RANSOME’S HONOR is the first in the Ransome trilogy by Kaye Dacus. At the onset, we watch as Julia Witherington anxiously awaits a proposal from William Ransome, a prodigy of her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington. When her dreams are dashed, she vows never to forgive William. She leaves England for her family’s sugar plantation in Jamaica. It becomes her home and the love of her life.
Skip ahead twelve years. Julia is visiting England at the same time Captain William Ransome has come to port for reassignment and to see to the repairs to his ship the Alexandra. Their paths cross on several occasions and try as she might, Julia finds herself once again drawn to the dashing William Ransome, while William’s decision of twelve years prior continues to haunts him. His feelings for Julia were always strong, but without wealth or title to offer her, he felt he had no right to her hand.
When Julia finds herself being pressured into a betrothal to her unscrupulous cousin so that he can inherit her substantial dowry and her family’s wealth, she turns to William and offers him a business agreement. A marriage of convenience. If he will agree to marry her, she will give him her dowry and consent to an annulment in one year’s time. Then, she will be free to return to Tierra Dulce, and live out her life in Jamaica.
I enjoyed RANSOME’S HONOR, though I felt the first half of the book moved a little slower than I would’ve liked. I continued reading because of the conflict the back cover promised. I’m glad I did. I breezed through the second half of the book, the momentum of the story carrying me quickly to the end. Of course, the formula of the book was typical of any true romance novel, but Kaye Dacus delivered it in a fresh new way. While most Regency novels speak with the voice of society’s elite, Ms. Dacus chose instead to write with the voice of those who’s lives and loves made up the Royal Navy. A refreshing read. I look forward to the rest of the series.
No comments:
Post a Comment