The swashbuckling pirate hero Jack Sparrow of the Pirates on the Caribbean films is a very appealing character to many people – especially among a few of my female friends. The box office receipts don’t lie! I bet more people associate Johnny Depp with this character than any other he has played? I guess I shouldn’t underestimate the appeal of a lawless (and charismatic) pirate sailing the Seven Seas looking for treasure.
Which got me thinking about similar fun pirate tales in our collection that readers may enjoy for a bit of summer escape reading. Not too surprising is that many of our pirate fiction titles are romantic, so I decided to focus on these types of stories.
Listed below are several titles that feature an appealing pirate with a romantic storyline.
“Hoping to make enough money to marry the girl he left behind in Virginia and regain the holding that was taken from his family back in Scotland, Logan Haggerty hopes his ship won’t be attacked by pirates in the Caribbean. Instead it’s attacked by the notorious pirate Red Robert. Taken prisoner, Logan is intrigued by his captor, especially after he discovers Red Robert is a woman in disguise. Curiously, they have much in common. Both Logan and Bobbie’s families were murdered by the same man, Blair Colm, whose sadistic traits were put to good use under the aegis of William of Orange. They were both sent to the American colonies and sold as indentured servants. But Logan’s life has been good, while Bobbie’s is a misery. They remain at odds until they are shipwrecked. With wonderful romance, swashbuckling swordsmanship, and winning characters, Drake’s pirate adventure has it all.” – Booklist
“Pirate Kit Frazier returns to England to find that being on land is even more dangerous than at sea, especially when he’s beguiled by a beauty who will do anything to escape the dire circumstances of her life” – Publisher
“Fleeing an arranged marriage after he sees the devastating effect his greedy father’s similarly manipulative schemes had on his brother, Richard Allen takes to the high seas and becomes Jean Paul, a notorious French pirate. Years later a mission takes him back to England, where he encounters Julia Miller, his fiancee since childhood. They recognize each other, and their dormant mutual hatred comes to life. Then a vicious act of treachery changes everything and sends Julia to Jean Paul’s rescue and, eventually, into his arms. Verdict Combining witty banter, colorful, intriguing characters, and seductive passion, Lindsey’s historical romances are legendary, and this one is no exception.” Library Journal
“A child bride, Sara Winchester had grown into a winsome beauty, joyfully anticipating the day when her husband Nathan, Marquess of St. James, would return to claim her heart at last. Charmingly innocent, she dismissed the ancient feud that divided Nathan’s family from her own…and she was totally unaware of his past exploits as the notorious pirate, Pagan. The man who now stood before her was perplexing, arrogant and powerfully handsome…a warrior-gentleman whose gentle touch aroused her to the wildest, deepest pleasures of love. Nathan had never bared his soul to any woman, but he was soon utterly beguiled and exasperated by Sara’s sweet, defiant ways. Aboard his ship, The Seahawk, she was brave, imperious and determined to win his heart completely — yet upon their return to England, her love would be sorely tested as a vile conspiracy tried to tear them apart. With their future at stake, they would discover the true destiny of their passion…for all time!”” – Publisher
“Adventure on the high seas has never been so thrilling…especially when the treasure at stake is one girl’s heart. When sixteen-year-old Annalisa Townsend’s ship is set upon by pirates in search of her father’s treasure, one of the crew, James Sterling, discovers her in the hold. When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother. He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace. A fair trade, m’lady, he tells her afterward, before disappearing. A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the pirates and reclaiming the treasure they stole. But when she finally catches up with the wretched James Sterling and the young pirate becomes her captive, she discovers she’s in danger of him stealing something far more valuable this time: her heart.” – Publisher
