Synopsis

Regency London

Caroline Gray’s third season in London society ends as badly as her first two—no marriage proposal, no suitor, not even a glimmer of an interested prospect. She suspects it’s because she is far too quick to speak her mind to men who are put off by her forthright opinions, her eager intellect backed by a formal education, and her unconventional ideas about the future. She is far more daring than demure to suit the taste of her class. Besides, Caroline thinks there will always be next season to find a husband.

However, her family’s dwindling income leaves Caroline with only one choice to secure her future: a one-way ticket to sail with the Fishing Fleet to India, where the son of a family friend waits. If the match doesn’t work, Caroline cannot return home.

Captain Thomas Scott loves the thrill of the open sea, and as commander of one of the ships of the Fishing Fleet, he ferries scores of young English girls to the shores of India to find husbands. The voyages pay well, but he struggles to understand why families would allow young women to be matched with total strangers so far away.

The trips have always been routine and uneventful—until this trip’s first night’s dinner with one Miss Caroline Gray. She engages in a lively political conversation, presenting opposing viewpoints to the conventionally opinionated gentlemen at her table. Captain Scott is secretly amused and delighted at her boldness, not to mention quite drawn to her beauty.

The rest of the passengers are shocked by her behavior and Caroline finds herself an outcast, suffering harsh judgments from the other passengers. However, she finds an unlikely ally in Captain Scott which quickly draws them closer.

Both know an arranged marriage awaits Caroline at the end of their voyage, yet the attraction between them is undeniable. Caroline will have to decide if she will honor her mother’s wishes and marry a man in India whom she has never met, thus securing a future for her and her mother, or be brave enough to throw convention to the wind and commit to love a sea captain. He may be enchanted by her bold and unconventional ways, but will his love and admiration last?

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Advance Praise

“A charming historical romance in which smarts and sass are vindicated.”— Foreword Reviews

“…a delightful, not exactly traditional Regency romance. Teen readers will enjoy this adventurous journey with its proactive heroine and exotic settings.”— Booklist, starred review

“An unconventional woman finds herself at home at sea in this stirring Regency from Julie Wright…This adventure is sure to entice fans of historical romance.”— Publishers Weekly

Review

Sometimes you just need a romance for that feel-good feeling and this one was a perfect fit for my reading mood.

It is fascinating to read how marriages and lives were in the Regency period. I feel bad for the women that lost pretty much everything when their husband died because they didn’t inherit the estate. This forces them to find other accommodations and they hope that they do not wear out their welcome with whomever they live with at this stage in their life.

Caroline is not like the other ladies seeking a husband. She is inquisitive and seeks knowledge and wants to be appreciated for her mind and not just be a wife that does not contribute to intellectual conversations and the like. She is most likely considered a bluestocking for that time. So far she hasn’t found that with any of the gentleman in England and possibly her last hope is to discover love with the son of a family friend that is living in India. She doesn’t expect to fall in love on the way to India with Thomas, the captain of the ship. I enjoyed the banter between the two and they both learning how to interact without jumping to the wrong conclusions as was wont to happen.

There is a bit of an adventure throughout the book. There is the three month journey to India from England, the storms they encountered, the pettiness of some of the ladies on the ship, and exploring and enjoying India once they arrived. We also find Caroline standing up for a young boy on the ship and endearing nearly all of the crew to her as she talks to them, asks questions, and is able to sketch a likeness of them to send home to mothers and wives.

I do think that there needed to be an epilogue…what happened with Caroline and Thomas? There is the indication of a happily ever after, but what exactly happened?

An enjoyable book and we give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the hang of this writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating writing, hiking, playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise but has a healthy respect for ice cream.

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