Cutlass Anne

Lady Anne Crowley lives a life of luxury with her little sister Jane and her father, the governor of South Carolina. Unbeknownst to her, a deal has been struck by her father, with Anne as the payment. To force their father to pay, pirates under the ruthless John Jacks kidnap Jane, but when her father refuses to search for her, Anne abandons her life as a lady and gives chase herself. Disguising herself as a cabin boy, she joins a merchant vessel only to discover the pirates were closer than she thought and the only ally she may have among the crew is the handsome man she’s falling for - John Jack’s son, Flynn.

“Cutlass Anne” is a quick, romantic, pirate adventure. Anne feels stifled as a Lady but quickly finds herself once she’s out on the ocean. Determined to track down her sister and the pirates who kidnapped her, Anne manages to balance being a pirate with maintaining the values of a lady. Her transformation and abilities as a pirate are also believable, which endear her to the reader. The hero Flynn, on the other hand, is a bit flat as a character. He is handsome and brave, and willing to help Anne, but lacks the determination that Anne exhibits. Further, the story is very straightforward, lacking depth or twists. The romance is steamy but lacks depth as well. Still, this a fun, light, pirate story for lovers of “Pirates of the Caribbean".

Sarah E. Bradley