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.

April 1, 2016
As the captain of the Trident, Robert Frobisher is used to giving orders and having them obeyed. However, once Robert arrives in Freetown to complete the mission begun by his brother, Declan, he quickly discovers that Miss Aileen Hopkins will not recognize his authority. Aileen had come to the British colony in West Africa to find any information she can about the disappearance of her brother, Will. Working with Robert, who is investigating the disappearance of a number of men, women, and children from Freetown, would seem to be the most logical way of trying to find her own brother. But if Aileen is going to share her time and resources with Robert, she is determined that it will be as his equal partner or not at all. The second in Lauren's (The Lady's Command, 2016) Adventurers Quartet delivers all the fast-paced action, dangerous intrigue, vividly etched characters, and sexy romance her fans have come to expect.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)