And the sailor said, "Esmee, you're a fine girl. What a good wife you would be . . . But but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea." (To slightly misquote a song that was running through my head at the beginning of the book).
Frantz does an excellent job setting the scene and exploring new aspects of colonial life. The chocolatiering was completely new for me, as with life in Virginia at the start of the French and Indian War--all I'd known before of the war took place farther north, primarily in New York. I really enjoyed the privateering aspect of the book; it's not a subject one sees often, especially as authorized by the colonial government (and technically king of England). I hadn't realized it played a significant role in the French and Indian War. Aspects of the story reminded me of the swashbuckling classic Captain Blood, which I have long enjoyed.
This was a solid, faith-filled story, besides being a lovely example of a second chance at love. I would have preferred more tension , particularly nearing the end. It could have used a little more lead-up to the final conflict; not that it came completely out of the blue, but there hadn't been any major tension leading up to it, so it didn't feel particularly necessary to the plot. I did like the scene, however, especially for Eliza's character arc, but some foreboding and tension in advance would have made it a really solid ending rather than a tacked-on, last-minute conflict.
Thank you Revell and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
