Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Pirates of Britannia Connected World
Publication Date: 10/30/19
Number of Pages: 219

This book is the author’s first foray into writing a pirate story and I can tell you – she has absolutely outdone herself. This is an excellent read. The excitement starts on the first page and doesn’t let up till the last. The book will tear your heart out and then put it all back together again – and there is a twist at the end that will absolutely floor you!

Dominic Greyville, the heir to the Earl of Camden, was fourteen when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He suffered years of torture and abuse and was forced into becoming a pirate. Now, fourteen years later, he is a pirate and captain of his own sloop, the Emerald Dragon. He and his crew spend as much time attacking slave ships and freeing the slaves as they do capturing treasure, but that won’t keep them from being hanged if they are ever caught.

Roberta (Robbie) Harcourt was raised on the sea. She lost her mother when she was very young and her father couldn’t bear being separated from her, so she went on many of his sea voyages. She loved the freedom and adventure of the sea and hoped that her new life in Port Royal where her father Rear Admiral Harcourt would now be based.

Dominic gets word that there is a ship with ‘precious’ cargo headed toward Port Royal. It is such important cargo that there is a rear admiral traveling with it. That certainly whets a pirate’s appetite. It doesn’t take much effort for the Emerald Dragon to overtake the Fortune and capture all on board. After the captives are placed in a longboat with instruments to head them toward Port Royal, the Fortune begins to sink. Except – they found two cabin boys hiding in a closet. It is too late to get them onto the longboats, so Dominic’s crew takes them along with them. It doesn’t take Dominic long to realize that the cabin boys aren’t boys at all.

I loved seeing Roberta and Dominic dance around each other. The attraction was strong an the more Roberta learned about Dominic, the greater the attraction. There can be no life together for them – Dom is a pirate and would be hanged if he were caught.

You really have to read this wonderful pirate story. It is filled with love, friendship, enemies, and so very much excitement and suspense. The ending – all I can say is WOW!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.