Well written, action-packed and reflecting considerable research, this gritty tale of a dysfunctional pirate family held my interest.
Set in 1726, beginning in Puerto Plata,
Hispaniola, this is the story of Marisol Castellan, independent and unafraid, who
sneaks off her pirate father's ship to intercept a message meant for a rival pirate
captain, hoping to locate her younger brother Monte. In the process, she kills
a man and runs into pirate captain Blade Tyburn for whom the message was
intended. Blade is not pleased to discover the beautiful thief has also stolen
a precious cameo. The note, which he recovers, provides the location of a
silver-laden ship he and two other pirate captains are supposed to be guarding.
When he departs to catch that ship, Marisol wants to go along to find Monte who
she has heard is on that ship. However, a big surprise is waiting for them when
they find the silver ship.
I liked the sparing between Marisol and Blade; the
dialog was excellent, even clever. The shipboard scenes were real with correct
terminology (so refreshing). However, I’m not fond of sexually experienced
heroines in historical romance (I assume this was done to facilitate a hotter
love scene). Nor did the dripping hot candle wax onto sensitive body parts or
love over a cold boulder appeal. While the lust between Marisol and Blade was convincing,
I had more trouble believing either came to feel real love but there’s no
denying that it was exciting along the way.
If you’re looking for an authentic pirate
romance, one with all the grit, killing and savagery, this one has it. And the
writing is superb.
No comments:
Post a Comment