Set in French New Orleans in
1748, this is the story of Lauren De Beauville, daughter of French aristocrats
who died leaving her and her sister orphans to be raised by nuns. When she is
15, her sister joins the order and Lauren is forced to marry an old man from
the English colonies who doesn’t speak French. She is rescued from that
marriage before it’s begun by a hurricane that sweeps her away on her wedding
day to another life. Eventually she is forced to leave that other life, too, and
ends up in New England, where she joins with con artists who use her as bait to
lure aristocrats into business ventures.
There are many twists and
turns in this complex story that finally sees Lauren onboard a ship of pirates
and misfits who serve a master criminal, their captain, who smuggles guns and
other goods, selling them to both the French and the English. Captain James St.
Clare wants Lauren to be his contact with the French, but it’s a very dangerous
assignment and she will have to sell herself to accomplish it. But St. Clare, an
enigmatic figure, watches over her.
Most of the story is told
through the heroine’s point of view with the exception of short snippets in the
minds of other characters. And there is a huge cast of characters as you can
imagine from the different “lives” Lauren experiences. You feel for Lauren as a
young innocent with an adventurer’s heart who faces one crisis after another
and yet always manages to triumph. When the black moment comes—and there is a
black moment—it is very real and very believable. I loved Lauren’s courage and
her determination—and her kindness. No wonder the hero will not give her up.
I can’t say enough good things
about this book or about Hughes’ writing. Just take my word for it and get it
and you’ll understand. I don’t want to give away the mystery by saying more about
the story except that she peels back the layers like an onion—expertly. I have
become one of Hughes’ committed fans.
Buy on Amazon.
Thank you, Regan so very much for this post!
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