Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Published by Simon Pulse in February 2016
Debut Author, 2016

"Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England?

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay." -- From Goodreads

Will you like it?
Normally I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction.  But this book was AWESOME.  I was drawn in with the first chapter.  While the synopsis refers to Teach Drummond as Blackbeard, when we begin our story he is just a merchant's son.  I loved the way that his and Anne's relationship grew- slowly and steadily- rather than a quick dive.  This book is going to be a series, and I am super PUMPED.

Disclosure: I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.