Inspirationals have provided fertile soil from which a delightful, engaging crop of reads continue to grow and Pirate of My Heart by Jamie Carie is yet another that combines English aristocracy, the colonies and sea going ventures with faith, love and hope in a new world.Carie has crafted a rich novel filled with a vast array of emotions and human freewill run amok across two continents that is perfectly channeled into a story that is ultimately about faith and love and the young woman who brings it about.A stunning web of deceit ensnares a bereft Lady Kendra Townsend when her nefarious uncle Andrew barters her into marriage to an old man in order to secure the future of his newly inherited castle and lands. Refusing to marry, she chooses instead her uncle’s alternative – to live with her kin in the colonies. Shipped off aboard the cargo ship Angelina, Kendra is now under the care of hardened Captain Dorian Colburn and their accord is a bitter one to start. As the passage provides each with a chance to understand the other and Kendra to put her faith to the test, an attack by pirates cements their uneasy alliance. Dorian burned once in a false marriage, learns of Kendra’s plight and begins to soften toward his strong-willed passenger whose faith unnerves him even as he admires her for it.Delivering her to a run-down farm and bitter aunt and uncle, Dorian’s unease at Kendra’s situation is further tested when his sister Faith befriends her, the couple become social acquaintances and Kendra learns of a marriage plot by her bankrupt uncle to marry her off to a devious gambler, Martin. Determined to survive the economic difficulties of her family, Kendra doggedly begins planting their farm and trying to win her kin by creating a home. As she dodges Martin, accepts social invitations by Dorian and his loving family, feelings blossom between the couple as Dorian reconciles his previous marriage and works to restore his faith in God. Carie brings readers along the couple’s emotional and spiritual development nicely peppering in subplots to keep pages turning and bridge the ocean between two lands and stories. As things seem headed for a happy conclusion for the newly married couple who have thwarted a kidnapping and entrapment, an unexpected turn seeds doubt enough to send Kendra back to England and into the clutches and eventual captivity of her deranged uncle from whom Kendra must now escape or hope to be rescued.Pirate of My Heart is a very good read filled with a host of well-drawn characters and clever subplots wound into an overall story that is illustrated by faith thanks to one special lady. I liked this book. It fits in the mold of its genre perfectly as a wonderfully, almost predictable Christian Romance. Kendra was good, strong and not entirely prone to fainting. She does what she can to save herself when the need arises but also is willing to accept the help of others. Her faith seemed sincere not constrained which is always a plus.Dorian was a pretty standard hero with a tragic past and wonderful family. I loved the descriptions of his family and all of their interactions; they seemed exactly what a family ought to be and were a wonderful addition to the plot.I do wish that there had been some follow up with the antagonists of the story. They seemed to just sort of fade to the background. They were a couple of loose ends that I would have liked to see tied up. Overall I liked the plot, the setting and the characters. It was a very fun read. Many thanks to B&H Publishing for letting me read this book for review.
What do You think about Pirate Of My Heart (2011)?
Pretty good story line, but it was essentially a romance novel with a little bit of GOD thrown in.
—apeluvu
I liked the romance and the subtle mystery involved in the story. A sweet faith based romance.
—1singularity1
Terrific book from start to finish. I enjoyed the discussion questions at the end of the book.
—Scott
