Pearls of Fire
Meara Platt
Historical Victorian/Regency
Do the mysterious pearls with the red-gold color of the burning sun hold the key to love… or to a curse?
Emma Langdon’s life was changed by a kiss that never happened. Hugh Le Brecque, the handsome viscount meant to do the kissing never showed up, and Emma has been trying to forget him ever since. But when thieves break into her elegant home to steal a family heirloom known as the Pearls of Fire, a necklace she believes is cursed, Emma knows she must turn to Hugh for help. Her father, driven mad with grief, has run off after the thieves and Emma fears his life is now in danger. Can she trust Hugh to find her father? Or will he betray her for those mysterious pearls that shine with the brilliance of a red-gold flame and seem to hold a dark power over men?
Hugh Le Brecque, once a respected privateer in service of the Crown and English peer known as Viscount Brixham, is now a convicted pirate with no intention of hanging for a crime he did not commit. He has already made plans to seek revenge on the men who framed him when Emma Langdon storms back into his life, entering his cell and offering a bargain he cannot refuse – take her to the East Indies to help her find her father, and she will use her powerful connections to see his conviction overturned. A two hundred year old journal written by Emma’s ancestor who first acquired the Pearls of Fire is the only clue to her father’s whereabouts.
Will Hugh fall under the spell of these mysterious pearls? Or is Emma’s enchanting innocence the greater danger to his heart?
Uncaged Review: I love a good pirate book and love a good high seas adventure. Emma’s father has gone missing after her mother was murdered over a family treasure – the Pearls of Fire. Hugh, is a convicted pirate, convicted of crimes he didn’t commit, but languishing in a prison. With her money, she goes to Hugh to strike a deal. Help her find her father, and she’ll get him out of prison and get his ship out of impoundment. Hugh, once a respected man and former Viscount and heir to an earldom wants to prove his innocence – and he finds that Emma may be the one to help him. But it may not be as easy as he thinks to keep her at arms length, Emma being the woman he fell in love with, before he was a convicted criminal.
Emma is strong, stubborn and perfectly suited to take on Hugh.
The villians are truly despicable and the cast of supporting characters are worth remembering. A story with danger, secrets, laughter and intrigue, all in a well-paced story that will keep the reader turning the pages. A great addition to the Pirates of Britannia shared world. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
