Jennifer Ashley – The care and feeding of pirates

The third book in the Regency Pirates series, published February 1, 2005.
Genre: historical romance
Cover: nice, but not a scene from the book. Also, our pirate is blond.



The Woman: Honoria Ardmore was as prim and proper as they came. Her sole moment of indiscretion was four years ago, when she fell for the sinful smile of a roguish pirate. Be he had died, and their secret marriage went to the grave with him. At least, that’s what she assumed – until the night he showed up in her bedroom, eager to pick up where they left off…
The Man: Christopher Raine had managed to cheat death, and he believed life owed him just rewards. So he set out to reclaim the woman of his dreams. With her apple-green eyes and luscious figure, Honoria looked good enough to eat. And this insatiable pirate was not one to let a trivial detail like her fiancé get in the way of dessert.
The Deal: Despite her undeniable desire, Honoria claimed she could no be with a man she did not truly love. And so they struck a deal: She would allow Christopher to seduce her every night of their voyage across the Atlantic. If by the end of their journey he had failed to navigate his way into her heart, she was free to leave. In the cozy confines of their cabin, Honoria was about to learn that a woman should never doubt the cunning ways of a pirate with a plan.


Now that her brother James has married his Diana, Honoria needs to make a new life of her own. She doesn’t feel she is the lady of the house anymore, even though she has taken care of it all her life. She doesn’t really like her brother James, who is cold and standoffish with everyone except his wife. The men in Charleston don’t interest her, and so she has gone to London with Diana, and found herself a suitor she can like. Not love though. She is still in love with her late husband, the famous pirate Christopher Raine, although no one knew they married the day before he would be executed.
What Honoria did not know, is that the execution did not take place, they hung another criminal in his stead, and Christopher was shoved aboard an English merchant, taking him far away to the East, where he survived quite a few hazardous adventures. But he always meant to come back for her. And well for his ship, his crew, his sister and his gold.
What he doesn’t understand, is that Honoria does not want to love him again, loosing him 4 years ago, broke her heart and almost her spirit. She doesn’t want to take that risk again, even though her body craves his. But Christopher is stubborn, she was the one thought that kept him alive all those years, and he won’t give her up. She is his wife, she will obey him, and she will come with him. He is this close to finding his sister, and he won’t wait for her to make up her mind.

And so Honoria is taken aboard his new, smaller, ship, and even has to learn how to sail it. But with James in pursuit, will they be able to go dig up Christopher’s bounty and sail away?


I enjoyed this book very much. I though Honoria a very cold woman, as she was only mentioned through James’ eyes before. But she is very warm and feisty, and she gives Christopher a run for his money. Even though he loves to command her, as is his husbandly right, she twists him around her finger. If only she can get him to talk about his feelings … and why he came back for real.
I totally do understand Honoria, for guarding her heart this time, but of course she was fighting a battle she had lost already. And then wheatblond Christopher, scarred very badly, is not interested in her loving him, her lust is enough for now. He is sure he can make her love him again. But of course he doesn’t tell her is in love now, as he was when they first met, or when they met for the second time 9 years later and got married. Getting a man to talk about his feelings is very difficult.

There is also a secondary lovestory which I enjoyed very much: the meticulous mr. Henderson and Christopher’s sister, Manda. A feisty amazon warrior pirate, and a man who enjoys all the luxuries of life, fine clothes and food, but still knows how to fight and win. I would not mind reading a novella about them.

As always I enjoyed this old Jennifer Ashley book very much, and heartily recommend it to everyone, even if you are not really a fan of pirate books. It is nothing like those clichéd stories at all. A story filled with humor, adventure and hot love scenes. Of course there are Graydon and Alexandra, James and Diana and their lives who are intertwined in this story as well. I only have a little trouble with the epilogue, a seasoned pirate and adventure turning to a sedate life as a rich gentleman? Nah, they will have to sail away some times. After all, Honoria loves it just as much as Christopher.

8,5 stars.






I am afraid this one is out of print, but it has been re-issued in Kindle last year.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian