You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO request comes from Tabitha, who wants to find this American historical:
It is set during the Revolutionary War. The heroine has a nickname of Cottontop. It starts in Maryland, and progresses through both Haiti and New York, though not necessarily in that order.
He’s a ship’s captain or something of the sort. I want to say her given name is Rebecca and his is Phillip, but it’s been over two decades since I read it, so that may be wrong.
The cover had her with one of those eat your soul dresses and blowing white blond hair. I think he actually had on a shirt, though again, not sure.
“Eat your soul dresses” is definitely my aesthetic. Anyone know this one?
Someone on LibraryThing has posted a plot description for the same book (it sounds like). It has a lot of crazy plot details
https://www.librarything.com/topic/268183
It looks like no one had an answers, but maybe more details will help shake a memory loose. Good luck!
Wow, I have no idea if i’s relevant, but that LibraryThing description reminds me of the Bertrice Small books that were described on this site a while back.
Tabitha’s description made me think it may be one or more books from the Song series by Valerie Sherwood, published back in 1986. I remember my elderly neighbor and I sharing the three books which had a heroine with silvergold hair. There was all kinds of crazy sauce and action happening back and forth across the Atlantic and the Caribbean. I don’t remember her being called Cottontop, though. The books are Lovesong, Windsong, and Nightsong. It took me a search through bodice ripper authors (Yikes, I’ve read a lot!) to find the series.
Reminds me of Cynthia Wright books–she has a lot of pirate books that take place in that setting of East Coast and the islands…she changed the covers when she rereleased them a few years ago. I can’t find a mention of Cottontop in the reviews.
Tabitha wrote in to tell us the book was Freedom Fire by Elizabeth Evelyn Allen.