Hart's Desire

I received the second edition ARC from the publisher through New Gallery.
Two sea captains come to shore after their fellow captain dies. Before he died he was writing letters and keeping contact with a man they go on a search for... it doesn’t make a lot of sense why. He is also in need of repairs after a pirate attack.
One of the captains (Landon) is a rakish playa who insta-lusts after Keelan. She is fighting her dying father’s wishes on who to marry. Landon and her become romantically involved, I didn’t realize this was a bodice ripping off type of book, and therefore cheesy and NOT CLEAN. She can’t decide who to trust. He can’t decide if Keelan means more to him than his other conquest at different ports.
It’s pretty obvious early on who the villain is and what he’s doing. The author added too many hints and expects you to be surprised by the “twist” at the end. There is a mystery and an alluding to a kidnapping that you are left hanging on at the end for the next book.
This book could have had promise, but so many parts made me roll my eyes or skip through. I also had to remind myself multiple times that it’s set in the Carolinas in the early 1800’s.

Publisher's Description:

This is a new edition, completely re-written for much richer in characterization, conflict and tension.

An independent young lady meets a bold merchant captain pursued by a band of pirates...what could possibly go wrong?

Fiercely independent and equally impetuous Keelan Grey acts the dutiful daughter on the outside, but inside, she’s determined to avoid marriage even if it means taking the most desperate measures. Everything changes when a deathbed confession from a loved one plunges her into a dark plot of deception and revenge, and an assassin targets members of her family. Desperate for help, Keelan finds an unlikely ally in the antagonistic, but irresistible sea captain, Landon Hart.

Rakishly handsome and equally exasperating Landon Hart is a Freedom Runner-part of a network of people moving runaways to a new life up North. He’s in Charleston to smuggle a recently escaped group aboard his ship, and uncover the purpose of a clandestine meeting between his late business partner and a British plantation owner. When he meets a sword-wielding, fiery-haired temptress on the way, he isn't prepared for the impact she has on his tightly guarded heart...nor the trouble she manages to attract.

My Thoughts:

Although badly edited I did mostly like this story. I had to struggle through unusual and unnecessary punctuation. Copyright symbols and other characters that were placed in places where they weren't needed. This problem I found out later had to do with formatting rather than editing.

I didn't like the ending. The story ended in a cliffhanger. Instead of a story of it's own you have to wait for the next book to find out what eventually happens to our hero and heroine.
Because of the formatting problem I gave this poignant story 3.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 2.5 of 5.0 flames.
The intimate scene between our hero and heroine is only a heavy petting one.
I hope the next book is soon ready so we will know our couple's fate.
I received an uncorrected digital ARC of this book to read for review from the author/publisher. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

So much YES. Loved it, want the rest, now. Now, now. I couldn't put it down. I can empathize with the main character on so many levels. Her stress, her frustrations, and I'm anticipating the next steps for her. A fun book, a lovely couple. It could have used a little more description about some of the characters, and in a way there was almost too much about other side characters which were unnecessary.