When his ship docked at Philadelphia, Captain Blackheart dandifies himself for his present mission: the Earl of Carlisle will pay him upon his return to England for his precious cargo, and the Captain must look his very best to fetch said cargo: Mrs. Clara Halton, a widow. He goes under the name of Gregory Steele, his real name before he became a pirate. Upon arriving at Mrs. Halton's dilapidated cottage, he is told by the postman the widow is dying from consumption, so Gregory takes it upon himself to deliver the mail. However gruff he appears, he does have a kind heart. But the widow tries to shoot him through the door! And she does not look a thing like he imagined either. After ensuring that Mrs. Halton is not dying, he whisks her away -- which he was going to do anyway -- and they will remain quarantined together, in his room, for however long it takes for Clara to get better. And Captain Blackheart, to his surprise, does not want it to end...

It's almost impossible to fathom, but THE PIRATE'S TEMPTING STOWAWAY is book six in the Dukes of War series, and Ms. Ridley has maintained the same impossibly high standards of quality. This is the epitome of escapism, meaning: while I was reading this book, the whole world outside the characters' realm ceased to exist. THE PIRATE'S TEMPTING STOWAWAY is imaginative, stupendously well- written, the dialogues are truly exceptional -- especially those of the shipmates -- and the characters are extremely well-drawn and endearing. The romance is as enchanting as can be, the adventures are thrilling, and there are absolutely delectable plot twists.

THE PIRATE'S TEMPTING STOWAWAY is immensely enjoyable from the first page to the last. And now, I must wait for book seven, with bated breath I might add. I'm also hoping we haven't seen the last of the dastardly Crimson Corsair. I have come to expect perfection for Erica Ridley, and again she lives up to my exceedingly high expectations!