Пиратска целувка

Lord Trilogy #1

by Sabrina Jeffries, Магдалена Ташева (преводач), Ани Еврева (преводач)

Пиратът капитан Гидиън Хорн е изключително доволен — кораб пълен с жени, който те могат да отвлекат. Неговите моряци са изморени от плаванията по морета и искат да се обзаведат със съпруги на необитаем райски остров, който са открили, а жените трябва да бъдат благодарни, че са се спасили от каторжния труд, който ги е очаквал в Нов Южен Уелс.
Господи, той е толкова умен!

Да се оженят? За пирати? Сара Уилис е наистина ужасена! Първо жените искат да бъдат ухажвани поне един месец. Тъмнокосият лорд пират им дава само две седмици…

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

335 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Sabrina Jeffries is the NYT bestselling author of over 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze of dreams and madness is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over 11 million books published in print and electronically in 25 different languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.

She always dreams big.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ahoy, matey!
sigh



I think I'm kinda over my Pirate phase. I've checked out the (generally agreed upon) top 2 Pirate Romances, this one and Gentle Rogue, and neither of them really got me excited to read about more shenanigans on the high seas. I even threw in a female pirate story (aptly named Lady Pirate) for good measure, but I don't know...
I guess pirates aren't my thing?



But this wasn't bad. Especially considering that it's an older romance novel!
I mean, there were a few times that by today's standards he shouldn't have kissed her, but on the whole, this wasn't as rapey as I expected.
I'm trying not to think too hard about that last sentence because it disturbs me on many levels...



Anyway. Even though the whole thing starts with a bunch of female convicts (and our heroine!) getting kidnapped by pirates so that they can become wives, the story ends up being rather sweet. The pirates all end up being sweethearts who decide that willing wives are what they want, and the Pirate Lord ends up championing women's rights by the time it's all over with.
All's well that ends well, I say!



Even though this was a bit too old to rock my world, it was still entertaining and made me want to seek out more stuff by Sabrina Jeffries.

[Beatriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una lectura que disfruté muchísimo y que me mantuvo enganchada de principio a fin. Una novela de romance histórico al estilo que ya nos tiene acostumbrados Sabrina Jeffries: entretenida, con mucha aventura, con personajes que van evolucionando a lo largo de la historia, una relación que se cuece a fuego lento (pero no por eso deja de ser increíblemente apasionada) y una pequeña intriga que le da más sabor al desenlace.

Teje su telón de fondo haciendo referencia a la prisión de Newgate, algo que la autora ya ha utilizado en otras de sus novelas, pero aquí con mayor protagonismo en un argumento muy original y que además tiene base histórica (el traslado de reclusas para ayudar a "poblar" las nuevas colonias inglesas en Australia), como la misma autora explica al final de la novela.

La recomiendo.

Reto #25 PopSugar 2018: Un libro ambientado en el mar

[Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t quite know what to expect from this book. I must admit that I anticipated a swashbuckling adventure like those old Errol Flynn movies, but its storyline definitely leaned more towards Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Not a bad thing because that’s one of my all-time favourite movies!

Captain Gideon Horn, the notorious Pirate Lord, and his crew of not-such-cutthroat pirates, are keen to settle down to a life of domestic bliss on an island paradise. All they need now are wives! Kidnapping a ship load of convict women headed for Australia seems to present the perfect solution. Surely any sane woman would prefer to marry a reformed pirate rather than face a life of servitude in a penal colony. However, Gideon hasn’t bargained with 'crossing cutlasses' with strong-willed Sara Willis, the women’s self-appointed spokeswoman, who thwarts him at every turn.

I like Sara because she’s intelligent, courageous and compassionate, although more than a little stubborn. She doesn’t just pay lip service to being a social reformer because her actions reveal someone who really cares about those less fortunate than herself and someone who is willing to take positive action to help. Throughout the book, her concern for the welfare of the women is obvious. At one point, even Gideon admits that she fought for the women like any well-gunned brig.

Gideon is your typical alpha hero - sexy, arrogant and determined to have things done his way. Ms. Jeffries hints at the tragic past that has left him with a hatred of the British nobility which colours his initial attitude towards Sara. I like how he treats his crew firmly but fairly, and genuinely wants to build a good and solid future for himself and his men on their island paradise.

It’s obvious that two such stubborn people will inevitably clash, and sparks fly as each of them attempts to get the upper hand in their often humourous confrontations. Ms. Jeffries manages to convey just the right amount of sexual tension and passion between Sara and Gideon and delivers some scrumptious kissing scenes.

I love the assorted secondary characters and I especially liked the sweet relationship between Silas (the ship’s cook) and Louisa (one of the convict woman). It is a delightful addition to the story but never overshadows the main romance. I also like Sara’s step-brother, Jordan, who maybe overprotective but really cares about her.

My only real criticism is that the ending was tied up rather too neatly and predictably, but it didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the book.


Gideon and Sara on the Satyr

Tyrone Power and Maureen O’Hara in The Black Swan (1942)

VERDICT: FUN, SEXY, BATTLE-OF-WILLS ROMANCE

RATING: ★★★★

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skimmed through this book (10/8/21) to get the steam stats. I still love so much about it. It's absurd, but the hero has so much that I love. He's arrogant, and cocky, and gets what he wants, but the heroine teaches him to be gentle. I still love it. I think I should boost my rating to 5 stars. There's been books I've read lately that I rated higher than this that I didn't like as much.

Locations of kisses/sex scenes

Pg 87 – first kiss (definitely a bit of dubcon happening here)
Pg 138 – kisses (again, dubcon), that lead to breast play and fingering for her but they get interrupted before orgasm
Pg 179 – fingering orgasm for her
Pg 238 – kisses, missionary sex (virginity loss for her)
Pg 288 – oral for her (orgasm) followed by missionary
Pg 371 total pages


(Original review August 2018:)

This book was so ridiculous but I kinda loved it! 😆 A boatload of reforming pirates led by the Pirate Lord himself want to settle down on their island. But no women will have them as husbands so they kidnap a convict boat of women headed to Australia to start their families.

The heroine, Sara, is a crusader for human rights. She visits the prisons and witnesses unfair treatment and conditions people are kept in. She wants to document the conditions of the convicts boat ride to Australia so she joins.

I really enjoyed the hero, Gideon. Overall I liked Sara too but I wish we got to see her softer side a bit. She was on the aggressive most of the book, it seemed. But then again, it’s hard work fighting for everyone’s rights and she truly does care for those around her.

A minor complaint I have is the author giving two side characters a chapter, albeit a short 14 pages. I don’t like perspective changes other than the hero and heroine unless it’s absolutely critical to the story development (like a villain or something lol). I just felt like this chapter did not have any effect on the story and it could have been relayed through observations of the hero or the heroine.

I’ve been dreaming about a good pirate romance and this is one of the better ones I have read, imo.

[emtee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d a Bible in my hand,
By my father’s great command,
And I sunk it in the sand
When I sail’d…

—ANONYMOUS “BALLAD OF CAPTAIN KIDD”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For the plot/concept

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For the hot sexy pirate-with-a-heart MMC

⭐️⭐️⭐️ For the execution of the plot

⭐️⭐️ For the plodding pace and tepid love scenes (except for a sensual, very hot, delicious kissing scene… oh my)

⭐️ For the FMC who was an utter shrew for 75% of the book

I so wanted to love this story, but it didn’t come close to living up to its potential and ended up a disappointment.

I really liked Gideon, though, even though he was a cinnamon roll (I prefer my pirates fierce and menacing 😈). Mmm did he know how to kiss!

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; reprint

Ahoy there! Sorry…I just finished “The Pirate Lord” re-release of the 1998 novel by Sabrina Jeffries and I’m having a bit of a problem coming back to this reality. There’s just something about a man with a bandanna and an earring…and maybe a parrot…ooh, and a sword…a really, really, BIG sword! Ahem, excuse me. It’s that whole reality thing again. So anyway, hot pirates ahead (check out the new cover, mmmmmm, delicious). And lots of humor and witty dialogue too. (From Ms. Jeffries, not me.)

Lady Sara is a reformer, and an impassioned one at that. When she sets sail on a women’s prison ship bound for New South Wales she only intends to teach the women and keep notes regarding their treatment. When the ship is captured by pirates intent on making the women brides, Sara all but forces the pirate captain to take her as well. She battles his dominance while he battles her sense of independence…and they both battle the strong sexual desires each brings out in the other.

Captain Gideon is a handsome, sexy, and very successful American pirate who hates British peers! He and his crew are ready to retire to their own island and all they need are brides, and here’s a whole ship full of women captives. How very fortunate…until Lady Sara takes charge of the women and begins filling their heads with demands. First they need proper courting, then proper clothes, then proper homes, then…does she not get the whole improper ‘pirate’ thing?

I was surprised by just how hot this 1998 release was! Ms Jeffries certainly pushed the boundaries then; must be why I read it the first time back then! But there’s also much more to enjoy about this book…I already mentioned the snappy dialogue earlier and the fact that there were so many characters, yet each was so vivid there wasn’t a problem keeping up with them is another sign of a well-written story. There are secondary and tertiary romances going on (well, it’s a ship of women and pirates!) as well as a bit of a mystery regarding Gideon’s heritage. This book really does a bit of everything for everyone!

Anyway, if you’re looking for a read with some swashbuckling humor and bawdy hot sex, you really can’t go wrong with this reprint of “The Pirate Lord” by Sabrina Jeffries. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to head back to the other reality where I’m captured/rescued by a dashing, hot pirate looking for the woman of his dreams. Oh, and yes, he has a really, really, really BIG sword!

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrellas. Es mi primera vez con Sabrina Jeffries y puedo decir que el libro me ha gustado, es entretenido, pero lo siento un poco fallido. La historia empieza muy bien y es original, partiendo de ese barco de reclusas de Newgate rumbo a Nueva Galés del Sur y pasando por sus protagonistas (una reformista inglesa de principios del siglo XIX y un pirata americano con fobia a la aristocracia inglesa y ganas de retirarse en su propia Atlántida) y el colorido plantel de secundarios, peeeero acaba perdiendo fuelle y es mucho menos profunda de lo que me hubiera gustado. Hasta hay momentos en que se me ha hecho un poco cuesta arriba su lectura, sobre todo por el uso de expresiones o conocimientos que no se corresponden con la época -¿¿mantra de yoga?? ¿De verdad?-.

#RetoRita4 #RitaSabrina

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

This has a great HEA for the hero. 🥹

[Pikolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Trio · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's definitely dated, we've come a long way in pirate romances over the past 20 years or so. Though there is pretty decent chemistry between Sara and Gideon, and it's a pretty fun plot.

[Serena Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Han habido cosas que me han resultado muy irreales, y Sara md ha sacado bastante de quicio... pero he disfrutado de la lectura así que espero continuar con la saga en breve

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

La verdad es que no he leído muchas novelas románticas con piratas y confieso que esta me ha gustado mucho (aunque no sean piratas "normales"). Además, este libro trata temas que no suelen tratarse en este tipo de novelas y me ha gustado leer sobre ellos.
He disfrutado mucho con los tira y afloja de la pareja protagonista, han sido la mar de entretenidos. Las historias secundarias también me han parecido muy interesantes, como la de Louisa y Silas, y me hubiera gustado leer más sobre ellas.
Lectura sin duda recomendable.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mah. Di solito la Jeffries mi piace e anche qui l'inizio del romanzo è molto accattivante.
I nobili della situazione sono due fratellastri affiatati: lui, il conte, è tutto sommato un bravo ragazzo, occupato a proteggere la figlia della sua matrigna, ora che sono rimasti entrambi gli unici membri della famiglia; lei, la giovane sorella nubile, ha un profondo animo da riformista e vuole a sua volta vegliare sulle detenute condannate alla deportazione...

Quindi la vicenda non sembrerebbe male, se non fosse che poi richiede una sospensione dell'incredulità che (per me) va oltre la normale accettazione.

Partendo da un fatto storico vero (ci fu almeno una nave-prigione diretta in Australia che venne assaltata dai pirati all'inizio del 1800, anche se delle donne prigioniere non se ne seppe più nulla), l'autrice immagina una ciurma di pirati romantici, d'animo nobile, tutti con tristi storie familiari, e soprattutto rispettosi neanche fossero i fidanzatini di Peynet.
I pirati, alla fin fine, stanno solo cercando l'anima gemella e pazientano, corteggiano, obbedienti alle istruzioni del loro capitano, e tutto questo dopo che ci sono stati presentati come maschi isolati in mare per anni, impazienti di trovare qualche femmina da portare a vivere in un'sola che è una sorta di utopico rifugio segreto.

Nel complesso, non sono riuscita a farmi piacere del tutto questi personaggi improbabili e ho finito con il leggere il romanzo con il sopracciglio inarcato e dubbioso.

A tutto questo si aggiunga che Sara Willis è insopportabile, talmente saccente e convinta di essere sempre dalla parte della ragione, che non si accorge di ciò che le capita sotto il naso, di chi sta dalla sua parte, di chi si innamora, di quale carattere abbia Lord Pirata.
Insomma, ci arriva sempre per ultima, e vuole comunque fare di testa sua.

Tra i due, salvo certamente il Lord Pirata (anche solo per l'eroico coraggio di scegliersi la Willis tra le donne maritabili), per quanto il finale buonista e melassoso lo abbia reso anch'esso abbastanza forzato.
Stento a credere che ai suo tempi sia divenuto persino un DIK (Desert Isle Keeper).

[Vani (Por Amor a los Libros) · Rating 4 out of 5]

En realidad sería una calificación de: 3,5⭐

[Ana María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terminé la única novela traducida de Sabrina Jeffries que no había leído: "Lord Pirata".
Desde hace años la dejaba pasar porque no me gustan las de piratas y el argumento me parecía traído de los pelos.
Gigdeon Horn, ex corsario que luchó contra los ingleses a favor de los americanos y luego se hizo pirata de verdad, y su tripulación están cansados de esa vida y quieren establecerse en una isla paradisíaca que descubrieron. Para eso necesitan mujeres y ninguna de las habitantes de las costas quieren ir con ellos por miedo.
Sarah, hermanastra del Conde de Blackmore, es una reformista que lucha para mejorar la vida de las presas que son deportadas a Nueva Gales del Sur (Australia). Para ello, decide viajar de incógnito en un barco que lleva prisioneras a destino para hacer un informe de cómo las tratan.
Y bueno, qué mejor para los piratas que secuestrar un barco lleno de mujeres que a nadie le importan?
Pero no les resultará tan fácil.
Aunque el argumento pueda parecer ridículo e irreal, me gustó. Es ágil, con momentos divertidos y sensuales, de lectura rápida y para entretenerse un rato.
Obviamente, sólo para las que les gusta la histórica de regencia.
Quizá, como casi todas las novelas de Jeffries, está llena de tópicos y lugares comunes y situaciones predecibles pero, repito, es ágil y entretenida.

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely a fantastic read!
Sara Willis is the stepchild of Royalty and spends her time helping convicted women. She convinces her brother Jordan to allow her to join them in disguise.
As they sail, their ship is captured by the pirate Gideon, who has his own agenda and a past filled with hatred towards the English.
What I adored
- The hero and heroine. Such wonderfully written strong characters captivated me from start to end
- Strong secondary characters- from Louisa to Ann, all were well written with glimpses into their life as intriguing as the main character
- Super hot love scenes! Finally another historical author who does them well!
- Atlantis
- Angst- which was well justified
- Mysteries being revealed towards the end
- HEA and the beautiful epilogue
The Pirate Lord was the perfect way to pop my SJ cherry. I enjoyed everything about it.
Safe
(I honestly wish 4.5 was a rating. I want to give it a 5 but it had the oomph and feels missing. Hence 4)
4.5/5

[lp · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't think pirate sex is like this.

-Pirates want to get married
-Pirates have issues with abandonment
-Pirates are incredibly romantic; when having sex with virgins, they constantly ask them if they are hurting them
-Pirates are actually attractive and do not smell bad
-Pirates like to tell small children stories and cuddle with them in bed

Best lines:
"Obey me, me lady, or I will brandish you with my saber." (He SO did not mean saber.)
"What on earth was she thinking, having a pirate carry her to his bed? But no just any pirate. A pirate that drove her mad with desire and made her feel things she had never felt before."
"Your body is corruptible, me lady, and tonight I'm going to corrupt it in every way possible."

[GigiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hero and his band of merry pirates are ready to hang up their jolly Roger and retire in paradise. The only problem is they have no women. So they do the only logical thing to a pirate and kidnap a ship full of convict women. In that ship is one Lady Sara who is a reformer and a rabble-rouser and quite put out at being kidnapped by such a hot specimen.. She won't go down easily, but the Captain is so dreamy and hard to resist but she gives it a good shot and it becomes kind of a slow burn with lots of push and pull and making out. Overall a good pirate romp with some slight angst and tortured hero backstory, I did feel it went on for a little too long and the twist at the end was super rushed but overall a piratical good time.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5

Tropes
Kidnapping
Bluestocking FMC
Forced proximity

[Olga Godim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly heroes and a stupid plot line, all happening in 1818.
Sara is a young British lady, a sister to an earl. She is also a reformer, concerned about the welfare of women convicts. She is joining a convict ship transporting women prisoners to Australia because she wants to document the indignities the convicted women suffer at the hands of sailors and guards.
Gideon is an American pirate, a former privateer. He hates British aristocracy. The reason for his hatred is explained later in the book, and it’s very private. It’s about his family, not about his American ‘freedom and equality’ principles.
Tired of piracy, he wants to settle down on a small island and build a community of equal citizens – a utopia, in his own words. His men want it too. But even a utopia needs women – wives for his men. So he attacks the convict ship and liberates the women. Not all of them want to be liberated, but he’s the captain and a pirate, so nobody dares to complain, except Sara. She becomes the women’s advocate.
Of course, Sara and Gideon fall on love, but that’s not my complaint. Sara wants Gideon to let the women go, because she herself wants to go home, not live on an island with snakes and bananas and not much else. She is also appalled by the pirates’ former occupation.
While I sympathized with her personal predicament, I was reading all this soap-opera-worthy drivel and thinking: what if she succeeded in her quest? What if Gideon let the women go. Sara would go back to London, to her earl of a brother and her ladies’ charity committees. What would the convicted women go to? Back to prison? To be transported to Australia again? Their fate might be better with the former pirates. At least they would be free wives, not servants with a prison sentence. Of course, some of them have husbands left in England, while others are transported with their young children (what a horror that must’ve been – the author doesn’t dwell on it, of course).
The theme of this book is a serious one, but the treatment it gets from the author is very cavalier, as if the prisoners’ concerns didn’t matter. As if only Sara mattered – this arrogant, spoiled, and naive noblewoman. And why did all the convicted women listen to her? Why did they choose her as their spokeswoman? Their interests are clearly at the opposite ends.
I like romances. I read romances, especially regency romances. I know they are not real, rather fairy tales set in the past, but at least most of them try to pretend to some level of historical accuracy. Or to psychological truth. This one, on the other hand, didn’t agree with my worldview at all, nor with my senses of right and wrong. This entire story felt like one big lie.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sudah lama saya gak baca buku HR ttg bajak laut, dan buku author ini memuaskan dahaga saya. Walau scr logika, saya msh heran knp Sara diperbolehkan naik kapal yg penuh napi wanita.

Sara digambarkan sbg tokoh wanita reformis yg mencoba mjd pelindung para napi wanita yg akan dibawa ke New South Wales dgn kapal. Sayangnya kapal itu dibajak oleh Lord Perompak yg bernama Gideon, yg terkenal antipati dgn kaum bangsawan. Jadilah Sara dipandang sebelah mata (tapi penuh nafsu) oleh Gideon.

Singkatnya, para wanita ini dipaksa utk memilih calon suami dari para bajak laut ini utk membangun koloni. Dan Sara juga termasuk walau sdh mengatur siasat spy gak terperdaya dan terpesona dgn Gideon. Tapi ya cinta emang gak ada perencanaan. Keduanya mungkin awalnya saling gak suka, tapi akhirnya saling tertarik juga kan.

Chemistry mrk berdua aku suka, walau gregetan dgn Sara yg kadang suka langsung lunglai abis dicium Gideon. Ya maklumlah anak perawan hehehe... Plot ceritanya asik dan bagus utk diikuti loh.

[Crista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start to the "Lord" series by Sabrina Jeffries. I have to admit that I am a sucker for pirate books. My favorite is the Pirate Prince by Gaelen Foley, but this one is a close second.

I really liked this heroine. She had the perfect balance of strength, vulnerability, and goodness. Sara is a reformer. She is one that seeks to make a difference in the lives of hurting people around her. She is not shallow, materialistic, and selfish. She is a giver. It is these characteristics that make her want to board a ship filled with convict women to educate them on their passage out of England.

Gideon is a pirate. He is a wanted man, and has decided to stop his pirating ways in exchange for a more simple, stable, life on a deserted island. He and all his crewman want to start fresh and make a new life, but they need women to begin this new society. What better way than to capture the women from the convict ship?

Sara is not happy. She fights tooth and nail, but through her fighting and resisting....finds this Pirate Lord not at all cruel, but surprisingly thoughtful and considerate. Thus begins this love story......

I really liked this couple, but what sets this book apart is the use of the secondary characters. The reader becomes attached to Sara's brother Jordan, Gideon's cook, and many of the convict women who all have their own demons. Gideon also has his share of demons, but lucky for him, he's fallen in love with the ultimate reformer whose specialty is slaying those dragons:)!

On to the next book...The Notorious Lord...Jordon's story...Yay!

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Antonietta - per RFS
.
Care fenici, Lord Pirata è un romanzo tratto da un fatto storico realmente accaduto nel 1812, di cui l’autrice, Sabrina Jeffries, fa un piccolo accenno alla fine del libro.

La trama è molto romanzata e le situazioni menzionate sono alquanto poco probabili, inoltre non aspettatevi riferimenti storici durante la lettura o date insidiose che possano distogliere l’attenzione del lettore.

La lettura è molto scorrevole e non vi sono scene violente o un linguaggio scurrile nonostante il ceto sociale dei protagonisti, composto da un manipolo di pirati e di detenute.

Lady Sara Willis è una riformatrice sfegatata, che fa parte del Comitato delle signore e che si batte per i diritti dei più sventurati.

L’unico parente in vita, che può contrastare la sua natura e tenerla un po’ a freno, è il Conte di Blackmore, suo fratellastro non consanguineo, che stravede per lei. È un uomo che incute timore, ma quando si tratta della sorella cede molto facilmente e, per come si mettono i fatti, sembra proprio che non abbia alcuna autorità.

La ragazza, giovane, nubile e senza chaperon si ritrova sulla nave Castità in rotta da Londra per il Nuovo Galles del sud (Australia). Il compito di Sara è quello di supervisionare sul trattamento che viene riservato alle detenute deportate dal carcere di Newgate e ai loro bambini, oltre che dispensare loro un po’ di cultura.

Il capitano Jideon Horn, notoriamente conosciuto come Lord Pirata, si imbatte nella loro nave nel momento in cui decide di ritirarsi dalle scorrerie in mare e mettere la testa a posto con tutta la ciurma.

L’intento è quello di rifugiarsi in un’isola paradisiaca che non si trova sulle rotte geografiche, dal nome Atlantide, e portarci delle donne da poter sposare.

Se avete fatto bene i conti potete immaginare cosa succede. Intrigante la storia, un po’ meno la credibilità della vicenda nell’insieme. Benché la trama sia romanzata, l’ho trovata un po’ troppo perbenista, più che un manipolo di Pirati mi sembrano degli scolaretti in calore. Lei è alquanto presuntuosa e bigotta, quindi la donzella è un manico di scopa che si lascia andare molto difficilmente.

Lui è più convincente e affascinante, il Pirata gentiluomo odia la nobiltà inglese e tutto ciò che è snob e con calma si capisce il perché.

L’attrazione fra i due è a fuoco lento ma con delle fasi scoppiettanti che purtroppo sono il tira e molla della Lady, che ahimè, ha il coltello dalla parte del manico e alla fine sembra comandare la nave a bacchetta.

Nell’insieme la lettura è gradevole, sia per le dinamiche, sia per l’aspettativa che si crea su varie situazioni, anche marginali, che riguardano i protagonisti secondari.

Vi consiglio la lettura per distrarvi spensieratamente.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Entertaining. All the aspects of what I like in a romance are present. All the issues I have with romance novel are not present. :)

I loved the hero, but at times the heroine got on my nerves with all her prushish behavior. I wanted to scream at her.. "Sleep with him already damn it!" YES that's a big YES for sexual tension.

I liked that the hero never succombed to bedding another woman during his frustrating times with the heroine.. ok this may not be realistic, but this is fiction, and I'm glad the author went that route with him. It made him a more lovable.

I liked the secondary characters but they seemed to only pop in and out as the storyline requried them. I would have liked to have seen more of Barnaby and Queenie's story develop, it was mostly ignored.

According to the author's afterword, the story is loosely and I can see that it is VERY loosely based on some actual events, perhaps "inspired by" is a better word for it.

There is no insta love here, the attraction between H & h was a slow build up and as frustrating as this can be, it also seemed quite natural. They certainly had chemistry. I also like how the author made the love scenes evolve. There were a few throughout.. each one progressing from awkward to passionate by the end when they fell completely in love.

I plan to read more by this author in the future.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Pirate Lord so much. I've gotten into a bit of a Pirate/Deserted Island Binge and was not disappointed with my choice of adding this to my haul. The characters were wonderful, the descriptions were vivid, and the story line was consistently interesting. Sara Willis is a reformer in a time when a woman who committed even the pettiest of crimes was shipped off to the new colony in Australia virtually as a prostitute. She is also the step-sister of the Earl of Blackmore. Sara arranges to be on one of the ships that is taking a group of women prisoners to New South Wales so she can report on the terrible conditions and abuse of the women. (She is pulling a Nellie Bly) The terrifying Pirate Lord Captain Gideon Horn and his men are settling down and are on the hunt for wives when the women's ship pulls in the port where they are. Gideon sees the women as an easy solution to the wives problem seeing as there is a ship full of them for the taking. Sara and Gideon are all sparks and passion even as they fight each other along the way. Never a dull moment and a read you won't want to miss!

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers*
The first page let me know just what I was in store for. She said she’d known a great many awkward moments in her 23 years, then proceeds to list only 3, not 1 of which is awkward. She filched biscuits from the grand kitchen. That’s not awkward in any way, shape or form. I’ve read idk how many books with situations like this, and it’s just pathetic. She fell in the fountain at her mother and stepfather’s wedding. That’s not awkward either, just clumsy and stupid. Then she introduced a lady to her husband’s mistress. It’s like authors don’t know what to do with 1800s life, and so end up coming up with stuff like this. They try to make their characters wild&free, but with things like this it’s only making them look pathetic and klutzy.

The encounter with her stepbrother was funny in the beginning, but then it just became forced. I was sick of the whole cussing, intimidating male role that so many authors exploit.

I didn’t like Sara, at all. Immediately I just didn’t like her. The whole liberating, reforming, thing has been done many times before, and I don’t like it. I’m not interested in it at all. When I read an 1800s book, I want it to be an 1800s book. I want to learn about life back then, and about interesting things. Basically, shed light on the good aspects, leave out the bad. I don’t wanna read about someone who doesn’t like how things are done and wants to change way of life, someone who’s ahead of their time.

I hate how authors have to make their characters so good. They have these stupid situations where the characters show their compassion and kindness to make them look better, but it just isn’t working. I didn’t like that she even wanted to be on a ship full of convicts. That isn’t something that should be highlighted from 1800 life.
Why, the surgeon had already terrified one of the convict womens’ girls by claiming that her protruding forehead proved she would lead a life of crime, like her mother. The girl had calmed down only after Sara had pointed out that the surgeon’s wife had a similar forehead, though it was hidden by corkscrew curls.
God, that was too stupid for words. Why is this even in here?
She was being polite when the convict women were being rude. And when the unusually short woman says she can teach Welsh and everyone laughs Sara makes her feel better by saying she can still help out with the children and learn with them. And Ann is just happy about that, which most ppl probably wouldn’t be, because being lumped in with children would normally be an insult. Omg! Just shoot me already and put me out of my misery.
When she said she’d be posing as a schoolteacher, I didn’t actually realize she’d be teaching people. I thought it was just a cover. Teaching is just boring to me.

Idk anything about convict ships, nor do I want to, but the whole Ladies Committee providing needles, fabric and all sewing supplies the women would need to sew, and Sara saying they can sell their quilts and whatever they make for money just seemed really convenient. Not only do they get free sewing materials, they get to sell what they make. Just another conveniently perfect outcome.

Sara knows just how to deal with every situation, no matter how small. One of the women declines a teaching position and instead implies she’ll be slutting it up on the ship, being a prostitute and all, and Sara suggests that she isn’t capable of teaching, so the whore backtracks.

By the time the women were locked in for the night and she’d climbed the steep steps from the hold to the ‘tween decks…
Then she opened the hatch to find a sailor standing in the cramped ‘tween decks.
The ‘tween decks were used as storage.
Omg, seriously. That was in a space of less than 10 lines in the book, and she’d already used the words ‘tween decks 3 times. &I’m sure u cud say between decks, bcuz ‘tween decks sounds rly stupid.

From the start of Gideon’s narrative, I just didn’t understand. He, and his entire ship of men, all wanted wives. Not women, but specifically wives. They hear a ship full of women, convict women, who are murderers, thieves and prostitutes, are in port. They seek out these women to be their wives, and that’s when it hit me. Who would be that desperate for women that they’d go after a ship full of convicts? And they don’t even care that they’re so unsavory. Also, the women are English, which Gideon hates and none of the men are particularly fond of. They’re so hell bent on getting wives that they completely disregard these 2 major flaws. That says a lot about the men that they’d take convict women for wives.

Gideon’s like “You’re a beauty, my dear, and carrying a very valuable cargo.” Ok, 1st off, my dear just sounds a little feminine. That just ruined the whole masculine pirate appeal. And why would he call the ship his dear? 2nd, a very valuable cargo? He considers a ship full of convicts a valuable cargo. That speaks volumes.

1 time he stole everything from an earl, and then stole a kiss from the earl’s wife, and that was rly distasteful to me.

His ship’s name suited him perfectly. Even though he wore weathered black boots where hooves should be, and there were no horns peeking out above his unruly shoulder-length black hair, his expression bore such mocking satisfaction that only a real satyr could have matched it.
And his face! Though clean-shaven, it was also that of a satyr’s—blatantly masculine, coldly handsome despite its thick brows and crooked mouth.
You’re comparing him to a satyr? Wow…I didn’t know satyrs were associated with mocking satisfaction and being good-looking. It’s hard to take this man seriously when he’s being compared to a half-goat, half-man creature.

“Good day, ladies,” he said with a distinctly American accent when all the women were above decks and the hatches closed. With a grin that took some of the edge off his fierce looks, he surveyed the crowd and added, “We’ve come to rescue you.”
His words were so unexpected, so completely self-assured that Sara bristled. After all his blatant methods of intimidation, after he’d stood there surveying the women like cattle before the slaughter, he had the audacity to say such a thing!
“Is that what they’re calling thievery, pillage, and rape these days?” she snapped.
There’s that brief show of bravery and defiance, and then ruins it with this:
As a murmur of shock passed through the Chastity’s crew and the women moves back from her as if to distance themselves from their mad companion, Sara cursed her quick tongue. Oh, but she was done for now. She might as well have begged him to slice her in two with that wicked saber. This was no civilized lord of blustering sea captain whom she could lecture with impunity; this man had no morals, no scruples, no hint of mercy about him.
And he had now turned his complete attention on her.
She held her breath as he cast an insulting glance over her, seeming to take in every inch if her somber attire, from her lacy mob cap to the tips of her scuffed kid slippers. Then, to her great shock, he let out a mirthless laugh. “Pillage, thievery, and rape? And who might you be, my brave little woman, to speak to me so?”
Her stomach lurched. Fear made her want to beg his pardon, to protest that she was naught but a fool.
Wtf? After she says a line like that, why wud u turn her into a little baby? I wish characters would have some backbone and own up to what they say, instead of shrinking away.

The last thing she wanted to do was enter the private cabin of a self-proclaimed satyr.
Ok, wuts the deal with the satyr? Ur saying he proclaims to be a satyr, a half-goat, half-man?

A coverlet of insolent red silk was draped over the plush mattress.
Insolent red silk? How can silk be insolent?
Sometimes authors can get carried away with descriptions and used the wrong word on many occasions.

“Captain Horn hates the nobility and you should refrain from reminding him of your noble blood if you want to stay on his good side.”
“He has a good side?”
A slow smile spread over the English pirate’s face. “He does.” His gaze trailed down her length, and his smile widened to a grin. “Especially where a woman as pretty as you is concerned.”
I didn’t like that about his reputation, &I also hated when she was in his room and touches his covers and imagines him bending over a woman and kissing her, and instead of being disgusted by that or turned off by the idea of him with someone else, she gets heated at the thought. I’m sick of women being fascinating by the thought of the guy with other girls instead of being hurt, disgusted, mad, etc.

That thought frightened the bejesus out of him.
The word bejesus definitely seemed out of place in an 1800s novel.

It was annoying how it unfolded in exactly the same manner as every other romance book. He liked her despite her “stubbornness.” He wanted to kiss her. The thought of her marrying another guy bothered him. He’d never been with an Englishwoman, but this one he liked. Her skin was creamier, her lips pinker and her lashes longer than every single woman he’d ever been with. She made him harder than every other woman he’d ever been with. He kisses her, she responds, gets scared, pushes him away, he gets mad, she thinks it didn’t mean anything to him. I mean good god, would it kill someone to come up with some kind of originality?

It was just perfect how Hargraves wanted Ana, and wanted to kiss and marry her right off the bat. Riightt. And Silas had an injury that made it impossible for him to be with a woman, and so he didn’t like women, and Louisa also didn’t like men. What perfect, convenient matches.

It’s just really pathetic that Gideon said Sara was affecting more than any other woman ever had. Why, exactly? I’m so sick of hearing that it isn’t even funny.
Then Queenie comes up to his and is coming onto him, and he miraculously shoots her down, saying he isn’t interested and that he doesn’t take advice from whores. That’s probably the best line I’ve heard a man say.

When he kisses her roughly to show her what force really is, she’s like in that moment she really hated him. She should have been hurt and mad at him, but then he starts being gentle because he feels bad, and of course she just melts and forgets all about it. What crap! She should have run from the room, or slapped him, not go along with him. When the men are borderline abusive, u don’t let them be gentle and just forget all about it. Once, just once, I’d like to see the woman have a proper reaction, and a strong will.

I liked the whole scene where Gideon sought out Hargraves after he found out Sara was going to marry him.

The whole thing with him calling for Queenie when he had been thinking of Sara was inexcusable and unforgivable. He didn’t go through with it, but that’s still wrong and disgusting. And what’s worse was that Sara only cared about it briefly before forgetting all about it.

The whole scene with the snake was just pathetic. Sara turned into such a baby. We get it, u cud’ve died, but u didn’t, so get over it. She starts crying and then beats on his chest, mad at him because he took her away and brought her somewhere so foreign. And then she goes and clings to him.
After the first storm passed, she even leaned into him, craving his strength. There was no one else to give her comfort. Although he was adversary, he was strong, and she needed his strength just now. She needed it very badly.
Yeah….seek comfort in the arms of the person you’re mad it. That makes sense.
I like characters that don’t need to be coddled and pampered. &the whole beating on his chest one second and clinging to him the next confuses me and annoys me. I’ve never understood why women do that. &when I cry I don’t need to be comforted and coddled like a little needy baby. Sara showed no signs of a heroine, and that’s what I want in the female lead.

She kisses him and lets him touch her after the snake fright, &then she cries afterward. I was so sick of her going along with him, &then afterward saying it wouldn’t happen again and feeling guilty.

The whole thing about Silas with the carving of a big-busted woman was disgusting, as was the fact he had a wife, who left him, and that he snuck off to see whores because he wasn’t impotent like everyone thought. That didn’t come as a great surprise, but the love between him and Louisa was rushed and too happily-ever-after.

The same scarlet coverlet that hundreds of women had probably graced.
Her heart pounded faster.
She shouldn’t be here, not with him. She couldn’t be one of those women.
Or could she? She glanced up at his face, searching for some indication that this meant more to him than yet another conquest. But once his eyes locked with hers, even that possibility ceased to matter.
You don’t have her say something like that, give a half-reaction, and then lose the ability to think. It makes her look like a dumbass.

I just love how after they sleep with the guy they make comments about how he’s had so many women and they go through this stupid, overdone scene where they talk about his past and he gets amused because she’s really jealous, and she tries to deny it. She knew about his past long before this, and said it was of no concern basically, so why bring it up now?

There weren’t as many historically inaccurate phrases as most authors have, but there were some. It just ruins the book. If you’re doing an historical novel, you need to edit it. If a saying is used today, it probably wasn’t used back then.

Gideon spent the whole time thinking that if he only had her once, he wouldn’t need her again, but once he sleeps with her he realizes it wasn’t enough. He wants to again. Gee, what a surprise. I didn’t see that coming at all. Wud it kill sum1 to come up with some new material, something that hasn’t been used like a million times?

It was sweet how he extended the women choosing their husbands for another month just for Sara.

I hate when authors make characters do things that are uncharacteristic with how they’ve portrayed them previously. For ex:
“What about hooves? Do you see any hooves? I don’t.” He pulled his foot up as if to inspect it himself. Then he wrinkled his nose. “No hooves, but they sure do smell.”
Molly’s little girl, Jane, who was sitting in front, giggled, and then covered her mouth with her hand. Pressing his advantage, Gideon stuck his foot in front of Jane and wiggled his toes gain. “Want to smell my foot?”
Agh, how stupid. Why would you have Gideon do that? It’s just embarrassing. People get around kids and just get stupid.

“Over my dead body” , “turn over in their graves” , “talked herself blue” & “if the shoe fits” sounded very modern in an historical novel.”

I was mad when Hargraves& Ann didn’t immediately tell Gideon the circumstances of her leaving. He threw the treasures he’d found for her into the sea, the rock and the scrimshaw, and that was awful.
Every single 1 of her characters used way too much emotion when speaking. There were exclamation points at the end of nearly everything everybody said. For ex:
A curse upon the woman! He’d been wrong about her from the very beginning!
And he’d believed them! Like a lovesick fool, he’d believed every word!
Exclamation points weren’t rly necessary at the end of all of those.

It was so annoying how Gideon kept going back and forth between doubting Sara and believing her. He kept thinking she left him because she didn’t love him or she was forced to leave. It was obvious the author didn’t want him to doubt her too much, but wanted enough emotion from her departure.

Finding out that Gideon’s mother hadn’t abandoned him like he thought was the happily-ever-after ending that romance authors always use, and it wasn’t a surprise at all.
To find out that his real father was actually lord Dryden and that the man that raised Gideon just stole him away from his real parents was just too much.

I don’t know how many times this author used the words confound, wench, scoundrel and deuced that Gideon and Sara used to refer to each other. I’m sure there were some other names and words from the 1800s that she cud have used. &they both grumbled, glared &scowled at each other all the time. It was seriously annoying and exhausting.

Most authors work in those details like they have 2 reach a certain quota in order to get paid, so it was kind of refreshing that this novel didn’t have as many sordid details about this sexual past.

I didn’t like how Sara never confessed that she was only going to pretend to marry Petey, or marry him but not have an actual marriage. Gideon went on thinking she really wanted to marry him, and ties like that shouldn’t remain loose. They should have talked about it, bcuz it wud have made an interesting convo.

This is was an okay book. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. It was somewhere in the middle. When I was done reading it I kind of wished it wasn’t over. I think it was more from what I wished it had been, or what it could have been, rather than what it was. At the end I felt that I didn’t even know the characters. We jumped forward to when Sara was pregnant, and Gideon was suddenly an aristocrat being curtseyed to. We find out Louisa is pregnant with twins, or her and Silas have already had the twins, and it was just too good for me. In most books the couples end up pregnant, and authors just go “hey, give them twins!” to make it the happily-ever-after ending. And Gideon got his parents back and a title to boot. For once I’d just like an ending that wasn’t so perfect, because life isn’t like that. I kind of wanted it to be true that Gideon’s mother had given him away, because her family forced her to or something like that, so it wouldn’t be a cookie-cutter ending.

[Cassandra Dexter Colby · Rating 3 out of 5]

La reseña en el blog http://alacamaconunlibro.blogspot.com...

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara Willis was adopted by an earl when he married her mother and she grew up watching the latter speak her mind and stand up for the women's cause. Makes sense that her daughter followed in her footsteps even if she's not alive anymore to see it. Scandalized by the reasons why some women are arrested and imprisoned, Sara want a prison reform. Even if it means risking her life and going against her step-brother's wish, she's going to board the ship that transport the convicted women and their kids to New South Wales and pretend to be a school teacher so she can observe and report unacceptable behaviors. But before the vessel can reach its destination, they're held hostage by a band of pirates. The captain is none other than the Pirate Lord, famous for only targeting the ship of English nobility. The man makes them an usual offer : they rescue the women if they follow him and his men to an island they discovered and if they each choose a man of his crew to marry. Gideon is about to discover that Sara is not like any woman he met before and the pretty troublemaker will not surrender easily. Why would he wants her anyway, since she's an Englishwoman and he despise her kind ? Why can't she stop thinking about him and wanting him in a way that's not proper ?

What a thrilling adventures this book was ! I liked it even more the second time ! An original and different way to do an historical romance, this book remind me why Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorite authors. Away from the ballrooms and streets of London, we travel with the characters towards a new land, into an unknown life and where the women can finally have a chance to be heard. How can you not love the heroine when she's ready to sacrifice her comfort to fight for other's rights ? How can you not fall for the hero who will listen to her and give the women opportunities and choices they never had before ?

An inspiring heroine, a softy pirate, women who find they own path, a good dose of adventure, a little twist in the hero's past and an amazingly sweet and exciting romance make this book a keeper :)

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow...this was a fun book. I've read pirate books before but this ones different. Whoever heard of a bunch of pirates wanting to settle down and retire on their own uncharted island? Well that's what these pirates want to do. They only have one problem.....NO WOMEN to marry and start a family with. Their crazy solution...."Let's capture a women's convict ship bound for New South Wales." Only one fly in the ointment....Sara....the step sister to the Earl of Blackmore. She was on the ship with the convicts to help them...she taught them to read and was their young children's school teacher. She was also their to protect them from abuse. She wanted to write a report and expose the ill treatment of the women. She was a reformer and she tried to reform anything she could get involved in.

When Sara meets "THE PIRATE LORD....Gideon"...oh boy sparks fly. She stands up to him every chance she gets. He is ready to pull his hair out and throw her overboard!

I don't want to say anymore....just read it for yourself!

[kimberly_rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An excellent historical romance read, especially if you're tired of ones set in early 19th century England, since this one takes place mostly on ships and an island, rather than England, during the same time period.

The relationships are developed believably and excitingly and the deep issues behind creating a new society are intriguingly presented. The characters were all vulnerable and likeable, although I didn't warm up to Sara as much as I wanted to; she was just too... good. And proper. And the I-can't-resist-your-sexuality was incredibly annoying.

Secondaries were all interesting and compelling. With their own lives, dreams, goals.

The end was a bit disappointing on the believability scale. (Yes, Sara, there ARE mothers who abandoned their children and that doesn't make them evil.) The ending was too utopia-like, as if putting on blinders, which didn't jive with the enormous lessons learned by the hero.

I think this was the first historical romance book where I wanted the HEROINE to be humbled, rather than the hero!

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this novel, but I kept disliking it and then I realized why. The romance part of this novel and their relationship was completely missing. They hated each other at first sight, but it was also lust at first sight. Honestly this whole book was Sara complaining about how awful and patriarchal and piratelike Gideon was and Gideon was complaining about how annoying Sara was. Literally the basis for their relationship was so annoying.

I hate it when authors write novels where the hero kisses the heroine and then she loses her fucking mind. Honestly I don't buy it. Literally there was zero love, hardly any admiration between these characters but noooo when they kissed it was like a volcanic eruption. I thought it would get better but it was just them fighting, and kissing, and then having sex. And after they had sex it was like I love you. STUPID. Ok now that I think about it I'm hating it more and more.