Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland, which will be published on June 11, 2024. I loved Rowland’s A Taste of Gold and Iron and couldn’t wait to pick up this new book. The synopsis made it sound full of hilarious hijinks on the high seas, and I was excited to see that it was set in the same queer-normative world as Rowland’s other books. Did Running Close to the Wind live up to my high expectations? Read on to find out!

Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Arasti Ministry of Intelligence, has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world―and the only place to flee with a secret that big is the open sea.To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a plan to take the information to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls, fence it, profit.

The only things in their way? A calculating new Arasti ambassador to the Isles of Lost Souls who’s got his eyes on Avra’s every move; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and a frankly inconvenient vow of celibacy; the fact that they’re sailing straight into sea serpent breeding season and almost certain doom. But if they can find a way to survive and sell the secret on the black market, they’ll all be as wealthy as kings―and, more importantly, they’ll be legends.

***Thank you to Tordotcom for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Running Close to the Wind was one of the stupidest books I’ve ever read, and I loved every minute of my time with it. The humor had me cackling from start to finish, but be warned that it is extremely over the top. I’m sure some people will find it to be grating, but I enjoyed the wackiness of it all and the vibrancy of the different personalities. The writing was easy to follow and filled with ridiculous and delightful dialogue. Although, things did get repetitive at times with many phrases getting re-used over and over for comedic effect.

The premise of Running Close to the Wind was a fairly simple one. A former spy stole an important secret and needed to figure out how to find a buyer for it without getting himself killed. So, he turned to his pirate captain ex for help after he stumbled back into their life by accident. Hilarious hijinks ensue, including glowing blue dogs, horny sea serpents, and the most important cake competition EVER. I never would have thought pirate adventures and cake competitions would be combined in a story, but this book managed to not only make it happen but also have it feel like something all pirates would do.

Running Close to the Wind was horny AF. This book and its characters were obsessed with sex. The text was full of euphemisms and jokes about all sorts of horny topics, and I thought it all worked so well. All the joking aside, there wasn’t much actual sex happening in the story, much to the chagrin of certain characters. The few times there was some action didn’t include much explicit description, which honestly worked well for this book. Both the characters and readers were tantalizingly toyed with for dramatic effect. People looking for something super steamy might be disappointed, though. I just wish we’d actually gotten to read the sexy song about Tev’s spooky dildos. lol.

Running Close to the Wind had some great characters. Avra was the definition of a bisexual disaster. He got by on good luck and fast talking, most of the time at least, but he was also incredibly flighty, hungry for attention, and incessantly horny. He was a self-proclaimed ‘silly little slut,’ but I also found him to be quite lovable, smart, and hilarious. His ex-lover Tev, on the other hand, was a total grump. Their dynamic was adorable and fun, with Avra pretty much annoying Tev into loving him back. Tev’s captains log, which were included at the end of chapters, were extremely funny and showed just how much they cared for Avra, in their own way, of course.

There are so many other great things about Running Close to the Wind, including the hot monk turned pirate who was a total tease throughout the story and just wanted to make the world a better place. I also loved Avra’s relationships with the citizens of the Isle of Lost Souls and his entire found family. His story of finding a place and people to call home was a heartwarming one. Alongside all of the hilarious jokes was a story with a great heart and a fun adventure. I cannot recommend it enough. Therefore, I give Running Close to the Wind a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Have you read Running Close to the Wind or any of Rowland’s other books? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!