Title: Prisoner at Heart
Series: Daughters of the Seven Seas (Book 2)
Author: Grace A. Johnson
Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars
Overview: It’s been a bit since I read Held Captive, the first book in this historical pirate romance series, but I was excited to jump back into the world Grace A. Johnson introduced us to in her fantastic debut. Prisoner at Heart (or PAH, as the author calls it), has all the Christian themes, swoony romance, and lovable characters as its predecessor, making this an easy book to enjoy.
Characters: Rina and Xavier are back, trying to figure out this whole marriage/co-captaining thing while soon-to-be parenthood to the mix. It was fun to see how they’ve grown, especially Rina! She’s as feisty as ever, even though she’s learning self-control.
Crimson Wilde is the main protagonist, and she’s such a great character! She’s just as spunky as Rina, but she has her own set of traumas that make her stand out.
Elliot is a good foil for her, though honestly, I think I’d be a little scared of him in real life. He’s funny and sensitive and grows to be kind, but… Crimson can have him. (Even if he does have hazel eyes.)
Content: There’s some violence, especially at the beginning, with swordfights and pistols and whatnot. People are injured, and blood is mentioned. Nothing’s graphic, though.
The book is heavy on the romance. Characters are obviously attracted to one another, and there’s frequent kissing, sometimes quite passionately. If you prefer less physical depictions of attraction, you probably won’t be too happy with this one.
A character was raped in the past and miscarried the baby that came from it. A character is almost sold into prostitution. A character gives birth.
Writing: Johnson’s writing is so fun! It took me a few chapters to get into it, but it’s hard not to appreciate the characters’ amusing perspectives on things.
There are a lot of POV characters, though, and since they all narrate in first person, it can get confusing trying to keep up with whose head we’re in. It’s also extremely difficult to keep up with Rina’s extended family.
The ending, though… ACK! Such a cliffhanger!!!
Summary: This is such a good story about the power of forgiveness and letting go of the past. While some readers might have concerns about the level of romance, the message is powerful. I would recommend this to mature readers aged 16+.