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Sea Wolves #1
Master of Seduction
The infamous pirate Black Jack Rhys never encountered a ship he could not board or a woman he could not bed. But the dashing brigand may have met his match in the fiery beauty who has vowed to bring him to justice . . .
A fearless, flame-haired enchantress, Lorelei Dupree believes she has a duty to her fiancé and to the city of Charleston to help end the reign of the notorious Black Jack. But when the bold pirate eludes her carefully set trap, she suddenly finds herself the prisoner of the irresistible criminal they call "Master of Seduction." Once trapped in Jack's intoxicating gaze, Lorelei feels herself falling under the handsome rogue's sensuous spell. And now the terror of the high seas faces the one peril he never anticipated—for though he has stolen so many hearts, he never dreamed he'd meet a woman who could so effortlessly conquer his own.
A fearless, flame-haired enchantress, Lorelei Dupree believes she has a duty to her fiancé and to the city of Charleston to help end the reign of the notorious Black Jack. But when the bold pirate eludes her carefully set trap, she suddenly finds herself the prisoner of the irresistible criminal they call "Master of Seduction." Once trapped in Jack's intoxicating gaze, Lorelei feels herself falling under the handsome rogue's sensuous spell. And now the terror of the high seas faces the one peril he never anticipated—for though he has stolen so many hearts, he never dreamed he'd meet a woman who could so effortlessly conquer his own.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 5, 2000
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1696 people want to read
About the author
Kinley MacGregor
31 books1,572 followersSherrilyn McQueen
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Sherrilyn Kenyon & Kinley MacGregor
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Sherrilyn Kenyon & Kinley MacGregor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
March 9, 2023
Lorelei Dupree is engaged to her childhood friend/sweetheart Justin Wallingford (a British lieutenant). But when Justin uses Lorelei as a tavern barmaid to set a trap for pirate Black Jack Rhys, Jack takes Lorelei hostage aboard his ship. Jack is trying to get the senior Wallingford (Justin’s dad) to follow him so Jack can get his revenge on him for what he did to a good friend of Jack’s. But as Lorelei and Jack spend more and more time together aboard his ship, they find themselves liking, and falling for each other…
I really enjoyed this terrific pirate romance! It was charming, romantic, and funny! I loved the main couple… Lorelei was headstrong, high-spirited, mischievous, and caring. She was no shrinking violet. And she had great chemistry with Jack, who was so handsome and sexy, thoughtful, dashing, rakish... I enjoyed the setting, mostly on the high seas on Jack’s ship. And I liked the secondary characters.
An entertaining, delightful, and fun read by Kinley MacGregor!
I really enjoyed this terrific pirate romance! It was charming, romantic, and funny! I loved the main couple… Lorelei was headstrong, high-spirited, mischievous, and caring. She was no shrinking violet. And she had great chemistry with Jack, who was so handsome and sexy, thoughtful, dashing, rakish... I enjoyed the setting, mostly on the high seas on Jack’s ship. And I liked the secondary characters.
An entertaining, delightful, and fun read by Kinley MacGregor!
February 19, 2021
Enjoyable listen from the same narrator that does Stella Riley books.
I love pirate HR books, and it's been awhile since I have read one. I wish there more that are not rapey. This was not, thankfully. It had a fun battle of wills struggle to it. I could see this being a higher rating on a reread.
I love pirate HR books, and it's been awhile since I have read one. I wish there more that are not rapey. This was not, thankfully. It had a fun battle of wills struggle to it. I could see this being a higher rating on a reread.
April 6, 2024
Edited to add: Next day and I’m still thinking about this book and smiling, so I’m upping my rating from four stars to five.
The diary of Lady Ashton, 1775
Black Jack Rhys is the fiercest pirate to ever roam the raging seas. Every sailor alive fears to mention his name aloud lest it summon him up from the very bowels of hell. ’Tis said to see his ship is to see your death, for he gives no quarter, shows no mercy.
Tonight, I have met said man and discovered for myself just how hypnotic a creature he is. Aye, he is fierce and wild and untamed, but more than that, he is a spectacular specimen of manliness. And though I ache to have him for my own, I know only too well that no woman shall ever claim him.
Oh my…this book was just about everything I could hope for in a pirate romance! A handsome, fearless, sexy pirate, a prim and proper sheltered miss, kidnapping, forced proximity, slow sensual seduction, vengeance, sea battles, shipwreck, wanting, passion, love and angst. The total package.
I was smitten with Jack from his first scene, and it wasn’t long before I fell for him. He was, in many ways, a gentleman pirate, and that’s a knockout combination for me. Fierce and tender, ruthless and honorable, a killer and a lover.
A big part of their early banter consisted of Jack teasing and toying with Lorelei. All in good humor, he reveled in discomposing and flustering her and I loved it. On the surface he did it for fun and flirtation, but deep down I got the feeling he wanted desperately to wake her from her staid existence and preconceived notions. He wanted her to think for herself and come to her own opinions, rather than blindly parroting what her father and fiancé thought. He wanted her to feel.
It was very satisfying to see Lorelei slowly lose her certainty that Jack and his crew should easily be dismissed as dastardly men with no honor, loyalty or kindness.
He was like steel, and she couldn’t help but wonder what could make someone like him. Surely it would take the very fires of hell to forge someone so strong. And yet he knew how to give kindness. Somehow in his isolated world, he had learned to be decent and caring. It was so strange to her that a man who lived his life in violence could ever show compassion. How she wished she understood him.
Jack, too, thought he had Lorelei all figured out the first time he laid eyes on her, until little Miss Meek and Sheltered pulled a sword on him.
Anger flickered in her eyes, but she didn’t yield to her temper. “I take it your father gave you sword lessons along with your reading, writing, and arithmetic?” He pulled the thin épée from its cane sheath. He’d teach her to pull a sword on him! Swinging it around to disarm her, he was momentarily baffled as she parried his thrust with an expert move. Astounded, Jack advanced only to have her take the upper hand. He actually took a step back from her approach. “You really have been taught.” “I was taught well,” she said smugly.
She thrust at him and he barely sidestepped the move. He twirled around as she passed behind his back. Jack grabbed her in his arms, trapping her in his embrace. Her mouth opened in surprise and he planted a fierce kiss on her lips. Lorelei shrieked in indignation, then stomped his instep. Pain exploding up his leg, Jack pulled back with a hiss. He barely parried her next move as he hopped away from her. “That was vicious,” he said.
Releasing the hilt of his own so that both swords hit the wall to his right with a loud clatter, he took her extended right hand in his own and pressed her back against the wall. Her breasts heaved against his chest as she struggled to calm her racing breath. In spite of the fact she had just tried to skewer him with his own sword, he smiled. “I much prefer to fight with pillows,” he said, then dipped his head to kiss her lips once more.
“Who taught you to fight?” Lorelei chewed her lip as she debated what she should tell him. Deciding the truth couldn’t hurt her any, she sighed. “My grandmother.” His face was a mixture between disbelief and incredulity. “Your grandmother?” Savoring his uncharacteristic look of surprise, she confessed the whole of it. “She was Anne Bonny. I’m sure you’ve heard of her.” He started to laugh, but then something made him change his mind. “You’re serious?” “Aye, very.” Respect shone in his eyes. “Did she teach you anything else?” “Aye, to be wary of pirates, especially those named Jack.”
Every time the author showed the juxtaposition of the man Jack was, compared to the overgrown boy her fiancé Justin was, I kept thinking… why would you ever want a boy when you could have a man? It took Lorelei some time to make the distinction, but when she did, I was smiling and rubbing my hands together with glee. When they fell for each other, they fell hard, and it was so angsty and delicious.
He brushed her braid aside, exposing the back of her neck to his gaze. Jack moved his hand to touch her hairline there, and asked for the second time since he’d taken her hostage, “Have you ever had a man kiss you here?” “Certainly not,” she gasped. And then he did. Lorelei moaned at the unexpected pleasure that assailed her as his lips grazed her neck. He drew his arm tight about her waist and a thousand ribbons of pleasure spiraled through her body.
“I want you, Lorelei,” Jack breathed in her ear. “I want to feel your entire body against me, to taste every inch of your bare flesh.” She didn’t know what to say because right then, she wanted the same thing. He just felt too good. His touch too seductive, his body too wonderful. Jack moved his lips to her mouth and plundered it like the pirate he was. She savored the taste of him, the smell of ocean and man.
Watching two people who couldn’t be more opposite on the outside, with such vastly different life experiences, see past the surface to the truth of each other was wonderful and satisfying and gave me so many feels.
Highly recommended if you’ve ever dreamed of having a cocky, sexy pirate of your own!
(Thank you, @Missy, for bringing this book to my attention)
The diary of Lady Ashton, 1775
Black Jack Rhys is the fiercest pirate to ever roam the raging seas. Every sailor alive fears to mention his name aloud lest it summon him up from the very bowels of hell. ’Tis said to see his ship is to see your death, for he gives no quarter, shows no mercy.
Tonight, I have met said man and discovered for myself just how hypnotic a creature he is. Aye, he is fierce and wild and untamed, but more than that, he is a spectacular specimen of manliness. And though I ache to have him for my own, I know only too well that no woman shall ever claim him.
Oh my…this book was just about everything I could hope for in a pirate romance! A handsome, fearless, sexy pirate, a prim and proper sheltered miss, kidnapping, forced proximity, slow sensual seduction, vengeance, sea battles, shipwreck, wanting, passion, love and angst. The total package.
I was smitten with Jack from his first scene, and it wasn’t long before I fell for him. He was, in many ways, a gentleman pirate, and that’s a knockout combination for me. Fierce and tender, ruthless and honorable, a killer and a lover.
A big part of their early banter consisted of Jack teasing and toying with Lorelei. All in good humor, he reveled in discomposing and flustering her and I loved it. On the surface he did it for fun and flirtation, but deep down I got the feeling he wanted desperately to wake her from her staid existence and preconceived notions. He wanted her to think for herself and come to her own opinions, rather than blindly parroting what her father and fiancé thought. He wanted her to feel.
It was very satisfying to see Lorelei slowly lose her certainty that Jack and his crew should easily be dismissed as dastardly men with no honor, loyalty or kindness.
He was like steel, and she couldn’t help but wonder what could make someone like him. Surely it would take the very fires of hell to forge someone so strong. And yet he knew how to give kindness. Somehow in his isolated world, he had learned to be decent and caring. It was so strange to her that a man who lived his life in violence could ever show compassion. How she wished she understood him.
Jack, too, thought he had Lorelei all figured out the first time he laid eyes on her, until little Miss Meek and Sheltered pulled a sword on him.
Anger flickered in her eyes, but she didn’t yield to her temper. “I take it your father gave you sword lessons along with your reading, writing, and arithmetic?” He pulled the thin épée from its cane sheath. He’d teach her to pull a sword on him! Swinging it around to disarm her, he was momentarily baffled as she parried his thrust with an expert move. Astounded, Jack advanced only to have her take the upper hand. He actually took a step back from her approach. “You really have been taught.” “I was taught well,” she said smugly.
She thrust at him and he barely sidestepped the move. He twirled around as she passed behind his back. Jack grabbed her in his arms, trapping her in his embrace. Her mouth opened in surprise and he planted a fierce kiss on her lips. Lorelei shrieked in indignation, then stomped his instep. Pain exploding up his leg, Jack pulled back with a hiss. He barely parried her next move as he hopped away from her. “That was vicious,” he said.
Releasing the hilt of his own so that both swords hit the wall to his right with a loud clatter, he took her extended right hand in his own and pressed her back against the wall. Her breasts heaved against his chest as she struggled to calm her racing breath. In spite of the fact she had just tried to skewer him with his own sword, he smiled. “I much prefer to fight with pillows,” he said, then dipped his head to kiss her lips once more.
“Who taught you to fight?” Lorelei chewed her lip as she debated what she should tell him. Deciding the truth couldn’t hurt her any, she sighed. “My grandmother.” His face was a mixture between disbelief and incredulity. “Your grandmother?” Savoring his uncharacteristic look of surprise, she confessed the whole of it. “She was Anne Bonny. I’m sure you’ve heard of her.” He started to laugh, but then something made him change his mind. “You’re serious?” “Aye, very.” Respect shone in his eyes. “Did she teach you anything else?” “Aye, to be wary of pirates, especially those named Jack.”
Every time the author showed the juxtaposition of the man Jack was, compared to the overgrown boy her fiancé Justin was, I kept thinking… why would you ever want a boy when you could have a man? It took Lorelei some time to make the distinction, but when she did, I was smiling and rubbing my hands together with glee. When they fell for each other, they fell hard, and it was so angsty and delicious.
He brushed her braid aside, exposing the back of her neck to his gaze. Jack moved his hand to touch her hairline there, and asked for the second time since he’d taken her hostage, “Have you ever had a man kiss you here?” “Certainly not,” she gasped. And then he did. Lorelei moaned at the unexpected pleasure that assailed her as his lips grazed her neck. He drew his arm tight about her waist and a thousand ribbons of pleasure spiraled through her body.
“I want you, Lorelei,” Jack breathed in her ear. “I want to feel your entire body against me, to taste every inch of your bare flesh.” She didn’t know what to say because right then, she wanted the same thing. He just felt too good. His touch too seductive, his body too wonderful. Jack moved his lips to her mouth and plundered it like the pirate he was. She savored the taste of him, the smell of ocean and man.
Watching two people who couldn’t be more opposite on the outside, with such vastly different life experiences, see past the surface to the truth of each other was wonderful and satisfying and gave me so many feels.
Highly recommended if you’ve ever dreamed of having a cocky, sexy pirate of your own!
(Thank you, @Missy, for bringing this book to my attention)
February 7, 2025
2025 Notice (will delete later): The ebook is currently on sale on Amazon Kindle for $1.99!
2024 audiobook listen
It didn't give me the same feelings when I first read the book but I still enjoyed listening to the audiobook, so I'll keep the 4-star rating. The narrator isn't my first choice because of his female voices, but, oh, well.
First read in 2022
This was a great book to get me out of my 2.5-star book slump. I typically prefer audiobooks over ebooks unless the narrator is just plain awful. My library didn’t have the audiobook so I had to settle for reading the ebook. I almost gave up after the first chapter. 😅 But I forced myself to read chapter 2 because of the great reviews and, OMG! I am so glad that I continued reading. Otherwise, I would not have discovered what a fun writer Kinley MacGregor is.
About the author: She grew up with eight brothers and has three sons with her husband, and I quote, "she realizes the most valuable asset a woman has for coping with men is a sense of humor. Not to mention a large trash bag and a pair of tongs." This sense of humor is present throughout the book with its witty dialogue. A scene could be filled with tension or angst and when I least expect it, the author writes something that makes me chuckle.
As soon as I read the line uttered by the hero Jack in chapter 2, "The girl wants no part of you and you should honor her good taste," I was hooked! (no pirate pun intended). Oh, Jack. *sighs* He has completely enchanted me with his charm, wit, and on occasion, sexual innuendos. He also quotes Shakespeare, which must be a turn-on for women of this time.
Black Jack Rhys is a wanted pirate. He has a terrible childhood that gets revealed throughout the book. I'm surprised he turned out to be such a caring and fair pirate captain. Oh, that's right! He had a father figure to guide him to become the man he is. I think he's way too nice for a pirate, but he does have his hardcore pirate captain moments, but the book doesn't focus too much on that side of his life. Bummer.
The majority of the book is a battle of wills between Jack and the heroine, Lorelei. He's trying to seduce her into his bed and she's trying to stay out of it. Fortunately, there's no rape. This part was entertaining with some witty dialogue and sexual innuendos but it did drag a little and I got a little bored and impatient for something more intimate to occur between them, which is the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 stars. He was tender and sweet with her during their first time. I love that they woke up in each other's arms the morning after. So romantic!
Another plot is that Jack wants revenge on Admiral Wallingford, who murdered Jack's father figure a few years ago. Lorelei is actually engaged to the admiral's son, Justin. She believes they are in love and was helping Justin catch the mysterious pirate Black Jack back in chapter 2 when she ended up getting kidnapped by Jack. I don't want to spoil what happens with that plot, but I will end with this: Jack romantically proposes to Lorelei. 😍💖
2024 audiobook listen
It didn't give me the same feelings when I first read the book but I still enjoyed listening to the audiobook, so I'll keep the 4-star rating. The narrator isn't my first choice because of his female voices, but, oh, well.
First read in 2022
This was a great book to get me out of my 2.5-star book slump. I typically prefer audiobooks over ebooks unless the narrator is just plain awful. My library didn’t have the audiobook so I had to settle for reading the ebook. I almost gave up after the first chapter. 😅 But I forced myself to read chapter 2 because of the great reviews and, OMG! I am so glad that I continued reading. Otherwise, I would not have discovered what a fun writer Kinley MacGregor is.
About the author: She grew up with eight brothers and has three sons with her husband, and I quote, "she realizes the most valuable asset a woman has for coping with men is a sense of humor. Not to mention a large trash bag and a pair of tongs." This sense of humor is present throughout the book with its witty dialogue. A scene could be filled with tension or angst and when I least expect it, the author writes something that makes me chuckle.
As soon as I read the line uttered by the hero Jack in chapter 2, "The girl wants no part of you and you should honor her good taste," I was hooked! (no pirate pun intended). Oh, Jack. *sighs* He has completely enchanted me with his charm, wit, and on occasion, sexual innuendos. He also quotes Shakespeare, which must be a turn-on for women of this time.
Black Jack Rhys is a wanted pirate. He has a terrible childhood that gets revealed throughout the book. I'm surprised he turned out to be such a caring and fair pirate captain. Oh, that's right! He had a father figure to guide him to become the man he is. I think he's way too nice for a pirate, but he does have his hardcore pirate captain moments, but the book doesn't focus too much on that side of his life. Bummer.
The majority of the book is a battle of wills between Jack and the heroine, Lorelei. He's trying to seduce her into his bed and she's trying to stay out of it. Fortunately, there's no rape. This part was entertaining with some witty dialogue and sexual innuendos but it did drag a little and I got a little bored and impatient for something more intimate to occur between them, which is the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 stars. He was tender and sweet with her during their first time. I love that they woke up in each other's arms the morning after. So romantic!
Another plot is that Jack wants revenge on Admiral Wallingford, who murdered Jack's father figure a few years ago. Lorelei is actually engaged to the admiral's son, Justin. She believes they are in love and was helping Justin catch the mysterious pirate Black Jack back in chapter 2 when she ended up getting kidnapped by Jack. I don't want to spoil what happens with that plot, but I will end with this: Jack romantically proposes to Lorelei. 😍💖
March 4, 2025
Current rating: 3.5-stars
Original 2013 rating: 5-stars and a keeper.
“I assure you, Captain Rhys, that I can resist your most dubious charms. You’d drop to one knee and declare your undying love for me long before I ever give myself to you.”
“Is that a challenge?”
Lorelei thought it over. Was it? She’d meant it as a comparison, but now that the words were out, she pondered it.
There’s not a man born I can’t wrap around my little finger.
That boast had seemed so simple the night of the party, and yet as she stared at Jack, she wondered if maybe she’d met the one man she couldn’t control so easily.
Nay, she decided.
This time Jack Rhys had met his match.
“Aye, ’tis a challenge. I’ll claim your heart before you claim my body.”
And so starts the seduction!
I was loving this book with all of the amusing banter, romantic falling in love feels, watching the hero experience several firsts (hugs, bj’s 😉) fun adventure on the high seas with a good group of side characters…. But then that ending happened. The last two chapters were disappointing.
🏴☠️ Most of the story takes place on the hero’s pirate ship. I honestly could not tell that they were on a pirate ship, it felt more like a cruise ship. They had 4-poster beds in several of the rooms, the hero had a two-room suite, he wasn’t really pirating or captain’ing the ship, probably not very accurate to real pirates and their crew…. But I’m not complaining, because most of his time he spent teasing or bantering with the heroine. Which was fine by me. I was here for the romance and I got it.
🏴☠️ I loved the somewhat old-time feel to this storytelling. It was written in 2005, so it came out post-bodice ripper era, yet before the current shock value era of more sex and less story. (So there is open door steam, maybe not as graphic as today’s scenes are written.)
🏴☠️ As for the nitpicks or disappointments:
1️⃣ The heroine starts the story being engaged to her childhood friend, Justin. The only thing I could pick up on him in the beginning was that he was a big wuss. He wasn’t even going to step in to help her at the tavern when some big brute was trying to sexually assault her. So right away I realized he was a loser. It took our heroine FOREVER to see for herself that Justin is not a good match for her. She couldn’t mentally let go of Justin, it was as if she was in love with two guys. She was in love with the hero physically and emotionally, and with Justin she was emotionally in love with him because they had been friends since childhood. So that constant indecisiveness on her part really irritated me, because I could see how her confession each time would hurt the hero.
2️⃣ The hero was worried about trying to protect her reputation, wouldn’t it have already been ruined the second she was kidnapped and alone with the hero/kidnapper?
3️⃣ Lastly, that horrendous ending. The bad guy/Wallingford crying and apologizing, and then how the heroine broke the news to Justin and he wasn’t even upset or jealous, but claimed he was very relieved. I mean it was nice and peaceful but… it was all cheesy and wrapped up way too easily with no conflict.
So I’m going to forget about 1-3 and just remember the fun I had watching their romance unfold on board on the high seas! It really was cute and I recommend this book 🥰
Original 2013 rating: 5-stars and a keeper.
“I assure you, Captain Rhys, that I can resist your most dubious charms. You’d drop to one knee and declare your undying love for me long before I ever give myself to you.”
“Is that a challenge?”
Lorelei thought it over. Was it? She’d meant it as a comparison, but now that the words were out, she pondered it.
There’s not a man born I can’t wrap around my little finger.
That boast had seemed so simple the night of the party, and yet as she stared at Jack, she wondered if maybe she’d met the one man she couldn’t control so easily.
Nay, she decided.
This time Jack Rhys had met his match.
“Aye, ’tis a challenge. I’ll claim your heart before you claim my body.”
And so starts the seduction!
I was loving this book with all of the amusing banter, romantic falling in love feels, watching the hero experience several firsts (hugs, bj’s 😉) fun adventure on the high seas with a good group of side characters…. But then that ending happened. The last two chapters were disappointing.
🏴☠️ Most of the story takes place on the hero’s pirate ship. I honestly could not tell that they were on a pirate ship, it felt more like a cruise ship. They had 4-poster beds in several of the rooms, the hero had a two-room suite, he wasn’t really pirating or captain’ing the ship, probably not very accurate to real pirates and their crew…. But I’m not complaining, because most of his time he spent teasing or bantering with the heroine. Which was fine by me. I was here for the romance and I got it.
🏴☠️ I loved the somewhat old-time feel to this storytelling. It was written in 2005, so it came out post-bodice ripper era, yet before the current shock value era of more sex and less story. (So there is open door steam, maybe not as graphic as today’s scenes are written.)
🏴☠️ As for the nitpicks or disappointments:
1️⃣ The heroine starts the story being engaged to her childhood friend, Justin. The only thing I could pick up on him in the beginning was that he was a big wuss. He wasn’t even going to step in to help her at the tavern when some big brute was trying to sexually assault her. So right away I realized he was a loser. It took our heroine FOREVER to see for herself that Justin is not a good match for her. She couldn’t mentally let go of Justin, it was as if she was in love with two guys. She was in love with the hero physically and emotionally, and with Justin she was emotionally in love with him because they had been friends since childhood. So that constant indecisiveness on her part really irritated me, because I could see how her confession each time would hurt the hero.
2️⃣ The hero was worried about trying to protect her reputation, wouldn’t it have already been ruined the second she was kidnapped and alone with the hero/kidnapper?
3️⃣ Lastly, that horrendous ending. The bad guy/Wallingford crying and apologizing, and then how the heroine broke the news to Justin and he wasn’t even upset or jealous, but claimed he was very relieved. I mean it was nice and peaceful but… it was all cheesy and wrapped up way too easily with no conflict.
So I’m going to forget about 1-3 and just remember the fun I had watching their romance unfold on board on the high seas! It really was cute and I recommend this book 🥰
August 15, 2024
Honestly.. for me this book felt like my husband was constantly hitting the 10sec skip button on the remote, making it feel like something was constantly missing but not enough to ruin the overall story? 🤷♀️
There were parts about this book I really enjoyed and others I just couldn’t stop myself from going “wtf….” Which made me keep reading cause I have only DNF once before, and I weirdly pride myself on that for some silly reason 😂
My rating is probably more like a 2 Star but I did finish the book and didn’t say that was a waste of time! So I must of liked it! 🤣❤️
There were parts about this book I really enjoyed and others I just couldn’t stop myself from going “wtf….” Which made me keep reading cause I have only DNF once before, and I weirdly pride myself on that for some silly reason 😂
My rating is probably more like a 2 Star but I did finish the book and didn’t say that was a waste of time! So I must of liked it! 🤣❤️
June 27, 2022
This was a fun romantic romp full of pirate tropey goodness.
Jack is the Master of Seduction, fearsome terror of the seven seas, a bad boy who's a good man. He takes the heroine Lorelei captive to lure his arch nemesis into his trap. Loads of piratical derring do, a sexy sword fight, wild plot twists and some sexy sex on the ship and while marooned on an island. Oh and he also swings from one ship to another with the heroine in his arms like some pirate Tarzan and I'm pretty sure I found my new catnip 😏
The pacing was tight and there was enough action and romance to keep me reading. If tortured pirate heroes make you tingly, I recommend picking up this book. I do wish there had been more consistency with the heroine's character and a little more steam. After all Jack was the self styled Master of Seduction 😅
Audiobook male narrator is not great fyi.
Tropes:
Anti hero
Kidnapping
Enemies to Lovers
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥/5
Jack is the Master of Seduction, fearsome terror of the seven seas, a bad boy who's a good man. He takes the heroine Lorelei captive to lure his arch nemesis into his trap. Loads of piratical derring do, a sexy sword fight, wild plot twists and some sexy sex on the ship and while marooned on an island. Oh and he also swings from one ship to another with the heroine in his arms like some pirate Tarzan and I'm pretty sure I found my new catnip 😏
The pacing was tight and there was enough action and romance to keep me reading. If tortured pirate heroes make you tingly, I recommend picking up this book. I do wish there had been more consistency with the heroine's character and a little more steam. After all Jack was the self styled Master of Seduction 😅
Audiobook male narrator is not great fyi.
Tropes:
Anti hero
Kidnapping
Enemies to Lovers
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥/5
January 29, 2012
A fun, fast paced pirate adventure romance story. Some good twists in the end too. It took me nearly half the book to really warm up to these characters, but once I did I found myself really enjoying this book. I had some small issues with our heroine claiming to love her fiancé, but so quickly forgets about him and finds love with our hero. There is also the unbelievable subplot of decorating her private room with nice linens and furniture, and adorning her with pretty clothes that fit...etc. Even in fantasy fiction, its hard to believe a pirate ship would come stocked with so much non essentials. But if you can overlook such writing "liberties" used soley to keep a story cohesive, you may very well enjoy this book.
June 26, 2020
3.5/4 stars
Haven't had a pirate historical romance in a while and I definitely want/need more of them in my quickly growing collection. Quick query about the cover. Why is it a dark haired man when Jack is blonde? Just why cover designer?!
Quick, fun read that I will re-read in the future and I look forward to reading more of Kinley MacGregor's word
Haven't had a pirate historical romance in a while and I definitely want/need more of them in my quickly growing collection. Quick query about the cover. Why is it a dark haired man when Jack is blonde? Just why cover designer?!
Quick, fun read that I will re-read in the future and I look forward to reading more of Kinley MacGregor's word
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May 21, 2011
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book. This one's got 2 parts.
Well well well, I like this book. I did have some empty moments in the beginning regarding the heroine and her activities but now, it's beginning to look like a fun ride!
The story begins with a journal entry from some lady mentioning the name of pirate captain Black Jack Rhys, who is the terror of high seas. I don't know if that woman was kidnapped or went willingly but in her entry, she mentions she'd really like to keep that 'spectacular specimen of manliness' as her own (after reading the book, I'd too!) but she had to be happy with only one night with him. In the entry, she also says that Jack Rhys is the best of lovers but no woman shall ever have him/his heart.
Enter Lorelei, a smart, fun loving girl ...
The year is 1780, The Colonies. Lorelei is her father's only girl, just got engaged to her longtime crush Justin, who's a British army officer. I liked her vivacity, even though her comparison of males with dogs sounded absurd, I found it funny. She's a brunette, not classically beautiful but attractive nonetheless. In her engagement party, she met Count Arnauf and is immediately attracted to him. They dance and make nice conversations but it turned into a bit of a heated word exchange after the count started making negative remarks on Justin. He leaves soon after. Gotta mention, I was a bit irritated at her vacillation, seemed like she'd only got engaged to Justin because he didn't really look at her that way and she took it as a challenge to make herself known. I don't know how she managed it but the feat was done, now she thinks they're in love with each-other. It's also mentioned that Justin has roving eyes. But, Lorelei thinks there is no man on earth she can't wrap around her little fingers. Hmm, well, good luck with that!
Then, I had no idea why Justin took her to that inn since his men were searching for the pirate captain and it's dangerous for sure! All these made me think these two doesn't actually care much for each-other, at least not Justin. There the count appears, this time in a very casual dress-up and saves Lorelei from a lech who taking her as a tavern wench, was about to rape her. Wait a minute, did I mention she was disguised as one to bring information for Justin, who was waiting in that same tavern? Anyway, she recognized the count immediately but he denies knowing her. Lorelei knows he's lying and then it poped in her brain! It's the pirate captain they're searching for! A bit too sure of herself, if I might say and she was, which leads to a little scene as she and Justin debate on whether or not it was Black Jack. It's then, Jack decides to abduct her and in the process, got shot in his arm by Justin.
Jack wants vengeance. I still don't what it is that Justin's family have done to him but it's bad and he hates them with all his being. But, overall he's not as bloodthirsty as he's portrayed everywhere. The women are crazy about him. He knows it, just as he knows he's too good looking to pass. Jack is tall, muscular, has long blonde hair with steely gray eyes. He uses his charms to it's fullest when it's necessary. I should've found it damned irritating and the journal entry should've pissed me off but amazingly it didn't. I like Jack; he's confident, smart. He's honest and soft as eggshells inside, even though he doesn't show it. You know, something to do with manliness and stuffs! :p Nevertheless, the more I got to know about him, the more I thought he's full of fun and caring. Although, abducting Lorelei was a part of that vengeance, he's also attracted to her. I also like Lorelei because she wouldn't give in so easily to his 'dubious charms', as she herself phrases it. She's full of spunk and gives it back word-for-word, no less! Soon, they start exchanging banters which I was enjoying immensely. Once, Jack makes her confuse Justin's name with something else and man, that was so unexpected and funny! And all the time, he's thinking of how soon he can show her his ...*cough*banana*cough* ........ no comments here! :p The scene and incidents that lead to that innuendo were really fine. Lorelei confesses to him that she wants to be an artist and Jack obliges her with painting tools. He also kinda forces her to make him the subject matter, after knowing she mostly paints fruits! Man, I loooove their banters and a few innuendos Jack makes in those because most of the times, he's pretty straightforward about wanting Lorelei in his bed.
Lorelei soon finds out Jack isn't what he makes others believe. He's well learned, can quote Shakespeare just as herself. He has a 11yrs old son Kit, who, it was later revealed is basically a charity case. But, he treats the boy as his own, gave him his name. He even built and curved Kit a wardrobe himself, so sweet! Unless Jack told her the secret himself, Lorelei wouldn't have guessed the truth because nobody else knows about Kit's past. Also, Jack lets some of the sailors' wives stay with them and treat them all cordially. Then there was this journal entry (not the one I mentioned above, this was Jack's own), in which Lorelei finds out some stuffs about him. All these incidents soon makes her soften up towards him. But there is one problem, Jack doesn't believe in love. He never stays with a woman long enough for her to fall in love with him, not to mention he never fell for anyone in his life. He's the son of a prostitute who worked in some Caribbean bordello. This is a truth he's brutally honest with. He tells Lorelei all that and more. Soon they find themselves not only attracted to each-other but in a very warm and genuine companionship. What started out as a competition; a challenge for Jack to seduce her and for Lorelei, fight him somehow, then to make him fall in love with her, turns into something intense and deep. Now, Jack is trying hard to keep his hands off her (the kisses were blazing!), while Lorelei is scared that, in the act of making him fall for her, she might do the opposite and find herself madly in love with him.
Lorelei knows better because her grandma also fell in the spell of a pirate in her days and bore him a daughter, Lorelei's mother. But, he either never married her or got killed before marrying her (not sure) but all her life, Lorelei's grandma suffered for it and always cautioned her to never trust a man who excites her, settle always for the safer ones. Always be wary of pirates, specially if he's called Jack. You can guess, her grandfather's name was Jack as well. I found this part quite intriguing. It seems Lorelei's grandma Anne was the one who truly cared for her. She's the one who encouraged Lorelei's dream to become an artist, taught her how to wield a sword. And, it was also she who gave Lorelei advices on men. Lorelei's always remembering those as she continues her communication with Jack. And, Jack is confused with the kind of emotions she inspires in him because he doesn't know what to do with it.
PS: Still don't know Lorelei's eye color. I usually don't like it when one of the characters who's engaged, is being intimate with someone else, even if it's the h/h. Here, I don't really find it that bad since Jack is much more fun and Justin wouldn't be a competition for him anyway.
*****************
I know it sounds funny but I'm now confused about Lorelei's hair color! It was 'hair as dark and rich as mahogany with golden streaks laced through' in the first chapter, then it was red, now it's auburn! I know mahogany isn't auburn ... ermm, well ... Never mind, it doesn't matter since never got to know her eye-color throughout the story. I'm saying all these because it's important for me that I imagine the characters well. Here, Jack was much much more vividly described (there is a particularly yummy as he was sleeping scene ... *fans herself*) than Lorelei so I'm kinda confused.
Anyway, what's most important here is, this is my first Kinley MacGregor aka Sherrilyn Kenyon book. And, I really enjoyed it. Didn't matter that in the end she tried to smooth things out all over, making villains look good ... I mean, I had my guesses to what Jack's relationship with Justin's father was and it was correct. The back story of how he came to be what he is today was really heartbreaking and what that man did to him and his mother is totally unforgivable. Justin's father, Major Willingford is a shallow, coward of a man and didn't deserve Jack's forgiveness. But, that's only me talking because I really loved Jack and would kick anyone who dares to hurt him! I would've loved more character explorations on him; I was so interested that in the end, it felt like I'm only seeing the charming part of him and not the strong, bold man who lead a pirate gang to enormous success. Oh, there were glimpses here and there but I wasn't satisfied entirely.
His relationship with Lorelei I enjoyed tremendously! When they were together- bantering, sharing their life stories, making love, I can just feel that they belong to one another. The fact that Jack used to be a ... er, rake didn't matter to me, which was amazing! Ms. Kenyon convinced me well that Jack didn't want that kind of a life but had no other choice, for life gave him none. It was just too hard for him to believe that some decent girl like Lorelei would ever love him unconditionally because his experiences with women so far were only give and take stuff in bed; nothing more, nothing less. He even explains Lorelei in one scene that he's always been careful about his partners (I'm not sure what kind but guessing widows and stuffs) as he knew from being brought up in a brothel that otherwise, he'd contract foul diseases. For some reasons I didn't find it yuky! lolz Jack is just this way, a man born a charmer but not an empty-headed, lazy a$$ manwhore, whose pastime is screwing women around. Now, as I mentioned before, Lorelei did confuse me time and again, mostly when she wasn't with Jack. I had empty moments with her when she was thinking of Justin and her feelings for him. Later when she and Jusin reunited, I did want to scream- how can you say you love both men? Yah, she implied she loved them both! Seriously??? :/
The other things in the book I enjoyed was the secondary characters including some of the crew members, their wives and their interactions together. Also, Jack's affections for his adoptive son Kit. I liked reading about Lorelei's grandma Anne's story. As far as I can understand she was quite notorious for her life with a pirate and bearing him an illegitimate child.
And, Jack did believe in love; only what it's done to his mother and put them both through made him deny it for the most of his life. But, Lorelei took the challange and changed it. I did feel their last misunderstanding was unnecessary but then again, the way Jack proposed to her afterwards was ... ermm, very poetic. Oh, I do like Jack verry much; a poem/Shakespeare quoting Pirate, who's as handsome as sin and as generous and kind! Last scene between the two were as usual funny and so heartwarming ... I really hoped for more of him ... Ah well, now I'm very very eager to read the next book of the series! A solid 4 stars but don't let it fool you! It's a good book, I would've give it a 4+ rating if it met all my expectations. :)
Oh I agree Lorelei, Jack has become my favorite fruit too! :p
Well well well, I like this book. I did have some empty moments in the beginning regarding the heroine and her activities but now, it's beginning to look like a fun ride!
The story begins with a journal entry from some lady mentioning the name of pirate captain Black Jack Rhys, who is the terror of high seas. I don't know if that woman was kidnapped or went willingly but in her entry, she mentions she'd really like to keep that 'spectacular specimen of manliness' as her own (after reading the book, I'd too!) but she had to be happy with only one night with him. In the entry, she also says that Jack Rhys is the best of lovers but no woman shall ever have him/his heart.
Enter Lorelei, a smart, fun loving girl ...
The year is 1780, The Colonies. Lorelei is her father's only girl, just got engaged to her longtime crush Justin, who's a British army officer. I liked her vivacity, even though her comparison of males with dogs sounded absurd, I found it funny. She's a brunette, not classically beautiful but attractive nonetheless. In her engagement party, she met Count Arnauf and is immediately attracted to him. They dance and make nice conversations but it turned into a bit of a heated word exchange after the count started making negative remarks on Justin. He leaves soon after. Gotta mention, I was a bit irritated at her vacillation, seemed like she'd only got engaged to Justin because he didn't really look at her that way and she took it as a challenge to make herself known. I don't know how she managed it but the feat was done, now she thinks they're in love with each-other. It's also mentioned that Justin has roving eyes. But, Lorelei thinks there is no man on earth she can't wrap around her little fingers. Hmm, well, good luck with that!
Then, I had no idea why Justin took her to that inn since his men were searching for the pirate captain and it's dangerous for sure! All these made me think these two doesn't actually care much for each-other, at least not Justin. There the count appears, this time in a very casual dress-up and saves Lorelei from a lech who taking her as a tavern wench, was about to rape her. Wait a minute, did I mention she was disguised as one to bring information for Justin, who was waiting in that same tavern? Anyway, she recognized the count immediately but he denies knowing her. Lorelei knows he's lying and then it poped in her brain! It's the pirate captain they're searching for! A bit too sure of herself, if I might say and she was, which leads to a little scene as she and Justin debate on whether or not it was Black Jack. It's then, Jack decides to abduct her and in the process, got shot in his arm by Justin.
Jack wants vengeance. I still don't what it is that Justin's family have done to him but it's bad and he hates them with all his being. But, overall he's not as bloodthirsty as he's portrayed everywhere. The women are crazy about him. He knows it, just as he knows he's too good looking to pass. Jack is tall, muscular, has long blonde hair with steely gray eyes. He uses his charms to it's fullest when it's necessary. I should've found it damned irritating and the journal entry should've pissed me off but amazingly it didn't. I like Jack; he's confident, smart. He's honest and soft as eggshells inside, even though he doesn't show it. You know, something to do with manliness and stuffs! :p Nevertheless, the more I got to know about him, the more I thought he's full of fun and caring. Although, abducting Lorelei was a part of that vengeance, he's also attracted to her. I also like Lorelei because she wouldn't give in so easily to his 'dubious charms', as she herself phrases it. She's full of spunk and gives it back word-for-word, no less! Soon, they start exchanging banters which I was enjoying immensely. Once, Jack makes her confuse Justin's name with something else and man, that was so unexpected and funny! And all the time, he's thinking of how soon he can show her his ...*cough*banana*cough* ........ no comments here! :p The scene and incidents that lead to that innuendo were really fine. Lorelei confesses to him that she wants to be an artist and Jack obliges her with painting tools. He also kinda forces her to make him the subject matter, after knowing she mostly paints fruits! Man, I loooove their banters and a few innuendos Jack makes in those because most of the times, he's pretty straightforward about wanting Lorelei in his bed.
Lorelei soon finds out Jack isn't what he makes others believe. He's well learned, can quote Shakespeare just as herself. He has a 11yrs old son Kit, who, it was later revealed is basically a charity case. But, he treats the boy as his own, gave him his name. He even built and curved Kit a wardrobe himself, so sweet! Unless Jack told her the secret himself, Lorelei wouldn't have guessed the truth because nobody else knows about Kit's past. Also, Jack lets some of the sailors' wives stay with them and treat them all cordially. Then there was this journal entry (not the one I mentioned above, this was Jack's own), in which Lorelei finds out some stuffs about him. All these incidents soon makes her soften up towards him. But there is one problem, Jack doesn't believe in love. He never stays with a woman long enough for her to fall in love with him, not to mention he never fell for anyone in his life. He's the son of a prostitute who worked in some Caribbean bordello. This is a truth he's brutally honest with. He tells Lorelei all that and more. Soon they find themselves not only attracted to each-other but in a very warm and genuine companionship. What started out as a competition; a challenge for Jack to seduce her and for Lorelei, fight him somehow, then to make him fall in love with her, turns into something intense and deep. Now, Jack is trying hard to keep his hands off her (the kisses were blazing!), while Lorelei is scared that, in the act of making him fall for her, she might do the opposite and find herself madly in love with him.
Lorelei knows better because her grandma also fell in the spell of a pirate in her days and bore him a daughter, Lorelei's mother. But, he either never married her or got killed before marrying her (not sure) but all her life, Lorelei's grandma suffered for it and always cautioned her to never trust a man who excites her, settle always for the safer ones. Always be wary of pirates, specially if he's called Jack. You can guess, her grandfather's name was Jack as well. I found this part quite intriguing. It seems Lorelei's grandma Anne was the one who truly cared for her. She's the one who encouraged Lorelei's dream to become an artist, taught her how to wield a sword. And, it was also she who gave Lorelei advices on men. Lorelei's always remembering those as she continues her communication with Jack. And, Jack is confused with the kind of emotions she inspires in him because he doesn't know what to do with it.
PS: Still don't know Lorelei's eye color. I usually don't like it when one of the characters who's engaged, is being intimate with someone else, even if it's the h/h. Here, I don't really find it that bad since Jack is much more fun and Justin wouldn't be a competition for him anyway.
*****************
I know it sounds funny but I'm now confused about Lorelei's hair color! It was 'hair as dark and rich as mahogany with golden streaks laced through' in the first chapter, then it was red, now it's auburn! I know mahogany isn't auburn ... ermm, well ... Never mind, it doesn't matter since never got to know her eye-color throughout the story. I'm saying all these because it's important for me that I imagine the characters well. Here, Jack was much much more vividly described (there is a particularly yummy as he was sleeping scene ... *fans herself*) than Lorelei so I'm kinda confused.
Anyway, what's most important here is, this is my first Kinley MacGregor aka Sherrilyn Kenyon book. And, I really enjoyed it. Didn't matter that in the end she tried to smooth things out all over, making villains look good ... I mean, I had my guesses to what Jack's relationship with Justin's father was and it was correct. The back story of how he came to be what he is today was really heartbreaking and what that man did to him and his mother is totally unforgivable. Justin's father, Major Willingford is a shallow, coward of a man and didn't deserve Jack's forgiveness. But, that's only me talking because I really loved Jack and would kick anyone who dares to hurt him! I would've loved more character explorations on him; I was so interested that in the end, it felt like I'm only seeing the charming part of him and not the strong, bold man who lead a pirate gang to enormous success. Oh, there were glimpses here and there but I wasn't satisfied entirely.
His relationship with Lorelei I enjoyed tremendously! When they were together- bantering, sharing their life stories, making love, I can just feel that they belong to one another. The fact that Jack used to be a ... er, rake didn't matter to me, which was amazing! Ms. Kenyon convinced me well that Jack didn't want that kind of a life but had no other choice, for life gave him none. It was just too hard for him to believe that some decent girl like Lorelei would ever love him unconditionally because his experiences with women so far were only give and take stuff in bed; nothing more, nothing less. He even explains Lorelei in one scene that he's always been careful about his partners (I'm not sure what kind but guessing widows and stuffs) as he knew from being brought up in a brothel that otherwise, he'd contract foul diseases. For some reasons I didn't find it yuky! lolz Jack is just this way, a man born a charmer but not an empty-headed, lazy a$$ manwhore, whose pastime is screwing women around. Now, as I mentioned before, Lorelei did confuse me time and again, mostly when she wasn't with Jack. I had empty moments with her when she was thinking of Justin and her feelings for him. Later when she and Jusin reunited, I did want to scream- how can you say you love both men? Yah, she implied she loved them both! Seriously??? :/
The other things in the book I enjoyed was the secondary characters including some of the crew members, their wives and their interactions together. Also, Jack's affections for his adoptive son Kit. I liked reading about Lorelei's grandma Anne's story. As far as I can understand she was quite notorious for her life with a pirate and bearing him an illegitimate child.
And, Jack did believe in love; only what it's done to his mother and put them both through made him deny it for the most of his life. But, Lorelei took the challange and changed it. I did feel their last misunderstanding was unnecessary but then again, the way Jack proposed to her afterwards was ... ermm, very poetic. Oh, I do like Jack verry much; a poem/Shakespeare quoting Pirate, who's as handsome as sin and as generous and kind! Last scene between the two were as usual funny and so heartwarming ... I really hoped for more of him ... Ah well, now I'm very very eager to read the next book of the series! A solid 4 stars but don't let it fool you! It's a good book, I would've give it a 4+ rating if it met all my expectations. :)
Oh I agree Lorelei, Jack has become my favorite fruit too! :p
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2018
Fun story about two equally stubborn people. Jack is a pirate, bent on revenge against the man responsible for a good friend's death. He has the reputation of a ruthless pirate and an expert seducer of women. Lorelei is the belle of Charleston and recently engaged to her childhood friend and crush, Justin Wallingford.
The story opens with Lorelei bragging to her friends about her ability to charm any man and to get her way in anything she wants. At the same time, Jack has arrived in disguise, looking for information to further his plans for revenge. Lorelei catches his eye, and he asks her to dance. For a few moments, the sparks fly between them, leaving Lorelei attracted and confused before Jack disappears.
The next night Justin has succeeded in getting Lorelei to help him with his plans to set a trap for Jack, with Lorelei playing the part of a barmaid in a waterfront tavern. I was disgusted with Justin at this point. What man willingly puts the woman he supposedly loves in that kind of danger? Worse, he doesn't believe her at first when she identifies the man. I rather enjoyed Jack's spur-of-the-moment decision to take Lorelei hostage and carry her back to the ship. He told himself it was to ensure that the senior Wallingford followed, but there was definitely a personal interest there too. Lorelei is furious and more than a little scared - she's heard the stories about what Jack is capable of.
I really enjoyed the development of Jack and Lori's relationship. The sparks between them were strong from the beginning, as was the connection. I loved seeing Lori stand up to him, even when she was scared. It was pretty funny to see him get all offended when she accused him of planning to rape her. That was just the first of the things that soon had Lori realizing that there was more to Jack than his reputation.
Jack is also known for his reputation with women, and he is determined to get Lori into his bed. He makes it clear that that is all he wants - he makes no promises and doesn't believe in love. Lori is determined to resist and makes a bet with Jack that she can have him on his knees declaring his love before he can get her into bed. What neither realizes at the time is that they are both in danger of losing their hearts. There are some very terrific scenes of the two of them together, getting to know each other. Jack finds himself wanting to do little things to make her happy and comfortable, though the idea of a pirate ship stocked with fancy linens and furniture was a bit hard to believe. I also loved the scene where Lori stumbled onto Jack when he was asleep, with only the essentials covered up. Her fascination led her to try to recreate what she saw in a sketch, and a hilarious attempt to complete the picture. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer, neither one wanting to admit that their feelings were involved. The question became, what would happen when the Wallingfords and the English navy caught up with them. The ending was quite satisfying, with a couple of unexpected twists.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Jack's son Kit was pretty adorable in his mix of boy and young man. I loved the way that he worshipped Jack, which was a good indication of Jack's true character. I also loved the other members of the crew, from the truly salty pirates to the men like Henri and Tarik. It was also unusual to see so many women on a pirate ship, and I liked the way they made Lori a part of their group so easily.
The whole revenge theme was interesting. I could see Jack's determination because of what was done to his foster father/mentor. But it was also clear that there was more to it than that. It didn't take too long to suspect the other cause, and I wondered how that was going to play out. I must admit that I found Admiral Wallingford to be less admirable than I had hoped, but he did redeem himself somewhat at the end.
The story opens with Lorelei bragging to her friends about her ability to charm any man and to get her way in anything she wants. At the same time, Jack has arrived in disguise, looking for information to further his plans for revenge. Lorelei catches his eye, and he asks her to dance. For a few moments, the sparks fly between them, leaving Lorelei attracted and confused before Jack disappears.
The next night Justin has succeeded in getting Lorelei to help him with his plans to set a trap for Jack, with Lorelei playing the part of a barmaid in a waterfront tavern. I was disgusted with Justin at this point. What man willingly puts the woman he supposedly loves in that kind of danger? Worse, he doesn't believe her at first when she identifies the man. I rather enjoyed Jack's spur-of-the-moment decision to take Lorelei hostage and carry her back to the ship. He told himself it was to ensure that the senior Wallingford followed, but there was definitely a personal interest there too. Lorelei is furious and more than a little scared - she's heard the stories about what Jack is capable of.
I really enjoyed the development of Jack and Lori's relationship. The sparks between them were strong from the beginning, as was the connection. I loved seeing Lori stand up to him, even when she was scared. It was pretty funny to see him get all offended when she accused him of planning to rape her. That was just the first of the things that soon had Lori realizing that there was more to Jack than his reputation.
Jack is also known for his reputation with women, and he is determined to get Lori into his bed. He makes it clear that that is all he wants - he makes no promises and doesn't believe in love. Lori is determined to resist and makes a bet with Jack that she can have him on his knees declaring his love before he can get her into bed. What neither realizes at the time is that they are both in danger of losing their hearts. There are some very terrific scenes of the two of them together, getting to know each other. Jack finds himself wanting to do little things to make her happy and comfortable, though the idea of a pirate ship stocked with fancy linens and furniture was a bit hard to believe. I also loved the scene where Lori stumbled onto Jack when he was asleep, with only the essentials covered up. Her fascination led her to try to recreate what she saw in a sketch, and a hilarious attempt to complete the picture. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer, neither one wanting to admit that their feelings were involved. The question became, what would happen when the Wallingfords and the English navy caught up with them. The ending was quite satisfying, with a couple of unexpected twists.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Jack's son Kit was pretty adorable in his mix of boy and young man. I loved the way that he worshipped Jack, which was a good indication of Jack's true character. I also loved the other members of the crew, from the truly salty pirates to the men like Henri and Tarik. It was also unusual to see so many women on a pirate ship, and I liked the way they made Lori a part of their group so easily.
The whole revenge theme was interesting. I could see Jack's determination because of what was done to his foster father/mentor. But it was also clear that there was more to it than that. It didn't take too long to suspect the other cause, and I wondered how that was going to play out. I must admit that I found Admiral Wallingford to be less admirable than I had hoped, but he did redeem himself somewhat at the end.
November 14, 2016
Except for the cover having a man with dark hair, I found this book to be fantastic. I love it.... So much...... You have the bad boy hero, the woman who has attitude, and high seas adventures. Even the ending didn't get all mushy. I want to write about it on my blog, but since I am not complaining.... I just stare at the blank page and say.... gosh... that was good!
dnf
March 2, 2025Dnf 69 % in I was just fine until I realized there is nothing else happening except too MCs talking and sometimes kissing. She has been kidnapped and I’m sure we will find out that pirate is some kind of lord.
Shrug 🤷🏻♀️
Shrug 🤷🏻♀️
April 17, 2021
bon ça vole pas très haut, c'est prévisible, un peu gnan-gnan, mais l'écriture passe bien et ça permet de se détendre du cerveau ^^
October 26, 2009
Hmmm, quite possibly the best book with a pirate that i have read so far! And that is saying a lot b/c I have read a Julie Garwood book with a pirate and you know how much I love her book's!! This was my first book by Kinley MacGregor (of course I'm no stranger to Sherrilyn Kenyon!), and I was pleasantly surprised! I did catch her using some phrases that were worded in a way that fit's more with our time, not the late 1700's, but it did not distract too much from the story. And some of the things that Loralei was so curious about were not explored as much as I thought should have been. But I love Jack, even though he was so sure of himself, but in a charming sort of way. He can kidnap me anytime he wants to!! ;)
March 19, 2016
Very piratical! A solid 2 1/2 stars
May 28, 2021
I thought this would be a bit more fun to read. The adventure kind of falls flat. It was more like a romantic comedy.
January 19, 2021
I’m gonna be honest and say that I’m kind of embarrassed to have this book on my “read” shelf. It’s not because it’s a romance book – though that’s not my preferred genre but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it – but that title combined with the atrocious cover kind of makes me cringe. To make things worse, this book kind of sucked so the embarrassing cover wasn’t worth my while.
I’ll start off with the pros of this book since there aren’t many. (1) This book was fast-paced, especially compared to the other romance book I’ve read. Despite this being a romance, there weren’t too many scenes that were just relationship-building. This made the romance suffer, but at least it wasn’t boring. (2) Parts of this book were funny! I’m 99% sure that this was unintentional and only due to bad writing, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. (3) My friend annotated this for me, so the annotations were fun to read.
Other than those three things, the book sucked. My thoughts on this are so jumbled that I’m actually just going to write bullet points/random paragraphs about what I disliked instead of a properly formatted review. I also don’t want to think about this book any more, so I’m not going to re-read my review. Considering that practically no one reads my reviews, I think that’s fine. Plus it kind of fits for this book. I mean, the book wasn’t well-written, so why should this review be? (hidden cause of spoilers)
So ya, I was not a fan of this book. Part of me wants to give this 2 stars since it was significantly more entertaining than the other romance book I’ve read, but this was also much, much worse than other books that I’ve given 2 stars. So, I think I’m sticking with a 1 star rating. Sorry to people that liked this, but this was kind of the worst.
It was interesting to finally get around to reading historical romance, and I had fun annotating them, but I don't think I'll ever pick one up just for fun.
I’ll start off with the pros of this book since there aren’t many. (1) This book was fast-paced, especially compared to the other romance book I’ve read. Despite this being a romance, there weren’t too many scenes that were just relationship-building. This made the romance suffer, but at least it wasn’t boring. (2) Parts of this book were funny! I’m 99% sure that this was unintentional and only due to bad writing, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. (3) My friend annotated this for me, so the annotations were fun to read.
Other than those three things, the book sucked. My thoughts on this are so jumbled that I’m actually just going to write bullet points/random paragraphs about what I disliked instead of a properly formatted review. I also don’t want to think about this book any more, so I’m not going to re-read my review. Considering that practically no one reads my reviews, I think that’s fine. Plus it kind of fits for this book. I mean, the book wasn’t well-written, so why should this review be? (hidden cause of spoilers)
So ya, I was not a fan of this book. Part of me wants to give this 2 stars since it was significantly more entertaining than the other romance book I’ve read, but this was also much, much worse than other books that I’ve given 2 stars. So, I think I’m sticking with a 1 star rating. Sorry to people that liked this, but this was kind of the worst.
It was interesting to finally get around to reading historical romance, and I had fun annotating them, but I don't think I'll ever pick one up just for fun.
September 23, 2018
This book totally caught me off guard! I needed to read it to complete a challenge but didn't expect much from it due to the cover art. I thought it would end up being some terrible old fashion bodice ripper novel that I couldn't finish fast enough. Oh how wrong I was! This story is actually very enjoyable.
Now it's not a super complex book or anything but it holds a certain charm and an element of fun that keeps things from being stagnant and boring. Master of Seduction is basically a sweet romantic comedy with lots of witty repartee and pirates! Arr!!
Anyways, it all begins with a young woman named Lorelei Dupree. One evening while trying to help her fiancé catch a known criminal, she gets kidnapped by said criminal and then unfortunately becomes his captive as they set out on the high seas.
The 'villain' in this situation is one very handsome pirate captain named Black Jack Rhys. He's supposedly a cold hearted killer that needs to be stopped and hung for his crimes. But he has no intention of being caught! Jack decides to use Lorelei as a pawn to draw out Lord Wallingford, her fiancé's father, so he can kill him. There's a lot of bad blood between those two!
Biding his time until he can make his move, Jack is now patiently waiting for his chance at vengeance while trying to keep Lori from escaping or doing something foolish. Now as you can probably guess the two start to grow on each other during this lull. Slowly but surely what starts as a mere attraction, mixed with irritation, turns into something more.
During a voyage full of adventure, mystery, camaraderie, suspense and quips, romance predictably blossoms between Lorelei and Jack. These two character compliment one another very well and many of their interactions keep the story from becoming dull. They have great chemistry! It's a heartwarming and worthwhile romance.
The pacing of the plot and the way things play out is excellent. I don't feel that the story was too long or too short. The side characters were also decent and helped add life to the tale. I really liked Henri! Everyone was entertaining and seemed to have their own unique personality which really helped add depth and complexity to the story.
Overall I'd have to say that I adored this book! Don't let the godawful cover fool you! It's well worth the read. The ending was a bit surprising and almost a little too good to be true but considering how there was always a mild undercurrent of cheese that pervades this story then I don't think it's too far of a stretch for things to turn out how they did.
Personally I am a fan of happy endings so that was really just the icing on the cake for me. Lori finally getting her fella put a dopey grin on my face. Love conquers all, even black hearted pirates.
Now it's not a super complex book or anything but it holds a certain charm and an element of fun that keeps things from being stagnant and boring. Master of Seduction is basically a sweet romantic comedy with lots of witty repartee and pirates! Arr!!
Anyways, it all begins with a young woman named Lorelei Dupree. One evening while trying to help her fiancé catch a known criminal, she gets kidnapped by said criminal and then unfortunately becomes his captive as they set out on the high seas.
The 'villain' in this situation is one very handsome pirate captain named Black Jack Rhys. He's supposedly a cold hearted killer that needs to be stopped and hung for his crimes. But he has no intention of being caught! Jack decides to use Lorelei as a pawn to draw out Lord Wallingford, her fiancé's father, so he can kill him. There's a lot of bad blood between those two!
Biding his time until he can make his move, Jack is now patiently waiting for his chance at vengeance while trying to keep Lori from escaping or doing something foolish. Now as you can probably guess the two start to grow on each other during this lull. Slowly but surely what starts as a mere attraction, mixed with irritation, turns into something more.
During a voyage full of adventure, mystery, camaraderie, suspense and quips, romance predictably blossoms between Lorelei and Jack. These two character compliment one another very well and many of their interactions keep the story from becoming dull. They have great chemistry! It's a heartwarming and worthwhile romance.
The pacing of the plot and the way things play out is excellent. I don't feel that the story was too long or too short. The side characters were also decent and helped add life to the tale. I really liked Henri! Everyone was entertaining and seemed to have their own unique personality which really helped add depth and complexity to the story.
Overall I'd have to say that I adored this book! Don't let the godawful cover fool you! It's well worth the read. The ending was a bit surprising and almost a little too good to be true but considering how there was always a mild undercurrent of cheese that pervades this story then I don't think it's too far of a stretch for things to turn out how they did.
Personally I am a fan of happy endings so that was really just the icing on the cake for me. Lori finally getting her fella put a dopey grin on my face. Love conquers all, even black hearted pirates.
September 25, 2023
2/2.75 Stars
"Master of Seduction"
Hm, no. More like master of cheesy and inaccuracy.
So, I enjoyed this book somewhat. It set out to be super interesting but turned out to be, well, rather boring looking back on it.
I've read hundreds of historical romances and plenty of them about pirates. I've never read one that had the MC be a pirate but not actually utilize it in the story. It felt more like a personality trait than anything.
Sure most of the book took place on his ship but geez, it felt more like a cruise.
I think many of my issues with this book had to do with the authors writing style. It felt very simple. It lacked important details and world building. Biggest issue of all was the inaccuracy of the time era. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some snob about the little stuff and I usually don't spot most these little tells. In this books case, it became glaringly obvious the more I read. From the biggest issue being the vocabulary Jack and Lorelei used to how Lorelei went around acting...well it certainly did not feel like a book taking place in the 1700's.
Add in how the writing lacked in the emotional depth needed to bring these characters to life, especially Jack with his tragic history... And talk about disappointment.
And that ending? What cheesy nonsense. I knew Jack and Lorelei would get their HEA but to have everything just tidy itself up without issue? He doesn't kill Wallingford after all? Justin wasn't jealous or hurt she fell in love with Jack but relieved?! Jack recited poetry and went down on one knee to confess his undying love and propose marriage to Lorelei as she claimed he would in their wager at the very beginning of the book?? And Wallingford was his true father? Though that was obvious was the beginning...
But still. It was all so easy and had no conflict. Didn't even reflect the emotional turmoil Jack must have dealt with seeing his father again. Nada. And for a man so against marriage he didn't even procrastinate over it and just dove in head first. Which was hard to accept.
While this book was entertaining at first it felt like it dragged and became repetitive the more it went on. More or less nothing happens but Jack and Lorelei butting heads while on his ship. Jack's fascination with Lorelei centered all on how "sHe wAsN't LiKe OtHeR gIrLs" and how she resisted his charm because he was so very, very vain and sure of himself. Which, tbh didn't feel authentic enough to believe either. The build up and chemistry between them lacked in more areas and felt so flat when in reality it should have been deliciously sparking off the page.
Another minor issue for me was no ages were mentioned. I'm a sucker for details and ages are def one of those.
P.S. - The "spice" levels in this book were about as spicy as white bread. It had the potential to be delicious but never reached anywhere close to it. The few love scenes were absolutely not worth the wait and were also lacking in enough detail that it was hard to figure out what was happening before it was all over. 🤷🏻♀️
"Master of Seduction"
Hm, no. More like master of cheesy and inaccuracy.
So, I enjoyed this book somewhat. It set out to be super interesting but turned out to be, well, rather boring looking back on it.
I've read hundreds of historical romances and plenty of them about pirates. I've never read one that had the MC be a pirate but not actually utilize it in the story. It felt more like a personality trait than anything.
Sure most of the book took place on his ship but geez, it felt more like a cruise.
I think many of my issues with this book had to do with the authors writing style. It felt very simple. It lacked important details and world building. Biggest issue of all was the inaccuracy of the time era. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some snob about the little stuff and I usually don't spot most these little tells. In this books case, it became glaringly obvious the more I read. From the biggest issue being the vocabulary Jack and Lorelei used to how Lorelei went around acting...well it certainly did not feel like a book taking place in the 1700's.
Add in how the writing lacked in the emotional depth needed to bring these characters to life, especially Jack with his tragic history... And talk about disappointment.
And that ending? What cheesy nonsense. I knew Jack and Lorelei would get their HEA but to have everything just tidy itself up without issue? He doesn't kill Wallingford after all? Justin wasn't jealous or hurt she fell in love with Jack but relieved?! Jack recited poetry and went down on one knee to confess his undying love and propose marriage to Lorelei as she claimed he would in their wager at the very beginning of the book?? And Wallingford was his true father? Though that was obvious was the beginning...
But still. It was all so easy and had no conflict. Didn't even reflect the emotional turmoil Jack must have dealt with seeing his father again. Nada. And for a man so against marriage he didn't even procrastinate over it and just dove in head first. Which was hard to accept.
While this book was entertaining at first it felt like it dragged and became repetitive the more it went on. More or less nothing happens but Jack and Lorelei butting heads while on his ship. Jack's fascination with Lorelei centered all on how "sHe wAsN't LiKe OtHeR gIrLs" and how she resisted his charm because he was so very, very vain and sure of himself. Which, tbh didn't feel authentic enough to believe either. The build up and chemistry between them lacked in more areas and felt so flat when in reality it should have been deliciously sparking off the page.
Another minor issue for me was no ages were mentioned. I'm a sucker for details and ages are def one of those.
P.S. - The "spice" levels in this book were about as spicy as white bread. It had the potential to be delicious but never reached anywhere close to it. The few love scenes were absolutely not worth the wait and were also lacking in enough detail that it was hard to figure out what was happening before it was all over. 🤷🏻♀️
September 5, 2011
Oh my! Jack Rhys, you rediculously sexy man ;)
This book was amazing. Jack is such a great hero. I wasn't sure if I would like the whole 'Pirate' thing. But I was really surprised with this book.
Jack meets Lorelei and her fathers party. He's in desguise. And she is imediately distracted from her boring fiance Justin.
Justin uses Lorelei to try and identify Jack. She succeeds, but no one will believe that the man she points out is really Jack.
Jack is also intrigued by her and quickly devises a plan that will benefit his own interest in her, and help to draw Justins father to him. Who he plans to have his vengence on. So he takes her hostage. But she very quickly (thanks to Jack and his outrageous charms) forgets that she is a hostage and starts to enjoy herself. I loved their equal arrogance. She believes she can reign him in, make him bend to her will and confess his undying love for her. And he believes that he can literally charm her knickers right off her body, and suduce her into his bed. Let the fun begin! It was hilarious watching them both struggle every minute they were in eachothers company. Dying to just rip eachothers clothes off, but not willing to be the one to give in. It went on long enough to be highly amusing but not too long that it bacame a 'just shag and get it over with already' lol.
There was a great storyline that flowed nicely through out the book. Like reading about Jack's son Kit. Being introduced to many of Jacks crew and their wives. Most of all it was slowly learning more and more about Jack and his past. I was truly astonished that he has become the incredible man that he was in this book. Given some of the soul wrenching things he has had to live with.
There is a big reveal at the end of the book that I did kind of see coming but it was still good.
The only very small problem I had with this book was the very rapid ending. It seemed like the author just decided to finish it and wrapped it up in like 5 pages. But that I can most deffinately live with.
Great story, I will deffinatly be buying the next book in this series.
This book was amazing. Jack is such a great hero. I wasn't sure if I would like the whole 'Pirate' thing. But I was really surprised with this book.
Jack meets Lorelei and her fathers party. He's in desguise. And she is imediately distracted from her boring fiance Justin.
Justin uses Lorelei to try and identify Jack. She succeeds, but no one will believe that the man she points out is really Jack.
Jack is also intrigued by her and quickly devises a plan that will benefit his own interest in her, and help to draw Justins father to him. Who he plans to have his vengence on. So he takes her hostage. But she very quickly (thanks to Jack and his outrageous charms) forgets that she is a hostage and starts to enjoy herself. I loved their equal arrogance. She believes she can reign him in, make him bend to her will and confess his undying love for her. And he believes that he can literally charm her knickers right off her body, and suduce her into his bed. Let the fun begin! It was hilarious watching them both struggle every minute they were in eachothers company. Dying to just rip eachothers clothes off, but not willing to be the one to give in. It went on long enough to be highly amusing but not too long that it bacame a 'just shag and get it over with already' lol.
There was a great storyline that flowed nicely through out the book. Like reading about Jack's son Kit. Being introduced to many of Jacks crew and their wives. Most of all it was slowly learning more and more about Jack and his past. I was truly astonished that he has become the incredible man that he was in this book. Given some of the soul wrenching things he has had to live with.
There is a big reveal at the end of the book that I did kind of see coming but it was still good.
The only very small problem I had with this book was the very rapid ending. It seemed like the author just decided to finish it and wrapped it up in like 5 pages. But that I can most deffinately live with.
Great story, I will deffinatly be buying the next book in this series.
May 28, 2021
what bothered me is how little she cared about being kidnapped? in less than a day she just accepts it and plays house with the pirates. She also flirts non stop with him even though she's engaged and apparently in love with another. Woman, you are stupid for doing this; she barely even has any guilt over cheating.
Then he goes on and on about how the heroine isn't like anybody else and how witty she is; sir if you think there are barely any women with that kind wit (and the heroine really wasn't that sharp or funny in the 1st place), you haven't met many women apparently but oh wait you've slept with a lot so idk man? I hate plots where men fall in love with women because the woman is so **unique**. yuck. there are a lot of people out there who are witty, smart and funny IF YOU GIVE THEM A CHANCE!
in the beginning Jack was supposed to be this very cool suave dude and know and speak 15 languages; like get real!!
what also bothered me is how the hero is meant to be this big bad pirate lord but he's just a decent guy? with no crimes? all his crimes have been fabricated on purpose by him to scare other people which is absolutely ridiculous. what's the point of becoming a pirate if you're just gonna be honorable? lol. And the inaccuracy of pirate life drove me nuts!!!!! Pirates and people who lived on the sea do not bring women on board willingly because they actually thought them a curse that would bring bad luck and terrible weather so it never made sense to have the wives on board.
It's an easy read I guess and things happen quickly so there's no waiting for the plot to develop which is one of the only good things I could say about it.
also! why is Jack blonde in the book but on both covers he's black haired? the publishers/editors have little to no skills in paying attention to details as there are also grammatical errors in the book
Then he goes on and on about how the heroine isn't like anybody else and how witty she is; sir if you think there are barely any women with that kind wit (and the heroine really wasn't that sharp or funny in the 1st place), you haven't met many women apparently but oh wait you've slept with a lot so idk man? I hate plots where men fall in love with women because the woman is so **unique**. yuck. there are a lot of people out there who are witty, smart and funny IF YOU GIVE THEM A CHANCE!
in the beginning Jack was supposed to be this very cool suave dude and know and speak 15 languages; like get real!!
what also bothered me is how the hero is meant to be this big bad pirate lord but he's just a decent guy? with no crimes? all his crimes have been fabricated on purpose by him to scare other people which is absolutely ridiculous. what's the point of becoming a pirate if you're just gonna be honorable? lol. And the inaccuracy of pirate life drove me nuts!!!!! Pirates and people who lived on the sea do not bring women on board willingly because they actually thought them a curse that would bring bad luck and terrible weather so it never made sense to have the wives on board.
It's an easy read I guess and things happen quickly so there's no waiting for the plot to develop which is one of the only good things I could say about it.
also! why is Jack blonde in the book but on both covers he's black haired? the publishers/editors have little to no skills in paying attention to details as there are also grammatical errors in the book
June 20, 2011
Master of Seduction is a pirate tale about Black Jack Rhys and the beautiful upper crust Lorelei Dupree. In an attempt to get his revenge on his enemy Lord Wallingford, Jack kidnaps Wallingford's future daughter in law Lorelei. Lori is a strong willed and fearless girl who is trapped in a proper world she rebels against constantly and yet still manages to stay in. When Lori gets taken she fears what will happen to her but finds herself unable to be anything but strong with Jack. They begin a relationship filled with amusing bickering and intense sexual tension.
I loved this book and it has become one of my favourites. Lorelei is a strong, cheeky female who I loved every minute of the book. She has a rebellious streak and can't help but stand up to those around her. She has grown up being taught that all pirates are savage, evil men and that no good happens where they are concerned, though once she spends some time on Jack's ship she starts to realise that these stories my just be wrong.
Jack is the man of every girls dreams, he is sexy and strong but still sensitive and cares about others (even if he won't admit it). I loved his attitude towards the world and the way he treated his adopted son Kit.
The dynamic between the two main characters was fun and you enjoy every minute of their interaction. This book is great for anyone looking for an easy read with some fun, swash-buckling moments and plenty of romance. :)
I loved this book and it has become one of my favourites. Lorelei is a strong, cheeky female who I loved every minute of the book. She has a rebellious streak and can't help but stand up to those around her. She has grown up being taught that all pirates are savage, evil men and that no good happens where they are concerned, though once she spends some time on Jack's ship she starts to realise that these stories my just be wrong.
Jack is the man of every girls dreams, he is sexy and strong but still sensitive and cares about others (even if he won't admit it). I loved his attitude towards the world and the way he treated his adopted son Kit.
The dynamic between the two main characters was fun and you enjoy every minute of their interaction. This book is great for anyone looking for an easy read with some fun, swash-buckling moments and plenty of romance. :)
December 28, 2007
Master of Seduction - G+
MacGregor, Kinley (aka Sherrilyn Kenyon) - 2nd in Sea Wolf series
All lovely Lorelei Dupree had in mind was helping her fiance and the city of Charlseton by setting a trap for the infamous pirate Black Jack Rhys. She certainly never intended to let him kidnap her. And she most definitely had no intention of losing her heart to a man so skilled in the arts of love that they called him the master of seduction.
Black Jack Rhys had a score to settle with an old enemy.Kidnapping his adversary's fiancee seemed like the perfect answer. But the man who'd won the hearts of a thousand women hadn't counted on falling in love himself....
very enjoyable - a few hot scenes
MacGregor, Kinley (aka Sherrilyn Kenyon) - 2nd in Sea Wolf series
All lovely Lorelei Dupree had in mind was helping her fiance and the city of Charlseton by setting a trap for the infamous pirate Black Jack Rhys. She certainly never intended to let him kidnap her. And she most definitely had no intention of losing her heart to a man so skilled in the arts of love that they called him the master of seduction.
Black Jack Rhys had a score to settle with an old enemy.Kidnapping his adversary's fiancee seemed like the perfect answer. But the man who'd won the hearts of a thousand women hadn't counted on falling in love himself....
very enjoyable - a few hot scenes
October 25, 2020
This is well written. It gives you an idea of what happens to people when they are not family by marriage. I really liked Black Jack Rhys. For Kinley brings him to life by revealing his past. Its the first time and only one person is told. The story gives you a idea of what life is like in 1790's. Its not kind to cerain people and it shows it. The life of a pirate we see theu different eyes. I love the character Lorilee Dupree. She is a perfect opposite for Jack. The way Kinley writes this book its hard to put down for you want to find out what is next. Its a fun book to read. I will be looking for more of her books. J
March 29, 2014
Notorious pirate Black Jack Rhys vows vengeance against Admiral Gabriel Wallingford and decides to beard the lion in his own den. Alas Wallingford isn't in port and Jack becomes distracted by pixie-like Lorelei Dupree, who just happens to be engaged to Justin Wallingford. Following an elaborate
This entire review and others can be found at: http://www.ireadthatbook.com
This entire review and others can be found at: http://www.ireadthatbook.com
September 25, 2022
The majority of this book was all delicious tension, fun banter and great side characters, and then... The last two chapters happened.
It felt like they were written by a completely different writer, with terrible dialogue and a super cheesy resolution to everything (yes, even for a pirate romance.) Disappointing.
It felt like they were written by a completely different writer, with terrible dialogue and a super cheesy resolution to everything (yes, even for a pirate romance.) Disappointing.
October 6, 2023
Je continue avec une autre saga que je débute au tome 2, ce fut mon moto de l’été concernant les sagas historiques on dirait et promis, c’était pas voulu. Cette fois, il s’agit d’un autre de mes tropes préférés : les histoires qui se déroulent en mer, mais j’ai malheureusement fait une mauvaise pioche avec un récit écrit de manière bien trop superficielle pour me satisfaire. Première petite déception…
Pourtant Kinley MacGregor est une autrice que j’ai apprécié autrefois quand sous le nom de Sherrilyn Kenyon elle écrivait la saga d’urban fantasy : Le cercle des immortels. Mais c’était il y a bien longtemps alors soit j’ai changé, soit son style a changé, mais dans les deux cas cela ne l’a pas fait.
J’ai malheureusement d’emblée prise en grippe les personnages de cette histoire qui manquaient totalement de maturité. On a d’un côté Serenity, une aspirante journaliste qui a le don pour pousser tout le monde à bout par ses caprices et ses réparties et de l’autre Morgan qui joue les pirates mais a le coeur bien tendre pour cela. Aucun des deux ne fut malheureusement crédibles dans son rôle, ce qui m’a gâché une histoire prometteuse.
J’aimais bien pourtant l’idée d’une journaliste agaçante, qui n’avait pas la langue dans sa poche, qui agace tellement un pirate que celui-ci l’enlève et l’embarque sur son bateau où elle va le faire tourner en bourrique et faire monter la tension entre eux, se mettant dans la poche les membres de son équipage. L’idée était bonne, cela se lit facilement, mais je n’ai pu m’empêcher de sentir des trous dans la raquette en tournant les pages de cette intrigue, notamment parce que tout semble bien trop facile, léger et superficiel au final, ce qu’on ne comprend qu’en lisant ce roman.
Sa faible longueur aurait pourtant dû me mettre la puce à l’oreille, tout juste 300 pages pour offrir une vraie aventure maritime avec développement des personnages, romances et moments excitants, c’était trop peu. L’autrice va trop vite partout, cela donne l’impression qu’il n’y a aucun danger, que les personnages font plus jeunes que leur âge et que l’aventure est absente. Serenity et Morgan sont bien gentils mais ils ne cassent pas trois pattes à un canard et leur romance non plus, en plus d’être vue et revue, ce qui ne m’embête pas quand c’est bien fait, ce n’est pas le cas ici… Dommage.
Et pourtant, j’aurais voulu aimer, comme lorsque l’autrice croque la vie à bord et la façon dont Serenity fait perdre son calme à Morgan à bord en le mettant régulièrement hors de sa cabine ou en utilisant ses dernières voiles de secours pour faire des rideaux suite à une dispute. Ils sont amusants. J’aurais voulu aimer comme lorsqu’ils se rendent à terre au village d’accroche de Morgan et où on rencontre sa famille de coeur et Kristen, une amie, haute en couleur prête à tous les stratagèmes pour les pousser dans les bras l’un de l’autre. C’était drôle.
J’avais envie d’une romance à bord d’un bateau, j’avais envie d’échanges piquants, j’avais envie de tension et d’aventure, je reste terriblement sur mon faim. J’attendais bien plus de cette romance signée Sherrilyn Kenyon, une autrice que j’ai apprécié autrefois, mais qui offre ici une histoire bien trop superficielle aux personnages qui incarnent mal le rôle qu’on leur a attribué. Dommage. Je vais donc m’arrêter là.
Avis complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
Pourtant Kinley MacGregor est une autrice que j’ai apprécié autrefois quand sous le nom de Sherrilyn Kenyon elle écrivait la saga d’urban fantasy : Le cercle des immortels. Mais c’était il y a bien longtemps alors soit j’ai changé, soit son style a changé, mais dans les deux cas cela ne l’a pas fait.
J’ai malheureusement d’emblée prise en grippe les personnages de cette histoire qui manquaient totalement de maturité. On a d’un côté Serenity, une aspirante journaliste qui a le don pour pousser tout le monde à bout par ses caprices et ses réparties et de l’autre Morgan qui joue les pirates mais a le coeur bien tendre pour cela. Aucun des deux ne fut malheureusement crédibles dans son rôle, ce qui m’a gâché une histoire prometteuse.
J’aimais bien pourtant l’idée d’une journaliste agaçante, qui n’avait pas la langue dans sa poche, qui agace tellement un pirate que celui-ci l’enlève et l’embarque sur son bateau où elle va le faire tourner en bourrique et faire monter la tension entre eux, se mettant dans la poche les membres de son équipage. L’idée était bonne, cela se lit facilement, mais je n’ai pu m’empêcher de sentir des trous dans la raquette en tournant les pages de cette intrigue, notamment parce que tout semble bien trop facile, léger et superficiel au final, ce qu’on ne comprend qu’en lisant ce roman.
Sa faible longueur aurait pourtant dû me mettre la puce à l’oreille, tout juste 300 pages pour offrir une vraie aventure maritime avec développement des personnages, romances et moments excitants, c’était trop peu. L’autrice va trop vite partout, cela donne l’impression qu’il n’y a aucun danger, que les personnages font plus jeunes que leur âge et que l’aventure est absente. Serenity et Morgan sont bien gentils mais ils ne cassent pas trois pattes à un canard et leur romance non plus, en plus d’être vue et revue, ce qui ne m’embête pas quand c’est bien fait, ce n’est pas le cas ici… Dommage.
Et pourtant, j’aurais voulu aimer, comme lorsque l’autrice croque la vie à bord et la façon dont Serenity fait perdre son calme à Morgan à bord en le mettant régulièrement hors de sa cabine ou en utilisant ses dernières voiles de secours pour faire des rideaux suite à une dispute. Ils sont amusants. J’aurais voulu aimer comme lorsqu’ils se rendent à terre au village d’accroche de Morgan et où on rencontre sa famille de coeur et Kristen, une amie, haute en couleur prête à tous les stratagèmes pour les pousser dans les bras l’un de l’autre. C’était drôle.
J’avais envie d’une romance à bord d’un bateau, j’avais envie d’échanges piquants, j’avais envie de tension et d’aventure, je reste terriblement sur mon faim. J’attendais bien plus de cette romance signée Sherrilyn Kenyon, une autrice que j’ai apprécié autrefois, mais qui offre ici une histoire bien trop superficielle aux personnages qui incarnent mal le rôle qu’on leur a attribué. Dommage. Je vais donc m’arrêter là.
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