Captain Merric By Rebecca Cohen

Darien

~CAPTAIN NOT A PIRATE~

When I saw that this book was a pirate love story, best believe I was on it like white on rice or brown on rice 🤔. Let’s just say I was hella excited and your hope is that when you’re super excited about a book it doesn’t go and let you down. While Captain Merric wasn’t a letdown per se it really wasn’t a hard hit and it crumpled all the amp I was feeling for it.

Daniel Horton. Captain in the Queens Navy spending most of his life at see battling against the French. His life is being on the open waters and love and family falls behind his duty. When his scheming ass crew commits mutiny and leaves him at sea to die. Daniel surely expects to waste away on the open sea without food and water but fate has other plans. Those plans includes a pirate, his ship, and a long lost love.

Captain Merric pirate extraordinaire. He enjoys life on the open sea and has more money than he knows what do with. Life on the sea is harsh and Merric longs for a quiet life farming and just living. When they spot a person on the open sea close to death, Merric never expected it to be his long lost love Daniel. As boys they were so in love with each other but circumstances separated them where Merric thought Daniel had forsaken their love, and Daniel thought Merric his real name Edward dead.

Now Daniel is aboard a pirate ship faced with his love of old and feelings he thought long gone. While Edward is not the man he remembers he is still the man he loved deeply. They are now two men changed by death and the sea, and while Daniel lived a life of celibacy Edward got his dick wet a lot and it had nothing to do with the sea. Edward wants to pick up where they left off but Daniel is afraid he won’t be enough for him since he moved on so quickly without him. Also he has a mutinous crew for him to see hanged.

This is a story of love lost and gained again. I can’t on good authority call this a pirate tale because I’m still waiting for the pirate stuff. There was a lot of telling and no showing and I didn’t get the pirate feels at all. Edward and Daniel (well mostly Daniel) did a lot of push and pull and angst over unnecessary things. He wanted then he didn’t want, he was upset but then he wasn’t upset, he couldn’t make up his mind on his feelings.

I think my biggest problem was that it was just too sweet and it lacked excitement. While the writing is pretty good, I always find myself having a hard time connecting to Rebecca Cohen’s writing. It’s like the story is always on the precipice of being great but it never quite crosses the line to greatness. Captain Merric felt safe and I really just wanted more. If Daniel and Edward had no former connection I would have enjoyed it more.

Overall, it was an alright story. I wanted to like it a lot more cus pirate and that cover but it didn’t quite impress me. I found Daniel whiny and Edward (Captain Merric) so not very pirate like. As I said a lot of telling no showing and so the pirate life on the open sea didn’t quite come across.

More of my reviews and thoughts on my blog
PANTS OFF REVIEWS

Cadiva

I'd have been a brilliant pirate I reckon, which is probably why the Golden Age of piracy fascinates me so much and why I absolutely loved every bit of this historical romance.

While I didn't read the original form of Captain Merric when he first appeared as part of a pirate anthology, I'm delighted to have got the chance to read this version.

It's packed with clever plotting, great narrative, gorgeous dialogue and beautifully descriptive writing which conjures up brilliant azure blue skies over emerald green seas dotted with bleached white sandy beaches and a lush tropical paradise filled with colourful characters.

I loved Daniel and his long lost love Edward, and while this is only moderately steamy, it still has enough emotional and sexy moments to keep me happy.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

WhatAStrangeDuck

Two stars means the book is okay, and it is okay. If you are a fan of the author you are probably going to like it. It's just that the author and I are clearly not meant for each other. It's the second book I've tried and it just doesn't click.

I think my main complaint is that I would have liked some more meat to the story and the narrative voice. Plus, I didn't really come to care for either of the characters. I would have liked some more backstory about how they became the people they are at this moment in time when the story happens. It's also a bit age-of-sail light. I've read books where the ships or the weather were used almost like characters in the stories but naw, not here. But really, that might just be me.

There are some errors that got overlooked in editing (though I'm glad that there were only a few causalities when the pirates raided the ship) and/or odd word choices but I've seen a lot worse.

So again, if you like the author - by all means go forth and buy the book.

lauraღ

“I gave you up once. I won’t do so again.”

This was pretty good! I didn't love this historical pirate romance like I wanted to, but I had mostly a good time with it. It started very strongly. We've got a second chance romance between a buttoned-up Naval captain, and the lover he presumed long dead, but who is actually an infamous pirate captain. That's such a delicious little backstory, and I sympathised hugely with Daniel, our Naval captain. There's a lot of great tension between them, and they have to come to term with the events that separated them, as well as figure out a way to be together again, if they can.

My favourite part is the first half, where there's so much tension. Second chance romances aren't my very favourite, but the particular setup of this had so much potential. Part of me is a little disappointed that the pace at which they reconnected was so fast? I mean, it wasn't super fast, but this is one of the few instances where I'd have preferred if their push-and-pull, back-and-forth lasted for longer. I wanted more angst! Because from the midway to the end, I was honestly mostly... bored with this. :( The story just plodded along with various threads that I didn't super care about. It could have definitely used another edit; there were a lot of missing words that were pretty distracting.

But I really liked the start, and it didn't make me actively mad, like a lot of pirate stories often do. The chemistry between the characters was electric enough to pull me in immediately. That pull didn't last until the end, unfortunately, but I still had a mostly good time with this.

Megan

2.5 stars. I read this book because of the cover. It reminded me of an old Harlequin romance. Not a bad story but could use a good editor. Lots of typos and extra words in sentences that did not belong.

Lauren

4 stars - A truly enjoyable story, very different from my usual genre and not a theme I’ve really tried before, so I can honestly say that this book was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the story immensely, I loved the author’s writing style, and all in all I would absolutely recommend this one. It didn’t take long to read (just ages to update my reading status on here because I’m hopeless!) and was a quick read because I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t want to put my Kindle down!

Nic

Great book

I really liked this story. The characters were loveable and easy tempered. They were not over emotional nor unrealistic. It was a good historical piece and second chance romance. The story kept my attention and I kept reading because I felt invested in the outcome. This was a good find!

Lena Grey

“There was no way Edward could change the past; he could not reverse fifteen years; instead, he would need Daniel to forgive him for being so quick to believe the words in that message and for choosing not to return to fight for the love they'd vowed was most important to both of them.” ~ Captain Merric (Rebecca Cohen)

After Captain Daniel Horton, of 'Captain Merric' by Rebecca Cohen, has been set adrift in a row boat by his mutinous crew, he is rescued by pirates. When Daniel gets his first look at their captain, Captain Merric, Daniel thinks he is seeing a ghost. Their captain is a man Daniel thought long dead; Edward Merriston is the lover who deserted and betrayed him.

To Edward, being reunited with Daniel is a dream come true, a second chance at love, but it becomes excruciatingly clear that Daniel doesn't feel the same way. He's not the open, naive young man whom Edward was parted from so many years ago. Daniel has been hardened by his years at sea; he's become cool and aloof, showing no emotion except contempt for Edward. Edward's attempts to renew their closeness is violently rebuffed by Daniel. Obviously, he has no intention of forgiving Edward for the heartbreak he caused. Even after they clear the air and discover the truth, that they were both manipulated by their families in order to keep them apart, things are still uneasy at best. Daniel isn't sure he can open himself up to the pain that losing Edward caused him. Edward has changed too, but one thing stayed the same; try as he may, no one was capable of coming close to comparing to the love he still feels for Daniel.

Edward takes Daniel to an island, a pirate's paradise of sorts, where he owns a huge house, finely furnished with every convenience available. Edward is hoping Daniel will relax and give him a chance to prove his love. Edward hopes that Daniel will see that he's sincere and will want to renew their relationship. Daniel is having trouble dealing with the fact that he, a Royal Navy officer, is entertaining the idea of loving a pirate. A large part of Daniel wants to believe Edward and give in, but another part feels an obligation to return to his old life. As difficult as it will be to put this paradise behind him, Daniel knows he must go back, if for no other reason than to see that the men who abandoned him to die will be brought to justice.

Rebecca has managed to push all the right buttons for me with this tale of a not-as-bad-as-he-seems pirate being reunited with his long-lost love. I appreciated that Daniel didn't just fall into his arms the moment they got back together, that Edward took the time to clear up the misunderstanding between them and the patience to woo him rather than demanding he cooperate. Actually, if it can be said that a pirate is capable of being sweet, that's what Edward was to Daniel. He certainly won my heart! If you enjoy stories about swashbuckling pirates, ships, treasure, forgiveness, and second chances, then you may like this book. Thanks, Rebecca!

NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

Mari Cardenas

4 Stars!

I love historical books and I love pirates, but I don't think we get all that many of those in the MM community, so of course, I jumped at the chance to review this one.

As pirate books go, I found Captain Merric to be very enjoyable and I liked that it was a second chance at love for both Edward and Daniel.

Daniel was a bit stuffy and it took me a bit to warm up to him, especially when he kept going over and over and over again about Edward having had other lovers in the 15 years they were apart. However, even if I was frustrated at this, I could see his point and how this fed on his insecurities. Edward was all I was expecting for a pirate, dominant and charismatic, and yet oddly vulnerable where it came to Daniel. I loved that Daniel didn't just fall into Edward's arms, and Edward had to work to regain his trust, even if he'd never lost his love. They had great rapport and seemed to fit well together, once they finally stopped fighting and started talking, that is. ;) Their chemistry was really good and they were really hot together.

I was a bit mystified by the whole "Let's find Daniel a wife" angle when Daniel returned to England. It didn't really seem to have any point, especially seeing how it was never going to pan out.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. It was well-written, although the editing seemed a bit lacking and it dragged a bit in the middle, but it didn't detract from the story (much). Recommendable!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Funzee Shu

No one has ever come close to replacing you, no one ever will...

I completely intrigued by the cover when I decided to read this book. The blurb also interesting enough to lure my curiosity.

The first few chapters was really intriguing, but later I found that I have sense of déjà vu feeling with some scenes from the book that reminds me of another historical book I've read years ago also about pirate but it's straight romance. I was trying to remember the book almost the entire reading but cannot picturing the title until I finished the book (but I do remember the pirate name was Tristan!). The pond and waterfall scenes, the mansion, the housekeeper and the first bath scene on the bath tube feels so familiar to me. But maybe it's all just a coincidence, right?

The story itself actually quite interesting about second chance love with some hot scenes here and there mix with a bit misunderstanding from the past that need to be clarifies, oh and I do like the ending when they finally have their HEA after the long journey, but in the end the story still not strong enough to impress me.

Monika

It has been years since I've read a Pirate story and I definitely need to read more. I really liked this one, it wasn't perfect but it kept me entertained. This was pretty light and easy, which is a good thing sometimes but I would have liked a bit more drama because hey, Pirates shouldn't be light and easy. 😉

QUICK THOUGHTS
-- Quick easy read -- Historical -- Pirate/Royal Navy Captain pairing -- first love -- lost love -- second chance -- mutiny -- a kidnapping -- some sweet moments -- loved the MCs... Edward (Merric) & Daniel -- needed a bit more drama -- a couple of things not completely clear -- not quite swoon worthy -- satisfying HEA -- love that cover

Paige

This book had potential, but the writing fell flat for me. It really needed another edit, there were a lot of missing words. Like, a lot. Almost every few pages a word was missing in a sentence, and I found several typos.

The story itself was sweet enough, but I didn’t feel as much emotion from the characters as I would have liked. It was a bit too much tell instead of show, and it was a struggle to make myself finish reading.

Robin L

The best thing about this book was the cover. The premise was stretched paper thin and all of the conversations were incredibly repetitive.

Norelle

description

I will not lie, i thought that this will be something different. I'm not disappointed. But i can't say that this book was wowowowow so amazing(for me!!! I'm just talking about myself.). There were things that i liked and things that i did not like.
I liked Edward(yes, Edward, with w). He had the wild pirate vibe.
But i did not like Daniel. I don't believe that he really, really got over the fact that Edward slept with other people(when they were living their own lives and were not even together as a couple and Daniel didn't even knew that Ed is alive). It was suuuuccchhhh a big deal to him and at one point it annoyed me(yes, it's me. There are things that annoy me and this time, this was it). Because i agree with what Edward said - he can't change his past so - accept it and move on... or i would say - end this, and go back to your life. Because i strongly believe that if you want to be with someone, you can't hold their past against them. You accept it or you don't(and find another lover for yourself). Not just talk about past sex partners and how he can get annnnyyyoneeeeee, all the time. It's fucking annoying. Also - you HAVE to be able to trust him. If you don't then... how long do you think that relationship will last? I bet my golden coins - not very long.
description
Also - considering that setting is not modern times... come on, i just don't get what Daniel wanted Edward to do when he got that letter. At that time it was not like he could take his iphone and call Daniel, like: wtf dude? This letter? How can you do that to me, to us???
No. It was time when it took months to get from one country to another(and to be gay was not something you yelled out loud). Ofc Edward believed that letter. It didn't sound fake. You can't blame him. And you can't blame him for hurting and not playing lost puppy game, chasing you. If i would get that kind of letter form my lover... well, i would not chase him to make sure if he reallyyyy wrote it(because, as far as i'm concerned, he did... and i don't need to be hurting and also humiliated, like a girl who didn't get the point).
Anyway - you get the point. I didn't like Daniel. But that's just me.

I liked the setting. Ofc if we think about reality - there is nothing romantic about pirates. But then again - it's not about reality this time. It's like a... fairytale? Kinda. Not documentary. So - wild pirate love story it is :).
Anyway, setting was good, historical things were not bad(like the travel stuff - it took a lot of time, it was not easy to travel, arranged marriage was a top thing etc), Edward had the wild pirate vibe. Also i liked Ed's best friend(from crew). He was very logical and calm(he knew how to talk to Ed and get him to understand things) and i wanted to read more about him. :).

Over all - it was not bad. Not at all. Writing style was good, i read it fast and it was not boring. Yes, i wanted some things deeper, some things more serious. But this was not that kind of book. It was popcorn book with sea salt on it and as that kind - it was okay. Really. And i really like the cover. That's Edward :)
So, if you are into pirate stories, historical fiction, m/m romance - you can check this out.

Carra

I’m a big fan of pirates in books and movies, and with this book being an M/M pirate romance by an author I’d enjoyed reading previously it was a no-brainer for me to add this to my reading list.

I really enjoyed these characters, especially Edward (Captain Merric). He’s the perfect pirate—becoming one out of necessity, not crazy bloodthirsty or merciless, takes care of his crew, and is successful without unnecessary harm. Daniel at times comes across as hard and cold in his attitude once he and Edward are reunited. Both he and Edward have their own reasons for distrust and wariness when it comes to each other thanks to the machinations of Edward’s father many years ago, so there’s plenty for both to work through and come to terms with to move on from the past.

There’s no doubt that feelings are still present for both men, and though Daniel does resist, you know eventually he’s going to give in. Once he does, it’s evident that the chemistry between him and Edward is still there in spades, even if Daniel is convinced that his relative inexperience physically will eventually cause a rift between them. Most of the conflict between them comes from Daniel’s resistance to delving back into their relationship since his future is so uncertain, and from his distress at how easily Edward could believe the things his father engineered.

In the second half of the book when I was expecting additional conflict as the part of the storyline involving Daniel’s crew comes back into play, I was surprised at how quickly things were resolved—almost just glossed over. And while some additional drama seemed imminent with his father’s insistence that Daniel marry, that didn’t quite pan out either. In fact, the hurdles I was expecting to cause issues for Daniel getting back to Edward again seemed to be too easily wrapped up as quickly as those problems cropped up in the first place.

Overall though, Captain Merric kept my attention and did make me feel invested in Edward and Daniel finally getting a chance to be happy together, so my rating is hovering between 3.75 and 4 stars. Fans of M/M historical romance featuring pirates will enjoy this story, though the adult language and sexual content does make this one for readers 18+.

Katherine

Lost loves found

This is a bit of a second chance story and a bit of a reunion story because of what first tore the two lovers in this book apart.

Daniel is a navy captain who is cast away by his crew in a mutiny. He is a cold man with walls up against everyone, but no one knows he has become that because he lost his first love. The man he loved set off to become a sailor in the navy but died in a shipwreck. Daniel closes himself off to prevent hurt like that from happening again until he is rescued/captured by pirate Captain Merric....who just so happens to be his first love Edward.

Edward went out with the navy but after a shipwreck he ended up with pirates instead. Finding the work more prosperous he stayed on, and wrote for his lover to come join him. Instead, he received a letter from Daniel telling him to move on and forget him. Edward does so, sleeping around, fighting, and working his way up to captain of his own ship. Painfully aware that his lost lover is naval Captain Horton he avoids Daniel's ship, until a castaway Daniel ends up on his own ship. At the pronouncement that he should be dead Edward realizes what happened, and sets out to win back his lost love.

This was a good story with plenty of love between the two men that never left, but instead was hidden away after a major hurt. Daniel has difficulty dealing with the fact that Edward knew he was alive and never came to him, instead believing a fraudulent letter and sleeping around. His stubbornness makes it hard for him to move on, but only because he is hurt by the loss. Daniel is proud and stubborn, but so is Edward, and it makes it difficult for them to figure out a life together. But the work they put in to do it is fascinating. A lovely story that brings lost loves back together I found this a very enjoyable read!

Heloise West

From murder to mutiny to castaway to rescue by pirates, Captain Daniel Horton’s fortunes shift from bad to worse. It should be the final straw in the distinguished career of this Royal Navy man, but Fortune is a fickle mistress and the man who captains the pirate ship is Daniel’s former lover. Captain Merric has a rake’s reputation—seducing the sons of British lords left and right, and he’s already broken Daniel’s heart once before.

This is an amusing story, an entertaining escape into Daniel and Captain Merric’s world of rum and rediscovery. Merric would not hurt Daniel for all the world, though Daniel must behave a certain way in order to keep from being hurt by Merric’s men. It’s a tangled emotional skein of hiding their true feelings from others and from each other, and the untangling of the lovers' troubles is a satisfying read.

Dominique Huisman

I couldn't help but have a sinking feeling in my stomach that this story wouldn't end happily, but I'm glad that it did! That being said, this story really does need to be run through an editor - there were so many typos and missing or extra words that it was getting annoying at some point. I have read unbeta'd fanfiction that had less mistakes than this published work. That's the only reason I rated it 3 stars, otherwise it might have been 4.

Ellie Thomas

Another thoroughly enjoyable read from Rebecca Cohen. This pirate vs upright Royal Navy Captain story was great fun, with a fabulous tour around the 18th century Caribbean, including rekindled long-lost love, mutiny and general swashbuckling galore!

ette

It was fine
I wish it had more backstory and depth to the characters
Also very little about being a pirate or seafaring life
Also really needed an editor
But fine for a beach read or something like that

Theresa Egan

DNF at 50%

This book has so much promise and needs a skilled editor. Great characters and premise, but the conflict is so poorly defined that the heroes just keep having the same wishy washy conversation in different locations.

M'rella

3.75 stars

Sharita Lira

Loved the romance between Merric and Daniel. Great storytelling by Rebecca. Enthralling, deep, and plot heavy.

jaxnsmom

3.5 stars

Jamie Sands

It was sort of dull

Jes Jester

I have already re-read this book 4 times. It has become one of my all-time rainy day faves. It's a quick but satisfying read.

Sara

Historical pirates

It was my first time reading this author and I quite enjoyed it. I liked the second chance aspects of the story, plus historical pirates can be a good time, if a bit brutal.

Yvonne

Started well but I flipped to finish, just not to my taste

Title	:	Captain Merric
Author	:	Rebecca Cohen
Rating	:
ISBN	:	-
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Kindle Edition
Number of Pages	:	200
Publication	:	First published August 14, 2011
Awards	:	Rainbow Award Best Gay Historical Romance (2019)

Captain Merric by Rebecca Cohen

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