The Belle of Eden

Oh, how I wanted to love this so so much, but I couldn't. It was still a decent story, it just wasn't the right time for me to read this.

It definitely had everything I wanted: pirates, adventure, some sadness (my guilty pleasure in books is sadness, I know, weird).
Why did the book fell flat for me? Because of the romance. I expected a badass story with less romance than it had now. I felt like our main character spent most of the time looking at her love interest instead of doing awesome stuff. She had so much potential and it feels like she was mostly written in the story for her to fall in love. I don't really feel like pirates which are tough and harsh fall in love in a mushy, soft way. The romance definitely had the overhand at points in which I did not care for the story at anymore. It moved too slow and too much of the details went in describing our love interest. I'd rather see more detail in world building or any other epic battle scene or something!

Overall the story was decent, but I wanted more. I was curious to see how the story would develop and end.

Again, I liked the book, it just wasn't what I expected going into it. :p


Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A pirate who believes she's so far lost that she cannot be redeemed, a man who loves his son so much that he's willing to give up his good morals, and a boy so sick that he just wants to enjoy life no matter the cost, all collide in an unforgettable story aboard the St. Jude.

Seafaring, pirate adventures are quite possibly some of my most favorite stories–whether it's historical fiction, fantasy, middle grade, or even kids' books–I love a good pirate story! With The Belle of Eden, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect; a pirate searching for The Garden of Eden? That can't end well.

From the very beginning of the book, we encounter nonstop action! From sword fights to full-on sea battles, The Belle of Eden is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and the ending will no doubt make you hungry for more! ahem I hope there's a sequel in the makes.

I absolutely loved Belle as a character and the Commodore? Um, definitely swoon-worthy! I mean, what's more attractive than a powerful Navy Commodore slowly turning into a buccaneer because he's willing to do anything to save his son? And his son, Benjamin, is so loveable that it's easy to understand why his father makes the decisions he does. The three of them have some pretty amazing adventures together and they make quite the trio!

I would like to disclose that I did get an ARC copy, so typos are to be expected, but there were more than a few typos while I was reading. I hope the editor was able to catch these before the book was released because they were present enough to interrupt the flow of reading on more than one occasion.

Additional content includes mild cursing and the occasional spooky, creepy scenes as the main characters encounter other (creepy?) people on their journey. There was some mild sexual content in the form of mentions of indecent clothes, scanning each others' bodies suggestively, direct sexual thoughts, brothels, and some sexual tension in swordplay scenes (it's a pirate book okay, nothing sexier than sword fighting!), HOWEVER, there are no scenes and only one kiss present in the entire book.

Overall, The Belle of Eden was a fun book to read and I look forward to future books by this author! I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.