The Heiress at Sea

The high seas setting of Caldwell’s swashbuckling latest Regency romance (after A Duke Alone) makes for a standout tale of love and adventure. Lady Cassia McQuoid has no interest in the life of a duchess, despite her parents’ best efforts to find her a titled match. Longing for freedom, independence, and education in “Worldly Matters,” she disguises herself as a deckhand to stow away on her brother’s next sea voyage—but she inadvertently boards the wrong ship. Lord Nathaniel Ellsby, the fourth Marquess of Winfield and captain of the Flying Dragon, prefers life at sea to stuffy aristocracy, finding solace on the water as a privateer for the Crown. When he discovers Cassia’s true identity, he feels inexplicably drawn to the beautiful Scottish heiress but worries her presence will distract from his mission. Indeed, as he works to protect her from his rogue crew and preserve her noble reputation, he falls for her fierce independence, intelligence, and beauty. Now he must choose between his heart and his duty. Cassia and Nathan’s passionate romance will captivate readers. This is a winner. (Mar.)