Unstoppable determination
Widely known as the lord of the privateers, Royd
Frobisher expects to execute the final stage of the rescue mission his brothers
have begun. What he does not expect is to be pressured into taking Isobel
Carmichael -- his childhood sweetheart, former handfasted bride and current
business partner -- with him. A force of nature, Isobel has a mission of her
own: to find and bring a young cousin safely home. And along the way, she hopes
to rid herself of the dreams of a life with Royd that still haunt her.
Unfinished business
Neither expects the shock that awaits them as they set
sail, much less the new horizons that open before them as they embark on a
full-scale rescue-assault on the compound deep in the jungle. Yet despite the
support of his brothers and their ladies, Royd and Isobel discover that freeing
the captives is only half the battle. To identify and convict the conspirators
behind the illicit enterprise -- and save England from political disaster --
they must return to the ballrooms of the haut ton and hunt the villains on
their home ground.
Unforgettable love
But having found each other again, having glimpsed the
heaven that could yet be theirs, how much are Royd and Isobel willing to risk
in the name of duty?
Fantastic conclusion to the series. At the end of the
previous book, A Daredevil Snared, Royd had just arrived in London, to begin
his part of the mission to rescue the captives. He was accompanied by Isobel
Carmichael, a woman from his past, deemed "Trouble" by Roy's
brothers. As this book opens, we get the background of why Isobel is with him.
Isobel has been tasked by her grandmother to go to Freetown and discover the
whereabouts of a missing cousin. Royd is the only person she trusts to get her there,
in spite of, or maybe because of, their history.
Royd and Isobel grew up together, haunting the shipyards
of Aberdeen. He is the oldest of shipping family, and she the likely heir to
her family's shipyards. As they grew older, they realized that they were each
other's perfect match. Isobel's grandmother didn't believe Royd was good enough
for Isobel and insisted on a year's handfasting before they could marry. They'd
been handfasted for three weeks when Royd left on a voyage, expecting to be
gone one or two months. What Isobel didn't know was that Royd undertook secret missions
for the Crown, and this was one of those. Months went by without hearing from
him, and no one would tell her where he was. When he finally returned, after
thirteen months away, she was so furious and hurt she slammed the door in his
face and refused to see him, declaring their handfasting over. When repeated
attempts got him nowhere, Royd accepted it. Their personal relationship may
have been over, but their professional one remained, so they saw each other frequently
over the next eight years.
I enjoyed Royd's reaction to Isobel's appearance. He has
come to realize that his feelings for her have never died and is determined to
win her back. He looks at the voyage to Africa as the perfect way to make a
start on that. Isobel is more interested in trying to root out her feelings for
Royd and move on. But the first leg of the journey (early in the book, so not a
spoiler) brings a shock to them both. Stowing away on board was Isobel's almost
eight year old son - the son Royd knows nothing about. He is, of course,
shocked and angry, but he is a mature and controlled man. I loved how he waits
for Isobel's explanation of what had happened. Both of them agree that they
have made mistakes that led to those actions, and the best thing to do is to
accept and move on. However, it only reinforces Royd's determination to win
Isobel back to his life.
I really liked Isobel. She is tall, beautiful, stron-willed,
capable, and just as determined as Royd. She is a talented ships' designer and
has had a successful business relationship with Royd in spite of their past.
However, she does suffer from some insecurity, in believing that a man wouldn't
want her for herself, just for her inheritance. This is part of what played
into the ending of their relationship years earlier. She's also honest enough
with herself to know that her feelings for him haven't gone away.
Their relationship throughout the book is one of getting
to know each other again. Royd has to learn to accept that trying to protect
Isobel by keeping things secret is a bad idea. I loved watching him go from
protector to partner, discovering that sharing it all makes their relationship so
much richer. Isobel has to learn to trust Royd again, and believe that he won't
shut her out of any part of his life. That trust becomes easier as the mission
continues and Isobel is fully included. Not that it comes easy for Royd. His
internal battles are obvious, but so is his knowledge that it is the only way
to win the battle for her heart. Isobel fought it longer, more hesitant to risk
her heart again, until she could no longer deny her feelings for him. It does
take a crisis for her to finally let go of her fears, but the rewards were
worth it.
The main story is the mission to rescue the captives,
shut down the mine, and find a way to bring the backers to justice. As such, it
is more than just Royd's mission. He is the leader, but others must also be
involved. Caleb and Katherine were still among the captives, waiting and
planning for their rescuers to arrive. Declan and Edwina, and Robert and
Aileen, are also part of the rescue mission, along with others from the
Frobisher fleet. Their planning is painstakingly detailed, with success
depending on everything going right, and everyone doing their parts. There is a
terrific scene between Royd, Isobel, and Admiral Decker that had me laughing out
loud and feeling a teeny bit (but not too much) sorry for Decker. I also loved
seeing the power of the Frobisher women as they worked together.
The lead up to and rescue itself were an exciting read.
The increasing tension as all the parts moved into place had me turning the
pages as fast as I could read. As is likely in any kind of confrontation,
there's always something that could go wrong, and there are several places
where all could fall apart. When all was said and done, the rescue went
amazingly well. The first two objectives were achieved: captives rescued and
mine shut down. They even managed to catch some of the ones they needed. But
the biggest fish are still back in London, and there our adventurers must go to
bring their mission to a successful close.
This was also an exciting part of the book. Traps must be
prepared and every contingency planned for. I loved that the bait in the trap
was thought of by the ladies, and Isobel was the perfect person to do it. I loved
seeing not only the Frobishers and their ladies, and the Wolverstones, but so
many others from previous stories. Having Devil and some of the other Cynsters,
as well as members of the Bastion Club and those from the Black Cobra mission
involved increased the intensity as the final confrontation neared. The
resolution was extremely satisfying after another heartstopping encounter.
The epilogue was marvelous, wrapping up the series perfectly
for each couple. There is also a hint that we may not be entirely done with the
Frobishers, and I can't wait to see what's in store.
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