The Ransom (Legacy of the King's Pirates Book 4)

This whole series has been good. The ebb and flow of this read between the characters and their paths was well done.

Boy howdy, the pirates keep coming! Unlike the past three books in this series, I actually read the synopsis before I read this one. From the cover art, I assumed the girl was Charlisse by the way she was "twirling" her hair (Charlisse did that in book one) and from the fact that the former Charlisse models looked nothing alike. After the third book dragged the audience away from Charlisse and Merrick and stuck them with Kent and Isabel, this book was not to be blindly trusted. I was even more disappointed in discovering that this story wasn't even a continuation of Kent and Isabel, but a new couple in the near future! What gives? I reluctantly read it, though, mainly because the main guy was the son of Merrick and Charlisse*SPOILER ALERT*Hold the phone, why is the Pirate Earl dressing as a fop? What kind of mischief is this? Well, hey, if a pirate earl wants to hid in public when most people know his face, I guess he would have to dress as a fop. It's the only logical answer. Once it became clear that the Pirate Earl was the fop, the spine of the plot became somewhat predictable (i.e. the girl would eventually find out these two men were one in the same, she would be mad, he would work to win her favor again, and they would end happily together). That's basically what happened, but with extra tidbits. The fun part, for me, was anticipating the scene where the lead girl finally figured it out and the calamity that would follow. Those scenes are always fun. I found the pace to be a little slower than the previous novels, but that wasn't deterring at all. Not every story is going to be fast-paced and lively. Real life has slow spots, and when you're trying to write as real to life in a fictional story as possible, it's going to have to drag sometimes. I missed the amount of pirate action in this installment. The first three books are chock full of duels, canon fights, and other assorted precarious situations. This story didn't have as many, and I had withdrawals. It was definitely more focused on the high society crowd. Yes, there were quite a few scenes with pirates and whores, but they weren't character developing scenes.The one thing I found bittersweet in this novel was the Christian theme and overall message. In the past reviews I've written on this series, I've always tried to summarized the Christian messages and themes, and also why I appreciate them. In this story, I liked most of the message, but in the end, it felt wanting. In this story, the lead guy and lead girl both show elements of striving, which isn't necessarily a good thing when you're supposed to let go and let God take control. Now, the lead girl is striving to win God's favor, so I was expecting a revelation by the end of "you don't have to win God's favor, love, or approval - He loves you as you are." There wasn't any of that, which is why I was disappointed on that aspect. The lead guy is ultimately striving to please his father. Yes, he left the church to fend for itself and went against his father's wishes of being the pastor, but the root of that issue is a need to strive to gain daddy's recognition, quality time, and love. I was also expecting a message of "when our earthly father's fail us, our Heavenly Father is there to be the perfect Daddy we always desired." Didn't get much of that either. However, the ending message that was kind of expected (considering the reader is watching all of these bad things happen to the lead girl, and she's in a perpetual state of 'I must work harder to please God so He'll cut me some slack') was the well-known "everything happens in perfect timing in God's plan" or "everything happens for a reason in God's plan." Don't get me wrong - that is a wonderful message, and it needs to be taught more. It just felt lacking because there was an opportunity to expound on the other two messages with the individual characters, and I felt like those weren't even given an honorable mention.Final thoughts on this story...I wish it hadn't stopped where it did. Other than that, I liked this story more than I thought I would.

When I heard MaryLu Tyndall was setting sail for the Caribbean again with another story from the Legacy of the Kings Pirates Series I knew I wanted to be onboard. I wanted to feel the wind in my face and to smell the salt laden air and enjoy the tale of the most revered Pirates that ever sailed. Alexander Hyde, son of the infamous Captain Edmund Merrick Hyde, is one of those pirates. Just hearing the name of The Pirate Earl spoken strikes fear in even the most depraved pirate; but things would be a lot different if they knew the secret life he leads when he's on land.After the passing of her dear mother Juliana Dutton was left in the care of a father that has never had a kind word for her and a twin brother that only cares for himself. Some days it seems even God doesn't remember her so she works hard at doing good deeds such as visiting the children in the rundown orphanage and visiting a friend that has fallen from grace in the hopes God will bless her. It was during one of those visits to the Cat and Fiddle Tavern, ~gasp~ that Juliana encountered The Pirate Earl and had it not been for him she would not have survived the night!! The moment their eyes met Juliana knew she was in trouble, so fierce was her attraction to him. Her mind tells her she must not even think of him but her heart feels otherwise and despite telling him to leave her alone it seems this daunting Pirate has decided he should be her protector.When her father falls ill Juliana must secretly take over the family business and all seems well until a friend of her brother starts to pressure her into accepting his offer of marriage. Knowing she could never marry him, Juliana decides instead to enter into a feigned engagement to Lord Munthrope a lovable bozo that despite his silly antics seems to be truly devoted to Juliana. Even though she has never seen his face sans the white face powder there seems to be something about him that Juliana finds endearing. Could following through with this engagement be the way she will finally rid her heart and mind of the infamous Pirate Earl?I have never read one of Ms. Tyndall's books and been disappointed. They are filled with adventure, excitement and a beautiful love story but at the center of all of that you will find a thread of the Gospel that is woven throughout that ties it all together. You will never put down one of her books without being reminded of God's love for us, his creation. The Ransom was beautifully written, delightfully engaging with awe inspiring descriptions, especially the one describing the Pirate Earl! I can't believe I survived that one without melting into a puddle! Reading this was like going on the adventure of a lifetime. If you like Pirates, (especially one with a heart of gold) and Swashbuckling Romance then this book is for you! Thank you MaryLu for another exciting voyage and I anxiously await your command to Hoist the Colors on your next adventure!!

I know one thing for sure, Marylu Tyndall knows how to write a pirate adventure! Having read the other 3 'Legacy of the King's pirates' books, "The Ransom" was my favorite! And Alex was my favorite pirate hero, though his father is a very close second.Alex, the great Pirate Earl, who every man fears is such a gentleman beneath the hard exterior. Masculine, brave, handsome, kind, generous, and hopelessly enamored with Juliana.Juliana, what a firebrand! I absolutely loved her! Sweet, self sacrificing, brave, witty, and sure knows how to stick up for herself!Marylu Tyndall did such a brilliant job writing this witty clever novel. I hope there is another book to follow as I sure didn't want this one to end! It had me gripped from page 1 with a few heartstoppingly sweet romantic moments!

I knew I would like this book, but I had no idea how much I would like it. MaryLu sure knows how to write a wonderful romance.Juliana is a strong woman who is not afraid to go where she must in order to keep her family afloat and her friends safe. She is daring, brave and well… reckless. Thank goodness for the Pirate Earl! Alex not only finds himself attracted to the bold beauty but also finds himself having to save her many times. Often in a way that she would not expect.The dual life that Alex lives is amusing, yet sad. MaryLu writes Alex so well that you can feel the emptiness that he is running from. I could sense the desperation and the longing that Alex feels for something, anything, to fill his heart. To fill him with purpose.Together they must work to overcome a villain much more dangerous than the Pirate Earl’s reputation. Danger has Juliana held captive by the very man who loves her. Can they see past the roles they both play and allow love a place? Will Julianna find the love and the security she longs for and will Alex find his purpose?MaryLu shows how our hearts long for love, for care, for someone to be there for us no matter what we’ve done or what we’ve become. She shows us the redeeming power of love and of faith.This is a wonderful romantic adventure with pirates, parties and danger.Another wonderfully written book by MaryLu Tyndall.

This series, instead of starting strong with book 1 and winding down with subsequent books, has only gotten better & better.The intrigue, suspense, adventure, & romance are expertly woven together to produce a fictional, yet so realistic, story that the characters practically step out of the novel. I sincerely believe this series could be great movies.Highly recommend!

This was definitely my favorite book in the series. A great reminder of God's faithfulness even when we doubt Him. We don't always understand why things happen the way they do, but we can always trust that God is in control and He is able to allow all things to work together for good. Excellent story and can be read as a stand alone book. You don't need to read the others in the series to appreciate it. Although that said, the other books are definitely worth reading.

as usual MaryLu keeps her readers spellbound in anticipation of the next twist in the story. Intrigue and mystery mingled with compassion and God's message of love. I highly recommend anything written by Marylu!