Review: Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart

Title: Call of the Sea
Author: Rebecca Hart
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance 
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing (Jun 21st, 2012)
Get it: B&N | InkSpell

Goodreads Synopsis
Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.

Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O'Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren's Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter.

Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other if they are to have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.


REVIEW

At the age of ten, Daniel's father kicks him out after the death of his mother. After three years on his own, he spies Captain Winters' returning home from a stint at sea to celebrate his daughter Ellie's tenth birthday. That only saddens Daniel, wishing that he's had a loving father like Ellie's. So Daniel decides to shed his sealskin and ask Captain Winters for a job on his ship.

Ellie has always wanted to be a privateer like her father. And although Michael Winters knows how his daughter yearn to be at sea, she is just too young. When Daniel saves Ellie, Michael realizes that he's a selkie, and instead of taking him with him on his next trip, he gives Daniel the tasks of looking out for Ellie while he's gone. But after five years, Ellie's had enough and takes matters into her own hands.

This books has some awesome characters in it. I loved the interaction between Ellie and Daniel, Daniel and Captain Winters, Ellie and her mother Amelia, and Ellie and Nelson, a sailor on Captain Harris' ship whom she meets when she runs away. Nelson realizes that Ellie (going by the name of Ellis) is not a boy like she pretends to be, and he befriends her, keeps her secret, and protects her.

From the moment that Daniel saw Ellie that first day, he loved her, but he never told her. Not until ten years later after Captain Winters is killed. But he's afraid of telling Ellie his secret for fear she won't accept him if she knew. Not only is Daniel hiding things from Ellie, so was her father. And Daniel doesn't want to taint Ellie's memory of her father by having her find out.

One thing that I really would have liked to read more about was Daniel's selkie side, and there were a few errors, but nothing that was too distracting. Plus, I really, really would have liked to read more about Daniel and Ellie, so I'm hoping that there is a sequel in the works.

Call of the Sea is swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. There is action, mystery, betrayal, adventure and romance. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. There were nail biting moments, funny moments, and sad moments that had me in tears. I definitely recommend it!

** I received an eARC copy of the book from InkSpell Publishing for review.**

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