What do you think?
Rate this book
Proper Attire: A Regency Romance
Pressured to marry for money, Julia Scott flees England and a cruel stepmother to determine if the West Indies is the paradise of her dreams. Attacked by pirates and desired by island natives, the only person she can trust is John Smith -- if that's her rescuer's true name. Reaching her uncle's station in English Harbor, Julia must find a way to face her feelings and deal with her traitorous family, a dashing new suitor, and the guardian angel, John Smith, who has no qualms sporting counterfeit names and less than what is proper attire.
196 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2014
About the author
Danielle Thorne
54 books507 followersDanielle Thorne is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of inspirational small town romance. She also writes historical romance and YA non-fiction. A graduate of BYU-Idaho and Ricks College, she has over twenty-five years of experience in her wordcraft. Danielle lives south of Atlanta, Georgia, with family, friends and felines. Find out more about her and her books at daniellethorne.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
November 8, 2014
Julia is an orphaned girl with a mean step-mother. When she is shipped off to the West Indies to visit her uncle after refusing a marriage offer, all craziness happens. While aboard a naval ship, they are attacked by pirates and Julia is rescued and carried off by one of them--a Mr. John Smith. And that's just the beginning of the adventures.
Julia is a sweet girl, who really doesn't want to make waves. She is eager and accepting, yet she knows her mind and doesn't want to settle in life. I can't even imagine the terror I would feel in some of the situations she found herself in, yet she handled herself quite well.
John Smith is a heroic rescuer...or is he? I loved discovering the mystery surrounding him.
This is a very enjoyable clean romance, set in fun period of time.
Content: no language; mild violence (pirate attack, fighting, etc)--not graphic; mild kissing. Clean!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Julia is a sweet girl, who really doesn't want to make waves. She is eager and accepting, yet she knows her mind and doesn't want to settle in life. I can't even imagine the terror I would feel in some of the situations she found herself in, yet she handled herself quite well.
John Smith is a heroic rescuer...or is he? I loved discovering the mystery surrounding him.
This is a very enjoyable clean romance, set in fun period of time.
Content: no language; mild violence (pirate attack, fighting, etc)--not graphic; mild kissing. Clean!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
November 6, 2017
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The cover was beautiful and it sounded like something I would love. I started reading it and finished in a couple hours it was so fun to read. There was so much action right off and you just want to know what is going on and why and I loved finding out all the answers. This was different and fun to read and I really liked Julia after getting to know her. This was an clean, adventure, regency romance and I wish it had been longer:} I am going to check out more by this author.
October 26, 2019
One must dress for the occasion. This is a story where the hero and the heroine wear many different outfits, some by choice, and others by dumb luck. It has pirates and a damsel in distress. Mr. Smith has made it his habit to save Julia from herself and from bad situations.
I found this book to be fun to read. I really enjoyed the interactions between Julia and Mr. Smith they had chemistry from the beginning.
I found this book to be fun to read. I really enjoyed the interactions between Julia and Mr. Smith they had chemistry from the beginning.
November 2, 2014
I got a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
A cute, quick, clean, historical romance about Julia Scott - a woman who flees her terrible step mother who was forcing her to marry an older gentleman for money. Julia get's kidnapped by pirates as her ship is transporting her to the West Indies where she is hoping to stay with her uncle. She is rescued by John Smith, who for the most part of the book she assumes is a pirate and their adventure begins at sea. With only a small boat and no where to go, Julia and Smith find themselves floundering around at sea trying to find a way back to English Harbor. After an incident on an island with it's natives, and almost dying from hunger and heat stroke - Julia and Smith get picked up by a passing ship.
The ships captain takes a fancy to her, and is suddenly present in Julia's stay at her rescuers house, who does not go by the name of Smith as it turns out he is so much more. The captain wants to court her and although Julia finds him handsome and charming at first, she quickly grows to realize that her feelings might be tangled up elsewhere.
Once again, I thought the story was light on the romance. It was a quick read that once again could have benefited from being slightly more longer in order to be deeper. But it was a clean romance that had adventure at sea, making it a great read. I enjoyed the bit of action as it kept the story flowing. Julia just wanted to find someone who she can grow old with and hopefully marry for love and not money. What she did not expect was to fall for one of the unlikely suitors right under her nose. There were moments where I wanted to throttle her, but I mostly enjoyed her character - even if she did need to be saved a lot.
Smith was great, he went through great lengths to save Julia even if one of the incidents that happened and his questionable actions made me roll my eyes - I still liked him.
Like I said. Cute read, light on romance so once again I couldn't feel the connection between the characters, so no chemistry but the adventure made up for the rest. Pretty good for a quick read.
A cute, quick, clean, historical romance about Julia Scott - a woman who flees her terrible step mother who was forcing her to marry an older gentleman for money. Julia get's kidnapped by pirates as her ship is transporting her to the West Indies where she is hoping to stay with her uncle. She is rescued by John Smith, who for the most part of the book she assumes is a pirate and their adventure begins at sea. With only a small boat and no where to go, Julia and Smith find themselves floundering around at sea trying to find a way back to English Harbor. After an incident on an island with it's natives, and almost dying from hunger and heat stroke - Julia and Smith get picked up by a passing ship.
The ships captain takes a fancy to her, and is suddenly present in Julia's stay at her rescuers house, who does not go by the name of Smith as it turns out he is so much more. The captain wants to court her and although Julia finds him handsome and charming at first, she quickly grows to realize that her feelings might be tangled up elsewhere.
Once again, I thought the story was light on the romance. It was a quick read that once again could have benefited from being slightly more longer in order to be deeper. But it was a clean romance that had adventure at sea, making it a great read. I enjoyed the bit of action as it kept the story flowing. Julia just wanted to find someone who she can grow old with and hopefully marry for love and not money. What she did not expect was to fall for one of the unlikely suitors right under her nose. There were moments where I wanted to throttle her, but I mostly enjoyed her character - even if she did need to be saved a lot.
Smith was great, he went through great lengths to save Julia even if one of the incidents that happened and his questionable actions made me roll my eyes - I still liked him.
Like I said. Cute read, light on romance so once again I couldn't feel the connection between the characters, so no chemistry but the adventure made up for the rest. Pretty good for a quick read.
April 26, 2017
This started of strong, I got sucked in and wanted to see what would happen next. About halfway or so I started to get...bored, I guess. The first half was full of adventure with pirates and island savage, but the second half was slower paced.
Julia was likable enough. She was sent away from her home in England to the island of Antigua to stay with her uncle, who is an Admiral in the Navy. She meets with one mishap after another, but finds an unlikely ally in John Smith. He rescues her time and again and becomes a true friend. I felt more friendship between them than anything else. I agree with another reviewer (Tara), I had a hard time connecting to Johns character.
Overall, it was a pleasant read and a nice way to pass a couple hours.
Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild
Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Julia was likable enough. She was sent away from her home in England to the island of Antigua to stay with her uncle, who is an Admiral in the Navy. She meets with one mishap after another, but finds an unlikely ally in John Smith. He rescues her time and again and becomes a true friend. I felt more friendship between them than anything else. I agree with another reviewer (Tara), I had a hard time connecting to Johns character.
Overall, it was a pleasant read and a nice way to pass a couple hours.
Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild
Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited
December 25, 2017
It was a promising start – excitement and adventure and you are left just a little breathless, like “what just happened? Who is this guy? This is not your typical story – I’m definitely interested!” But then it mellows out. And gets a little boring. And doesn’t fully recover.
I wish the author had more fully developed the characters, especially Greenway. What’s his story? How did he come to do this mysterious job that we only barely find out about at the very end? What’s his world like? He’s the most interesting character in the book, and I feel we know the least about him. Julia agrees to marry him in the end, and she seriously knows almost NOTHING about him. Would have been nice for her to learn more about him during her time in Antigua and have more than the fact that he was her hero as the basis for her wanting to marry him.
I would have also loved a more complete picture of island life in Antigua. This setting had so much potential for delving into what the culture was like on the island. We could have done with a few more secondary characters contributing to the story, helping us to know the thinking and ways of the West Indies and the types of people that lived there, how that all might have figured into the story.
And Dewey? I had a smidge of a bad feeling about him through most of the book, but we really don’t learn anything significantly devious about him until Greenway’s warning to Julia, which is very promptly followed by the part where Dewey proposes and gives Julia the shove that almost kills her. Oh man, talk about a lost opportunity to develop a villain.
Proper Attire has the potential to be a great novel, but I think if suffers from lack of development. Isn’t this usually my complaint when it comes to novellas? Too short to do it right. Family drama and deception, adventure, pirates, the setting of Antigua – those are all elements I felt would make a great story. But the book is only 147 pages. You can’t do justice to all of that in 147 pages. And yet, there is something in the bare bones of it that I still liked (and I think his name is Greenway), so it gets three stars.
I wish the author had more fully developed the characters, especially Greenway. What’s his story? How did he come to do this mysterious job that we only barely find out about at the very end? What’s his world like? He’s the most interesting character in the book, and I feel we know the least about him. Julia agrees to marry him in the end, and she seriously knows almost NOTHING about him. Would have been nice for her to learn more about him during her time in Antigua and have more than the fact that he was her hero as the basis for her wanting to marry him.
I would have also loved a more complete picture of island life in Antigua. This setting had so much potential for delving into what the culture was like on the island. We could have done with a few more secondary characters contributing to the story, helping us to know the thinking and ways of the West Indies and the types of people that lived there, how that all might have figured into the story.
And Dewey? I had a smidge of a bad feeling about him through most of the book, but we really don’t learn anything significantly devious about him until Greenway’s warning to Julia, which is very promptly followed by the part where Dewey proposes and gives Julia the shove that almost kills her. Oh man, talk about a lost opportunity to develop a villain.
Proper Attire has the potential to be a great novel, but I think if suffers from lack of development. Isn’t this usually my complaint when it comes to novellas? Too short to do it right. Family drama and deception, adventure, pirates, the setting of Antigua – those are all elements I felt would make a great story. But the book is only 147 pages. You can’t do justice to all of that in 147 pages. And yet, there is something in the bare bones of it that I still liked (and I think his name is Greenway), so it gets three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2018
Proper Attire
I really enjoyed this pirate tale of romance. This is my first book by this author and I plan on reading more by Thorne.
I really enjoyed this pirate tale of romance. This is my first book by this author and I plan on reading more by Thorne.
February 1, 2015
The author advertises Jane Austen-inspired sweet historical romance, so when I started reading her new release, Proper Attire, I was expecting a Pride and Prejudice-like story. Let me tell you, this is not your Grandma's Jane Austen story. Imagine if Jane refused to marry a wealthy old man she did not love, was sent away to the West Indies, attacked by pirates, rescued by a handsome, mysterious stranger she doesn't know if she can trust and then shipwrecked.
This is a story that hooked me from page one, it was at least Chapter Five before I felt like I should really put the book down for a minute to take a break. It's a clean romance that Austen would adore, but it also has a healthy dose of adventure and excitement. Proper Attire is a cute name for it. There are so many types of clothes in the story. Julia and her handsome rescuer go through a lot of wardrobe changes and it will really make you think about how the clothes people wear influence our impressions of them. She sees the man she knows only as "John Smith" in dirty, pirate-like apparel, scantily clad clothing the island natives deem as 'proper' in their culture, and then, once she finally reaches her destination in Antigua, she sees him again differently. Smith dons the professional clothes of a business man and even formal attire for a ball. Needless to say, neither Julia nor the reader can figure out who he really is for quite some time. What we know for sure, he won't let pirates, island natives or an ambitious suitor keep him away from Julia. This book won't leave you feeling disappointed.
This is a story that hooked me from page one, it was at least Chapter Five before I felt like I should really put the book down for a minute to take a break. It's a clean romance that Austen would adore, but it also has a healthy dose of adventure and excitement. Proper Attire is a cute name for it. There are so many types of clothes in the story. Julia and her handsome rescuer go through a lot of wardrobe changes and it will really make you think about how the clothes people wear influence our impressions of them. She sees the man she knows only as "John Smith" in dirty, pirate-like apparel, scantily clad clothing the island natives deem as 'proper' in their culture, and then, once she finally reaches her destination in Antigua, she sees him again differently. Smith dons the professional clothes of a business man and even formal attire for a ball. Needless to say, neither Julia nor the reader can figure out who he really is for quite some time. What we know for sure, he won't let pirates, island natives or an ambitious suitor keep him away from Julia. This book won't leave you feeling disappointed.
October 29, 2014
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve never been a reader of romance novels, so I had a bit of trepidation about this one. Julia seemed a bit on the overly fragile waif-y side to me, but she didn’t fall to pieces when I expected her to, so I had to grudgingly award her some points for hanging in there. “John Smith” seemed like a real jerk for quite a ways into the book, the worse he was to Julia, the more sympathy I felt for her and the more I wanted to see things improve for her. I was softened somewhat by his kind gesture to her in the life boat and that made me more willing to believe there was more to him then I first imagined. As the book progressed I got more emotionally invested in Julia and what she was going through, I wanted her to be happy and her love life was rapidly becoming complicated. The last few chapters were quite exciting, but I was disappointed when things ended what seemed to be a little too quickly. I suppose that’s a compliment to the writing that I was frustrated to see it end so quickly, I wanted to see more of what happened next. I enjoyed my first “proper romance” novel, and I would definitely be open to reading more of the author’s writing.
I’ve never been a reader of romance novels, so I had a bit of trepidation about this one. Julia seemed a bit on the overly fragile waif-y side to me, but she didn’t fall to pieces when I expected her to, so I had to grudgingly award her some points for hanging in there. “John Smith” seemed like a real jerk for quite a ways into the book, the worse he was to Julia, the more sympathy I felt for her and the more I wanted to see things improve for her. I was softened somewhat by his kind gesture to her in the life boat and that made me more willing to believe there was more to him then I first imagined. As the book progressed I got more emotionally invested in Julia and what she was going through, I wanted her to be happy and her love life was rapidly becoming complicated. The last few chapters were quite exciting, but I was disappointed when things ended what seemed to be a little too quickly. I suppose that’s a compliment to the writing that I was frustrated to see it end so quickly, I wanted to see more of what happened next. I enjoyed my first “proper romance” novel, and I would definitely be open to reading more of the author’s writing.
October 30, 2014
I think this book was well written (The format was kind of funky, and there were a few grammatical errors, a name mixup, etc. Basically, easy fixes with a little more editing) and had so much potential...but for some reason, I actually had a hard time getting into it. It was a short one (150 pages, I think?), but it just didn't grab me. When I had the time to read, I would--and I enjoyed it well enough--but I didn't find myself making time to read. The first half of the book was too much description, not enough dialogue for my taste.
As for the main characters--I liked Julia. She was innocent and naive, poor girl--believing the best in everyone around her (except for "John" at times, ironically enough). She was genuine and caring. As for "John Smith"... I liked him, but I just didn't feel all that connected to him.
If you're a fan of regency/adventure, you would probably enjoy this one. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. It was a sweet short story, but I really wish there was more time dedicated to the romance between Julia and "John."
Content: clean
** I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
As for the main characters--I liked Julia. She was innocent and naive, poor girl--believing the best in everyone around her (except for "John" at times, ironically enough). She was genuine and caring. As for "John Smith"... I liked him, but I just didn't feel all that connected to him.
If you're a fan of regency/adventure, you would probably enjoy this one. Maybe it was just the mood I was in. It was a sweet short story, but I really wish there was more time dedicated to the romance between Julia and "John."
Content: clean
** I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read
August 23, 2023Proper Attire was a unique Regency in that it’s set in the West Indes rather than England. In addition to this fun and tropical setting, rather than the plot primarily focusing on the romance, it was instead full of adventures, pirates, islands of natives, and all manner of mishaps. When Julia Scott’s ship is taken over by pirates, she’s rescued by a mysterious man named John Smith, and throughout the remainder of their adventures, a friendship builds between them as he continues to rescue her from various dangers while at sea.
The story eventually changes its sea-faring setting and begins to move at a slower pace where we scarcely get to see the hero; instead, Julia is courted by a Sea Captain who may or may not have questionable motives. This story is more about the fun and unique setting and likable characters more than the romance, but for a slower-paced, character-driven novel, it was an enjoyable read.
The story eventually changes its sea-faring setting and begins to move at a slower pace where we scarcely get to see the hero; instead, Julia is courted by a Sea Captain who may or may not have questionable motives. This story is more about the fun and unique setting and likable characters more than the romance, but for a slower-paced, character-driven novel, it was an enjoyable read.
October 26, 2014
3.5 stars
This was an entertaining, clean novella. I read it quickly on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It had pirates, sleezy captains, savages, and more. I enjoyed the storyline. The hero and heroine made great characters. It became more predictable by the end, but the first 2/3 had me guessing! And even the "predictable" part was exactly what I was hoping to happen. :) As with most novellas I wished for more character development, but the author did a good job in the short amount of pages. I wish I knew more about "John Smith" other than the bit he told Miss Scott. Maybe we will see more of them in future books by Danielle Thorne. :)
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was an entertaining, clean novella. I read it quickly on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It had pirates, sleezy captains, savages, and more. I enjoyed the storyline. The hero and heroine made great characters. It became more predictable by the end, but the first 2/3 had me guessing! And even the "predictable" part was exactly what I was hoping to happen. :) As with most novellas I wished for more character development, but the author did a good job in the short amount of pages. I wish I knew more about "John Smith" other than the bit he told Miss Scott. Maybe we will see more of them in future books by Danielle Thorne. :)
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2018
I received an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book it was OK,.We have our heroine Julia Scott travelling to join her uncle in the Indies after being sent her away by her cruel stepmother from England.
On-course her ship is attacked and Julia meets the mysterious John Smith who proceeds to rescue her time after time from one scrape or another eventually placing her with his cousin and wife after her identity is called into question.
we learn that John Smith is actually Mr George Greenway and what follows is a sweet love story with the token villain thrown in for good measure and Julia our heroine realises people are not always what they seem and sometimes what you are seeking can be right beneath your nose.
On-course her ship is attacked and Julia meets the mysterious John Smith who proceeds to rescue her time after time from one scrape or another eventually placing her with his cousin and wife after her identity is called into question.
we learn that John Smith is actually Mr George Greenway and what follows is a sweet love story with the token villain thrown in for good measure and Julia our heroine realises people are not always what they seem and sometimes what you are seeking can be right beneath your nose.
May 1, 2015
I must say that I loved this book. I saw it mentioned in a tweet and tried a sample and was hooked. Being 99 cents helped too. I did not hesitate to buy it once I'd read the sample and I wasn't disappointed once I'd finished. This was a magical mix of regency and pirates, set in the West Indies. I've read one other book by Danielle Thorne so I knew she'd be great when it comes to island locations and sea life. The action and adventure portions were great, the romance was better (while remaining squeaky clean), and was just overall good fun. A definite recommend.
October 23, 2014
I really liked this book! Read it in 1 hour and it ended perfectly.
It is the perfect book for you when you just need that sweet quick read.
I actually hate all the romance aspects in books because they ruin every other meaning it could have.
But the romance in this book is so subtle that I really could not fight the smile of my lips, it really was that cute!
Danielle Thorne wrote it in a very beautiful way and I enjoyed the old english feeling she gave her book.
It is the perfect book for you when you just need that sweet quick read.
I actually hate all the romance aspects in books because they ruin every other meaning it could have.
But the romance in this book is so subtle that I really could not fight the smile of my lips, it really was that cute!
Danielle Thorne wrote it in a very beautiful way and I enjoyed the old english feeling she gave her book.
October 27, 2015
Loved the adventure and setting! So much fun! This novella really sucked me in. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and would love to know even more about them. I often didn't want to put the story down while I was reading. It would be great to see this made into a full length novel. I look forward to reading more by Danielle Thorne!
December 10, 2014
This was an awesome Read asd I was sorry to see it end though the ending was perfect. Will definitely be inquiring About more of Ms. Thorne's other works. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good clean romance story.
October 8, 2014
How can you go wrong with an enchanting pirate adventure! Loved the story from the action of the very first pages.
Content: Clean
Content: Clean
December 9, 2020
I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrator. She had some good differences from speaker to speaker. I particularly liked Julia's voice. She made Julia sound vibrant and adorable.
The beginning of this book is high adventure/danger, moving from one bad situation to another, then back in civilization the story slowed a lot. It seemed a huge contrast to the first part and almost like nothing happened to move the story along, especially by comparison. And then it suddenly moved to "Really?" plot twists and finally the resolve. The book left me feeling like it was an over the top adventure not unlike Pirates of the Caribbean. Enjoyable but over the top.
Though there is a love triangle of sorts, it is obvious where that is going to lead. I rather enjoyed the banter between John and Julia. Definitely the most interesting characters in the book. Others weren't developed enough to really care about.
Most interesting part to me was John Smith talking about proper attire and how everything is a costume for whatever role we play. For him that changed a lot over the course of the story from pirate to nearly naked to dressed for society. Julia didn't seem very shocked over the near nakedness or being around nearly naked natives. She noted it but then just kind of shrugged it off as whatever. As sheltered as she had been, in that time period, it seems like she might have been more bothered by it.
It was satisfying to see the good guys get the happily ever after and the bad guys get what is coming to them.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary audio-book and voluntarily chose to review it.
The beginning of this book is high adventure/danger, moving from one bad situation to another, then back in civilization the story slowed a lot. It seemed a huge contrast to the first part and almost like nothing happened to move the story along, especially by comparison. And then it suddenly moved to "Really?" plot twists and finally the resolve. The book left me feeling like it was an over the top adventure not unlike Pirates of the Caribbean. Enjoyable but over the top.
Though there is a love triangle of sorts, it is obvious where that is going to lead. I rather enjoyed the banter between John and Julia. Definitely the most interesting characters in the book. Others weren't developed enough to really care about.
Most interesting part to me was John Smith talking about proper attire and how everything is a costume for whatever role we play. For him that changed a lot over the course of the story from pirate to nearly naked to dressed for society. Julia didn't seem very shocked over the near nakedness or being around nearly naked natives. She noted it but then just kind of shrugged it off as whatever. As sheltered as she had been, in that time period, it seems like she might have been more bothered by it.
It was satisfying to see the good guys get the happily ever after and the bad guys get what is coming to them.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary audio-book and voluntarily chose to review it.
November 25, 2020
My thoughts about this book:
• The opening scene of this story with pirates attacking Julia's ship captured my attention immediately. My interest was held from the very beginning of this story until the very end.
• There were many twists and turns to this plot and that helped to keep the intrigue and suspense going.
• Julia seemed to have lived a very sheltered life. She was stubborn and made poor decisions because of her brashness and naivete. She seemed to find herself in stuck in many dangerous situations.
• George Greenway was a character full of mystery and intrique. He was constantly rescuing Julia from her life threatening dilemmas.
• The author did an amazing job of describing emotions and scenes. From the author's descriptions, I could feel the sea breezes on my face and smell the sea water and tropical flowers.
• I loved the witty banter between Julia and Greenway. These characters were delightful.
• The narrator did a satisfactory job.
• At my request, I was given a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author abd an ebook. I have voluntarily left my review and my opinions were my own. I enjoyed this historical romance, filled with intrigue and humor, set in the West Indies and highly recommend it.
• The opening scene of this story with pirates attacking Julia's ship captured my attention immediately. My interest was held from the very beginning of this story until the very end.
• There were many twists and turns to this plot and that helped to keep the intrigue and suspense going.
• Julia seemed to have lived a very sheltered life. She was stubborn and made poor decisions because of her brashness and naivete. She seemed to find herself in stuck in many dangerous situations.
• George Greenway was a character full of mystery and intrique. He was constantly rescuing Julia from her life threatening dilemmas.
• The author did an amazing job of describing emotions and scenes. From the author's descriptions, I could feel the sea breezes on my face and smell the sea water and tropical flowers.
• I loved the witty banter between Julia and Greenway. These characters were delightful.
• The narrator did a satisfactory job.
• At my request, I was given a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author abd an ebook. I have voluntarily left my review and my opinions were my own. I enjoyed this historical romance, filled with intrigue and humor, set in the West Indies and highly recommend it.
September 22, 2022
This is a unique Regency that's set in the West Indies rather than England, mostly due to the fact that Julia left home rather than marry an old man her stepmother was pushing on her. She was headed to her uncle, who is an admiral. Along the way, she encounters pirates, adventure, mishaps and islands of natives. When her ship is taken over by pirates, she is rescued by a mysterious gentleman who is going by the name John Smith and a friendship begins between them while he is kept busy rescuing her from a variety of dangers while they are at sea.
Julia is courted by a Sea Captain, who I didn't like or trust from the beginning. His actions after she refuses his offer of marriage are strange for a man who wants to marry her. And her horrible stepmother shows up. One thing that bothered me is that she had been trying to marry Julia off to a rich man because she had supposedly spent all their money, yet she was able to take a ship to where Julia is and is wearing an expensive necklace. I liked that she got what she deserved and things turn out very well for Julia in the end.
Julia is courted by a Sea Captain, who I didn't like or trust from the beginning. His actions after she refuses his offer of marriage are strange for a man who wants to marry her. And her horrible stepmother shows up. One thing that bothered me is that she had been trying to marry Julia off to a rich man because she had supposedly spent all their money, yet she was able to take a ship to where Julia is and is wearing an expensive necklace. I liked that she got what she deserved and things turn out very well for Julia in the end.
November 22, 2020
I listened to the audiobook of this story. Great narration. Julia Scott hates her stepmother and does not want to marry the old Mr. Carver that she has arranged for her. Instead she takes off to the West Indies to go live with her uncle. Her ship is attacked by pirates but she is rescued by a John Smith. It's a journey across the seas, to get her to Antigua, but trouble follows her all the way. John Smith saves her many times over. When they finally arrive, her uncle is not at his residence, but at sea. John Smith takes her to his cousins home, where she learned his real name is George Greenway. Once again, Julia's life is turned upside down, with an unwanted suitor of the Captain and her stepmother's arrival. Mr. Greenway is there again to assist. Follow their high seas and land journey.
October 30, 2019
I found this book discounted on Amazon via BookBub; this is my honest review.
-When I saw the description as being "sweet" I thought this would be a ball in the park to read. No! It starts with a lady who doesn't listen to the command of a captain/lieutenant, a pirate attack, two murders, adventure and bad luck following close. Then, problems with natives, family, and crew.
- The rest of the story is pretty much predictable, with some suspense, violence, and a love triangle.
-Lots of description of buildings, ships, vessels, people, clothing (or non-clothing), linens, food, etc.
-Good job on the editing.
-When I saw the description as being "sweet" I thought this would be a ball in the park to read. No! It starts with a lady who doesn't listen to the command of a captain/lieutenant, a pirate attack, two murders, adventure and bad luck following close. Then, problems with natives, family, and crew.
- The rest of the story is pretty much predictable, with some suspense, violence, and a love triangle.
-Lots of description of buildings, ships, vessels, people, clothing (or non-clothing), linens, food, etc.
-Good job on the editing.
June 29, 2018
Wonderful
I absolutely enjoyed this novel. I loved Mr. Smith/Greenway more than most characters grab my regard, and he’s made himself a place at the top of the list of H’s I’ve seen so far. And Julia, although a bit naive was wonderful and she could hardly be faulted for her naïveté due to the disreputable schemes of her aunt. This author knows how to make a lovable H and h, supporting characters, and a good old fashion villain.. or two. Five stars!
I absolutely enjoyed this novel. I loved Mr. Smith/Greenway more than most characters grab my regard, and he’s made himself a place at the top of the list of H’s I’ve seen so far. And Julia, although a bit naive was wonderful and she could hardly be faulted for her naïveté due to the disreputable schemes of her aunt. This author knows how to make a lovable H and h, supporting characters, and a good old fashion villain.. or two. Five stars!
December 8, 2020
Proper Attire.
This was one of the best stories I have read in some time. Poor Julia was being sent to her Uncle in the West Indies aboard a naval ship. The ship was attacked by pirates and the Lieutenant was killed and the ship was shot with cannons. Julia was taken aboard the pirate ship. This story is filled with excitement and near death happenings, but she was rescued from the pirate ship by Mr. Smith. This is a wonderful story. Enjoy.
This was one of the best stories I have read in some time. Poor Julia was being sent to her Uncle in the West Indies aboard a naval ship. The ship was attacked by pirates and the Lieutenant was killed and the ship was shot with cannons. Julia was taken aboard the pirate ship. This story is filled with excitement and near death happenings, but she was rescued from the pirate ship by Mr. Smith. This is a wonderful story. Enjoy.
January 10, 2021
Full disclosure, this book is full of tropes and unrealistic plots. And I was thrilled by each and every moment of it!
This was such a fun ride, and I wish I could start over fresh at the beginning and read it for the first time again. It's all fluff and adventure and (clean) romantic, lighthearted reading with an ending that's tied up with a big red bow of happiness.
Forget Hallmark. ;)
This was such a fun ride, and I wish I could start over fresh at the beginning and read it for the first time again. It's all fluff and adventure and (clean) romantic, lighthearted reading with an ending that's tied up with a big red bow of happiness.
Forget Hallmark. ;)
November 6, 2017
Sweet Stoy
A gutsy heroine an ,at first, slightly goofy hero, my kind of guy! And a sweet love story, with a truly slimy villain. A coward, a suck up and an opportunist. He made the royal navy look very bad.
A gutsy heroine an ,at first, slightly goofy hero, my kind of guy! And a sweet love story, with a truly slimy villain. A coward, a suck up and an opportunist. He made the royal navy look very bad.
February 6, 2018
I have never picked up a book and loved it this much. I was hooked from the first couple chapters and when I thought I knew where the plot was going, there would be a twist. It was dangerous and sweet and clever and romantic. It was so dang good. I would highly recommend this book.
February 24, 2018
As others mentioned great start, middle was good, but then the end completely killed it for me. More happens in the last chapter than in half the book. Seems rushed and lazy and one major plot twist doesn't even make sense. Oh well, still 3 stars because I did enjoy most of the book.
April 23, 2018
Fairly simple characters/plot line. There were some plot holes that I noticed. Not a lot of depth to the characters or their story. I didn't hate it, but I'm not super impressed with the author, either.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews