Avra's formerly field agent in the Ministry of Intelligence has stolen something that's kept secret from everyone. He goes to a pirate Cap. Teveri who's his kind of his ex and Tev plans to sell this and before sale they're to prove the authenticity of the secret where things go into dangerous territory.
The author tried too much to make this book fun and introduced something supposedly hilarious in almost every other sentence. Some characters were memorable but Avra just annoyed me beyond words. The plot is weak and takes nothing seriously making it really boring.

Thanks a lot for Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the comedy in this book just didn't work for me. Avra was such annoying character. Instead of answering some questions, he was just talking nonsense for a half of chapter. I didn't like how the author trying so hard to make me laugh with all those long bad puns. However, the cover was so pretty!

Today is my stop on the tour for Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland 💖 Thank you so much to the lovely Olivia & Pan Macmillan, Book Break UK for my gorgeous copy and for having me on the tour!

I absolutely loved reading A Taste of Gold & Iron, it was one of my favourite reads last year so I knew I was going to love this book - I just didn’t realise how OBSESSED I was going to be! 😂

I was full on belly laughing in the first 10 pages, this book is so outrageously FUNNY and I had the best time reading it! It matched my sense of humour so perfectly, I really needed a story like this! It was so full of fun and whimsy and you can really feel the heart & soul that Alexandra Rowland put into it and filled it with so much joy!

I loved the characters so much! Our main character Avra is so chaotic, I love him and his lucky tendencies that he denies 😂 And our poor non-binary captain Tev and how they kept being frustrated by Avra and the beautiful Brother Julian 🤣 I could honestly read a whole series following these characters and their mischievous adventures!

It is so fitting that this book is dedicated to Terry Pratchett, he would’ve LOVED this! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I’ve finished it and it just really reminded me of why I fell in love with reading!

This has joined my favourites list and has been a great read to kick off the summer!
Including a hilarious cake competition, glowing blue dogs and a treasonous secret - Running Close to the Wind is a wild and enjoyable ride! 💖

Ahhh this book was like joyous soul food for me. Felt like it just got better and better as it went along.

Misfit pirates, farcical antics, sexual tension, and a hell of a lot of word vomit. Im here for it.

The ridiculous, farcical vibes were just my kind of humour. Honestly the cake competition might be one of my favourite book moments ever. I was howling with laughter.

I have a super soft spot for main characters like Avra, who just blurt out all the thoughts in their head. I loved that initially he might seem quite shallow and silly, but you slowly get to see more of his vulnerabilities, his cleverness and the deep care he has for those around him.

Really enjoyed all the dynamics between Avra, Tev and Julian. How different they all were made for such fun interactions. My one tiny niggle is it would have been nice to get a little bit more of them all happy together at the end. However, I loved all their teasing and toying as their relationships developed. Slow burn is how I like my romance and this delivered!

Although very different in tone, I’ve really enjoyed both of Alex Rowland’s books set in this world. I need more!! Felt like I could read another 400 pages of this story, I wanted more time with these fun characters!!

The humour is probably not going to be for everyone, but this was a huge hit for me.

First of all, this book is indisputably Fun. Really, really fun. Romp is the word. Pirates, schemes, hijinks and shenanigans. Lovely!

But I did find that I had to be in the right mood to read it - because Avra is SO hyperactive! His narration can be a little overwhelming sometimes, and I admit that I related quite a bit to those around him (I'm not fetching the tar barrel though, he's fine).

I found myself thinking that if anyone wanted an adventure with a highly-caffeinated Jack Sparrow, this would be perfect!

I enjoyed it but didn't took it too seriously as there's a MC who's very lucky but also a sort of Peter Pan, there's twists and pirates.
An enjoyable and entertaining fantasty story that kept me hooked and made me laugh
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

After painfully mediocre "A Taste of Gold and Iron" Alexandra Rowland's book is again a let down. It probably tells a lot about my taste and how it's incompatible with their stories. I need action, it's borderline offensive to write about pirates and make them so dull. Nothing happens in this book, it's 100% vibes and sex jokes. I found Avra quite amusing at the beginning, like a perfect blend of Jaskier and Stede Bonnet, but his constant horniness and resulting humor becomes tiresome and repetitive after a couple pages. I do appreciate Rowland's style, I believe they write funny and witty dialogues but their reluctance for the characters to actually experience something fun is what kills their books for me. This is probably the last one of theirs I'm reading.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


.Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is a story of Pirates and a former government agent who have a secret that allows ships to sail on the ocean, during a period of time which is unavailable for any other nation,

I have been trying to write a review for Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland for a few days now and nothing clear is coming to my mind that can be put in an organised way for this review.

As this has not come this review may be disorganised but maybe that is what the book wants to be.

The main thing that comes out of the novel is horney pirates. The novel in a way reminded me of modern take of movies like teenage commodities movies that come out occasionally with an awful lot of innuendo and overly flirting but when the action got real it was a fully closed door novel.

Not that this is a bad thing in fact Running Close to the Wind is a modern take on this as almost every character if not all is LGBT+, where everyone is comfortable in their own skin.

As for the writing of Alexandra Rowland, it did take me a while to feel comfortable with their style, and it never became one that I was able to disappear into the story for some reason.

However after about 20% the story did start to flow in my mind having said that there were times when not finishing the book was a possibility.

However the way Alexandra Rowland crafted her 3 main characters Avra a former government agent who seemed to have brilliant luck, Julian the very attractive monk and Teveri the captain of the ship.

Were all well defined and had interesting characters which compensated for the plotline of having an important secret to sell rarely had me turning the page.

All this means is that while Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is ideal for readers who prefer more of a book that is character driven than one that relies on the plot.

From the book dedication at the very beginning and through to the very last page, the influence of the late great Terry Pratchett on this author is very obvious, and I really wanted to love the irreverent, witty and campy story, set on the high seas and in safe harbours, in a queer normative world, where our outrageous protagonist Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Arashti Ministry of Intelligence joins partners with a former lover and their crew to....well the actual plot is largely irrelevant. If you love high jinx in a ship sea monsters and the mayhem that comes from an ever-expanding cast of complex characters you'll probably love this in all its twisty turns. Mild bafflement is a constant companion throughout this book, don't expect to fully understand what's going on at all times. Whether you find that charming or low-grade irritating will depend on the kind of reader you are. If you're after romantasy this isn't really it but it's one for an adult audience rather than YA.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I wasn't a fan of A Taste of Gold and Iron, but I wanted to give the author another chance, and I figured that if a book with a queer pirate adventure wouldn't sell me on them, then nothing would.
Sadly, that seems to be the case because I truly did not enjoy this and ended up DNFing.

It was certainly different from ATOGAI, which for me worked even less.

The main character was unbearable for me. His whole personality was being silly and making stupid sex jokes that weren't even funny, and it got old VERY quickly.
The writing almost felt like a stream of consciousness at times, and then turned back into uncomfortable humor.
I really tried to enjoy the plot, but I truly could not stand to deal with the MC any longer.

Maybe this is just a me thing and other people will love this, but it definitely was a miss for me.

Okay so after not being able to read the NG ebook due to formatting issues I actually bought the hard copy as I’ve been wanting to read this book.

It is bloody brilliant - so funny, chaotic and just a really fun story. The main character, Avra reminds me a lot of Jack Sparrow from pirates of the Caribbean- just chaos personified. Then there is Tev the Captain of The Running Sun (who is non-binary, and I love that the main love interest is NB) who is just sick of all of Avra’s drama but cannot bear to shove him out of their life and Julian, the hot monk who is also frankly hilarious because he DGAF about Avra’s antics.

There’s politics, scheming, magic, ghosts and Avra’s inherent luck (he’s supernaturally lucky, of course!) plus a whole host of funny side characters. This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, but I love it so much.

I was really looking forward to 'Running Close to the Wind' since I made 'A Taste of Gold and Iron ' my entire personality before it even came out so I feel so, so lucky that Pan MacMillan gave me the chance to read an advanced copy. That was a Pride Month present

I love that Alexandra Rowland first wrote a book about the privileged, then the lucky and now the criminals in this world and how much that added to the world-building.

If you are a lover of Pirates of the Caribbean and are still crying and raging at the cancellation of 'Our Flag Means Death' (and that is what I wish on the person who made that unscrupulous and homophobic decision!) you will love this.

My biggest problem with this book was the absence of trigger warnings which I hope will be fixed. No one warned me that I would be laughing, punching the air and clutching my pearls at 2 A.M. when I have to wake up for work at 5 A.M. No one warned me that when I started this book, I would become unable to do or think about anything else going on in my life because Avra's was so much more interesting.

Avra. Avra. Avra. Avra. Avra is all I can think about.

Avra, the wettest blanket of a man, a raccoon made a person, the poorest little meow meow ever written, the smallest man who ever lived, the most pitiful man on Earth, the love of my LIFE!!!!!

I loved Avra as a character so damn much, I wish I could have ten books about him chronicling all his life. Alexandra, I know that will never happen anywhere outside your head and fanfic if I'm very lucky but that is what I wish for and speaking of luck…

I loved how the author used him and his luck to make fun of how most of our favourite fantasy heroes only survived thanks to plot armour and also added a fun unpredictable twist to the story by helping us suspend our disbelief and just enjoy the comedy that ensues at the same time.

Do you remember the tension of the slow burn in 'A Taste of Gold and Iron', you'll find a lot of it here but with none of the repression because everyone in this book is a slut and I love that for them.

The only part where this book fell short to me was that I wish it had had a LOT more dialogue and communication between the main trio. 'Running Close to the Wind' feels like the fifth book in an unpublished series because Avra and Tev are both in their mid-thirties and have had an on-and-off relationship for an entire decade and while I loved both of those things being represented in a fantasy book because they seldom are, these two characters sometimes seemed like they had never had an earnest conversation with one another in that entire time. They knew things about the other because they were smart and observed the object of their lust and love, but were completely unaware of the other's wounds and feelings and they didn't speak that much during this book either so I got to the end of the book mostly rooting for them individually because they were great characters but I couldn't see them as a couple in a committed happy relationship because they were exactly the same people they had always been so why should I believe it would work this time? Not even the other characters in the book believed them!!

A big part of Tev and Avra's relationship is how Avra wishes to place all the power over his life and body in Tev's hands. But because these characters never talk, Tev snaps at Avra for doing it and Avra just keeps begging and acting up for his attention no matter how mean Tev is to him. After a while, it doesn't feel kinky or spicy, it feels borderline abusive how Avra is denied comfort at every turn.

Those scenes really turned me off because Avra's pitiful persona is just that, a disguise in the arsenal of a man who spent 10 years as a spy. A man who is able to succeed in every environment he finds himself in by being as unassuming or attention-seeking as he needs to be.

I think the character of Julian was supposed to be the catalyst for them to finally understand each other but once again, there was barely any dialogue between the three of them. And Julian presented perhaps the biggest problem I had with this story. Julian was a monk who had made a vow of celibacy and it really, really bothered me how he was constantly being thrust into sexually charged situations and being objectified by everyone around him so much of the time he was on the page that it bypassed disrespect and bordered harassment. The author does solve that problem by the end of the story in a mostly satisfying way but I really wish there had been scenes of honest dialogue between these three characters not only about their romantic prospects but also about their inner struggles, thoughts and feelings so we could see their relationship and their characters evolve organically and see all the reasons why they are perfect for each other rather than just seeing three people who consider the other attractive and are horny. That plus some much-needed introspection would make all these characters so much more complex and fleshed out and their final resolutions packing so much more of a punch.

I needed at least another chapter and an epilogue so I could see these characters as a happy romantic partnership with a happy and adventurous future ahead of them rather than having the book ending so suddenly after the mystery was resolved. But then again I only got a drc so anyone that read the final version let me know, what you thought and if there are any changes.

Oh, and this is a 5-star read of course. Alexandra, I wish I could vacation inside your head.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for this drc.

queer pirates? adventure? a very funny book.
that is however, all it is. its funny. i dont think this is anywhere near as good as a taste of gold and iron.
it was enjoyable but hasn't got much to keep my lingering attention.

thank you netgalley and publishers!

I really enjoyed A Taste of Gold and Iron so was excited to read Running Close to The Wind. I have to say that I think this is possibly even better than Rowland’s other novel but I do appreciate it may not be for everyone. For me I adored the mixture of high seas adventure mixed with comedy. It had me laughing at points and on the edge of my seat at others.

The main thing other than the tone and writing style I enjoyed were the characters. Some were indeed larger than life but they never felt out of place in the story, not to me at least. As we follow the rag tag crew I loved that we got to see more of the characters and how they all worked, or clashed, together. I do think this one is a lot more light hearted than A Taste of Gold and Iron so if readers are expecting a return to that they may be a little let down but I think Running Close to The Wind is something new, fresh and exciting from Rowland.

If you enjoy high seas adventure like Pirates of the Caribbean mixed with a bit more wit this is definitely for you. I certainly loved it. It was nice to have something that toed the line between chaotic (in a fun and good way) and serious.

As always thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy to review and my review is always honest, truthful and my own opinion.

what a rip-roaring, riotous, absolute blast of a book!!! i had so much fun reading this one and i don't think a book has ever made me laugh out loud quite as much as this did.

RUNNING CLOSE TO THE WIND is set in the same universe as alexandra rowland's other books, but this time it follows avra, our affectionate little chaos gremlin who has inadvertently stolen the most precious secret to the arasti government. the book follows him as he reunites with his (ex?) captain and crew, and is introduced to a very hot celibate monk who spends the whole book testing both avra and tev's limits.

it was fun, it was whimsy, it was a laugh - definitely one for the 'our flag means death' fans with all the joyous delight of alex's writing. absolute 10/10 from me based on reading experience alone.

This book is absolutely unhinged and feral and relentlessly horny and encompasses pirate adventures and plots to overthrow empires and governments. This book is also hilarious and utterly unserious whilst managing to be deadly serious about what it cares about, and what the characters really care about (each other, and their larger community. And cake). Yes, there are Deadly Serious Cake Competitions and dogs that glow. But mostly I loved this book for how KIND it is, and the depiction of the relationships, both platonic and very much not so. A book i will reread when i feel a bit sad about the state of the world.

This book is full of chaotic characters and it’s a totally wild ride. Avra is a real odd duck, and behind his chattiness and his strange behaviour, he hides some insecurities and deep love. He takes some getting used to, and his character did go from amusing in his uniqueness to a little too much after a while, but it was sweet to see glimpses of the emotions behind the dramatic flair he put out into the world. His dedication to Tev and his love for them was something to see, but I did feel bad for him because Tev was a tough nut to crack and they didn’t have much time for Avra’s theatrics, making the two of them a very weird couple, if that’s what they were. It would have been great to see Tev’s character developed more because they didn’t seem well fleshed out and their main personality trait was grumpy, and with their sometimes cruel treatment of Avra it made it hard to get invested. There are some fantastic side characters, and I loved the dynamic between Avra and Marfeka. There are a few characters I would have liked to see more of too.

The plot was interesting, and I enjoyed following along to see what would happen with their goal of passing the sea serpents in breeding season safely. There’s a lot of weird and wonderful things to see and experience along the way in this book, from blue dogs to pirate cake contest traditions. The theme of Avra’s good luck also kept things interesting, waiting to see what his magical good luck has saved him from.

For a book with incredibly frequent and overt references to sex, lust, and general horniness this was surprisingly tame, with only a couple of closed door sex scenes and I felt incredibly cheated at the end! I’m also wondering whether there might be a sequel to this as it was left a little open at the end there, but we’ll see!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and Netgalley for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

I'm really disappointed that this has ended up as a DNF because after reading and loving A Taste of Gold and Iron (ATOGAI) last year, this was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me at all.

I do not believe this is a bad book by any means, and there will most certainly be a market for it who will adore it, I am unfortunately just not that market. If you loved ATOGAI like I did, then this one probably won't be for you. The tone shift is so jarring and unlike ATOGAI and much too absurd for me. This is intended as a funny, comedic, pirate romp, and if you go into it expecting anything like ATOGAI you will be disappointed.

For me personally, Avra is far too insufferable of a protagonist to keep reading. He seems to have no personality beyond being horny, and is too stupid and silly to function. I can see how this would make a comedic protagonist for some, but this is very much just not my reading style and I just couldn't stand him as a character.

I'm disappointed that my reading of this turned out this way, but I just have to accept that this book is just not written for me and hope that it will find its audience. If you want to read this book and think you'll enjoy it, then give it a shot! It's just not for me unfortunately.

2.25 stars

Set in a queer-normative world, this book captures you with its witty and fun narration. I enjoyed the premise and most of how it works out throughout the book. The author puts a cool twist on pirates in a world of fantasy. What ultimately didn’t click for me is that I often felt the humor to quite exaggerated to the point where I could no longer enjoy the actual story. But still, I would still recommend you check this book out if you like pirates in fantasy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

3 stars

Let me preface this by saying I love this author's writing style, It flows, and it's beautiful and well done. Tadek and the princess is one of my favorite books ever YET dont expect the same tone if you want to read this book, which is why I struggled reading this book.
I'm very happy I got approved for the audiobook as well because I'm not sure I'd have finished this without it.
The narration was amazing. It brought the characters to life.
Now... how do it describe this book: this is one of the smüttiest books I've read. YET, there's no real smüt in it 😂
Our main guy, Avra, is the most infuriating and frustrating character I've ever read, yet it makes sense for the story.
Julian and the captain are polar opposites, and together with Avra, they work. Also, their interactions with the rest of the ship's crew are fun to read.
The poly relationship was fantastically done, so I appreciated that.
Overall, if you like crazy over the top characters, you'd like this book (definitely more than me)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.