Redeeming the Pirate

This is a dramatic, engrossing, suspenseful and exciting story. Drago is tough, stubborn, dedicated and loyal. Eva is caring, determined, brave and insecure. The two start on opposite sides of an issue, and Drago uses Eva for information that helps him. But Drago has a conscious that shows up occasionally, testing his convictions, especially when it comes to Eva and the twins. The storyline progresses from a simple opposites attract to all out war. I love how Drago evolves from a pirate to an entrepreneur and Eva grows from being a scared child to being a brave adult. The book is filled with interesting history and entertaining characters. This is an amazing and captivating series that belongs on your TBR list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

I was hoping for a little more swashbuckling, that being said, it's based on a turbulent historical time. Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Anna Karenina. I enjoyed this book enough, there were some surprises I didn't expect and there were times I laughed and wanted to slap someone so that's always good. It's a good time passer and well fitting for the genre, just don't expect perfect historical accuracy (though the author did a pretty good job!).

Description


He steals for the French crown.

She heals for the Catholic church.

He will heal her heart.

She will steal his.

To complete a mission for the French crown, a former pirate must either commit treason or betray the woman he secretly loves. Betraying one sends him to the guillotine, the other straight to hell.




French Privateer, Captain Drago Gamponetti is given one final mission from his employer, the king of France: reclaim religious relics from a New Orleans cathedral and bring them back. Trouble begins when he's forced by a mysterious, veiled, novitiate nun to swear on the Bible to protect the very items he was instructed to steal.

Worse, 60 British warships have amassed in Negril Bay, Jamaica, preparing to attack New Orleans. He must retrieve the relics before the British arrive and seize the city.

How will Drago complete his mission without failing his employer or breaking his vow and betraying the church and the woman who has stolen his heart?

Novitiate nun and healer, Eva Trudeau has secrets, and hides more than her face behind the veil. The convent has been her safe haven since she crawled, beaten and bloody, to its door nine years ago. When an old enemy re-surfaces and threatens to drag her back into the dark underworld from where she’d escaped, both she and her dark pirate captain stand to lose everything they’ve fought so hard to protect...including each other.

This series is about spirited, independent women and rakish bad boy pirates, wrapped up in women's action and adventure sea stories. If you enjoy romantic action and adventure, action and action and adventure romance fiction, historical romance or women's fiction, you'll love the Pirates & Petticoats series.

My Thoughts:

If you love pirates, history, humor and a bit of romance you will love this newly released book by Chloe Flowers.
The author has a way with historical fiction that enthralls and entertains. This is book #4 of the "Pirates and Petticoats" series, a standalone that follows the Hart Trilogy part of the series.
While attempting to complete his final mission to recover religious relics for the French King Captain Drago Gamponetti runs across an unexpected obstacle. That problem is in the form of a novitiate nun and healer, Eva Trudeau.
Eva has her own issues and secrets. What is this young nun hiding and how will it alter Drago's course?
I gave this intriguing story 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 2 of 5 flames.
This book is more about history and it's retelling than love.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher/author to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I requested this ARC and promised to give a fair and honest review. What a story. Almost more of a re-telling of history than a romance but it all worked so well. Well written story with great descriptions, characters and telling of the tale.

Several days before someone pounds on the abbey door late at night, a Jamaican white witch warns Sister Eva about a darkly shadowed man carrying a sick child. When the knock comes in November 1814, Eva opens the door to Captain Gamponetti, whose menacing manner and expectations of immediate obedience frighten Eva. But she is a healer and if her assumption is correct, the young girl suffers from contact with the deadly Manchineel tree. Saving her requires Eva to first bring down the fever. This necessitates a journey, with the daunting captain and her patient’s brother, to nearby caves where the cool pools of water will bring down the girl’s temperature.

Once a pirate and now French privateer, Drago Viteri Gamponetti is a condemned man – not by the law, but by his own heinous deeds. Although Jacqueline and Julian are not his children, they are his responsibility until he can return the twins to his friend and their uncle. First, he must rendezvous with the trader who will purchase his cargo of sugarcane and then he must meet with three French agents. He hopes this will be his last mission for King Louis before he will finally be permitted to pursue a more legitimate line of work.

The witch appears on the road to the caves and warns Drago that the time to choose approaches. If he makes the wrong choice, he will die. His only hope is a beacon of light, but salvation will come only after he betrays an ally, breaks a vow, and helps an enemy. She also slips Eva herbs to make tea to help cure Jacqueline and to make Drago do Eva’s bidding. Before she can inquire into the specific herbs, the witch vanishes.

Eva is reticent to give the tea to Drago, but he has a ship and she needs transportation to New Orleans as soon as possible. A dying Frenchman seeking absolution has revealed that the French king has sent agents to steal sacred relics from the cathedral. She is determined to prevent this, even at the risk of her own life. Setting foot in the city could bring her face-to-face with the man who tried to kill her ten years ago for losing a precious map.

After Drago drinks the tea, a compromising comedy of errors ensues and he pledges to take Sister Eva to New Orleans. This doesn’t seem to be a problem until only two of the three French agents meet with him and he must not only transport them to New Orleans but also assist in the theft of the relics. His initial reaction is to refuse, but the king has sent his trusted assassin to either bring him the relics or kill Drago and his agents. Since his soul is already doomed, Drago thinks it may be safer to betray Sister Eva rather than his king.

When he delivers his cargo to the trader, Drago discovers a fleet of British warships in the harbor. He also learns the reason for their gathering and how they intend to use the sugarcane. Since he still has a modicum of conscience, he vows to prevent France’s enemy from utilizing it in their planned invasion of the United States. Nor can he endanger Sister Eva or the twins by taking them with him to New Orleans. In the coming battle 2,000 able-bodied, but untrained, men will defend the city against more than 10,000 battle-hardened, veteran soldiers. What he doesn’t factor into this decision are the twins, who refuse to be left behind. Determined to return to their family and defend their country, Jacqueline and Justin stow away on Drago’s ship; when Sister Eva cannot find them in the abbey, she and an older nun go in search of them. Which puts all four aboard the vessel when Drago sets sail. By the time he discovers their presence, it’s too late to put them ashore. They are in a race against the British invasion force to reach New Orleans first.

Redeeming the Pirate is a captivating retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Part of the Pirates and Petticoats series, this historical romance is a poignant love story, a gut-wrenching depiction of war, and a tale of redemption. From that first knock on the abbey door to the aftermath of the Battle of New Orleans, the characters draw you into the depths and breadths of this story so we experience all their joys and pains. They make us laugh or cry, depending on how they interpret the predicaments in which they find themselves. Most authors focus on the primary battlefield (Chalmette) and final confrontation in this final major conflict of the War of 1812. While Flowers covers all the skirmishes that comprise the Battle of New Orleans, she focuses on two aspects often overlooked in or omitted from other novels. One concerns the fascines (ladders) the British intended to use to scale and overrun American defenses. While Drago’s plan to infiltrate the British encampment and destroy those fascines seems a bit naïve for someone as knowledgeable, astute, and jaded as Drago, Flowers presents an interesting and plausible reason as to why the enemy failed to implement this part of their plan. She also incorporates the British attempt to seize the American position on the West Bank of the Mississippi and turn those guns on Jackson’s forces at Chalmette, which would have led to a far different ending to the war. These portrayals permit her to vividly show us what it might have been like for anyone taken prisoner by the British and how sometimes the intervention of a divine source often makes the difference between success and failure.

Redeeming the Pirate is one of the best romances and historical novels I’ve read this year and I highly recommend it. It is also worth noting that Flowers will donate 15% of her book sales to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Eva Trudeau was an orphan, became a pickpocket and had been staying the last seven years with the Nuns. She was waiting to hopefully take her vows. She met Captain Drago Viteri Gamponetti while in Jamaica. He bought her and the twins back to New Orleans just ahead of the British fleet. This is a great story and has everything, action, intrigue, danger, battles, and more. The characters appear courageous and willing to fight to keep what is theirs. The plot while complicated was very well put together. It was easy to read and you could not take your eyes off the book. I loved it all.

Redeeming The Pirate was a adventurous ,action romance. I found d book ok ...

The start was good but too much descriptive & lengthy . the secondary characters were funny ...as per expectations it didnt work for me ...

Eva has been an abused woman. She has a big scar on her face and feels that no one could ever love her due to this. She is working at a convent as a healer in Jamaica. She is from New Orleans and wants to go back. One night, a man and two young people come into the convent. The girl is very sick with a fever and needs help. The man who brings her in is Drago, Captain Gamponetti, a Privateer for the King of France. He has one more mission before he can retire. Eva, is also called Sister Eva but has not started training to be a nun. This is during the war of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans. Drago and his ship must get back to New Orleans to retrieve something for the King or face death. Eva and the two children stow away on the ship and are not found until two days into the trip and cannot turn around as an armada of English ships are on their way to the city. The people of New Orleans need to be warned. During the trip, Drago learns that Eva is not yet a nun and they are very attracted to each other. Eva finds out about Drago's mission and feels betrayed. Will they survive this dangerous time of war? Since her abuser is still out there, will Eva ever be safe? This is an exciting book of adventure and war. There's Privateers, assassins and adventure. It is a great story of survival and love during a tumultuous time. I received this book from Net Galley and Flowers & Fullerton LLC for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.The opinions expressed are my own.

I have received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley.

This is my first time reading a book from this author and I was blown away by her ability to paint such a rich tapestry of a moment in history.
To summarize, sister Eva is a healer in her village who is called upon by a privateer, Drago, to help save a young girl. This leads to various incidents and adventures (some very comical) that forces Drago to choice between betraying his king or the woman he falls in love with.
I was immediately drawn to the depth and good will of both characters who although have a dark past by the end of the novel find love, acceptance and redemption.
There are difficult scenes like when Eva is almost raped by a crew member and her retelling of a time when her face was brutalized by a benefactor. My heart swelled when Drago kissed her scars and soothed her sorrows. He showed her how truly beautiful she was. Great story. Look forward to reading the rest in this series.

Liked it, took me a while to get into the story ,but that's because I don't read romance like I use to do ,will differently be looking forward to more of this series.with that said thanks netgalley for giving me a chance to read it and review it .

French Privateer, Captain Drago Gamponetti is given one final mission from his employer, the king of France: reclaim religious relics from a New Orleans cathedral and bring them back. Trouble begins when he's forced by a mysterious, veiled, novitiate nun to swear on the Bible to protect the very items he was instructed to steal. Worse, 60 British warships have amassed in Negril Bay, Jamaica, preparing to attack New Orleans. He must retrieve the sacred relics before the British arrive and seize the city. Novitiate nun and healer, Eva Trudeau has secrets, and hides more than her face behind the veil. The convent has been her safe haven since she crawled, beaten and bloody, to its door nine years ago.
This is the first book I’ve read in the series & I’m hooked & will have to get the other books in the series. A well written page turning book that kept me on the edge of my seat at times, there were twists & turns that captivated me from the start & I read well into the night to finish it.The characters are well drawn & very likeable. The story flowed really well & I liked that there were plenty of accurate historical references. I look forward to reading more from the author

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

My Opinion:

I thought this was an OK book. I was not dragged into this or even compelled to like Eva. I didn't feel anything for her. I was never invested. I also felt this book dragged on so much. In fact at some points I was down right bored. The love scenes were rushed and almost looked over, an afterthought by the author. I didn't care for this style. I want a romance scene to drag me in and make me feel like I am there with them. I never got there with this book. In fact it seemed like everything but the love scenes were talked to death. This of course was what I was waiting for in the book and it fell pretty flat for me.

The author takes us on a journey with two of the most unlikely lovers - Eva and Drago. Drago is a pirate that is sent on a mission and Eva is a nun in training and needs his help. Yes, they are unlikely lovers but it sorta works for the book. Drago has taken two children under his wing and that made him more lovable to me. Eva was a thief turned Nun which didn't really work for me. The book had some history in it that I really enjoyed. I liked those aspects of the book. I felt like I was taken back in time with them. What I didn't like was how it was so long and drawn out. Just when you think it was the ending something else was thrown in and beat to death thus making it even longer. Overall, I thought the meat of the story was ok just not how lengthy it was.

I do love this cover - it gets much cover love from me!

I give this book 3 of 5 stars!

I really enjoyed reading 'Redeeming the Pirate' and made a welcome change from the usual Historical Romance books that i generally read. I cannot remember the last time that I read a book where pirates, action and adventure are concerned. I am not going to write what the story is about, as i do prefer one to read for themselves, but i do highly recommend. It is the first time that i have read a book by Chloe Flowers and i'm sure it will not be the last.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.

Adventure! This was a great beach read for me. I looked out to the Gulf of Mexico and the story came to life. I enjoyed the drama and the suspense. I definitely recommend this one. Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title. This is my honest opinion and review.

I was given this book for my honest opinion by netgalley.

I could not get into this book, I didn't feel anything for the characters. I tried to read this book for 4 days and only got to 24%, it is hard for me to give the book stars because I couldn't finish it.

I felt like the book dragged on, it was extremely slow and never really made a point. There were numerous grammar/spelling errors just in the first part of the book. The errors were enough to distract my reading flow, I would think the editor would have noticed these issues.

This book wouldn't put me off from trying other novels by the author. Sometimes authors just have a book that isn't that great. Maybe the next one will be better!

***ARC was provided to me for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 4/5 Much more action than you usually find in these types of books set in the 1800’s

Heroine (Eva): 4/5 She is a sister of the Ursuline Monastery, or at least when she takes her vows she will be. She has a past that is cast more in shadow than was ever in the light.

Hero (Drago): 4/5 He is a pirate captain that is also working for the French crown. He is looking to get out of both of those lives and starting anew as a shipping captain.

Plot: 4/5 Eva heals a child in Drago’s care and he offers her passage back to New Orleans. Once Drago hears about a British plot to take New Orleans, he deems it too dangerous to take Eva and the twins, but he must return to save the rest of the twin’s family. But the three steal onto the boat and it’s too late to turn back. Now the four must decide if this turns into a battle, will they stand and fight or will they run?

Personal Review: It was a new take on the pirate story, and held a lot more action than simple romance novels are willing to put in, especially period piece novels. So for that I really respect this book. But like any of these stories, the main couple fall hard way too fast. It was necessary here for the two to know where they stand before the battling but they were hardly in each other’s company before they fell in love. That said, I still am a sucker for cheesy romance so I still loved it.