The Care & Feeding of Pirates
Jennifer Ashley
Leisure, Feb 2005, $6.99, 355 pp.
ISBN: 08439552814

In 1809 Charleston, James Ardmore hung pirate Christopher Raine, but not before his sister Honora married the rogue. Now in London four years later, Honoria swears she saw Christopher on the streets and not long afterward he arrives in her bedroom to claim his spouse. Apparently her brother saved his life as he owed a debt to the pirate. She hid her marital status from her sibling who failed to inform her that her husband lived.

Christopher has another mission besides regaining his wife's love though he admits the passion still flows; he must rescue his sister from a devious enemy, which means crossing the Atlantic with a volunteer as a wife or a prisoner as a spouse. Christopher vows to leave London with Honoria with him. If he could have seen into the near future and what his actions do to her safety, he would have reconsidered, though fighting, kissing and just being with Honoria is bliss.

This is an amusing gender war starring two equally powerful combatants whose retorts make for a witty tale. Honoria and Christopher are so good together in a second chance theme (although there was not much time the first time around), the subplot involving his foe seems almost unnecessary though that provides plenty of action that augments this terrific historical. Jennifer Ashley is the queen of the pirate romance with this high seas thriller and works like THE PIRATE HUNTER and THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR.

Harriet Klausner