Temptation on the High Seas in Stephanie Laurens’ A Buccaneer at Heart

Stephanie Laurens’ The Adventurer’s Quartet series tells the story of four brothers, all captains in their own right, meant to take up separate parts of a mission on behalf of the British monarchy. The first book, The Lady’s Command, saw Declan Frobisher fall for Edwina, a woman he believes to be as traditional as she is beautiful. Instead, he finds himself married to an unconventionally outspoken woman who demands to be taken on his adventures with him—during which they discover a terrifying threat at the heart of colonial Africa.
A Buccaneer at Heart continues the tale of the kidnappings in Freetown, West Africa. After Declan and Edwina return home, they inform his brother, captain Robert Frobisher, of the illicit dealings of the slavers in Freetown whom they suspect are kidnapping residents, and whose lair they were unable to find. Robert has one mission: find the slaver’s lair, and anyone connected to it, and return those names and locations to the British crown.
Actually, he has two missions: find the slaver’s den of iniquity, and then find himself a wife.

After years of being kissed only by briny ocean spray, Robert has decided it is time to settle down, and build a true home for himself back in London—with a proper woman to run it. Of course, that all changes when Robert meets Aileen Hopkins, who proves to be just as feisty and free-willed as the woman his brother fell for. (These Frobisher men definitely have a taste for women with sharp tongues and quick minds.)
Aileen has travelled to Freetown to the disappointment of her traditional family, who had hoped she would have settled down by now, but she has a good reason—she’s searching for her brother, Will, who is one of the missing residents. When Robert’s quest to find the kidnappers and Aileen’s mission to find her brother converge, they find a steady anchor in their desire for one another; but not everything is calm seas when protecting the one he loves could—and does—jeopardize Robert’s mission.
The romance between Robert and Aileen is definitely a slow burn (they don’t meet until almost a fourth of the way through this quite robust novel!) but Laurens juggles the tension of the slaver’s plot and the bourgeoning attraction between them with a subtle hand. Aileen’s impulsivity and heart is a likable foil to Robert’s stoic determinism, and while the steamy scenes are outweighed by the larger plot, they are worth the wait.

Without giving away the ending, we do of course meet the next Frobisher brother who will take on the following phase of the Freetown mission: Caleb, Robert’s younger and most irresponsible brother, and I have to admit that the few chapters in which he was present were my favorite! His starring turn in The Adventurer’s Quartet, The Daredevil Snared, publishes in June 2016, so there isn’t long to wait!
A Buccaneer at Heart takes you deep into the jungles of colonial Africa, where tensions rise as high as treetops, villains can appear to be trustworthy, and the most unconventional of women can prove to be the only one worthy of a stubborn sea Captain’s love.
A Buccaneer at Heart is in stores now!