I recently re-read Johanna Lindsey’s classic pirate romance, Gentle Rogue. I was curious to see how it held up since the way romances are written have changed so much since it’s original publication date. Back in the day, I’d read several of her previous novels, but this is the one that made her a must read whenever a new novel came out.
I’d originally intended to include a ton of gifs from Ladyhawke in honor of the eclipse, but I didn’t get the review written in time. And, honestly, there just aren’t that many Isabeau gifs out there. (If you haven’t seen Ladyhawke, I highly recommend. It is an 80s masterpiece.) So, no Ladyhawke gifs this time around.
Georgina Anderson has a problem. Her fiancé has been missing for five years. He was pressed into service in the British Navy and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. She wants to know if he’s alive or dead so she can move on. Her brothers are all ship captains, so transportation shouldn’t be an issue, but they keep putting her off. She gets fed up and talks an old family friend into accompanying her on her journey.
Georgie tracks him down in England and spoiler alert, HE’S MARRIED WITH KIDS. And has been for years. Needless to say, she’s like BYE, FELICIA and walks her ass off out the door.
While waiting to catch a ship home, money becomes critical. Georgie and her friend decide it would be a good idea to dress her up as a cabin boy so they can work their way home. Captain James Mallory takes one look at her, knows instantly what she is, and decides to hire her on so he can have a sexy times playmate on the voyage.
What Georgie doesn’t realize is that the Maiden Anne is a pirate ship, and its Captain and crew have taken cargoes from her brothers in the past. Needless to say, hijinks ensue.
I’m not going to go into more detail about the plot in case you want to read it for yourself. What I will say is that this one holds up a lot better than many of its contemporaries. Are there some kinda cringe-y moments? Absolutely. They’re practically unavoidable in romance novels from that era, but there are fewer. Or maybe James is just that damn charming.
4 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommend if you like sarcastic pirates, determined women, and meddlesome brothers.