A feigned marriage
A very real attraction…
When their ship is commandeered, Nicholas Terrell, Duke
of Severton, saves stranger Sarah Parrish by claiming she's his wife! She's
more valuable if their captors believe she'll bring them a duchess's ransom,
but now Nicholas is compelled to share a cabin with his distractingly beautiful
faux bride… Outspoken Sarah enchants him like no debutante ever has. Yet, as a
lady's companion, Sarah's completely unsuitable for a duke. So surely a real
match between them is impossible?
Terrific book. I enjoyed the coastal pirate theme instead of
the more frequent pirates on the high seas. Thanks to the author's attention to
detail, I got a good feel for the characters' predicament. There were many
times when I felt as though I was right there with them.
Sarah and her maid are on the way to her new posting as a
companion. Raised as the daughter of a shipping magnate, Sarah found herself
nearly destitute after her father's illness and death. The assistant he trusted
embezzled the firm's money and then stole its six ships, leaving Sarah with
nothing. After five years as a companion to an elderly relative, she now has a
new employer. Rather than take a stagecoach to her new job, Sarah takes passage
on a coastal ship, looking forward to a final time on the water. She doesn't
expect to clash with a fellow passenger, the cold and arrogant Mr. Smith.
Nicholas is traveling incognito while researching accommodations
on coastal ships. Interested in a possible investment, he prefers to know what
he's getting into. He doesn't expect to encounter a pragmatic and practical
ladies' companion with no respect for his consequence.
When an unscrupulous captain commandeers their ship,
Nicholas saves Sarah, himself, and their servants by revealing his identity as
a duke. He also claims that Sarah is his duchess and offers to pay a ransom for
the four of them. The tension was palpable as Nicholas waited for the verdict,
and I felt their relief when it was accepted. I had to laugh as Nicholas and
Sarah were confined together in the same cabin. Rather than the hysterics that
he expected, Sarah was unexpectedly calm. Even worse, she put her mind to
figuring out what the captain was up to. Sarah was unlike anything he'd ever
experienced before, and he didn't quite know how to handle it. I especially
loved her comments to him when he insulted her maid. After recovering from the
shock, he had to admit that he deserved it and that he admired her wit and
intelligence.
I was utterly engrossed in the story as Nicholas and
Sarah fought their attraction while working together to solve the mystery of
what cargo made the ship a target for the pirates. At the same time, Sarah
believes the cargo is connected to the man who ruined her father's business. The
action-packed book made me laugh out loud in some spots, as Sarah's
determination to be part of the investigation ran up against Nicholas's desire
to keep her safe. There were also some edge-of-the-seat moments, such as the
ransom exchange, that kept me glued to the pages. The resolution of the mystery
was well done, though I would like to have had an update on the return of the
ships and funds to Sarah.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Nicholas
and Sarah. Once past their initial antagonism, they settled quickly into a
friendly partnership. I loved how Sarah continually kept Nicholas off-balance
with her straightforward attitude and no-nonsense comments. Each felt the
sparks between them, but both are well aware of the social gap between them. Nicholas
is very much a gentleman and protects Sarah from untoward advances from others
and himself. The more time they spend together, the more their feelings for
each other grow. The point comes where Nicholas's honor gets involved, and
Sarah makes her opinion known in no uncertain terms.
I loved seeing the light finally go on in Nicholas's head
and heart. His unusual wooing of Sarah was sweet, and I loved her surprise when
his big moment came. There are still a couple of rough spots for them as someone
from Nicholas's past tries to make trouble. I loved Sarah's trust in his love
and how it surprised and moved Nicholas. The ending was terrific. I'd love to
see them show up as secondary characters in another book to see how they are
doing.
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