The Emerald Necklace

The Emerald Quest #1

by Annie Seaton

When Madeleine Bellerose sets out from her English manor on her quest to recover a priceless family heirloom in New Orleans, the last thing she expects is to be held captive by the infamous pirate, Sebastien Le Clerc.
Will Sebastien mend his wicked ways and help Madeleine in her quest?
Can love overcome the lack of trust and the web of lies that is spun in the race to find the emerald necklace?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Pirates, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2014

About the author

Annie Seaton lives near the beach on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. She is fulfilling her lifelong dream of writing and has been delighted to discover that readers love reading her stories as much as she loves writing them. Her career and studies spanned the education sector for most of her working life until she took up a full-time writing career. Each winter, Annie and her husband leave the beach to roam the remote areas of Australia for story ideas and research.

Readers can contact Annie through her website annieseaton.net or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Reviews

[Lynxie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Capturing the Pirate's heart is, in essence, like every single other romance novel. Especially the bodice rippers and Mills & Boon stories.

Madeleine is a virginal, innocent who ends up involved with the purloiner of the high seas, Sebastien.

The book does little to break out of the normal romance tropes. Even less to subvert the pirate/sea-faring romance cliches.

Seb (I'm calling him this because I don't like how his name is spelt). Is a hulking, stallion of a man. He's masculine and glorious and all things to light a virginal young girl's nether region on fire.

Madeleine was all the usual things a young heroine is in these types of stories. Someone who is naive and new to the bigger world, one who experiences new things with the lead male.

The good things about this book include:
1. Jake: I liked this plucky young fellow and his fierce loyalty. A nice and realistic addition to the story.
2. That Madeleine wasn't completely useless. Despite her naivety, she was bright enough to know somethings and she actually had some skills, despite her spoilt up bringing.
3. Some of the descriptions were truly awesome. I really liked the descriptions of Seb's cabin and the Maiden.

Things I didn't like:
1. The cliche use and repetition of things in the text.
2. The ending.
3. The ending.
4. The bad guy.
5. The ending.

Not Annie's best.

A few things I noticed:

5% - alright already! I get that he only has to do one more trip, let's move along now.
11% - slave trade is underlined and looks a lighter shade.
14% - don't need to be retold about uncle's seasickness...
21% - lent her feet wings - cliche

[Lavendersbluegreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite by this author.

I have read every single book by this author, and again this one is my new favorite.

Madeleine's family is gone and her Uncle has emptied their manor house and dismissed the servants prior to dragging her onto a ship bound for the Americas. Meanwhile she has the key to a family secret and hopes she can recover something once they hit New Orleans that will allow her to restore her family home and the people she loves to their positions. She takes drastic measures to escape the noxious man her Uncle would have her marry and finds herself at sea on a pirate ship with the notorious pirate Captain Sébastien Leclerc...

Sébastien has his own noble secrets. This story follows them on their very different quests, with peril, friendship, pretending, and family dramas.
Their love develops despite the trust issues and multiple masquerades they both must play.

Once again Annie Seaton has delivered a real winner. She also manages to leave us wanting the next installment in this shared world.

The locale and era is different from my own but the feelings and motivations of her characters are relate-able and ultimately Annie manages to draw us into her world, only releasing us as we turn the last page... or rather a short time thereafter.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capturing the Pirate’s Heart is a sensational first book in The Emerald Quest Book quartet.

Starting in New Orleans, Josephine du Bois surreptitiously hides an exquisite and expensive Emerald necklace that was given to her by her secret lover. She writes clues into her private diary hoping that one day her family will be able to decipher the clues and find their inheritance.

In England two years later, beautiful and headstrong Madeleine Bellerose discovers her Great Aunt’s diary amongst her deceased Father’s possessions.

Her heartless Uncle Titus discovers her with the diary and takes it away from her but not before she has memorised the significant clue.

A journey across the sea from England to New Orleans sees Madeleine befriend a cabin boy, Jake, who has wondrous stories of ships and pirates – particularly the notorious Captain Sebastien Leclerc.

On docking in New Orleans, Madeleine discovers that her uncle is marrying her off to a lecherous old man, so with Jake’s help she pretends to drown and stows away on a ship.
Unknown to Madeleine, the ship belongs to Sebastien Leclerc and from the moment Sebastien lays eyes on Madeleine in his stateroom, there is an instant and undeniable attraction.
Sebastien has his own secrets too but the longer the two of them are together in the close quarters with Madeleine masquerading as Sebastien’s wench, the closer they become…
Together, they are an electric combination that had me grinning and anticipating the moment when the sparks flying between them would turn into a full-blown squally storm.

Suspense, drama, mystery, bad men and the high rolling seas make this an action packed story with lots of twists and turns that draws you in so well that you can’t put the book down until it is finished.

Capturing the Pirate’s Heart has beautiful romantic elements between Madeleine and Sebastien that are convincing. Sebastien is gorgeous as he is so protective of Madeleine!

This is a wonderful start to the Emerald Quartet series and I can’t wait to read the second book – Saving the Soldier’s Heart in December.

Where is the Emerald necklace???

[Jeanine Walsh palinkas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my typical genre, but I must say, Annie Seaton has impressed me yet again! I never pictured myself reading, let alone enjoying a historical romance as much as I did this tale.

This book was full of suspense, drama, secrets and of course, ROMANCE!!!!

I highly suggest you check it out :)

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I really want to escape and enter a time gone by I search for a author who will be able to send me on that adventure. Since I do so like this author when I seen this one I knew that she had the ability to get the job done. Also on top of that it has a pirate in it that might be able to shiver me timbers. She starts with a prologue that will give the basis of the novel and the ones to follow. Josephine will have quite the secret and will touch many a person even after her death. Sebastien who is on his last mission before he can finally follow his own promise to himself to pursue his own life. Sebastien sailed the ship and his half brother ran the headquarters. Then there is Madeleine who is now with her uncle who is organizing their journey. He has already shown is nothing like her father. Madeleine has also stumbled across a diary written by her Great Aunt Josephine and in it she eludes to a hidden treasure of a necklace one she becomes determined to find. But to accomplish this will be a great undertaking on her part since her uncle has other plans. Thanks to this author's ability to transport you and snare you in this story adventure you are taken on quite the trip on a ship that is once she escapes her uncle that is. That is how she meets up close and personal besides in passing the notorious pirate Sebastien. This author gives quite the tale on his mission and the dangers they encounter on the high seas. Others are also after the necklace and thinks she knows exactly where it is. There will also be more than adventure and danger but love will also be in trip they undertake. This author has quite the gift on the telling of a tale of love in that time long ago. When you are reading it you also want him to shiver your timber. Will they accomplish their goals? Some yes some not so much but they do get the greatest treasure of all.

[Cheryl Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeleine Bellerose had lost everyone but her Uncle Titus and he wanted to take her away from her family home in England. She would go but only to find the family heirloom, a emerald and diamond necklace, which belonged to her Great Aunt Josephine who lived in New Orleans. She would find the necklace and restore her home, servants and all. All Sebastien Leclerc wanted was to go to Hawaii and own his own sugar plantation that was worked by free men. He had one more mission to complete and he could start working on his dream. He worked under the cover of being a pirate who bought and sold cargo and slaves. In truth, he was rescuing said slaves and they either stayed with him to work on his ship or they went back to Africa. After leaving port for his last mission, Sebastien discovered a very beautiful stowaway in his cabin.

Fantastic historical romance that takes us from England to the United States. This romance is full of mystery, secrecy, sexy ship's captains, and love. I love it when an author writes a strong female lead especially in a historical. Madeleine was up for anything new and that included our ultra sexy captain.

Another fabulous book by Annie Seaton! Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is filled with hidden agendas, secrets, debauchery, and hidden treasures.

Sebastian hides behind his pirate reputation, but he is secretly doing business for the governor. One more mission and he can fulfill his dreams and leave the seas behind.

Madeleine has suffered great tragedy and her uncle has their family home in disarray. But the secret heirloom she has discovered in her aunts diaries has her making plans to leave England and go to New Orleans to find it. With it she can set her estate to rights.

But when escape from her uncle goes wrong and she lands on Sébastien ' s ship, their journey together begins. As she plays the captains wench, they grow closer together and passions ignite. But can she trust her heart and believe her wants her and not the necklace? Is his pirates heart only for her?

[Andrea Dehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie Seaton has done it again and this time with a historical romance. Sebastian is a super sexy pirate, well a pretend pirate but he is still super sexy. Madeleine is a strong Heroine especially for a historical romance. The story is full of suspense and a treasure hunt but most especially full of romance. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story and could not put it down. If you love historical romances that involve pirates and mysteries I highly recommend you pick up this book you will not be disappointed.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madeleine´s whole world turns upside down after the horrible accident that leaves her without family, and in the clutches of the uncle who wants to marry her away.
Leaving England and coming to New Orleans, she doesn´t know how to get away from her destiny long enough to find the family heirloom that will save her.
Her skills takes her from her uncle into the arms of a pirate. Will this make a better ally in her quest?
Historical Romance, Pirates, smutty fluff and danger in a great combo.
Can´t wait to see what comes next in this series =)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great New Series!!
This is the first book in the Emerald Quest Series by Annie Seaton. I love Annie’s books they are great and this one is just as good as her other books. Madeleine leaves her home in order to recover a priceless family heirloom in New Orleans. She knows it will be an adventure but doesn’t expect to be taken prisoner by a sexy pirate, Sebastien. Little did she know that Sebastien has secrets of his own. This book is great, it has romance, intrigue, suspense, and a sexy pirate. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical romance book and was quickly swallowed up into the story. I could see, hear and feel the story as it unfolded. Madeleine and her Uncle Titus are going to New Orleans, where she plans to search for her family heirloom. She stumbles into Sebastien, a pirate and her plans change. What a great start to the series.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I was hooked from the first few pages and read into the wee hours of morning. I just didn't want to put it down! The romance between Sebastien and Madeleine was so sweet and intensely sexy! The suspense kept me at the edge of my seat and the mystery of the treasure kept me guessing to the end. It was such an adventure! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!!

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are easy to put down and come back to later. This one brought me back quickly and kept me up late. I loved both main characters. The story has a good mix of drama, suspense/mystery, and romance. Definitely recommend!

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Childish

The writing is awful! I couldn't even finish it! The same thoughts over and over the same phrases over and over... Just boring drivel!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliched but enjoyable; will happily read the next one as I do so enjoy Annie's books.

[sharon sobzak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

1796 New Orleans and the Caribbean with pirates, intrigue, slavery and secret missions along with a diary telling of a priceless necklace.

[R.C. Matthews · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of potential for this story. The overall plot was interesting. I liked the idea of a hidden treasure and the great niece wanting to recover the treasure to restore her home to it's former glory. What didn't work for me was the "too stupid to live" heroine. The author never says how old Madeleine is but for me she acted too impulsively and too childish for my liking. It's hard to get into a love story and to root for the hero and heroine when I don't really like the heroine.

I might have been more sympathetic to Madeleine's character if at first she was resigned to her plight of traveling with her missionary uncle. While undesirable, it wasn't horrible. Then, AFTER her uncle tried to marry her off to a disgusting lecherous man in New Orleans (that was completely unknown to her or her uncle), I could understand why she might make a rash decision to flee him (to seek her great aunt's hidden treasure to get her life back and be 'independent'), thus inadvertently ending up on a pirate's ship. In those circumstances I, too, would have tried to escape such a horrible plight. But as the story played out, the heroine was naive and reckless.

Sebastien was a great hero with a ton of potential. I just didn't want to see him end up with the heroine because of my lack of respect for her. As a result, I wasn't emotionally invested.

The author's writing style is really nice and flows well. With a slight change in the plot / heroine, I might have really enjoyed this story.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read a few so-called "pirate romances," my opinion is they are mostly hokey, contrived and highly improbable. Well, this one was too but I thoroughly enjoyed it and it held my interest from beginning to end. Isn't that what an entertaining read is all about? It has all the elements: The 1690's setting in New Orleans and the Caribbean high seas; a beautiful and proper young English lady far from home; a late aunt's hidden treasure, a cruel uncle who wants to marry off the English maiden; being imprisoned at-sea with the most notorious rogue pirate plying the Caribbean; Sleazy deck hands that want the treasure too; unpacking the real motives of the pirate and the lady; and a sweet but loyal young cabin boy that protects and defends the lady. Other than some sexually explicit language and a graphic love-making scene that I thought could have been omitted from the story, the romantic adventure moved along at a breath-taking pace. I also appreciated the fact that although this is installment #1 in a series, it can also be read as a stand-alone complete novel. Don't try to rationalize all the impossible situations - just read it for its pure entertainment value and enjoy.

[Tina Ullrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seek and Ye shall find

Mysterious writings, love affairs, and treasures abound in this fast pasted romp on the high Caribbean and Atlantic ocean. Sebastian is haunted by a past death which guilt makes him seek repentance. Madeleine is a young pampered London miss out to save her family home. Victims of misdeeds cause her to thwart her uncle and try to search for a secret family heirloom. She hides out on Sebastian's boat. He is on a slave abolishing mission when he finds her in his cabin. Playing the "doxey" for the crew to hide her identity, Madeline finds herself drawn more and more to him. Sebastian wants to protect her but complete his last slavery rescue. Can regain her trust and finish his mission? Will she find the heirloom or succumb to her Heart's desire? Find out in this delightful story.

[Eleanor Smythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madeline escapes the tyranny of her uncle, who aims to marry her off to an older man of his choosing. A determined young women, whose desperate to unravel the mysteries and find the treasure, which has been hidden by her great aunt Josephine. Not wanting to be dictated to by her uncle, she flees the ship which has brought them from England to New orleans, feigning her own death she hides on a vessel which is moored in the harbour, only to find it's a pirates ship.

A sweet and endearing love story, with a few twists and turns, although a little repetitive at times, it has a happy ending which I enjoyed.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sebastian is planning on doing one more job and then getting our of the pirating business, retiring in Hawaii. Madeline wants to restore her parents home, but to do so she must escape her uncle so she can find a treasure her aunt hid. She stores away on Sebastian's ship, and since they are already far from land when she is discovered she must go on his last job with him. They fall in love of course and he promises to help her find the treasure. Unfortunately there are others also searching for it.

[Dyma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl Falls in Love With the Bad Boy

If you love girl-falls-for-the-pirate type stories, this is one you may enjoy. There is one spicy scene.
Madeleine escapes her unpleasant missionary uncle with the intent of going on a treasure hunt to restore her family's estate. She hides away on a ship and finds herself out at sea with a group of pirates.

[Claire Milbrandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was very fun. it was a very slow start though. Once the story got rolling, it was far more fun. I enjoyed the characters, but I would have liked a little more info on the characters towards the end of the book. And the conclusion (before the epilogue) left me very disappointed.

[Ruthie Manier · Rating 5 out of 5]

short and sweet

Umm yummy this pirate Sebastian is the kind of man girls dream of from a very young age and Madeline is the courageous smart woman we all hope we will be like one day. Very charming. I read this within a few hours because I simply couldn't put it down.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance on the high seas

The heroine is an English maid set on saving her family home. Our hero is an undercover agent posing as a pirate. Underlying theme is the characters' abhorrence of slavery and their desire to see it abolished. Fast paced,enjoyable able read.

[Lisa C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Setting aside the grammatical and punctuation errors, which was not easy, the story was slow and repetitious. Very predictable, innocent virgin meets handsome bad boy pirate. They hop in bed together and live HEA. Little too mindless for my reading pleasure

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of a treasure hunt turned into a love story.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle the best

This book is from my favorite time era, but took too long to get to the juiciest part of the story

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun quick read.

[Belinda Rule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely silly but fun in parts. The pirate was disappointingly clean, safe, honourable and ungrizzled, with an even tan, even. Needs more kink.