Prize of My Heart

By Lisa Norato

Find & buy on

Captain Brogan Talvis, an ex-privateer, has spent three years searching for his young son because his deceased wife abandoned the boy while Brogan was at sea. Now, in 1815, Brogan has found his son living in Duxboro, Massachusetts, with a wealthy shipbuilder, Nathaniel Huntley, and his nineteen-year-old daughter, Lorena. Brogan’s scheme to abduct his son from his foster family goes awry when Lorena is kidnapped and taken aboard a ship bound for England. Although Brogan mistrusts Lorena, he gathers his crew and sets out to effect her rescue.

When Lorena first meets Brogan he is hit by a stone in the forehead and falls unconscious at her feet. Instead of worrying about his well-being, she frets about the cranberry tarts she recently baked. This scene sets the pattern for the rest of the book. Despite a kidnapping, a sea chase, and a threatened murder, the tensions are quickly resolved and the more mundane matters of life take priority. On the other hand, the themes of forgiveness and regeneration are strong, the characters are likeable, and the humor keeps the story moving. Those who enjoy a gentle romance may just find Norato’s debut novel to be their cup of tea.