Series: Bridgerton Prequels/Rokesbys (Book 3)
She was in the wrong place...
Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton
will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own. Sadly,
none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on
the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers'
hideaway tucked inside a cave. But her delight turns to dismay when two pirates
kidnap her and take her aboard a ship, leaving her bound and gagged on the
captain's bed…
He found her at the wrong time...
Known to society as a rascal and reckless privateer,
Captain Andrew James Rokesby actually transports essential goods and documents
for the British government. Setting sail on a time-sensitive voyage to
Portugal, he's stunned to find a woman waiting for him in his cabin. Surely,
his imagination is getting the better of him. But no, she is very real -- and
his duty to the Crown means he's stuck with her.
Can two wrongs make the most perfect right?
When Andrew learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he
will likely have to wed her to avert a scandal -- though Poppy has no idea that
he is the son of an earl and neighbor to her aristocratic cousins in Kent. On
the high seas, their war of words soon gives way to an intoxicating passion.
But when Andrew's secret is revealed, will his declaration of love be enough to
capture her heart…?
Good continuation of the adventures of the Rokesby and
Bridgerton families. In this book, third son Andrew meets his match in the form
of Poppy Bridgerton. Andrew appeared in the first book (Because of Miss Bridgerton) as a rogue and a flirt. He's
light-hearted and cheerful, and no one in his family suspects that he is a
spy/courier working for the British government. In this book, Andrew has a time-sensitive
mission to Portugal. Beneath the cheerful exterior is a man who is deadly
serious about carrying out his duties. There is also a small part of him that
is weary of the demands that keep him away from his family, and he ponders the
idea of giving it up and moving on to a more settled life.
Poppy Bridgerton is a woman who knows her own mind. She is
independent and a bit impulsive, intelligent and forthright. She's had two Seasons,
but none of the men she met have lived up to her exacting expectations. She
escapes for a while to visit a friend, where she can take long walks and think
about her future. On one walk she stumbles across a smugglers' cave filled with
booty. Unfortunately for her, it also contained two pirates who were determined
to keep her from revealing what she knows. They tie her up and take her aboard
ship, where they leave her on the captain's bed for him to deal with.
I thoroughly enjoyed Poppy's encounter with Brown and
Green, the two pirates in the cave. She talked rings around them, but it still
wasn't enough to keep them from kidnapping her. Andrew's shock at finding her
in his cabin was nothing compared to the shock he got when he found out who she
was. He knew he was fortunate that they had never met, considering how close
their families are - especially with her cousin Billie married to his brother
George. I'm not sure why he didn't tell her who he was from the start, but it
certainly made for some entertaining moments. He also knows that there is a
good chance he will have to marry her to prevent a scandal.
I loved the development of the relationship between Poppy
and Andrew. Poppy is, of course, upset about her abduction and worried about
the effect it would have on her family, friends, and reputation. However, nothing
she says convinces the captain to set her free, though he does allow her to
send a letter to her friend with a story that will keep her family in the dark.
I loved the back-and-forth between Poppy and Andrew as she pleads her case, and
he counters every argument. I was impressed with her acceptance of her
confinement, intelligent enough to realize that it was for her safety. I could
also feel her frustration at being on an "adventure" and yet bored
out of her mind. The only bright spots were meals with Andrew when their
conversations ran the gamut of subjects. Andrew was impressed and intrigued by
her intelligence and curiosity and finds that he wants to find ways to counter
that boredom. Poppy responds as she realizes that he is a kind and decent man
despite being a pirate and kidnapper. I loved watching them grow closer over
that week.
Things look fairly promising between them since Andrew at
least knows that they are a suitable match. But things go sideways when they
reach Portugal. Andrew's attempt to give Poppy a pleasant interlude off the
ship ends up with them both as captives. The situation is intense as Andrew
bargains for Poppy's release, tells her the truth of why he is there, and sends
her off to his contact for help. That scene was pretty funny as Poppy's
stubbornness was no match for the needs of King and Country. I ached for Poppy,
who was returned to England, not knowing if Andrew was safe or not. As a
reader, you know very well that trouble is just around the corner when Andrew
arrives at his parents' home, determined to stay only long enough to discover
where Poppy is, not knowing that she and her family are coming to dinner that
very night. That dinner scene was fantastic, with the soup incident being one of
my favorites in the whole book. I loved Andrew's big moment and how they came
together. The epilogue was terrific, too.
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