Lisa Gregory’s BONDS OF LOVE – Exciting Civil War Love Story—a Classic!

What can I say about this book? It’s a well-written page-turner, a bodice ripper and Lisa Gregory’s (aka Candace Camp’s) first novel, published in 1978. Set during the Civil War, it tells the story of Katherine Devereaux, the only daughter of a wealthy Boston shipbuilder, who is abducted by one of the Confederate prisoners working in her father’s shipyard.

 

Katherine is witty, independent and capable, and when we first meet her in Boston, she is intent on marrying a Union naval officer, Lt. William Perkins. But that plan would soon change.

 

Captain Matthew Hampton is arrogant and selfish. He desired the haughty Miss Devereaux from the moment he laid eyes on her. And since he takes what he wants, when he escapes with a ship and his men, he kidnaps Katherine and takes her to sea, and then to England. In Katherine’s own words, “He stole me! He raped me! And now he refuses to release me, locks me in here like a dog in its kennel.”

 

When she does escape him in England, it is to a terrible fate. I kept thinking all the while it is Hampton who is responsible for ALL her misfortune since he abducted her in the first place. For me, it was sort of a “loved her, hated him” story. When he finally comes to realize he loves her, he just couldn’t grovel enough to compensate for what Katherine experienced. I just could not like him, no matter how contrite he became. To my mind the real hero here was the constant Lt. Perkins, who still wanted Katherine even after all she had experienced.

 

For all that, if you’re looking for a good bodice ripper with a very worthy heroine, I recommend it.

 

 

Jennifer Blake’s THE STORM AND THE SPLENDOR – Captivating Adventure with a Mysterious Ship’s Captain Sailing From New Orleans to London to Algiers!

 

Set in 1818, three years after the Battle of Waterloo, this is a sweeping saga that begins as a group of Napoleon loyalists in New Orleans plot to free the former emperor from his captivity on St. Helena. Well-educated and independent Julia Marie Dupre, a beautiful French Creole, is deeply involved, her father being one of the conspirators. Joining the group is a handsome English sea captain, Captain Rudyard Thorpe, who looks down on Julia as a mere woman. He says he’s in it for the money, and offers his ship the Sea Jade to assist in the daring attempt to free the former emperor, but Julia doesn’t trust him. By her father’s bidding, and her own desire, she and her father will accompany the Sea Jade on its mission. Soon, however, she is alone and far from home. Left with no other option, Julia must become Rudyard's bride or abandon the undertaking.

Many adventures befall them including treachery at sea as they travel to London and onto St. Helena and then toward Rio. A wild storm at sea results in Rud and Julia being captured by pirates. Julia, deceived by the man she was forced to trust, ends up in the harem of the dey of Algiers where dangerous games are played and her wisdom will be tested. Rud becomes a privateer for the dey’s nephew, a contender for the next dey.

 

It’s a brilliant, captivating tale, well told with wonderful characters, rich historic detail based on considerable research. Absorbing storytelling at its best! I highly recommend it.

 

Jennifer Horsman’s VIRGIN STAR – Shipboard Romance with an Irish Twist

 

This is another of Horsman’s shipboard historical romances, but with an Irish hero and a heroine who doesn’t know who she is.

 

Set in 1823, this is the story of a young Englishwoman who, as a child, was taken from England to Malacca near the South China Sea. (We don’t know why for most of the book.) When the story opens, she is 21 and has been beaten and dumped on the doorstep of Captain Sean Seanessy, a wealthy Irish sea captain living in opulent splendor in England where he’s become an asset to the British government.

 

Sean is a man of the world who takes his pleasure wherever he finds it. He is smitten by the girl with amnesia who wears only a ruby necklace and calls her “the virgin star.” He names her Shalyn after the wind fairies of Ireland. She has no memory save for Malacca and the nightmares that haunt her of a beach with human skulls stuck in the sand. Seanessy is intrigued when he discovers the intelligent, well-educated young woman has been trained in Oriental fighting techniques, and of course, his attraction is immediate.

 

Consumed with an assignment from the British government to destroy a cache of opium held on an island near Malacca by a French duke, Seanessy has no time for the troublesome young woman. He believes the French duke has already made an attempt on the life of his half brother and his wife. It’s a game of cat and mouse that finally leads to Seanessy’s sailing for Malacca unaware that Shalyn has stowed away onboard. As they sail toward the duke’s island, Shalyn’s memories begin to return, both those of England as a child and in Malacca.

 

Horsman has created a wonderful set of characters in Seanessy’s crew, including a big dog named Oliver who takes a liking to Shalyn. There’s enough historical detail to satisfy the romance reader who likes more than “wallpaper” history and enough chemistry between Seanessy and Shalyn to make for an intriguing romance. (We don’t learn her true identity until late in the book.)

 

Note: Both the hero and heroine have light hair, the heroine’s described as golden blonde, notwithstanding the redhead on the cover.

Georgette Heyer’s BEAUVALLET – Lively Elizabethan Swashbuckler set in England, France and Spain

Set in 1586 in England, France and (mostly) Spain and the waters off their coasts, this is an early work of the classic author, Georgette Heyer, a swashbuckler with an English aristocrat, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet. “Mad Nicholas” prefers sailing his ship and troubling the Spanish galleons to enjoying the wealth he had gained and the family estate in England.

On one of his excursions, Nick captures a Spanish galleon carrying Doña Dominica de Rada y Sylvan, a young maiden returning to Spain with her ailing father. Instantly he is in love with Dominica, who is quite a brat at first, and vows to return her and her father to Spain. But Nick tells Dominica he will reclaim her within a year. She protests but is secretly thrilled. The man to whom her aunt would wed Dominica is loathsome to her.

Nick was well loved in England. Queen Elizabeth adored him and his friends included many notables, such as Sir Francis Drake. But to his enemies, he was the "Scourge of Spain".

This story is all about the hero and his noble (and quite funny) valet, Joshua. Though Nick is quite full of himself, he is charming in his conceit, and apparently, his conceit is justified.

Enjoyable romp with Heyer’s unusual witty banter.

Sharon & Tom Curtis (aka Laura London) - THE WINDFLOWER – Superb Pirate Romance—a Keeper!

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. It’s a classic. 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 historical romance will not disappoint.

Kathleen Woodiwiss’ THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER – Captivating Tale of a Sea Captain and the Woman he mistook for a Doxy—a Keeper!

This was Kathleen Woodiwiss' first romance, first published in 1972, and it's still a gold standard. She set the bar high and few can come close, even now. It's a timeless, wonderful story rich in detail and emotion. You will love it, I promise.

Set in 1799, it tells the story of the beautiful young Heather Simmons who was raised a nobleman's daughter. When her father, grieving at his wife’s death, gambled away the family’s money and then died himself, the young Heather was sent off to live with poor relations who abuse her (think Cinderella). She believes she is given a chance to escape when her older cousin, a successful merchant, comes to call, claiming he can get her a job at a girl's school in London.

Heather soon discovers that the lecherous old man has something entirely different in mind. When he dresses her up as a whore, Heather flees only to find herself on the docks of London. There, seamen from Capt. Brandon Birmingham's ship, looking for a doxy for their captain's pleasure, seize her. Brandon, an American merchant sea captain from the Carolinas, is delighted with what he believes is a gorgeous young prostitute. Before he hears her story, he has his way with her only to realize he has just deflowered a virgin. He tells her she needs to be resigned to becoming his paramour, but she will have none of it and escapes. (I just loved that part…a courageous heroine who cleverly escapes the hero’s bad intention). And so the tale begins.

It's an amazing story that will take you from a poor farm in England, to London, to a merchant ship sailing across the Atlantic, and finally to the American south of wealthy plantations.

Woodiwiss paints vivid word pictures of life on the farm and the adventure at sea. It is a tale of great love coming from a rude beginning. I liked Woodiwiss’ prose and masterfully drawn characters. If you read historical romance, you MUST read this one. It’s a keeper!

Candace McCarthy’s SEA MISTRESS – Fascinating 19th Century American High Seas Romance with a Sea Captain Hero and an Independent Heroine

Set in 1845 (prologue) and 1850, this is the story of Elizabeth ("Bess") Metcalf, orphaned and raised by her uncle who is a merchant shipping magnate. As a young woman she fell in love with and gave herself to a young sailor, Seth Garret, who she believed abandoned her after their passionate love affair.

Five years later when her uncle dies and leaves her the business, she decides to have her revenge on the man who wronged her, now Captain Seth Garret. In pursuit of him, she stows aboard his ship, a ship that is now one of her company's assets, a Clipper ship on its way to California from the East Coast of America. She intends to show him what it means to be betrayed.

This was my first by McCarthy and I really enjoyed it. She kept me turning pages as the many twists and turns in the story had me wondering what would come next. And I loved the shipboard setting--a Clipper ship from the "age of sail." And she got the terminology right! You'll experience a storm rounding the Cape on the way to San Francisco and many escapades on the way. The characters are well developed and the emotions real.

This is a story of second chances, as a young couple in love rediscovers the deep feelings they once had for each other, feelings they buried long ago. I recommend it.

Karen Robards’ DESIRE IN THE SUN – A Handsome Sea Captain, a Forbidden Love and a Tropical Isle—Formula for a Lasting Love!

February is Pirates and Privateers month in which I feature books with love on the high seas! So let the adventure begin with this story by a great author.

Set in 1792, this tells of Delilah Remy from the British island of Barbados who visits her great aunt in Virginia with the hopes of finding a suitor she actually wants (having previously turned down two dozen proposals and not being very thrilled with her father’s choice). One night she encounters Joss San Pietro, the first man she’s ever been attracted to. He’s tall, dark and terribly handsome and much more mature than the fops who she’s been exposed to and better that the oh-so-dull man her father would see her marry on Barbados where they have a plantation. But the night they meet, Lilah and Joss learn a terrible secret about him that means they can never be together: Joss is not entirely white.

Robards deals well with a sensitive issue at a time when England had no slaves but America did. Joss is an educated businessman, a merchant sea captain with his own ships, but his one drop of African blood rules him out as a suitor and throws him into slavery.

On the voyage south to Barbados, where Joss accompanies Lilah as her slave, they will be shipwrecked on a tropical island for months where none of the rules apply.

Robards tells a great tale with wonderful characters and a deep romance that defies the rules of the day. It kept me turning pages.

Jennifer Blake’s THE STORM AND THE SPLENDOR – Captivating Adventure with a Mysterious Ship’s Captain Sailing From New Orleans to London to Algiers!

Set in 1818, three years after the Battle of Waterloo, this is a sweeping saga that begins as a group of Napoleon loyalists in New Orleans plot to free the former emperor from his captivity on St. Helena. Well-educated and independent Julia Marie Dupre, a beautiful French Creole, is deeply involved, her father being one of the conspirators. Joining the group is a handsome English sea captain, Captain Rudyard Thorpe, who looks down on Julia as a mere woman. He says he’s in it for the money, and offers his ship the Sea Jade to assist in the daring attempt to free the former emperor, but Julia doesn’t trust him. By her father’s bidding, and her own desire, she and her father will accompany the Sea Jade on its mission. Soon, however, she is alone and far from home. Left with no other option, Julia must become Rudyard's bride or abandon the undertaking.

Many adventures befall them including treachery at sea as they travel to London and onto St. Helena and then toward Rio. A wild storm at sea results in Rud and Julia being captured by pirates. Julia, deceived by the man she was forced to trust, ends up in the harem of the dey of Algiers where dangerous games are played and her wisdom will be tested. Rud becomes a privateer for the dey’s nephew, a contender for the next dey.

It’s a brilliant, captivating tale, well told with wonderful characters, rich historic detail based on considerable research. Absorbing storytelling at its best! I highly recommend it. It's part of the 2-book Love and Adventure, Part 1 boxed set, a bargain because it comes with her first novel, Love's Wild Desire.

Lily Baldwin’s ROSE – Shipwreck Leads to Love Between an English Captain and a Scot

This is the latest installment in the author’s “Scottish Outlaws” series. Set in Scotland in 1303, beginning in the Hebrides, this is the story of Rose MacVie, tragically widowed when the English massacred her husband and daughters. At 30, she wants a new life but despairs she will have one living with her brothers on the remote island. When her youngest brother offers her the position of quartermaster on his ship, she jumps at the chance, but alas, she never gets there.

Tristan Thatcher, an English merchant captain, has been betrothed by his father to a woman he does not like but one who will bring a title to the family. Tristan wants out and is persuaded by his quartermaster to pretend to have already wed before the betrothal message arrived, thus defeating his father’s plans. When Rose washes up next to their ship, floating on the wreckage of a small boat, he thinks she is just the one to save him.

Rose and Tristan launch their plan to pretend to be wed and then fall in love as they sail to France and England, his home. It’s an entertaining read with a hero who, as far as I could tell, is a flawless gentleman, accepting Rose’s past and her outlaw brothers without question. Rose is an adventurous type and a gifted healer.

Though it is part of a series and there are references to the other stories, it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone.

The Scottish Outlaws series:

Jack

Quinn

Rory

Alec

Rose