Mickey Compton’s life trends towards disaster, always. When Helena Digby offers him a place to stay in Alouett in exchange for doing odd jobs around her inn, he thinks luck might finally be on his side. Helena’s son, Hugh, has always done what’s best for everyone and it’s worked out well for him. He’s the master’s mate on the naval brig, King’s Glory, and will soon become a sailing master in his own right. Every time King’s Glory anchors, Hugh and Mickey find themselves drawn towards one another, something that is definitely not in Hugh’s plan. While Mickey is busy falling for Hugh, the master’s mate keeps Mickey at arm’s length. All the while, Louisa Digby, Hugh’s sister, is quickly falling in love with Mickey. Nursing a broken heart is so much easier when there’s someone else to fill the void, so when Hugh’s ship sails once again, Mickey uses Louisa as a balm on his heartbreak. When he finds she’s in the family way, he does the only honorable thing he can think of. He marries her and takes a respectable job. A job aboard King’s Glory with Hugh. Hearts are fickle things and fates aren’t done with Mickey, yet. The twists of Mickey’s life never really go as he expects, or hopes, but one thing remains true through it all… Hugh holds the keys to Mickey’s heart. Maybe someday Hugh will forgive Mickey enough to realize it. Maybe. If the troubles that follow Mickey throughout life don’t catch up with him first. CW: violence, violent punishment, hate speech, and cheating spouse.

When the crew of King’s Glory tore their officers apart and renamed their brig Sneaky Lass, more than just rank changed for Hugh Digby. After a lifetime in the Goranese Navy, coming to terms with the piratical turn his life has taken is all the more challenging when his mind and heart stray to his brother-in-law and complicated lover, Mickey, even after Hugh sent him back to Alouett to care for his growing family. The path of Mickey Compton's life has never been smooth, mostly due to his own impulsiveness. Meaning to put all of the disasters with Hugh Digby behind him, he arrives in Alouett, heart set on being a responsible family man, but finds only tragedy and expense once again. Taking the first job he can find, Mickey finds that fates are not done with him, and after a run-in with a pirate fleet, he is left wondering if he would have been better off remaining on Sneaky Lass with the man who occupies his mind, Hugh Digby. As Mickey and Hugh struggle to find footing on their new paths and to reconcile the places each occupies in the heart of the other, they're left to wonder if it's a knot worth untangling at all. Content Warning: This book contains depictions of ruthless piratical violence, substance abuse, bigotry, and alcoholism. It contains off page sexual assault and mentions of suicidal ideation.

When Mickey chooses to sail beside Hugh on a trial basis under a captain who runs a ruthless ship, once-reliable lines pull taut and snap beneath their feet. Hugh is desperate to prove to Mickey that things will be different this time, but safety aboard a freshly created pirate brig is always uncertain. Beneath a captain who tries his prickly nature, Hugh's control is constantly tested. Trying to balance his desire to protect Mickey with his dedication to the crew, especially as his best friend, Bennett Holt, wars with his own demons, is almost enough to make Hugh snap. Being a father was something Mickey never knew he wanted until he held his daughter. But the love of a man like Hugh is something Mickey has always searched for. He's never been good at making decisions, and this is the hardest of his life. In a world unaccepting of his love for Hugh, the safety and reputation of his infant daughter rests heavily on his shoulders. If he chooses his own happiness and remains aboard Sneaky Lass with Hugh, all could be lost for the family he left on land. In the lawless career of piracy, where success hinges on a fearsome reputation, the crew must decide where they will draw the line between fairness and criminality. Mickey, Hugh, and the crew of Sneaky Lass struggle to come to terms with their place under the shadow of a black flag. CW: Mentions of attempted suicide, alcoholism, and piratical violence