Review: Fast paced high seas adventure
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2013
In Enslaved by the Ocean, the action starts right away. Indigo and Eric are stranded in the middle of the ocean and pirates are reportedly nearby, though not sighted. Days of drifting under the sun causes the pair to rejoice when they are able to catch the attention of a passing ship in the middle of the night. At least until they realize they have been captured by pirates.Indigo has had a rough life. Running from an abusive ex, once they run in to the pirates, she spends much of the rest of the book blaming herself for dragging Eric into the situation and trying to find a way to save his life, if not both of their lives. She had an impulsive streak throughout that sometimes helped her and sometimes made her troubles worse.Hendrix. What a pirate name. He fits the image of a pirate too. Long dark hair and eyes, pierced ears, jewelry, weapons. The captain of the ship upon which Indigo and Eric find themselves imprisoned, Hendrix is a bit of an enigma. Soon after we meet him, it is obvious that there's something going on behind the hard front he puts up. He is harsh and uncaring on the front, but several of his actions early on hint at something deeper.The relationship between Indigo and Hendrix contains a little bit of Stockholm syndrome, a little bit of her pattern (at one point before meeting the pirates, she mentions she likes men who have a rougher look to them), and a little bit of the right place at the right time, but a lot of chemistry. Initially I was worried that the captive/captor aspect of the relationship would make it uncomfortable, but the transition the characters go through to become lovers lessened that for me.Early on I found the side characters intriguing, particularly Drake and Jess. The entire cast of characters is a colorful bunch, as one would expect from pirates, though most are little more than names and brief glimpses in scenes in the ship. The pirates are generally described in romantic terms with a wooden mermaid on the bow of their ship and a pirate code, even though it is clearly identified as a present day scenario. While I'm not sure that's terribly reflective of true modern pirates, it worked for the story, and once I put real, modern pirates out of my mind I was able to enjoy the setting and storyline.This is the first book I've read by Bella Jewel. Its fast pace and continuing action kept me up late into the night. Being the first of a new series, it does end in a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's more a peek at the next book than a true cliffhanger. Once I stopped fighting the modern vs. romantic pirates, I settled in and enjoyed the ride. Several twists and turns later, Enslaved was finished and I was wishing the next book was out to learn how the epilogue plays out.Thanks to Bella Jewel for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.