Improper Proposal

Powered by an unorthodox heroine and colorful writing, this Victorian romance gets off to a rousing start. Englishwoman Payton Dixon has grown up aboard her family's ships, and although she's small enough to pass as a cabin boy, she aspires to become a sea captain. Her dream is hindered by her rough brothers, who consider her goal laughable, and the fact that she's fallen in love with one of her family's captains, Connor Drake. Worse yet, Connor is about to marry someone else. Payton's startling hijinks to break the engagement, and Connor's attraction to her, prove a winsome combination. When Connor is kidnapped by a vengeful pirate and Payton sneaks on board disguised as a cabin boy, Cabot's (Portrait of My Heart) plot twist, although far-fetched, offers interesting possibilities. However, Payton's somewhat childish antics eventually wear thin, and after all the adventure, the happy ending seems anticlimactic. (Nov.)