5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sears right through to the core..., July 16, 2011
This review is from: Blood and Treasure (A Romancing the Pirate Novel) (Kindle Edition)
Ms Weber effortlessly transports us to another place and time where the world she's created literally materializes around us with visceral exquisiteness. Though it's a historical, the characters, Lianna Whitney and Zane Fox, have that unique contemporary feel any reader will relate to - characters whose lives are flawed, but who possess endearing qualities and strengths that surpass the ordinary.
Lianna and Zane both came from troubled pasts. But Lianna, strong and brazen, makes no excuses nor begs understanding. Raised by a single mother who was the humble servant of an elite family, Lianna quickly blossomed into a young woman of privilege, grace, and beauty. But when her home is destroyed and her mother killed, she's forced into a life of harsh servitude where faded dreams give way to a new and dismal promise of hunger, abuse, and lost innocence. Never, she ultimately swears, will she allow that scourge of mankind to ever violate her again - body or soul.
Like Lianna, Zane's life was also shaped by a tragic youth. Abducted from his home as a child and sold into slavery aboard a merchant ship, he suffered his own horrors of starvation and brutal beatings. Barely a man, his mind and body had become hardened by fierce battles aboard war ships, the rewards of which reaped solely by those he was forced to serve. Ultimately feared and respected by friend and enemy alike for his fighting prowess, he'd taken by mutiny, his first command of the Caribbean's most formidable warship - the 'Rissa' - unfortunate for its reigning captain to underestimate Zane's peerless artistry with all weapons of war.
Both Lianna and Zane's lives were forged from life's cruelties, their hearts fortressed against the vulnerabilities of love and trust. But worlds collide when Lianna is assaulted by a dangerous thief desperate to rid himself of a gold medallion - an ancient artifact believed to have mysterious healing powers. When the thief is murdered by Commodore Bennington - a man neither loyal to country nor King - she discovers she is next on his list of treacherous thieves to be mercilessly hung for no apparent crime. But she never imagined her twist of fate when rescued by a pirate whose chiseled features and predatory blue eyes left her seared right through to her core. Immobilized by Zane's deep voice with its rich timbre, Lianna fears she's discovered the only man who might breach her fortressed soul. And while the extent of Zane's interest is the king's ransom the medallion might bring, he never anticipated the woman he'd taken prisoner for her own protection, might, in turn, imprison his heart.
When both discover passion in the midst of treachery, deadly sea battles, and a desperate race across the Caribbean that culminates in the climatic sacrifice of one life for another, the reader is left wondering - Was it the mystical healing power of an ancient artifact, or the miracle of love that leaves one wishing the story might continue on forever?
BLOOD AND TREASURE is a wonderfully crafted work. Powerful love scenes, vibrant prose, and the pleasurable company of characters, superbly sketched, make this novel a worthy five-star read. Author Jennifer Bray-Weber leaves you with the emotional sense that you've experienced rather than read a story. A true joy to discover a new writer whose gift of storytelling offers the reader a most pleasurable escape.
~John
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice, September 20, 2011
This review is from: Blood and Treasure (A Romancing the Pirate Novel) (Kindle Edition)
A pirate romance as it should be:
A privateer who was betrayed by another woman before he met the heroine of the story who is a self-confident and bold woman. Interesting sub-characters (who unfortunately in some instances nearly overshadowed the main characters).
An interesting plot that kept me and an ending that I didn't completely expect.
According to my opinion in no case a 5* but at the most a 4*.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What an adventure, May 26, 2011
This review is from: Blood and Treasure (A Romancing the Pirate Novel) (Kindle Edition)
I was hooked from the first page. This action-filled pirate romance was face-paced, which was a good thing since I couldn't put the book down. Both Lianna and Zane quickly worked their way into my heart and I absolutely loved the intricacies of the story--I love romance characters with dark pasts who find the light in each other! I can't wait for the next installment from Ms. Bray-weber!
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