal of personal trauma, and holds himself together chiefly though his strong sense of duty to the Navy. He is reserved and measured, but he also has an incredibly strong moral compass that sometimes sets him at odds with both the Navy that he loves and, at times, himself. As a result, <u>Leeward</u>'s story focuses primarily on Nightingale's internal struggles and how, in the end, he must choose between his duty as a naval officer and his duty as a human being.

As a result of Nightingale's intense introspection throughout <u>Leeward</u>, it is only in the second half of the book that we really begin to see his relationship with First Lieutenant Arthur Courtney to grow--from animosity, to friendship, and finally, within the last pages of the book, to something more. I've noticed that some reviewers find it odd that the relationship at the heart of this book is only acknowledged aloud in its final pages. However, given Nightingale's inner turmoil throughout <u>Leeward</u>, it's not that surprising that he can only truly acknowledge his affection once he's dealt with his own demons.

I enjoyed Nightingale's POV immensely in <u>Leeward</u> and was not at all unsettled or surprised that his relationship with Courtney was a <I>subtle</I> burn throughout the book. Going into <u>The Devil to Pay</u> I was expecting more of the same. However, Ms. Daysh completely surprised me by changing the POV in the second book to Courtney. And I am absolutely <I>in awe</I> of the way that Courtney's POV completely changes the reading experience while still staying true to the storyline, the relationships, and the conflicts of <u>Leeward</u>. POV changes are tricky to pull off well within a single book; they're even more risky when the change happens between book 1 and book 2 in a series. But damn. Ms. Daysh absolutely knocked it out of the park.

I <I>loved</I> reading Courtney's POV in <u>The Devil to Pay</u>. He brought an absolutely fresh perspective to this series. Where Nightingale's POV was rigid, inflexible, detail-oriented, and self-deprecating, Courtney's POV was full of passion, yearning, bravado, and fire. And, in all the ways that matter, Courtney's POV stayed true to the heart of the series and the storylines that made me fall in love with it in the first place.

<u>The Devil to Pay</u> picks up about a year after the events of <u>Leeward</u>. Courtney is still First Lieutenant on the <I>Scylla</I>, and still hoping to become a captain. Nightingale, honorably discharged from the Navy, is living at home in England. The two continue to kindle their relationship through consistent but carefully-crafted letters that, the frequency of which likely say more about what they mean to one another than they dare to express in words.

Once again, through a chaotic series of events, Courtney finds himself temporarily in charge of the <I>Scylla</I> while working with another English vessel (the <I>Meridian</I> to capture the French ship <I>Cygne</I>. When the <I>Meridian</I> makes a strategic error and finds itself lodged on a sandbar, Courtney realizes that the <I>Cygne</I> is about to become engulfed in flames, and sends his men to rescue as many survivors as possible. The <I>Cygne</I> sinks, its captain--Bonfils--is captured, and all seems well. Except that the <I>Meridian's</I> captain is not pleased with Courtney because he chose to rescue the survivors from the <I>Cygne</I> instead of help the <I>Meridian</I>.

Months later, it is peacetime. Courtney and Nightingale have reunited in England and are stealing what time they can together in a cottage on the Isle of Wight. Their careful peace is fractured when news arrives that Sir William Haywood--Nightingale's father-in-law--has disappeared along with the ship on which he traveled, the <I>Loyal</I>. Through a series of coincidences, Courtney finds himself on a clandestine rescue mission aboard the refitted merchant ship <I>Lysander</I> with Captain Bryant (formerly of the <I>Meridian</I>) at its helm. Nightingale accompanies them as well as a civilian given his relationship with Haywood.

The mood aboard the <I>Lysander</I> is antagonistic, to say the least. Bryant has not forgotten Courtney's previous failure to come to his aid and is openly hostile to Courtney throughout the voyage. Many of the men aboard the ship are merchant sailors who are not pleased with having to take orders from Naval officers. Nightingale and Courtney's relationship is strained as well, largely because they are unable to freely show any sort of affection toward one another for fear of being accused of homosexuality--a crime punishable by death.

And this is one of the central themes throughout the book. Courtney often reflects on how different his life would be if he were simply allowed to love whomever he chooses. There's an absolutely heartbreaking parallel story developing among two crew members throughout the first half of the book. As their story unfolds with awful consequences, both Nightingale and Courtney must reckon with the brutality that awaits them if their true relationship were ever uncovered. At one point, Courtney thinks, "how ironic it was that the law, and its enforcers, could feel more at ease killing two men rather than accepting their bond." Ironic. Shameful. Terrifying. And yet the reality that Courtney and Nightingale must face every time they risk so much as a casual glance or touch in front of their shipmates.

Ms. Daysh's storytelling throughout is sublime. This is a book that is filled with brutal storms, savage shipwrecks, intense combat, and bloody <I>piracy</I>, all described in intricate, heart-pounding detail. And yet, the relative calm moments in-between carry just as much weight and consequence. There are no dull moments in this book. No breathing room. No filler. Much like its central character, <u>The Devil to Pay</u> feels youthful and wild and passionate and reflects the thrilling highs and awful lows of a life at sea.

I won't spoil any more of the story here, but I will conclude by saying it has several extremely satisfying arcs that conclude with an overall satisfying ending. I admit to being a little thrown by some of the coincidences that happened toward the end of the book, but I'm more than willing to overlook those because of the otherwise outstanding character development and storytelling.

I have no idea what lies in store for these characters in the final installment of this trilogy, but I absolutely cannot <I>wait</I> to learn what happens next.

<blockquote><I>"You are probably more aware that I do not take many risks, but this..." He lowered his hand, caressing Courtney's neck and down to his chest where his heart beat. "I would not change a thing. I would take this risk one hundred times over."</I></blockquote>

I really enjoy this series. Something about the writing is very warm. I've actually ended up reading both books in one week and I've had a really nice time with them.

This book focused on Courtney as the main pov character instead of Nightingale, and that really felt like a natural progression from book one. In this book we get to learn more about him and his past. He's an interesting character because he's still headstrong in a way that's unusual for most officers which means you never quite know how things are going to turn out for him.

There's an underlying theme in this book of the homophobia within the navy and british society on the whole. It's harrowing and sad and very real. Especially the moment in which Courtney mentions that queer people wouldn't have the same rights as everyone else within his lifetime. I also didn't know about the rules within the navy that meant same sex relationships onboard ships were punishable by death. It's a cruel reality explored with a lot of grace and care despite the horrors.

But that's not to say it's all doom and gloom. The relationship between Courtney and Nightingale remains a highlight. It's still sort of low key, given the nature of the series (it's first and foremost a historical fiction, that happens to have queer characters) but they had some really sweet romantic moments.

I have no idea if there is going to be more books in this series, if there was I would certainly read them. However this book left on a very nice note.

I was delighted to be approved for this ARC, as Leeward was one of my favourite books of 2023. Here we pick up with our beloved sailors, this time from Arthur Courtney's perspective. We first encounter him in a dramatic manoeuvre at sea, before entering a time of peace. However, Courtney's not long been reunited with Nightingale before the two of them are caught up in a secret mission - Nightingale's father-in-law has gone missing on a diplomatic expedition, and the disappearance of his ship could threaten the tentative peace.

I loved experiencing Courtneys POV - not only as he considers his current situation and the uncertainty he feels around both his naval career and his relationship with Nightingale, but also finding out about who he is, where he's come from, and how hard he's had to fight to get to his current position. As with Leeward, Daysh skilfully makes day-to-day life on ship leap off the page, and even though we're in a time of peace, The Devil to Pay has no shortage of dramatic encounters as Courtney and his crew face terrible storms, the cruelty of class and hierarchy, and a mysterious enemy. And, alongside the page-turning action, we get to see just how precarious life could be for men like Courtney and Nightingale. I gobbled this up, wrapped up in the story and even more invested in Arthur and Hiram and what they have together. Very excited to purchase this when it comes out, and I will be pre-ordering book three as soon as I can!

I think this book built upon the foundation laid by Leeward perfectly. Leeward was one of my favourite reads of 2023, it was near perfect for me, and The Devil to Pay is a near perfect continuation. Sometimes there is a fear that a sequel won't hit the same as the first book; this book most certainly did.

I absolutely LOVED reading Courtney's perspective. Courtney's perspective felt both suitably frustrated (as a working class man who has worked his way up the naval ladder through blood, sweat, and tears) and suitably brash (as someone with a strong sense of justice, as was set up in the first book). You can feel the difference between his POV and the tired resignation you get from Nightingale in the first book. Tonally there is a difference, and I think that is most certainly something to be pointed out.

I was also delighted to get to know Courtney better. He didn't feel lacking as a character in the first book at all, but in this book you finally learn about Courtney's background the navy, the first ship he sailed on called the Grampus, and about his relationship with a certain Garrick Walker, which rears its head in a way that I did not expect. Throughout the book, I could tell that he was going to reappear, but I couldn't quite predict how. I was certainly kept on my toes as I read, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

There is a certain, subtle wedge between Courtney and Nightingale in The Devil to Pay which I found really interesting. Both a physical wedge - they spend extended periods apart in the book, which highlighted just how well they function as independent characters; as much as I LOVE their relationship, I enjoyed seeing Courtney navigate on his own - and an emotional one. Courtney isn't sure how he fits into Nightingale's life, alongside Nightingale's wife Louisa, and the difference in social standing is beginning to grate, with Nightingale's wealth and Courtney having come from a less-than-wealthy background. They do talk through this as best they can by the end of the book, but I'm glad it was something that brought up.

This book feels a lot more fast-paced than Leeward. Whilst Leeward was more like a slowburn, with the book mostly being taken up by the Scylla's pursuit of the Ulysses, The Devil to Pay reads more like a mystery novel set at sea, if that makes sense? There is a lot more investigation, a lot more hunting for information, trying to figure out where the missing Loyal is. There is a lot more going on, it is much more fast-paced; though I really enjoyed the slowburn of Leeward, I really enjoyed the fast-paced nature of The Devil to Pay. They're very different books, but I enjoyed them both just as much as the other.

Both books have a certain rereadability which I personally believe to be extremely important. When I first finished Leeward, I reread it almost immediately. I feel like I can do the exact same thing with this book. The moment I finished it, I felt the urge to reread Leeward. So I'm gonna, and then I'm gonna reread The Devil to Pay. Don't talk to me for at least a week.

A complete 5/5 read. I can't wait to see what Katie Daysh does next!