Product Description

When rare book librarian Emma Boyd searches for a pirate's long-lost treasure map, she learns the hard way that pirates still exist in today's world--and some modern pirates steal maps, others steal hearts.

The treasure map she seeks belonged to the Caribbean pirate Thomasina Farris, who disappeared in 1715 without a trace. Did Captain Tommy steal an entire treasure from a Spanish galleon and escape? Did she die by another pirate's sword? Or did she die of a broken heart when the woman she loved disappeared? Emma's and Tommy's stories collide when Emma, after uncovering the truth about Captain Tommy's fate, must decide her own...and the choice is between romance or revenge.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99463 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 316 pages

Customer Reviews

Her best book yet!
The other reviews are pretty detailed so I won't waste my time with the small stuff.
This book has it all. I love it when an author can pull off two story lines as well as Ms. Friend has. It was adventurous, romantic, suspenseful and exciting. Once again she did a good job of making it seem real. Pirates being pirates and such.
I couldn't put this one down. I read it in one afternoon on the beach in Maui. Great place to read a book like that. Only bummer was that read the dang thing so fast that I ran out of books while there. I had to read magazines and real stuff. Yuck.
I actually gave this one to my wife as soon as I was finished with it. She is really picky and doesn't read too many of my lesbian fiction books. I've learned not to pass them on unless I think they are really good. No worries she loved this book and agreed that it was her best yet.
Buy this book and start enjoying.

At long last - a new title by Catherine Friend - a winner!
For those readers who have read Catherine Friend's other lesbian fiction books, The Spanish Pearl and its sequel The Crown of Valencia, both published by Bold Stroke Books, it's been a long wait for this latest release by Ms. Friend. The wait was worth it.

This book has 2 stories that unfold with 300 years between them. This is a story with maps, treasure, mysterious islands, villains and the wide expanse of the sea, in both the past and the present.

In 1715 Captain Thomasina (Tommy) Farris is the pirate captain of the ship Moon Shadow. She leads a total of 300 men in 3 ships as they stalk the Caribbean for riches that can be had from the other ships that sail the waters. In the course of taking a ship Tommy encounters Avery Shaw, her nemisis, whose ships get there first. Throwing slaves overboard he takes the ship and leaves the slaves to drown. Tommy rescues the slaves and in so doing encounters Rebekah Brown, a strong-willed woman who confuses and flusters Tommy.

In the present day, librarian Emma Boyd searches for the treasure map that belonged to Capt. Tommy Farris. Someone is stealing maps from rare books and Emma is helped by Randi Marx, a private investigator hired by her library, to track down the map. Finding the treasure map will foil the thief's plan and will hopefully keep more maps from being stolen.

Catherine Friend successfully weaves the 2 stories together and yet keep the voices in the 2 stories distinct and separate. There are twists and turns throughout both stories. How she is able to keep them so clearly distinct and yet integrated is a skill that not many authors possess. In addition she drops in some names of other pirates, one of whom is found in another BSB book, which I found quite clever indeed. I wanted to search the internet for these other woman pirates even though this is fiction.

Throughout the book I was cheering both pairs of women, Tommy and Rebekah in 1715, and Emma and Randi in present day. Emma has to search her heart for the truth she feels. Tommy must do the same. Pirates in 1715 have much in common with pirates in current times. The reader discovers just how much that's true.

This is a romance, an adventure, and a romp. It's tightly written and the author successfully leads the reader on a scavenger hunt. A word of caution; make sure that you set aside some time when you read this book. You won't want to put it down. Bravo Catherine Friend!

Another winner!!
Catherine Friend can write a story. Writing two within one book is a juggling act few authors can deliver on. She can. The book is well paced and the juxtaposition of the chapters makes sense, naturally leading from one era to the next.
Catherine developes her characters well, as usual, and gives even her minor characters reasons to behave as they do. Her attention to detail about the ships of the 1700's is spot-on and a delight to imagine.
Having read her other two adventure-romances ( The Spanish Pearl, The Crown Of Valencia) I do think Emma Boyd from this book is much like Kate Vincent from the previous books---I read the same voice for both characters. A very minor distraction.
This book is wonderful, as are her other two aforementioned titles. I give all three 5 stars. Get ready for a great adventure!!!!