V.E. Ulett’s novel, Captain Blackwell’s Prize begins in battle. As the British board a larger Spanish ship, they discover that the boy wielding a sword next to the Spanish captain is indeed a woman. The novel develops into an unexpected love story between a Royal Navy captain and a beautiful, fiery, young woman, forced to make her own way in a dangerous world, relying on her wits and charm. Set largely on a Royal Navy frigate, against a backdrop of sea battles and storm, the novel vividly captures the confined shipboard world, as well as the constraints of the larger Georgian society.

What makes Captain Blackwell’s Prize so entertaining is that it falls equally well in the categories of nautical adventure and historical romance. It is the sort of novel that readers of C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian can enjoy along with fans of Jane Austen and Daphne du Maurier. Ulett succeeds in capturing both sides of her story. She spins the adventure with the proper attention to maritime detail and historical setting that a reader of books about the sea properly expects. Likewise for readers of romance, her characters are fully drawn with the fears, doubts and passion of a burgeoning relationship, despite the obstacles placed before them. A fun and fascinating read. Highly recommended.

Captain Blackwell’s Prize is available as an ebook, an audio book and will soon be available in print.