Product Description

The necklace promised great happiness or great tragedy -- and nobody could elude its power . . .

To British privateer Ethan Sharpe, Grace Chastain was nothing but a pawn for vengeance against Harmon Jeffries, the traitor responsible for his brutal years in prison. Believing Grace to be Jeffries' mistress, he plans to humiliate his enemy by seducing her.

Grace fears her priceless heirloom necklace has begun to live up to its curse when Captain Sharpe makes her his prisoner aboard his schooner. Defiantly she resists his coarse advances, and suspects there is more to this complex sea captain than his brooding anger and silent accusations.

But Ethan quickly realizes that she is not the wicked woman he imagined her to be. Grace is as headstrong as she is lovely, and the battle of wills that ensues weakens his resolve. Now Ethan must decide: can he settle the demons of his past and follow the destiny his heart commands?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101622 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 416 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780778321996
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Full of spirited romance and nefarious skullduggery, the second volume of bestseller Martin's Regency trilogy (after The Bride's Necklace) centers on Capt. Ethan Sharpe, a British privateer determined to punish Harmon Jeffries, Viscount Forsythe, a convicted traitor whom he believes to be responsible for his years of imprisonment in France and the death of many of his crew members. Sharpe's search for Jeffries leads him to Grace Chastain, Jeffries's illegitimate daughter, who, contrary to his expections, proves to be a gently reared young woman possessed of a courageous spirit and intense family loyalty. To his horror, Sharpe finds himself falling in love with her. Complicating matters is Grace's friendship with the wife of Ethan's best friend, who managed to secure Ethan's prison release. Lively emotional skirmishes between these two strong-willed characters propel the plot toward one of Martin's trademark nail-biting endings. (Aug.)
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Review
"Kat Martin dishes up sizzling passion and true love, then she serves it with savoir faire." -- Los Angeles Daily News

"Kat Martin is one of the best authors around! She has an incredible gift for writing." -- Literary Times

About the Author
New York Times Bestselling author Kat Martin lives in Montana and has written over 20 novels. She is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and History. Look for her next historical romance available soon from Pocket Books. Visit her website at www.katbooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Splendid - Stand-Alone Sequel to Trilogy
Setting - London 1805 --- Ethan Sharpe, is a British privateer whose innermost goal in life was to see Harmon Jeffries, the traitor responsible for his brutal years in prison and the vicious deaths of his crew punished. To that end, when he discovered the person who aided Jeffries, was a woman by the name of Grace Chastain, and believing her to be Jeffries' mistress, he raided a ship she was on, captured and brought her back to his own ship where he planned to humiliate his enemy by seducing his woman.

Grace had to aid the man that all thought was a traitor; she couldn't let him hang even knowing that her life would be forfeit should she be caught. When she was captured by the brooding sea captain with murder in his eyes, Grace thought the priceless heirloom necklace, given to her by her best friend, promising either great happiness or great tragedy to the wearer was certainly living up to the latter part of the legend as she was forced to resist the coarse advances of the boorish and crude sea captain.

During the voyage, as Ethan finally came to believe that the woman was not who he imagined her to be and was beginning to admire her spunk and courage, the seduction he planned became his hearts desire. After one totally blissful and sensually exciting encounter, and Ethan realized she was an innocent, Grace explained away her connection to Jeffries. Totally dismayed by this revelation, Ethan would have to decide if he could lay aside his vengeance long enough to come to terms with and follow his heart's desire or let hatred rule his life.

*** This was a smashing sequel to Martin's newest trilogy that started with THE BRIDE'S NECKLACE. The main protagonists torment was vividly written and forcefully brought home in this tremendously emotional and exciting adventure. Martin does an amazing job with insinuating all the nuances of betrayal, longing and sensual delight in her writing. The dialogs are smart, witty, and fresh and invites the reader in to become a part of the drama in this latest, totally stand-alone, entry to the trilogy. While I could understand Ethan's torment of loving Grace, knowing who she was, I truly would have liked to kick his (...) for his obstinacy, and wept tears of joy when the author brought him along to accept and charish the gift he'd actually been given. This is another absolutely marvelous romantic adventure by one very talented author I highly recommend.

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I cannot praise this book enough!!
I had a feeling when I read about Ethan in the Bride book he was going to be a very compelling character. He did not disappoint. And even though he should have been just racked with dispair and revenge he still managed to have so much heart and so many feelings. I mean this man's crew, almost all of them lost their lives due to a traitor - a traitor Ethan believes is his beloved Grace's father. How unbelievalby challenging that would be for a man, and a captain. Ethan truly falls in love with Grace and she him - it is really intense. Grace understands how Ethan must set her aside because of who she is - however their mutual friends intervene and they thus become wed. Usually when the hero tries to keep his feelings in check and not fall in love with the wife you want to bash him. In this case, it was so understandable why Ethan kept fighting his feelings. When Grace overhears the former crew member calling Ethan a traitor for marrying Grace she really does understand how impossible their marriage is. There are so many heartwrenching scenes in this book. The characters from the Bride book return and are even more endearing in this second of the trilogy. The mystery of the traitor is a good one and the way it wraps around the love story of Ethan and Grace is powerful. This is one book I highly recommend - I think it would be good to read the Brides Necklace first as I found myself rereading it while I read this one, just to get a true understanding of all the players. This is one that deserves more than 5 stars!

Book 2 in the "Bride's Necklace" Trilogy!!!
The second story in the "Bride's Necklace" trilogy is a fine addition indeed to this series. Ethan and Grace are well crafted characters and their conflict is truly a conflict in every sense of the word.

Ethan Sharpe is seeking revenge after the traitor that was responsible for ship and crew being discovered and killed by the French. He seeks the one that paid for the monsters release from prison before the hangman could seek him justice. He claims Grace from another ship with plans to turn her over to the authorities once she gives up the location of her lover. Ethan is shocked though when Grace ends up being nothing like he thought she should be. When Grace finally admits her dark secret to Ethan he backs away from her. He can never love the woman that she is with her connection to the traitor, but the problem with this is...no matter how far he sails he can't get her out of his mind nor his heart. Will he allow himself to finally find peace and happiness, or will he let revenge take a bigger piece of his soul than it already has?

Grace Chastain loves Ethan against her better judgement. She knows why he has turned from her, it still doesn't change the fact that her heart is his. Will she be strong enough to see this through and help her hearts desire settle his demons once and for all?

This was a very good read! Ms. Martin as deftly woven her magic here! Ethan and Grace are again compelling characters, and their situation is a true test of love. Tori and Cord are present as well, and we are introduced to our next hero Rafe. Ms. Martin is a true talent and one that I highly recommend.

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs