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The Pirate Hunter (Regency Pirates #2)

by Jennifer Ashley (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 421 ratings · 43 reviews

Diana Worthing is the wife of an English naval hero, daughter of a naval hero—she’s had quite enough of heroes, thank you. So when James Ardmore, Southern gentleman pirate hunter and thorn in the side of the British navy, abducts her from a tedious house party and spirits her off to his ship, she lets him know what she thinks of heroes.

James interrogates her about the tiny...more

Mass Market Paperback, 324 pages

Published May 4th 2004 by Leisure Books (first published 2004)

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Historical Pirate Romance Books

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Apr 16, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, historical-romance, kindle-nook-books

If you have not read The Pirate Next Door, book one in the series I suggest you start with that one.

James an American Pirate Hunter is on a mission to kill the pirate who murdered his brother and his family. James has been searching high and low for the infamous Black Jack Mallory. It would be safe to say that James has spent so much time in hate and revenge he has forgotten how to live. Enter Diana, James first meets Diana when he kidnaps her for information, but they both get more than they ba...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Elis Madison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: era-regency, hero-damaged, hero-needs-colonoscopy-2-find-head, lame-moments, ru-kidding-me, we-don-t-need-no-stinkin-logic

This is the second book in Ashley's pirate series and once again, there's lots of great adventure, which wins it back a star it lost because of the unfortunate fact that this book's "hero" is the smarmy, skeezy villain of The Pirate Next Door, James Ardmore. OK, we learn that Ardmore has lots of sad stories to tell, but the man all but publicly raped the heroine in the last book, so I kept wanting to chuck when the heroine here calls him "honorable." As for the attraction between them, I spent a...more This is the second book in Ashley's pirate series and once again, there's lots of great adventure, which wins it back a star it lost because of the unfortunate fact that this book's "hero" is the smarmy, skeezy villain of The Pirate Next Door, James Ardmore. OK, we learn that Ardmore has lots of sad stories to tell, but the man all but publicly raped the heroine in the last book, so I kept wanting to chuck when the heroine here calls him "honorable." As for the attraction between them, I spent a good part of this story wanting to scream at the heroine, "Don't TOUCH that--you don't know where it's been!"

The gist: Diana Worthing is the daughter of much-respected, retired Admiral John Lockwood, and wife of the odious Edward Worthing, an ambitious Navy man who constantly accuses her of cheating. She's given up trying to convince him otherwise--in fact she flirts sometimes just to get his goat.

One day at a house party she stumbles onto Ardmore, who is doing something sneaky. She finds herself abducted (because the man just digs abducting women, I guess). He actually didn't come for Diana but he had in mind that he'd like to get his hands on her because he wants to question her about her father's secret island retreat. He makes some half-assed attempts to seduce the info out of her, but she manages to keep her mouth shut and given the abuse he heaped on Alexandra in the previous book, his heart must not have been in it this time. He ends up dropping Diana off in England, leaving her to face scandal and the rejection of her husband (her feelings aren't too hurt since she hates the worm).

Some time later, by a coincidence that can only happen in a work of fiction, Ardmore washes up on the shores of Haven, her father's island, where Diana finds him and an English Navy man. Ardmore was a prisoner aboard an English ship that went down at sea, and by some miracle he and one of his jailers survived. Ardmore wastes no time abusing the hospitality of the island, and pretty much treats Diana like a poop cupcake.

Ardmore is after a pirate that killed some members of his family, and he in turn is being hunted by the English Navy. There are some harrowing moments, and a point at which I finally felt like maybe karma caught up with him for his past misdeeds. I liked him a bit better after that, and then wasn't so unhappy with the romance.

If you like a-hole alpha anti-heroes who get redeemed by love, you'll probably love the series, and this book in particular.

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Jun 05, 2012 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nisha mslvoe

Shelves: ashley-jennifer

Only a writer as talented as Jennifer Ashley could transform the villain, pirate hunter James Ardmore, from the first book in this series ("The Pirate Next Door"), into a man you learn to understand, respect and adore.

After reading the first book, I was certainly enticed to read how Ms. Ashley was going to accomplish this enormous feat. She skillfully and oh so subtly draws you in, tantalizing you with little bits and pieces of his personality and what drives him. And, then Ms. Ashley throws yo...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Michelle Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, historical

James Ardmore and Lady Diana Worthing's book

I think I liked The Pirate Hunter better than The Pirate Next Door (book 1)

There was lots of action and many different scenes in the book. I liked the story taking place during many different settings.

Diana was a great female character to read. She was very similiar to the Alexandra from the first book. In fact, they could have been the same heroin. I guess that is okay since the formula worked.

The only thing that I didnt like so much is that James A...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Tam B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I thought that JA redeemed our Captain Ardmore well. We saw glimpses of the potential in The Pirate Next Door and here it is realised.

Diana (the heroine) annoyed me in places. She is a smart, intelligent and realistic woman but her fears are not. I know fears can be irrational but it felt like she was using these to test James. To see what he would do and if he would react the way she would have expected her husband to. Again I can kind of understand this but it still felt a...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Stevie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animosity-to-lovers, author-auto-buy, clever-and-canny-heroine, favorites, feisty-heroine, kinda-steamy, part-of-a-series, pirate, regency, super-alpha-male

This was just so good. I loved the characters, I love the story line, I loved writing style of JA. Really intelligent story telling, with palatable emotion and image evoking scenes. James was introduced in the first book as Viscount Stoke's once partner turned ruthless enemy. He was fairly brutal in that one. Not sure I could make the jump from that character to the character in this one. But honestly, it ceased to matter as I got into the book. This one was more serious than the first, missing...more This was just so good. I loved the characters, I love the story line, I loved writing style of JA. Really intelligent story telling, with palatable emotion and image evoking scenes. James was introduced in the first book as Viscount Stoke's once partner turned ruthless enemy. He was fairly brutal in that one. Not sure I could make the jump from that character to the character in this one. But honestly, it ceased to matter as I got into the book. This one was more serious than the first, missing the chaos and endearing reactions of Alexandra. Diana was more the battered widow and almost outcast of the hypocritical English ton. She was also the "that which does not kill me, makes me stronger" heroine, capable and formidable in her own right. The sparks between James and Diana were immediate. I love how she was forever throwing things at him. I loved more, that he loved that about her. I am not much of a fan of Southern men, (sorry), but for James, I would make an exception. He was ruthless in more ways then just an outlawed vigilante of the high seas. Also, I found his habit of not wearing shirt and just the waist coats kind of hot. The vivid description of the passion between the main characters (in and out of the bedroom) was addicting. The secondary characters were well crafted and held important rolls to the story, not just floating in and out to add color. And the characters from the first book were brought back to play significant rolls as well. Love when authors do that.

I noted one review saying that although the reader liked the book, it wasn't as good as her other series. If that's true, I can't wait to start them, because to me, this is pretty damn good. There is a third to the series, but it hasn't been released digitally yet. Worse, the release is only a matter of weeks so I can't decide if I should track down the paperback, no longer in publication, or wait for the release which JA is currently revising, according to her blog. I got a tease of the third and now I am having a hard time moving to something new. Thankfully, she has a fairly large library, with quite a few under different pen names. Can't think of anyone I wouldn't recommend this to.(less)

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Mar 15, 2013 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jennifer-ashley, pirates, 2013-5-stars, 5-stars, favorites, historical-romance, keep, keeper, made-me-chuckle, own

Wow! I like this book much more the first one! I loved all the interaction between James and Diana. The banter, the food fights the lovin'! Mmmm mm, good stuff! I was kind of leery at first having James as the hero int his book, wondering how he would redeem himself as a hero after being such a horrible villain in the The Pirate Next Door. Her did a complete 360 and had me in love about half way through. Diana was a spunky strong heroine and I loved her too! A great books, so sorry it took me so...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Alina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second in the Regency Pirates series and yet again, it was a FUN read.

I mean... how can you resist a heroine who thinks nothing of rifling through a Pirate Captain's personal belongings (whilst he keeps her prisoner in his quarters) and who chooses to fight back with anything that happens to be at hand, even if that's ladels of soup and buttered bread rolls? Add in the arrogant, usually shirtless hero and you have a story that will alternately heat up the blood and make you laugh!

The...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Aurian Booklover rated it 5 of 5 stars

One year ago, Diana Worthing was married to a louded naval Captain, who hated her. He thinks she sleeps with every man she meets. He hates the fact that their daughter Isabeau is deaf, and blames Diana for it. In short, Diana’s life is miserable, but for her beloved daughter. Then she is abducted by the famous American pirate hunter Captain James Ardmore, who wants to get some information out of her. When she is returned to the house party 2 days later, that was the last straw for her husband, w...more One year ago, Diana Worthing was married to a louded naval Captain, who hated her. He thinks she sleeps with every man she meets. He hates the fact that their daughter Isabeau is deaf, and blames Diana for it. In short, Diana’s life is miserable, but for her beloved daughter. Then she is abducted by the famous American pirate hunter Captain James Ardmore, who wants to get some information out of her. When she is returned to the house party 2 days later, that was the last straw for her husband, who took steps of legal separation.
Diana is now a widow, living quietly with her little daughter and her retired father, who was a Navy Admiral, on the tiny island of Haven, out of the coast of England. No longer wearing silk gowns, and having servants to do everything for her, she has become self sufficient, and she likes it. Never did she think to see James Ardmore again, though she is still thinking of that one passionate kiss they shared.
Until she sees him lying at her feet on the beach, gravely wounded, alongside an unconscious British lieutenant. Instead of throwing him back into the sea, or into the cellar until he can be collected by the Navy, Diana and her father decide to nurse both men back to health. It takes weeks for James to recover and finally get his bearings again. The young lieutenant has lost his memory completely and was hoping James would know his name. But James was a prisoner on the ship they sailed on, a ship that perished in the storm, leaving them the only survivors.
What Diana did not know, was that James had been looking for the island for a long time, convinced her father can set him on the trail of the one pirate he has been looking for, for over 20 years, Black Jack Mallory. The man who killed his brother Paul’s wife and daughters, and made Paul mad with vengeance. Paul died looking for it, and James swore an oath to continue the search and kill the man. He will find out the secrets the island and the admiral hide, and he will find his prey. But he has also found his match in Diana? Can he convince her this time to go with him?

Diana is a hellcat, and does not intend James Ardmore to get away with whatever he is planning. Yes, she is attracted to him, but she does not want to make love to him. She is terrified of getting pregnant again, as she is convinced she is a bad mother. After all, it is her fault her daughter got so ill and became deaf by the fever. But James won’t give up so easy, and he is equally convinced he cannot have children, so her fears are a moot point. And together, they heat up the island. But James is still a wanted man, and he is not safe in England.

I very much enjoyed this book. Both Diana and James are very complex characters, and I loved their fighting and their making up. James is a man on a mission, but Diana certainly makes him think twice of what is really important in his life.
And Diana has been burned badly by her husband, and is not about to be left behind ever again, waiting for him to come home or not.
Alexandra and her pirate play a nice part in this book as well, and I enjoyed catching up with them. Jennifer Ashley kept throwing plot twists at me, just when I was sure I knew what was to come next. She manages to keep the story fresh and new, and that is mainly because of the great and unique characters she writes. I have not yet come across a book by her hand that I did not love.

9 stars

Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com

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Mar 02, 2013 Cerian rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the Pirate Next Door, and had been really looking forward to reading Captain Jame Ardmore's story in Pirate Hunter's Lady.
Even though he was basically the 'villain' James is the perfect hero for Diana. He redeems himself just enough, and we get a deeper insight into both Diana and James, their fears and the motives driving them.
Jennifer Ashley's writing style is great, romantic and sexy with touches of humour. I also really enjoyed that the characters were often very natural, as a large p...more

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May 06, 2013 Danae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, non-aristocrat-hero, privateer, regency-romance, reviewed, smoking-hot

Oo lala. A smoking hot pirate hunter, and an American Southerner to boot, James Ardmore is a tough as nails, cold as ice man bent on revenge for his brother's killing by pirates. Diana Worthing is an Admiral's daughter, survivor of an abusive marriage with a lovely hearing impaired daughter to show for it. Sparks rise leading to the inevitable, when they meet on her father's lonely island sanctuary where he washes ashore from a shipwreck along with an amnesiac British Navy lieutenant. Love bloss...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, scarred-hero

Second in Ashley's Regency Pirates series, this one didn't capture my attention at all, maybe it's because pirates just don't do it for me. Still, I love this author and can't get enough of her, even if I don't like pirates. I meandered through this book and didn't care that much about Diana or James. It got off to a good start, but just really slowed down while they are together on Haven. Her father's secret turned out to be entirely anticlimactic and then James' capture, etc. For some reason t...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ever since i read The Pirate Next Door i wanted to know who would take James Ardmore down, =) who would stand up to him and not let him bully anyone around with his dark eyes.
Here´s Diana Worthing, a widow living with her deaf daughter and her father on an island named Haven. James abducted her one year earlier and never could forget her courage or outspokenness. Now he´s washed up ashore with a secret agenda. Will she stand in his way or join him?

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Jul 06, 2012 Rebecca (Bec) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-pnr, 2012, historical, pirates

So I picked up a buch of random books from Big W for $350 and this was one of them...I didnt even look to see if it was first, second, third of a series I just thought... hmmm Pirate Romance... lets give it a shot!!

I really liked it, thought it was pretty great and will go back and read the first book in the series now too. I will also go back out and by more Pirate and historical romances to add to my new collection.

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Jul 10, 2012 Mary23 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: xmy-reviews

I love Jennifer Ashley but did not like this book as much as the first in the series. (I read the older version without the changes.) I thought the beginning of the book very choppy and hard to get into. It is a bad sign when I keep putting the book down to do other things. Not a keeper and not a book I would re-read either, except perhaps the revisions.

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Jan 05, 2012 Michele bookloverforever rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

respectable american turns pirate then pirate hunter when an infamous pirate slaughters half his family. falls for respectable widow of abusive husband whose father is an admiral. ends happily after some double dealing by the widows suddenly resurrected spouse.

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May 15, 2013 Stevie Carroll rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story opens with a kidnapping. Which comes as a sort of relief to our bored heroine, who would rather be anywhere than at a party with her obnoxious husband. Kidnapping aside, James is a not totally unworthy hero and definitely appeals to the side of me that prefers anti-heroes anyway. Quite a big cast: both the new characters and those who return from the previous book in the series, but overall a fun romp, and Diana's daughter is a lovely portrayal of a character using sign language before...more

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Sep 24, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, historical, own-it, romance, series

I liked this one better then the first. Great characters with flaws. Coincidences that made me lift my eyebrow. Unconventional ladies. Pirates, smugglers, nasty english ship Captains who get their comeuppance. Looking forward to the third one.

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Jun 07, 2012 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-england

even better than the first in the series. still light fun and amusing, but had a little more emotional depth with james's past tragedy. also a little more fire in the heroine. shes definitely no ones doormat.

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Oct 24, 2010 ♥The Kat's Meow♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, nook

Sweet story. Food fights amusing; descriptions vivid.

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Sep 08, 2012 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked this book, the second of the trilogy, the best. The back story was great and the romance had just enough detail without being too cheesy or too intense.

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Sep 13, 2010 Maria rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Only read this book if you absolutely need a pirate fix and there is nothing else. And I mean nothing else... like cereal boxes or shampoo bottles.

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Dec 12, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book but I have a luv/hate relationship with James. I think he's a bit of a dick but very sweet when it comes to Diana and her daughter. Sarahx

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Sep 28, 2010 ~Megan~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dangerous-dudes

Oh, how I love you James Ardmore!!! I found the heroine to be a tad shrewish, but I overlooked it because I loved him so.

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Nov 04, 2012 Celeste rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book, don't read this until you have read the first in the series. I am also glad I didn't listen to some of the reviews, I always enjoy the bad guy who they author makes you love.

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Mar 11, 2013 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dropbox, fiction, historical, romance

A bit more complex (plot-wise) than I prefer my historical romance.

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Oct 04, 2012 Shh I'm reading! rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A chore to sit through. I just couldn't connect with the characters.

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Jan 05, 2010 Ingrid rated it 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the pirates series. A must read.

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Sep 27, 2012 Elaine Mcdonald rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: jennifer-ashley

3.5 but not good enogh for me to rate it a 4.

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Aug 14, 2010 Netanella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pirates

Our insane but sympathetic villain of the first novel, James Ardmore, takes the eponymous role of the Pirate Hunter in the second of Ashley's pirate series. And as hatefuly as Ardmore was portrayed in the first novel, in this it is a compliment to Ashley's narrative that this reader can change her mind and view the character in a different light. Quite enjoyable.

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About Jennifer Ashley

NY Times Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley has lived and traveled all over the world, and now lives in the Southwest. She writes historical and paranormal romance and historical mysteries, as Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner.

Jennifer's novels have won RWA's RITA and RT Reviewer's Choice awards. More about her books at http://www.jennifersromances.com, http://www.allysonjames.co ...more

More about Jennifer Ashley...

Books by Jennifer Ashley

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures, #1)

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (Highland Pleasures, #2)

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Highland Pleasures, #3)

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The Pirate Hunter (Regency Pirates #2)

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