325 Pages
Ransom Press
January 15, 2024
ISBN: 979-8989604616
I have enjoyed all the Legacy of the King’s Pirates books, but The Resolute is my absolute favorite. The cover enticed me immediately and captured the essence of the main character Captain Cadan Hayes, then the story snared me from the first sentence. Gabrielle literally hits the floor running, and her life is never the same. Author MaryLu Tyndall does an excellent job of mixing action, adventure, and romance (a sort of 17th century Indiana Jones).
Cadan and Gabrielle are highly complex characters with deep-seated issues they grapple with through the entire book. Just when you think neither is redeemable, they begin to change bit by bit. Cadan is the quintessential pirate without being cliché, and Gabrielle is a combination of high society and down-to-earth. The book can probably be described as “edgy,” and the author pushes “the line,” (we are talking piracy, after all) but keeps things clean.
The book takes place in 1696, a period of time I know little about. The author sprinkles information throughout the story that pushes the plot along, but also educates the reader about the slave industry, piracy, mercenaries, and the type of ships sailing the oceans at this time. Terms are used but in a context that allows the reader to figure out what it means without having to be explained. Especially thrilling is one of the battles between Caden and his enemy, as I was able to visualize the work it took to maneuver a huge ship.
Cadan goes head-to-head with Gabrielle, and he isn’t quite sure how to handle her because she is nothing like his preconceived notions about “ladies of class.” She gets under his skin which alternately angers and intrigues him. I love the relationship between he and Pell, a former preacher who has chosen a life of piracy. Soot is delightful, and his soft side is seen with the use of his pet rabbit. The villains are truly villainous, and I wanted them to receive their comeuppance.
The battle scenes are well executed and descriptive without being gory, but by the end I was ready for them to be a bit shorter. The ending is wonderful, and included twists I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended.
About the Book
Pregnant, in prison, and about to be hanged for piracy, Lady Gabrielle Hyde has lost all faith in God, man, and life itself. Unlike her wildly adventurous family, all Gabrielle ever wanted was to settle down with a good man and have a bevy of wee ones. Then how did she end up about to take her last breath at the end of a rope?
Captain Cadan Hayes despises women of noble birth. Betrayed by his wife and her lover, he spent five long years as a prisoner-slave on Barbados. Now, as a fierce and successful pirate, he longs to enact revenge on the man who ruined his life.
When Cadan discovers that Gabrielle carries the son of his enemy, he captures her to use as bait. What he didn’t expect was that the lady would be the one to trap him!
Ship battles, sword fights, kidnappings, and a hunt for lost pirate treasure send the couple on a wild adventure that could either grant them their hearts’ desire or end up in disaster for them both.
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