I just closed the back cover of A Merciful Sea by Katie Daysh, the third and final instalment on the Nightingale & Courtney’s adventures. I feel a mix of emotions, I am elated with the ending but also a tad melancholic about this being a sort of goodbye to them.

I loved both Leeward and The Devil To Pay, and was completely mesmerised by A Merciful Sea. Daysh’s writing is as just elegant, thoughtful and thrilling as it was in the first two books. There is such a profound maturity and respect for the characters along with a strong ethical measurement about the world, culture and circumstances they inhabit. I am certain there have been quite a few Nightingale & Courtney’s figures during that period, and the way Daysh handles it is rather graceful. Who knew that an age of sail adventure could be so accessible and queer?

Nightingale and Courtney’s journey is so special, their love for one another is so vividly portrayed in every page. The attention and care they have for one another is admirable, transcending the prejudices of the time. Yet, Courtney faces the heart-wrenching dilemma of choosing between career and relationship—what ultimately must yield?

All the other characters receive enough attention—from Captain Harrison to Mr. Bowles, the bosun, Applegate, Louisa, and Dr. Archer; they are all drawn with thoughtful care and detail. The battle scenes again do not disappoint, you feel completely immersed in the ship’s life. The final battle scene is exceptionally well crafted.

I particularly loved following Nightingale on the Isle of Wight - really appreciate how Daysh brought more of her own homeland into the Trilogy. I was also fascinated by the Isle of Wight Sea Fencibles and all the smuggling connections.

This is definitely one of my top books of 2025. I adored spending time with A Merciful Sea . I feel a profound sense of loss having to let go of Nightingale and Courtney, and I cannot wait to see what Daysh will produce next. #pudseyrecommends

Very grateful to Netgalley and Canelo for the arc.

Ahhhh this entire trilogy is sheer perfection and the final book, A Merciful Sea, was a brilliant ending!

This book picks up a little after the events of A Devil to Pay; Courtney, now a commander without his own ship, is invited aboard the Lion under the command of Captain Harrison, destined to engage with the French and Spanish fleets as the conflict at sea rages on. But the Lion is reportedly cursed, and a series of unfortunate events is causing discontent in the crew…

Nightingale, now captaining the merchant vessel Larkspur, is set to protect the waters around the Isle of Wight and southern England. But what should have been an easy job ends up with him being entangled in a strange mess of smuggling and corruption with the local naval enforcement. It also doesn’t help when threatening messages start turning up at their cottage, suggesting someone knows about their secret…

There is so much pining in this book, with Courtney and Nightingale forced to be apart and wrestle with what they both truly want in life. Of course we also get some truly incredible sea battles, which Daysh writes beautifully - you feel like you are on the ocean, ducking the cannon fire yourself!

This author’s work is absolutely gorgeous and heart-wrenching; you truly feel for all the characters, not just the MCs but the swathes of beautifully written SC’s too. I will read literally anything @kdayshauthor writes and I will definitely be thinking of Nightingale and Courtney for years to come!

Read A Merciful Sea for:
✨ Achillean 1800’s historical romance
✨ Naval battles, smuggling, storms
✨ Gorgeous, atmospheric writing
✨ Beautifully written MCs and SCs
✨ Naval politics and corruption
✨ Heartbreaking sub-plot
✨ Final HEA for our main couple 🥹
✨ I LOVE THEM BOTH YOUR HONOUR

I received an eARC from NetGalley & @canelo_co and also my hard copy from Waterstones came early! It’s officially available on 27th March - both books 1 & 2 are available now 🌊

It was once again a captivating book. While we got most of the time Arthur and Hiram seperated, following both of their sides, their issues, their battles, and their feeling... it was intense.

And once again, there's no need to understand every single nautical words (it'd be as confusing for me in french) to be enthralled by the battles. We're here following the Trafalgar battle and how intense it was, and the work done by the author was amazing to make it that way. It was amazing.

I deeply love Hirma and Arthur and their romance, and every single moment of them being together were the best. I'll be missing them, but I'm extremely satisfied with how this series ended.

I loved how in the first book we got Nightingale’s POV, in the second one we got Courtney’s, and in the third and final we got both of them! Nightingale and Courtney are such a blast, I love their characters so much- they are so real. The storyline was compelling as ever and the side characters were top tier as usual- I loved the reappearance of several over the course of the books. I am amazed at the technical accuracy Daysh has put into these books and the flow is incredible.

I've so enjoyed this series and I'm quite sad it's over - Though very much satisfied with the ending for Courtney and Nightingale. The thing I love about this series is that it strikes just the right balance between genre fiction and the romance. It's first and foremost a historical novel and you can feel the passion and research Katie Daysh has for naval history. But the queer love story at the heart of this novel is just as important. I've said it before but I love the way the author has centered queer characters within the historical time period. It feels like she's saying: we were there. We were always there. I will read anything Katie writes next.

The final installment in the Courtney and Nightingale adventure series and a well-deserved ending for the two main characters.

The first book gave us Nightingale's pov, the second - Courtney's, so it is fitting that the last one gave us both: Nightingale trying to find a life for himself in Courtney's world (and finding quite the adventure for himself), and Courtney fighting his personal doubts and circumstances on the Lion, a ship with her own long history.

Perhaps it was a little too ambitious to put two full stories into one book and there were a couple of moments when I felt that the narrative was a little disjointed simply because there were a lot of things going on at the same time. There were also moments when I felt like I wanted to grab Courtney by his wide shoulders, shake him and yell at him to stop fretting so much. But I have grown to adore and care for the main characters so much, that these were very small issues for me - the writing is still dynamic, the adventure and the tension still pulled me in and made me grab the book whenever I had even a few minutes to read, and the little cameos from characters from previous books were lovely too.

A worthy finale for a fantastic trilogy.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in echange for an honest review.

I am, once again, in awe. And after reading this book, I think I can faithfully say this is one of the best trilogies I´ve ever read.

This last book of the series continues the adventures of (now) Commander Courtney at the Lion, the same ship Nightingale once was captain of. And also, since we got the dual POV this time, we also get to see how Nightingale is doing on land while Courtney is away.

The story is, just as the other were, packed of trauma. But in this case I felt that somehow, it was even more wholesome than the previous last books. Because, you see: Bad guys die, people get reunited with their found family and nothing (too) wrong happens to the people who don´t deserve it... Well, mostly.

Also, if the previous book featured pirates, this one has smugglers, petty officers and (maybe) a murder mystery. Which was by the way, this last thing, an interesting thing to do. I´ve come to realize I´ve become spoiled with all the action and naval battles of the other books in this series that I felt in this one there´s not that much action until maybe the last 1/3.
Anyway, that´s not a problem at all because less action means more time for character development. And I loved how that was handled (spoiler here: there´s quite a few characters we meet before and that appear here again).
Plus, the last battle of the Lion was incredibly done. I´ll never get tired to give credit to authors who really take care of getting right the historical context. Especially when it comes to a famous naval battle where there´s so many things happening at the same time.

The ending was perfect and, although this is a trilogy, I feel would have gladly read many more books featuring Nightingale and Courtney. And since that´s not possible, I´ll probably go for a reread quite a few times in the future.

I was so excited to read this, and yet wary too - knowing I'd have to say goodbye to Nightingale and Courtney. But this did not disappoint - we rejoin them, five years after Leeward as they're figuring out what life together could look like. They're mostly apart for this book, which is sad in some ways (I'd always like more time with them together), but does make for a fascinating read, especially as this time it's dual POV. We follow Courtney out to join the fleet on a much larger ship, in a bit of an odd position - Commander, somewhere between Lieutenant and Captain, joining voluntarily, not having specific prescribed duties. As he finds his place on ship, we experience the months leading up to Trafalgar, a weird mix of dull blockades, racing across the Atlantic, and of course, the major naval battle itself. As ever, Daysh does an incredible job of bringing these experiences aboard ship to life, both the day to day routines and the excitement and danger of battle. Plus, there's something dark going on on his ship, but given his position, he's unsure of how much authority he can take to try to get to the bottom of it. Nightingale, meanwhile, is now part of the merchant navy, splitting his time on land between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. But things aren't quite right there either, and Nightingale has to work out exactly how much he wants or needs to step in to sort things out in Courtney's absence - again, not wanting to overstep, but deeply invested in this community, very aware that he's an outsider, but wanting to do good if he can. It's interesting to find out more about life on land in somewhere so closely linked to the sea - what people make of the Royal Navy, how people make their livings, legally and not so legally and why that is. And over both is a shadow of each of their fathers - a pair of bad dads - and what legacy they leave, and the agency they have to decide what of them, if anything they want to carry with them and what to leave behind.

I loved getting both perspectives, seeing their distinct personalities side by side, different and yet so closely aligned in values. Both characters do their best to do right, but are both thoroughly human - not without fear or temper or error. The joy of these stories is seeing how they handle these things and move through them. I loved the whole Trafalgar sequence - read rapidly with my heart in my mouth (of course, knowing the outcome helps, but not knowing how various characters will fare keeps the tension high). It was good to see Louisa again, and while it's always clear that she has her own life, I wish we could have spent a bit of time finding out more about what that looks like.

This was a very well-done finale to a trilogy I've thoroughly enjoyed, and am likely to re-read again in future.

*My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for granting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. And yes, as soon as I finish writing this I will be ordering a hard copy of this book because I want to pass it down as an heirloom to my progeny.*

Okay, first of all: that cover? GORGEOUS. If this hadn’t already been one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, that cover alone would have sealed the deal.

And I am pleased to report that finally, <i>finally</i>, I have read a book that met and exceeded all of my expectations. This series is <i>criminally</i> underrated, and I don’t know why I have been so lucky to witness these characters grow and flourish for years while the rest of the world just, like, goes on not knowing that they exist. How do people even <i>live</i> without Nightingale and Courtney? Is it even living at all?

In all seriousness, this was such a lovely, sweet ending to this trilogy. I was a little nervous at first because we not only got dual POVs, we also got two completely separate stories. Nightingale and Courtney are apart for nearly the entire book, which is usually a red flag for me. But the more I read, the more I realized how much sense this decision made. Neither Nightingale nor Courtney’s stories had really resolved by the ending of book 2, so it made sense to give them both a narrative in this final installment. And, where other books have failed with this exact same setup, Daysh succeeds marvelously by treating each narrative line as its own complete plot, building character, tension, and suspense along the way. Both stories were equally compelling, and, fortunately, both resolved well, and allowed the characters to come back together, changed but stronger, in the end.

[By the way: the actual scream I scrumpt when I realized we were building toward a Trafalgar sequence in this book could probably be heard about three towns over. The whole series is worth a read for this sequence alone!]

I have learned and loved so much while reading this series, and I’m devastated to have to say goodbye to the world Daysh has built. But I am so, so excited to see where she takes us next.

What a beautiful ending to the series. I finished reading this late at night and ended up staying up well past midnight just thinking about it. I absolutely fell in love with this series last year, putting both Leeward and The Devil To Pay on my top reads of 2024 list (well, technically just Leeward, but I only put firsts of series on that list), so to say I have been eagerly awaiting A Merciful Sea would be an understatement and this 100% delivered.

I’ve read a lot more historical fiction since I read Leeward last year, and it’s made me appreciate the historical accuracy of this series even more. It was especially important in this book, and as someone who admittedly doesn't know a lot about the main battle featured in A Merciful Sea, it still came across really well. I also loved how, despite the fact that Nightingale and Courtney are physically apart for most of the book, their relationship still felt like the core of the story and the foundation that they both want to build their lives on.

I will never stop recommending this series to everyone, and I can’t wait to see what Katie does next!

I cannot put into words how excited I was for this book, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

I don't know how Katie Daysh managed to write an essentially perfect trilogy, but she did. I was not once bored by anything in any three of the Nightingale and Courtney books; I was so endeared to the characters and so embroiled in the story that I could not help but love every second of it. And of all three, I do think A Merciful Sea is my favourite.

I was correct in my guess that this book would combine Nightingale and Courtney's POV's, providing us with amazingly juxtaposed perspectives and stories that highlight how good of an author Katie Daysh truly is. Both perspectives are incredibly distinctive, with Nightingale coming across as more weathered, and Courtney younger, and more stubborn. I thought this worked well, and I really enjoyed following each man as they navigated through their own personal struggles, whilst dealing with the prejudices that came with being queer at this time. Katie Daysh managed each storyline well.

I must say though, I do feel personally endeared to Courtney's story and struggles, as a man who came from nothing and has fought tooth and nail to end up where he has, who still doesn't get all of the credit he is due. In this book, Courtney has been promoted to commander, and he cannot help but feel somewhat out of place, like an actor. I think this is a struggle than many people can relate to, and I really enjoy how it is depicted.

That is not to negate how much I enjoyed Nightingale’s story though, as a man who served 30+ years in the navy who is still trying to find his purpose and deal with his trauma. It is emotional, deep, and reflective.

The way they converge in this book is *chef’s kiss*.

The secondary characters also really shine in this book; though they have done so throughout the series, you can really feel their presence here. Obi, Lousia (my beloved), Jane, and Appleton are but some of my favourites. But even the characters that I didn’t like (like Nightingale’s father...) made the story feel much deeper and the world more expansive. The presence of Courtney’s father in this book was interesting, because I didn’t expect it. And much like Courtney, I don’t really know how to feel about him, and again I just think that speaks to how good of a writer Katie Daysh is. The complexity, ambiguity of every character is just so well done.

Though Courtney and Nightingale are apart for much of the book, going through their own trials and tribulations, their relationship nevertheless felt pertinent to the story - these books could not have existed without it, and you felt that. Nightingale going to the Isle of Wight to investigate malicious notes turning up at Courtney's cottage there, and Courtney serving on Nightingale's old ship the Lion - which almost appears to be cursed - as important as their relationship is to them and the story, they still have their own stories to content with.

this was a pretty good book! I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, so that part kind of took away a bit for me. I liked the flow of the story and how the author writes. The themes were interesting and the storyline was good!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. I fell in love with the previous two instalments, which were both five stars for me, so my expectations were very high. Katie not only met them, she exceeded them! In this third book, Nightingale and Courtney are mostly apart. It could have been a negative, but Katie makes it an incredible strength by giving us dual POVs. This time, we really get to see Nightingale and Courtney shine individually (and without spoiling, they both get their big moment) and we get to know how they both feel: about their relationship, about their careers and about themselves. She gives each of them an incredibly distinctive voice and personality and it made me love both even more than I already did. The supporting cast is as strong as ever. I still adore Louisa, was really happy to see Jane return, and took an unexpected liking to Harrison. I'd happily read full novels about any of them. I also really liked the reflection about fathers and how much children should forgive in the name of family. That hit pretty close to home and touched me immensely. As usual with Katie, we get a perfect balance of beautifully emotional human interactions and incredibly well-researched action scenes. As the trilogy concludes, we also get a very satisfying ending that feels right and true to the story.

Honestly, it is a privilege to have discovered this series and to have been an advance reader for books 2 and 3. I will cherish these characters and all they stand for for a very long time, and I will read anything Katie Daysh writes in the future, no questions asked. Just begging everyone to read this trilogy for now so I can talk about my feelings!

I'm not sure how this book series manages to feel like a harrowing adventure and a warm hug at the same time, but it accomplishes it. A Merciful Sea is probably the most character-driven of the adventures so far. Both Nightingale and Courtney are tested - individually and their relationship. The conclusion is satisfying and feels right and their respective journeys fleshed out both of their characters even more.

I adored this series and I'm going to miss new Nightingale and Courtney adventures!

4.5 stars rounded up. And thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the e-ARC!

Are you an adrenaline junkie? Check out the upcoming read, A Merciful Sea by Katie Daysh will have your heart pumping.

What a journey!! This book takes place five years from when they first met. Courtney is now on a ship that has a lot of suspicious dealings going on and may also be cursed. Nightengale is spending time with Courtney's friends and family with his own problems going on. He also has become a Privateer.

Of course, my favorite parts are when they are together in the book. I love them and they deserve every good thing. They are one of my favorite couples.

And god bless Louisa. What a woman. If Louisa's heart is taken by another, I would love to read her story someday.

All around great job and the ending was beautiful!!!
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.