I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review. 
 3.5 stars for a historical M/M romance. 
 It is the year 1800. Kojo is a young, strong, native African spirit man who is kidnapped and sold into the slave trade. Mather is the captain of the vessel taking him to America. Mather is instantly attracted to Kojo, and tracks his health while aboard ship. It is critical that all the slaves survive, as Mather is under contract to bring as many to market as he can--the payoff being sufficient to get him out of debt. 
 Of course, his personal interest in Kojo causes the African to be brought to his cabin, bathed and fed real food, not the gruel the 'cargo' subsists on. In the course of the six week voyage, Mather brings Kojo to health, teaches him some English and develops a sexual relationship with his captive. Mather's desire and affection for Kojo lead him to endanger his whole commission in order to keep Kojo from the auction block. Other problems arise when the crew members seem to edge toward mutiny. 
 The story is told from both men's' POV, so we get an insider look at the terror of slavery through Kojo's eyes. Kojo is terrified, and yet his faith in the spirits assures him that his capture was ordained. That being treated kindly by the white captain is what the spirits wished. Kojo also has an previously inexperienced sexual interest in Mather--one he did not feel for the women of his village. 
 While there are clear issues of dubious consent in this dynamic, the author takes care to write scenes that are protective of Kojo, and make Mather empathetic. The spiritual beliefs Kojo holds assist him from his transition from free man to slave to respected lover. 
 Issues I had: 
 Anachronistic language just destroyed my suspended disbelief. 
 That Mather is not more careful of his behavior with, and toward, Kojo in the presence of his crew seemed wholly ridiculous--buggery was a capital crime in these times. Captain, or not, Mather had A LOT to lose if he were caught, yet, he practically parades his homosexuality for weeks on end. 
 The end got a wee bit soppy. I want a happy ending, sure, but this one, again, felt out-of-place for the times. I have an extremely hard time believing that Kojo would have been seen as an equal to Mather anyplace on Earth in 1800. 
 The pain and suffering of the slaves was glossed over completely. I had really expected this book to be far grittier than it was. In truth, I can't imagine the terror of writing a book with this material--slavery is/was horrifying. Unfortunately, I wasn't horrified, so it just didn't feel genuine.