This is Bodice Ripper month on
Historical Romance Review… where I feature stories with an alpha male hero who
begins demanding his way, but falls at the heroine’s feet at the end to beg
forgiveness and confess his love. And I’m starting with a keeper!
I could not put this one down and
highly recommend it. It's going on my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances List
and my Best American Patriotic Romances list. And it’s a keeper, too.
Set in England during the years
1808-1814, this is one of those rare and wonderful love stories that sweeps you
away to another time and place where you are caught up in the lives of people
whose actions will affect not only their own and others' lives but America and
England during the War of 1812. Deception and treachery born years ago lead to
revenge and then to heartache. Busbee uses real characters, such as the pirate
Jean Lafitte, to bring realism to her story as she seamlessly weaves history
into a compelling tale. It's what I call a "dense" historical: one
where the writing is so complex and so tight you're getting double the story
you'd expect in the 538 pages.
Young Nicole Ashford led an idyllic
life in Surrey with her wealthy parents and her twin brother until a boating
accident one summer took them from her. Made the ward of an uncaring and barely
related aunt and uncle who only want her fortune, and learning of their plans
to marry her off to their ne'er-do-well son, at 13 Nicole dons the disguise of
a young boy and runs away to sea as the cabin boy for Captain Saber, an
American privateer.
For 5 years, Nicole sails with him as a
boy, Saber paying her little attention. Then, when she is 18, Saber observes
her swimming naked on a tropical beach and decides he wants her for his
mistress. He bides his time and when Nicole and a seaman (who is really a
British spy) decide to destroy English codebooks that Saber has captured, the
two are caught.
Using the life of the English seaman as
a bargaining chip, Saber forces Nicole to become his mistress, until the
American, on a mission to spy for his new country, decides to sail home and
resume his identity as Christopher Saxon, grandson of a baron.
Buy on Amazon.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane . I remember reading this many many times when it first came out. Although it's been quite some time since I've read it. It's in my oldies bookcase. I loved the cover too
ReplyDeleteYes, the cover is by Tom Hall... one of my very favorite artists: http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com/2015/05/tom-hall-cover-artist-extraordinaire.html
DeleteRead this book years ago and loved it. I know I read most of Shirlee's books that were set in Regency era starting with GYPSY LADY. Which I remember more than any of the others. Are her earlier books going to be reissued?
ReplyDeletemarapem, you will be delighted to know that Shirlee is busy bringing her books to eBooks. So, stay tuned!
DeleteI read this book in 2013 (thank God for ebooks!), my 1st Shirlee Busbee book, and my favorite, in fact.
ReplyDeleteeven if this had forced seduction and bodice ripper moments (which some people may not enjoy, this book continues to be a tear jerker.
Whenever I reread this book, uncontrollable tears flow from my eyes. I'm not sure if it's the story, but maybe it's a testament of Shirlee Busbee's writing ability.
Nurjean, this is my favorite of Shirlee's books. And it is different. When I asked her why it was so "dense" she said it was the editor who gave her a page limit and she had to cram the story into those pages and delete the rest. The result is a great story.
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