Loreley Jones, daughter of the governor of the British Colony of Antigua, is orphaned when a hurricane sinks the ship taking her and her family from London to the Caribbean. After washing up on the shores of the Pirate's Republic of Nassau, she is sold into slavery and her virginity is auctioned off. The highest bidder is the notoriously sadistic Gideon Graves, captain of the pirate ship Jezebel, who holds Loreley against her will and repeatedly assaults her, until she is rescued by the Jezebel's quartermaster, Sebastian MacIssac.
Sebastian promises Loreley freedom, but only if she disguises herself as a man and works off the cost of her passage aboard the Jezebel. She soon discovers, however, that the freedom she finds at sea is more attractive than the gilded cage of her former life, and even death can't keep her from fulfilling her destiny.
The Jezebel's Daughter was an addictive read, a page turner. I found myself quickly invested in Loreley Jones. The sole survivor of a shipwreck, young Loreley finds herself washed up in Nassau and found by two men who quickly sell her to a brothel madame who in turn sells her virginity to the highest bidder. Purchased by the cruel Gideon Graves, captain of the pirate ship Jezebel, she is held prisoner at the brothel and subject to his whims (please note that the sexual violence is graphic though not sensationalized or glorified and properly represented as repugnant). But this is when I began to love Loreley. Despite her situation, she is smart and feisty, refusing to allow Graves to break her spirit. After a failed escape attempt, she finally finds the chance at freedom through the Jezebel's quartermaster, Sebastian MacIsaac. Forced to masquerade as a man aboard ship, Loreley is able to flourish and find her way with a life at sea.
This is a gripping story. The characters are compelling and interesting. I really wanted to see Loreley escape Graves and find her freedom. And I found it rewarding when she did. The author excels at setting a scene, her descriptions vivid and beautiful. She has obviously done her research and created a marvelous story full of nail-biting moments, humor, and hope.
This was a great read that hooked me instantly and held me till the last page!
