Interesting Sci-Fi with Romance

What started as a Sci-Fi Thriller morphed into a Romance, then back into an action-packed adventure. Plenty of ups, downs, twists, and turns plot-wise. I enjoyed getting to know, and love, the crew of the Black Flag along with our main protagonist.

3 people found this helpful

Adorable space pirate romantic adventure

This was a sweet, fun audiobook. It’s the kind of story that you listen to when you want the kind of story that is easy and pure joy. Action, adventure and a cast of miscreant space adventurers that are memorable and sweet.

I went in without expectations and enjoyed every minute of it.

2 people found this helpful

pirates, sky ventures, robots and saboteurs

I am not a space pirates captain adventurer. But in this fast paced society of this story I fell head over heels for the characters and B. Rich brought the characters to life in my mind. I am awaiting for a next story in line of how Margolin and Katherine go after this. Very enjoyable and ket me going.

2 people found this helpful

Space opera adventure romance

I was really excited for this one, as this book had a world somewhere between Firefly and Dark Matter (two of my favorite shows), lots of rich alien life, a fun corporate heist setup, and a lesbian romance! I was really looking forward to where the story was going, with the beginning off to a pretty great start, but I honestly had a hard time with the narration. The narrator read the main character as really shrill, even when it didn't seem like what she was saying should be shrill, and she came off sounding like a spoiled teenager--which wasn't the character. Her love interest was read with a huskiness that...honestly, as a queer person, felt stereotypical to me of how lesbian relationships are often portrayed where someone has to be the "man" in the relationship. This didn't seem to be in the story itself, though, where both characters seemed decently tough, and this voicing just made everything feel off. In the end, I ended up not caring for either character, though I suspect I might have liked them just fine with different narration. I tried, but the narration broke this one for me, unfortunately. I'd recommend reading the print or ebook versions instead of the audiobook. I might come back to one of those later, as I really did like the setup of the story.

I received a free review copy of this book and left my honest review.

1 person found this helpful

Riches and romances while in space it has it all

I love a good smash and grab but this book stepped it up by adding a great love story. this is the start of a great series that will have you laughing cry and screaming for more.

1 person found this helpful

Great Narration

A lesbian romance sci-fi adventure with a bit of suspense and action. This story was fun, entertaining, and well written with plenty of twist and turns. I was easily sucked in to the story the entire time that I listened to it in one sitting.

I liked Maggie and Kay, but I found myself more interested in Frank and Sydney at times. I thought all the cast of characters were interesting and each had their own personality.

Barbara Rich gives each character a different voice. She captures the emotional scenes well, giving a great performance. I hope the other stories in this series are put into audio and that Barbara Rich narrates them. I enjoyed her performance and can’t wait to hear what happens next.

1 person found this helpful

Who better to rob a bank than the security designe

Our heroine didn't have a lot of choices and took a job she probably shouldn't have. Now she knows too much and her employers want to keep her on ice. But others want to use her to break the very security she designed. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

This is billed as the start of a new space opera series and I couldn't be happier to see that happen. This book was very well written with a detailed and well developed plot that kept my attention throughout the story. It helps that the story is centered around two tough and smart female leads with a diverse supporting cast that help bring the story to life. Excellent character interactions with just the right amount of snark made the story very enjoyable to read and really difficult to put down. I am really looking forward to the next book to see what our crew gets into next.

As this is an audio book, I should also mention that the voice actors did a great job. The voices were clear and fit the characters well, helping to bring this fun story to life.

Highly recommended

1 person found this helpful

Privateers, not Pirates!

Kay gets herself into some trouble. To her surprise, she's rescued by pirates. No wait, they're "privateers", my mistake. It's not like they go around robbing ships or anything..... Captain Maggie makes a great first impression, but then for some odd reason turns a cold shoulder which lasts an annoying few chapters.

Sidney the robot is a little too...what's the word. pleasing? No matter how much people are irritated at Sidney, he wants to help out Kay. I miss the depressed marvin from hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy or the psychotic robot from Mia Archer's Villains Don't Date Heroes. Chapter 47 (audible 48) is my favourite chapter because of the fluff scene. Kay and Maggie are playing video games, and Maggie's kicking her butt. Then Sidney nags Maggie to drink more water to stay healthy, since Sidney wants Kay's girlfriend to be healthy.

I like Frank. Initially interested in a relationship with Kay, he sticks to being her best friend. He protects her and tries to set her up with maggie, who he feels is a better fit for her.

The rest of the characters weren't very memorable for me. I mix them up since they refer to different names. I think drake and sage are the same person?

After the theft, there were 10 more chapters (~90 minutes), so I was expecting some kind of twist. It wasn't a surprise, and it was a bit short lived.

While I liked the narrator overall, I wasn't a big fan of her portrayal of the main character. Her voice was always hysterical/nervous, even when she's supposed to have different emotions. It reminds me of harley quinn whenever batman does something. "Mr. J, I don't think that's supposed to do that.." kind of voice.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

1 person found this helpful

Safe Passage

Great story line, narrator. Drags you in wanting to hear the next chapter. The twist at the end was not expected. Cannot wait to listen to the next book.

1 person found this helpful

Great read

Safe Passage (Black Flag, book 1), my eighth read from author Rachel Ford. This book is so well-written & enjoyable, no matter the genre a Rachel Ford book can be counted on to be entertaining & enjoyable. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Barbara Riche’s talented narration adds to the book's enjoyment. I look forward to the next book in the series. "I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).