
Under the Radar
Book
It’s 1942 and after a sexual indiscretion, US Navy pilot Zachary MacKenzie is sent to serve in the...
Historical MM Romance Military WWII

Ships of War: Murky Waters
Book
1791 - England's cannon remain ever silent as her shipping is ruthlessly preyed upon, a detestable...
Naval Adventure Fiction Historical

Rescue Pilot: Cheating the Sea
Book
Jerry Grayson is an ordinary man who chose an extraordinary career. At age 17 he became the youngest...

Britain's Economic Blockade of Germany, 1914-1919
Book
Great Britain's economic blockade of Germany in World War I was one of the key elements to the...

The Longest Siege: Tobruk: The Battle That Saved North Africa
Book
Beginning on 10th April 1941, and lasting for 240 days, the siege of Tobruk is a mesmerising tale of...

The Thames Iron Works 1837-1912: A Major Shipbuilder on the Thames
Book
The Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Company was one of the great private enterprises of the...

Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster
Book
Sir David Attenborough is Britain's best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a...

The Real Hornblower: The Life and Times of Admiral Sir James Gordon
Book
First published in 1997, this timely release offers a comprehensive and engaging account of the life...

Debbiereadsbook (1410 KP) rated A Star to Sail By in Books
Sep 9, 2023
Crispin wanted to be in the Navy, and now he finds himself on a pirate ship, helping them. But these pirates aren't like anything he heard about and Billy, especially, calls to him for reasons he can't figure out. Billy knows though, and it takes a storm to bring them finally to admit to each other what they could be.
What I especially liked about this, was being kept on my toes!
We are aware that something happened to Crispin to mean he is surviving on a merchant ship, and is no longer in the Royal Navy, but not WHY. We know Billy hates Naval officers, but not WHY. And we get the answers to both almost at the same time. Very different reasons, but equally devastating to them. I'm not going to go into it, for spoilers, but difficult reading, Billy's especially. Be mindful of the trigger warnings on this book.
It's not especially explicit, but I didn't mind that here. It's more about the feeling these two men have for each other, and knowing that they can be together, in this time, and be safe.
It is, however, quite violent. These pirates are ...reasonable...in their behaviours, but things happen and then Crispin and Billy are dealt a nasty blow. The level of violence is not graphic, though it does carry some detailed descriptions of punishments and the aftermath. Also, the reason Billy hates Naval officers is described in some detail.
It's not a complicated read, and I found I read it faster than I normally would for a book of this length, some 370 pages.
First I've read of this author, I like the way she spins her tales. I'll certainly read more by this author.
A very enjoyable, 4 star read
*same worded review will appear elsewhere

Scram!: The Gripping First-hand Account of the Helicopter War in the Falklands
Book
In April 1982 Harry Benson was a 21-year-old Royal Navy commando helicopter pilot, fresh out of...