3 out of 4 stars
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Angelina’s Secret by Diane Merrill Wigginton is the first in the Jeweled Dagger Series. It follows the life and love of Lady Angelina Marguerite Amelia Stewart and Captain Jude Deveraux.
Angelina sincerely does not want to get married. She’s strongly opposed to being considered a man’s property. She’s smart, strong-willed, and capable. While on a journey with her uncle, pirates take over their ship. The captain sequesters Angelina in her cabin. Despite her better judgement, she finds herself intrigued by this man, and he’s just as intrigued by her. Afterwards, when she’s back in London, she meets Jude Deveraux. He looks strangely familiar. It doesn’t take long before Angelina realizes what we already know; Jude is truly the pirate captain. Will he set aside his illegal enterprise? Will Angelina reconsider marriage?
That synopsis barely scratches the surface of this interesting book. There are also a few murders around town, a kidnapping, premonitions, and a secret society. There is so much action and excitement that it kept me turning pages wondering what could possibly happen next. Angelina is a strong, female character that is easily admired. Jude is sensitive and cares for Angelina without being overbearing. The love between Angelina and Jude is inspiring and ahead of its time. I liked that all of the characters were believable and realistic.
Most of the book was written in Angelina’s first-person view, but there was a chapter about Jude told from a third-person view. While the information was good, the change in perspective was out of place. There were also editing mistakes peppered throughout the text. My main issue with this book was the story arc. The overall book arced more like a heartbeat than a mountain. I expected things to build up, crescendo, then resolve down. Instead, the story hit us with several exciting high-points. While I can enjoy it when exciting things happen that build to a certain high-point, this book had a hard time winding down. Exciting things continued to happen after the crescendo that made the book seem drawn-out. My criticisms of the storyline were not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of reading this book.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The characters and storyline were enough to give it full stars, but the editing caused me to take one away. I would recommend this those that enjoy a good romance story. The secrets and schemes kept it interesting. This book does have some explicit descriptions, so it’s not intended for younger readers.
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Angelina's Secret
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