Set
in Cornwall in 1818, this is the story of Justin St. Briac, an aging former
smuggler (sometimes called a pirate) who has vowed to never marry. When his mother
summons him to England to give him her “last wish” to see him wed, he decides
to pretend to take a bride. And what better candidate than a woman he already
knows, now a widow?
Mouette
Raveneau is tarred by the crimes of her dead husband. Impoverished and worried
as to how she will feed her two boys, she accepts her friend’s offer to come to
Cornwall where she encounters Justin.
Justin,
who by now has rented an estate to appear to be settling down, hires Mouette
for her decorating skills to help him dress up the old place. Justin talks her
into a fake marriage and agrees to pay her well, but both are soon lusting after
each other. It appears they are not strangers to each other.
A well-written Regency that reflects the author’s research
into the architecture and clothing of the period. It’s also a tale of second
chances. We don’t get to see Justin at his smuggling or piracy as it’s all set
in Cornwall and London, but references are made to his jaded past, during which
he lost an eye and gained some scars. As the story features several characters
from the 7-book series, I recommend reading them in order so you’ll know who is
who.
The ending is sweet and satisfying. If you’re a fan of the
series, you’ll love this one.
Ooooh I'm liking the sound of this pirate read!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this lovely review, Regan! So far, readers are loving this new book and I had a ball writing it. (Justin almost stole the show in the previous book, The Secret of Love, so it was great fun to give him his own story.) :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome!
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