A Buccaneer at Heart

Starred review from February 15, 2016
Laurens’s delicious second Adventurers Quartet Regency romance introduces protagonists whose compatibility develops from their matched wits and bravery, making them charming collaborators. Capt. Robert Frobisher is envious of his brother Declan’s happy life as a newlywed and decides that after he has completed the mission Declan began (in The Lady’s Command), he will find himself a wife. Robert is certain that he doesn’t want a woman like Declan’s beloved Edwina, preferring someone less “forceful.” However, on his mission to discover who is behind the disappearance of numerous adults and children, he runs across Aileen Hopkins. Robert’s “inner diplomat” relents to “the buccaneer in him,” and he finds himself drawn to Aileen’s strong will and determination. Their romantic interest in each other, slow-brewed with the increasing tension of the mystery, is natural and credible, and their lovemaking scenes are simmering and sensual. The narrative’s changing perspectives keep the story moving quickly. Laurens deftly balances action with dialogue and description, creating an intriguing and suspenseful novel that is equally effective whether read as a sequel or on its own.

Narrator Steve West adopts a rich rolling style for nineteenth-century sea captain Robert Frobisher as he searches for a kidnapper's lair in a West African settlement. West's proper diction eschews a clipped style but establishes a slower pace that allows listeners to absorb detailed historical settings. West's voice for Aileen Hopkins, whose brother has gone missing, is light, breathy, and genuine. As West explores Robert and Aileen's growing intimacy with a determined intensity, listeners will feel the tension most strongly when Robert witnesses Aileen's capture and imagines her terror. Out of this dignified narration come some surprisingly menacing villains' voices as well, adding depth to West's performance. C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine