"Fabulous Regency tale"

In 1813, James Ardmore lives for his quest to destroy buccaneer Black Jack Mallory for slaughtering his family. James knows he will not rest until he personally kills Black Jack, but once that deed is done the obsessed pirate hunter has no reason to live.

Because of her father's connection to Black Jack, James abducts Lady Diana though he knows that will ruin her if it comes out. However, instead of blithely cooperating, Diana does everything in her power to maim her kidnapper and to escape. James admires Diana's courage and feistiness. Diana begins to fall in love with James as she starts to understand his motive though she expects nothing to come of her feelings as his heart and soul were as dead as that of his family. Still when his plan goes awry and he lies near death at her feet, she tries to help her beloved knowing that if does not let go of his past they have no future together.

Jennifer Ashley furbishes readers with a fabulous Regency tale with the twist that the hero is THE PIRATE HUNTER so that much of the venue is atypical of the sub-genre. The story line is fun to follow as Diana and her deaf child try to "communicate" sometimes with objects with the obstinate James who finds heaven in her arms. The key to this tale is Ms. Ashley's ability to keep her readers wondering whether love can lift the cloud from James' darkened heart as the author slowly alters the hero's internal conflict from one of revenge and hate to guilt and love.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted May 2, 2004