Read on Twitter
I LOVE pirate romances but actually I don’t like very many pirate romances because the hero is not actually a pirate, he is often a privateer and the book is set in the 1800s and not in the 1600s or early 1700s when piracy peaked! There are a few romance reasons for this like https://twitter.com/angrymantv/status/1390743449721319428
—Slavery!
—Colonialism!
—Empire expansion!
—Plantation shit!
Just off the top of my head that it is no longer cool to dabble in “just casually” in romance (for good reason!!) and most authors avoid by putting books after the fact (in English locales at least)
—Colonialism!
—Empire expansion!
—Plantation shit!
Just off the top of my head that it is no longer cool to dabble in “just casually” in romance (for good reason!!) and most authors avoid by putting books after the fact (in English locales at least)
A reason you don’t get many 1700s romances because you’ve gotta reckon with that, and a small possible reason Recency is so loved—it’s post slave trade but still “olden times” enough. Another reason is that we’ve got a Hollywood version of Romantic Pirates but
When you research, Pirates were very interesting (I love them still!) but actually quite bad people! This one pirate made a captive eat his own ears I think! Wild things went down in the Spanish Main! So piracy (if truly Pirates!) would probably be somewhat dark romance tbh
Though there are fun cool things about Pirates;
—captains were elected by the crew
—they voted on what prizes to take
—piracy boomed when there weren’t any wars going on and the navy downsized and sailors were out of work
—captains were elected by the crew
—they voted on what prizes to take
—piracy boomed when there weren’t any wars going on and the navy downsized and sailors were out of work
But that’s probably why many pirate romances are Secretly Privateers (hero is in charge of the ship/owns it, can do whatever the heck he wants like chase crazy vendettas) or Secretly Aristocracy (he’s actually a Missing Lord!!! So it’s all ok he stole stuff, he can reimburse
the merchants and whatever, also you can’t prosecute him! Or maybe he’s pardoned. Anyway it’s all fine actually!)
Pirates of the Caribbean works really well for this reason: beside the inclusion of the supernatural elements, none of the “good Pirates” ever do Pirates Things
Pirates of the Caribbean works really well for this reason: beside the inclusion of the supernatural elements, none of the “good Pirates” ever do Pirates Things
*Piratey
For example:
—steal stuff
—kill people
—sack towns
—sink ships
—resell slaves from ships they took/make them crew their ships.
Unless they’re the Bad Pirates, or they’re killing Bad People, etc.
For example:
—steal stuff
—kill people
—sack towns
—sink ships
—resell slaves from ships they took/make them crew their ships.
Unless they’re the Bad Pirates, or they’re killing Bad People, etc.
So it’s hard to marry the romantic Hollywood type loveable rogue pirate with the historical depiction, and find some sort of mix, or middle ground. Most don’t try and either stay with loveable rogue (but actually Privateer! I was doing it for king and country and look!!!)
Or dodge all the significant markers of historical piracy for an 1800s secretly Lord pirate so they can have the Fun Pirate Vibe but not deal with the mess. And both those things are fine!!!
But I love Pirates, and personally.....
But I love Pirates, and personally.....
So I haven’t ever really found what scratches my Pirate Itch in adult romance!! Weirdly all the pirate books I love come from YA that I discovered as a child. So they aren’t Dark and Gritty but I feel like they still attempt to touch on and deal with historical fact!
Pirates! By Celia Rees
Nancy and Minerva discover they are half sisters and escape their circumstances by running away to be Pirates. Also some romance!
Nancy and Minerva discover they are half sisters and escape their circumstances by running away to be Pirates. Also some romance!
Piratica by Tanith Lee
A girl remembers her mother was a pirate queen and runs away to find her mother’s old crew. Alternate history!!! Also some romance
A girl remembers her mother was a pirate queen and runs away to find her mother’s old crew. Alternate history!!! Also some romance
Flying Dutchmen books by Brian Jacques
A boy and his dog are on the Flying Dutchman and are saved! supernatural things happen!!
A boy and his dog are on the Flying Dutchman and are saved! supernatural things happen!!
To Catch a a pirate by Jade Parker
YA romance (in the right time period!!) Cute
YA romance (in the right time period!!) Cute
Honorable mentions:
Treasure Island
Peter and the Starcatchers
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Under the Black Flag (non-fic)
The Republic of Pirates (non-fic)
Treasure Island
Peter and the Starcatchers
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Under the Black Flag (non-fic)
The Republic of Pirates (non-fic)
