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High Seas #3
The Pirate's Secret Baby
The captain of the Prodigal Son has a deserved reputation as the deadliest (and best dressed) pirate in the Caribbean, but Robert St. Armand’s totally at sea when it comes to “Marauding Mattie,” the daughter he never knew he had. How in the world can he deal with the littlest pirate, one who prefers knife-throwing to arithmetic lessons, and who’d rather be keelhauled than eat her beets? He needs help!
Lydia Burke is living a safe, respectable life, separated from England by an entire ocean. It’s exactly what she needs and she’s not going to risk her boring, but secure, position as a governess to consort with pirates, especially one who’s too pretty for his own good or her peace of mind.
No self-respecting governess would be willing to come aboard the notorious Prodigal Son, but Robert didn’t fight his way to the top by letting small obstacles like scruples stop him. If he can’t hire Lydia Burke, he’ll steal her and take her to England with them, certain he can charm her into his bed along the way as an added bonus on the voyage.
It will be a true voyage of discovery for the pirate and the governess, as one learns to navigate the rocky shoals of parenthood while the other tries to keep deadly secrets hidden, and both will find that while it’s a child who initially brings them together, the growing passion between them offers the greatest temptation.
Lydia Burke is living a safe, respectable life, separated from England by an entire ocean. It’s exactly what she needs and she’s not going to risk her boring, but secure, position as a governess to consort with pirates, especially one who’s too pretty for his own good or her peace of mind.
No self-respecting governess would be willing to come aboard the notorious Prodigal Son, but Robert didn’t fight his way to the top by letting small obstacles like scruples stop him. If he can’t hire Lydia Burke, he’ll steal her and take her to England with them, certain he can charm her into his bed along the way as an added bonus on the voyage.
It will be a true voyage of discovery for the pirate and the governess, as one learns to navigate the rocky shoals of parenthood while the other tries to keep deadly secrets hidden, and both will find that while it’s a child who initially brings them together, the growing passion between them offers the greatest temptation.
306 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 2014
11 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Darlene Marshall
8 books172 followersDarlene Marshall is the author of award-winning historical romance featuring pirates, privateers, smugglers, and the occasional possum.
Past jobs include working as a reporter, news anchor, news director, obit writer, news producer and radio station owner. She's never been a pirate, but the day's not yet over.
Awards for her books include: Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and Readers' Choice Award for Historical Romance; The Aspen Gold Award; finalist for the Desert Rose RWA Golden Quill Award; FCRW National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award; and the Eppie (Electronic Publishing) award twice for Best Historical Romance.
Her books are also available in French, German and Estonian.
Marshall can be reached at darlenemarshall[at]darlenemarshall.com
She/her Represented by Barbara Collins Rosenberg of The Rosenberg Group.
Past jobs include working as a reporter, news anchor, news director, obit writer, news producer and radio station owner. She's never been a pirate, but the day's not yet over.
Awards for her books include: Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and Readers' Choice Award for Historical Romance; The Aspen Gold Award; finalist for the Desert Rose RWA Golden Quill Award; FCRW National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award; and the Eppie (Electronic Publishing) award twice for Best Historical Romance.
Her books are also available in French, German and Estonian.
Marshall can be reached at darlenemarshall[at]darlenemarshall.com
She/her Represented by Barbara Collins Rosenberg of The Rosenberg Group.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 25, 2014
I’ve enjoyed Darlene Marshall’s books in the past and she does a nice job with The Pirate’s Secret Baby. The baby is actually eight year old Mattie, whose mother has recently died. Her governess, Lydia tracks down Mattie’s father, Robert St. Armand, the captain of the Prodigal Son and known pirate. Robert has been with many (and I mean many) women, so it’s a shock and maybe not so much of a shock that he has fathered a child. He takes to Mattie quite quickly, but also knows he needs help being a parent. He demands Lydia accompany himself and Mattie from the Caribbean back to England. Lydia refuses to set foot in England again (for good reason..which you will discover as you read) so Robert does what any good pirate would do. He lets her leave on a different ship and kidnaps her anyway.
This book has a lot of cute moments When the book opens, Robert is waking up after a night of debauchery but is having a hard time remembering exactly who he debauched. Lydia finds him at this brothel to break the news to him that he has a daughter. Lydia doesn’t take too kind to Robert’s demeanor:
He looked up, eyeing his visitor more closely. He wouldn’t call her face pretty, but it was certainly colorful, that bright crimson in her cheeks, the white lines around her mouth, the narrowed gaze with a flash of green. The rest of her was neither colorful nor pretty. The woman wore a gray dress of uncertain styling, baggy where it should be fitted, resembling a sack. A white cap without a touch of lace to soften it covered her hair.Clearly she was not in the usual style of Cornelia’s girls. Must be one of the specialty doxies, and he could guess what that specialty was.
“I did not request a mistress of discipline last night, did I?”
His brow furrowed as he thought, a painful process given the state of his head.
She advanced two steps closer, fists clenched by her sides.
“Get up, you…you reprobate!”
“No, seriously, sweetheart, you will have to find another customer.” He looked at her critically.“Some men like the stern English governess act, but I think you would do better in a leather corset.”
“I am an English governess, you disgusting piece of offal, your daughter’s governess!”
The combination of liquor and hashish and sex had left his brain like tapioca, but even so, a small part of what she said penetrated his consciousness.
“You are not here for my morning fuck?”
She grabbed the nearest object containing liquid and dumped it over his head. Fortunately for him, it was the dregs of the wine and not the chamber pot. Robert was too stunned to do anything but sit there, dripping, as the unknown woman turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.
Lydia is a very prim and proper governess. She cares greatly for Mattie but also has her own life to live. She fears traveling back to England is tries her best to not revisit, but Robert has other plans. Mattie takes to being a pirate quite well. She is her father’s daughter for sure, much to the dismay of Lydia, who would rather teach her needlepoint or painting:
“I will be back soon, Mattie. Mind Mr. Fuller while I’m gone.”
“Do not worry, Papa! I have my knife and if any of them try to come aboard, I’ll gut them!”
“Charming.”
Or this:
“Mattie, what did I teach you about socializing with strangers?”
“Be courteous to all you meet, but have a plan to kill them,” the child said skipping along and holding his hand.
Stuck on a boat together allows Lydia and Robert to get to know each other. Robert is really a good guy, but loves to push Lydia’s buttons. He hides her caps and says things to her that he knows will get her going:
She put her hand on his chest and pushed, but it was a half-hearted effort.
“Stop doing this.You are so annoying!”
“True, but I have other qualities.”
“Name one, other than loving Mattie.”
“I am exceedingly handsome.”
“That’s not a quality, that’s an accident of birth, a happenstance!”
“I am an extraordinarily gifted lover.”
“So you say. I have no evidence of it.”
He watched her eyes widen as she realized what she’d said, the door she’d opened. A better man might have ignored the provocation, but they already knew he wasn’t such an individual.
He put his mouth next to her ear.“I have sailed to the Orient. I know sixty different points on your body, my dear little governess, where I can bring you to screaming fulfillment using only my mouth and my tongue.”
He leaned back to gauge her reaction to that! It was almost all he could have desired.
Her eyes widened and her hand fluttered up to her throat. She slowly licked her lips, the tip of her own tongue darting out wetly. He hardened further at the sight and he schooled his face so his triumph would not show. He had her now.
“Really?” she asked throatily. “You can count to sixty?”
I love Lydia’s comeback!
I’d say for about half the book these two are traveling back to England and the second half of the book takes place in England’s countryside. We learn a lot more about Robert’s past and Lydia’s too. Overall I think this is a really cute book but I will say it is a little on the long side. There were times the story slowed down, both on the ship and in England, but the pace did pick back up eventually. It takes Lydia quite awhile to give herself over to Robert. I enjoyed the chase although I would have liked to see Lydia fall a little harder for Robert.
If you are interested in this type of book, I also recommend The Bride and the Buccaneer by this author.
Rating: B
This book has a lot of cute moments When the book opens, Robert is waking up after a night of debauchery but is having a hard time remembering exactly who he debauched. Lydia finds him at this brothel to break the news to him that he has a daughter. Lydia doesn’t take too kind to Robert’s demeanor:
He looked up, eyeing his visitor more closely. He wouldn’t call her face pretty, but it was certainly colorful, that bright crimson in her cheeks, the white lines around her mouth, the narrowed gaze with a flash of green. The rest of her was neither colorful nor pretty. The woman wore a gray dress of uncertain styling, baggy where it should be fitted, resembling a sack. A white cap without a touch of lace to soften it covered her hair.Clearly she was not in the usual style of Cornelia’s girls. Must be one of the specialty doxies, and he could guess what that specialty was.
“I did not request a mistress of discipline last night, did I?”
His brow furrowed as he thought, a painful process given the state of his head.
She advanced two steps closer, fists clenched by her sides.
“Get up, you…you reprobate!”
“No, seriously, sweetheart, you will have to find another customer.” He looked at her critically.“Some men like the stern English governess act, but I think you would do better in a leather corset.”
“I am an English governess, you disgusting piece of offal, your daughter’s governess!”
The combination of liquor and hashish and sex had left his brain like tapioca, but even so, a small part of what she said penetrated his consciousness.
“You are not here for my morning fuck?”
She grabbed the nearest object containing liquid and dumped it over his head. Fortunately for him, it was the dregs of the wine and not the chamber pot. Robert was too stunned to do anything but sit there, dripping, as the unknown woman turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.
Lydia is a very prim and proper governess. She cares greatly for Mattie but also has her own life to live. She fears traveling back to England is tries her best to not revisit, but Robert has other plans. Mattie takes to being a pirate quite well. She is her father’s daughter for sure, much to the dismay of Lydia, who would rather teach her needlepoint or painting:
“I will be back soon, Mattie. Mind Mr. Fuller while I’m gone.”
“Do not worry, Papa! I have my knife and if any of them try to come aboard, I’ll gut them!”
“Charming.”
Or this:
“Mattie, what did I teach you about socializing with strangers?”
“Be courteous to all you meet, but have a plan to kill them,” the child said skipping along and holding his hand.
Stuck on a boat together allows Lydia and Robert to get to know each other. Robert is really a good guy, but loves to push Lydia’s buttons. He hides her caps and says things to her that he knows will get her going:
She put her hand on his chest and pushed, but it was a half-hearted effort.
“Stop doing this.You are so annoying!”
“True, but I have other qualities.”
“Name one, other than loving Mattie.”
“I am exceedingly handsome.”
“That’s not a quality, that’s an accident of birth, a happenstance!”
“I am an extraordinarily gifted lover.”
“So you say. I have no evidence of it.”
He watched her eyes widen as she realized what she’d said, the door she’d opened. A better man might have ignored the provocation, but they already knew he wasn’t such an individual.
He put his mouth next to her ear.“I have sailed to the Orient. I know sixty different points on your body, my dear little governess, where I can bring you to screaming fulfillment using only my mouth and my tongue.”
He leaned back to gauge her reaction to that! It was almost all he could have desired.
Her eyes widened and her hand fluttered up to her throat. She slowly licked her lips, the tip of her own tongue darting out wetly. He hardened further at the sight and he schooled his face so his triumph would not show. He had her now.
“Really?” she asked throatily. “You can count to sixty?”
I love Lydia’s comeback!
I’d say for about half the book these two are traveling back to England and the second half of the book takes place in England’s countryside. We learn a lot more about Robert’s past and Lydia’s too. Overall I think this is a really cute book but I will say it is a little on the long side. There were times the story slowed down, both on the ship and in England, but the pace did pick back up eventually. It takes Lydia quite awhile to give herself over to Robert. I enjoyed the chase although I would have liked to see Lydia fall a little harder for Robert.
If you are interested in this type of book, I also recommend The Bride and the Buccaneer by this author.
Rating: B
July 9, 2022
This is a case of a good book with a ridiculously-hilarious title. I loved that we got to see Alexander and Daphne again in this book! I really enjoyed the banter between Robert and Lydia. This was a reverse grumpy-sunshine with some dominatrix elements. I loved how Lydia was able to knock the pirate rake down a peg. I liked how he became vulnerable for her, but I wish she would’ve been a bit more vulnerable to him. I also hated that the romance scenes were fade-to-black, because I really wanted to see how that played out. Castaway Dreams certainly had the best sexy time scenes. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book and was very intrigued with Robert’s backstory after first encountering him in Castaway Dreams where there wasn’t much redeeming about him. Loved the pirate bedtime stories and how Anne Bonny and Mary Read became part of the story.
May 6, 2021
Encore un joli couple, encore une histoire sympathique. Le tome que j'ai le moins aimé des 3, mais toujours la même qualité
Tout comme nous avions une ingénue complètement assumée dans le tome 2, là nous avons un forban, un vaurien, un pirate complètement lui aussi assumé. Vaniteux, grandiloquent et agaçant mais assumé. C'est rafraichissant, il ne cherche pas à changer ni franchement à rentrer dans les rangs. Il ne renie pas sa vie de pirate et j'ai bien aimé ce côté du personnage.
Et puis bon je ne résiste pas devant de beaux yeux souligné de khôl ^^
Tout comme nous avions une ingénue complètement assumée dans le tome 2, là nous avons un forban, un vaurien, un pirate complètement lui aussi assumé. Vaniteux, grandiloquent et agaçant mais assumé. C'est rafraichissant, il ne cherche pas à changer ni franchement à rentrer dans les rangs. Il ne renie pas sa vie de pirate et j'ai bien aimé ce côté du personnage.
Et puis bon je ne résiste pas devant de beaux yeux souligné de khôl ^^
September 16, 2021
Cette lecture n'est pas un grand coup de cœur, mais j'ai vraiment bien aimé l'univers. J'ai accroché tout de suite avec les personnages. Même si je m'attendais à 80% de l'intrigue, j'ai été surprise sur un point que je n'avais pas du tout vu venir et pour le coup, c'était super original. Pour les amateurs de romance historique, je vous conseille vraiment de le lire !
March 10, 2014
Will Turner: This is either madness... or brilliance.
Jack Sparrow: It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide.
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN, a 17th century tale, came to life on the big screen by Disney Studios, reigniting the public’s fascination with pirates. Then again, romance readers have always been fascinated with pirates. Darlene Marshall brings the 18th century raiders to life her new release, THE PIRATE’S SECRET BABY. The hero, Captain Robert St. Armand, shares some traits with Jack Sparrow – notorious, sexy, and droll. Unlike Jack, Robert is honorable. In the span of several hours, he learns that he fathered a child; the mother has passed away; and he accepts his 7 year old daughter, Mathilde, on board his ship. The bearer of the news is an English nanny, Lydia Burke, who is offended by Robert’s repugnant manners but appreciative of his fine form. Still, she has completed her mission to reunite father with daughter and proceeds to her next position on St. Martin. No amount of gold offered by Robert to continue as Mathilde’s nanny could entice Lydia to sail with Robert to England. She fears England more than Robert.
Marshall opens THE PIRATE’S SECRET BABY with authentic but salty details of a pirate’s less-than-savory shore leave. Yet she delivered the delicate balance of witty dialogue and sexual tension to lure me away with this fated pair. The secondary characters also entertain on this Trans Atlantic cruise. In fact, Mathilde transforms into Mattie the Marauder in between her deportment lessons. THE PIRATE’S SECRET BABY is a humorous adventure of Regency pirates on the high seas!
Recommended read for fans of Regency romance, pirate heroes, and lighthearted repartee. I received an eARC for an honest review.
Jack Sparrow: It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide.
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN, a 17th century tale, came to life on the big screen by Disney Studios, reigniting the public’s fascination with pirates. Then again, romance readers have always been fascinated with pirates. Darlene Marshall brings the 18th century raiders to life her new release, THE PIRATE’S SECRET BABY. The hero, Captain Robert St. Armand, shares some traits with Jack Sparrow – notorious, sexy, and droll. Unlike Jack, Robert is honorable. In the span of several hours, he learns that he fathered a child; the mother has passed away; and he accepts his 7 year old daughter, Mathilde, on board his ship. The bearer of the news is an English nanny, Lydia Burke, who is offended by Robert’s repugnant manners but appreciative of his fine form. Still, she has completed her mission to reunite father with daughter and proceeds to her next position on St. Martin. No amount of gold offered by Robert to continue as Mathilde’s nanny could entice Lydia to sail with Robert to England. She fears England more than Robert.
Marshall opens THE PIRATE’S SECRET BABY with authentic but salty details of a pirate’s less-than-savory shore leave. Yet she delivered the delicate balance of witty dialogue and sexual tension to lure me away with this fated pair. The secondary characters also entertain on this Trans Atlantic cruise. In fact, Mathilde transforms into Mattie the Marauder in between her deportment lessons. THE PIRATE’S SECRET BABY is a humorous adventure of Regency pirates on the high seas!
Recommended read for fans of Regency romance, pirate heroes, and lighthearted repartee. I received an eARC for an honest review.
March 18, 2014
Adorable. Lots of humor and heat. Only point of contention is story is a bit long winded. Fantastic characters and dialogue.
September 28, 2014
Another adorable and fun pirate romance from Darlene Marshall. Robert, the charming, handsome pirate from Castaway Dreams is back. I love that he's a man that knows his own charm. A couple of times he's compared to a magpie or a peacock and he really is like a male bird displaying his fabulous plumage for his advantage. Lydia is the typical uptight governess, dressed in drab colors and trying to blend into the woodwork. They both have secrets and I have to say I never saw Lydia's coming and it was awesome. I loved that her "downfall" wasn't about her power being taken away, but about her living the life she wanted. I can't really say any more without spoiling but it was not a typical story for a romance heroine.
The pirate's baby herself is actually 8 year old Marauding Mattie (her pirate name) and she's also adorable. She learns about female pirates, knife-fighting (First rule of knife-fighting - bring a gun) and tea parties with dolls and pirates.
The only reason this one wasn't five stars is that it did seem a little long. I'm not sure exactly where but there were just parts that felt a little draggy. Still, I just love these books when I want a fun but not silly historical with unexpected heroines and the men who become befuddled by them.
The pirate's baby herself is actually 8 year old Marauding Mattie (her pirate name) and she's also adorable. She learns about female pirates, knife-fighting (First rule of knife-fighting - bring a gun) and tea parties with dolls and pirates.
The only reason this one wasn't five stars is that it did seem a little long. I'm not sure exactly where but there were just parts that felt a little draggy. Still, I just love these books when I want a fun but not silly historical with unexpected heroines and the men who become befuddled by them.
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March 16, 2019
The writing was great and I loved the characters, but the sex scenes were fade-to-black! Considering they involved femdom, scarves, and more, I'm very disappointed. I also would've liked to see an epilogue, considering how flirtatious the hero is with all women. It just would've set my mind at ease.
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May 9, 2021
Peut-être 3,5/5.
Le moins bon des 3, quelques longueurs. Mais la lecture reste plaisante.
Le moins bon des 3, quelques longueurs. Mais la lecture reste plaisante.
June 26, 2022
I really liked this one. It might be my new favourite in the series. Firstly that title is hilarious. Fortunately the baby is actually 10 years old, and while precocious not annoying or a plot moppet. Some of the scenes between Mattie and her father made me tear up.
The romance is definitely on the slow burn. But I think that was necessary. Lydia had to learn to trust Robert. I did enjoy the ship portion more than the part in England, but overall it was a solid book.
The romance is definitely on the slow burn. But I think that was necessary. Lydia had to learn to trust Robert. I did enjoy the ship portion more than the part in England, but overall it was a solid book.
August 21, 2015
Oh I do like a good pirate romance, and this was great.
The pirate is wonderfully full of himself, vain, selfish, over-sexed and rather charmingly addictive. The heroine is prim, self-possessed, totally in control of herself and her surroundings and makes a great heroine. The interactions between them are great fun, although I can't quite believe that the heroine would cave as much as she did, or that the hero would not realize that he had actually placed her not only at great inconvenience but some danger by his own selfishness.
The only criticism I can really think of is, what on earth is that dire title all about? It just doesn't describe what is really going on here, because the child, for a start, isn't a baby, and it implies the hero and heroine fall in love cooing over an infant, which is not the case.
Anyway, very enjoyable, as are all books by this author.
4 stars. I really liked it.
The pirate is wonderfully full of himself, vain, selfish, over-sexed and rather charmingly addictive. The heroine is prim, self-possessed, totally in control of herself and her surroundings and makes a great heroine. The interactions between them are great fun, although I can't quite believe that the heroine would cave as much as she did, or that the hero would not realize that he had actually placed her not only at great inconvenience but some danger by his own selfishness.
The only criticism I can really think of is, what on earth is that dire title all about? It just doesn't describe what is really going on here, because the child, for a start, isn't a baby, and it implies the hero and heroine fall in love cooing over an infant, which is not the case.
Anyway, very enjoyable, as are all books by this author.
4 stars. I really liked it.
December 13, 2014
This was a great, page turning pirate read. Although, Captain Robert St. Armand's daughter, Mattie, wasn't really a secret, it was more he didn't know of her existence until the death of her mother. Mattie's governess, Lydia Burke, brought her to her father which lead to the most awkward first meeting between Lydia and the Captain which set the stage for most future encounters or interaction between the two. Let's just say after Lydia met Robert there was some arguing, kidnapping, and pirates doing what pirates do of course. It might not have been love at first sight, but the characters grew and developed their love for each other slowly yet surely and when they finally realized they loved each other it wasn't all smooth sailing, there were some bodies to dispose of, just kidding...mostly. I definitely enjoyed the characters and the story and would recommend it for those who like reading about swoon worthy pirates and prickly governesses. >_<
July 26, 2014
The author kindly sent me an ARC of this book.
A fun, lighthearted read, one for those not overly concerned when their characters behave illogically. An English pirate discovers he's fathered a daughter while visiting a brothel in the Caribbean, a daughter whose mother has just died. The child's governess deposits the girl with him, refusing his offer to keep up her post because she's accepted a new post on another island. The pirate proceeds to waylay her ship and kidnap her, which she doesn't much protest, given her liking for her young charge, as well as her growing attraction to the pirate. The pirate returns with crew, daughter, and governess to England, where we discover his true identity, and where he helps the governess rid herself of a blackmailing cad. Not a lot in the way of feminist content here, but an enjoyable romp nonetheless.
A fun, lighthearted read, one for those not overly concerned when their characters behave illogically. An English pirate discovers he's fathered a daughter while visiting a brothel in the Caribbean, a daughter whose mother has just died. The child's governess deposits the girl with him, refusing his offer to keep up her post because she's accepted a new post on another island. The pirate proceeds to waylay her ship and kidnap her, which she doesn't much protest, given her liking for her young charge, as well as her growing attraction to the pirate. The pirate returns with crew, daughter, and governess to England, where we discover his true identity, and where he helps the governess rid herself of a blackmailing cad. Not a lot in the way of feminist content here, but an enjoyable romp nonetheless.
April 3, 2014
Lydia is a capable heroine with hidden--and oh-so-naughty--depths. Robert is a rogue with the proverbial heart of gold, especially when it comes to his newly discovered daughter. Together they heat up the page--or (as in my case) put an extra-special charge in your Kindle. What pleasantly heated distraction during a winter that has stretched way too far into spring territory!
January 5, 2015
Wonderful! All the books by this author has been amazing. There's an added poignancy in her stories on top of the humor and wit.
Came across a few typos & formatting errors but they did not detract from my enjoyment of the writing & story
Came across a few typos & formatting errors but they did not detract from my enjoyment of the writing & story
June 18, 2014
A fabulous, satisfying story. Flawless writing, laugh-out-loud humor, colorful characters, and a lusty romance. What more could you ask for?
March 17, 2014
Darlene Marshall has another smasher for you! I loved it. I figured out Robert's secret, but Lydia's caught me by surprise. All of the clues were there. Well done!
October 20, 2014
This was a great story. I will read another book by this author in the future.
August 16, 2014
This book had been on my wishlist for a while, I finally decided to buy it - what a disappointment!
Robert St Armand is the pirate in question. A frequenter of brothels apparently he was generous to a former prostitute and set her up in a house with some money. She apparently never bothered to tell him he had a daughter until after she died.
Lydia has been the daughter's governess and hands her over to Robert. She refuses to accompany them back to England because she HAS A SECRET.
Robert sets sail for London and Lydia boards a boat for one of the Caribbean islands. For some reason not fully explained, Robert boards Lydia's boat and kidnaps her.
Robert was (to me) totally unlikeable. I thought his secret was totally obvious. Lydia's secret bored me to tears - either say nothing or reveal it early. Don't keep alluding to it all the time. Having said that, whilst her secret(s) were a surprise they also seemed at odds with her behaviour in the book up to that point and not a good reason for fearing to return to England.
Disappointing
Robert St Armand is the pirate in question. A frequenter of brothels apparently he was generous to a former prostitute and set her up in a house with some money. She apparently never bothered to tell him he had a daughter until after she died.
Lydia has been the daughter's governess and hands her over to Robert. She refuses to accompany them back to England because she HAS A SECRET.
Robert sets sail for London and Lydia boards a boat for one of the Caribbean islands. For some reason not fully explained, Robert boards Lydia's boat and kidnaps her.
Robert was (to me) totally unlikeable. I thought his secret was totally obvious. Lydia's secret bored me to tears - either say nothing or reveal it early. Don't keep alluding to it all the time. Having said that, whilst her secret(s) were a surprise they also seemed at odds with her behaviour in the book up to that point and not a good reason for fearing to return to England.
Disappointing
March 19, 2015
This is the second time one of Darlene Marshall's pirate-themed historicals have languished in my TBR, untouched, for such a long time, and when I finally get around to reading it, I've thought, "This is awesome! Why did I wait so long?!" Don't be fooled by the campy titles and cheezy covers: these books are really good. Yes, they're campy -- by design. Darlene Marshall knows and exploits all of the tropes of her genre -- this story has a secret baby (now a winsome eight-year-old plot moppet), a straight-laced plain jane governess, a cocksure pirate captain who is secretly an English lord -- but while you've probably read all this before, you've never read it the way Marshall does it: frothy and fun, yes, but also smart and surprising and very, very well-written.
If, like me, you have one or two of these books buried in your TBR, languishing because you can't remember what you were thinking when you added something so cheesy to your cart, do yourself a favor and give it a try. You won't be sorry.
If, like me, you have one or two of these books buried in your TBR, languishing because you can't remember what you were thinking when you added something so cheesy to your cart, do yourself a favor and give it a try. You won't be sorry.
January 25, 2022
3.5 stars
January 30, 2015
Love the characters and the humor. I will definitely be reading more of D. Marshall's books.
April 16, 2021
3.5 ⭐
Darlene Marshall revient avec un troisième tome haut en couleurs et riche en évènements!
Ce Forban au grand coeur offre une excursion maritime plaisante, avec des membres d'équipage qui valent le détour (et qui sont pour certains de futurs cracks en maths Tourmentes - Tome 3 : Un forban au grand cœur de Darlene Marshall ^^), une petite fille qui vole presque la vedette aux héros, et évidemment ... un capitaine qui ne fait pas dans la dentelle !
Alors vous voyez, ce capitaine, ce cher Robert de St Armand, disons que pour une première impression, la première fois qu'on le voit, eh bien ... c'est plutôt raté ! Robert n'est pas un homme discret, il a un look plutôt tapageur et une personnalité tout aussi colorée. Robert est du genre ... gentleman pirate, il joue les séducteurs et s'arrange avec la vérité pour faire bonne figure devant sa fille et éviter que la gouvernante qu'il a quand même enlevée (!) ne lui fasse les gros yeux, même si cette dernière est tout sauf dupe.
À l'inverse, Lydia est une femme terne, discrète, qui tient à ses principes et qui veut inculquer les bonnes manières à la petite fille dont elle s'occupe. Du coup, c'est un sacré choc des cultures entre elle et son employeur ! Mais forcément, les apparences peuvent se révéler trompeuses, et derrière ses airs de vieille fille revêche, se cache une toute autre personnalité (soit dit en passant, j'ai trouvé cette "double personnalité" peu crédible et pas très bien amenée par l'autrice).
Des deux parties qui composent ce roman, c'est la première que j'ai préféré, parce que ces scènes à bord du bateau sont réussies et font souffler un vent d'aventures sur le livre. C'est chouette de voir ces marins rustres accueillir au sein de leur équipage un mousse inattendu, et de voir certains d'entre eux partager les leçons de maths dispensées par Lydia. La seconde partie est plus convenue et m'a beaucoup moins intéressée, d'autant que, comme je le disais plus haut, je n'ai pas cru à cette autre facette de Lydia.
Au final, cela reste un roman agréable à lire, même si la romance ne m'a pas charmée. Darlene Marshall joue à fond la carte du roman de pirates, avec un vocabulaire que je trouve pour ma part un peu désuet, mais ça marche !
Darlene Marshall revient avec un troisième tome haut en couleurs et riche en évènements!
Ce Forban au grand coeur offre une excursion maritime plaisante, avec des membres d'équipage qui valent le détour (et qui sont pour certains de futurs cracks en maths Tourmentes - Tome 3 : Un forban au grand cœur de Darlene Marshall ^^), une petite fille qui vole presque la vedette aux héros, et évidemment ... un capitaine qui ne fait pas dans la dentelle !
Alors vous voyez, ce capitaine, ce cher Robert de St Armand, disons que pour une première impression, la première fois qu'on le voit, eh bien ... c'est plutôt raté ! Robert n'est pas un homme discret, il a un look plutôt tapageur et une personnalité tout aussi colorée. Robert est du genre ... gentleman pirate, il joue les séducteurs et s'arrange avec la vérité pour faire bonne figure devant sa fille et éviter que la gouvernante qu'il a quand même enlevée (!) ne lui fasse les gros yeux, même si cette dernière est tout sauf dupe.
À l'inverse, Lydia est une femme terne, discrète, qui tient à ses principes et qui veut inculquer les bonnes manières à la petite fille dont elle s'occupe. Du coup, c'est un sacré choc des cultures entre elle et son employeur ! Mais forcément, les apparences peuvent se révéler trompeuses, et derrière ses airs de vieille fille revêche, se cache une toute autre personnalité (soit dit en passant, j'ai trouvé cette "double personnalité" peu crédible et pas très bien amenée par l'autrice).
Des deux parties qui composent ce roman, c'est la première que j'ai préféré, parce que ces scènes à bord du bateau sont réussies et font souffler un vent d'aventures sur le livre. C'est chouette de voir ces marins rustres accueillir au sein de leur équipage un mousse inattendu, et de voir certains d'entre eux partager les leçons de maths dispensées par Lydia. La seconde partie est plus convenue et m'a beaucoup moins intéressée, d'autant que, comme je le disais plus haut, je n'ai pas cru à cette autre facette de Lydia.
Au final, cela reste un roman agréable à lire, même si la romance ne m'a pas charmée. Darlene Marshall joue à fond la carte du roman de pirates, avec un vocabulaire que je trouve pour ma part un peu désuet, mais ça marche !
October 26, 2022
I enjoyed the first two books in the series so much, that while I had misgivings about this one, I gave it a go. From the last book we already know Armand is dissolute, conceited, selfish and a criminal. He is loved by the women and the boys at the brothels. He was going to blithley murder Dr. Murray to get him out of the way in order to make his move on Daphne. Basically he is painted as a sociopathic narcissist. Going into book 2, he is still the same guy. As the story progresses of course he has to change so he is a responsible (as much as a pirate can be) father and eventual husband. Sorry, if I am to like this character at all he would have had to be written differently. Even with his daughter on board, he is obsessed with seducing the governess. Sure, she is the female lead so we know eventually he is going to care for her, but he just comes off as a manipulative sex addict. My own fault for getting this book, considering what I already know of the character. DNF
February 25, 2022
A very approachable novel with a decent twist. I enjoyed the upgrade in writing technique compared to Sea Change (unfortunately I have not gotten my hands on Castaway Dreams yet). The title befuddles me though. The pirate’s progeny is no secret from chapter 3 onward, so the “baby” in the title is perhaps supposed to be a term of endearment applied to the love interest? Still I say, not really. It’s a poor choice of title that does not align with the story and instead merely functions as intriguing to sell novels. But whatever, if you wish to lose yourself in a tale of a dashing pirate who is charismatic, alluring, and vain whilst also being as compassionate with those he cherishes as he is menacing to those who cross him, then this would be a good selection for your bedside table.
August 2, 2019
Such good fun
Kidnapped by pirates. It's a cliche because it works. And don't worry about it being cliched because it isn't. In fact The Governess' secret past was something completely new and just delicious. There was an awful lot of the book where I did wish the secrets would just be revealed already, but otherwise I loved every page.
Some wonderful supporting characters and still an awful lot of story unwritten between this story and What the Parrot Saw.
Kidnapped by pirates. It's a cliche because it works. And don't worry about it being cliched because it isn't. In fact The Governess' secret past was something completely new and just delicious. There was an awful lot of the book where I did wish the secrets would just be revealed already, but otherwise I loved every page.
Some wonderful supporting characters and still an awful lot of story unwritten between this story and What the Parrot Saw.
May 3, 2020
Should lose a star for not actually being about a secret baby - surely that counts as false advertising - but it was sooooo much fun I feel like I can’t really complain. I cannot even DESCRIBE how gleeful I was when we discovered Lydia’s secret! An absolute BALL!
August 21, 2022
This was engaging at first but just a bit too long
March 11, 2019
Pirates, love and secret babies
I don’t usually like the secret baby trope, but I have a real weakness for pirates and true love. The pirate captain is beautiful, conceited and spoiled, but of course ultimately redeemable. I’m not sure I really bought into th
e reason the heroine was in hiding, but she was clearly someone hiding from all attention. And you can guess how it ends... Fun
I don’t usually like the secret baby trope, but I have a real weakness for pirates and true love. The pirate captain is beautiful, conceited and spoiled, but of course ultimately redeemable. I’m not sure I really bought into th
e reason the heroine was in hiding, but she was clearly someone hiding from all attention. And you can guess how it ends... Fun
July 20, 2021
3,5 Une romance sympa avec un pirate mais qui ne me laissera pas beaucoup de souvenirs dans le temps.
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