PLEASURING THE PIRATE

Author: Emily Bryan ISBN: 9780843961331 8/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: 1720's England

BURIED TREASURE All it took was a flick of the wrist. A deft touch of his sword point and Drake the Dragon bared her bound breasts. Then with the heat of his hands along her skin, he bared her soul. All the wantonness Jacquelyn had denied herself as a famous courtesan’s daughter, all the desire she’d held in her heart while running Lord Gabriel Drake’s estate flooded through her at his touch. Not that she could let a bloody pirate know it. Gabriel may have left his seafaring days behind, but his urge to plunder was stronger than ever. Especially if it involved full, ripe lips and a warm, soft body. Unfortunately, he needed Jacquelyn’s help, not her maidenhead, to learn how to behave properly toward a lady so he could marry and produce an heir. Yet Mistress Jack was the only woman he wanted, no matter what her heritage. And everyone knows what a pirate wants, a pirate takes….

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I have to admit, I laughed out loud more than usual reading PLEASURING THE PIRATE. What starts out as a rollicking swashbuckler on the high seas soon landlocks its characters into a fun-filled romp complete with crusty characters, a hunky ex-pirate turned noble and a heroine who can hold her own against the best of them—not to mention looks great in a pair of boy's trousers and can wield a sword as well as any man. Throw in a quintet of mischievous nieces aged tot to teen and, well, I can't imagine anyone not chortling out loud at some of the hijinks and antics that obviously will ensue.

Gabriel Drake has come back to claim his late father's estate, but too late to make amends and show his father he's now the son he'd always hoped he would become. His seafaring days behind him, Gabriel must assume his role and save his father's bankrupt estate, take his place in high society, enter the ton and find himself a suitable wife. Whew! That's a lot for anyone to cope with, let alone someone more comfortable with a rolling deck under his feet. Only there's one slight problem: Gabriel has no money to do it with. Oh, and there's one more little item in the way: his heart. For once a pirate, always a pirate, and Gabriel has no idea how to accomplish any of this without seeking the help of one Miss Jacquelyn Wren (she of the boy's trousers and apt swordplay). It's not long before Gabriel discovers that the woman who owns his heart is the one he wants for a wife—Jacquelyn. Unfortunately, her illegitimacy and lack of money makes her completely ineligible to become his bride, in Jacquelyn's eyes as well as society's. Besides, Jacquelyn is just as determined to find Gabriel a suitable wife, preferably an heiress with a very big dowry, even though she knows her own heart belongs to this vexing and sexy swashbuckler. But you know what they (and the author) say... What a pirate wants, a pirate gets. Or will he?

PLEASURING THE PIRATE is a sexy, lighthearted romp and one I had a lot of fun reading. It was always entertaining, with something always afoot—good, bad and in between, with quirky somewheres and someones that kept the story fast paced with never a dull moment. It's a bit naughty and bawdy at times (ex-pirates are bound to be, you know, because old habits die hard), but the dialogue, verbal sparring and exceptional characters in PLEASURING THE PIRATE were simply delightful. And of course, like all good pirate romances we adore, the romance is sexy, the backdrops are mysterious and gloomy (with a castle on the seacoast named Dragon Caern, replete with secret tunnels and dark, dank dungeons, how much more Gothic can you get?) and the villain gets outsmarted to let our hero and heroine live to sail into the sunset for yet another day.

Bottom line, if you're looking for a feel-good, fun historical romance with plenty of sexual sizzle, PLEASURING THE PIRATE will be sure to pleasure you, too! Looks like another winner for Emily Bryan and I can't wait to see where her imagination will take me next!

Nancy Davis