Tracy’s review of Pirate Lady Holiday by Kate Richards.
Aboard the Pirate Lady, Christmas is not looking too merry. Clara tries to lift her spirits with a little holiday baking, but until tattooed rocker Hot Jack Slick, traveling incognito, arrives on the scene, it looks like Clara’s not going to find any spirit in her holidays.
Jack is about to find out that this is one lady pirate who isn’t impressed by fame and fortune and never dates guys in bands. It’s going to take Santa Claus and all his helpers to help Jack break the ice that surrounds this very lovely lady’s heart. And even then, it will be a stretch to make it to her bedroom before Christmas morning dawns.
Clara is spending her Christmas Eve on board a yacht called the Pirate Lady in Los Angeles. She’s missing her mom who died of cancer and the snow from the east coast that would have made it feel more like Christmas. She decides she can keep one of her Christmas traditions alive and make a Gingerbread house. When she returns to the boat she finds a man there. He introduces himself as Jack Anderson and she’s a bit on edge that he might be there for nefarious reasons. He ends up being a friend of the owner of the yacht who was told he could use it whenever he needed. Clara decides to make the best of just the two of them using the boat and they end up making a gingerbread house together as well as motoring off and heading to a Christmas party on a yacht.
Jack and Clara feel a bond forming between them but Jack knows, after having been told by Clara in no uncertain terms, that she does not date any of the musicians that frequent the use of the yacht. How does Jack get closer to Clara like he wants – especially after he tells her that he’s the lead singer of his record labels best selling band?
While I thought this was overall a cute short holiday story I did have a couple if issues with it. First I thought that the book was too short for all of the issues that were mentioned. Clara dealing with not only the death of her mother but then there was an emotional issue centered around her biological father as well. On top of that Clara had decided that she would not date any of the musicians or clients that came on the boat and when she found out about Jack’s career she certainly wasn’t happy. There was almost too much going on for the story to be so short. Luckily the author didn’t decide to solve all of Clara’s problems in the span of 32 pages, which was nice.
The other niggle I had with the book the over-dramatized responses that the pair had during the one sex scene. It was pretty comical, at least for me, and I found myself laughing (and I don’t think I was supposed to be) when I read Clara’s shouts of ecstasy. Jack wasn’t as bad but I think it’s because he wasn’t as verbal.
Overall a cute short story about two strangers meeting and sharing a nice holiday together.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.
This book is available from Breathless Press. You can buy it here in e-format.
Thanks for your review, Tracey and for taking time to read my story. I really need to write longer stories, I think. My characters seem to have a lot going on lol.
Anyway, thanks again. I appreciate your comments!
Kate