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Never Tempt a Scot by Lauren Smith – a Review

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Never Tempt a Scot by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

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Description:
Scottish rogue Brodie Kincade has never met a woman he couldn’t seduce, but he’s about to meet his match in sweet-tempered but often overlooked Lydia Hunt, a young Englishwoman he mistakes for her scheming sister who hopes to snatch him up for a husband.

Quiet, sweet-tempered Lydia Hunt knows she’s not her father’s favorite daughter. That honor belongs to her prettier younger sister, Portia, who has a talent for getting into trouble. When Lydia discovers that her father and sister have had a very angry Scottish rogue kidnapped in order to convince him to marry Portia, Lydia knows she must help the man escape. Yet she never imagined that the devastatingly handsome Scotsman would mistake her for Portia and abduct her as revenge and flee to Scotland.

Brodie Kincade is a heartbreaker who has vowed never to marry after a traumatic childhood that left him afraid of becoming like his father. When he’s kidnapped by a pretty young Englishwoman with marriage on her mind, he turns the tables on his captor and absconds with her to Scotland, planning to ruin her reputation as revenge. But the beautiful, thoughtful, and irresistible lass he finds in his company seems very different from the brassy girl who kidnapped him. Soon, he’s risking his heart as he begins to wonder if he’s kidnapped the wrong woman . . .

 

 

 

Review:

Never Tempt a Scot is the latest in the series The League of Rogues by author extraordinaire, Lauren Smith. This is the story of highlander Brodie Kincade and Ms. Lydia Hunt. It’s a well-paced adventurous story involving kidnapping, elopements, double romance, and much more.

I count Lauren Smith among my favorite authors. Her series The League of Rogues is also a favorite on my reading lists. Her ability to spin a wonderful story with twists and turns is second to none. This lovely healing story is not an exception to that ability.

Brodie Kincade is one of the Kincade brothers from a previous episode. Their father was a brutal man who beat his children and said awful things to his wife. The wife died and the children were left to be raised by their brutal father. Most of the children have scars both physical and mental. He has three brothers I believe, and a sister. His oldest brother inherited the family title when their father passed away. However, all but Brodie and Aiden have married successfully and have loving relationships. Brodie fears he’s more like his father than the others and that he can never marry and subject a woman to that life. He just doesn’t trust himself.

Lydia Hunt is the older sister of Portia Hunt. Lydia notices Brodie at a ball, as well as her sister, and thinks he’s wildly handsome. Portia is young, totally reckless, and impatient. She incredibly spoiled by their widower father. Portia connives to have her father kidnap Brodie Kincade by telling him she’s with child (a lie) and that she’s in love with Brodie. In truth, she’s only briefly spoken to him, but being the spoiled child, she thinks every man is in love with her. The father and Portia hire men to drug and abduct Brodie and store him in a bedroom of their house. When Portia and the father are out at dinner, Lydia finds out what they’ve done and goes up to cut Brodie loose. He, mistakes her for Portia and kidnaps her at knifepoint and takes her away for revenge. She tries to tell him she’s not Portia, but he was too drunk and then drugged to remember clearly.

Okay, that’s the basic setup. I won’t do any further spoilers. This is just too wonderful of an adventure and romance. You really must read this for yourself. The conversations are wonderful, the suspense and surprises are aplenty. There’s so much more to this story, but it’s something you will enjoy reading more than being told about it. There are more tales in this one than the two people falling in love….just read it.

Author Lauren Smith is a master at weaving wonderful stories and this one full of twists and turns. Grab a copy, but don’t forget the tissues!

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy supplied for Review

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The Seduction of Laird Sinclair by Kara Griffin – a Review

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The Seduction of Laird Sinclair by Kara Griffin – a Review

 

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Description:
In order to love, she must first seduce…

Callum Sinclair should have known the night the great fireball lit the sky would change everything. He returns from battle wounded of body and heart to find his clan in disarray. Someone within his clan wants him dead and tried to assassinate him, his brother/laird murdered, his wife died in childbirth. Family dysfunction forces him to accept a destiny he never expected.

Violet Danvers’s life takes a complete turn when the king executes her husband for treason. Now he vows she will either wed his favored knight or suffer his punishment. With help from her husband’s ally, the king’s cousin, he sends her to his comrade in Scotland. He gains one promise from her, never to return to England, even if she must seduce the Highlander to gain his aid.

Even with the five rules of enticement, Violet’s seduction doesn’t come easy. Callum is broken of spirit, but she is not one to easily surrender to defeat. With laughter and grace, The Seduction of Laird Sinclair might lead them both to lose their hearts.

 

 

Review:

The Seduction of Laird Sinclair by Kara Griffin is a historical romance set in the time of 1388 in northern Scotland.

Callum Sinclair is the next in line for the title of Laird in the Sinclair clan. His brother, Gavin, now holds the title. There is quite a bit of family and clan dysfunction that Gavin does not wish to deal with. Haley’s comet is passing by, and the clan is frightened and needs leadership that Callum tries to provide because his brother doesn’t care. Callum also has a wife that doesn’t care for him, he feels like it’s his fault. Callum is sent by his brother to join James Douglas in a battle to stop English raids on Scotland’s towns. Callum is badly hurt, betrayed by his own soldiers. His life is saved after the battle by Henry Bolingbrook, the enemy. They become friends and Henry allows him to return home. However, everything at home has changed.

Violet Danvers is a lovely woman, married to Lord Charles Danvers. She’s been summoned to London to the court of King Richard. As she arrives, Sir Nicholas Colfax tells her of her husbands execution and that the king is going to give her to him. They have a long history of him tormenting her. She abhors this man and would rather die than marry him. Hers was a marriage of content convenience, but she was always faithful to her husband. Violet has a three-year old daughter who she learns the king has custody of and will not return her to Violet since she refused to marry Colfax. Henry Bolingbrook was a friend of Violet’s husband and is cousin to King Richard. However, he’s about to be exiled for a time. Her life is in great danger, but Henry convinced her that King Richard would not harm Cora if she left. Henry would try to find Cora and send her back to Violet. He made arrangements for Violet to escape to Scotland and stay with his friend Callum Sinclair. He told her she should do anything to stay with Sinclair, even seduction. She absolutely had to  stay away from England.

Okay, that’s the basic setup and I’ve left out quite a bit of detail. I don’t like to spoil stories for those who might want to read them. There’s a lot more intrigue, and danger. The trip North to Scotland is interesting and the meeting of Callum and Violet is wonderful. There is much fun and beauty and a boatload of adventure and danger, not to mention steamy love scenes. Will Callum be able to take the betrayals and find peace for his clan? Will Violet stay and help him heal or perhaps become the queen of England? Awww…see what waits for you to discover!

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy supplied for Review

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Honor Avenged by Tonya Burrows – a Review

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Honor Avenged by Tonya Burrows – a Review

 

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Description:
Leah Giancarelli makes balancing her new role as a single mom look easy, but she’d have crumbled if not for her late husband’s best friend, Marcus. She has her issues with HORNET, an elite hostage rescue team—after all, Danny would still be alive if he’d never accompanied them on their last mission—but Marcus has always been by her side, a strong shoulder to lean on…

Until, after one impulsive kiss, he’s so much more.

Eaten alive by guilt, Marcus takes off, leaving both HORNET and Leah behind. Alone is easier. Safer. Because his feelings for Leah are all kinds of wrong, the worst kind of betrayal, and he can’t trust himself not to act on them.

But Danny’s death was only the beginning. Whoever hired the hitman is looking for something, and they think Leah knows where it is…

Each book in the HORNET series is STANDALONE:
* SEAL of Honor
* Honor Reclaimed
* Broken Honor
* Code of Honor
* Reckless Honor
* Honor Avenged

 

Review:

Honor Avenged by Tonya Burrows is part of the Hornet Novel series. If you haven’t read the other novel, Hornet is the name of the organization of mercenary operations taken on by this group. This is a good organization of heroes with military or enforcement service who take on operations. This is the story of Marcus Deangelo and Leah Giancarelli (the widow of Marcus’s friend Danny Giancarelli).

Author Tonya Burrows has written another fast-paced adventurous novel with exceptionally emotional entanglements. It’s beautifully written and this one is heart rending on occasion with the added burden of guilt over a building love between the hero and his best friend’s widow.

The Hornet organization is even more dynamic and interesting than ever. I love getting to know the characters and their back stories.

The friendship between Danny and Marcus was strong and with his death, Marcus struggled with guilt at having asked him to join Hornet. He’s driven to find the person that shot his friend but finding that person leads to more misunderstanding and guilt.

Leah is confused and angry. She thinks Hornet failed to protect her husband and got him killed. She doesn’t want anything to do with them, but finds she needs them. Learning what actually happened and why is a game changer.

I love the interactions and conversations. The experiences are seriously lifelike, and the writing is intense, and I simply can’t wait for more from this great author and her band of heroes.

I highly recommend you grab a copy of this latest addition and have yourself a wonderful read.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy  provided by Publisher

 

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Boudreaux’s Lady by Lauren Smith – a Review

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Boudreaux’s Lady by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

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Description:
Danger makes the heart grow fonder…
Miss Philippa Wilson makes the best of a bad situation. Her lot in life isn’t what she’d choose, but being an upstairs maid for a wealthy baron is better than living on the streets. Little does she know her lackluster days are about to become decidedly more interesting…and dangerous. When a madman wants Philippa dead, it’s going to take more than the plan of her good-hearted employer to save her and find out why she’s being targeted. It’s going to take a hero…or maybe a rogue.
Beauregard Boudreaux is a notorious rogue, living uneventful days and terribly scandalous nights with little thought to settling down. He needs nothing more than a strong drink, a beautiful mistress, and a spirited card game to be happy…When he intervenes to rescue a friend’s upstairs maid from a killer, he’s drawn into a game of cat and mouse with the maid used as bait to draw out the killer. But the more time Beau spends with Philippa as her protector, the more he has an irresistible attraction to this mysterious woman. He also can’t shake the feeling that he’s seen her somewhere before.
But Beau has lost too much in life to risk being hurt again. He can’t let himself fall in love, not even with the temptation Philippa presents to him.
And bloody hell, she is oh-so tempting…

 

 

Review:

Boudreaux’s Lady is a historical romance novel. If you are familiar with Lauren Smith’s League of Rogues Series, you will recognize many of the characters in this new novel. This is a wonderfully thrilling novel with mystery, danger, suspense and of course, sizzling romance.

The main characters of the story are Beauregard Boudreaux and Phillipa Wilson (Selkirk).

This novel begins with a prologue set in London in October of 1806. Lady Albina Selkirk, wife of Cornelius Selkirk, the Earl of Monmouth has given birth to twins. A boy and a girl. The first born was a son, but he was stillborn. The girl was born second and healthy. Lord Monmouth was furious that his only son and heir was stillborn. He cursed at his wife as she lay bleeding out, dying. He instructed the midwife, Lucy, to take the girl to the miller’s cottage (the Wilsons) and make a deal to swap her for their son. He would give them much money to start over and he would raise their son as his heir, but they must all keep silent about it, forever. If they would not take his offer, he would kill the girl child.

The story picks up twenty years later at a ball where the Duke of St. Albans watched his grandson, Roderick, dancing.  He spoke to his good friend and almost neighbor Beau Boudreaux. The duke remarked on how the boy did not favor either him or his father, the Earl of Monmouth. But he loved the boy anyway. He was a good man with a kind heart. Beau and the duke were good friends since Beau was a boy and his mother had moved them here after his father had (a marquess) been killed by a firing squad in France, for his political beliefs. Beau thought of the duke as a surrogate father. The duke told Beau was the anniversary of his daughter’s death during childbirth and showed Beau her portrait in his hall. She was the most beautiful woman Beau had ever laid eyes on.

This setup is a little long, but I’m attempting to let you know what the story entails. I am, of course, leaving out the juicy details and conversations. I don’t do spoilers and you wouldn’t want me to spoil this marvelous tale. The author has done a marvelous job of showing the characters and gently letting you get to know them and their motives.

Our second main character, Philippa, is introduced now. She’s a maid in the household of Lord Lennox and his wife Rosalind (League of Rogues). While making up rooms upstairs, she hears someone arrive to see Lord Lennox. It was Lord Monmouth. Something about his voice chilled her and she became curious. Watching from the staircase as he waited, he became aware and looked up. His face paled and he muttered “No, you can’t be… Not here. It’s not possible.” He suddenly rushed up the staircase and grabbed by the throat and began choking her…

And that’s as far as I go with the setup! Except, she first meets Beau when he helps Lennox try to rescue her after Monmouth has someone kidnap her to kill her. Yes, this is an exciting thriller from start to finish. I haven’t given you much of the details that are included…because I don’t want to spoil it. Grab yourself a copy and make sure you have time to read. You won’t want to put this one down! I couldn’t!

Congratulations to author Lauren Smith on a brilliant novel.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy supplied for review

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An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord by Cathleen Ross – a Review

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An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord by Cathleen Ross – a Review

 

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Description:
Lord Aaron Lyle has one hell of a choice: a bankrupt dukedom, or marriage to some simpering society miss so his spendthrift father can get his hands on her huge dowry. He won’t do it. He has a reputation to maintain, and besides, he’d rather run naked through the streets of London than marry anyone at all. Surely, there must be a third option.

Then Lady Crystal Wilding walks into his life, a bluestocking, full of subversive thoughts, who hates the notion of marriage even more than he does. He is intrigued…and suddenly he has an idea. He invites the totally unsuitable lady home on the pretext of presenting her as a possible match…but in truth, Aaron has something far more pleasurable in mind. For her part, Lady Crystal has her own reasons for going along with his harebrained scheme.

Imagine their shock when his highly proper family loves her and starts planning the wedding. Good lord. Now what?

 

Review:

An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord by Cathleen Ross is a novel in the Scottish Lords and Ladies series. This is the story of Lord Aaron Lyle the Marquis of Lyle and Lady Crystal Wilding, daughter of a celebrated warrior, Lord Wilder, recently deceased.

Aaron is the son of the Duke of Lomond and is being harassed by his father to find a suitable bride of the Duke’s choosing. He simply doesn’t want any of the suitable, but uninteresting women his father has paraded in front of him.

Lady Crystal Wilding’s father is recently deceased, releasing her and her sisters to find their own matches or none at all in the case of Lady Crystal. She’s intelligent and has sworn not to marry and be under any man’s control. She wants to dedicate herself to changing the minds of the gentry and letting women and men decide who to marry for themselves, or to not do so.

Aaron is entranced by the lovely blonde Lady Crystal’s wit and sense of humor. He finds himself aligned with her ideas as well as entranced by her beauty.

That’s the basic setup of the story. I won’t spoil the read for you. She’s a speaker and we are gifted with an appearance for speaking in the house of Sir Walter Scott.

Enjoy the lovely dialog, the steamy romance that grows between Aaron and Crystal. Is it really impossible for them to marry? Much danger and foul deeds are afoot as these two wonderfully crafted characters find their way to each other.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

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Fair Weather Enemies by Sawyer North – a Review

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Fair Weather Enemies by Sawyer North – a Review

 

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Description:
The Hancocks and Ashfords have had a long-standing feud between their families long before Miss Jane Hancock couldn’t stand the sight of gentleman farmer Adam Ashford. But after both families fall on hard times and an unscrupulous creditor forces Jane and Adam to sign a devil’s bargain, they’ll finally understand the true meaning of keeping your enemies close at hand.

The terms of this bargain? Locate a lost treasure shrouded in deception and mystery.

The catch? Only one can claim it to win…the loser is left to ruin.

As Jane and Adam embark on a trek throughout England they plan to hate their adversary, no matter how attractive, generous, and kind they are.

Sometimes, plans change…

 

Review:

Fair Weather Enemies is a historical romance novel by author Sawyer North. Sawyer North is a new author to me. However, this will not be the last novel I want to read from this author.

The story begins in September of 1816, in London.

The two main characters of the story are Jane Hancock and Adam Ashford. The families of these characters are and have been both neighbors and each a part of a family feud going on for generations. This all began over a business they ran together until the Jacobite rebellion put an end to it. Their respective grandfathers hired a good man to take hundreds of gold pieces past the rebels. The man sent both families a letter describing where the gold could be found. However, neither family was able to decern where the gold was hidden. An argument ensued between the great grandfathers and they fought a duel. Each mortally wounded the other. That started the feud.

They have all had a very bad year. Adam owes a lot of money to Mr. Rutley (the villain). Jane runs her families mill and since crops failed this year, she also owes way too much to Mr. Rutley. He called in their debts, employing a lawyer, Mr. Barlow to oversee the procedure. He would take the Ashford lands and send Miss Hancock to debtors’ prison. In explaining this to Mr. Barlow, when Mr. Rutley stepped out to go to another meeting, they discovered the letters to each family had to be read together…this had never occurred to the families. Mr. Barlow informed both Jane and Adam that Mr. Rutley and his father before him had been taking advantage of this feud to fund each family’s attempts to ruin each other, and that while they fought the evil Rutleys had now gained both family holdings.

On hearing about the gold, Mr. Rutley cut them another proposition. They would have thirty days to find the gold, if not found they would both be ruined, and Mr. Ashford would have to marry Mr. Rutley’s daughter and cede his estate to Mr. Rutley. If found, they must toss a coin to see who would get all the gold. If Jane won, she would pay Mr. Rutley and keep her mill. If Adam won, Jane would go to debtors’ prison and Adam would still have to marry Mr. Rutley’s daughter. Mr. Barlow would accompany them on their search to represent Mr. Rutley’s interests.

Okay, that’s the basic setup and there’s much more detail you can read for yourself. You might be able to imagine where the author is taking this story, but the “devil” is in the details! Wow, the detail in this story great! Grab a copy of this one and settle in for a great read. I can’t wait for more from this author!

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

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Diamond in the Rogue by Wendy LaCapra – a Review

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Diamond in the Rogue by Wendy LaCapra – a Review

 

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Description:
In an act of revenge, Lord Rayne kissed Lady Julia and was sent packing to America. But now he’s back to settle his affairs and give away his sister in marriage, until he meets up with the alluring yet innocent Lady Julia again. He doesn’t regret their first kiss, but he was never good enough for her.

Lady Julia had two years to forget the moody and mercurial Earl of Rayne. But one look, and she knows they’re meant to be together. Be damned with his and her brother’s objections, she’ll just jump on the back of Rayne’s departing carriage and compromise them both thoroughly.
Only, Julia never expected her forbidding Lord to be so good at resisting temptation…

 

Review:

Diamond in the Rogue by Wendy LaCapra is a Lord of Chance novel. If you’re familiar with the series, you will recognize some of the characters featured in this novel.  The gist of this is that there are several members of the male aristocracy of the times that were great friends. They were young, rich, and visited the gambling dens so often they were each given the nickname of a suit of cards. Brompton was christened Spades; Farring was Clubs, Markham was Hearts, and Rayne was called Diamonds. The backstories on these fellows is usually interesting and complicated. As the title suggests, this novel is the story of Graham Laithe, Earl of Rayne and Julia Stanley, Lord Brompton’s sister.

A fierce misunderstanding caused a serious rift among the friends. Lord Rayne was told to stay away from Lady Julia by not only her brother, but their friend Lord Markham as well. Only Lord Farring still believed in Rayne, his other friends no longer welcomed him. After the argument that caused the rift, Rayne had sailed for American and remained there trying to remake his character as he thought he needed for several years. He’d only recently returned to see to his sister’s marriage to his ex-friend Markham. He was planning to sell his estate and return to his solitary life in New York.

Lady Julia had gone a coming out, but never really tried to find a match because she still wanted Rayne. She watches him almost as much as he watches her. Lord Farring knows she still wants Rayne and he thinks his friend is making bad decisions and about to ruin his life. He and Julia begin to put together a plan to abduct Rayne and make him face his feelings and try to begin again. Julia isn’t sure Rayne really wants her, but Farring convinces her he’s hiding from feelings he’s afraid of.

Okay. That’s the basic setup of the novel. I won’t do spoilers. I like discovering novels and characters for myself and I think most of us do too. The premise is almost madness and yet interestingly managed. The arguments are wild and witty. The romance is splendidly erotic and yet sweet. This is a wonderful addition to the series and I just love to see how these damaged, but wonderful people can overcome all they’ve been through and find a happy life.

Grab yourself a good drink and maybe a snack, sit down for a great ride! Congratulations to author LaCapra on another wonderful story.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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No Rest for The Wicked by Lauren Smith – a Review

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No Rest for The Wicked by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

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Description:
A wicked pirate, a lady-turned cabin boy and a love reaching the distant horizon.

Your next Pirate Adventure awaits You!

A lady’s guide to surviving aboard a pirate ship:
1)Dress as a cabin boy.
2)Avoid drinking too much rum when the handsome captain is around.
3)Do not let the captain kiss you…again.

The last thing Roberta Harcourt needs is to be trapped on a ship with pirates. After she is separated from her father when their ship is attacked, Roberta finds herself the unwilling guest of sinfully handsome Captain Dominic Grey. He gives her two choices: to share his bed and maintain her life as a lady, or she can sleep on the floor of his cabin and live the life of a cabin boy until he decides to set her free. Refusing to be seduced by a pirate, she dresses in breeches and assumes duties on board his ship among the men, but each night, sharing a cabin with the brooding, seductively intense captain, she begins to wonder if letting him kiss her again might be a rule worth breaking…

Dominic lost his innocence long ago when he was kidnapped and sold into indentured servitude in the West Indies. Determined to leave the painful memories of his past behind, he looks only to the future and the next prize he and his crew can capture on the high seas…until he discovers and captures the feisty daughter of a naval admiral. Protecting her from other pirates and preventing her marriage to an English officer is all in a day’s work for a pirate. But Dominic is determined to play the gentleman he once was born to be. He tries to resist the siren’s call of her sweet lips, especially when she’s arguing with him.

But damned if the woman wasn’t meant to be a pirate because she’s stealing his heart…

 

 

Review:

Hold on to your hats my mates’, Lauren Smith has a swashbuckler of a tale for ya!

In all seriousness, you don’t want to miss this one. It has it all, adventure, danger, heartbreak, romance and love! What more could a reader ask?

Okay, I don’t do spoilers, but let me just set up the story for you and then let you know what I found so compelling and wonderful.

The story begins in Cornwell England 1727. A fourteen-year-old Dominic Greyville (son of the Earl of Camden) is in a fistfight with a bully, two years older, who has embarrassed a young girl. His best friend Nicholas Frey is cheering him on and trying to help with warnings. The fight is broken up and the boys head home. They make a promise they will follow each other to the ends of the earth, always. However, his father is not as pleased and sends Dominic to bed without supper. Being Dominic, he soon climbs out a window and heads for the docks, alone. He’s spotted by some bad men and kidnapped to be sold into indenture in the West Indies, along with several other boys about his age.

The story then picks up in the Port of Cadiz 1741. Dominic is now a sea captain, forced to survive as a pirate. He learns that an English ship containing a “treasure” will be coming their way soon and he and his men set out to retrieve it.

Roberta Harcourt is sailing on the ship Fortune with her father Rear Admiral Charles Harcourt to his new assignment in Port Royal in the West Indies. The only treasure aboard are some bolts of silk and the Admiral’s daughter.

Okay, that’s the setup. I won’t spoil anymore of this magnificent tale. Lauren Smith is a very talented author and I’ve enjoyed her books greatly. Her League of Rogues and Wicked Earls are all well done than thrilling. That said, I believe this is the best book I’ve read in quite some time. It opens with action and the action doesn’t quit. The pace is well kept. The characters are fascinating, even most of the secondary ones too. The dialog is witty and well done. I laughed, squirmed, sobbed, and swooned all in the same book! Please do yourself a favor and don’t miss this one! Kudos to Lauren Smith!

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy supplied for review

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