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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Darn. I was really excited by prospect of The Pirate Next Door - a book about pirates from the writer of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie! I mean, c'mon! How could it go wrong???
Weeeeell, I thought my enjoyment was hampered by my opting for the Kindle version of the book rather than a real live copy to have and to hold. I don't have a Kindle, just a Kindle app on my phone, so the reading experience is never quite as enjoyable as reading a physical book. However, just today I devoured and adored another Kindle book (helloooo Kristen Ashley, where have you been all my life?) so perhaps the format is not to blame.
I guess the characters never really sprang to life for me. I loved the concept of Alexandra coming to Grayson's rescue at the very start of the book, but the swift make-out session that followed such an event jarred and the relationship between the two never really won me over enough to fully care how they would end up together. The Ardmore storyline was more annoying than engaging and all the suitors got a bit ridiculous as the conclusion was reached.
All in all, a bit of a shame, but The Pirate Next Door could not live up to my dizzyingly high expectations. I'll stick to the highlanders.
Weeeeell, I thought my enjoyment was hampered by my opting for the Kindle version of the book rather than a real live copy to have and to hold. I don't have a Kindle, just a Kindle app on my phone, so the reading experience is never quite as enjoyable as reading a physical book. However, just today I devoured and adored another Kindle book (helloooo Kristen Ashley, where have you been all my life?) so perhaps the format is not to blame.
I guess the characters never really sprang to life for me. I loved the concept of Alexandra coming to Grayson's rescue at the very start of the book, but the swift make-out session that followed such an event jarred and the relationship between the two never really won me over enough to fully care how they would end up together. The Ardmore storyline was more annoying than engaging and all the suitors got a bit ridiculous as the conclusion was reached.
All in all, a bit of a shame, but The Pirate Next Door could not live up to my dizzyingly high expectations. I'll stick to the highlanders.
Until now I haven't read a lot of pirate novels to begin with, but having loved Jennifer Ashleys Unbound Shifter series, this was just an extension of my curiousity - and I wasn't disappointed. The storytelling was funny and sharp, with lots of story strings that kept turning and changing every few chapters, until the end of the book when everything unraveled itself and became a captivating story.
Loved it and can only recommend - though I have to admit, a little more careful editing would have been much appreciated. There were a lot of mistakes and errors in this re-release. That I did not enjoy.
Loved it and can only recommend - though I have to admit, a little more careful editing would have been much appreciated. There were a lot of mistakes and errors in this re-release. That I did not enjoy.
This is an earlier Jennifer Ashley that's just been rereleased in ebook form, and since I love her McKenzie series, I snatched this one right up. Her writing in the McKenzie series is beautiful and her characterizations are even better. During my reading of this one, I was surprised how much her writing has grown and evolved in just a few years. That's not to say that The Pirate Next Door is bad by any means--it has all the JA trademarks: witty and smart heroine, dashing hero, intrigue and action, plus humor--but you can tell she hasn't hit her writing stride yet. Her storytelling and scenes are not as tight or as fluid as they are in later books. Parts of this story are ridiculous, but it's about regency pirates, so, really, it's not like you're going for historical accuracy in the first place. But if you're hard up for a JA fix and like pirates and a good time, this one's not a bad candidate.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy
Alexandra Alastair has a list of fine suitors all men with respectable names and reputations, Alexandra want a peaceful life of a loving husband and children. No drama. No scandals. That is until Alexandra saves the life of her neighbor Grayson Finley Viscount Stroke and rewards her with a kiss she won't soon forget.
I really enjoyed this story and found myself chuckling at a few points. A great read!
I really enjoyed this story and found myself chuckling at a few points. A great read!
I read this too long ago to really remember, but it came across more like a fanfiction account of what a pirate Regency romance should be than anything else.
There are things I really loved about his book and things i dint. overall i enjoyed it but it could have been so much better with a great editor. It was essentially a farce but with deadly characters. most of the time you were laughing but balancing that with the serious stuff was difficult.
Not for me. Too many issues around consent and "other-ing" of multi-racial secondary characters.
The swashbucklingness increases as the book goes on, but the only naval battle takes place in the Thames (I think). A lot of kidnapping, no actual piracy. Highlight was a sweaty naked dude with a cutlass crashing a society party.