Despite a few bumps in the road, Never Trust a Pirate delivered a mystique that proved an intriguing match for the adventurous duo that led the journey. While Danielle and Cade make a go of seducing each other, Ms. Bowman likewise entices her readers into this web of secrets, suspense and romance. There's always a new discovery in this dangerous tale of sensuality that got a bit out of control but kept me as a reader on my toes.

Valerie Bowman has morphed into an automatic buy for me. Why? Because the woman can write a story that lures me along until the final HEA. You ask, is Never Trust a Pirate just as good as her others? The answer is a demonstrative, Hell, yes. This one has everything. Undercover espionage, pirates, a strong female heroine, a smoking hot male lead, twists in the story, and chemistry. Oh, and I can’t forget the mystery as we read along while Cade Cavendish figures out who the Black Fox is.

You see, we have not one, but two spies, unbeknownst to each other. And ultimately, they’re both after the same person. Though Danielle LaCrosse’s current assignment is none other than the pirate Cade Cavendish, twin brother to Rafe Cavendish. (You’ll remember Rafe and Daphne from the Irresistible Rogue, Playful Brides #4). Posing as a Lady’s maid to the new Viscountess Daphne, Danielle is charged with learning as much as she can about the rogue twin brother, thought to be dead, who has apparently has risen from the grave and is staying with Rafe and Daphne.

Immediately there is an attraction, though albeit with complications. Because Cade is a rogue and is explicitly told to stay away from Danielle. Yet Danielle needs to learn more about Cade. Though she is petite, Danielle is not a simpering miss and can hold her own with handsy men. She must walk a fine line with luring information from Cade yet admonishing him for taking advantage of her person when they first met.

“Name one,” Danielle whispered back. This was a dangerous game, asking Cade Cavendish for his secrets. Her stomach clenched. He wasn’t about to reveal his without dragging out a few of hers. She had a job to do, she reminded herself…Who was he meeting with, and why? That was the reason she’d been sent to this house, after all. Not to be mesmerized by the man’s crystal-blue eyes and the scent of him, like wood smoke and soap. Nor the way he was tilting his head toward her and watching her lips.

It’s a dangerous game indeed, and I’m not sure who actually has the advantage. Both are the best at what they do, keeping secrets, discovering secrets, and keeping one step ahead of danger.

“Let’s just say in my line of work, I’m sometimes better off dead.”

“What in the world does that mean?” But her words came out a bit rushed and slurred, given the distraction of his finger tracing her neckline.

“I haven’t always been…on the right side of the law,” he finished, his finger tracing up the vein in her neck to her ear. She closed her eyes. The man knew where to touch a woman. She had never imagined that a simple stroke of her earlobe could feel so…good.

And it is so good. Every time Danielle is with Cade, feelings too good abound. He takes his time seducing her and though their first kiss is anything but passionate—after she kisses him on a dare—Cade rectifies the situation, duly engaging in a kiss for the ages. Not to spoil the kiss, here’s a preview to whet the appetite.

Cade hooded his eyes and took his time lowering his mouth to hers. God knew what sort of fool the woman had been kissed by before, but quick, hard pecks were not his style. He liked to savor the moment. Take his time. Enjoy every second.

Not only is the romance fabulous, but the adventure these two embark on the high seas quickens the pace. So, yes. Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides Series is a favorite and I’m all a flutter waiting for the next one to publish later this year.

Pirates! Spies! Secrets! Romance! This tale contains all of these exciting things, but it was just a bit lackluster for me. Although it is a decent read, I just found a few things to be beyond belief. Cade, our male lead, was exciting and interesting, but, Danielle was not. She was a bit cliché for me and the most unbelievable.
I am still a fan of Ms. Bowman's, and will continue to read her books. This one is just not my favorite.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

Best book I've read all year! I was so sad when it ended - I want more!!! Cade and Danielle are made for each other, and I am so in love with both of them! The plot was believable and well thought out, with just the right amount of twist and turns to keep me reading way past when I should have been in bed. I cannot recommend this book enough!!!

This is an extraordinary book by Ms. Valerie Bowman! Even though this is the first book I have ever read of hers which is an unfortunate mistake on my part. Why is this book extraordinary because out of all the regency historical books I read which is quite a lot this book has more than the lords, ladies and the ton. The book is filled with action, adventure, mistaken identities, spies, politics, pirates, intrigue and romance all rolled into one. That it left me breathlessly anticipating what was going to happen to the cast of characters and on a perpetual roller coaster until the very end. I kind of think the cover just doesn’t do the book justice even though it is okay but I wouldn’t have minded something with a little more pizzazz or that reflects the book and it’s title. Ms. Bowman despite being new to her stories writes with a complexity and intricacy all her own but the reader never gets bogged down with everything that is happening. Best part is even though the story is part of a series this book can definitely standalone.
On a ship in the London Harbor July 1817 something is stolen by a thief who manages to get away. Meanwhile in London Cade Cavendish is visiting and staying with his twin brother Rafe who is also a viscount. Cade is considered the black sheep of the family while his brother Rafe is the perfect good brother. When Cade meets Danielle LaCross a ladies maid to his sister-in-law Cade can’t help but be attracted to her. Danielle doesn’t trust Cade even though she likes him too. Danielle has a feeling Cade is hiding things and secrets from her but so is Danielle.
In first being introduced to Cade I went through all sorts of emotions apprehension, mistrust, and dislike but eventually I slowly fell for him. Sure he was a rake, reckless and most of the time not someone that you really couldn’t be around in polite society. On the other hand he was charming, loyal, and respectful, a bit of a romantic and had all these different alias really what’s not to like? Danielle was just the perfect heroine that I couldn’t help but have a little girl crush on her too. She had the whole mysterious double agent pirate thing going and definitely knowing how to blend in. Danielle was not only beautiful but smart independent resourceful sassy and wasn’t easily wooed by Cade even though when he was doing all that wooing I was literally sighing at his attempts. The minor characters of Rafe, Daphne and Grimaldi even though I didn’t care for him made me enjoy the book that much more that I really can’t wait to read it again. I know that I will be anxiously awaiting Ms. Bowman’s next regency historical book now.

Spies, thieves, and lady's maids! The characters of this story are very interesting and deep! Danielle is desperate to get a job as a Lady's Maid in London so she can afford her mother's care. The problem is her French decent. Even though the war with France is over, discrimination still exists!

Danielle is a very interesting character! She has a sad backstory that will tug at your heart. From that sad story though she has developed into a very capable person! While working for Lady Cavendish is not her ultimate goal, she is a chameleon and able to adapt. She even makes friends, which is a first for her! Cade Cavendish is Lord Cavendish's brother and lives in the house as well. He is quite rakish and charming, but Danielle refuses to fall for it. She is, after all, investigating him. But, they do begin to build a bit of relationship when suddenly Danielle must leave. This leads to her and Cade being in a very interesting position and forced to work together! Overall, the story is fast paced and campy! If you like characters that are not at all what society expects them to be, women who are tough and spunky, and men who are devilishly charming you will enjoy Never Trust a Pirate!
(link live 4/26/17)

Honest review in exchange for this ARC. What a complicate story line! Spies everywhere and never who you think! Very entertaining story!

***ARC Provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley***

Pirates are fun. And, pirate books are fun. Because pirates.

really, I could stop here and we would have said all that needs to be said. Pirate books are fun, this was a pirate book and it was, you guessed it, fun.

I think the appeal, at least for me, of Cade was that he was a scoundrel and maybe, just possibly, the kind of book boyfriend who is better left in the book, as he would be just a little high maintenance for regular days.

Danielle, however, seems to have this handled. She manages to keep up with him, and occasionally stay ahead of him through a few twists, some turns, a couple of crimes, some time on a ship and a map. Because, you guessed it, pirates.

Pirate books, like any romance, do have a bit of a formula. And, at this point, if you are a fan of pirate books, there are certain elements that need to be in the book for it to work, or you are disappointed.

Nothing to be disappointed about in this one. I recommend this book.

NEVER TRUST A PIRATE by Valerie Bowman Was a pleasure to read. It is part of the Playful Brides and I really enjoyed it. It was a fast read for me because I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed Cade and Danielle and also Rafe and Daphne. I enjoyed the Black Fox mystery and the whole spy theme. Valerie never disappoints and I am looking forward to her next book.

I loved this book!!! I liked how both were working for the Crown but were hiding for everyone only to end up working together.I also liked the fact that there were twins in the story. I look forward to reading more book by Valerie in the future.

I have to start by saying that I have been a fan of Valerie Bowman's works since I first picked up the first of the Playful Bride series. It's been one great book after another! This book did not disappoint me either!

While my favorite book in the series remains The Unlikely Lady (I still can't get over Garrett and Jane!), this book has a special place in the rankings! I love a good pirate book and this is a great pirate book!

~*Mild Spoilers below*~

Cade Cavedish was amazing and his relationship with his brother Rafe had me laughing over some of their exchanges while reminding me of my own relationships with my siblings especially my brothers. It's complicated and there are moments where they couldn't be different but the love for each other is present. It was great to see that even though they hadn't been a part of each other's life for a while, they still meant a lot to each other.

As much as I love Cade, Danielle was the star of the novel for me. Her relationships with everyone around her just brought so much joy to the page for me. I'm a sucker for ladies finding friendships with other women so I spent half the time smiling at her interactions with Daphene and the other ladies. Danielle's scenes with her mother kept making me want to call mine and tell her how much I love her (I just moved away from my mom, to a whole other state at the end of last year, for the first time ever and I related so much to Danielle's struggle with being apart from her mother and not wanting to be too far away from her.)

Danielle and Cade's relationship was amazing. Their back and forth was compelling. Their relationship was up so well. There was never a dull moment between them! There were so many great moments and they steamed up the page so much I couldn't put the book down! Danielle and Cade complimented each other and I couldn't imagine a better pair of pirates to fall in love!

Overall, I loved this book. It took me a bit to get into it just because I had expected something a bit different but I was surprised and the twists and turns of the book made it definitely a must reread again for me! I've already started dropping hints to my fellow romance novel loving friends that if they want an amazing pirate story, Never Trust a Pirate by Valerie Bowman should be at the top of their lists! I can't wait for the next book!

Give me pirates, give me spies, give me ALL the deception and romance. This wasn't like most of the historical romances I've read, involving a lady who's not all that she seems and a pirate of sorts who has quite a share of secrets himself.

I liked that Danielle held her own as the leading lady. She has a lot of secrets herself that really turn the story around. She challenges Cade who isn't used to having that in his life. Her history is both sad but amazing in how far she has progressed and what she has made of herself. Danielle has such a strong personality and it really comes through.

Cade has a lot of mystery surrounding his character and at every turn something new is being revealed. He's a twin with a past of criminal activity, believed to be dead by everyone but suddenly reappearing as a surprise to everyone. I loved that despite the act he put on, the man beneath was more than just the pirate everyone believed him to be.

With these two characters combined, the story never lagged or grew boring and though I read this book as more of a standalone, I have every intention of reading the others in the series.

At first I wasn't really sure about Never Trust a Pirate because it came off as a bit cliche. Which, I don't necessarily mind in a romance because I tend to read them for a bit of light entertainment, but I would have liked to see more. Which I did, thankfully. These characters have a lot more to them than the base pirate and lady's maid that are introduced.

What sold me, first and foremost, was the banter. I am such a sucker for wit and charm and these two have both in excess. It ensured the story as a whole kept on moving even if the story slowed for a bit while the characters caught their breaths. The story itself was fun. I'm all for pirates and seafaring adventures.

I worried a bit over the romance as it started with raw chemistry and didn't progress much farther for a while. Much like the story, the romance showed signs of every other historical romance out there. But soon it progressed into something deeper that had me shipping Danielle and Cade like no other.

There's so much intrigue and mystery in this story that it set it apart from other romances I've read in the genre. I definitely need to know about some of the other characters mentioned as I'm sure they appear in previous stories because these two were so much fun that I can't imagine the others being anything less than enjoyable.

“Never trust a pirate” is an interesting title as the two main characters do the best to hide their lies, but find themselves telling the other all their secrets. Ms Bowman has done a marvellous job of twisting, what could have been your typical spy story. Both characters don’t quite fit the mould as Danielle LaCrosse, is pretending to be a lady’s maid whilst Cade Cavendish is trying to show himself as the decadent rogue.
The reality is that Cade, twin brother of Viscount Rafe Cavendish, is set on finding the man responsible for torturing his brother and killing the brother of his sister-in-law. It is also implicated that this man is trying to free Napoleon, and Cade has uncovered the map outlining this venture. Unbeknown to Cade, Danielle is a spy and her job is to uncover Cade’s secrets. This is part of her role as a spy, a job she has undertaken since her mother was smuggled into England from France, having been wrongly accused of murder.
I won’t give all the details away but the adventure at sea, reinforces the apt title. All the rules enforced by society are quickly dispersed as Danielle and Cade, find themselves working together.
This book definitely kept me engrossed and I enjoyed the verbal exchanges between the two main characters. There are also some interesting secondary characters, particularly Thomas and Delilah – maybe another story!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher's Description:
The rules of engagement were never so scandalous. . .

A rumored pirate and the scurrilous black sheep of his well-to- do family, Cade Cavendish relishes his world of rebellion, deception, and seduction. Nothing and no one can hold him to be the duty-bound, honorable man he is expected to be. But when an unexpected run-in at his twin brother’s estate with a ravishing, raven-haired maid leads her to believe he’s actually a viscount, Cade’s renegade life is thrown wildly off-kilter. And even though a case of mistaken identity can be quickly set to rights, matters of the heart are quite different…

Miss Danielle LaCrosse is startled to learn that the handsome gentleman who radiates sin and has the devil in his eyes is not her employer the Viscount, but rather his infamous brother. A former heiress, orphaned and left penniless, Danielle has more than a few secrets of her own. Cade may be skilled at coaxing even the most hidden desires out of Danielle but can he earn her trust—and win her heart—as they embark on an adventure to confront a dangerous enemy from both of their pasts . . . and uncover the identity of the so-called Black Fox along the way?

Never Trust a Pirate is part of the Regency-set Playful Brides series by Valerie Bowman

My Thoughts:
We have another winner!
From the active imagination of Valerie Bowman comes book number seven of the very imaginative Playful Brides series. This book was Inspired by Emma Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Authors often ask readers just how many books should a series include. I feel that depends on the author's ability to turn secondary characters into the heroes or heroines in subsequent additions to the series.
In this case we have Cade, Rafe's twin brother who appeared in the last part of Rafe and Daphne's story, book four, The Irresistible Rogue.
Cade has returned to London for an extended and unexplained stay.
Daphne has need of a new ladies maid, so enters our heroine, Danielle.
We also have a cameo appearance of Delilah, Daphne’s irascible thirteen-year-old cousin who has a penchant for matchmaking, speaking deplorable French, and causing mischief. We remember her, also from Rafe and Daphne's story.
This newest edition to this series has everything we have come to expect with Ms. Bowman's books. Laughter, mystery and love with a Happily Ever After combine for a very well written book with memorable characters and a story for the Keeper Shelf.
I gave this book 5 of 5 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames. I do not often give a book a five star rating, but Valerie Bowman continues to totally amaze me with each edition of this series.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I have voluntarily reviewed.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

First of all, let me say that "Never Trust A Pirate " is my first book I've read by Valerie Bowman and it certainly won't be my last.! It is the seventh book in the Playful Brides series but can be read as a stand-alone. Just as a note, I've already downloaded "The Unexpected Duchess", Book one in the series!
This book had me interested from page one and was very hard to put down once I started reading it. It was exciting, humorous, sensuous, suspenseful and full of intrigue and always had a surprise outcome in every twist and turn of the book. The main characters are sweet, charming, roguish and sometimes a little bit innocent all wrapped into one! I won't reveal the plot because I don't want to reveal any of the surprises in the book!
Overall, I very highly recommend this book!

This book started out well. I enjoy a god story involving spies in the regency era so all the intrigue, secrets and plotting kept me entertained for a good portion of the story.
I also liked the banter and flirtation between Cade and Danielle. Their friendship and attraction to each other played out slowly which added tension and atmosphere.
By the middle of the book the story stalled and lost my attention as the story focused on the pair's attraction to each other rather than on the cloak and dagger business of the spying game which had me hooked at the beginning. It then segued to a pirate themed story but that aspect didn't really go anywhere either as the 'bad guy' was caught pretty quickly.
I did like the book but I was hoping for a more suspenseful ending as it was all resolved a little too neatly and quickly in the end.

Never trust a Pirate was the exciting seventh installment in the Playful Brides series by Valerie Bowman. While the series is amazing and all the novels should be read (in my opinion!), Never Trust a Pirate was a standalone and could be enjoyed independently from other novels in the series. I absolutely loved this novel! I loved Cade and Danielle and the heat, humour and heart that comprised this story. The story was exciting and electric and I could not get enough!

This was a fantastic addition to a series that has become such a pleasure to read. It had wit, snappy banter, swoony moments  and fiery chemistry. I especially loved the initial attraction between Cade and Danielle and loved that this novel was full of adventure (on land and sea.) All in all, this was a fantastic novel and I can't wait for more! 4 stars!

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (SMP Romance) for an advanced copy of this book.

A rumoured pirate and the scurrilous black sheep of his well-to- do family, Cade Cavendish, twin of Rafe Cavendish relishes his world of rebellion, deception, and seduction. Miss Danielle LaCrosse, new lady’s maid to Daphne Cavendish is startled to learn that the handsome gentleman who radiates sin and has the devil in his eyes is not her employer the Viscount, but rather his infamous brother Cade. A former heiress, who’s been left penniless, Danielle has more than a few secrets of her own. Both Cade & Danielle are hiding secrets & embark on an adventure to capture their joint nemesis and also uncover the identity of the so-called Black Fox along the way.
Another very good read in the series, whilst this is part of a series it could well be a standalone novel. Cade is a rogue & rack but is very likeable & you just know there’s more to him than a wastrel. Danielle is half French & again is very likeable, she also has lots of secrets. The attraction between the pair is apparent from their first encounter & only grows in leaps & bounds. The plot is well paced & the identity of ‘le renard noir’ is a little unexpected, there are twists & turns on the road to their HEA

Love this author. Enjoyed all the spies, secrets, pirates ,and all the chaos, that leads our well drawn hero and heroine to their happily- ever- after.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley.