July 18, 2005
Full of spirited romance and nefarious skullduggery, the second volume of bestseller Martin's Regency trilogy (after The Bride's Necklace
) centers on Capt. Ethan Sharpe, a British privateer determined to punish Harmon Jeffries, Viscount Forsythe, a convicted traitor whom he believes to be responsible for his years of imprisonment in France and the death of many of his crew members. Sharpe's search for Jeffries leads him to Grace Chastain, Jeffries's illegitimate daughter, who, contrary to his expections, proves to be a gently reared young woman possessed of a courageous spirit and intense family loyalty. To his horror, Sharpe finds himself falling in love with her. Complicating matters is Grace's friendship with the wife of Ethan's best friend, who managed to secure Ethan's prison release. Lively emotional skirmishes between these two strong-willed characters propel the plot toward one of Martin's trademark nail-biting endings.