Blackhearts

by Nicole Castroman

In this stunningly creative debut "filled with well-drawn characters...and smoldering passion," (Booklist) Nicole Castroman reimagines the origins of history's most infamous pirate-Blackbeard.

When Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, returns home from a year at sea, he finds his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn't love and sick of the high society he was born into, all Teach wants is to return to the vast ocean he calls home. There's just one problem: he must convince his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following the death of her parents, Anne Barrett is left penniless. Though she's barely worked a day in her life, Anne takes a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks and Anne longs to escape the confines of her now mundane life. How will she ever achieve her dream of sailing to Curacao-her mother's birthplace-when she's trapped in England?

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn together by a shared desire for freedom, but kept apart by Teach's father, their love is as passionate as it is forbidden. Faced with an impossible choice, Teach and Anne must decide whether to chase their dreams and leave England forever-or follow their hearts and stay together.

• ISBN10: 1481432699
• ISBN13: 9781481432696
• Publish Date: 9 February 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon Pulse
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[emruth13]

I'll admit, I wasn't sure about this book when I started reading it. But as I got more into the story, I liked it more. And that ending...really makes me wish I already had the second book. It was REALLY good!

[jeannamichel]

A promising start to a series.

Before Blackbeard was a ferocious pirate who sailed the ocean blue, he was a merchant’s son, falling for a lovely girl. Edward, though he much prefers to go by Teach, arrives back on land after a year at sea and his only goal is—not to marry his promised betrothed but to—return to the sea. That is until he meets Anne, a maid working for his father. However, Anne is keeping secrets, many of them, and he intends to find out what they are. In Blackhearts, it is a tale of romance and tragedy, introducing readers to a magnificent new series, documenting Blackbeard’s origin.

The progression of Teach and Anne’s relationship, especially of how she read aloud to him every night, is considerably so romantic. There’s only a few other stories, I have come across that characters fall in love after being read to and I think it’s a gorgeous beginning of a relationship. Read to me and I will fall in love.

I was a little less willing to trust Teach in the beginning. There just seemed to be so many facets to his character. His willingness to be out on the sea but his easy, flowing life of returning to his land-lover life that he left a year before made me wary about what he truly desired. His intentions were never really clear to me despite getting full chapters of following him around (the narrative is however in 3rd person).

Castroman writes historical incredibly well, and not in a history textbook type of way either. She is still able to bring across Anne’s sass despite her status as a maid. It is quite brilliant and something that easily made me love Anne as a character.

So I went into this knowing very little. When I first bought it, I was so excited to read about some pirates, I was thinking it was a retelling of Blackbeard. However, a fellow blogger broke the news to me. Be warned, there is little pirate magic in this one. Despite that, I liked it exceptionally.

It is good to note that while pirates do not play a huge role in the story, it does not mean that they are entirely nonexistent in Blackhearts. I was surprised to find piracy a big issue for Blackhearts and something I am definitely looking forward to Castroman exploring in later novels.

As much as in the beginning Anne and Teach definitely had something going for them, by the end of the novel, Castroman seemed to be missing a significant part in the progression of their relationship. It got to the point that it felt incredibly rushed, out of place. Their feelings for each other, especially Teach’s curiosity turned love seemed totally unfounded. It certainly had great potential and given a bit more time together—instead of just mentioning that they walked through the gardens, give me some of those scenes—I probably would have begun to warm up to their romantic fondness for each other.

The characters, more importantly Anne and Teach, are who drive the force of the novel. Apart, each character is magnificent in their own ways. I hope to continue reading more about them and get to delve deeper into the story with them in the future.

The action was somewhat dimmed. Again, there was tons of potential and it could have gone in so many unexpected ways. Castroman put Anne and Teach in some precarious positions that could have been drawn out further for suspense or described in a bit more detail for readers’ heightened awareness.

The ending does leave me wanting more. The direction in which the story is headed gives me hope that the series will surely get better with each sequel.

Blackhearts was a promising start to what definitely could be an awesome series of how Blackbeard becomes the pirate we know today.

[readingwithwrin]

"I've seen some rather questionable characters who claim to be educated and well-bred act far more maliciously than any pirate. Nobles claim that the poor and uneducated cannot govern themselves, yet I've witnessed destitute men do just that, obeying their own laws like a priest obeys the word of God"

See reviews first on my Blog




This is told in two perspectives first we have Anne Barret who is a house maid who used to live a somewhat luxurious life.
Then we also have Edwards 'Teach' Drummond who is Master Drummonds son who has just gotten back from a year at sea.

Anne and Teach seem like an unlikely pair, but as they both spend more time together and get to know one another they start to grow in like with each other. There is one big problem though. Teach is to be married and he can't seem to get out of it no matter how hard he tries. That is until Anne overhears something that will change Teachs life for the better. But what she overhears also has bad consequences that lead to one of Anne's own secrets being told. One that not only changes her life, but Teachs as well and makes them become separated.
"I believe if you truly love someone, then the most important thing should be their happiness, not yours."
"And I believe if you truly love someone, you let that person know you will always be there for them, no matter the circumstances."
Overall I did enjoy this story. It does focus more on the love in this book instead of on a certain pirate. But I have a feeling the next book will be more about the pirates and things like that. Where as this one was more so what could have caused him to become a pirate and to what extent people will go to for the ones they love. Surprisingly enough as well I actually liked Teach and Anne together. Sure the way they got together wasn't the best considering certain things, but you could also tell that they should be together. They make a good couple and actually care about each other which isn't something that was easy to find back then. Castroman did a wonderful job of making me become invested in the story and I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens to Anne and Teach next.

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Blackhearts is being marketed as a Blackbeard "retelling" and as a pirate book, but readers who go in with that expectation are likely to be as disappointed as I was when I first starting reading the story.  It becomes apparent fairly quickly that the ocean and seafaring at large are not going to feature in Blackhearts; that, presumably, will be saved for the sequels.  Rather, readers should approach Blackhearts as a historical romance that vaguely explains how the teen who will become Blackbeard developed a rebellious streak and a love of the sea.

Unfortunately, I didn't love the book even as a historical romance, but readers are divided on this issue, so there's still hope for you if you were looking forward to this book.  (I picked it up because Stephanie from Chasm of Books simply wouldn't stop gushing, so I recommend talking to her if you loved Blackhearts too or want to be re-convinced you should pick it up.)  Personally, I wasn't invested in the relationship between Teach and Anne, even though I think Castroman actually does a great job of writing some swoonworthy lines.  I know some readers take issue with Teach as a love interest, but that's not my problem. Yes, he's a bit of jerk, but we're talking about a man who's going to grow up to be a viscous pirate (and who's rumored to have, uh, offered his wife to his crew).  So it makes sense to me he's rough around the edges.  I still just wasn't into Teach and Anne as a couple and didn't feel a real connection.

I also felt the plot was a little bland.  As I said, I was expecting pirates, and I didn't get any, so that was the first major letdown. After readjusting my expectations, I felt Blackhearts was just very standard YA historical romance fare, and the book really does read as the first book in series.  It's clearly leading up to something else, rather than trying to be fully interesting as a self-contained story. This just isn't my favorite type of series because I dislike feeling as though I've only read the first third of a story, and haven't even reached the main "point" yet.

Finally, I admit I had a lot of nitpicky problems with the story, and I would not be surprised if readers who read a lot of historical fantasy type books had similar issues.  For instance, Anne is constantly fingering a gold watch in her pocket that no one knows she has, and any fantasy fan knows you don't constantly reach into your pocket in public unless you want to alert people you have valuables there and have them stolen.  I was also confused Anne claims to have pockets sewn into all her dresses in the first place, because such pockets are anachronistic. Lastly, I think Castroman could have done more research on service and the roles of maids.  Anne seems to be a catch-all servant without a clear role, and she oddly keeps ALL the change from the money she is given to take to market, and somehow no one realizes she's stealing it. A smart protagonist would give some of the change back, though a smart housekeeper would know how much change the maid should have. Maybe this is unfair, but the lack of attention to detail here makes me a little worried about how well Castroman is going to research ships and sailing for book 2.

I realize this is a fairly negative-sounding review, but I didn't hate Blackhearts. Mostly I thought it was okay, just not remarkable. I think if readers go into the book knowing it's not a "pirate book," they'll be in a better place than I was while reading it.  From there, it's primarily a matter of how much the reader connects with Anne and Teach and their relationship.  It wasn't right for me, but I think a lot of readers will love this book.

[bookishzelda]

Blackhearts wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but not in a bad way. It’s on origin story so nobody is singing, yo ho ho and a bottle of Rum. The story actually takes place not only on land but at wealthy estates. It does have a large amount of romance in it.

Nothing like a saucy fierce leading lady to endear me to a book. I loved Anne and the way she wasn’t going to be pushed around. She is the daughter of the prosperous merchant and a slave from the West Indies. She had a good life with her mother and father until her father dies and her half brother throws them out. So Anne might be forced to work as a maid but she has this inner strength of knowing her true worth and that she does not belong anywhere that doesn’t treat her with respect.

Teach is trying to find his way out from under his Father’s thumb. The relationship between the two of them is interesting because I think that they really do care about each other. Teach just has a different opinion about what will make him happy. He seems to go along with things but underneath is trying to find a way to escape. He doesn’t outright stand up to his father the way Anne does. She is really the stronger of the two. I kept thinking what could happen to make Teach a hardened pirate, Anne I could see it without a doubt. It was interesting to see Teach develop.

I liked the historical fiction aspect of the book. Not much is known of Blackbeard's life before piracy but you see the known details woven in. Convenient he had a ship called the Queen Anne’s Revenge, it made me smile to think of it in a different way.

This had the definite makings of an epic romance. There are no crazy love triangles or misunderstandings. It’s just a sweet story of two people who are fighting against a current to be something more than they are.

I really liked Blackhearts, although it wasn’t what I was expecting as far as the pirate aspect goes. It’s a very sweet romance with one really awesome leading lady.

[whisperingchapters]

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights ReviewsI went into this story expecting pirate fights and action but what I got was Blackbeard's background, which I loved! I read a guest post on a blog about why Nicole Castroman wrote Blackhearts and I'm so glad I read this because then this story made sense to me and it was all the more intriguing.

Anne is a maid at the Drummond's household despite coming from a respectful family. Anne was a very determined character and awaiting with open arms her independence. She wanted to leave, to escape and in order to do so she had to steal from Drummond, risking getting caught and hanged. The thing is she isn't supposed to be a maid as her father was a merchant but her birth was kept a secret from the public due to her mother being a slave. She's ready to explore the world and find her mother's side of the family. Edward "Teach" Drummond arrives from a year at sea and he already wants to leave. All Teach wants is to be at sea but his father expects more from him, to stay in land and marry someone from a respected family. Anne doesn't want to fall for Teach because he's betrothed to someone else but Teach isn't giving up on Anne and what he feels for her.

Anne had never met anyone like Teach. He was arrogant and driven, as was his father, but at the same time Teach was not above gestures of kindness or consideration, traits he had no doubt inherited from his mother.

WHAT I LIKED:
The story was focused on both characters and their lives instead of simply Teach's life a.k.a. Blackbeard. This story is told in third point of view from both character's life. I have expressed before that I'm not a fan of third POV but I have to say the author did a very good job, giving equal spotlight to the characters and written in a way that wasn't a complete bore to me. Anne's life wasn't the easiest and the reader gets the full story behind what happened to her, not snippets of it or left to our imagination. She was a complex character and the author dove into her life as deep as Teach's life, who also wasn't the easiest one.

I enjoyed Teach's and Anne's conversations from the moment they meet. They are real with one another and express what they feel without holding anything back. Some of their banter was cute, at times unrealistic and somewhat cliché but I actually adored it. I guess that because everything was going badly for them, just reading about them being happy in each other's company was enough to make me root for them.

"Come find me," she said.
"Always."

Teach’s friend John was a great addition to the story. He was so fiercely loyal to Teach and we definitely need more of those in YA.

Having John as a friend was like having a big, vicious dog as your loyal pet.

WHAT I WASN’T A COMPLETE FAN OF:
This has nothing to do with the author’s writing or the story: Some side characters were demanding to be killed, I swear. I hated them with such passion and some of them got the better end from what they deserved.

THE ENDING!!! I'm holding out hope there is a sequel with a happy ending because I NEED IT! It cannot be left that way if it's a standalone. My poor heart will not accept it :( Drummond, Teach's father, finds out that Anne had stolen from him and also finds out about his son's relationship with Anne so he tells Anne he won't send her to be hanged if she leaves on a ship and leaves a note to Teach, saying her feelings for him were never true. But Anne's destination changes and is kidnapped. Teach finds out about all of this and sets aboard his father's ship, completely unrecognizable, in hopes of finding Anne.

"We could be on opposite sides of the world, but you would still be mine, as I am yours."

Overall, I really enjoyed this background retelling story on Blackbeard. I wish there had been more to it (see above) but it was a great story and the author did a great job writing her debut novel.

I received an eARC from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest reviewThis review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
I have seen a few reviewers saying that this was different than they'd expected, and I totally agree. But for me, it was better. Here's what I thought the story was going to be:

And I was wary. Because I am not really a pirate story kind of girl. But since I really don't read synopses in detail 99% of the time, the actual plot escaped me until I read the book. Plus side to not ever reading what a book is fully about? Happy surprises!

Anyway, this is a story about Anne and Teach. Not just Anne and Teach and their relationship with each other, it's a story about them as individuals, and the struggles they're both going through. Basically, they are both perceived certain ways by those around them, and as is the case most of the time, they are far more than the stereotyped perceptions seem. I loved that though their backgrounds were incredibly different, they were ultimately searching for the same thing: the freedom to be who they wanted to be beyond the expectations and pressures from others.

But don't worry, it is also about Anne and Teach's relationship. The tension is palpable, and I loved it. I loved the diversity of Anne's background, especially considering the time period. I loved even more that it didn't ever bother Teach in the least, even when they barely knew each other. While everyone else was being judgy, he was not.

It's a very character driven story, so if you wanted tons of blood and swords, that isn't happening. But I found the characters to be fabulous and well fleshed out, so it worked great for me.

I had only two gripes. One was minor, and one was kind of big. The first one is a secondary plot point that I don't really think needed to be as involved as it was. Every time it was mentioned, it felt like it was butting in to remind me that we'd be seeing more about it later. It wasn't really a huge deal though, just a minor annoyance. The bigger deal for me is this: I have no idea if there is potentially going to be a sequel, or if the abruptness of how it ends is just how it ends. I don't usually talk endings, but this was the kind of situation that had me checking my Kindle to see if I missed something.

Bottom Line: Blackhearts was a refreshing surprise. Very character driven with very strong female and male main characters really set this apart for me.