Genre: Historical
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Secret friends. Forbidden lovers. Some bonds aren’t meant to be broken.
Sir Henry Polglase—Polly to his friends—can’t afford to be distracted. Not even by the stunning Titus Kandel. He can’t confide to anyone why he really went into the dirty business of slave-trading. And when he forms a partnership with Titus’s vile master, he’s certain he’ll never be forgiven.
But fate has a way of intervening. Hearts, as well as fortunes, can be won on the turn of a card.
Gay historical romance from the Golden Age of Piracy, set in the world of Radcliffe’s epic Pirates of Port Royal series.
The Review
Titus Kandle (Ty) met Sir Henry Polglase (Polly) while awaiting the ship Batavia. Polly had mad a contract with Jonkheer Van Wyk, Ty’s cruel master. Polly and Ty become attracted to one other, and both hope for something more. Ty thinks Polly might finally be his path to freedom. Then Ty learns of Polly’s prosperous business with the Company of Royal Adventures Trading to Africa, which would permit slaves to be sold to English colonies.
Ty is angry with Polly about the slave trade issue – he feels betrayed. as freedom has always been his hope. Polly tries to make it clear that he is only interested in the transportation of the slaves, not the sale of them. But this does nothing to ease Ty’s anger.
After days of traveling on the Batavia, there’s another dinner, one where Captain Adriaenszoon is not in attendance. This is an insult to Jonkheer Van Wyk, but Polly has no issues with it. There are other ships officers in attendance, including purser Geelvinck and Oudshorne. Geelvinck had been witness to the first agreement between Van Wyk and Polly, where he became the a temporary Master to Ty.
With the Captain, who is against gambling, not in attendance, Polly starts a high-stakes game where the agreements could change, and the winner would take all. Polly shows his skills and genius of as he plots to secure the ultimate agreement. Ty watches it all unfold as his fate is in the balance.
Who will be victorious, who will lose? Will Ty finally to make a decision about his relationship with Polly? Or will it be too late for Polly and Ty to make amends, as a devastating storm presents a danger to them both?
Radcliffe brings us another exciting high seas adventure, filled with action easy to read. The danger of the storm and the peril of the Batavia keep the story moving and fill the narrative with tension.
I especially enjoyed Polly’s scenes with Ty, as he explains his plan for the slave trading. The wording of the semi-nonphysical love scene was just brilliant.
I highly recommend the “Pirates of Port Royal: Chevaliers & Charlatans” series, and I suggest reading the first book A Chevalier in Deed first. I can’t wait for book three, Castaways in the Caribbee.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
