'The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea' is the first book in Katherine Quinn's new 'Azantian Trilogy'. Quinn has created a beautifully developed world with a unique mythological background, full of characters with great.

Margrete has grown up her entire life with an abusive father. To save herself and her younger sister, Margrete agrees to marry Count Casbian, a man hand picked by her father and whom she has never met. Prior to her wedding day, Margrete makes a silent plea to the gods to save her and they answer.

Bash, a king looking to save his country, crashes Margrete's wedding in the hopes of retrieving a relic her father had stolen from his people. In the chaos of the raid, Bash kidnaps Margrete in the hope that he could use her as a bargaining chip.

This is the first time I have read Quinn, I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. I love the selflessness, strength, and snakiness of Margrete.

I flew through this book. Enemies to lovers and a bit of forbidden romance, adventure, excitement, and pirates?! It was all so amazing! The setting is magical and breathtaking, and the characters are just incredible. There’s mystery to uncover and twists and turns along the way, this was one of the best books I’ve read this year! I can’t believe this is a debut novel and I’m so eager to see where this trilogy will go!

This novel was an enjoyable read for the first novel in the series. We met a young woman, whom has been abused by her father, a powerful and evil man, but refuses to back down. Margrete protects her sister from their father, who has committed many crimes and always wants more. Bash, a king, needs to get back what was stolen from him. His plans go wary when he kidnaps Margrete. He expects a spoiled woman, but who he meets is so much more than he expected, one who stands up to him. Margrete has no intentions of being a prisoner and plots her escape. However, the more time she spends on the island and Bash, she gets a feeling that she belongs there. The past will answer questions about the stolen relic and what must be done to reclaim it.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Great THANK YOU to Katherine Quinn, Owl City Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. (I received both ebook and physical in exchange for an honest review.) This will also be posted on my Bookstagram (@cassietheghostluvsbooks) on publication day as well as my book blog (https://cassieshauntedlibrary.blogspot.com) and reviews listed here and NetGalley.

This is a story about a woman who faces a life of nightmares each day she wakes from the one person who is supposed to protect her and her younger sister. Instead, Margrete finds that her life has only gotten more complicated with news that she's being wed - or sold off, really by her father to a Count. Is this her only means of escape? Can she truly capture freedom through forced marriage? Well, she can only hope. Or so she thought, when a mysterious pirate of all creatures, crashes the big day and takes her on board to an adventurous destiny she never knew existed.

Okay, I'm going to be a little shallow here but - have you looked at that beautiful cover? Have you really looked? It's breathtaking and it pulled me in so fast. I'm a lover of all things mythology and retellings of myths/fairy tales. Throw some pirates (or pirate heh) and you got me hooked.

From the get go, I knew this story was going to be interesting. The pacing was good, the flow kept me intrigued - and the then bam, more mayhem and a certain pirate stops the show and just - I had to slow myself down before I tore through the book too fast. Now, granted, I've seen a few saying there is just way too much Insta-love - hmm - and maybe, it is, for them. I'm not the biggest fan of Insta-Love myself. I'm not a teenager anymore and find the swoony eyes over two people who have no clue about the other kind of ridiculous. But no, I did not get Insta-Love with this. Maybe the chemistry built a bit fast for some people's taste but to me, I feel like it was more of a "hatred turned ally turned to something more" kind of thing happening. Think about it, truly think about what both characters wanted and maybe it's not so far fetched at all.

For me, I loved the story, loved the atmosphere and the wittiness of the characters. I admit, I wish there had been a bit more of the two getting to know each other better and maybe more of the side characters but I don't mind how it went either. Especially knowing this is only the first book (which not gonna lie, I got super excited by) it makes sense why some things were left unsaid or vague. I hope to explore more of the story, characters and world.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars Rounded up to 5! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This story revolves around Margrete Wood, and her connection to Azantian, an island known to be mythical. I love the development of Margrete's character while she is in the island, as well as her feelings with Bash, the Azantian King. Its a bit dragging in the middle, but once you're past that, heck, next pages are very eventful! After reading this, I went back to The Exile chapter, just to double check who's point of view is that.. There are lots of question on my mind after the Epilogue, that I really want to get my hand on the next book!

THIS BOOK. OMG.
I requested it because I was very curios about it, but my expectations were at a basic level.
BUT GUYS. This book is unexpected surprisingly amazing! Especially for being a debut book

A mix of Sarah J.Mass and Armentrout books. I found similarities with "From Blood and Ash" (in all points, even the hottest ones😏)

I loved the writing style and the characters: OMG. Bash 😭🔥
A romance with my favourite tropes: enemies to lovers, semi-forbidden love and KNIFE TO THROATH SCENE!!!! How could I not like it!

I'm curios about Margret's powers and how the story will continue
4 stars well deserved!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have a hard time rating this book because the writing was very technically and professionally well-done, but I never got fully immersed in the story. I think my main issue is that I found the character and relationship development to be underdeveloped.

As an admitted die-hard fan of slow-burn, the relationship developed much too fast for me. I just didn’t see WHY the love interest fell for her or put so much of their trust in her, so fast. The heroine felt just a bit too perfect, but also would make some very ill-thought out decisions. I think it would’ve been more compelling perhaps if there was more internal character development that happened. Since the heroine almost came across as too perfect (with everyone loving her right off the bat), it didn’t leave a lot of room for character development. I think the dialogue also felt a bit contrived which made it harder to see the character interactions as authentic.

I think the cover is beautiful and the story is intriguing, I just would’ve loved to see more character depth!

I really enjoyed reading The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea, it has a wonderful blend of fantasy and mythology and the cover art is gorgeous. It's a well written and excellent debut.

*****5 Stars!

“𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯...𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴.”

First I would like to thank Owl City Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book! I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review!

The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea is an adventurous tale that follows a young woman named Margrete Wood, crushed beneath the thumb of a controlling and power-hungry father. She craves an escape from her father’s control and a chance at her own freedom, desperate for the sweet taste of freedom Margrete turns to the Gods for help. It was a prayer she had not expected to be answered. Receiving word from her father of her engagement to a young wealthy Count Casbian, Margrete is forced to the altar against her desires.

Then enters Bash, a rogue pirate and King to a mysterious island that should only belong in myths. With plans to use Margrete to reclaim a powerful relic stolen from his people, Bash kidnaps her on the day of her nuptials and brings her to his home, Azantian. Little did they both expect to be drawn to one another despite their better judgement, thus leading to a forbidden romance that could destroy them all.

As the lines between them blur, Margrete must make a choice between a passionate love, and saving the realm from the dangerous magic awakening inside of her soul.

This book was an absolute delight to read and filled my craving of an engaging and adventurous pirate fantasy! I found myself easily hooked to Margrete and Bash’s tale, sitting on the edge of my seat eager to see what would happen next. One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the world building--the island of Azantain was so easy to imagine as were the sights and the smell of the sea as well as the culture of the people who resided there. I would absolutely love to hear more of the lore behind this rich world.

I also found each and every character to be very easy to love and become invested in; I can’t wait to get to know them even more in the next book! I found the chemistry between Margrete and Bash to be very well written, I absolutely loved the slow burn romance that blossomed between them since the moment they met. That is an aspect I really enjoyed and drew me further into this beautiful tale. I couldn’t wait to see where our two heroes found themselves at the end of the book!

This was a book I enjoyed immensely and would highly recommend! As someone who is obsessed with all things pirates, I was very pleased with this book and will happily add it to my list of favorite books I’ve read this year! I am so looking forward to continuing with this series, I can’t wait to see where the characters find themselves next!

4.75⭐
R for some sexy time but the main heat in this book is the yearning glances and tension!

Um, hi. Do you like a feisty heroine who's mad about being kidnapped, a broody male love interest, interference from the gods and an island that shouldn't exist? Enjoy ACOTAR, Cinda Williams Chima, Furyborn or Tamora Pierce? Cool, then you should probably just stop reading this review and go get this book because I think you'll love it. 🙂

This book took everything I want in a fantasy romance novel and it delivered and then delivered some more! First, Margrete gets kidnapped on her wedding day before she says "I do" and finds herself imprisoned on an island that shouldn't exist, but then she finds she absolutely can't stand the pirate king who kidnapped her... And also can't stop thinking about him when not trying to figure out how to stop a malicious sea gods' creations from destroying the world.

Need I say more?!? The tension and yearning between Bash and Margrete was so perfect and they were 🔥 together. The island of Azantian sounded incredible. And the backstory of the sea gods and how Margrete tied into the whole plot was so well designed--there was always something that left me guessing about what would happen next. Also some key characters were LGBTQIA+ which is just something normal I want to see in all fantasy books. My only small issue was that sometimes the books pacing and transitions were a little off.

Overall this is a phenomenal debut, from a local author no less! I think if you're looking a book that's not on Booktok but is similar to other books promoted on Booktok, this a great find. I cannot wait for book two and to see what's next for Margrete and Bash!!

The girl who belonged to the sea is about Margrette, a girl who will always put aside her own needs to protect her younger sister that she adores, including marrying a man she doesn't know. A daring pirate kidnaps her on her wedding day and takes to her to a mythical island laced with secrets.

This is the first in a series. Lovers of From blood and ash will really enjoy this story. I'm a real sucker for that enemies to lovers story line and Bash and Margrette are fantastic characters. The plot had lots of twists and turns, though I felt some areas were not as well developed as they could have been. The world building is fantastic. A great debut and a wonderful start to this trilogy that I look forward to seeing how it develops.

Thank you so much to netgalley and City Owl press for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful ARC in return for an honest review.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley for my review.

Sadly, DNF. It's just not my cup of tea. Probably readers of romances would enjoy this, but I don't like the whole trope of women needing to be rescued by dashing piratey men. I read the first few chapters, but this style of writing just isn't for me.

4.5 stars Wow oh wow, i really enjoyed The girl who belonged to the sea by Kathrine Quinn. Most reviewers compared It to Pirates of the Caribbean but the only similarity is being kidnapped by pirates. Margrete has a connection the the sea and is fond of listening to its whispers and salt air. Her father an evil man, arranges her marriage to a count and on that day she is kidnapped by pirates, specifically their Captain Bash

Bash takes Margrete to his enchanted lands and holds her ransom. There Margrete learns why the sea calls to her. This story is epic and Quinn writes an epic world, with monsters, Gods and evil people.
I was given an ARC from City Owl press and net Galley for my honest review

Thank you Victory Editing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title before publishing. I am SO excited to have been able to read this wonderful debut!

Margrete is the daughter of the powerful Captain Wood, and she knows first hand just how brutal and cruel her father can be. Growing up on an island surrounded by his fleet and indicators of his power has always reminded Margrete of just how little freedom she and her younger sister, Birdie, have. Until the day of her arranged marriage, when she is kidnapped by a handsome rogue pirate and his crew and taken to a mystical land she thought of only as a fairytale. Here, she learns that she has a much larger part to play, and that the gods of her realm are much closer to home than the previously thought.

I was SO impressed by this debut. The story was completely gripping, the romance swoon worthy, the adventure well developed and fast paced. I was truly fascinated and captivated by the world building here as well, and the way the imagery is so beautifully and artfully captured by the author.

Margrete is a heroine you love to love. She is strong and independent, but has her faults and limitations. You find yourself rooting for her immediately. When Margrete meets her rogue pirate, Bash, their chemistry is palpable and electric. The plot is incredibly well paced and entirely unpredictable, and I will ABSOLUTELY be counting down the days until the sequel releases.

My one qualm, and the reason I’ve knocked off half a star, is purely in the pacing of Margrete and Bash’s relationship. It’s not *exactly* Insta-love, I’m that it isn’t quite instant and it isn’t quite love. But these two fall for each other VERY fast. The bulk of their relationship building takes place during the better part of a week and a half, and that was a really difficult thing for me to divorce from. I couldn’t separate from questions like “she was just holding a knife to his throat and now she’s getting drunk with him and having an inner monologue about how she wants him?” “I get that she is beautiful, but she’s also the enemies daughter???” “Are you really pledging your SWORD to this woman after a week and a half?”
Don’t get me wrong, everything about the romantic development would be entirely believable if it were only happening over a greater period of time. I think this could be easily fixed if it were just mentioned that more time was passing offscreen, perhaps a month or so rather than a week. The book would not need to be longer, and further development scenes would not be necessary. It’s a small detail at face value, but one that colors my entire experience of the book going forward.

All this said, I am giving this a solid 4.5 stars. This adventure kept me totally gripped and enchanted. The characters and lovable and interesting, the world is charming and captivating. I can see this becoming an incredibly, incredibly popular series, and I hope to add to this as I will absolutely be recommending this to others. Namely if you are a fan of A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, The Daughter of the Pirate King (and other Pirate stories), you will LOVE this. It truly is all of these things rolled into one with a dash of its own unique twist.

Enemies to lovers trope is a classic favorite but sometimes hard to pull off. However, this was executed this perfectly!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t put the book down because I was so emotional invested in the main leads relationship. I loved the MC and her ability to not turn into a mute and cower. She spoke up and her feisty attitude made things with Bash so much more fun. The plot was different and refreshing and the author was able to incorporate both romance and fantasy perfectly without one overshadowing the other. The ending though? Can’t say I was expecting that and considering this isn’t a standalone, I’m exciting to see how the story continues. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I requested this book to review based on the synopsis and I’m so glad I was approved because this is a must read.

I really enjoyed The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea. It’s such an immersive read, and I love the world that Katherine Quinn created. The story has tons of action, adventure, and romance, and the characters are fantastic! I especially like the main characters, Margrete and Bash, as well as Bash’s closest friends.

Margrete’s development and growth over the course of the story are immense. A young woman who has been abused by her father for years, Margrete never expects to find her freedom when kidnapped by a gang of pirates, but that is exactly what happens. Margret had such a terrible life, a life of abuse, pain, and suffering, and she is terribly scarred from her experiences. However, away from the toxicity and evil that is her father, Margrete begins to find herself. She gains strength, surety, and a sense of belonging on her journey, and it is fantastic. Margrete, like Bash, is very selfless, but to see her stand up for herself and to take charge is awesome.

The story is told primarily from Margrete’s point of view, though there are chapters told from Bash’s perspective too. I feel like you really get to understand both characters well with the dual perspectives. Margrete (and the reader) initially sees Bash as a villainous pirate who has kidnapped her for his own nefarious purposes. However, it’s clear fairly early on that he’s much more than that. Bash is so self-sacrificing, and all of his decisions are for the betterment of his people regardless of his needs and desires. He puts a lot of pressure on himself and is desperate to save his kingdom. He deals with a lot of conflicting feelings, and having his perspective humanizes him and shows his thoughts, feelings, motives, and vulnerabilities. It also reveals his feelings about Margrete.

Of course, my favorite part of the book is the romance. It is epically swoon-tastic, and I loved every chemistry-laden minute of it! I love a good enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, and the relationship between Margrete and Bash is everything! Their love is described as “a molding of two souls that called out for the other,” and I think that’s the most beautiful and perfect description of Margrete and Bash.

Bash and Margrete have such strong and deep feelings for each other, but there is so much standing in their way. Kidnappings, revenge, her father, vengeful gods, and monsters threaten them at every turn, and they are supposed to be each other’s enemies. Their relationship is angst-filled, a constant push and pull, “will they or won’t they” dynamic, and I love their banter, sexual tension, and chemistry.

I also love the family that Margrete finds in Bash and his closest friends. They are so fun and witty together, and they add interesting dynamics to the story. Margrete has never really known unconditional love and acceptance except with her young sister, and Bash and his friends change that. Margrete becomes more confident and strong, and she sees her own worth more than she ever did before because of this found family. These friends have a lot of respect for each other, and they are extremely loyal. I like that they take Margrete under their wing and show her what it means to belong.

This is a wonderful debut novel from Katherine Quinn. The world-building is layered, unique, and fascinating, and I love the lore and mythology introduced. The imagery and symbolism are also strong, as is the character development. A well-paced and captivating read with mystery, action, and a swoon-tastic romance, 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.

"Instantly he thought of her - the woman aboard his ship, the daughter of his greatest enemy. She certainly wasn't what he expected. Not that he'd spent all that much time thinking about her in the first place. Now, he couldn't stop."

Groan.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There's not really anything wrong with this book, hence the three-star review. The writing is professional, the pacing was consistent, and the plot made sense. If I read this when I was, I don't know, 17 and still new to the fantasy genre I probably would've loved it. Unfortunately, I read it as a 31-year-old who consumes a lot of fantasy and a decent amount of romance, and I just found this boring. I didn't feel any chemistry between Bash and Margrete so the romance didn't work for me, and the rest of the plot and worldbuilding wasn't strong enough to save it.

There are definitely readers who will love this book, and I won't hesitate to recommend it to those readers. For myself though, I'm just looking for a bit more.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC! This book came as a complete surprise. It was hands down one of my favorite fantasy romances this year. I loved Margrete and her sure-fire attitude. She achieved such character growth by the end of the book. Bash took a while for me to like (mostly because I can’t stand his name). Overall, this enemies to lovers romance was incredibly difficult to put down.

The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea introduces us to Margrete, eldest daughter of the abusive and powerful Captain Wood. Eager to escape her father’s clutches with her younger sister, Birdie, Margrete sends out a prayer to the sea for help. Enter Captain Bash, King of Azantian, the faraway land that Margrete had thought only existed in story books. On the day of Margrete’s arranged wedding, Bash captures the bride in the hopes of ransoming her for something that Captain Wood stole many years ago. As Margrete unravels the mysteries of the past and attempts to pave her own fate, she discovers everything, including her own identity, is not quite what she thought it to be.
Full disclosure: I was not expecting much of this book, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down! I found the first few chapters to be confusing. Too much detail was given in some areas and not enough in others, but do not let that deter you. As soon as the action started to build, I was as captivated by Azantian and its characters as Margrete was. This book promises “high-seas adventures, swashbuckling heroes, and forbidden, steam romance,” and my goodness does it deliver. While this book doesn’t leave on a cliffhanger, there are plenty of threads left for Quinn to explore in the subsequent pieces of the trilogy (which I am now eagerly waiting to get my hands on).
Many thanks to NetGalley and City Owl Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this story, but while the premise is compelling, I was never completely as swept away as I was by its gorgeous cover (I think it comes down to the structure). Ultimately, I am unconvinced that the forbidden romance really could have destroyed everyone and everything because it never felt like things got so bad that our lovers would actually have to make the difficult choice to separate; it always felt like even in somewhat crushing moments that everything would work out. Therefore, I was never really worried for either of them. Additionally, while the enemies-to-lovers trope is well-executed, I found some of the conversations between our main characters to drag on a bit too much in terms of mushiness. Also, I would have loved for the male love interest to have picked a less generic nickname for our protagonist.

That being said, there is still a lot of good to say about THE GIRL WHO BELONGED TO THE SEA. The pacing was fine. Margrete is a super sympathetic heroine with realistic motivations. Overall, she felt very three-dimensional. Bash was less so to me, but still a love interest you could root for. They have an excellent meet-cute--and the flirting via books was adorable. Additionally, the worldbuilding is stunning. The Azantians have the coolest tattoos ever. Their island is magical and wonderful. I felt myself waiting for scenes where Margrete would be taken out and about so I could experience more of the island.

Overall, not a favorite, but still a good, entertaining read.