The Dangers of Loving a Rogue by Jeri Black

The Dangers of Loving a Rogue by Jeri Black

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Betrothed since birth, Celia Breckenridge wants to experience adventure before settling down to become a wife and mother. A trip to Bermuda to provide companionship and comfort to a dying aunt allows her to fulfill this dream. Of course, getting one’s wish doesn’t always work out exactly as one expects – a lesson Celia soon learns when she departs Bermuda after her aunt’s death but before the ship her father arranges arrives.

While traversing the streets of La Rochelle, France, Jackson Beaumont happens upon a stabbing victim. The dying man is an old friend, who not only identifies his murderer but also bequeaths to Jackson the treasure map that the fiend sought. Jackson and his crew quickly depart with the intention of unearthing the Spanish emeralds.

Halfway across the ocean, they happen upon a pirate ship and her prey, as well as a lovely captive tied to a mast. The pirate turns out to be his friend’s murderer and Jackson has every intention of making his nemesis pay. He also rescues Celia, after she manages to shoot one of her captors in the foot. As traumatic as her capture and rescue are – and she’s not completely certain she hasn’t traded one sticky situation for another – Celia pleads to be taken home to England. The best Jackson can do is to drop her and the captured pirates off in Charles Town, South Carolina.

Both their plans are thwarted when the sheriff informs them that the pair must remain in town. Otherwise, Jackson will not be able to claim the ship he captured for his own and, without Celia’s testimony, the pirates will not be prosecuted. Further complicating their separate desires are an impending hurricane (actually two) and the growing attraction between them.

There are several shortcomings to this story. Too many characters have names starting with “B,” which may cause some confusion over who is who. It’s also not always easy to know who is speaking, such as when Jackson and his nemesis engage in conversation, or when his nemesis refers to Jackson as “mon amie,” which means a female friend rather than a male one. Readers are misled into believing that the impending danger, while Celia is aboard the merchant ship bound for home, stems from an approaching storm when she retires for the evening. When she is later awakened by pounding feet, she immediately jumps to the conclusion that the ship is under attack even though there have been no salvos of gunfire. Since the story takes place in 1752, readers familiar with pirate history may be puzzled by South Carolina’s tolerance of pirates, but Black admits to using poetic license for the sake of her story in her author’s note.

Even so, The Dangers of Loving a Rogue is a fast-paced historical romance. Black’s portrayal of the pirates is realistic and accurate, while that of the storms and their devastation are easily imagined and provide the perfect set-up for piratical revenge. One of the best lines comes from Celia after she is taken from the pirate ship onto Jackson’s: “’Twas rather like a chicken being welcomed to the stewpot.”(47) Readers who like swashbuckling adventure spiced with love will enjoy this story.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-roma...)



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