Emma Merritt’s MASQUE of JADE – Love and Spies During the War of 1812 in New Orleans!

Set in 1813 in New Orleans when America was at war with England, this is the story of Laura Talbot-Harrow, who left her family’s estate in England for America nine years earlier when her mother disgraced the family by having an affair with another man, which caused Laura’s fiancé to break their engagement. Since then, Laura has wanted no relationship with any man, but instead finds her joy in running her stepmother’s plantation. That is, until she meets the wealthy gambler Clay Sutherland from Virginia who ruthlessly pursues her.

 

Laura’s father and stepmother want her to marry a certain nobleman from a Creole French family. Laura doesn’t love him; she loves Clay. But she would not marry Clay because he is not acceptable to her Creole society.

 

You had to love Clay, the honorable Virginian with a mysterious past…a past that has caught up with him, just like the war that’s coming to New Orleans.

 

There is a lot of action in this one as Napoleon and his supporters engage in stealth to establish New Orleans as a second base of operations; spies and treachery abound. There’s also a sultry voodoo queen who sees Laura as competition for Clay’s affections and will stop at nothing to see Laura dead. Laura’s sister Judith, who was left in England long ago, travels to New Orleans and joins the family, bringing more tension into Laura’s life.

 

I enjoyed this romp through the War of 1812 from the perspective of the English, Americans and Creole French living in New Orleans. I think you will, too.

 

The sequel to this story, MASQUE OF SAPPHIRE, is foreshadowed in JADE and tells the story of Laura’s sister, Judith. It was written by Emma Merritt’s sister, Deana James

Patricia Preston’s TO SAVE A LADY – Intriguing Story set in New Orleans During the War of 1812

Set in 1814 in New Orleans, this is the story of Elisa Plaisance, a lady’s maid, who becomes a messenger for the Americans, feeding information to Capt. Jesse Cross, an aid to General Jackson. She does this as a part of a bargain she made with a man named Louis Beauvais, who agrees to search for her mistress’ missing son. Her mistress, having lost her husband and her other children is pining away for her son.

 

Elise’s one desire is to avoid her mother’s fate, ending up as the neglected mistress of a married man. Yet she falls in love with Jesse and is the one to suggest they make love—without benefit of marriage. Jesse seems to have only honorable intentions but it takes him a while to get around to that. And then there is the war…

 

Preston brings to life the time at the end of the War of 1812 when, unaware that a peace treaty had been reached, the Americans and British in New Orleans fought on. She obviously did much research to get the events correct. Her fight scenes are exciting and the fictional intrigue believable. Elise is a sympathetic figure though at times she does seem a bit confused about her goals. Still, she is unselfish and wants only the best for her mistress, who saved her from a fate worse than death. Jesse is honorable in all things and his cousin is a worthy character (who will be a hero in an upcoming book).

 

It’s a great start to her French Quarter Brides series and I recommend it.

 

Patricia Preston’s TO SAVE A LADY – Intriguing Story set in New Orleans During the War of 1812

Set in 1814 in New Orleans, this is the story of Elisa Plaisance, a lady’s maid, who becomes a messenger for the Americans, feeding information to Capt. Jesse Cross, an aid to General Jackson. She does this as a part of a bargain she made with a man named Louis Beauvais, who agrees to search for her mistress’ missing son. Her mistress, having lost her husband and her other children is pining away for her son.

 

Elise’s one desire is to avoid her mother’s fate, ending up as the neglected mistress of a married man. Yet she falls in love with Jesse and is the one to suggest they make love—without benefit of marriage. Jesse seems to have only honorable intentions but it takes him a while to get around to that. And then there is the war…

 

Preston brings to life the time at the end of the War of 1812 when, unaware that a peace treaty had been reached, the Americans and British in New Orleans fought on. She obviously did much research to get the events correct. Her fight scenes are exciting and the fictional intrigue believable. Elise is a sympathetic figure though at times she does seem a bit confused about her goals. Still, she is unselfish and wants only the best for her mistress, who saved her from a fate worse than death. Jesse is honorable in all things and his cousin is a worthy character (who will be a hero in an upcoming book).

 

It’s a great start to her French Quarter Brides series and I recommend it.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE – Love in Louisiana in 1814 as the Battle of New Orleans Approaches!

 

I love Shirlee Busbee’s romances because I know I’m going to diving into a deep story, one with rich details in the descriptions of places, people, food and history, woven together like a tapestry, providing a great background for her captivating love stories. This one is no different. Her seventh novel, it tells an intriguing tale of love in the time of the War of 1812 (referred to by its opponents as “Madison’s War”).

 

Set in Louisiana, beginning in the spring of 1814, this is the story of Melissa Seymour, whose greatest concern is surviving until her trust funds come in, which will only happen when her younger brother, 19-year-old Zachary turns 21—or she marries. Her uncle, who stands to benefit, urges her to marry, and yet Lissa is “unmoved by the most ardent admirer.”

 

To discourage the men who flock about her, Melissa disguises herself as a dowdy shrew. Her gift is horses and she has one stallion, Folly, who is magnificent and wins all his races. His prize money is keeping her and Zachary’s home of Willowglen afloat. Then enters one arrogant, wealthy bachelor, Dominic Slade of New Orleans, who wants to buy Folly and start a stud farm on his new estate close to Willowglen. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, they are caught together in his hotel room and forced to wed.

 

Busbee sets forth a shotgun marriage that grew into love against a backdrop of English spies in Louisiana seeking out Loyalists who can be counted on for the Battle of New Orleans that is coming.

 

Among the secondary characters is Jason Savage, the hero in Busbee’s Gypsy Lady. While the pace is a bit slower than more modern historical romances, fans of Busbee will not be disappointed.

Jan Cox Speas’s MY LOVE, MY ENEMY – Exciting Love Story Brings the War of 1812 to life!

Set in 1813 in Baltimore, London, France and in the Atlantic, this is the story of an American girl and a British viscount. It is one of the wonderful historical romances that comprise the legacy of Jan Cox Speas.

 

Of the seven daughters born to Samuel Bradley, gentleman of the Chesapeake, Catherine Page (“Page”) was a rebel who tried the patience of Duncan MacDougall who worked for her father. But even he could not foresee that the bored 18 year old, wanting to spend her birthday money for some new frippery, would stow away on the small sloop Duncan sailed across the Bay to Annapolis to pick up her father’s Madeira. Once there, she manages to get into further trouble when she rescues a British gentleman from a local mob who want to hang him as a spy. When she and Duncan sail back to get the British man and his servant to safety, they run right into a British warship.

 

Taken aboard the English frigate, Page learns that the British gentleman she rescued is Jocelyn Trevor, Viscount Hazard of London.

 

Lord Hazard claimed to be in America to visit his sister though Page questions that. (He was an officer on Wellington’s staff, and it seemed odd that he’d be allowed to leave the Spanish front for family business.) In fact, he is the spy the mob in Annapolis accused him of being, though Page doesn’t know it. But since Page and Duncan MacDougall end up on a British warship because of him, Hazard vows he will see her safely back to her father.

 

This story reminded me of the statement of Bilbo in Lord of the Rings when he says to his nephew, “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” Page steps out of her door and is swept away on one adventure after another as she gets caught up in the War of 1812 and the life of one particular British lord.

 

Speas allows us to see the conflicting emotions of those on both sides of the war. Lord Hazard is shamed by the British atrocities at Hampton, and Page experiences gracious treatment at the hands of the British officers when aboard their ship. Though there were several reasons America declared war on Britain, Speas deals specifically with the impressment of merchant sailors into the Royal Navy—sailors who considered themselves Americans. We also get to witness America’s clever privateers at work with the character Mason.

 

I love that Speas incorporates her extensive research of the history into this endearing and charming love story. It’s a bit lighter than her others but still quite wonderful!

 

Christine Dorsey’s THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTIVE – English Girl and American Privateer Fall in Love in the War of 1812

Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, The Captain’s Captive is the story of Charlotte Winston, a young Englishwoman who lived in her daydreams while caring for her dying mother. When her mother passes on, Charlotte sails from England to Montreal to join her father, a general in the British army who has arranged a marriage for her to Captain Levid of the Royal Navy.

When Charlotte’s ship is fired upon by the American captain Jonathan Knox, the British captain quickly turns over control and Charlotte becomes Jon’s prisoner. Charlotte tells him she is betrothed to Captain Levid. Jon wants to know where he can find the English captain who impressed Jon’s younger brother (impressment was one of the causes of the war). Charlotte has only a vague idea where Levid is, and doesn’t like the man herself, but tells Knox she doesn’t know. Jon doesn’t believe her and decides to keep her in his cabin until she gives him the information he wants.

 

Initially, I thought the heroine a bit simpering and over theatrical (her voice squeaks and she shuts her eyes when reality is too much for her) and I did get a bit tired of her “fantasy pirate” that supposedly was a twin for the hero. The hero seemed too much of a gentleman. Those impressions changed somewhat as the book progressed, because the characters changed. In the last half of the book, Jon became more "real" and Charlotte acquired a backbone.

 

To my thinking there was a bit too much introspection and too much sex...the latter seemed to be piled on irrespective of the plot (or any concern for her getting pregnant, I might add). Don’t get me wrong; I like a good love scene, but I don’t need one each time the hero and heroine meet. And why was his family surprised to learn she was British and her father in the Royal Army? After all, she was raised in England (Oxfordshire) and I assume had an accent and other characteristics that gave her away.

 

There is no question Dorsey can write well and tell a good story. And I admire how she wove in the history and the abuses of the British military along the Chesapeake. Her battle scenes are realistic, and she captured well the terror of the night the British sacked Washington.

 

Sharon & Tom Curtis (aka Laura London) - THE WINDFLOWER – Superb Pirate Romance set in the War of 1812!

One of my all-time favorite books and a classic, The Windflower was the product of the husband-wife writing team of Sharon and Tom Curtis and some believe it was their best. I can tell you this: this pirate romance set in in 1813 during the War of 1812 is one of the finest historical romances I have read. Originally published in 1984, it was reissued in 1995, and can be obtained on Amazon for Kindle. It’s a keeper among keepers.

 

It tells the story of innocent, sheltered Merry Wilding, an American living in Virginia with her maiden aunt. Merry has a talent for drawing faces from memory, a talent her brother, an American spy will use to his benefit, exposing her to pirates and worse. Then, on her way to England with her aunt who wants Merry to have a better future, she is kidnapped. Taken to a pirate ship, she meets the English pirate Devon, who remembers her from a night long ago where he encountered her in a tavern. He holds her captive, believing she is involved with his enemy who was also on the ship Merry was sailing on. Protecting her brother, she will not reveal who she is. Devon is intelligent, beguiling and smooth and innocent Merry is powerless to turn away his kisses. The whole crew of pirates comes to love Merry and to teach her many things as she blossoms from shy girl to strong woman.

 

The writing is superb, the characters courageous, heartwarming and very special; the descriptions of the environs vivid; the metaphors numerous and well done; and the story a wonder to read, and re-read. The plot is intriguing. You will be swept away on a pirate ship to experience many adventures, battles at sea, storms, death, outrageous humor and love. I thought the writing gifted.

 

Here’s a sample from one scene; I bet it moves you though not a word is spoken:

 

“His fingers whispered over her face, seeking and slowly stroking nerve points, knowing where, how long, how much to caress. Her skin gained color under his touch; her eyes became enormous; her throat tightened. By her nose his little finger encountered a forgotten tear. Gathering the sparkling drop, he smeared it slowly over the curve of her lips and blew it gently dry. One hand came lightly to rest on her neck; the other supported her cheek as he sought her with his kiss.”

 

Here’s another:

 

“Tragedy dwelt like a blue flame in her big eyes; the shallow pulsebeat in the golden hollow of her throat was luffing like a spanker on a vessel that was hauled too close to the wind. He had seen the look before on women about to be raped, and he found no charm in having it turned on him.”

 

If you love pirate romance—or even Regency period romance set mostly outside of England—this classic will not disappoint.

Christine Dorsey’s THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTIVE – English Girl and American Privateer Fall in Love in the War of 1812

July is American Patriotic month on the blog, that time when I feature romances set during America’s wars up to and including the Civil War. I’m starting with one from the War of 1812, the last war fought with the British.

Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, The Captain’s Captive is the story of Charlotte Winston, a young Englishwoman who lived in her daydreams while caring for her dying mother. When her mother passes on, Charlotte sails from England to Montreal to join her father, a general in the British army who has arranged a marriage for her to Captain Levid of the Royal Navy.

When Charlotte’s ship is fired upon by the American captain Jonathan Knox, the British captain quickly turns over control and Charlotte becomes Jon’s prisoner. Charlotte tells him she is betrothed to Captain Levid. Jon wants to know where he can find the English captain who impressed Jon’s younger brother (impressment was one of the causes of the war). Charlotte has only a vague idea where Levid is, and doesn’t like the man herself, but tells Knox she doesn’t know. Jon doesn’t believe her and decides to keep her in his cabin until she gives him the information he wants.

Initially, I thought the heroine a bit simpering and over theatrical (her voice squeaks and she shuts her eyes when reality is too much for her) and I did get a bit tired of her “fantasy pirate” that supposedly was a twin for the hero. The hero seemed too much of a gentleman. Those impressions changed somewhat as the book progressed because the characters changed. In the last half of the book, Jon became more "real" and Charlotte acquired a backbone.

To my thinking there was a bit too much introspection and too much sex...the latter seemed to be piled on irrespective of the plot (or any concern for her getting pregnant, I might add). Don’t get me wrong; I like a good love scene, but I don’t need one each time the hero and heroine meet. And why was his family surprised to learn she was British and her father in the Royal Army? After all, she was raised in England (Oxfordshire) and I assume had an accent and other characteristics that gave her away.

There is no question Dorsey can write well and tell a good story. And I admire how she wove in the history and the abuses of the British military along the Chesapeake. Her battle scenes are realistic, and she captured well the terror of the night the British sacked Washington.

Danelle Harmon’s LORD OF THE SEA – Another Well-written Tale from Harmon—this one of American Privateers in the War of 1812

This is a tale set during the War of 1812 in the Caribbean in 1813. It’s the story of Capt. Connor Merrick, a cavalier Yankee privateer, and Rhiannon Evans, a young British girl.

Rhiannon wants an adventure and so she accepts an invitation to winter at the home of Sir Graham Falconer in Barbados, who happens to be Connor’s brother-in-law. On the way, pirates attack her ship, and Connor saves her and takes her to Sir Graham’s. Intending to leave to hunt British merchant ships, Conner stays long enough to get trapped into marrying the young Rhiannon.

Harmon has woven an entertaining seafaring tale of divided loyalties with an American privateer whose sister is married to a British admiral. Reckless and daring, yet insecure about his ability to be his famous father’s equal, Connor takes one British prize ship after another, all this in his brother-in-law’s backyard. Meanwhile, Rhiannon, a naïve young woman in many ways, quickly grows up trying to keep up with Connor—and keep him out of trouble, an effort that is doomed to failure.

The descriptions of the ships and sails and all things nautical are done exceptionally well and will keep you turning pages as Connor faces pirates, battles at sea and storms. There is deep emotion, too, as Connor comes to terms with his own frailties and the strengths of others.

It’s been a while since I read one of Harmon’s seafaring adventures, so I was a bit lost when characters from her other books made an appearance and there were references to earlier stories. I say this only to suggest you might want to read this book as a part of the series, and in order.

The Heroes of the Sea series:

My Lady Pirate

Captain of My Heart

Master of My Dreams

   The Admiral’s Heart (Short Story)

Lord of The Sea

Shirlee Busbee’s LADY VIXEN: A Classic Privateer Love Story!

I could not put this one down and highly recommend it. It's on both my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances List and my Best American Patriotic Romances list. Oh yes, it’s also a bodice ripper and a keeper.

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 and Saber pays her little attention. 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.

And so begins a complex, worthy tale of adventure, rich in history (both England's and America's) and a love that could not be denied.

Should you want to read more, here is the whole Louisiana Series (stand alones but each with a connection to Louisiana and with some overlapping characters). Many are available in Kindle:

·               Gypsy Lady

·               Lady Vixen

·               While Passion Sleeps

·               Deceive Not My Heart

·               The Tiger Lily

·               Midnight Masquerade

·               Whisper to Me of Love

·               Each Time We Love

Patricia Preston’s TO SAVE A LADY – Intriguing Story set in New Orleans During the War of 1812

Set in 1814 in New Orleans, this is the story of Elisa Plaisance, a lady’s maid, who becomes a messenger for the Americans, feeding information to Capt. Jesse Cross, an aid to General Jackson. She does this as a part of a bargain she made with a man named Louis Beauvais, who agrees to search for her mistress’ missing son. Her mistress, having lost her husband and her other children is pining away for her son.

Elise’s one desire is to avoid her mother’s fate, ending up as the neglected mistress of a married man. Yet she falls in love with Jesse and is the one to suggest they make love—without benefit of marriage. Jesse seems to have only honorable intentions but it takes him a while to get around to that. And then there is the war…

Preston brings to life the time at the end of the War of 1812 when, unaware that a peace treaty had been reached, the Americans and British in New Orleans fought on. She obviously did much research to get the events correct. Her fight scenes are exciting and the fictional intrigue believable. Elise is a sympathetic figure though at times she does seem a bit confused about her goals. Still, she is unselfish and wants only the best for her mistress, who saved her from a fate worse than death. Jesse is honorable in all things and his cousin is a worthy character (who will be a hero in an upcoming book).

It’s a great start to her French Quarter Brides series and I recommend it.

Shirlee Busbee’s MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE – Love in Louisiana in 1814 as the Battle of New Orleans Approaches!

I love Shirlee Busbee’s romances because I know I’m going to diving into a deep story, one with rich details in the descriptions of places, people, food and history, woven together like a tapestry, providing a great background for her captivating love stories. This one is no different. Her seventh novel, it tells an intriguing tale of love in the time of the War of 1812 (referred to by its opponents as “Madison’s War”).

Set in Louisiana, beginning in the spring of 1814, this is the story of Melissa Seymour, whose greatest concern is surviving until her trust funds come in, which will only happen when her younger brother, 19-year-old Zachary turns 21—or she marries. Her uncle, who stands to benefit, urges her to marry, and yet Lissa is “unmoved by the most ardent admirer.”

To discourage the men who flock about her, Melissa disguises herself as a dowdy shrew. Her gift is horses and she has one stallion, Folly, who is magnificent and wins all his races. His prize money is keeping her and Zachary’s home of Willowglen afloat. Then enters one arrogant, wealthy bachelor, Dominic Slade of New Orleans, who wants to buy Folly and start a stud farm on his new estate close to Willowglen. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, they are caught together in his hotel room and forced to wed.

Busbee sets forth a shotgun marriage that grew into love against a backdrop of English spies in Louisiana seeking out Loyalists who can be counted on for the Battle of New Orleans that is coming.

Among the secondary characters is Jason Savage, the hero in Busbee’s GYPSY LADY. While the pace is a bit slower than more modern historical romances, fans of Busbee will not be disappointed.

Patricia Preston’s TO SAVE A LADY – Intriguing Story set in New Orleans During the War of 1812

Set in 1814 in New Orleans, this is the story of Elisa Plaisance, a lady’s maid, who becomes a messenger for the Americans, feeding information to Capt. Jesse Cross, an aid to General Jackson. She does this as a part of a bargain she made with a man named Louis Beauvais, who agrees to search for her mistress’ missing son. Her mistress, having lost her husband and her other children is pining away for her son.

Elise’s one desire is to avoid her mother’s fate, ending up as the neglected mistress of a married man. Yet she falls in love with Jesse and is the one to suggest they make love—without benefit of marriage. Jesse seems to have only honorable intentions but it takes him a while to get around to that. And then there is the war…

Preston brings to life the time at the end of the War of 1812 when, unaware that a peace treaty had been reached, the Americans and British in New Orleans fought on. She obviously did much research to get the events correct. Her fight scenes are exciting and the fictional intrigue believable. Elise is a sympathetic figure though at times she does seem a bit confused about her goals. Still, she is unselfish and wants only the best for her mistress, who saved her from a fate worse than death. Jesse is honorable in all things and his cousin is a worthy character (who will be a hero in an upcoming book).

It’s a great start to her French Quarter Brides series and I recommend it.

Jan Cox Speas’s MY LOVE, MY ENEMY – Exciting Love Story Brings the War of 1812 to life!

Set in 1813 in Baltimore, London, France and in the Atlantic, this is the story of an American girl and a British viscount. It is one of the wonderful historical romances that comprise the legacy of Jan Cox Speas.

Of the seven daughters born to Samuel Bradley, gentleman of the Chesapeake, Catherine Page (“Page”) was a rebel who tried the patience of Duncan MacDougall who worked for her father. But even he could not foresee that the bored 18 year old, wanting to spend her birthday money for some new frippery, would stow away on the small sloop Duncan sailed across the Bay to Annapolis to pick up her father’s Madeira. Once there, she manages to get into further trouble when she rescues a British gentleman from a local mob who want to hang him as a spy. When she and Duncan sail back to get the British man and his servant to safety, they run right into a British warship.

Taken aboard the English frigate, Page learns that the British gentleman she rescued is Jocelyn Trevor, Viscount Hazard of London. Lord Hazard claimed to be in America to visit his sister, however, Page questions that. (He was an officer on Wellington’s staff, and it seemed odd that he’d be allowed to leave the Spanish front for family business.) In fact, he is the spy the mob in Annapolis accused him of being, though Page doesn’t know it. But since Page and Duncan MacDougall end up on a British warship because of him, Hazard vows he will see her safely back to her father.

This story reminded me of the statement of Bilbo in Lord of the Rings when he says to his nephew, “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” Page steps out of her door and is swept away on one adventure after another as she gets caught up in the War of 1812 and the life of one particular British lord.

 

Speas allows us to see the conflicting emotions of those on both sides of the war. Lord Hazard is shamed by the British atrocities at Hampton, and Page experiences gracious treatment at the hands of the British officers when aboard their ship. Though there were several reasons America declared war on Britain, Speas deals specifically with the impressment of merchant sailors into the Royal Navy—sailors who considered themselves Americans. We also get to witness America’s clever privateers at work with the character Mason.

I love that Speas incorporates her extensive research of the history into this endearing and charming love story. It’s a bit lighter than her others but still quite wonderful!

Christine Dorsey’s THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTIVE – English Girl and American Privateer Fall in Love in the War of 1812

July is American Patriotic month on the blog, that time when I feature romances set during America’s wars up to and including the Civil War. I’m starting with one from the War of 1812, the last war fought with the British.

Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, The Captain’s Captive is the story of Charlotte Winston, a young Englishwoman who lived in her daydreams while caring for her dying mother. When her mother passes on, Charlotte sails from England to Montreal to join her father, a general in the British army who has arranged a marriage for her to Captain Levid of the Royal Navy.

When Charlotte’s ship is fired upon by the American captain Jonathan Knox, the British captain quickly turns over control and Charlotte becomes Jon’s prisoner. Charlotte tells him she is betrothed to Captain Levid. Jon wants to know where he can find the English captain who impressed Jon’s younger brother (impressment was one of the causes of the war). Charlotte has only a vague idea where Levid is, and doesn’t like the man herself, but tells Knox she doesn’t know. Jon doesn’t believe her and decides to keep her in his cabin until she gives him the information he wants.

Initially, I thought the heroine a bit simpering and over theatrical (her voice squeaks and she shuts her eyes when reality is too much for her) and I did get a bit tired of her “fantasy pirate” that supposedly was a twin for the hero. The hero seemed too much of a gentleman. Those impressions changed somewhat as the book progressed, because the characters changed. In the last half of the book, Jon became more "real" and Charlotte acquired a backbone.

To my thinking there was a bit too much introspection and too much sex...the latter seemed to be piled on irrespective of the plot (or any concern for her getting pregnant, I might add). Don’t get me wrong; I like a good love scene, but I don’t need one each time the hero and heroine meet. And why was his family surprised to learn she was British and her father in the Royal Army? After all, she was raised in England (Oxfordshire) and I assume had an accent and other characteristics that gave her away.

There is no question Dorsey can write well and tell a good story. And I admire how she wove in the history and the abuses of the British military along the Chesapeake. Her battle scenes are realistic, and she captured well the terror of the night the British sacked Washington. For all that she gets full marks and a spot on the best list.

Janelle Taylor’s FORTUNE’S FLAMES – Exciting Privateer Adventure in New Orleans!

Set during the War of 1812, this is the story of Maren Jones, an American, sailing on her cousin’s ship from England to her home in New Orleans when a privateer by the name of Captain Hawk attacks and boards their ship. 

The infamous Captain Hawk is actually Jared Morgan, a patriot from Savannah who is working for President Madison and looking for traitors supporting the British. Maren’s cousin, Eric, tells her he is also working for the President, but it seems he is lying to her about many things.

Maren met Jared when she was 15 and was so enthralled, she disguised herself as a lad and followed the handsome young man around the wharf. So, when he captures her ship and then steals a kiss, she does not resist. Jared finds her enchanting, but he is also suspicious of both her cousin and her.

This is a tale has many twists and turns and wartime treachery as well. Maren and Jared come together to solve some mysterious happenings and find a way to be together. Jared is certainly a worthy hero I could not help but love. And Maren, having lost her father and mother, is determined to make it on her own with the gambling club left to her, Lady Luck.

There’s a surprise at the end, too!

Review: Mary Jo Putney’s ONCE A REBEL – The War of 1812 Comes Alive!

Set in 1814 (Prologue in 1799), this is the story of Callista (“Callie “) Brooke, who sought refuge in Washington when her husband died in Jamaica. As the British burn the Capital, she discovers her best friend Lord Gordon Audley who she thought dead is alive and has been sent from England to bring her home.

Gordon and Callie have a history, one that brought them both to near ruin, but now they come together to survive the war in America. Gordon has feelings for Callie but she vows never to wed again. Having made a life as a successful seamstress, renowned for her gowns, she likes the feel of independence and she has two stepchildren of mixed race who she vows to protect.

Both Callie and Gordon hate and are hated by their families and have no wish to see them again. Callie has mixed feelings about returning to England but the more she thinks of it and Gordon, the more appealing it is.

Putney has given us a historically authentic tale with some great action scenes from the War of 1812 as the British burn Washington and lay siege to Baltimore. Through it all, Gordon tries to win Callie’s love and she wonders if her home is America or England. A well written tale fans of Putney will love!

Review: Christine Dorsey’s THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTIVE – English Girl and American Privateer Fall in Love in the War of 1812

Set at the beginning of the War of 1812, this is the story of Charlotte Winston, a young Englishwoman who lived in her daydreams while caring for her dying mother. When her mother passes on, Charlotte sails from England to Montreal to join her father, a general in the British army who has arranged a marriage for her to Captain Levid of the Royal Navy.

When Charlotte’s ship is fired upon by the American captain Jonathan Knox, the British captain quickly turns over control and Charlotte becomes Jon’s prisoner. Charlotte tells him she is betrothed to Captain Levid. Jon wants to know where he can find the English captain who impressed Jon’s younger brother (impressment was one of the causes of the war). Charlotte has only a vague idea where Levid is, and doesn’t like the man herself, but tells Knox she doesn’t know. Jon doesn’t believe her and decides to keep her in his cabin until she gives him the information he wants.

Initially, I thought the heroine a bit simpering and over theatrical (her voice squeaks and she shuts her eyes when reality is too much for her) and I did get a bit tired of her “fantasy pirate” that supposedly was a twin for the hero. The hero seemed too much of a gentleman. Those impressions changed somewhat as the book progressed, because the characters changed. In the last half of the book, Jon became more "real" and Charlotte acquired a backbone.

To my thinking there was a bit too much introspection and too much sex...the latter seemed to be piled on irrespective of the plot (or any concern for her getting pregnant, I might add). Don’t get me wrong; I like a good love scene, but I don’t need one each time the hero and heroine meet. And why was his family surprised to learn she was British and her father in the Royal Army? After all, she was raised in England (Oxfordshire) and I assume had an accent and other characteristics that gave her away.

There is no question Dorsey can write well and tell a good story. And I admire how she wove in the history and the abuses of the British military along the Chesapeake. Her battle scenes are realistic, and she captured well the terror of the night the British sacked Washington. For all that she gets full marks and a spot on the best list.