THE CARE & FEEDING OF PIRATES

Author: Jennifer Ashley ISBN: 0843952814 2/2005 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER/Leisure
Time Period: Regency 1813

The Woman: Honoria Ardmore was as prim and proper as they came. Her sole moment of indiscretion was four years ago, when she fell for the sinful smile of a roguish pirate. But he had died, and their secret marriage went to the grave with him. At least, that's what she assumed-until the night he showed up in her bedroom, eager to pick up where they had left off. . . . The Man: Christopher Raine had managed to cheat death, and he believed life owed him his just rewards. So he set out to reclaim the woman of his dreams. With her apple-green eyes and luscious figure, Honoria looked good enough to eat. And this insatiable pirate was not one to let a trivial detail like her fiance get in the way of dessert. The Deal: Despite her undeniable desire, Honoria claimed she could not be with a man she did not truly love. And so they struck a deal: She would allow Christopher to seduce her every night of their voyage across the Atlantic. If by the end of their journey he had failed to navigate his way into her heart, she was free to leave. In the cozy confines of their cabin, Honoria was about to learn that a woman should never doubt the cunning ways of a pirate with a plan.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

This is my first read by Jennifer Ashley, and there's a lot to enjoy in THE CARE & FEEDING OF PIRATES, including humor, adventure, and romance on the high seas.

I liked the fact that pirate Christopher Raine makes no bones about his love for Honoria. On the eve of his execution they had secretly wed, and Honoria had thought him long dead when he suddenly reappears to claim her. Yes, he's a possessive type of fella, but he doesn't allow that to overrule the real reason he's come back—he loves her, pure and simple. For Honoria, however, it's a bit more complicated. She's already lost the love of her life once, and the pain of possibly losing him again seems too much to bear. She shuts herself off from Christopher emotionally, refusing to fall under her husband's spell. However, his powers of persuasion eventually overcome her doubts, but not before some serious soul-searching on Honoria's part. (One of my favorite scenes involves Honoria and her "preparation" of carrots, while lamenting about men to Mrs. Colby, the ship's cook, as she hacks away. If Christopher had been around to see her handiness with a chopping blade, he just might have sent her back!)

Although many of the characters from Ms. Ashley's previous pirate books make appearances off and on in THE CARE & FEEDING OF PIRATES, this book can definitely stand on its own. There was just enough mention of their exploits in Ashley's previous pirate adventures, that I was able to keep up and determine their relationships to Christopher and Honoria, while at the same time understanding how their appearances were integral to the plot.

Ashley's writing style is free flowing and easily read, though at times it ebbed, then flowed alternately throughout the storyline. Some parts were fast-paced and all consuming, while at other times, the story seemed to progress at a snail's pace. That's not always a bad thing, but it did sort of mess with my reading rhythm.

THE CARE & FEEDING OF PIRATES, by Jennifer Ashley, is a fun and adventure-filled story, sure to please lovers of sexy swashbucklers and dashing pirates who romance their way across turbulent seas. It further illustrates why Ms. Ashley is fast becoming one of the most popular writers of the pirate romance genre.

Nancy Davis