Running Close To The Wind by Alexandra Rowland

“Julian,” Avra said, sharply reproachful. “Tev had such a hard day, and now you’re dangling reminders at them of your past as a slutty revolutionary? That’s not fair.”

“Don’t listen to him,” said Teveri. “You can talk about your slutty revolutionary past if you want. Feel free to be wistful and nostalgic. Homesick for it, maybe.”

And now for something completely different. This hilarious, queer, magical, adventure story. I listened to it on Audible and never wanted it to end. People who do not like to read about penises will not approve. I found is escapist and funny and charming and full of eccentric characters. Just what I needed. All the stars. I just really wanted there to be one more chapter after...

From the back

Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Arashti 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 work with his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar. Together, they will have to risk journeying to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls. The only things in their way? A calculating new Arashti ambassador to the Isles; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own; and 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 . . .