I have to say I expected a little more from this book and was a bit disappointed overall. (some spoilers below) I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, including the piracy era, and this book fell remarkably short of the others I've read.

The book begins with one of the main characters, Maribel, a young girl of 12/13 as she is taken aboard the ship of a privateer after her father is killed. The captain, a man about 12 years her senior, doesn't want her on board, but she later sneaks back on his ship. She endears herself to those around her, and later when the ship is attacked, she is rescued and sent to live on a quiet island. (44% of the book focuses on her time at this age).

Somehow she can't quite remember everything that happened when she was on the ship and recovers living with nuns. Meanwhile, the captain of the ship is also injured, believes her dead, and in his months of recovery is unclear on all that has happened.

Fast forward about ten years and the two are reacquainted and all the memories are back. Maribel is now a woman of 23 and living in New Orleans and trying to fit back into society with family that has been searching for her for years.

The remainder of the book focuses on her discovery of family secrets, along with her relationship with Jean-Luc, the captain she knew from years ago and his secrets.

Personally, the relationship between the two seemed rather rushed and just creepy in a way. Considering her age when they first met and the age difference, the sudden falling in love was just rather unbelievable. For years she has dreamed of this man (I understand a young girl having a crush on an older man), but the other side of that is a little bit discomforting to me. Had the author allowed them to spend more time getting to know each other and develop a real relationship, it might not have seemed so rushed and off kilter.


This book was given to me via NetGalley for review from the publisher. All thoughts/opinions are my own.

This book was a fun-filled mystery! It was a bit longer than expected, but with all this snow and ice, there's plenty of time for reading! Actually, it was perfect because I felt as though I was swept away on a privateer ship to the warm Caribbean. The characters were believable and easy to relate to, with a sweet girl, a fearsome captain, and a brave hero. One thing I like about this book is that it's part of a multi-generational series. We met the great-grandmother back in the Pilgrim Bride (is that the right title? Maybe it's the Mayflower Bride...), and will follow the family through American history. Looking forward to the next installment!

<I> The Pirate's Bride </I> is an easy afternoon escape. I quickly read this book in one setting and enjoyed the story of a girl who was captured by privateers. It took a couple turns I did not see, but wrapped up very quickly.
This was a interesting look at early New Orleans and piracy/priveteering, but I wish we got a little more history and background about New Orleans.

The beginning of this book was wonderful. The storyline was fun and exciting. I was over halfway through the novel when it took a sour turn. It appeared there was too much information the author wanted to tell but didn't have the energy to finish it all. There were too many surprise turns that often seemed to conflict with each other. I think the author has all the potential in the world but will need to review the endings.

This book was a fun, sweet mystery filled adventure. I felt as if I was swept away on a privateer ship in the Caribbean. With a little red headed girl who endeared herself to the crew as Red.The Captain, a handsome, feared, and brave man who had me swooning. I was captivated by this read.

The talented author is new to me and I will most definitely be reading more from her. With that said, I would love to see these characters again with maybe William Spencer as the hero.😉

*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. This is my honest opinion.

This is what I’d call my guilty pleasure type of book. The fast pace kept me engaged and entertained. A fun way to spend a few hours. I thought the end was a little rushed and there were a few plot holes, but I still enjoyed it overall.