Customer Reviews

The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really would like to give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

For years I have had a thing for romances that take place on the high seas so this book immediately caught my attention. Somehow I missed that it was a Christian Fiction book which I am always a little leery about because I don't like books that are overly preachy. While this book has a lot of preaching, miracles from God, etc I still found myself enthralled. I finished this book in one day and did not want to put it down until I was done. I felt sorry for Hope as she is being auctioned off as an indentured servant but she quickly lost my sympathy with her attitude. She was a flirt who did not realize how her actions affected others. I had similar feelings with Nathaniel in that I initially was really impressed with his gallantry in rescuing Hope but then he turned me off by being so judgmental. Yes, I did just state that Hope seemed to be an insensitiveflirt but as a Christian one would expect him to withhold judgment on someone he did not truly know.

What held me so captivated was watching the transformation of both Hope and Nathaniel as they both realize their faults and begin to over come them and finally realize that they love one another. The supporting cast was also wonderful. I loved Abigail although I find it almost unreal that someone could be that perfect. My other favorite character was Captain Poole. It was my first time reading about a pirate who honors others marriage vows and is also god fearing.

This was a wonderfully fun read that left me wanting to read more from Tyndall.

Hope Westcott has a lifetime of bad choices under her dainty little belt. The most recent one--an affair with a married man--lands her on an auction block to be sold into slavery.

Captain Nathaniel Mason is running from God's call to the ministry. He is determinedly building a shipping business, ensuring himself a lifetime of security, which he mistakenly believes wealth can buy. His weakness is a secret love for the vain and frivolous Hope Westcott. When he sees her on the auction block, his love demands he sacrifice his ship and its cargo to save her.

Nathaniel has every intention of returning his lovely new possession to her home in Chares Towne, but God uses stormy seas, shipwreck, illness, and pirates to waylay the headstrong couple until they see things His way.

The Blue Enchantress is a captivating tale of love, forgiveness, acceptance, personal and spiritual growth, and learning to yield to the Master's will. M.L. Tyndall breathes such life into her characters that the reader is reluctant to bid them farewell on the last page. This second installment in the Charles Town Belles series is chock full of laughter and tears, sin and redemption, love and its seedier counterpart. The Blue Enchantress is a pirate's chest of literary treasure ... more than worth the voyage!

I enjoyed reading this book. I actually thought it better than it's predecessor. One of my problems with the Red Siren was the over the top sensual detail. It seemed to me that this book was slightly better handled. Though the focus on sensuality was still a bit too much, it felt not quite as bad as The Red Siren. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and had a good Christian message. Very well written.

The book starts off with Hope on the auction block to become a slave. She had chased after a man who did not want her. Nathaniel buys her, having to sell his ship to save her. Nathaniel has had his eyes on Hope for many years but she is from high society and he is a not. Nathaniel plans to escort Hope safely home and be done with her but much adventure awaits. Will Nathaniel see how much Hope has changed and risk everything to save her? Will Hope be able to become the true Lady she want so desperately to be?

This is book two of the series. I have not read the first one but plan to soon. I loved this book. This author is fast becoming one of my favorites. I just can't put her books down. Hope and Nathaniel start out not getting alone very well. Hope wants to be a lady but has trouble turning away from male attention. But God soon shows her there is another way.

Nathaniel does not believe he is good enough to bring God's word to others but after a few interesting events he finds himself being drawn to it. He also has to over come some instances of events that look different then what really is going on and this also helps to bring him closer to God.

The one character I wish we could have gotten to know more or to know the rest of her story was Abigail. I was disappointed to just see her story end so early in the book with no real closer. I went looking at the authors website hoping maybe there was a book just about her but there was not.

Over all I loved this book. I plan to go back and read the first one soon and also read the 3rd book as well. I can not praise this author enough she is such a talented writer. I plan to read all her books at some point!

I would recommend you going back and reading the first book The Red Siren. The main character of that book(Hopes sister) shows up at the end of this book and will leave you wanting to know more about her so just start there. You can read this book with out going back but your going to have a few questions at the end.

I read this book via the NetGalley, thanks to Truly Bookish in [...] and her valuable advice.

I was enchanted by this book, which takes place alternatively in the high seas, on a deserted island and on a pirate ship. It is the story of a very unusual heroine and a very unusual hero.

Hope is sold into slavery on an island in the Caribbean after being betrayed by the man she thought loved her when she was attempting to run away with him. Nathaniel, the hero, rescues her and proceeds to help her to go back to her home, in Charles Towne. That;s when their adventures begin, as the ship they are on is shipwrecked and then they are set upon by pirates.

What was so unusual about the hero and the heroine was that they were realistic people with very few redeeming qualitites. At the beginning I was terribly frustrated by Hope, who is constatly flirting and behaving like a spoiled, immoral brat while getting everyone around her into trouble and then more trouble. I was also angry at Nathaniel however, who behaved in an ungentlemanly way towards her and seemed to resent every time he saved her even more than the last. He was also flirting with another woman throughout the book, which was really unfitting, since he was supposedly a christian and at the same time falling in love with Hope.

Anyway, through their sparkling adventures, these mismatched people along with a crew of secondary characters discover themselves and God. And that changed everything. It changed them, it changed their relationship to one another, and it changed everyone around them.
That's what I adored about this book, besides the wonderful adventure and the breath-taking romance.
God is really present in this book and I learned a lot for myself, about my personal relationship with God.
I felt as if this book was full of lavish, vibrant colours, what with all the adventure and everything, and full of tender hues because of the beautiful romance. It also had depth, which is something that I haven't found in christian fiction books recently.
These were real people with actual flaws that didn't behave as if they belonged to a book, but would remind you of someone you know, or even yourself.
I am thinking of buying this book so that I can have it in my bookshelf. I suggest you do, too.

find this and others reviews at my blog [...]

After finishing "The Red Siren," I couldn't wait to read "The Blue Enchantress." The book opens with action, tension and jaw dropping moments. I was immediately caught up as I found Hope on the verge of being auctioned away as a slave. Mr. Nathaniel Mason just happening along at the exact moment and then hearing Hope actually confess to having an affair with a married man...and that was the first 15 pages! I knew this book was going to be gooooood.

Hotness Factor: 4 stars Red Siren was a little bit hotter to me because I loved the cat and mouse game of those characters but this book was steamy too. Just the nature of the subject added heat to this book. In Christian Historical Fiction, you rarely get to see a story where the woman is throwing herself at almost every man she meets. It just wasn't done in that time period but it is refreshing to see the female being the pursuer and flirt. Also, it is so hot to see how Nathaniel struggles between wanting to give in to her charms and wanting to dump her in the ocean. :)

Series Info: 4 stars This book is the second one in a three book series. I have loved all the books in the series for different reasons. In this one we have Pirate Captains, duels, being marooned on a deserted island - all the classic elements you think of when you think of books about Pirates. I don't recommend reading this book out of order. Hope and Nathaniel are mentioned in book one briefly but you really need Hope's back story that is confessed in Red Siren. You start to realize why she acts the way she does and what she believes about herself.

Overall Rating: 4 stars Hope has had some major issues in her life. She is hurting emotionally but covers it up by being shallow, spoiled and self-centered. She can only see what she wants without how it affects others or how her actions will be interpreted. As she tries to be a new creation without Christ, her past holds her back and trips her up at every turn.

Enter kind, frustrated, strong Mr. Mason. I fell in love with him the moment he gave almost all he had in the world to save her but now he's got an enchantress on his hands as he tries to see her back home safely to Charles Town. How much can one man take?

Christianity: 5 stars The Christian theme of forgiveness, grace and trust come through clearly in this book. I liked how her past was forgiven but not forgotten. The Spiritual warfare element was stronger in this book than the first. I loved how the weather patterns changed when the characters were locked in a spiritual battle or struggling with their faith.

Summary Plot: Trying to forget about a painful past, Hope Westcott plunges into Charles Towne society trying to find love and acceptance. Captain Nathaniel Mason is determined to build his shipping business and doesn t need a romantic entanglement especially with a woman like Hope. When Hope s adventure-seeking puts her freedom and her life in jeopardy, will Nathaniel turn his back or follow God s voice and sacrifice everything to save her?

I enjoyed reading The Blue Enchantress by M.L. Tyndall, a Christian romance taking place on the open seas. I don't see it as a pirate story, but there is a supporting pirate character which adds a bit of zest.

Captain Nathaniel Mason has been working very hard to build his fleet of ships, having built two by his own hands. It has taken many years of toil and sweat but he is doing well for himself. Against his will, he has had an obsession for Miss Hope Westcott, who has given herself to her gentleman lover who has promised to marry her.

But when Nathaniel sees Hope on an auction block (after she tried to run away with her fiance until she discovered he was already married) he decides to "buy" her and save her from a terrible future with a merchantman, even though it means selling his best ship. He is determined to see her safely home to Charles Towne, but one wave of misfortune after another occurs and one misunderstanding after another is felt, leading to a stormy romance, shipwrecked on an island with some other passengers.

There were unexpected twists in the end which was a nice surprise, so I won't ruin those for anyone.

I thought the characters were mostly realistic. The way people treated Hope was very believable, seeing her as an object of passion rather than as a lady, which is all she really wants to be. Nathaniel sees her the same way and doesn't want to get too close to her, even though he feels so drawn to her and so protective. I did think he should have been a bit blinded by love, not focusing on her flaws and tried to understand her better.

This is not a preachy novel, but it is very Christian with palpable spiritual scenes, forgiveness, saving grace, and God's love. Even though the characters are not following the path God desires of them, he finds a way to lead them there anyway.

The writing was very descriptive. The supporting characters added a lot of depth to the plot, some very likable - some not at all. I plan to read more from this author! If you like romance stories with a strong Christian message, you might want to sit down and read this book!

I love M. L. Tyndall's pirate adventures! The Blue Enchantress is the sequel to The Red Siren and is full of what we've come to expect from a Tyndall book: excitement, adventure, true love and God's grace. This, too, would make a wonderful movie. I can't wait to read the next book!

The Blue Enchantress picks up where the Red Siren left off. Hope Wescott longs for love and acceptance but seems to be looking in all the wrong places. She follows Lord Faulkland after he spoke to her of a future together but finds herself on the auction block being sold to the highest bidder. (and the bidders were none too appealing). Captain Nathaniel Mason has been drawn to Hope for quite some time. He knows she is not the type of woman he would ever pursue, she reminds him of where he came from. However, when he sees Hope being auctioned-off he knows he can't just leave her there. He sells his ship to pay for her and with very little money left finds passage for both of them back to Charles Towne. From that point on, it's a high seas adventure you cannot put down complete with shipwreck, pirates and God's faithful and watchful care. Will Hope find the love she so desperately longs for? Will Nathaniel ever see Hope as the Lady she so longs to become?

This was the second installment of the Charles Towne Belles series and it was a page turner! I love how MaryLu always writes characters that are so real and believable. (and fun) No perfect heros in her books only honorable flawed ones. The story presented so beautifully the picture of God's unfailing love for us. The end of the story leaves you wanting for the next installment. aarrgg! You could read this as a stand alone but I recommend you read The Red Siren first for a much fuller story. Highly recommended.

Oh. My. Goodness. I loved it! M.L. Tyndall has an amazing way of writing. She can write a suspenseful scene like no one else. Here is an example: "The maelstrom outside the tiny glass oval writhed in an undulating vision of raging black clouds one second and a hissing caldron of white-capped water the next." I even became shaky during the hurricane! Tyndall draws you in, so that you are on the edge of your seat. She will make you laugh, cry, and never want to put the book down. Hope Westcott is a character that I think every woman can relate to. Broken by life, only valuing her outward appearance, she searches for love in all the wrong places. Tyndall has a way of putting you in the character's shoes, and she makes the story come alive in a way that most authors never achieve. There was only one thing that I didn't like and that is on the back cover. It says, "...God's call on his life to become an impoverished pastor." That is not true. God doesn't want us to be impoverished. In the Bible it says that God wants us to be healthy and prosperous. However, in the book it is not said that he is called to be an impoverished pastor. It only says that he is poor now, and he will start out being a poor pastor, not that he must be, or is called to be, poor. I think this was a simple mistake in the writing of the back cover, as it is not portrayed that way in the book. I definite to-read!