"Ashley's best pirate tale yet!"

Jennifer Ashley is a talented writer. Not only does she pen great pirate romances under the name Jennifer Ashley (The Pirate Next Door; The Pirate Hunter), she has given us super Regency Mysteries under the penname Ashley Gardner (The Glass House; A Regimental Murder; The Hanover Square Affair; Sudbury School Murders). In her latest (and I think best) pirate tale, The Care and Feeding of Pirates, Ashley gives us a memorable hero, an enigmatic heroine and a full body tale of yo ho ho.

Christopher Raine is a Gamma Rogue hero who meets his match with Honoria Ardmore. A proper lady in the fine Southern Belle Tradition, she has the steel of Scarlett O'Hara. Honoria has a "connection" to Raine's view - she's his wife! She is also the sister of Raine's enemy. Brother James sent Christopher Raine to his death on the gallows. Before he did this, Honoria had become Mrs. Christopher Raine, though Honoria forgets to "mention" that fact to Brother Dearest.

Nearly four years have passed, and suddenly Christopher is in London wanting his wife. Hum, how does one explain a dead husband? hehehe. Well, Ashley does with her delicate craft, in a tale that is funny, sexy (I mean SEXY!) and enjoyable.

So get to Yo-ho-hoing and have a great time with Ashley's best pirate tale yet. You will adore Raine and Honoria from start to finish. Ashley has proven to be a subtle writer that gives depth and intelligence to her characters, leaving us eagerly awaiting more tales on the "care" of pirates.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted March 7, 2005

What's a lady to do when the pirate husband she thought was dead tries to lure her back into his arms and away from the safe, quiet life she had all planned out?

Summary

Honoria Ardmore is as prim and proper as they come. Her sole moment of indiscretion was when she fell for a roguish pirate. But he died—at least, that's what she assumed—until the night he showed up eager to pick up where they had left off....

Christopher Raine cheated death, and he believes life owes him his just rewards. So he sets out to reclaim the woman of his dreams. And this insatiable pirate is not one to let trivial details get in his way.

Despite her undeniable desire, Honoria claims she cannot be with Christopher. And so they strike a deal: she will allow him to seduce her every night of their journey. If by the end he fails to navigate his way into her heart, she will be free to leave. Honoria is about to learn that a woman should never doubt the cunning ways of a pirate with a plan.