A Gentleman 'Til Midnight

October 14, 2013
In this unusual and engaging debut, DeLaine introduces a delightful female buccaneer. After being abducted by Barbary pirates, Countess Katherine Kinloch, with a half-Moor babe in her womb, escaped with a fellow Brit, stole a ship, and headed to sea, becoming the notorious Corsair Kate. Years later, in 1767, Capt. James Warre, whom Katherine blames for failing to stop her abduction, survives a shipwreck that kills the rest of his crew. Not knowing his true identity, Katherine pulls him out of the ocean, and both are shocked by the quick development of a romantic connection. Once they arrive in London, they confront James’s brother, Nicholas—who has assumed James’s title and is supporting a bill to strip Katherine of her estate—and all hell breaks loose. Katherine is determined to win what is hers and provide for her blind daughter, and James’s love may be more hindrance than help. DeLaine keeps the pages turning in the first of a planned series that will satisfy historical romance fans.

December 1, 2013
If Captain Katherine Kinloch knew the shipwrecked man floating in the Mediterranean was Captain James Warre, she never would have stopped and fished him out. However, since one drowning man looks much like another, Kate heeds the pleas of her crew and brings him onboard the Possession. Then a member of her crew informs Kate of the man's identity. Though Kate would like nothing better than to toss James back into the sea for what he did to her 10 years ago, she realizes that she needs James' help if she is to have any hope of reclaiming her family's estate. Kate knows desperate times call for daring measures, but is she desperate enough to consort with a man she considers the enemy? DeLaine's feisty, give-as-good-as-she-gets heroine shares an explosive sexual chemistry with a hero who could give Tyrone Power a run for the money. The action-packed, swashbuckling plot of this deliciously retro-flavored debut will definitely thrill readers who miss the sweeping historical romances of Kathleen Woodiwiss, Shirlee Busbee, and Laurie McBain.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)