First published 2016
Captain Robert Frobisher has spent ten years sailing diplomatic voyages and secret missions for the Crown. He plans to retire from adventure and find a wife. Then his brother's unfinished mission calls him to West Africa to locate a slavers' camp and rescue missing prisoners. In Freetown, Robert meets Aileen Hopkins, a determined woman searching for her brother Will, a naval lieutenant who vanished with the others Robert seeks. The experienced diplomat finds himself outmaneuvered by this stubborn spinster who refuses to stay safe in town. When Robert realizes Aileen holds the key to completing his mission, he agrees to join forces with her. But he also discovers something unexpected: he wants her as his wife. Their careful plans shatter when villains strike first. Robert and Aileen plunge into the African jungle with only their wits and courage. They must rescue the captives and survive the wilderness while fighting their growing feelings for each other.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Freetown, West Africa
Period: 19th-century
400 pages · ebook · MIRA
Content warnings: slavery