This was a book club pick and definitely not something I would normally gravitate towards, so I went into it with an open mind and genuinely wanted to love it. There were moments where I was completely hooked and others where I seriously considered putting it down. In the end, I landed somewhere in the middle because while there were things I enjoyed, I finished feeling like the potential far outweighed the execution.

And I think that's what makes this one so frustrating.

The ideas are interesting. The premise had me invested. The plot kept me turning the pages. But somewhere between the concepts and the execution, something just didn't quite come together.

One of my biggest issues was that the book never really felt like it had its own identity. I love familiar tropes, but I constantly felt like I'd seen pieces of this story before. There were opportunities to take those ideas somewhere unexpected and make them feel fresh, but things often played out exactly as I anticipated.

Unfortunately, I also struggled with the writing itself. I don't need beautiful prose, but I do need writing that immerses me in the story, and this often did the opposite. The sentences felt overly simplistic and clunky. There were moments where it felt less like an adult fantasy and more like a YA novel trying very hard to convince me it was mature. Swearing is never going to offend me but after a while the swearing stopped adding impact and started feeling excessive. Rather than making the dialogue feel more mature, it often had the opposite effect.

The pacing was another issue. At over 500 pages, this book felt significantly longer than it needed to be. Entire sections could have been tightened, and some points were repeated so often that they lost their impact.

Yes, we know she's starving. Yes, we know he's huge. Message received.

Now, the magic system. I don't have a huge amount to comment on, it was interesting enough and I understood that metal strength/power is based on perceived strength rather than actual strength but I'm sorry...Silver beating copper irritated me far more than it probably should have. I know I'm being irrational, but some part of my brain was screaming, "But it's copper!"

Character wise, I found myself wanting more from almost everyone. The side characters lacked depth, and while the MMC had all the ingredients of someone I should have adored, he often felt more like an attractive collection of tropes than a fully realised person.

I also struggled with the FMC. I admired her compassion, but her reluctance to make difficult choices often made her feel frustratingly passive. I wanted to see more growth and confidence in her own abilities.

The romance had moments I genuinely enjoyed. I'm a sucker for a slow burn, but once things progressed, I found myself less invested rather than more.

Despite everything I've said, I still kept reading. Because the plot itself was intriguing. Because there were moments where the story completely grabbed me. Because I could constantly see the potential underneath it all.

Which brings me to the ending.

Given the multitude of glowing reviews, I was expecting a massive reveal that would leave me desperate for the next book. Instead, I mostly found myself confused. The twist surprised me, but not necessarily in a good way. Rather than making everything click into place, it felt strange and oddly disconnected from the rest of the story.

And honestly, that's kind of how I feel about the book as a whole.

I don't think this is a bad book, and I think plenty of readers are going to absolutely love it. But for me, it felt like a story with fantastic ideas that never quite became something truly special.

A fascinating premise with plenty of potential, but repetitive pacing, weak prose, underdeveloped characters, and a lack of originality kept this from becoming a favourite.

#bookreview #bookclub #thebookattic #iwantedtoloveit #romantasy

I had a really mixed experience with this one. The premise immediately grabbed me. A runaway noble, pirates, found family, adventure on the high seas? Absolutely sign me up. Honestly, the strongest part of this book for me was Kit himself. He was easy to root for, a little chaotic, a little naïve, and just desperately looking for somewhere he belonged. Watching him find that sense of home amongst the crew of the Deliverance was easily my favourite part of the story.

The found family aspects were where this book truly shone. The crew had some lovely moments together, and those relationships felt far more developed and engaging than the romance. I also appreciated that the story wasn't afraid to touch on heavier themes like colonialism, slavery, and displacement, even while maintaining a generally light and accessible tone.

Unfortunately, the romance was where things started to lose me.

The age gap between Kit and Captain Sharpe felt uncomfortable, particularly given Kit's age at the start of the story. On top of that, I struggled to connect with Sharpe as a character. He never felt fully developed beyond being kind, attractive, and conveniently present whenever Kit needed him. Their relationship leaned heavily on instant attraction, but I never really felt the emotional build-up needed to make me invest in them as a couple.

Side note: The constant use of "Kitten" as a nickname drove me a little bit up the wall.

The pacing was a bit uneven. There were long stretches where it felt like not much was happening, followed by an ending that felt rushed. Some of the major reveals were fairly easy to predict, and the final decisions and consequences didn't get quite enough room to breathe before everything wrapped up.

That said, this wasn't a bad book by any means. The writing is easy to read, the pirate setting is fun, and the found family dynamic carried me through even when other aspects weren't fully working for me. I just found myself wanting more depth from the romance, more substance from some of the supporting characters, and a stronger finish.

Overall, this was a fun, cozy pirate adventure with a lovable protagonist and some genuinely lovely found family moments. It didn't quite hit all the marks for me, but I still enjoyed the journey and would happily pick up another book from this author in the future

This absolutely cemented it for me, I am fully obsessed with this author now. The Faraway Inn is my second book by them and at this point I’ll read literally anything they put out because wow. Their writing has this magical way of wrapping around you so gently that it feels like being tucked into a warm blanket with a cup of tea while rain taps against the windows. It’s comforting in a way that settles right into your chest.

This book felt like taking a deep breath after a really hard day. If you need an escape from the chaos of the world for a little while, if you need softness or peace or just somewhere safe to disappear into for a few hours, this is absolutely the book for you. It’s cozy without feeling shallow, heartfelt without trying too hard, and the atmosphere is just incredible. I completely fell into this world and honestly never wanted to leave the Inn.

The characters, the warmth, the quiet little moments of connection… it all felt so genuine and comforting. By the end I was genuinely sad to leave. It gave me that exact feeling of reaching for one last sip of tea only to realise the mug is already empty and suddenly you’re not ready for it to be over.

I really, really hope we get more from this world because I would happily return to the Faraway Inn again and again. I need to see it grow, to see more of the people in it, and honestly I just want another excuse to step back into that warmth.