Review: The Duke and the Pirate Queen by Victoria Janssen

The Duke and the Pirate Queen

by Victoria Janssen

 

Format: E-ARC

Release Date: December 1, 2010

Rating: 4 STARS

E-ARC provided by Netgalley for a honest review

SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads)

Aboard her privateering ship, The Seaflower, Captain Imena Leung is the law. Ashore she answers only to her liege, Duke Maxime. They are a powerful couple, with an intense attraction neither can disguise nor deny. As a nobleman, Maxime is destined to wed strategically, so his seductive advances must be purely for pleasure. And what self-respecting pirate denies herself any pleasure?

Their delicious dalliance is prolonged when Imena is forced to abduct Maxime to thwart a political plot against him. At sea, with a stunningly virile man bound and held in her private quarters, Imena can imagine—and enact—any number of intoxicating scenarios.

The heat between captain and captive is matched only by the perils that beset The Seaflower and her crew. Violent storms, marauding corsairs and life-or-death sex games on a desert island—how fortunate for the seemingly insatiable lovers that danger and desire go hand-in-hand.

picture from Wikipedia

MY REVIEW

The King wants Duke Maxime to marry the Lady Diamanta Picot but Max only wants Captain Imena Leung who is his employee. Imena is also having the same problem because her parents want her to marry and settle down. There is now way she is going to do that. She loves her crew and ship, The Seaflower, and can't imagine life without them. While ashore she overhears a plot to kill Max so she kidnaps him and brings him aboard her ship until Sylvie, who is Duchess Camille's bodyguard/spy/handmaiden, discovers who is behind it. Lord Odell is the chief suspect because he hopes to elevated himself to Duke. Now the fun begins between Max and Imena and they discover that maybe they are more suited for each other then originally thought!


What a fun read! This had everything that I liked in a historical romance. Action, intrigue, and hot steamy romance! Captain Imena Leung is a very strong heroine and well matched against, Duke Maxime, who is determined to marry her. If you are fan of the historical romance you will not be disappointed in this book!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from author's website)

from author's blog

Victoria Janssen's next novel, The Duke and the Pirate Queen, will be published in December 2010 by Harlequin Spice.

Victoria attended a women's college and there discovered she enjoyed writing erotica. After selling several dozen stories under the name Elspeth Potter, she moved into novel-length erotica with The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom and Their Lover, December 2008; it's been translated into French and German. Her second novel for Spice, The Moonlight Mistress, features the early days of World War One and werewolves, and has been translated into Italian.

When not writing, Victoria lectures about writing and selling erotica at literary conferences, researches in libraries and graveyards, and blogs. She lives in Philadelphia.

She is a voracious reader, especially of historical romance, fantasy, and space opera, but has never once defeated the to-be-read pile at the foot of her bed. She loves to incorporate all of these genres into her own writing.

Frequent themes in her stories include role reversal, creating families and empowering women, usually through unconventional means.

She's a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Broad Universe, Romance Writers of America, and Novelists, Inc.

Where to find Victoria Janssen

Website 
 Blog  
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook

Gratitude Giveaways Winner!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Using Random.org I inputted all the entries and it came up with the winner! The winner is:

#73-Melanie L.

CONGRATS TO MELANIE L. FOR WINNING PROM NIGHTS FROM HELL AND A BOOK THONG!!!

I have emailed the winner and will wait 48 hours for a reply. If I do not receive a reply I will pick a new winner! Thanks everyone for entering!!

The Friday 56: Storm Front

Freda over @ Freda's Voice has taken over the hosting of this fun weekly meme. All you have to do is:


* Grab a book, closest.
* Turn to page 56, find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of the blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Tonya's blog
*Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest or most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST!

Hey Everyone! I am not 100% back but I am having serious book blogging withdrawals..LOL! Here is my Friday 56!

"You should have stayed around for the show," she said, "It was pretty impressive." She put her purse on the bar and slid up onto the stool beside me.
"No thanks," I told her. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't for me."

WWW Wednesday: November 24, 2010

WWW Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading that answers these three questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you will start next?

CURRENTLY READING

Winter Wishes by Moira Rogers, Vivi Andrews, Vivian Arend

A woman has the Christmas Eve from Hell. Two cat shifters play naughty games. And a witch brings out the beast inside the man. The magic of the season takes on a whole new meaning in these three fantastic—and festive—novellas from some of the best voices in paranormal romance.

Anthology includes:
Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend
No Angel by Vivi Andrews
Freeze Line by Moira Rogers

The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger

When the young and beautiful Catherine Howard becomes the fifth wife of the fifty-year-old King Henry VIII, she seems to be on top of the world. Yet her reign is destined to be brief and heartbreaking, as she is forced to do battle with enemies far more powerful and calculating than she could have ever anticipated in a court where one wrong move could mean her undoing. Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart's desire in favor of her family's ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who sought to bring her down a most effective weapon-her own romantic past.

Still working on this one...:)


The Fury and Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries) by L.J. Smith

Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all—whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

JUST FINISHED

For my review click HERE

The Queen's Bastard (Inheritor's Cycle, Bk 1) by C.E. Murphy

In a world where religion has ripped apart the old order, Belinda Primrose is the queen’s secret weapon. The unacknowledged daughter of Lorraine, the first queen to sit on the Aulunian throne, Belinda has been trained as a spy since the age of twelve by her father, Lorraine’s lover and spymaster.
Cunning and alluring, fluent in languages and able to take on any persona, Belinda can infiltrate the glittering courts of Echon where her mother’s enemies conspire. She can seduce at will and kill if she must. But Belinda’s spying takes a new twist when her witchlight appears.
Now Belinda’s powers are unlike anything Lorraine could have imagined. They can turn an obedient daughter into a rival who understands that anything can be hers, including the wickedly sensual Javier, whose throne Lorraine both covets and fears. But Javier is also witchbreed, a man whose ability rivals Belinda’s own . . . and can be just as dangerous.
Amid court intrigue and magic, loyalty and love can lead to more daring passions, as Belinda discovers that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

UP NEXT

Dreams' Dark Kiss by Shirin Dubbin

They'll come for her tonight...

The ankou. A legion of nightmares, fugitive from the Dreaming, have set their sights on Ciaran Letang. She is the key to their darkest purpose. But Ciaran has been used before, and she won't let it happen again.

Keoni Maka patrols the dreamscape, keeping humankind safe. When he senses Ciaran's distress, he offers to fight by her side—forever. She accepts, but she has vowed not to let a man invade her heart, not even this one.

Together they must use their powers to stop the ankou pack leaders before they take dominion over the waking world. But will Keoni's own dream of saving tainted souls lead them right into a trap?

Teaser Tuesday: The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

Anne Basset and Lady Frances entered the room just then to help Jane and Catherine change for the banquet, and the conversation came to an abrupt end. But not without Catherine's having a vague premonition of something dark and very dangerous working its way into her soul as Anne placed a new pair of dancing slippers before her.~pg. 130

Review: The Queen's Bastard by C.E. Murphy

The Queen's Bastard

by C.E. Murphy

Publication Date: April 29, 2008

Rating: 2 STARS

(book was personally purchased by me)

BOOK BLURB (from Goodreads)

In a world where religion has ripped apart the old order, Belinda Primrose is the queen’s secret weapon. The unacknowledged daughter of Lorraine, the first queen to sit on the Aulunian throne, Belinda has been trained as a spy since the age of twelve by her father, Lorraine’s lover and spymaster.

Cunning and alluring, fluent in languages and able to take on any persona, Belinda can infiltrate the glittering courts of Echon where her mother’s enemies conspire. She can seduce at will and kill if she must. But Belinda’s spying takes a new twist when her witchlight appears.

Now Belinda’s powers are unlike anything Lorraine could have imagined. They can turn an obedient daughter into a rival who understands that anything can be hers, including the wickedly sensual Javier, whose throne Lorraine both covets and fears. But Javier is also witchbreed, a man whose ability rivals Belinda’s own . . . and can be just as dangerous.

Amid court intrigue and magic, loyalty and love can lead to more daring passions, as Belinda discovers that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

MY THOUGHTS

This book had me torn. Sometimes I absolutely HATED this book and the next I couldn't put it down. It was definitely a love-hate relationship. The main character Belinda Primrose confused me. I would feel so bad for her because her entire life she has been trained to be an assassin but she dreams about what it would be like to be normal and find love. Then she would do something so nasty and I would just be disgusted with her character. I had a tough time keeping everything straight with the different kingdoms and who ruled them and who fathered what child. So like I said, very torn about this book. I have decided that I most likely won't read the next book in this series anytime soon.

A Little Annoucement about Next Week

I will be having wrist surgery Monday. I have been having trouble with lots of pain in my wrist and they found that  two bones that should have grown together actually have a space between them and the two bones are rubbing together. So, they are going to place a bone graft between them and pin them together! Amazing what they can do now days! Definitely not how I wanted to spend my Thanksgiving but I am thankful for my very supportive family. I pray that this works because I am sure anything is better then what I have had to deal with

What that means for my blog is that I might be sporadic in my posting next week. I will post when I can, depending on how much I can do one handed! So please bear with me for the next week, I don't want to lose any of my old and new followers.

I appreciate each and every one of you!

In My Mailbox: November 14-20

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library. If interested please click the link above and sign up!

WON

from Brenda @ WV STITCHER

Testimony by Anita Shreve

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment. 

PAPERBACKSWAP

The Devil Inside (Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, Bk 1) by Jenna Black

Posession. Murder. Mayhem.Let the games begin...
Exorcism isn’t a job, it’s a calling—and a curse. Just ask Morgan Kingsley, a woman who has a stronger aura than any Demon. Or so she thought. Now, in a pair of black leather pants and a kick-ass tattoo, Morgan is heading back to Philadelphia after a nasty little exorcism—and her life is about to be turned upside down…by the Demon that’s gotten inside her.
Not just any Demon. Six foot five inches of dark, delicious temptation, this one is to die for—that is, if he doesn’t get Morgan killed first. Because while some humans vilify Demons and others idolize them, Morgan’s Demon is leading a war of succession no human has ever imagined. For a woman trying to live a life, and hold on to the almost-perfect man, being possessed by a gorgeous rebel Demon will mean a wild ride of uninhibited thrills, shocking surprises, and pure, unadulterated terror. . . .

GOODREADS

Daughter of Darkness by V.C. Andrews

When I was a little girl, Daddy told me never to fear the dark. “We exist because of the darkness,” he told me. “All of you are daughters of darkness.” Beloved bestselling author V.C. Andrews’s passion for vampires comes to spellbinding life in a long-awaited novel of dark desires as all-consuming—and forbidden—as in Flowers in the Attic. One night, with the sound of a young man’s scream, high school senior Lorelei discovers that her stern but loving father, who adopted Lorelei and her sisters as infants, is no ordinary man. He has raised his beautiful girls for one purpose: to lure young men into their world of shadows. Like her sisters, Lorelei has been trained in the art of seduction and warned never to fall in love. But when she meets a handsome and charming classmate, she boldly defies her family and follows her heart—even if love is a poison. . . .

On My Wishlist (2)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click HERE.

Here are three books that are on my wishlist...

The Fledgling Handbook 101 (House of Night) by P.C. Cast and Kim Doner

Merry meet, fledgling. Welcome to a new life, a new world, and a new you. Welcome to the House of Night!

This might seem like a scary time, Fledgling, but never fear! As you start your journey through the ancient halls of the House of Night, this indispensable handbook will aid you in your transition from human to fledgling. Within these pages you will find invaluable information about the history of vampyres.  You will also come to a better understanding of your body’s transformation, as well as read words of hope from great vampyres of the past and learn essential foundations of rituals and lore. Now, Fledgling, read on.  A new life awaits you; your path to that magickal future begins here! 

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel by Michelle Moran

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are more » taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian's sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts. 

Strange Angels (Strange Angels, Bk 1) by Lili St. Crow

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called "the touch." (Comes in handy when you're traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.) Then her dad turns up dead, but still walking, and Dru knows she's next. Even worse, she's got two guys hungry for her affections, and they're not about more » to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever -- or whoever -- is hunting her?