The Sea Hawk

by Brenda Adcock

Dr. Julia Blanchard, a marine archaeologist, and her team of divers have spent almost eighteen months excavating the remains of a ship found a few miles off the coast of Georgia. Although they learn quite a bit about the nineteenth century sailing vessel, they have found nothing that would reveal the identity of the ship they have nicknamed "The Georgia Peach." Consumed by the excavation of the mysterious ship, Julia's relationship with her partner, Amy, has deteriorated. When she forgets Amy's birthday and finds her celebrating in the arms of another woman, Julia returns alone to the Peach site. Caught in a violent storm, she finds herself separated from her boat and adrift on the vast Atlantic Ocean. Her rescue at sea leads her on an unexpected journey into the true identity of the Peach and the captain and crew who called it their home. Her travels take her to the island of Martinique, the eastern Caribbean islands, the Louisiana German Coast and New Orleans at the close of the War of 1812. How had the Peach come to rest in the waters off the Georgia coast? What had become of her alluring and enigmatic captain, Simone Moreau? Can love conquer everything, even time? On a voyage that lifts her spirits and eventually breaks her heart, Julia discovers the identity of the ship she had been excavating and the fate of its crew. Along the way she also discovers the true meaning of love which can be as boundless and unpredictable as the ocean itself.

Genres: Lesbian, Pirates, LGBT, Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Lesbian Romance

212 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2008

About the author

Originally from the Appalachian region of Eastern Tennessee, Brenda now lives in Central Texas, near Austin. She began writing in junior high school where she wrote an admittedly hokey western serial to entertain her friends. Completing her graduate studies in Eastern European history in 1971, she worked as a graphic artist, a public relations specialist for the military and a display advertising specialist until she finally had to admit that her mother might have been right and earned her teaching certification. For the last twenty-plus years she has taught world history and political science.

Brenda and her partner, Cheryl, have four grown children and three grandchildren. Rounding out their home are three temperamental cats and two dogs.

When she is not writing Brenda creates stained glass and shoots pool at her favorite bar. She is looking forward to retirement in 2013 and a move back to Knoxville, Tennesse, and her roots.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Dr. Julia Blanchard finds herself in quite a precarious position when she is caught diving alone near an excavation site by a group of modern day pirates. With no one around to help rescue her, Julia is left to her own devices to avoid being violated or even killed by the men who are determined to steal her boat and don’t have any qualms about using her in the process. To escape the pirates, Julia dives back underneath the water, banking on the fact that the men won’t be able to shoot her from above water if they can’t find her once she is deep enough. Sure enough, the men give up and drive off, taking Julia’s boat with them.

Julia is left at the dive site awaiting rescue. The only problem is that no one knows to look for her, and when a storm rolls in her situation becomes much worse. Hanging onto a buoy for dear life, she tries desperately to hold out against the storm but a large wave breaks her grip on the metal structure and she is washed out to who knows where. Julia finds herself adrift, victim to the elements as the sun beats down on her and the salt water dries out her skin, with only a wet suit as protection. She pushes herself to the limits to survive, awaiting a rescue that doesn't come, until she is on the brink of death when a ship finally appears. Julia is pulled from the water, barely alive, and finds herself in a place, and time, that barely seems real.

So begins a wild journey for Julia as she finds herself on a ship Le Faucon de Mer, The Sea Hawk, which is strangely similar to the ship she has been excavating. However this ship is above water, a beautiful ship sailing the ocean with a full crew and a unique captain, Simone Moreau. Julia finds herself on the ship near the close of the War of 1812, and quickly becomes tied to The Sea Hawk's captain and fate.

The Sea Hawk is a beautifully written story, one that is entrenched in a fascinating history with a few extra twists and turns. From the beginning I was wondering where the story would go, and I was drawn in immediately by the character of Julia and her tale. This book does require a bit of suspension of disbelief, both for the time travel aspect that mysteriously places Julia back in the past of 1812, as well as the acceptance of a female captain of a ship who is openly involved with other women. Although I initially thought that both aspects might cause me issues, I found that neither gave me pause whatsoever. I was engrossed in the book from the beginning and found that I was able to accept the direction Adcock takes readers without a problem.

The historical details and descriptions are fascinating and add weight to the story throughout. There are several strong female characters throughout the book including Julia and Simone as well as secondary characters Esperanza and Kitty. The relationship between Simone and Julia is captivating from their combative beginning to their eventual involvement. This book is the tale of their romance, and the sparks between them are palpable and intense. In a time when women were not meant to be independent and strong, these two characters stand out as being both unique and intriguing.

I was engrossed in this story once I started reading and couldn't put it down. It is filled with intense moments, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I was fighting back tears as I neared the end. Adcock ends the story brilliantly, as reality regains its hold on Julia, and leads her in the most surprising of directions. As I flipped to the last page, all I could think was that I wanted to read it all over again. I highly recommend this story for readers looking for a romance between women from different times who meet and discover a love that's powerful and real. After reading this novel, I will definitely be looking for more of Adcock's novels to enjoy.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like to comment on a lot of stuff but I will go out on a limb for this book. I don't think I've ever repeatedly reread an ending of a book more than i have with this one. It was such a beautifully composed book filled with passion and romantic awe. My heart cried out for the characters and my hope soared with their aspirations and dreams. The plot at first was questionable and then BAM I got sucked into it like a whirlwind. The turns were unexpected and the tempo of the book played with my emotions. What drives an excellent story is the ability it has to control the readers feelings and this is exactly what this book has. Awesome read and well worth the purchase!!!!

[Danae Horton · Rating 2 out of 5]

i was going to write a lengthy review of every problem i had with this book, and then i found out the author was an older masc lesbian who has since passed and i felt too bad to slander her. she was just writing from the heart. but not entirely from the head bc the writing was very, very bad. it was almost like fanfic but not as good. the characters were flat but i do understand what she was trying to do. a love that transcends time. the premise of it was my taste to a T; a shipwreck, pirates, historical fiction, lesbians. it was too good to be true really. but despite it all, i got a good laugh if anything and i enjoyed scrutinizing it. rip brenda

[Carolyn McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal book! I'd absolutely read it again.
A hard-won romance truly can stir hearts, and that's exactly what this book does. There is action, just a little heat, love of a few different kinds, loyalty, mystery and a sweet, happy ending.
My kind of book.

[Collaroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah... no. I'm sorry to say that I'm disappointed and even a bit mad at the waste of a perfectly good idea. Because listen to this pitch: Woman gets lost at sea in the 21st century, gets rescued 200 years earlier and meets the love of her life, a sexy woman pirate. I'm in, I'm all in, gimme gimme gimme! That's a 5 star premise if ever I saw one!

But then imagine the main character being transported to another century without being overly disoriented. Without being overly worried. Without having to struggle with 19th century speech, customs, and lack of modern-day luxuries. No olden times / modern times conflict of any kind! Basically, the MC goes "Oh, this is my life now? Okay. Oh, look, a sexy woman pirate."

And then imagine the main character being a maritime archaeologist, thus (you'd think!) having professional knowledge of historical events and marine life in the 1800s, and her NOT using any of those perks to her advantage. Like, she could've told everyone the outcome of that war they were in the middle of fighting, but no! She makes one tiny remark (about an attack being before Christmas) but that's it. Umm... WHY?!

In short, imagine involuntary time travel without ANY of those conflicts/perks that make them interesting. This time travel thing turns out to be nothing but a very elaborate spoke in the wheel for the couple.

The MC's weird aloofness continues when the sexy woman pirate proceeds to literally whip her then-lover for misbehaving, and the main character gets a lash of the whip herself while trying to intervene. Umm... you'd think that'd cool the passion? Create a conflict? Think again. There's maybe two pages worth of "Ouch! Not cool!" and "Oh, I'll probably keep a scar from this." and then that freaking event never gets mentioned again. Nope. The sexy captain is too sexy, let's let her get away with abuse and violence on account of sexiness. It was only once, anyway, right? (Except that she killed crew members before. Because those crew members hurt women. The irony isn't lost on me.)

And that all makes me really mad because I loved the idea (again: time travel! 19th century pirate stuff! F/F romance!), but 95% of the potential are lost IMO. Turning what could've been spectacular into a mediocre, disappointing book for me. What a shame. What. A. Goddamn. Shame.

But: it made me want to play Assassin's Creed: Black Sails again.

[Cornelia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was both very poorly researched and executed, and I found myself unable to finish it. Suspension of disbelief only stretches so far.

For example (SPOILER WARNING)

After three days adrift without food or water, you are not likely to keep down two full glasses immediately afterwards. I was quite disappointed when the main character did not throw up on her captor's boots.

An Arabian horse is quite small - pony size, actually - and is not likely able to carry two grown people very far, much less up a small mountain. Even if it were possible, riding bareback in such a manner is far from comfortable (or romantic).

It will be very hard to convince me that the hair of a sailor will be anything but rank after two months at sea, and females are not magically exempt from this fact. Romantic atmosphere: ruined.

[Ronel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful escapism...i loved the book and the time travel twists and turns. I have only two problems. First, the scuba diving terminology...no diver will refer to air cylinders as tanks or to fins as flippers. A diver will never put her mask on her forehead as that is a signal of distress. The main character is a marine archeologist and would be familiar with diving terms. The only reason I picked up on that is because I'm a scuba diver myself. Otherwise it should not bother a non diving reader

Two, it started off a bit on the slow side but when it picked up it was great. It was an easy read and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

not to be tmi on a goodreads review but i can tell my period is coming soon because i was in floods of tears at the end of this book when normally i would not have cried??

i read a pirate book with a similar plot to this earlier in the year but this book executes the story way more effectively and brings the characters to life in a way that feels read and 3D.

obviously, as it is a historical pirate story there was your stereotypical sexism and whatnot but the story goes so much deeper than piracy and really, truly is a romance at heart.

i actually read this in one sitting, which recently is an achievement for me, so the fact that not only did i not put this book down, but i also CRIED?? is a true testament to the author.

i mean yeah was the POV system incredibly flawed and could the book have been laid out better? yes. could we have a bit more research done on some of the final details? yes. does all of that stuff mean that this book isn’t a fun read? no. this book is flawed, but sometimes that makes for the best reads.

the ending actually is brutal, so if you do pick up this book you have been warned: read at your own risk.

[Dash Stryker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a delightful story. I dinged it the one star because the ending felt so incredibly rushed to me - that was a small handful of scenes where 2-3 chapters and an epilogue would have made it an end to the tale we'd been reading instead of a tacked-on coda. I mean, does the reincarnated woman know that she is, in fact, a reincarnation of the love interest? Does she actually have the memories of the previous life, or just the preternatural connection? Either way could have worked, but leaving that up in the air with the mysterious lines at the gravesite seemed to dodge answering a pretty central question. I mean, if the reincarnation doesn't have any of those memories, then that ending was really the beginning of a new romance - if she remembered all of what went before, then the romance has sort of already happened and this is just the HEA.

It's a small hang-up, and like I said, only dinged one star, but it left me wanting a bit more after all I'd read.

[Gretchen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I took this one along as a vacation reqd, and that is mostly what it is good for - easy, a bit over the top and rife with things to make fun of. The author's note said she wrote it in three months, and the lack of research shows at odd moments. It is a sort of sci-fi fantasy in that there is time travel involved, but it is very well done. And there were moments where even artistic liscense couldn't make me look past the lack of research or care. As a romance, the love scenes were brief and surprisingly fade to black. The style was a bit wonky and narrator POV could change from paragraph to paragraph.

Overall, a good book to take on vacation, but it lacks polish to really take the concept to its full potential.

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely brilliant. I was swept away by the characters. I laughed, I cried, my heart beat fast and ached at the same time. This was writing done right. It played like a movie in my head and I loved every moment of it. I read it in a single sitting because I could not put it down. If you are after a fast-paced time-bending action/adventure with love between two women, this is the book for you.

[Caroline Hislop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[moxieBK · Rating 3 out of 5]

​The Sea Hawk -- Brenda Adcock (26 chapters) (Dec. 10-16, 2016)

Note: The book contains sexy bits between two consenting adult females. If gal-on-gal sexual encounters is not your cup of tea, pass on this book.

This was a book I was really looking forward to, and for the most part, it delivered. The first part really hooked me and I found myself turning the pages so quickly, that I was certain that I'd have it read in two nights. Then, life got in the way. But I think this was actually a good thing. I was sixty percent through at that point, and I was starting to grow tired of the story. On the sixteenth of December, I was finally able to get back into the story and I found myself falling back in love with the plot.

I really like the interactions between the characters, both present and past.

What I didn't like was that the author rotated a few chapters between present and past and then it was all past, and I think that's were I got tired of the story. Later, at the end, there was a rotation of the characters/chapters, but I'm not sure how I felt about that. It was nice, it was also very heart-wrenching. In fact, the whole ending was emotional. But then, it went to being very emotional, to being a little eye-rolly. I mean....come on, really? That fast?

There were a few places in the story were details bog down the plot. Sure, they were interesting. The deep description about dressage was very informational, for example, but what does that really matter to the core of the plot?<--Not much at all, really.

I was fairly certain I knew how the story was going to end by chapter twenty, but there was a curve ball thrown at me, and it didn't end exactly as I thought it would I didn't think Julia would return to the present the way she did. I thought the hole had something to do with the return, but that ended up not to be true after all.

If you are into historical fiction, that has a bit of an alternate reality to it...you will surely like this book. Andrew Jackson makes an appearance in this story.

It did seem like the author researched enough to understand the region in the historical sense, and there was no present American jargon used in the past (well, technically: Julia uses some twenty-second century words, and then corrects herself.) The point being is that I have read some pirate stories that use jargon from present day and it usually makes me smile....and not in a good way. I'm glad that this story was absent of that, and that Julia corrected where appropriate. Backing up a bit: Julia present day girlfriend: that whole story was a mess, and really not needed. I have to think there could have been a better situation than to introduce a girl and then use the breakup as a mean to start the whole sequence in play. But, I suppose that's just me.

I'm glad I finally got to come back to finish this story. Despite some of it's issues, it's one of the better lesbian themed pirate stories I have read in awhile.

I really liked this story, but not enough to make it four stars. Let's call it a high three stars.

[I. Aldazabal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was fun. Unexpectedly. But then again, it's lesbian pirates

[Britni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book as I was walking out the door to work this morning and this is the exact text that I sent to my wife:

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!! I just finished The Sea Hawk!!!!! I'm trying SO hard not to cry right now...I couldn't put it down. I'm so shaken and stunned and amazed and I want to read it all over again right away. THIS should be a movie!

I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written and I couldn't put my kindle down. The ending was not what I expected, but was a wonderful, and thought provoking, turn of events. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lesbian literature! It was a fantastic read!!!

[Laudys · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I found the whole "time traveling because of reasons" quite jarring and upsetting, since it had no explanation or sense whatsoever, the world you get thrown into is interesting enough that you stop paying attention to the details. I could tell from the beginning where the book was going as soon as the cannon was brought up, so all the "tension building" felt flat and boring.

And I wasn't very comfortable with how the book was resolved. Not a bit.

But overall, it was a decent read, wouldn't go through it a second time, though.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love time travel--when it's done properly, which includes even a basic explanation of how/why with some sort of "rules" around it. This book introduces it out of no where, and makes to effort to really explain any of it. I've read a handful of time travel on the open seas with pirates books (I guess it's a popular locale) and while there are a fair amount that are much more successful than this, there are also many that are much less. This one falls somewhere in the middle. It's just okay, but expect no satisfying resolutions or explanations.

[M.E. Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read. Pirates, marine archaeology, time travel. All the things I love happen to Dr. Julia Blanchard.

[Elaine86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read!

[Dide · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that led me to beautiful imaginative scenes. I felt I was many of the characters even if as expected of fictional stories some aspects where just too far fetched but I drank and drank until in my intoxication I saw no flaw.
wonderful read!