Taken by the Pirate Tycoon uses some of the same characters and back story as The Timber Baron’s Virgin Bride but isn’t as enjoyable. Samantha owns a construction business that deals with Bryn Donovan’s lumber company and she and he are good business friends. Samantha would have liked a closer relationship but the two never dated nor had there been any indication that Bryn felt anything more than friendship.
Bryn’s new brother-in-law, Jase, sees Samantha give Bryn a kiss in the receiving line at his wedding and the momentary look of regret on her face, and jumps immediately to suspect that Sam is out to destroy his sister’s marriage and that Sam and Bryn had a past affair. Neither is true but that doesn’t stop our dashing pirate hero!
Frankly the book left me cold about this time. Jase takes Sam out a couple of times, to the beach, to his family’s home, and they develop a business relationship, all the while he believes she hankers after Bryn. Jase himself is intrigued with Sam’s icy exterior that he suspects covers a warm and vulnerable personality, but it doesn’t stop him from continuing to suspect an affair.
Sister Rachel tells Jase that she saw Bryn kiss Sam – when he kissed her on the cheek – and Jase blows this up to Bryn making love to Sam in his office and goes on a tirade with Sam. This is where I’d tell the guy to take a hike and it is hard to see how Sam could continue falling in love with him.
Eventually things resolve themselves but Jase never apologizes for his nasty suspicions. The story is OK but not particularly satisfying. Unlike some of her earlier novels Ms. Clair does not develop the characters very well or with any depth. I didn’t feel as though Sam or Jase were real people or that I was right there with them as we do with the best romances.
There is also nothing particularly enticing about the setting. Bryn visits Jase’s farm family home and it seems nice but not memorable or even interesting. Since I’ve never been to New Zealand I enjoy reading about the scenery, about the beaches and small towns and cities and mountains and it’s simply not there in Taken by the Pirate Tycoon.
Taken by the Pirate Tycoon is OK but nothing special. I bought my copy from Thriftbooks and Amazon offers both the Kindle and paperback editions.
2 Stars
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