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In 1800s New Orleans, there is an underworld that polite society doesn’t talk about—one where female slaves are raised for the purpose of pleasing their protectors and sold to the highest bidder. Isabelle Gayerre has known most of her life that she’s destined to be another one of these women. But still, the deep seated faith in her heart rebels, and she seizes the chance to run away from that life at any cost, even if it means appealing to the son of the man who’s purchasing her. Josiah Carter is trying to outpace the demon of his past—his father. He has bought an old slaving ship and intends to redeem it by using it to set free his brother, who he is determined will not be ruined by Reverend Carter as he was. Getting the lad to England would probably have been easier, though, had he not taken on unwanted passengers in the form of Isabelle Gayerre, her half-sister, and said sister’s friend. Their passage fare will be the final payment for the Jude, though, so he welcomes them aboard. But when a fire on the docks of New Orleans forces them out of port before the payment can be made and Josiah nearly looses his life in the escape, he has to wonder what trouble the beautiful sea siren has brought with her. Beloved Castaway is a thrilling period novel that’ll toss you straight into the heart of a shadowed world intriguing in its many secrets. Trouble after trouble is heaped upon Josiah and Isabelle in their respective searches for freedom, keeping the action moving and the suspense high. My main complaint about this novel is that I felt it promised something in the beginning that wasn’t delivered as I expected. I’m not sure exactly what, except that the man I wanted to hate as a villain didn’t seem believable as a villain when we were reading his point of view, and so some of the impact was lost for me later. The action does also slow down when the crew reaches Fairweather Key, understandably. But the rich settings themselves are enough to interest me in reading further novels in this series, and the writing was fantastic. Overall, Beloved Castaway is an enjoyable read that’ll suck you straight into a world-gone-by. Fans of Kathleen Y’Barbo won’t want to miss her newest series. Publisher: Barbour |
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