Genres: Historical Romance
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Released on February 1, 2012
Pages: 352
This was the third book in the trilogy about the three Harcourt brothers and the one I most wanted to read after gathering hints from the other two that brother Bastien was a pirate. I was so impatient and eager. Finally, I got the chance to read it and I was not disappointed.
Rogue Pirate’s Bride can be read without having read the first two books though at the end there are some series spoilers. Unlike the other two, this one takes place almost entirely at sea and amongst all new characters.
Bastien is the infamous privateer, Captain Cutlass, who sailed during the Napoleonic Wars and now the uneasy peace. He has forsaken his roots and embraced the life at sea with only one purpose- revenge. Oddly, he is accosted by a fiery woman, Raeven Russell, seeking vengeance on him. She swears she will kill him for the murder of her fiance’ a captain in the Royal Navy. This first meeting and a few others show they are both attracted though in Raeven’s case she keeps struggling with ‘kill him or kiss him’.
Unfortunately, Raeven needs to step in line for that privilege because the captain and crew that Bastien seeks to find and destroy are equally set to get him. And then there is the British navy who have a score to settle with him for sinking a few of their ships.
Raeven is so determined to get at Bastien that she recklessly throws herself into his ventures. They experience passion and a high seas adventure before Bastien’s past catches up to him in more ways than one. He must deal with the past to even succeed at a bright future.
I must say the plot was wonderful when it came to the excitement and adventure. It really delivered on my expectation that Sebastien’s story would be the most exciting. They got into so many tight spots and it was exciting to see them wiggle out. The passionate bed scenes, teasing flirtation and then the build of their love was really great too. As a historical romance, it had a great balance between historical authenticity without bogging down the plot in the details. There is one bit of reality that I just had to let go before I could enjoy the book- Raeven’s background. There is not a chance a girl of those times would have had the life she did unless she had been reared by a pirate.
There was only one thing that bothered me and that was the personality of Raeven. I liked some things about her. To be a good match for Bastien, she definitely had to be strong and sassy, but many times she just came across as a willful brat. She’s always sorry afterward when her impetuosity gets others hurt or in trouble as a consequence, but it doesn’t stop her from doing it again. I just could not see how a girl reared under a man who commanded a ship and having the care of all who serve under him for an example not getting that. Bastien even recognized it when he told her she acted like she was twelve instead of nineteen.
Fortunately, she gradually matured through the story so that she understood the cost of actions and how to put someone else first. She never lost the fire and determination which was great.
This story had my heart pounding many times and a toward the end a few romantic moments made me sigh. I recommend to any fans who like light historical high seas romance and adventure.
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