REVIEW: Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins

Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins: Navel vessels, freedom fighters, adventures on the high seas and just plain greed make for an exciting premise in the final book of Beverly Jenkins’ “Destiny” series. Revolving around a Spanish-California family, “Destiny’s Captive” is about Noah Yates, the youngest and most damaged son. Cruelly shanghaied in 1874 and serving for two years with the evil Captain Simmons, the formerly sunny and artistically minded young man returned home hard and private. Now owning his own ship, Noah makes a good living transporting goods from all around the world. This all changes when his ship is stolen from him in Havana harbor by a daring young woman. Pilar Bandaras needs his ship to transport guns for the Cuban rebels fighting for freedom against the Spanish. Not a killer, Pilar sets him adrift in his lifeboat in a place where she knows he will be picked up. Of course, Noah vows revenge, and wants to get his ship back.

Pilar has been fighting for the rebels since she was 15, after her father was hung by Spain during the previous war. She is a tough woman who can hold her own in a fight, and doesn’t think about those tender feelings that could exist in her heart. She is all warrior, and skilled with a rapier. However, her fighting skills don’t help when the ship she stole is sunk beneath her feet by the Spanish navy, and she barely escapes with her life. It is obvious that she is being chased and wanted by the Spanish government so Pilar, her mother and her younger sister escape to Florida to be with her uncle.

Coincidentally, Pilar’s Uncle Miguel turns out to be a business partner of Noah’s, so when Noah shows up unexpectedly at his birthday party, sparks literally fly between the two: Noah and Pilar get into a sword fight! This most unusual “meet cute” leads to the first of many turning points—will Noah turn her in or get his revenge in another way?

Running down the hallway, she passed her uncle’s sitting rom. Upon seeing the crossed rapiers hanging above the mantel inside, she ran in. She snatched one free, turned, and found Yates standing in the doorway. He folded his arms and leaned against the jamb. “Swords, is it?” he asked. Remembering her grandfather’s training sessions, Pilar kept her back straight, her eyes on him, and the rapier extended, raised and at the ready.

Wow, what an exciting story! And I so wanted to love this book. It has so many great elements: an appealing multi-racial cast, location and time periods that are out of the ordinary, an interesting storyline with great promise. However… it is burdened with stilted dialogue that does not flow easily in the brain, and the story has many great starts that are cut off. I also felt that while Noah’s backstory was well described, as well as how the traumas in his life led to his character as an adult, Pilar’s backstory was largely glossed over, as if the only traumatic thing that happened to her was the death of her father. While it was grossly unfair, there is probably more—what happens to a person when they become a child soldier? Especially a young woman in the 1880’s? I would have liked to have learned much more about her, and her motivations. For example, Noah has nightmares about his time as an impressed sailor, but Pilar doesn’t seem to have any lasting ramifications from the sinking of the ship and the death of her entire crew, which does strike me as being odd.

If you are a fan of historical romance novels, and not just “regencies” then there is a lot in “Destiny’s Captive” that is very appealing. It is great to have a book placed in a time period and locations that don’t get much attention, and I loved that fact about this novel. Although Beverly Jenkins’ press largely presents her as an author of “African-American historical romance fiction” I really felt that her writing was independent of race, and I liked the fact that she doesn’t spend much time on physical descriptions, which leaves the appearance of the characters up to the reader. Although I did have a few problems with the book, I will say that it’s a refreshing, enjoyable read, and definitely one worth trying.

Book Info:

Publication: October 28th 2014 by Avon

In national bestselling author Beverly Jenkins’ Destiny series, the Yates men play hard and live hard. And when they find that special woman, they fall hard . . .

Noah Yates fully believes in the joys of a happy family and a good wife. But that’s not the life for him. No, he would much rather sail the wild seas in search of adventure, not tied down. But then the unthinkable happens . . . he finds himself literally tied down. To a bed. By a woman.

And Pilar isn’t just an ordinary woman. She’s descended from pirates. And after giving him one of the worst nights of his life, she steals his ship! Now Noah is on the hunt, and he’ll stop at nothing to find this extraordinary woman . . . and make her his.