Monday, January 2, 2012

[NetGalley and ARC Review]: "Rogue Pirate's Bride"

Rogue Pirate's Bride by Shana Galen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 7, 2012)
Series: The Sons of the Revolution, 3
Genre: Historical Romance
Summary (Amazon.com):
Passionate, action-packed Regency romance by RT Reviewer's Choice award-winning author Shana Galen features the swashbuckling Sebastien Harcourt, Marquis de Valere, and the nautical genius heroine destined to best him. After escaping France on a privateer's ship, Sebastian becomes the notorious privateer Captain Cutlass. His reputation as a rogue precedes him and he's undefeated in battle, until he crosses swords with the beautiful daughter of a British admiral. Raven Russell is out for revenge, but now she's not so sure she wants the dashing captain to change his wicked ways.



Other Books in the Series:
Click on the covers to buy from BN.com; the title links to the book's page on the author's site.






Book 1: The Making of a Duchess






Book 2: The Making of a Gentleman








Where to Buy*:  Amazon | Kindle | BN.com
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site | Excerpt
                                        



My Review:


Raeven Russell is anything but a meek Society miss. As the daughter of a British Admiral, she's grown up on board various ships; now she's more comfortable at sea than in the most elegant ballroom in London. Rather than wearing fancy ball gowns and silk slippers she prefers boy's clothing and comfortable boots. She spends more time getting into trouble than anything else, and when she's not she's merely planning her next adventure—which will no doubt end in her being in trouble. No, Raeven is not your typical woman, but she is the perfect heroine, strong and brave, smart and witty.




Bastien, known to the world as the infamous Captain Cutlass, is believed by everyone to be a pirate, a rogue of the first order....and for the most part, they would be right. However, he is more than just a privateer sailing under Spain; he is the Marquis de Valere. Growing up in France during the Revolution, he lost his family at a very young age. His father was publicly executed by the lower class, and his mother, older brother, and twin brother were in their home when they burned it down (at least that is what everyone thought). Due to his habit of sneaking out of bed at that age, he was not inside when the chaos began, and escaped with a family servant. But after all these years, he blames himself in some small way for not being able to save them, for not being in their with them and dying alongside them.



Now, through hard work and dedication he has built up a loyal crew, a fine speed ship, and a profitable, if not always legal, business at sea. Really, what more could he ask for? Except for perhaps a woman as amazing as Raeven, one that can stand by him during even the most dangerous of adventures and barely bat an eye, little loan faint like all the other ladies he's ever met. But how can he offer such a special woman marriage when he has no home to give her, no family, no promises of a stable and safe life?



Rogue Pirate's Bride starts out with a bang: Raeven is off on another one of her adventures, dressed as a man, and entering a tavern in search of Cutlass. Her plan is to kill him, as revenge for him killing her fiancee a few months back. She has no qualms with killing the man...until she sees him. Until her body starts to react to him, and not in the way she wants (the “I'm-going-to-kill-you-way”) but rather in the “I-want-to-kiss-you-all-over-way”. Determined to put aside her desire for the dashing captain, she pushes forward, her entire purpose being to kill him. But despite her initial determination for revenge, she soon starts to realize that she can't kill this man; he has a special hold on her, and she doesn't have the stomach for spilling his blood. But if she can't kill him, then what can she do? Kiss him of course—over and over again!



Bastien is not too concerned when Raeven first approaches him, set on killing him for a previous attack that was not his fault. It wouldn't be the first time someone has been out for his blood; though it is the first time a young woman, dressed as a man, has been! Still, he knows she won't do it; not that he doesn't believe she could, after seeing how fiery she is he has no doubt about that, but he can already see that there is an attraction between them, a strong one, that is slowly breaking down her thirst for his blood, and is instead replacing it with a hunger for his touch. As he feels much the same way, he won't complain one bit!



It's been a while since I've read one of Galen's novels. But as soon as I began reading Rogue Pirate's Bride, it all came rushing back to me—the reason why I love her work. Not only does Galen manage to write a sexy romance story, but she also excels at witty banter between the characters (especially the hero and heroine), along with exciting adventures and surprising mysteries lurking at every corner! But perhaps the best reason of all is that she always writes about heroines that the reader can sympathize with and enjoy, ones that are strong and do not back down, even when faced with the sometimes stubborn hero. In other words, if you want a perfect historical romance book to cuddle up with, you can't do any better than Shana Galen!



4.5 Stars! Rogue Pirate's Bride has everything I've come to expect from Ms. Galen, and so much more! Fast-paced action keeps the story going from page one, and I don't recall there ever being a dull moment along the way. Bastien and Raeven belong together, and I felt that their love story was both believable and yet fantastical enough to leave the reader dreaming about it long after the last page has been turned, wishing for their own Bastien to love. Bastien's story concludes the Sons of the Revolution series; I have yet to read Armand and Julien's stories, but I plan on doing so now. If you want a steamy, witty, and adventurous romance novel, look no further than this book!


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Thanks to NetGalley, where I received this eARC for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!)
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Enjoy!



 


Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

4 comments :

Blodeuedd said...

I am going to read this one in Feb so hopefully I will enjoy it too just like you did :D I have heard such good things about the author

The_Book_Queen said...

Blodeuedd-- I am sure you will enjoy it, it truly is a great book. :) And if you have not yet read any of her work, I might suggest picking up some of her previous novels--you won't regret it!

Thanks for stoppping by!

Enjoy!
TBQ

Shana said...

Thank you so much for the lovely review.

The_Book_Queen said...

You are very welcome, Shana! I simply loved this book!

Thanks for stopping by,
Enjoy!
TBQ