Echo in the Wind (Donet Trilogy Book 2)

GEORGIAN:  Lady Joanna West is not a typical smuggler.  As a member of the aristocracy, her main goal in life is to marry exceedingly well and produce heirs — instead, she risks her reputation smuggling goods into England to help the poor.  She can trust no one with her secret, especially not a pirate like Jean Donet.

What Lady West does not know is that Jean Donet has secrets of his own — that is, until she finds herself on board his vessel sailing to France.  This mysterious man is more than a privateer.  A man of noble soul and birth, he may just be the one to save her from the mediocrity of polite London society.  She must gamble with everything she has, her heart and her reputation!

Ms. Walker is a master storyteller!  She brings Joanna and Jean to life while seamlessly weaving in elements from the first book of her trilogy, without the use of clunky, tired exposition.  The story arc is engaging, and the author uses conflict and tension beautifully to capture the reader’s imagination.  Her prose is descriptive and appropriate for the era without feeling forced or artificial. Even though the  "aristocratic young woman who doesn’t want to marry" trope is getting a bit tired, Ms. Walker’s characters are so thoughtfully imagined and develop so naturally over the course of the story that this does not detract from the tale.

Gwenellen Tarbet