CORSAIR COVE

Author: Angela Ashton ISBN: 9781897445204 8/2008 TIME TRAVEL Publisher: CHAMPAGNE BOOKS
Time Period: Time Travel, 1756 and present day

Pirate turned Privateer, Jacque Cherif LaFleur awakens on a beach only to discover he's washed in with the tide...200 years after he's presumed dead. His only possessions are his Letters of Marque, signed by the King of France himself, and a rare ruby. With the police quirking a suspicious brow and history mocking him with its fallacies, Jacque enlists the aid of the rescue angel that has taken him under her wings. As vengeance fuels his quest, Jacque sets out to right the wrongs of his past. And just maybe, the King's coveted diamond, also reported missing that infamous day, was still where he'd hidden it centuries before, on the Island of Guadeloupe... The death of her beloved father has left Esa Keats devastated by his betrayal. Desperate to flee the chaos that has become her life, as well as her nagging fiancé, Esa escapes to the Florida Keys. Absorbed in her own misery, she is oblivious to the bulk sprawled along the shoreline. Until she stumbles over it. To her surprise, the bulk is none other than a man dressed in 18th century pirate garb. The annual "Pirate Festival" is in full swing, therefore, she believes him to be victimized by a bottle of rum. That is, until he pulls her into his arms and brands her with his kiss. As Esa embarks on a quest with the eccentric renegade that promises far more than buried treasure, she finds herself thrown back to the 18th century...and straight into the hands of the corsair's treacherous crew...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

There's just something about the way Angela Ashton writes that holds me captive. Her books unravel at a leisurely pace, with copious details which build layer upon layer of realism to the narrative. Her characters are sympathetic and well-drawn, and they are so realistic that, by the end of one of her books, they feel like old friends. CORSAIR COVE is no exception. This newest book by Ms. Ashton is just as good as the others have been.

Jacque is a hero who is both strong and tender, a man pulled forward in time to salve a woman's soul in a way no one else could have. Esa is a woman who matches his personality perfectly although they come from very different walks of life. Esa wonders what she will do now that her father has completely scrambled her future plans. Jacque? He is forced to walk a very treacherous path! The two come together and, with the wonderful, lush details I've come to expect from this author, their adventure begins. Tatoos in unlikely places, treasure, diamonds, family secrets and regrets, as well as sizzling hot romantic scenes, make each page of this story become more layered and intricate. I was amazed at how easily the time travel fit into this tale. The characters move effortlessly from one point to the next.

No review of CORSAIR COVE would be complete with a mention of the dialogue. Pirates come alive with all the unique, pirate-like expressions one imagines a pirate to use. I especially enjoyed the scenes that had pirates! I reread some of the passages just to experience "listening" to the pirate talk!

A tale of sacrifice and redemption, CORSAIR COVE is one for my keeper shelf!

Kay James