Review: Astray by Elvira Bell (Wavesongs #1)


Note: This ARC was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I need to get this out of the way before I get to the rest of my review: This book ends in a cliffhanger, and it was a cliffhanger that I never saw coming. I know that not all books have a warning about cliffhanger endings, but because this was a title I was reviewing as part of a release blitz, I would have appreciated a heads-up because gah! I seriously sat up in bed with my mouth hanging open in shock wanting to fling my tablet in frustration. If you've read my reviews before, I make no secret of my love-hate relationship with cliffhangers. I know they're a necessary tool for some series, but I still dislike them immensely if only for the simple fact that I hate waiting. Even worse is that I was totally emotionally invested in this book and then BAM! Cliffy. And there's no information whatsoever on when the next book will be released. See why I'm frustrated?

Astray is both the first novel in the Wavesongs series and it's my first read from the author, Elvira Bell. Twenty-year-old Nicholas Andrews decides to leave his life of poverty behind to try his luck on the high seas, but his experience in his tiny village as a farmhand hardly compares to what awaits him in his hopes of becoming a sailor. Unfortunately, Nick's ship is attacked by pirates, and when his life is spared by Christopher Hart, a pirate captain whose dastardly deeds and villainous reputation precedes him, Nick fears what kind of servitude he'll be forced into. What surprises Nick, however, is how different the pirate captain eleven years his senior is from everything he's heard. Christopher and Nick grow closer and are soon in a relationship that, if found out, could cost them their lives. Finding hidden treasure could be their only hope in coming out of this together and alive.

If there was a story that I've come across in the past few weeks that would aptly be described as "swashbuckling", it would have to be this one. Elvira Bell's adventure on the high seas was exciting and entertaining, making for three hours well spent. This isn't exactly a quick read, but not once did I wish I was doing something else while I had my tablet in my hands. Nick and Christopher were intriguing characters, and I liked how their relationship developed during their time together. Now, because this does end in a cliffhanger, it's safe to say that there is no happily-ever-after that awaits these two in this novel. The ending here is frustrating for a reason, but let me reiterate that it's frustrating because I liked what I was reading and needed answers ASAP. Naturally, I shall await the sequel on tenterhooks! I'm awarding Astray 4.5 stars out of five stars. ♥

Date Read: 30 April 2018

Learn more about Elvira Bell.

Purchase Astray on Amazon.

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