Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
It’s 1796 and not only is love between men taboo, it is punishable by death. Lt. David Archer is an officer in His Majesty’s Navy and a gentleman of Regency Society. He is also hopelessly in love with his shipmate, Lt. William Marshall. David is certain that his feelings, if expressed, would be met with revulsion. Afraid of losing the strong friendship that he has forged with William, he vows to never speak of or act on his desire, promising himself to take the secret to his grave.

Although William is young, his innate talent has allowed him to quickly rise above his humble background and gain a reputation as a promising officer. The Royal Navy is his world, and in that world there is no room for anything as frivolous as romance.

Then, in a twist of fate, the two men are abducted by a ruthless pirate who finds pleasure in toying with his captives. Thrown together in close quarters and wondering if they will survive, they’re are faced with some difficult choices. William struggles with his growing feelings for David and, try as he might to dismiss them, he can’t. When David makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect the man he loves, the reason for it is clear and the passion that the men have denied for so long is realized for the first time.

Before the lovers can have any sort of life together, they must first escape. After that, they face an even greater challenge ~ is their love strong enough to survive a clandestine life under the ever-present threat of the Navy’s implacable Articles of War?

BOOK REVIEW:
I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was a very well-done, with rich descriptions, in-depth characterization, historical adventure, and a touching love story.

The characterization was very well-done, in my opinion. William, for all his worldly and naval experience, is surprisingly innocent in the face of evil ~ and I loved him all the more for it. With everything Davy had endured in his life, I felt the pain of his disillusionment but also the joy when he began to cautiously believe in his own worth; Davy really touched my heart, although I felt Will was the slightly more complex character. These were not one dimensional characters by any means. Even some of the villains on the ship were shown as having a conscience, despite the criminal element. The secondary characters were also drawn very well ~ a superb cast all around, in my opinion.

Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the detailed and rich descriptions. Rowan brought every scene to life so vividly and kept the pace of the plotting tight enough that I felt fully immersed in the story, which was a true joy. The intrigue and action of the kidnapping and subsequent escape plans provided a nice balance to the relationship development between Will and Davy. Also, the language and the descriptions felt very authentic and well-researched, although I should add here that when it comes to eighteenth century ships I might not know the difference.

I also loved how Rowan showed the caring between Will and Davy, and that when the love scenes came, they were just that: love scenes. Full of emotion and fitting the relationship between the two men as well as the story, I thought these scenes were done just beautifully. Additionally (and without spoiling anything), I thought the ending was very fitting, which contributed to my overall enjoyment.

Ultimately, I found this story to be emotionally satisfying and very moving, as well as an interesting historical adventure with just the right amount of intrigue and action. I would highly recommend this read ~ you won't be disappointed!

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