Even though I have not had the pleasure of reading the previous pirate-themed novels in this series, I was more than eager to review this fourth installment as I had already thoroughly enjoyed some of MaryLu Tyndall's other works. And I was so pleased that I could jump right into the story line and not be confused as this is book number four. Definitely easily read as a stand alone, I am looking forward to reading the previous novels, too! There are some mentions here and there that would refer to those previous events which helped intrigue me about their own stories.

For now, we focus on Alexander Hyde and his disguise as a silly leapin' lord, and on his better days, as a Robin Hood-style Pirate Earl. Yes, that's two identities to our Alexander, but which one is the real Alexander? And are sexy pirates to be trusted? He certainly seems more attractive than the over-the-top eccentric patch-wearing Lord Munthrope! Our leading lady Juliana comes across Munny and then comes across Pirate Earl and then betroths herself to one of them in order to fend off another suitor, but will Juliana fall in love with the wrong persona? She has no choice but to see what lays ahead as circumstances fly far beyond her control as she realizes her good-for-nothing brother is gambling away all the family cash as their father lay dying. She could try and run her father's shipping company, but she has to do it without anyone knowing, since a woman doing anything other than looking pretty is a huge no-no in their fancy Port Royal society.

Alexander wants nothing more but to shed either one of his alter-egos, but he has taken his wicked schemes too far and there is no turning back. He hasn't made a lot of enemies as Lord Munthrope, but he is certainly making no friends as a Pirate. And if Juliana finds out he is behind the looting of her own father's ships, all hope will be lost for both of them.

The novel is action packed and full of adventures both on and off the sea and features well-developed characters. Alexander and Juliana remain true to form throughout and the supporting characters helped create the tension and atmosphere of both frollicking and fear as things start to get serious when Juliana's previous suitor is determined to have her at any cost. I loved the intertwining themes of piracy and redemption, love and grief, and always with Tyndall's works is the undercurrent of spirituality. I recommend this to historical romance lovers who would enjoy a hunky pirate in their midst!
*i rec'd an egalley in exchange for this review*

I loved the first three books of this series. Sort of a "Pirates of the Caribbean" with a Christian twist. This one was good too, but somehow not up to the same standard of her first book...my favorite of the series.

I was overcome with joy the moment I found out MaryLu was writing a story about Captain Merrick's son. I had loved Merrick's story and could not wait to see the family legacy. Alex was an interesting character, what with his living a double life, but his back story and that of his parents' lives after their books left me so disgusted with them that I wanted to club Merrick with his cutlass.

As I said, Alex was a fantastic male lead. I think that in the end I liked his role as "Munny" better than his life as the Pirate Earl, but that is just a preference on my part. Munny had me cracking up and I wished that Alex had the same wit (though not the same attitude) when acting as the pirate.

The Ransom was a delightful romp through Port Royal. As a stand alone story, I am sure I would have loved it completely.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable, lighthearted, swashbuckling romantic cheese. Christian romance seem to be the only books that are clean these days, so in order to trade the smut, doses of redemption are sprinkled throughout (though thankfully it wasn't overwhelming).

Great audiobook reader, fun writer. Yeah, I'll continue her books for their smile-inducing capabilities. Next please!

(Also, 1692 earthquake of Port Royal. Look it up.)

4.5 stars. Arguably one of my favorites of ML Tyndall. The first 80% of the book was 5 stars for me, the last 20% lost me a bit with more action than connection (which is my preference). I'm assuming more are coming later to the series since though this book has an ending it does leave possibilities open. I absolutely love the hero and look forward to more of him :)

Secrets. And surprises.

Those two words sum up everything I love about MaryLu Tyndall's new release, The Ransom, the fourth in her Legacy of the King's Pirates series. (Disclaimer: I was given a free e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for my review.)

Set in the Caribbean--Port Royal, Jamaica--in the late 17th Century, The Ransom is a story of identities and the roles we play to survive in whatever society we find ourselves in. After the death of her mother, Juliana Dutton is left to run her family's shipping business when her father becomes ill and her brother turns to gambling and drinking. With the help of the family's butler, she's got the town convinced all is well with the business. For now. On the other hand, Alexander Hyde, son of the infamous Captain Merrick Hyde, is living a pirate's life by night while masquerading as the dandy Lord Munthrope by day. When Lord Munthrope offers Juliana a pact that could help them both, their carefully constructed schemes begin to unravel.

The Ransom is a fun tale laced with adventure and romance, bringing to mind the antics of Westley in The Princess Bride or any of the Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean movies, all of which I now want to watch again.

When I first started reading Tyndall's books just over a year ago, her seafaring adventures intrigued me because I hadn't read anything like that in inspirational fiction. But I convinced myself that I wasn't really all that into pirates. After much consideration, and plenty of reading, I can safely say that has all changed. I'm firmly rooted in the pirate camp, and what I love about Tyndall's stories, including this one, are the elements of faith worked in. Everyone is struggling with their beliefs and has made mistakes they regret. But none are exempt from redemption.

Though technically book four in the series, The Ransom can be read as a standalone novel. But trust me when I say you'll also want to read the other books in the series: The Redemption, The Reliance and The Restitution.

It’s no easy task for Miss Juliana Dutton to live in a city deemed the wickedest in the world. With an ill father and a drunken fool for a brother, Juliana is forced to take over the family business in order to survive. Trying to keep the business afloat without letting people know is becoming an increasingly harder task as loyal partners and customers become more curious about her father’s absence. Pressure from all sides threaten to crumble everything around Juliana and she agrees to a spurious engagement with the town buffoon, Lord Munthrope, when a meddlesome suitor threatens to discover her secret and cast them all onto the dangerous streets of Port Royal.

Alexander Hyde, the Pirate Earl, son of the infamous Edmund Merrick Hyde, has become the most feared pirate in Port Royal. He has become disillusioned with the religion of his parents and the pleasures of the world. So, Alex tries to stave off his emptiness by leading a dual life to hide his deepest secrets. Despite his efforts nothing really works until he meets the gorgeous Juliana Dutton.

Meeting the Pirate Earl changed Juliana’s life forever as she now becomes embroiled in the battle between the Earl and his enemies. She also begins to feel a pull towards the mysterious pirate. Dangerous in many ways, this attraction could lead to her destruction and she can’t seem to turn away. Even the Pirate Earl himself risks a lot to be near her. The attraction is strong but so are the enemies trying to expose everything and end it all.

Book four in the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is what every MaryLu Tyndall fan has been waiting for ever since the series ended in a trilogy years ago. Countless times I have read her newest books and searched for a trace of the pirates that I loved. Though her books were great, a few among my all-time favorites, I missed the pirates and ocean battles that originally won me over to MaryLu Tyndall in the first place. This book gave me exactly what I craved and truly showed how far MaryLu Tyndall has grown as an author.

Though I’ve read books involving secrets before, I don’t believe I’ve read one quite as unique as this one. The major theme of the book is secrets and they lurk in every corner of this story. To avoid spoilers I won’t say what secrets there are, but let's just say that some are shocking and others are a blessed relief. Though secrets and lies are not a theme I enjoy in books, particularly romances, this one had just the right amount of tension and revelation to make it truly enjoyable.

The romance between Juliana and Alex is also a unique one. Juliana is engaged to Lord Munthrope but isn’t attracted to him in any way and is only involved with him to keep her secret. She is, however, attracted to Alex, but she can’t be with him because she’s engaged to Munthrope but also because of his profession. The whole romance is a big mess that turns into sweet romantic bliss. The author couldn't have handled this romance better if she tried.

The best part of this book isn't even the romance, though that is fantastic. It’s the ship battles and action part if this book that is the true star. Done in true MaryLu Tyndall form, the ship is outlined bow to stern in a way that makes ships seem fascinating and long ocean voyages sound like the perfect reprieve from dry land. The ship battles were terrifying and exciting all at the same time and were described so well I could practically taste the ocean spray and smell the gunpowder. Though there wasn’t as much sea voyage or battles in this book as there was in the previous three in the series, it honestly didn’t need any more than it had. MarLu Tyndall’s perception of that has proven her growth in her writing.

I have always been a fan of this author and will probably be a fan until the end of time, but especially after this book. MaryLu Tyndall made me joyfully giddy with the release of this book and the pirates I will forever associate with her. I can’t wait to see what else she can come up with and whether or not there will be more pirates in her horizon. I can’t recommend this author enough nor can I praise this book enough. My accolades will keep on coming for the book that sated my desire to see my beloved pirates again.

I love a good pirate story and this was good. I would have given it 4 stars but all the god stuff got on my nerves and also the ending was abrupt! Felt like it wasn't finished!

Just as good the second time.