Customer Reviews

The Red Siren: Charles Towne Belle Series, Book 1 (Truly Yours Romance Series #29)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Upon starting this novel, I was not completely enthralled with the character of Faith. She is independent, and feminist, and arrogant. After learning her background and coming to understand her plight I was able to allow her into my heart more. My first adventure with MaryLu Tyndall's The Falcon and the Sparrow was able to show me that MaryLu was a fabulous story teller. This book was able to show me that I want more and more and that the story is not long enough. I have not yet read her original pirate series, but now I must, as well as I cannot wait for the next in the Charles Towne Belle Series to come out.



This book brings us three sisters with very different lives, a naval officer with a past but a present and future guided by God, as well as two ex-slaves that are learning more about love and family than they knew in their years before. The author truly brings to life realistic characters that make you smile and make you cringe. From the First Mate who does not know what he wants to the heir or the city who is a pompous fool. There is hope and a light for all people, it just depends on if you are strong enough to look for it.



It took a couple chapters, but once I was sucked in, and curious for more, I could not stop turning the pages until I found out what would happen next. At each turn of events and situation I had no clue as to how anything could possibly work out and I was pleasantly surprised through out the entire journey to be thoroughly entertained and educated in the pirate and naval world of early Charles Towne, Carolina.



I highly recommend this story as well as anything else by MaryLu (M.L.) Tyndall and other related authors as well such as Kathleen Y'Barbo. Go read it. You will not be disappointed!

What a story - a lady pirate. I could so envision a man snared by this woman. Yet she harmed no one physically. The book is exactly what one would expect form a lady pirate.
Faith Westcott seems like I would envision a woman trying to break through the forced marriages of past times.
Dajon Waite shamed by faith when she captures his ship. 5 years lady she captures his heart. Intrigue, dangers, God's protection and plan so beautifully woven into a pirate tale.
A book you won't be able to put down. I truly loved it from beginning to ending.
I loved the way Dajon saved Faith in end.

I loved this series. It was a great light read. It kept my interest with a nice plot that I finished the 3 books very quickly. I like this author's use of adventure and humor. I will probably wait a few months and read them through again before donating them to our church library.

Faith Westcott is determined to protect her younger sisters from a life of misery. Their father intends to marry them off to the first available suitors, but having seen how terribly that turned out for their oldest sister, Faith will not allow it to befall them, as well. The only answer is independent wealth. And the only way for a woman to gain independent wealth in the early 1700s, even in the new colony of Carolina, is to steal it. So Faith does the only thing she can think to do--she becomes a pirate.

Dajon Waite's career with his father's company was ruined when he lost his ship to an impudent female pirate. Five years later, he's rejoined the British navy, gotten his life straight with the Lord, and has accepted a new post in Charles Town. His goal? To capture and bring to justice the infamous Red Siren--the very same woman pirate who nearly destroyed him. But when Admiral Westcott charges him with the care of his three daughters, Dajon's goals blur. He doesn't want the responsibility of these spitfire girls, but he also can't deny the charms of the oldest. Faith has a way about her--a strength, a courage . . . a rebellious streak that at once impresses and alarms him. She seems to hate men, and she is bitter toward the Lord. Still, his heart gets tangled up in her web. One thing continues to bother him, though--for all its impossibility, she bares a disturbing resemblance to the Red Siren.

The Red Siren is yet another powerful, captivating tale by MaryLu Tyndall. As the story progressed, full of adventure and romance and danger lurking in every crevice, she managed to truly stump me. How, I wondered with the turn of every page, is she going to pull this off? How can I be rooting for the pirate heroine and the naval officer out to capture her at the same time? How can they possibly arrive at both justice and romance? The conundrum had me turning those pages all the faster, propelling both me and the story to new levels of anticipation with each chapter. And of course, with her usual way of combining the power of God with the power of human love, the author delivers an ending that will leave you breathless and aquiver with delight.

The Red Siren will join my shelf of favorites. I fell in love with the characters, was entirely gripped by the action, gleefully ignored all outside intrusions as the climax unfolded (even though dinner really needed cooked), and finished it with a smile on my face. I can't wait for the next books in this series! This one's definitely not to be missed by lovers of romance, historicals, or just a good pirate tale.

Outraged that with her father away, her sister Charity was forced to marry an abusive man, Faith Westcott vows never her and if she can help it and never her two other sisters Grace and Hope too. During the day she is a lady charming the ton, but at night she becomes a notorious pirate bringing in needed loot to keep the abusers away.

British naval officer Captain Dajon White leaves his patrolling of Coastal Carolina for home because he has an obligation there. Off of Portsmouth, England, he rescues Faith only to have her take over his ship. Ashamed as the Lady Em was his father's gem, Dajon vows to hunt down the she pirate who humiliated him and all other pirates. However, first he must deal with the obligation of taking guardianship of the unmarried Westcott siblings.

Though the plot of a sea pirate besting a male at sea is not new, fans will fully appreciate the fine opening Charles Town Belles' tale. Faith is an interesting lead character as she lost her faith in God with what happened to Charity and has turned to piracy to keep it from happening to her and her other sisters. Dajon has family issues too as he feels he fails to live up to his father's reputation. Known for her buccaneer historical romances, M. L. Tyndall provides another fine at sea thriller.

Harriet Klausner

The Red Siren captivated me from the first chapter and didn't let go until the story was told and I am now left waiting for the 2nd book in Charles Towne Belles series. I took an instant liking to Faith with her fiery personality, her go getter attitude and her willingness to fight against all odds. I found it very interesting how she could face down an enemy on sea with no fear evident, but it was fear that drove her to risk everything in her life to become The Red Siren. Her sisters added great interest and humor to the story and I found myself wondering how Tyndall will develop these two throughout the series. I truly enjoyed the twists and turns, it will keep you guessing until the end.

The Red Siren was simply captivating. From the first page to the close of the book you are held to the pages to find out what will happen next.

The story centers around Faith Westcott (her two sisters Grace & Hope) and Dajon Waite. Faith feels compelled to watch after her sisters and is trying to gain wealth to save them from being married off to unsavory men like their older sister Charity. Dajon Waite has things in his past that drive him to follow the rules especially God rules (and the Navy's). His job is hunting and capturing pirates in that area. When Faith's father is called away he assigns Dajon the job of looking after the ladies. Not an easy task.

Then there's Sir Wilhelm Carteret. A wealthy sort who has set his sights on faith but Faith loaths any man especially Sir Wilhelm. However, he will have Faith at any cost and if she does not make her fortune by the time her father returns he has promised to give Faith to Sir Wilhelm in marriage. egad!@!!!!

But what will happen when the pirate hunter (Dajon) meets the pirate (Faith)?

I've never met a MaryLu Tyndall book I didn't like. This one was no exception. If you like adventure, heart stopping moments and a great love story complete with an underlying message, look no further. Get the book. Great job MaryLu. I'm looking forward to "The Blue Enchantress" coming this fall.

"The Red Siren" does not disappoint! Although this novel begins a bit slower than M.L. Tyndall's other swashbuckling efforts, the pace steadily pushes forward to reveal a wonderful romantic adventure. I eagerly await future novels in this series!

Faith is leading a double life. She is the self-appointed caregiver to her two younger sisters and a confirmed bachelorette as well as an infamous pirate known as "The Red Siren". When Dajon's life is destroyed by this beautiful buccaneer, he vows to bring her to justice. But this may become difficult if he falls in love with her.

M.L. Tyndall has done it again! What a fabulous story of adventure, trust, faith, and love.
Faith Westcott, has allowed the tragedies that have touched her family to shape the woman she has become. The daughter of a Navy Admiral, Faith has witnessed one of her sisters married off to a tyrannical, womanizing man merely because of his title and wealth. Refusing to let that happened to her or her remaining sisters, Faith does the unthinkable. A lady by day and a pirate by night, Faith sets out to amass her own fortune so that she and her sisters are never forced into a loveless marriage. No longer a woman of true faith, she blames God for the death of her mother, and the atrocities her sisters have been forced to endure. Stubborn, headstrong, and unbending, Faith does what she must do, even though it could mean her very life if she is ever discovered to be The Red Siren, the notorious woman pirate that is vanquishing the Carolina coast.
Captain Dajon Waite is a Captain in the British Royal Navy. His responsibility to rid the seas of pirates stems not just from duty but from his own humiliation of having one of his father's merchant ships seized by the infamous Red Siren. His upstanding behavior has garnered the attention of Admiral Westcott. So, when the Admiral is called back to sea, he asks Captain Waite to serve as guardian over his three daughters. When left with no choice, Dajon takes on the task, knowing his career hangs in the balance. When he comes face to face with Faith Westcott, something nudges his conscious. He feels he knows the hot-tempered, redhead, but brushes it off as a mild attraction for the belligerent but beautiful woman.
Faith recognizes Dajon immediately as the Captain of the ship she still sails. With his reputation of being a pirate hunter, and now as his position of guardian over her, Faith's need to be cautious is of the upmost importance. But her hate of all men and her feeling that they are nothing more than monsters who take wives as possessions begins to weaken when she is met with the chivalrous acts and dashing ways of Captain Waite. Torn between her softening heart and her criminal behavior -knowing her sisters future as well as her own hang in the balance- Faith must decide if she can trust God with her future and the honorable Captain Dajon Waite with her heart.
THE RED SIREN was absolutely captivating. In true Tyndall fashion, the action jumped from the pages and the characters came to life. The minor characters seemed anything but that. Hope, Faith's rebellious and flirtatious sister found her own helping of trouble. And Sir Wilhelm Carteret, a pompous and conniving wimp that vowed to take Faith as his wife, added to Faith's need to prove herself as independent and un-needing of a man to secure her future and that of her sisters.
THE RED SIREN will totally captivating you and sweep you away to a time gone by. I can't wait for THE BLUE TEMPTRESS to be released later this year. Touché Ms. Tyndall, touché!

The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall


The Red Siren is the first book in M.L. Tyndall's series, Charles Towne Belles.

It is also the first book I have ever read by M.L. Tyndall.

The Red Siren is historical fiction and has a fun twist because there are pirates intertwined in the story!

Faith Westcott is a lady by day, the daughter of a man determined to marry her off into money, whether or not the man is nice.

By night, Faith is a pirate, trying to get enough wealth from pirating to save herself and her sisters from the same fate as their eldest sister: married to a horrible lecherous man who mistreats them.

Faith's father wants to see her married off to Sir Wilhelm Carteret. A repulsive, and rather smelly, man who is determined to take her as his wife.

Faith's father goes out of town for many month, and has made it clear that upon his return she will be married off, against her will or otherwise. Faith is desperate to save herself, and takes the opportunity to pirate as much as possible. But Faith has a new impending danger with her pirating: the man that her father has made the guardian of herself and her sisters while he is away, Captain Dajon Waite, is in charge of catching all pirates and bringing them to justice. He doesn't know it, but he has a pirate living under his nose, the notorious Red Siren.

While Faith can use his information about ships coming in with much wealth that need protection, she also has a greater risk with pirating because he is supposed to keep track of her whereabouts at all times.

What will happen if Faith is discovered by Captain Dajon Waite, especially when he starts to have feelings for her?

Read The Red Siren to find out!

It was definitely a unique read, but it wasn't my favorite. I had a hard time getting into it, and wanted to give up a couple of times. It is strange because normally I really do like pirates, but in this case I just couldn't feel it.

I love the general idea of a woman pirate because it breaks away from the norm, especially for the time period when women were really just supposed to be decorations at home, rather than actual people who contributed anything to society but having children, but I feel like it just wasn't pulled off quite right.

If you love the premise, you may very well love this book. Especially if you like Christian fiction that is a bit more pushy with the Christian ideals. It almost felt like I was being preached at quite a few times, and for some reason Faith's conversion to find God just wasn't as believable as I would have liked. Maybe it was how pressed her denial was beforehand that made her change seem really jarring and unrealistic.

I also didn't love the cover of the book. Faith is described as a fiery redhead who I pictured as very attractive. Not that the cover model wasn't, but she looks far too sweet and peaceful, I would have loved to see redder hair and a woman with fire in her eyes. It also may have been more intriguing if there was more pirate-y themed stuff on the cover, such as Faith on her ship.

All in all, 2.5 out of 5 stars. I'm not sure I'll continue this series.