New Review: Cordia Byers’ THE BLACK ANGEL – Irish Privateer and an English Girl Find Love During the Revolutionary War

This is a great romance to straddle February, which is pirate and privateers month on my blog, and March which is Irish month. It's the sequel to Byers’ DEVON, though it can be read as a “stand alone.” Set in England and the Caribbean in the time of the Revolutionary War, this is the story of Roarke O’Connor, privateer captain of the Black Angel, who rescues Brianna McClure when her ship goes down in a storm.

Brianna fled England after stabbing her stepfather when he tried to rape her. Hiding her deep secret by taking a different last name, she hopes for a new life in the West Indies. Since Roarke is headed to Eustatia Island, she decides that will do just fine.

When the Black Angel docks, Roarke’s first mate thinks to seduce Brianna by taking her to a certain tavern where aphrodisiac herbs come with the rum--which he does--but Roarke intervenes to save her. Alas, he does not save her from himself. Brianna, who is already half in love with Roarke, then becomes the object of jealousy from Roarke’s mistress and Roarke must save Brianna once again.

It’s a fast-moving, well-written tale of adventure and peril with some exciting twists and turns as Brianna tries to make her own way in a hostile world. And when the English lord she thought she murdered? It turns out he wasn't dead after all.

There’s a lot of action and shipboard scenes to please the lover of high seas romance. I recommend it and it’s going on my Best Irish, Pirate/Privateer and American Patriotic lists.