THE PIRATE HUNTER

Author: Jennifer Ashley ISBN: 0843952806 5/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: Leisure
Time Period: Regency

Widowed by an officer in the English navy, Diana Worthing was tired of self-important men. Then the legendary James Ardmore had the gall to abduct her, to demand information. A champion to some and a villain to others, the rogue sailed the high seas, ruthlessly hunting down pirates. And he claimed Diana's father was the key to justice. She refused to tell him what she knew. Too furious to be intimidated, Diana threw a loaf of bread and an entire tureen of soup at him. James retaliated with more persuasive weapons: passionate kisses and seductive caresses. Most potent of all, though, were his honorable intentions, for they made Diana forget reason. They made her long to believe she'd finally found a man she could trust, a man worth loving—a true hero who could rescue her marooned heart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Well, all I can say is that Jennifer Ashley has done it again! THE PIRATE HUNTER, a sequel to her outstanding book THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR, is nothing short of brilliant! If anything, Ms. Ashley’s novels just keep getting better and better, with each book being more intriguing than the last.

In her latest book THE PIRATE HUNTER, Ms. Ashley tells us the fascinating story of Lady Diana Worthing, a widowed mother of a precocious young daughter, Isabeau, (who became deaf as a result of an illness when she was a toddler. Isabeau will capture your heart, guaranteed!) and the legendary Pirate Hunter James Admore. A little more than a year ago, James had the gall to kidnap Diana, in order to get information out of her about her illustrious husband, an English Naval Officer, who just happened to be a first-rate cad and wife-abuser, as well. Diana, however, refuses to give up any information about her husband, becoming more and more tight-lipped with every passing minute. Being a feisty and strong-willed woman by nature, Diana gets to the point where she is so angry with James that she hurls her dinner at him, which is a very messy ordeal, to say the least, and this behavior seems to set the tone of their entire relationship, which can only be defined as unique and energetic, as well as more than a little sticky at times, with those soup tureens flying around!

Fast-forward about a year or so, to March of 1812~

She just couldn’t believe her eyes! Diana was taking a stroll on the beach of Haven, her father’s secluded island, when what should she come across but two men, unconscious and pretty banged up on the shoreline. When she gets closer, I’m sure that she felt an eerie sense of deja-vu—it was none other than James, her illustrious kidnapper, and a man who appeared to be a British Officer, by the looks of what remained of his tattered uniform. What in the world could James be doing here, washed up on shore, and with a British lieutenant, no less? It seems that James had finally been captured, and was chained aboard a British frigate. As the story unveils, we find out that the young officer had loosened James’ shackles, which gave him at least a fighting chance to make it ashore alive. You see, there was no alternative but to swim, as the frigate that they were on was sinking, and doing so quite rapidly at this point! Diana was of two minds at this point: She didn’t know whether she wanted to finish James off right then and there (maybe she had half a fighting chance right now, as James was obviously in a greatly weakened condition), or on the other hand, should she nurse him back to health, and take her revenge when he was coherent? After all, finishing the job that the British had started seemed only fitting, considering everything that James had put Diana through while being held prisoner by him.

James evoked the strangest combination of emotions in Diana. She remembers how tingles went down her spine at the memory of his touch, and how she got rosy-cheeked at the thought of his southern Charleston drawl. The man was a scandal! Will Diana’s perception of him change, and will her feelings for James evolve into a bond of equally potent love, from the loathing that she now feels for this enigma of a man? Well, if the truth be told, Diana didn’t feel just loathing at this point, but she would never admit that little secret to anyone! After all, he is the most charming and handsome, (as well as dangerous and secretive) of the many men who had pursued Diana in her lifetime.

The only complaint that I have with THE PIRATE HUNTER is that it could have been another 500 pages long, and I would have loved it even more! Ms. Ashley breathes so much life and love into her characters, with such vibrant and witty writing, that you will easily be able to picture yourself there with Diana and James. Or, at the very least, wishing that you were there!

Will we be treated to another book in the Pirate series? I certainly hope so, as this series is sure to develop a huge following.

I give this book a rating of a Keeper, for sure. Whatever you do, don’t miss this fun and exciting book! Thank you, Ms. Ashley, and please...keep ‘em coming!

Geni Thierault