A Gentleman ‘til Midnight-Alison DeLaine

A Gentleman ‘til Midnight Alison DeLaine Harlequin HQN, Dec 31 2013, $7.99 ISBN 978-0373778362 Katherine Kinloch was an English countess until Barbary pirates took her after Captain James Warre sunk the Merry Sea with her on it leading to her abduction. By the time she finally escaped while pregnant, Countess Katherine no longer existed. Instead she stole a ship and became the successful infamous Corsair Kate, pirate captain of the Possession with a rare mixed crew of Moors and Brits. In 1767, James’ ship goes down near Gibraltar with the rest of his mates dead. Mother of a blind daughter, Kate pulls him out of the sea over the objections of her crew. He recognizes her but she fails to identity him. Each is stunned by the attraction; and soon the pair heads to London where for the sake of her child Katherine claims to be the Countess of Dunscore whose cousin has lived luxuriously as; thanks mostly to James’ brother Baron Taggart who stole his sibling’s title. A Gentleman ‘til Midnight is a delightful fascinating Georgian romance due to the strong complex lead characters who share a tormented pivotal moment that shaped their lives ever since. In London, Corsair Kate must regress back to helpless Countess Katherine with no power if she is to regain her estate for her daughter; while James must deal with family loyalties that tear him apart. With a strong cast of supporting strong women, fans will enjoy the return of the prodigal aristocrats to English high society. Harriet Klausner