Set on the high seas around the time of the Napoleonic Wars, V.E. Ulett's debut novel, Captain Blackwell's Prize, is quick-paced romantic adventure. Set against the backdrop of English-Spanish conflict and a rising threat from France, the focus of this novel is on Captain James Blackwell of the Royal Navy, and Mercedes de Aragon, a young women taken aboard Blackwell's vessel, Inconstant, after the Spanish ship she was sailing on was captured by the British. While Captain Blackwell and Mercedes quickly become lovers, their relationship must overcome a number of obstacles before it can truly flourish.

While I am by no means an expert on nautical fiction, I have read enough within the genre to know the basics of ships and life at sea during the Age of Sail. This novel clearly illustrates that Ulett has a strong understanding of and appreciation for all things nautical, as well as of the language, culture and societal expectations of the early 19th century. The nautical foundations of this story help to make it an appealing read, but it is the novel's characters that truly make it come alive. Mercedes is characterized as a strong, intelligent and highly capable young woman, one who will undertake whatever necessary to ensure her survival. Although I initially had a hard time accepting Captain Blackwell as a romantic lead, he grew on me as the story progressed and I ultimately found him worthy of Mercedes. The novel's secondary characters, including Captain Blackwell's brother, Francis, a diplomat travelling on Inconstant, are easy to like and help to enhance the story. I particularly enjoyed the few scenes involving young Jack Verson, the son of one of Inconstant's lieutenants. The only issue I had with the novel was the brief appearance of Jane Austen. Given two of her brother's were Royal Navy officers during the period in which this book is set, Austen's appearance in and of itself isn't out of place. My issue, however, was with Ulett's portrayal of Jane and the nature of her relationship with Captain Blackwell, which I didn't like and isn't authentic. As such, I think the story would have been better served with a fictional character being used in Jane's place.

As I'm not a fan of romance novels, I was a little worried about the romantic aspect of this book prior to starting it. I needn't have worried. Even though the book does feature a few sex scenes they don't detract from the story or serve as a central feature. As a result, I think Captain Blackwell's Prize will appeal both to readers who enjoy nautical historical fiction and those who simply enjoy a good romance or adventure no matter the setting.

Note: I received a copy of this novel as part of the V.E. Ulett's Virtual Book Tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Such a terrific book! Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, it's a wonderful, surprisingly romantic, homage to Patrick O'Brian. Ulett's dialog is spot-on and the elegant writing style is a real joy. ( )

This novel opens with a pretty epic naval battle and the action continues right through to the last page, so if you want a novel that feels like a movie, this is your book.

Set sometime in the 18th or early 19th century (I'm not exactly sure), the novel follows Captain James Blackwell, British Naval captain, and his ship the Inconstant. During a battle with a Spanish frigate, he liberates (or seizes, depending on your viewpoint) Mercedes de Aragon, a Spanish-American woman on her way to Gibralter. He promises to take her there and in the course of their voyage, finds himself smitten.

I'll be honest -- at times, my eyes swum from the nautical jargon. Ulett seems to know her stuff (I am super unfamiliar with boats and ships so if she made any mistakes, they were lost on me). I had a strong sense of the sea and British naval life, and it was a fun angle for this sexy, historical romance. (The sex is unabashed -- not graphic exactly, but not coy, either -- and I don't think this book is a romance exactly, but the relationship between Blackwell and Mercedes is a huge motivator of the plot.)

The plot is pretty action heavy so those who don't want a lot of moody introspection will dig this as the story is chock full of sea battles, clash of cultures (British, Muslim), honorable ladies and dishonored ones, sailors of all moral stripe. The book's blurb rather perfectly articulates the feel of the book (Captain Blackwell's Prize features exciting sword fights and sea battles alongside the manners, ideas and prejudices of men and women from the time of Nelson and Napoleon.) as Ulett's characters have to come to terms with some pretty heavy things. Women are sexually assaulted, and the men in their life recoil, feel disgust toward the women, even reject them. Ideas of 'proper' birth and station dart through the background of this story, leading to one of the most delightful (and, I would imagine, controversial) twists in this novel. I shrieked with horrified amusement but Austen purists might feel less kindly.

A fairly zippy read, this was a quick and diverting historical romance with heavy nautical themes. While I didn't buy the romance immediately -- it felt a bit rushed -- there was a kind of straight-forward acknowledgement of sex for survival that I appreciated. Although there is a sequel in the works, this novel ends very satisfactorily without any cliff hangers, and offered an interesting snapshot into 18th century naval life. ( )