Review: The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway (The Dukes of War #6) by Erica Ridley

    

Print Length: 202 pages

Publisher: Intrepid Books (December 1, 2015)

From Goodreads.com:  Captain Blackheart leads a simple life of roving the seas, wenching and treasure-hunting. He steers clear of romantic entanglements that could tie him to land. He shouldn't have any trouble keeping his hands off the gently-bred lady he's commissioned to abduct—except his cargo turns out to be feisty and passionate! She'd be a prize worth treasuring, if having her aboard didn't jeopardize everything...

Clara Halton thought the worst loss she could suffer was to be stripped of her family, stricken with consumption, and left to die alone. Then she meets Blackheart. Their attraction is ruinous...and irresistible. When he delivers her like so much plunder, his mission is over — but hers has just begun. She'll force him to acknowledge their connection, even if she must storm his ship to do it!

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

This story danced a thin line between being cute and being utterly ridiculous. Which was a shame because I normally enjoy this author's stories a lot more than I did this one. 

To begin with, I found it hard to believe anyone as sick as Clara had been for the period of time she had been ill for, was not only still alive when Captain Blackheart found her, but still able to get out and tend her small garden for what few vegetables she had apparently been growing for six months. And then, she seemed to have a pretty miraculous recovery over the span of a couple of weeks (at most). 

I also found it rather odd that once she was reunited with her daughter and new son-in-law, instead of finding a new home closer to them, she was willing to travel such a far distance to live on her own (something that wasn't normally done during this time period, to begin with). I understand wanting to get out of London, but why so far away? It didn't add up, especially when you take into consideration the expense her son-in-law paid to have her brought to England in the first place. 

The final issue I had with this story was the absurd "pirate clash" at the end. Not only did I find it a bit preposterous that Clara was able to row, by herself to the shore (you know considering the severe illness she was battling when we first met her and the weakness that came from it). But the fact that it all ended up being for nothing made it more anti-climatic than the ending I would have liked. In fact, I was very annoyed that one of the main conflicts (Blackheart against the Crimson Corsair) wasn't resolved. 

On the plus side, I did enjoy the banter between Clara and Blackheart, and the obvious attraction that they tried so hard to fight (at least on the original trip from the Americas back to England). I also thought it took a lot of courage on her part to sneak back onto the ship after she had been safely delivered to her daughter. 

On the whole, I am convinced that this story will appeal to not only fans of her Dukes of War series, but those who enjoy a well-written pirate story (if you are able to overlook the things I mentioned above). 

I would read more from this author! 

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                               The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway is available from Amazon.com