Love and Pirates

by Russ Hall

Hardy Hanlon’s big dream is to sail a boat on the high seas. Freshly graduated from college, he gets his wish… sort of.

He accidentally stows away on a yacht being transported across America on the back of a truck bed. It’s a pirate’s life for Hardy as he views the country through portholes on the way to San Diego. Ditching his college days, dead-end jobs, and even Ivy Palmer, the girl who has a crush on him, he is off on the travel adventure of a lifetime.

Hardy soon discovers he hasn’t left everything—or everyone—behind. He also learns that life on today’s highways in the divisive and complex place America has become is far from easy sailing.

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2022

About the author

Russ Hall is author of more than thirty-five books and coauthor of numerous other books. He has been an editor for major publishing companies, ranging from Harper & Row (now HarperCollins), Simon & Schuster, to Pearson. In 2011, he was awarded the Sage Award, by The Barbara Burnett Smith Mentoring Authors Foundation—a Texas award for the mentoring author who demonstrates an outstanding spirit of service in mentoring, sharing and leading others in the mystery writing community. He lives in Lago Vista, on the north shore of Lake Travis near Austin, where he hikes, fishes, and tends a herd of deer that visit daily to peep in the office window and help with the writing.

Reviews

[Bethany Cousins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boat adventure like you've never seen before, Love and Pirates is a refreshingly unique take on an age-old narrative. Hardy and Ivy find themselves traveling across the United States countryside in a boat that is being towed by a truck. Keeping their presence a secret from the driver, they take in the majestic and wonderful sights of each passing state as they gaze out the porthole windows along the way. Just as they might at sea, they encounter good things and bad, and learn a whole lot more about each other than they knew before. I especially enjoyed the character of Hardy; his thoughtful and gratitude-filled approach to life is a good reminder to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. I really enjoyed this book!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a romance story as readers watch Hardy and Ivy spend time together - unintentionally for Hardy - and embark on a difficult journey neither could have foreseen - while travelling by yacht and truck without the driver knowing. They seize this time to discover more about each other and see the American states they pass by. An interesting way to travel.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.

Hardy Hanlon has graduated from college. Now what? With all he owns stuffed in a gym bag he needs a place to sleep for the night, so he bunks down in his now former employer’s yacht. Where he accidentally stows away while it’s being transported across the US from the East Coast to the West Coast. Well, he may as well enjoy the free ride, right?

What a delightful story! Hardy is a great character and the way he lives his life is admirable. His accidental trek across America in the boat is a good showcase of how he handles things. Even as life throws obstacles in his way, he remains steadfast to his convictions. The yacht owner’s daughter, Ivy Palmer, is a wonderful addition as well as the driver of the truck. This is a most enjoyable read to while away an afternoon. Or evening. Or any time you wish.