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Liberty's Ladies #1
Pirate's Bride
Young Bethlyn Talbot, daughter of the Earl of Dunsmoor, is forced into an arranged marriage with brash colonial Ian Briston, who abandons her after the wedding ceremony. Seven years later, Bethlyn has blossomed into a beautiful and alluring young woman, with a husband in name only.
Wishing for the marriage to be annulled or force her errant husband to make her his wife in all ways, Bethlyn leaves England for America on one of her father's ships. But when the ship is captured by the infamous American privateer, Captain Hawk, he mistakes her for a prostitute.
Fighting her attraction for the masked pirate, Bethlyn becomes Hawk's prey and succumbs to nights of passion in the arms of the buccaneer. What will happen when she finally arrives in Philadelphia to claim her wayward spouse now that she's known the ecstasy of being the pirate's bride?
Originally published by Zebra Heartfire.
Wishing for the marriage to be annulled or force her errant husband to make her his wife in all ways, Bethlyn leaves England for America on one of her father's ships. But when the ship is captured by the infamous American privateer, Captain Hawk, he mistakes her for a prostitute.
Fighting her attraction for the masked pirate, Bethlyn becomes Hawk's prey and succumbs to nights of passion in the arms of the buccaneer. What will happen when she finally arrives in Philadelphia to claim her wayward spouse now that she's known the ecstasy of being the pirate's bride?
Originally published by Zebra Heartfire.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1989
145 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Lynette Vinet
22 books27 followersBorn in New Orleans, Louisiana, I have always been intrigued by the history of the city and the south. New Orleans is unique, there is no other place like it and once you’ve lived there, you can never forget the sights, sounds and smells of the city. I am also intrigued by other countries, especially Ireland and England, probably because my ancestors were born there. So, I feel it is only natural that I have combined my love of history, New Orleans, and the British Isles in many of my novels.
EMERALD DESIRE was my first novel, published in 1985, and begins in Ireland and sweeps the reader to the French Colonial city of New Orleans. That was the first book in the Emerald Trilogy, followed by EMERALD ENCHANTMENT and EMERALD ECSTASY. Eight more books followed. I am pleased that ereads.com will eventually publish my backlist of books. At the present time EMERALD DESIRE, EMERALD ENCHANTMENT and PIRATE’S BRIDE are available on Amazon Kindle.
EMERALD DESIRE was my first novel, published in 1985, and begins in Ireland and sweeps the reader to the French Colonial city of New Orleans. That was the first book in the Emerald Trilogy, followed by EMERALD ENCHANTMENT and EMERALD ECSTASY. Eight more books followed. I am pleased that ereads.com will eventually publish my backlist of books. At the present time EMERALD DESIRE, EMERALD ENCHANTMENT and PIRATE’S BRIDE are available on Amazon Kindle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 7, 2022
Reread: 3/6/22
Reread:5/23/21
Orginal review:
I love this book! I must have reread it several times over the years.
The story starts off with Bethany as an unloved, ugly, fat child bride. Ian is forced to marry her to keep his share of his father's shipping company. After the wedding he leaves Bethany with his Aunt in London. 7 years later he still has not returned for her. The now beautiful and a little spoiled Bethany has had enough. She decides to confront him and force him to decide if he wants her or not. On the way to America , her ship is hijacked by an oh soo arrogant....oh sooo sexy Captain Hawk, an American privateer.
These two had hot chemistry! I also love how Bethany fights him before she eventually surrenders. Though Surprise..surprise Captain Hawk is her estranged husband. - i doubt I've ruined the surprise . It was fairly obvious. Ian pretends to be a loyalist and being married to an Earl's daughter helps his cover. When they both learn the truth, Bethany is understandable pissed. The two can't decide if they want to fight or have sex.
.The book covers a lot of great American history, especially in Philadelphia. It also has some great secondary characters.
Problems : The story got a little repetitive in some places and could get boring bc of it.The villians are a little campy and are madly obsessed with the H or the h.
This book is not for everyone. Still I highly recommend it!
Reread:5/23/21
Orginal review:
I love this book! I must have reread it several times over the years.
The story starts off with Bethany as an unloved, ugly, fat child bride. Ian is forced to marry her to keep his share of his father's shipping company. After the wedding he leaves Bethany with his Aunt in London. 7 years later he still has not returned for her. The now beautiful and a little spoiled Bethany has had enough. She decides to confront him and force him to decide if he wants her or not. On the way to America , her ship is hijacked by an oh soo arrogant....oh sooo sexy Captain Hawk, an American privateer.
These two had hot chemistry! I also love how Bethany fights him before she eventually surrenders. Though Surprise..surprise Captain Hawk is her estranged husband. - i doubt I've ruined the surprise . It was fairly obvious. Ian pretends to be a loyalist and being married to an Earl's daughter helps his cover. When they both learn the truth, Bethany is understandable pissed. The two can't decide if they want to fight or have sex.
.The book covers a lot of great American history, especially in Philadelphia. It also has some great secondary characters.
Problems : The story got a little repetitive in some places and could get boring bc of it.The villians are a little campy and are madly obsessed with the H or the h.
This book is not for everyone. Still I highly recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2016
"The days, the weeks, and months dragged by endlessly.
That pretty much sums up the reading experience. This is one of those older romances I'd say would have well suited a young teen in the 80s with raging hormones that would gobble these books up like candy and beg for more, but it really doesn't stand the test of time. Annoying hero and heroine, too much sex with no chemistry and terribly unbelievable plot twists and turns that don't make a lick of sense. If it doesn't make sense it's usually not true says Judge Judy and a whole lot of things that happen in this one don't make sense. Single women entertaining men in their beds and no one in proper Philadelphia is scandalized? I could go on, but I have other books to read.
Worst crime in this book for this reader? No class barriers in this tale, none at all. That a common solicitor could think he could aspire to marry an earl's daughter?
That pretty much sums up the reading experience. This is one of those older romances I'd say would have well suited a young teen in the 80s with raging hormones that would gobble these books up like candy and beg for more, but it really doesn't stand the test of time. Annoying hero and heroine, too much sex with no chemistry and terribly unbelievable plot twists and turns that don't make a lick of sense. If it doesn't make sense it's usually not true says Judge Judy and a whole lot of things that happen in this one don't make sense. Single women entertaining men in their beds and no one in proper Philadelphia is scandalized? I could go on, but I have other books to read.
Worst crime in this book for this reader? No class barriers in this tale, none at all. That a common solicitor could think he could aspire to marry an earl's daughter?
July 9, 2013
I picked this one up while it was free, I wasn't sure if I'd read it or not, but then after a couple of really bad romances I gave it a shot. And boy am I glad I did!
This bitch done gone old school bodice ripping! Then I saw that it was actually written in the 80's, so it's probably just regular school.
I read 50% and I liked it enough - say 3 star? But it got to a point where I thought, "There's 50% more? This kind of feels like a conclusion already..." I actually considered not pressing on.
But I did! And am I glad I did! The more I read, the more pumped I got. The trashy was flowing in my veins! I loved it! There were pirates (who were actually privateers, and are called so correctly in the book so don't let the title fool you), colonials, wenches, spies, traitors, and Captain Hawk!! Not to mention pulsing shafts, and bosoms, and phrases like insatiable hussy, and OMG:
"Chase that wonton look from your eyes, wench. I have a great deal of work to do today, and can't make the time for another toss in the bed with you."
AND
"My dear, you've tasted, shall we say, the fruits of the marriage bed, and like all healthy young women left alone for long periods of time, you must be ravenous to taste them again. I offer you my assistance."
Because at that point I'm all Oh no he didn't!
And these are just two of my favorites. There are more.
Grab your bon bons - I didn't have any, but I did find a Drumstick in the freezer, and it did in a pinch - sit your butt down, and enjoy!
This bitch done gone old school bodice ripping! Then I saw that it was actually written in the 80's, so it's probably just regular school.
I read 50% and I liked it enough - say 3 star? But it got to a point where I thought, "There's 50% more? This kind of feels like a conclusion already..." I actually considered not pressing on.
But I did! And am I glad I did! The more I read, the more pumped I got. The trashy was flowing in my veins! I loved it! There were pirates (who were actually privateers, and are called so correctly in the book so don't let the title fool you), colonials, wenches, spies, traitors, and Captain Hawk!! Not to mention pulsing shafts, and bosoms, and phrases like insatiable hussy, and OMG:
"Chase that wonton look from your eyes, wench. I have a great deal of work to do today, and can't make the time for another toss in the bed with you."
AND
"My dear, you've tasted, shall we say, the fruits of the marriage bed, and like all healthy young women left alone for long periods of time, you must be ravenous to taste them again. I offer you my assistance."
Because at that point I'm all Oh no he didn't!
And these are just two of my favorites. There are more.
Grab your bon bons - I didn't have any, but I did find a Drumstick in the freezer, and it did in a pinch - sit your butt down, and enjoy!
July 19, 2013
3 and ½ Stars – Spies and Treachery During the Revolutionary War
This was my first by Vinet and it’s a long one at 419 pages. It’s also a mixed bag, which is why I’m giving it 3 and 1/2 stars. Originally published in 1989, it tells the story of an English daughter of an earl, Lady Bethlyn Talbot, and an American spy for the Rebels during America’s War of Independence.
The story begins with a prologue set in 1777 on a ship called the Black Falcon, as the heroine (referred to only as “Beth”) fends off and attempted rape by a wily pirate. Then the story goes back in time to 1771, as Lady Bethlyn, then 14 and plain, is told that her father has betrothed her to an American, Ian Briston of Briston Shipping who lives in Philadelphia. Ian must wed the girl to gain the American side of the company his mother (Beth’s stepmother) left him when she died. Though he has never met the English girl and has no interest in her, he agrees to wed her, but on his own terms, which means wedding but not bedding her, and leaving her in England.
Because of the prologue, I knew at the outset that the pirate was Ian, Beth’s husband. Personally, I recommend starting with chapter 1 because you get the prologue scene again anyway and it won’t spoil the mystery (sorry for the spoiler here, but it’s really not a spoiler since the prologue gives it away). Can’t imagine why they did that unless it was to titillate the readers with a possible pirate rape.
Six years after Ian marries the 14-year-old Beth, it’s 1777 (again) and Beth has blossomed into a beauty. Frustrated with her life in England, she decides to track down her husband and either get an annulment or get him to become a real husband—she wants children. So she books passage on one of the family’s English ships sailing to Philadelphia. On the way, she learns the ship is carrying a load of prostitutes to service the English soldiers in America, something drummed up by a villain who appears throughout the story. And, then the pirate called the Hawk captures the ship.
In places, this story was well written, the dialog ingenious and it held my interest, which proves the author knows how to do it and should be getting 4 or 5 stars. In other places, however, it was repetitive, slow and the dialog less than wonderful. There were so many subplots and characters, some of which were only described by their clothes, you really needed a chart to keep track of them. Also, particularly in the first half, there were errors in forms of address, use of modern terminology (modern for the 18th century), and incorrect ship terminology that distracted from what was otherwise an engaging story, making me think the eBook would benefit from some re-editing.
It appeared to me the characters acted inconsistently at times, even Ian who was the bloody pirate one minute and the perfect, soft-spoken gentleman the next. And he varied between being happy to give Beth a divorce and not wanting to let her go. Yes, he was a spy and had two identities, but still I had trouble keeping track of him. Bethlyn was at times spineless and that bothered me, too, since she was otherwise quite spunky. Another thing that seemed unlikely was that all the characters “instantly” fell in love, well, perhaps all except the hero. For Ian’s sister, Molly, Bethlyn’s friend, Mavis and Bethlyn herself it was love at first sight, which seemed a bit much for one story. Lastly, while the war raged around them, the characters had a lot of time on their hands.
This was my first by Vinet and it’s a long one at 419 pages. It’s also a mixed bag, which is why I’m giving it 3 and 1/2 stars. Originally published in 1989, it tells the story of an English daughter of an earl, Lady Bethlyn Talbot, and an American spy for the Rebels during America’s War of Independence.
The story begins with a prologue set in 1777 on a ship called the Black Falcon, as the heroine (referred to only as “Beth”) fends off and attempted rape by a wily pirate. Then the story goes back in time to 1771, as Lady Bethlyn, then 14 and plain, is told that her father has betrothed her to an American, Ian Briston of Briston Shipping who lives in Philadelphia. Ian must wed the girl to gain the American side of the company his mother (Beth’s stepmother) left him when she died. Though he has never met the English girl and has no interest in her, he agrees to wed her, but on his own terms, which means wedding but not bedding her, and leaving her in England.
Because of the prologue, I knew at the outset that the pirate was Ian, Beth’s husband. Personally, I recommend starting with chapter 1 because you get the prologue scene again anyway and it won’t spoil the mystery (sorry for the spoiler here, but it’s really not a spoiler since the prologue gives it away). Can’t imagine why they did that unless it was to titillate the readers with a possible pirate rape.
Six years after Ian marries the 14-year-old Beth, it’s 1777 (again) and Beth has blossomed into a beauty. Frustrated with her life in England, she decides to track down her husband and either get an annulment or get him to become a real husband—she wants children. So she books passage on one of the family’s English ships sailing to Philadelphia. On the way, she learns the ship is carrying a load of prostitutes to service the English soldiers in America, something drummed up by a villain who appears throughout the story. And, then the pirate called the Hawk captures the ship.
In places, this story was well written, the dialog ingenious and it held my interest, which proves the author knows how to do it and should be getting 4 or 5 stars. In other places, however, it was repetitive, slow and the dialog less than wonderful. There were so many subplots and characters, some of which were only described by their clothes, you really needed a chart to keep track of them. Also, particularly in the first half, there were errors in forms of address, use of modern terminology (modern for the 18th century), and incorrect ship terminology that distracted from what was otherwise an engaging story, making me think the eBook would benefit from some re-editing.
It appeared to me the characters acted inconsistently at times, even Ian who was the bloody pirate one minute and the perfect, soft-spoken gentleman the next. And he varied between being happy to give Beth a divorce and not wanting to let her go. Yes, he was a spy and had two identities, but still I had trouble keeping track of him. Bethlyn was at times spineless and that bothered me, too, since she was otherwise quite spunky. Another thing that seemed unlikely was that all the characters “instantly” fell in love, well, perhaps all except the hero. For Ian’s sister, Molly, Bethlyn’s friend, Mavis and Bethlyn herself it was love at first sight, which seemed a bit much for one story. Lastly, while the war raged around them, the characters had a lot of time on their hands.
August 29, 2015
Pirate's Bride is one of those books that has a lot of great stuff going for it, but then it turns into a big ol' mess. I was really enjoying it in the beginning, despite a few issues, and it's a bodice ripper! An actual bodice was ripped! Bethlyn was married off to Ian when she was 14. He left immediately after the wedding and seven years later, Bethlyn has had enough. She's spent a lot of time acting scandalously to get her husband's attention, but he just doesn't care. So, she's off to America to find him and get an annulment!
Obviously, Bethlyn's ship has to be raided by pirates, and noting the title of the book, her husband is their captain. He wears a mask though, and it's been seven long years. She's no longer a child, so he doesn't recognize her at all. And he thinks she's a prostitute, because when he took the ship was locked below deck with the female cargo! Mistaken identity at its finest (kind of)! Needless to say, Ian and Bethlyn cheat on each other with each other, which I thought was great.
What wasn't so great was that the romance gets all nicely wrapped up at 50%. There were a few other plot threads that needed to be wrapped up, but by around 65%, I'd had enough. Some real history plot was taking over, since this does take place when the colonies are trying to gain independence from England, and some real people from history show up. That's fine, except that the book should have been over by now! On top of that, the romance drama started back up, but it was the same drama of Ian not believing Bethlyn about something, doing some underhanded stuff which leads him to believing her, her threatening a divorce, and then cheating on each other with each other again! Enough! Then there's a bunch of time jumps of 5 months, 8 months, zero to baby in ten pages, and all kinds of madness and more months! Stop!
Pirate's Bride started off pretty good. I definitely had issues with how Ian treated Bethlyn and how she just took it because she loved him, so this was never going to get more than three stars. The mistaken identity trope is one of my favorites, so I had fun with that. But once the couple was officially reunited, I mentally checked out. There was way too much going on and too many new POVs, so it got messy and really boring. Even the one super crazy, completely unnecessary plot twist bored me. Maybe if it had happened earlier and didn't get dragged out by month and months and months, I would have liked it more.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Obviously, Bethlyn's ship has to be raided by pirates, and noting the title of the book, her husband is their captain. He wears a mask though, and it's been seven long years. She's no longer a child, so he doesn't recognize her at all. And he thinks she's a prostitute, because when he took the ship was locked below deck with the female cargo! Mistaken identity at its finest (kind of)! Needless to say, Ian and Bethlyn cheat on each other with each other, which I thought was great.
What wasn't so great was that the romance gets all nicely wrapped up at 50%. There were a few other plot threads that needed to be wrapped up, but by around 65%, I'd had enough. Some real history plot was taking over, since this does take place when the colonies are trying to gain independence from England, and some real people from history show up. That's fine, except that the book should have been over by now! On top of that, the romance drama started back up, but it was the same drama of Ian not believing Bethlyn about something, doing some underhanded stuff which leads him to believing her, her threatening a divorce, and then cheating on each other with each other again! Enough! Then there's a bunch of time jumps of 5 months, 8 months, zero to baby in ten pages, and all kinds of madness and more months! Stop!
Pirate's Bride started off pretty good. I definitely had issues with how Ian treated Bethlyn and how she just took it because she loved him, so this was never going to get more than three stars. The mistaken identity trope is one of my favorites, so I had fun with that. But once the couple was officially reunited, I mentally checked out. There was way too much going on and too many new POVs, so it got messy and really boring. Even the one super crazy, completely unnecessary plot twist bored me. Maybe if it had happened earlier and didn't get dragged out by month and months and months, I would have liked it more.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
June 22, 2014
Lady Bethlyn Talbot is the only child of the Earl of Dunsmoor who ignored her after her mother died and he remarried until one day, he sent for her when she was just 14 years old to tell her that she was marrying Ian Briston as part of the terms of his mother's, and the Earl's second wife's, will. After the wedding, where the shy, nervous Bethlyn throws up on him, Ian abandons his new wife and returns to the Colonies never contacting her again. After seven years in London, during which time Bethlyn has grown into a self-confident, beautiful woman, she decides that she's going to go to the Colonies and demand an annulment from her "husband" even though they are at war. Almost there, on a ship carrying a cargo full of doxies for the British soldiers in Philadelphia, they are attacked and taken prisoner by the notorious Captain Hawk. Mistaken for one of the doxies, Beth is locked in the captain's cabin for his pleasure despite her protests that she isn't a doxie. As the attraction grows between them, Beth finds it harder and harder to remember that she's a married woman and that Captain Hawk is the enemy. Finally, the inevitable happens, regrets follow and Beth leaves Hawk to make her way to Philadelphia and her husband. Ian, though, is in for the shock of his life when he meets Bethlyn whom he already knows as Beth! A spy for the Americans, he's been acting as a Tory for years but has a secret life as....
The story has many twists and turns with the American Revolution providing the background. Spies, traitors, evildoers on both sides of the Atlantic populate the story. The likelihood that these two vastly different characters could find a HEA seems just within their grasp only to be snatched away time after time. The story would have rated 5 stars but it was somewhat too long but otherwise quite good; frankly I don't understand the low ratings of many of the reviews.
The story has many twists and turns with the American Revolution providing the background. Spies, traitors, evildoers on both sides of the Atlantic populate the story. The likelihood that these two vastly different characters could find a HEA seems just within their grasp only to be snatched away time after time. The story would have rated 5 stars but it was somewhat too long but otherwise quite good; frankly I don't understand the low ratings of many of the reviews.
November 10, 2013
This is as the title suggests is a pirate adventure, Bethlyn Talbot's young life has not been particularly happy her mother dies while she's still young, her father re-marries and ships her off to a remote house with a governess for company. When the step-mother Jessica dies Bethlyn finds herself married at fourteen to Jessica's son Ian an American from her first marriage. Ian, who has never gotton over the fact that his mother could abandon him, his sister Molly and their father is furious that he's being forced into this marriage in order to keep his shipping company, he marries, as he must makes arrangements for his new bride to live with his aunt in London then disappears from her life and returns to America. The story picks up seven years later when Bethlyn, no longer the chubby plain child she once was wants a proper marriage and sets about getting one.
It's been years since I read a pirate novel and I just fancied something different, when I started reading it seemed familiar, bits were like Hawks Lady and then it reminded me in places of The Seahawks Sanctuary I was abit annoyed that seemed so much like other books until it dawned on me, and this was further into the book than I care to admit that in places I knew what was going to happen next then when I realised that I'd actually read this book before, a long time ago I felt abit relieved that it wasn't the book that was a copy but me who's getting older and forgetting what I've read so I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the book. I've given four stars I think personally three and Half would be fair but it's an adventure that you can can lost in for a little while, yes it has it's faults bits are predictable, parts are silly and dragged out but overall I enjoyed getting lost in this book and it just shows that a book that I enjoyed so many years ago I can still enjoy today.
It's been years since I read a pirate novel and I just fancied something different, when I started reading it seemed familiar, bits were like Hawks Lady and then it reminded me in places of The Seahawks Sanctuary I was abit annoyed that seemed so much like other books until it dawned on me, and this was further into the book than I care to admit that in places I knew what was going to happen next then when I realised that I'd actually read this book before, a long time ago I felt abit relieved that it wasn't the book that was a copy but me who's getting older and forgetting what I've read so I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the book. I've given four stars I think personally three and Half would be fair but it's an adventure that you can can lost in for a little while, yes it has it's faults bits are predictable, parts are silly and dragged out but overall I enjoyed getting lost in this book and it just shows that a book that I enjoyed so many years ago I can still enjoy today.
June 30, 2013
Lady Bethlyn Talbot is an ugly duckling of a child who is married off (at the tender age of 14) to Ian Briston for business purposes. Ian dumps his unwanted wife off in London and he returns to America and promptly forgets all about Beth. But as we all know in HR the ugly duckling is always destined to grow up to be a beautiful swan. The adult Beth now plans to travel to Philadelphia and confront her absent husband about their marriage. He's either going to put out or get out.
Before the ship reaches the New World it is attacked by the American privateer The Hawk; a pirate who always wears a mask and a do rag to hide his identity. I mean always. Even when he's taking a bath he's wearing a mask. Hawk mistakenly thinks Beth is a prostitute and he orders her to wait on him hand and foot. It only takes a few days of this type of enslavement to make Beth fall deeply in love with Hawk. However now Hawk is convinced Beth is a British spy.
Beth escapes Hawk and makes her way to Philadelphia where she finally is reunited with her husband and discovers *gasp* Ian and Hawk are one in the same. If you didn't see that plot twist coming from a mile away then... there's just no hope for you.
Before the ship reaches the New World it is attacked by the American privateer The Hawk; a pirate who always wears a mask and a do rag to hide his identity. I mean always. Even when he's taking a bath he's wearing a mask. Hawk mistakenly thinks Beth is a prostitute and he orders her to wait on him hand and foot. It only takes a few days of this type of enslavement to make Beth fall deeply in love with Hawk. However now Hawk is convinced Beth is a British spy.
Beth escapes Hawk and makes her way to Philadelphia where she finally is reunited with her husband and discovers *gasp* Ian and Hawk are one in the same. If you didn't see that plot twist coming from a mile away then... there's just no hope for you.
January 25, 2014
A great read that was a break for the norm for me!!!
Pirate HECK yes, scorching hot OH YES, fantastic ending.. what more could I ask for....
definitely continuing with this series
Pirate HECK yes, scorching hot OH YES, fantastic ending.. what more could I ask for....
definitely continuing with this series
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March 26, 2020🎁 The Liberty's Ladies Novels (2 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (3/26/2020)! 🎁
July 20, 2013
For fans of the generic historical romances of the'70's and '80's, this would be a good read. Full of action, romance, and peril, and it actually started out with a fairly original story line. But after that, oh, the subplots--and most of those quite unoriginal and overdone--one led to another to another--like eating lays potato chips--until it seemed like the book would go on forever, incorporating every romance cliche known to woman. Imagine taking about five different romances by your five favorite romance novelists, cobbling them together, and filling in the gaps anyway you can to try to tie them into a coherent whole, and you have the idea. One of the subplots--where the heroine follows the hero to the abandoned farm house and her heart is so stirred by the love of liberty that she starts having Thomas Paine publish her writing under a pseudonym was the plot of another book I read (however, I can't remember which one and that book has long since been deleted from my kindle). I imagine since this is an older book republished, that the other author plagiarized from this one, but it goes to show that you can write another whole romance novel just from one of the many subplots. I probably would have rated it higher but the part from the kidnapping onward was so stupid and full of holes, that it dragged the rest of the book downhill, IMHO, and kind of ruined it for me personally, definitely could have done without the last subplot.
January 19, 2014
Bethlyn Talbot, daughter of an English earl had an arranged marriage forced upon her seven years previous to the beginning of this book. Her colonial husband left her immediately after the wedding ceremony and she hasn't seen him since. Finally, she decides to travel to America to confront her husband, Ian Briston. But her ship is captured by an "masked" American privateer who is called Captain Hawk but in fact is Ian.
**Spoilers** Captain Hawk mistakes Bethlyn for a prostitute and is determined to have her, which he does, unaware she is his wife. Once they arrive in America, she goes her own way and travels to his home whereupon his sister welcomes her as the family member she is. When Hawk comes into the house to get into his bed, she is waiting on him. Things were already going downhill for me but after he decides to accept her as his wife (how could he not) he actually kisses his former mistress at a gathering where he is introducing Bethlyn to his friends.
As another reviewer has already mentioned, later on he also becomes very friendly with another lady who he believes to be helping the cause in which he is involved - whereupon he lets her take him into her bedroom, admires her nude body, lets her kiss him and actually is tempted to have sex with her. Totally disgusting! Not the kind of hero that I even want to read about. TWO STARS FOR THIS TEDIOUS HUSBAND.
**Spoilers** Captain Hawk mistakes Bethlyn for a prostitute and is determined to have her, which he does, unaware she is his wife. Once they arrive in America, she goes her own way and travels to his home whereupon his sister welcomes her as the family member she is. When Hawk comes into the house to get into his bed, she is waiting on him. Things were already going downhill for me but after he decides to accept her as his wife (how could he not) he actually kisses his former mistress at a gathering where he is introducing Bethlyn to his friends.
As another reviewer has already mentioned, later on he also becomes very friendly with another lady who he believes to be helping the cause in which he is involved - whereupon he lets her take him into her bedroom, admires her nude body, lets her kiss him and actually is tempted to have sex with her. Totally disgusting! Not the kind of hero that I even want to read about. TWO STARS FOR THIS TEDIOUS HUSBAND.
July 28, 2013
Great beach book! All the essential elements of a great pirate bodice ripper: mistaken identity, willful and stubborn heroine, a villain with a soft heart, high values and a cause, and great descriptions of passionate beach scenes, cabin scenes and of course, a fantastic sunset scene. Very satisfying read! The story has many layers and a couple of them were not as fun to read as the main pirate love story. Even the heroine yearned to have her Captain Hawk back! All-around fun read and some speed reading towards the end.
December 9, 2013
Bethlyn Talbot daughter of the Earl of Dunsmoor was forced to marry Ian Briston by a father who didn't want her. The day of her marriage she finds that her husband doesn't want her either, after seven years of living with her husbands aunt Bethlyn embarks on a journey to either claim her husband or an annulment. Little does she realize that the fates will step in and a pirate going by the name of Captain Hawk may steal her heart. What of her marriage and husband, not all things are as they seem?
July 6, 2013
This one went on and on. When it should be finished she jumps to another subplot, then another. I didn't think I would ever finish it! I actually stopped and read a couple of other books before going back to finish this! As another reviewer states it is very 1970-1980's romance.
April 20, 2014
Great romance
Great romance
Great story and characters. Good historical backdrop. Many plot twists. I enjoyed this book would recommend to those who enjoy historical romance.
Great romance
Great story and characters. Good historical backdrop. Many plot twists. I enjoyed this book would recommend to those who enjoy historical romance.
July 16, 2013
3.5 stars
June 28, 2013
This book was great! I really want to read the author's other work now.
June 28, 2013
I have to say I loved this book. 18th century, pirates, spies and a DOVE.
July 8, 2013
Was a free read which was a tad too long so I would rate it a 3.5
July 16, 2013
Enjoyed the angst of this story.
February 13, 2014
It held my attention, got me angry, happy....overall, grabs you into the story.
July 3, 2013
I so love pirate stories!
June 15, 2017
Surprising new discovery
I give this book 4 stars. The plot was complicated but the pacing was good, until the last part. The first part is about a young girl who is a doormat looking for love and a real family life. The heroine is not obtuse. Bethlyn has good intuition and a soft heart. She was a tiny bit headstrong but not so much that it messed up the story. The hero was very interesting. He married the heroine when she was only 14 and left her alone. He did it out of revenge but he wasn't stupid and cruel when he met her. He looked out for her welfare and sensed her loneliness and the lack of love from her father. Ultimately, she was too young to be a wife and they were both too emotionally scarred by their parents to be a decent companions to each other. I am glad with the different turns that the plot took. From England to the 13 Colonies, from a unresolved marriage to a pirate's tale overseas, to a historical fiction romance, and finally, to a revenge tale with multiple villains. It is a long and filling story. It jumped ahead a lot towards the end and got a little predictable but overall, I enjoyed it. It is similar to Johanna Lindsey's novel with her Captain Hawke without the disguises. I can't remember the name but it is similar to a novel by Teresa Medeiros.
I give this book 4 stars. The plot was complicated but the pacing was good, until the last part. The first part is about a young girl who is a doormat looking for love and a real family life. The heroine is not obtuse. Bethlyn has good intuition and a soft heart. She was a tiny bit headstrong but not so much that it messed up the story. The hero was very interesting. He married the heroine when she was only 14 and left her alone. He did it out of revenge but he wasn't stupid and cruel when he met her. He looked out for her welfare and sensed her loneliness and the lack of love from her father. Ultimately, she was too young to be a wife and they were both too emotionally scarred by their parents to be a decent companions to each other. I am glad with the different turns that the plot took. From England to the 13 Colonies, from a unresolved marriage to a pirate's tale overseas, to a historical fiction romance, and finally, to a revenge tale with multiple villains. It is a long and filling story. It jumped ahead a lot towards the end and got a little predictable but overall, I enjoyed it. It is similar to Johanna Lindsey's novel with her Captain Hawke without the disguises. I can't remember the name but it is similar to a novel by Teresa Medeiros.
April 19, 2020
Infidelity
I liked the storyline of an arranged marriage and then a second chance but the hero and heroine’s character is not so likable. Okay so the hero married the heroine when she was 14 out of obligation and left her out of spite. So fine six to seven years is a long time for a man to be celibate especially if the man thinks his marriage is a sham so I sort of get the infidelity during this time. But after meeting the heroine and having intimacy and connection he still tries to engage the services of a prostitute and he still goes to his mistress of nine years. And the only reason he stops is because it was the mistress who ended it. My contention with creating scenarios like this in a book is that the author is taking us in a journey to hating the hero. The least she could do is bring us back on a journey to rooting for the hero and heroine. And the weird thing is that it is the mistress who comforts the heroine and urges her to pursue the hero. I don’t get it. It seems like the depth of the characters is just being made up to suit a certain event in the story. I could have liked the story more if the hero and heroine had conviction and depth of emotions and character.
I liked the storyline of an arranged marriage and then a second chance but the hero and heroine’s character is not so likable. Okay so the hero married the heroine when she was 14 out of obligation and left her out of spite. So fine six to seven years is a long time for a man to be celibate especially if the man thinks his marriage is a sham so I sort of get the infidelity during this time. But after meeting the heroine and having intimacy and connection he still tries to engage the services of a prostitute and he still goes to his mistress of nine years. And the only reason he stops is because it was the mistress who ended it. My contention with creating scenarios like this in a book is that the author is taking us in a journey to hating the hero. The least she could do is bring us back on a journey to rooting for the hero and heroine. And the weird thing is that it is the mistress who comforts the heroine and urges her to pursue the hero. I don’t get it. It seems like the depth of the characters is just being made up to suit a certain event in the story. I could have liked the story more if the hero and heroine had conviction and depth of emotions and character.
April 10, 2022
I loved this book! I won't say too much and give the story away (and I suggest you skip the other reviews, since they tell way too much, something I've been guilty of in the past), but I will say that there's a lot of twists and turns to the story, an opening scene that really grabs your attention (it's a flash forward, then the story flashes back to the beginning), a good amount of Revolutionary War history (my fav time period) a H and h that start off under less than ideal circumstances, hidden identities, secrets, spies, misunderstandings, piracy, revenge plots, kidnapping, murder and a HEA that the couple earned, though at times you wanted to throttle them both. (Still, you can't help but like them.)
There are also a couple of spies (for the British, shame on them!), who turn up in another story, but that's another story.
I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that I wish the h and her father had been given a chance to work out their differences rather than have the h find out after he was gone that he cared.
And don't let the h's very young age at her marriage (only 14) put you off from reading: it won't be a real marriage for several years.
That's all I'm going to say, so read and enjoy!
There are also a couple of spies (for the British, shame on them!), who turn up in another story, but that's another story.
I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that I wish the h and her father had been given a chance to work out their differences rather than have the h find out after he was gone that he cared.
And don't let the h's very young age at her marriage (only 14) put you off from reading: it won't be a real marriage for several years.
That's all I'm going to say, so read and enjoy!
July 26, 2023
I love this cover! So I actually enjoyed this romance between British Bethlynn Bristol and American Patriot Captain Hawk/Ian. I guess that’s a spoiler, but who else could the mysterious, dashing pirate be but her own husband that she hasn’t seen since the wedding night?
This was written very simply and did so much telling of what was happening, rather than showing. I did like the setting during the American Revolution and the mistrust of neighbors. I liked how both Ian and Bethlynn needed to learn to actually live together after they had so many nights of passion. Also, even though it is over the top, I enjoyed how the villains were portrayed. You just have to immerse yourself in the craziness.
This was written very simply and did so much telling of what was happening, rather than showing. I did like the setting during the American Revolution and the mistrust of neighbors. I liked how both Ian and Bethlynn needed to learn to actually live together after they had so many nights of passion. Also, even though it is over the top, I enjoyed how the villains were portrayed. You just have to immerse yourself in the craziness.
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October 23, 2019Captivating Once in a Lifetime kind of Lovestory
This book is one of my favorite romance novels. I have read this story and it kept me hanging on to every chapter waiting to see how the story would unravel for Bethlyn and Ian, it really was a good read and will keep any reader intrigued as to the twists and turns the characters face. Set admist the historical time of General George Washington and when the Untied States was now trying to gain her independence, it is a great telling. Loved it.
This book is one of my favorite romance novels. I have read this story and it kept me hanging on to every chapter waiting to see how the story would unravel for Bethlyn and Ian, it really was a good read and will keep any reader intrigued as to the twists and turns the characters face. Set admist the historical time of General George Washington and when the Untied States was now trying to gain her independence, it is a great telling. Loved it.
June 11, 2018
Super cute!
I loved how long this was! It was a really good book. The only thing that I didn't like was the cheesy dialogue at times, like eye rollingly horrible you can't help but cringe. Thankfully they don't happen too often. Totally recommend it!
I loved how long this was! It was a really good book. The only thing that I didn't like was the cheesy dialogue at times, like eye rollingly horrible you can't help but cringe. Thankfully they don't happen too often. Totally recommend it!
September 25, 2018
Pirate's Bride
Amazing book I loved this so much drama,excitement,lust,💘and sex extremely well written you are an amazing writer this book took me two days to read and I can hardly wait to read more of your books. Thank you for such a wonderful read
Amazing book I loved this so much drama,excitement,lust,💘and sex extremely well written you are an amazing writer this book took me two days to read and I can hardly wait to read more of your books. Thank you for such a wonderful read
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