FOR THE LOVE OF A PIRATE

Author: Edith Layton ISBN: 0060757868 12/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: Regency

He's searching for a proper bride... Constantine, Lord Wylde, is a gentleman beyond reproach. Now it's time for him to find a suitable gentlewoman to wed—a well-bred, well-behaved lady, as proper as... well, Constantine himself. But his plans are shattered when a fierce, aging pirate invades his home with shocking news: Constantine is already engaged... to the brigand's lovely granddaughter, Lisabeth! But finds a perfect passion instead... Wildly independent Lisabeth, however, has no desire for marriage—certainly not to a straightlaced nobleman bound to her by some long-ago promise.... even if she's tantalize by his manly form and the sensuality he can't quite disguise. Though shocked by the lady's improprieties, Constantine soon finds himself acting as lustily as any outlaw. But how does a staid gentleman win the heart of a betwitching pirate?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Don't let the title and picture on this book deceive you. FOR THE LOVE OF A PIRATE isn't a romance about a sexy and dashing pirate sailing upon the high seas, swashbuckling his way into women's hearts and absconding with all the booty. Well, not exactly it isn't.

Constantine, Lord Wylde, is a bit of a stick and a prig. He's the perfect ton-ish aristocrat: impeccably mannered, impeccably dressed, monied and with an impeccable family lineage to his credit. Or so he thinks. But that all changes when he becomes engaged to the equally impeccable Miss Winchester. For what bigger a shocker is there, when you discover after-the-fact that your lineage is filled with devil-may-care pirates and roguish highwaymen. Not only that, but you've been betrothed since birth to the daughter of another pirate!

Of course, Con isn't taking this lying down. Why, he'd be ruined if his background were to be discovered by the ton! So off he goes to meet his fiance—after a bit of intimidation from her grandfather—to learn about his real heritage, once and for all, and to sort out the mess his life has become.

Edith Layton's storyline took me by surprise, since the title doesn't give it away and it was totally unexpected. Con is no pirate, and no dashing highwayman, either. As a matter of fact, he's mild mannered, sensitive and just about as laid back as any aristocrat could be. Lisabeth, on the other hand, is a totally free spirit, raised amidst a household and village populated by eccentric characters, whose love for the romantic legends of their homegrown pirates and highwaymen has never ceased to wane.

Con and Lisabeth don't seem to have much in common—Lisabeth wants Con to have all the dash, daring and sexiness of his ancestors, which he hasn't, and Con expects Lisabeth to be more of a lady, not this hoyden who curses, wears pants, and calls life as she sees it. Nevertheless, opposites do attract and these two are like magnets, drawn together despite their obvious differences. But in the end, can Lisabeth accept Con for the man he is, not the man she's dreamed he'd be when she fell in love with his ancestors' portraits? And can Con accept that Lisabeth will always be Lisabeth, free spirited with a dash of daring and not always accepting of the ways of the ton?

This is where Edith Layton shines, when she places Lisabeth into London society and keeps the storyline in adherence to its severe strictures and expected behaviors. And she does much the same with Con when he's residing at Lisabeth's grandfather's estate—for a man who is used to keeping town hours, wearing impeccable dress and aware that everything he does is placed under the scrutiny of the ton, he's as much a fish out of water in Lisabeth's countryside surroundings as she is in prim and proper London.

When you read FOR THE LOVE OF A PIRATE, don't expect the obvious because you definitely won't get it, including the way that this story concludes—in which Con will truly become a man of your heart. FOR THE LOVE OF A PIRATE is a real treasure and was simply a delight to read.

Nancy Davis