Gabriella and Gil venture out onto the high seas in search of adventure. Little did they know that love would be the greatest adventure they’d encounter.
What’s it About?
You may take my body, but you will never take my soul. At twenty-two years of age, beautiful Gabriella Taylor felt as if life was passing her by. She feared, in the end, she would be forced to settle for a man she did not love. Would such a man understand her adventurous nature and allow her the freedom she so needed? Highly unlikely. An unexpected voyage to the French Coast would change everything.
Lord Gilbert Ramsay rarely paid attention to the many women who would look his way. Eager to follow in his father’s political footsteps, Gil’s focus was on understanding the plight of the common man hoping to one day represent them. He would trade his London fineries and join the crew of a merchant ship, his identity hidden from the others, of course. Never did he expect to meet the likes of Gabriella Taylor.
Knowing it was wrong, Gabriella was drawn to the handsome but irritating crewman. He was like no man she had ever met. Gil, although initially annoyed with the spirited girl, could not help but be intrigued. What began as an exciting journey of emotional awakenings for Gabriella, would turn into a harrowing ordeal. Taken by ruthless pirates, she would face the challenge of her life, wondering if she would ever see her family or Gil again. It would seem her wish for adventure had become painfully true. Oceans from home, she would need all her courage and that of a gorgeous sailor to help her make it back to the life she so wants.
First Impressions
Gabriella has grown up surrounded by love. Her parents are the guiding force to demonstrate that true love is not only possible, but also long-lasting. Her brother William has also found his own romance with his wife, Alexa, showing that love can be full of passion and excitement. Being in the presence of such loving couples is an inspiration to Gabriella, yet ironically also fills her with melancholy as she wonders why she hasn’t fallen in love yet herself. Surely if she hasn’t found romance yet, it couldn’t possibly be meant for her, right? Her wise mother knows that Gabriella is simply longing for more from life, and thinks a trip across the sea is just what she needs. Little did she know that she’d be sending Gabriella into the arms of the future love of her life, not to mention the arms of some cutthroat pirates. Even though it takes some time before Gabriella and Gil cross paths on this ill-fated journey across the English Channel, once they do it becomes nearly impossible to put this book down.
You can’t help but wonder how everything will proceed following Gabriella’s abduction. Will she be violated by the wealthy foreigner who has purchased her? Will Gil succeed in rescuing her from the Moroccan harem she’s found herself in? And most importantly, will these two young lovers ever admit how much they truly care about each other? It’s an enchanting read, but one thing I wish we could have seen more of was the journey of Gabriella and Gil falling in love. After meeting on the ship, they have an initial animosity towards each other which isn’t fully explained, but is delightful nonetheless. They try to convince themselves they can’t stand to be around each other, but we all know that’s far from the truth. After spending one evening staring at the starry night sky together it seems as though they suddenly fall head over heels. As the story progresses we don’t doubt their devotion to each other, but it feels like we missed a bit of their romantic tale.
Another Side of the Story
When we look beyond the romance between Gabriella and Gil, we notice some other interesting aspects of the story which bring an emotional depth to the plot. Perhaps most fascinating was when Gabriella found herself trapped in the harem of the man who purchased her from her pirate captors. She’s desperate to escape, and hopes that the many wives of her new captor will assist her in finding her way back to Gil. Surprisingly though, she discovers that these women are actually happy to be where they are, and try to convince her how lucky she is to have been brought into this world.
For Gabriella, and even for us as the reader, it seems like a barbaric land she’s found herself in, yet for these women they live like queens, and are pleased nightly by their handsome and sexually talented master. They don’t seek rescue like she does, and instead view the outside world as a cruel place with no one to protect them. It was an eye-opening juxtaposition that presented us with a situation we didn’t necessarily have to agree with, but rather could appreciate that some people are happy in the different lives they lead.
*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*
Series: Taylor series, book 3. It’s sad to see this series end!
Final Impressions: This novel proves to be a sweet, final conclusion to a series which has taken us on a journey across time. I love how this third book incorporates the couples from the first two books, and at the very end we manage to come full circle back to how the series first started all the way back in book one. We might see the most exciting plot in this final story, what with pirates and exotic foreign lands for our characters to encounter, but when all is said and done I think the romance from book one still remains my favorite. The author succeeds to combine heartfelt sentiment with painful loss in each novel, and I can’t help but let the tears flow every time. Again, I wish we could have seen a bit more focus on Gabriella and Gil falling in love, but at the end of the day it was a fun and sweet read that has you on the edge of your seat, yet also sighing in delight.
Smut Level: There may not be many love scenes in this historical romance, but the ones we do get are delightfully steamy. Let’s just say Gabriella picks up a few pointers from the ladies of the Moroccan harem, and Gil is eventually quite thankful that Gabriella was such a dedicated student. .
Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $2.99 Kindle Price. Self-Published. 361 Pages
Romance Novels for the Beach 