I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
First, as is tradition, the official blurb:
Katrina Needham had her whole life planned: Marry her beloved Major Richard Domont and live happily-ever-after … until he’s seen with another woman. Distraught, and needing a distraction, she agrees to assist the rugged, and dangerously handsome privateer, The Saint of the Sea, find a wife.
Dominic St. Monté loves everything about his life as a sea captain, but when he unexpectedly inherits a dukedom and the care of his young sisters, he reluctantly decides he must marry. Afterward, he can return to the sea-faring life he craves, leaving his duchess to oversee his dukedom.
Nic, now The Duke of Pendergast, enlists a family friend’s help in finding an acceptable bride and soon realizes Katrina possesses every characteristic he seeks in a duchess. However, he cannot ask for her hand. Not only is she promised to another, a man still determined to make her his, she has absolutely no interest in becoming a privateer’s wife.
Can Nic and Katrina relinquish their carefully planned futures and trust love to guide them?
Next, my opinion –
Quite simply, I loved it. The characters were fully fleshed out, and they just seemed to leap right off the page. This is part of a larger series, but I have not read any of the others, and I did not feel as if I was missing any information. (Something I’m working on in my own writing!)
The romance built at a believable pace – and was helped along by the fact that Dominic and Katrina knew each other beforehand, which allowed them to express already existing interest.
Perhaps the only thing I didn’t like is that the Major, Katrina’s intended, was made out to be a bit of a… butthead. Considering he had not yet asked for her hand, I don’t feel that was necessary. For the record, I like stories with bad guys – I just don’t like to write them, so this is 100% a personal opinion, lol.
I highly recommend this book, though. It’s a short, fun read!
Laura Michaela Banse, Author 