ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!

This enemy-to-lovers has everything: a rogued pirate to die for, magic, gods and sea creatures, intrigue, and an awesome heroine. I really enjoyed reading Margrete's development throughout the book; she grew more confident with each challenge she faced.

I need the next one NOW, there're so many mysteries left to solve and that epilogue... I'm officially INTRIGUED.

I liked this book, even though the start was a bit too slow for my taste and I did not really like the main character, it was still a fun read with a good ennemies to lovers romance. I will definitely read more books by this author.

I really enjoyed The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea. It’s such an immersive read. The main character Margrete never expects to find her freedom when kidnapped by a gang of pirates, but that is exactly what happens. The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea will appeal to readers of romantic fantasy. Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and City Owl Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Things I Enjoyed: I am a sucker for a good enemies to lovers romance and this is definitely one. The scenes between Margrete and Bash weren’t extremely explicit, but they were electric and definitely not PG13. The relationship between these two definitely reminded me of Feyre and Rhys from ACOTAR with Bash helping Margrete to discover her power and allowing her to make her own choices.

In my opinion, Katherine Quinn does a great job of painting images with her words as I could almost picture the island of Azantian and the main characters.

In terms of pacing, the story was well down with a good mix of character development and action. I thought that the ending did a good job of setting up for book 2.

Things I Didn’t Enjoy: Although the overall pacing was good, I did feel that some of the reveals in the story were a bit abrupt.

Overall Thoughts: This was a 4 out of 5 star read for me. It is the perfect read for fans of ACOTAR and Caraval. I will definitely be anxiously awaiting book 2 of this series .

Oh, my! What fun this was! Mysterious whispers, strange portals, rather handsome and bad-tempered gods, enemies-to-lovers and will-they-won't-they bits in between (no spoilers here, but it does get rather steamy)... All wrapped up in a tale of the sea and a scorned immortal who wants vengeance. I can't wait for the next installment.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

4.5 💫
Goodness! That wasn't at all what I thought it would be...but it is amazing.
I enjoyed reading it immensely.
I fell in amazement gaze wonder with this AZENTHA ISLAND.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers - Their love journey and fight was one not to be missed...it was an felt word story depth!

What I liked :
🌊Their love journey and how much they both loved each other..Ahh!! How they fought death and pleaded God for each other..it was all so good
💕Margaret and Bash's individual inner turmoil..struggles with self worth and wanting to be their best - what they went through since childhood and how they're fighting it
🌊Margaret's sassy voice and Bash's stubborn countbacks,their banter and all..there was humor laced overall 😂
🌊I loved the individual character depths, every character was penned with blowing suspense and goodness and realness
🌊I fell in love with the AZENTHA ISLAND -it's breathtaking - the people and the whole island captured me
There were so many twists I wasn't expecting and it felt good to read them all 😂
🌊I liked the voices struggle- it's more like in real life; which voice will I be listening to!
🌊All the hidden powers, identity and found family
🌀🌊🌩⚡THAT LAST FIGHT WAS EPIC!!!

Overall! I liked how well the story and all the fantasy elements , all the fight and struggle and realness in characters were weaved

The only thing is it has more romance than anticipated 🔥🔥

I highly recommend this book for all fantasy lovers
I can't wait for the next book and this story was really good 💙

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley
All opinions are my own

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the world and characters. The world building and the way characters interacted was great. Definitely going to read more from Katherine Quinn

Had 50 - 70 pages had been edited out of the first half of this book it is highly likely that I would have rated this as 5 stars. Sadly the book suffered from a distinct lack of pace in the first half, enough to have had me considering whether to DNF'ing this at one point. The slower tempo would have been easily forgiven had it been the result of spending time on rich and powerful world building, but whilst the setting was well developed it wasn't comprehensively detailed enough to justify the lack of forward movement for such a significant number of pages.


However that is the only issue I had with what was otherwise a great book. I adored Margrete and Bash, though I wasn't particularly enamoured with his name. Both characters showed good growth during the story, were well rounded and immensely likeable. The chemistry between this pair was absolutely scorching and I was fully invested in their relationship.


Whilst I half suspected some aspects of the story there were simply far too many twists and turns for me to guess, or even suspect, them all. The last third was a non-stop rollercoaster of action and adventure. Despite the shaky start I am sold on this series and cannot wait for book #2.

This books plot line was a little too slow for my personal taste and I ended up dnfing at 40%. I think this book has potential but I think it was just too flowery for my taste.

Plot: The author does a good job of keeping the reader intrigued while feeding little bits of knowledge to keep you sustained and wanting more. I felt on the edge of my seat for the first half of the book, but then a lot of the surprises and plot twists felt slow to be revealed and a little predictable.
Margrete: I really appreciated her character. She is strong, she doesn’t play the DID, and honestly throughout the book I was dying to know WHY THE SEA CALLED TO HER! (The hazel to blue eyes was a cool touch).
Bash: He’s supposed to be this rogue pirate and I could’ve used more of that. He kind of caves entirely too easily sometimes and isn’t as stubborn as he’d like people to think and honestly, his interest and eventual love of Margrete seems much too quick and consuming.
World Building/Character Development: I really enjoyed the world building. The Azantian world and lore were so well done and it’s honestly really unique. I really liked the sea-fantasy aspect. One thing I really wish we’d had more of were side characters like Adrian and Bay. I wanted to know more about Atlas and other characters like her, but we don’t get to know too much about them. The story seems to revolve too much around Bash and Margrete.
Romance: I’m not a fan of romance in books, but I know others are. There are some scenes.
Overall, I think this was a great debut novel. She kept the story going and the characters developing and changing and the world-building was interesting and unique.

I generally do not care for the genre of romance and I would rarely choose this type of novel. NetGalley and the publisher offered me the privlilege to read and give an honest reaction to this novel. As a result, I can only react towards the writing, pace of the novel, and the way the author fleshes out the characters. I like a character driven story, and I prefer descriptive writing. So after skimming past the steamy scenes, I admit that I enjoyed the actual story. The novel was simular to an adult fantasy, and I enjoyed the serpent that made an apperance later into the novel. This novel has been forcasted to be the first in a trilogy, so my overall impression, was the readers of romance would enjoy this author and her novels.
However, the story centers around the protagonist, Margrete who was being forced into an arranged marriage. and during the nuptials, Bash, the Azantian King takes her against her will. My feelings were against the subject matter, and this is considered entertainment.
What I did like with the novel was the lyrical style of Katherine Quinn writing. I enjoyed her description and use color, for example," Coconuts, tangy oranges, spiky pineapples, and colorful mangoes." It this type of writing that has drawn me into the writings of William Golding, so once I got past the steamy scenes, I could enjoy the writing.. However, I feel the trait that I enjoyed about the novel, her descriptive writing became silly, "Stands of auburn hair tumbling in his eyes". That being said, I would like to see what else this author writes, because I truly enjoyed her writing.

Going into this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect but what I got from this book surpassed any of those subconscious expectations.
I really love any books that have the sea/ocean as a central part and this was no different. I thought the premise was interesting and unique enough that I was hooked. This story tackles abusive parent/child relationships well and also depicted bravery in a way I haven’t seen or read for a while.

I really liked our characters. Margarete was strong willed and really held her own. I liked that she didn’t accept the information as it came and instead challenged it. Bash was a brooding, <i>all I see is her</i> character and I was so here for it. Their interactions were great and I felt their romance was believable - if not a little quick.
The plotting and pacing was well done and I found myself wanting to keep picking up this book even after my ten hour shifts. The world building was vivid and descriptive and I really liked how magic played an element but it wasn’t so over done that I couldn’t imagine a world with it in.

I just need the second book in my hands now! I would recommend for anyone wanting a spicy, ocean themed pirate read with magic, romance and a mission.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

This one was okay. I liked that Margrete was feisty and strong. I liked that there was an interesting cast of supporting characters. And I liked the beginnings of the world-building.

But I had a few major issues. I wasn't a fan of the captain as a villian. <spoiler> He felt so cartoon-y and childish. He was too ridiculously evil with no actual reasonable motives. And so much of him wasn't explained. Why did he steal the Heart? Why did he even believe in Azantian in the first place? </spoiler>

I also didn't get Margrete's motivation with Birdy. <spoiler> It seemed like the only reason she tolerated her father was for Birdy, but then she kept trying to sail away and disappear forever. It wasn't consistent and made Margrete seem quite callous. </spoiler>

I also didn't get why Bash and Margrete were into each other. Aside from being hot and having some enemies to lovers vibes, it seemed a result of proximity rather than anything else. I wanted a deeper connection.

I think this was a fine New Adult read, but the loftiness of the books it compares itself to raised my expectations. It wasn't as good as I was hoping, but it was fine. I'd reccommend if you're looking for a fast, easy read with a bit of fun worldbuilding. Three stars.

I was so immersed into the world that I lost all track of time and was shocked that I wasn't in Azantian myself.

It was incredible to slowly learn about the island and how Bash engaged with everyone in a way that Maragrate didn't expect.

I loved Maragrate and Bash. I also loved how it wasn't insta love it was slowly built up throughout the book. With the tension being completely off the charts!!

I'm honestly dying for the next book!

If you haven't read this book you need to!!

Rating: 3/5
Review scheduled for 10/6/21 on www.BooksAndCafes.com

As hard as I tried, I struggled to connect with this book and its characters. I’m left disappointed with the characterization and world-building, both aspects that I found completely underdeveloped. The crux of the issue is a reliance on telling instead of showing and expecting the romantic tension to carry the bulk of the story. That said, the romance is quite well done—and I even like both the main characters—but unfortunately, I don’t believe them.

The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea reads as very similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses but without any of the emotional resonance. There’s the handsome, sharp-tongued King Bash and the feisty, beautiful Margrete who Bash falls for because she puts him in his place. We have Bash’s two closest comrades, the warrior-couple Adrian and Bay. Ortum is the wizened powerful advisor and Shade, the only other woman besides Margrete, is a woefully undeveloped advisor and friend. Throw in the bad guys—Count Casbian and Margrete’s sadistic father—and we have our Tamlin and King Hybern, respectively.

The thing is, I was drawn into the description because I love ACOTAR, so a similar setup isn’t necessarily a bad thing for me. But none of Quinn’s characters feel unique or even particularly interesting mainly because Margrete spends precious little time getting to know anyone besides Bash on a deeper level; I have no idea what any of their personalities are.

And for some reason, the novel is full of men. Aside from Shade, who’s introduced for a nanosecond and then seen sparingly in dinner scenes (literally who even is Shade???), and Margrete’s perfectly pure sister Birdie, who exists as a plot device to ensure you feel suitably bad for Margrete and to drive home the dad’s villainy, Margrete is the only woman we get to know. Who even is Margrete outside her relationship to Bash? Where are the friendships? Even Margrete’s burgeoning friendships with Adrian and Bay are extremely surface-level, given that they take place over a cumulative few days. All I know about them is that they’re described as perfect people with no flaws or nuance.

This novel spans only a few weeks, which is a personal pet peeve of mine when developing a romance. I’m all for lusty scenes between consenting adults and very down to watch Bash and Margrete act on their mutual attraction, banging it out whenever the mood strikes. But when we start getting into “I’d recognize his voice anywhere” and “She’s the only one who truly sees me” territory after a few short weeks—including numerous days where Bash and Margrete barely interact—I start to roll my eyes. By the end, these two are willing to die for each other, yet this level of devotion doesn’t feel at all earned. I like them together, sure, but I haven’t come to care for them individually and certainly don’t buy that their relationship has progressed this far, this quickly.

Bash is probably my favorite character but he’s also wildly inconsistent. As King, he’s adored—walks down the street and is mobbed by his people wanting a casual touch or smile. Cool... but why? I don’t know. His friends and advisors all speak very highly of him, which is a good sign. But then out of nowhere, we’ll get these lines about how “broken” he is and how he can’t believe Margrete wants him anyway, when he’s never been depicted as broken before, nothing in his past explaining this sentiment.

Similarly, as he falls for Margrete, there are moments when he mentions finally being seen by someone, no longer feeling lonely, no longer like it’s him against the world. Again, I’m flummoxed. He seems to have a crew of close friends—since when is he lonely? Doesn’t he open up to them? And if not, why Margrete? These all feel like convenient throwaway lines to build to an “epic romance” that don’t make sense given what we’ve seen thus far.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest disappointments is the total lack of world-building. Azantian sounds so cool! Sea-glass buildings in every shade, rare and beautiful flowers, an entirely different species of beings, some with sexy moving tattoos. Yet we barely venture into this world. There’s a quick scene describing the various types of markets and some of the flora, but we don’t see Margrete explore the city, we don’t see interactions with the people of Azantian, we don’t learn much about their lore or background. We catch a quick glimpse and that’s it.

We don’t even really explore the castle Margrete stays in—not the grounds, the food, court politics, fighting techniques unique to them—nothing. Everything is largely glossed over in favor of more pining and back-and-forth with Bash and Margrete. And as much as I love their chemistry, their banter isn’t enough to make me care about this world.

I wanted to like this book so much! It has all the elements I typically want: enemies to lovers, a secret magical island, a feisty protagonist with a quick wit, even a training montage. And on the real, the cover is gorgeous. But the characters’ motivations are largely black and white, especially when it comes to the villains. And many of characters and their actions are used as obvious plot devices. That said, the second half of the novel really picks up and I’m tempted to read the next in the series to see if we venture into a more unique story and dive more deeply into the world and people of Azantian.

I absolutely fell in love with this book, but I wasn't quite sure when the book started. The first few chapters I definitely felt a little lost. Then the pace picked up and I was lost in the story. I picked up one night around 11pm, having left off earlier around chapter 3 or 4, and proceeded to stay up all night reading. Margrete and Bash's story is amazing and I love the story behind the Azantians. This book is pirates and magic and romance and gods... and it just absolutely took my breath away.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I am reviewing of my own free will and all opinions in my review are my own.

This was one of those I started with plans to only a read a couple chapters and found myself reading the whole thing in one sitting. A definite guilty please read in the Romantic Fantasy department, with a great premise and surprisingly good world building. Definitely a step above the average in this genre and an intriguing intro to a new Fantasy Romance series inspired by the Mythology and the legends of Atlantis. **Thanks to both Netgalley and City Owl Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!**

This checks most of my fantasy romance boxes. Enemies to lovers? Check. Cool Setting/World Building/Unique Magic? Check. Something mysterious/A mystery to solve? Check. Hidden Powers? Check. Great Villains? Double Check!

This had that perfect blend of fast moving fantasy adventure plot and romantic/sexual tension sub plot. The combination of the greek myths and legend of Atlantis made for a unique blend of mythology and magic with strong ties to the Sea and in this case, the Azantian race & island. I also liked the aspect of the dual twin gods, and the "children of the deep".

The romantic/sexual tension definitely drove the first half of the book for me, while sprinkling in some of the mysteries to come, and once the villains arrived back on the scene, it was game set for a race towards the finish.

This one does not end on a cliffhanger, but definitely leaves parts of the story line open/unresolved and will definitely be reading the next one. The perfect escape read!

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I enjoyed this story of a strong female protagonist. The writing style is wonderful-descriptive yet fast paced. While the story may feel familiar, make no mistake there is darkness in this tale.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and City Owl Press.

The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea is Katherine Quinn's debut novel and is the first installment in the Azantian Trilogy. This story gripped me from the beginning and refused to let go. It is a compulsively readable fantasy romance complete with enemies-to-lovers, mystical world-building, and the ominous threat of Gods and monsters.

The narrative is third person following both Margrete and Bash, though there are more chapters focusing on Margrete's experiences. As characters, I loved this duo. Margrete has had a traumatic upbringing at the hands of her cruel father. Her sister is perhaps the only light in her life. Her arranged marriage to Count Casbian is cast in unknown but she clings to it hopeful for freedom. She truly finds herself on Azantian. Her story is one of survival and strength. My first impression of Bash was something akin to a raider mixed with a pirate king. Deadly yet gorgeous. The man he ended up being, particularly in concern to the romance, was so much more. Bash showed great tenderness and vulnerability. The chapters that allowed me to understand some of how he was feeling in certain moments drove home just what a great love interest he was for the heroine. For all you "spicy" romance fans, yes I'd put this one in that category. But even without that, gosh this was a beautiful love story.

There were also some wonderful side characters that I liked and would have actually enjoyed seeing a little more from. Adrian was great but I would have loved to read a little more about Bay and Shade. However, there were plenty of villains. I enjoy a well-done villain so I was pleased that this novel featured so many of them. Margrete's father, cruel Gods, sea monsters, and more. It made for almost constant conflict that kept me guessing.

Quinn showed she's capable of delivering fantasy that takes readers across oceans and I'm so excited to read what comes next for Margrete and Bash.

The Girl that Belonged to the Sea by Katherine Quinn
“Mon shana leandri le voux”
~~~
Absolutely loved this book. Quinn’s writing is new to me but it is interesting to see how she writes. The banter between the two main characters was totally comical; they enjoyed the enemies to lovers with it as well. The spice level was the perfect level for this book as well; and the representation here is amazing.
Quinn’s magic system and system with the gods and goddesses are so fascinating! I seriously can’t wait for the rest of this series; it’s eating me alive now! I seriously recommend everyone read this book..especially if you love Pirates…Princess…and enemies to lovers.
Thank you so much Katherine Quinn, City Owl Press, and Netgalley