Review: Regency Romance and Adventure on the High Seas aboard the Wind Raven
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2014
The Wind Raven sails from London to Baltimore in 1817 by way of Bermuda and the Caribbean and sets a course for adventure and romance along the way.Captain Jean Nicholas Powell and his crew have their hands full when an American demands passage across the Atlantic to return to her family. Everyone knows women on ships mean bad luck, and Tara McConnell brings the reluctant captain more worries than a man of the period could expect. Not only does the spirited Tara know her way around a ship and crew - she grew up sailing with her family and she loves the sea - but Tara also brings Nick's heart to bear what every romance reader wants to cheer for.What I liked about the book: Walker drew the Wind Raven as a character, carefully integrating the setting with all the characters and the period. As the captain and crew manage a hurricane at sea the tension of Nick and Tara's relationship begins to build as well. I particularly liked Sam, the ship's cat and thought Walker gave each crew member a distinct personality integral to the story. The cook McGinnis was one of my favorites with his Irish fairy tales that foreshadow Nick's fate.From Bermuda to the Caribbean on an errand for the Prince Regent, The Wind Raven runs up against Pirate Roberto Cofresi who shows Nick exactly how much Tara means to his heart when the outlaw abducts her.I especially loved the period details - I could taste the exotic foods, feel the waves below the deck, and see the incredible sunsets the characters witnessed. After reading Wind Raven I feel as if I've been on a voyage myself.What I didn't like about the story: It took Nick a while to make his character arc - but this fit perfectly with the mores of the time period. A typical man, he tortured poor Tara's heart, and didn't even know why she resisted him. Ah, the elegance of a well-written romance.All told I highly recommend Wind Raven as a stand-alone story, but the biggest treat I found for falling in love with this story is it's the third novel in Walker's Agents of the Crown series - I'll definitely be reading more of her work.Treat yourself to a Regency Romance filled with a voyage of adventure.Disclosure: I received an ARC of Wind Raven in exchange for my honest opinion.