Blackbird

Kate Abbot is a unique and Reubenesque woman, one bent on bucking the customs of the day. She’s known grief and loss, and after burying her husband in England, she heads off to Barbados for a visit with her brother James and sister-in-law Abigail. They are all a-twitter over the impending visit of the Earl of Montcleve, Michael St. Claire, but Kate has some reservations as to his character, based on her dearly departed husband’s hunches. She is further shocked to find the reason for his visit.

When Kate sees a prisoner being horribly abused and beaten, she launches herself at the guard, defending the bound and chained prisoner. Her family is embarrassed and dismayed, but Kate will not be bound by the dictates of society, especially when the accepted behavior is wrong. And to make matters worse, she suddenly finds herself the captive of one of the very jailbirds she tried to save.

Colin Wyndham is a fine figure of a man, making his way in life as best as he can. The stigma of his parentage taints his existence, and he’s allied himself with pirates to earn a living. He’s seductive, wily, and breathtakingly handsome; Kate and he can’t help but to fall directly into lust.

Grace Draven’s Blackbird opens with a chilling murder and an accusation that leads readers on a merry chase from England’s chilly shores to the warmth of the water under a Caribbean sun. Highly charged and quick-witted, Blackbird soars with steamy passion and wonderfully developed characters. Kate and Colin are marvelous; they explode off the pages. Please, please, please let this just be the first installment, Ms. Draven; I need more Colin and Kate and another helping of this juicy storyline!

Reviewed by: Michelle