Captain’s Price by Lyla Sinclair
Ellora’s Cave
Historical
ISBN: 9781419930034
Reviewed by Val




When sheltered, young Julianna Burton disguised herself as a boy and joined the crew of the Redemption to work off her passage to the New World in search of a childhood sweetheart, she knew she was taking a gamble.  Exactly what was at stake didn’t become completely clear until she found herself a week outside Portsmouth, stripped naked and tied to the captain’s bed post.

One look at those wide, brown eyes told Captain Drew Price he was in for a rough voyage.  What with a fractious crew, a cargo of whores, and the ever-present threat of pirates, he had plenty of worries without adding a devilishly tempting stowaway to the mix.  But the captain had to maintain order on his ship and if that meant keeping the beautiful innocent locked in his cabin, so be it.  Besides, he had promised himself he wouldn’t take her maidenhood and he was a man of his word.  Oh, but those auburn curls and luscious curves seemed perfectly designed to thwart all his best intentions… and he had warned her she’d still have to work off her passage.

In Captain’s Price, Lyla Sinclair takes the time-honored tale of the captain’s virginal captive and gives it new life.  With a light touch and a lot of humor, she spins a story with familiar outlines, but full of welcome surprises.

The story is told in passages alternating between Julianna’s perspective and excerpts from the Captain’s journal.  It’s an engaging way to experience their longings and frustration as each is torn between promises made and their growing attraction. The device also adds a much-needed extra dimension to the Captain.  On the outside, Drew Price may be a standard-issue darkly brooding hero, but his journals hint at a sensitive inner life that is only gradually revealed to Julianna.

For her part, Julianna may start out as a naïve little thing, but she’s a fast learner and far from helpless.  Her progression from prisoner to partner is believable and her eventual recognition of her own power had me cheering.

The interplay between the two is appealing in its give and take and the romance is a rare blend of sexy and sweet.  All in all, I’d call Captain’s Price a gamble well worth taking.