Exley & Dyer Series by Jess Whitecroft

When pirate Henry Dyer’s ship captures the French frigate Sans Souci, nobody seems to know why Captain Buckler has been chasing such a neglected and unprepossessing prize ship. The puzzle only gets more perplexing when they take the ship and find an English girl in leg irons. It’s an old and popular love story – the pirate and the virgin who steals his heart away, only this time the pirate is the virgin and the girl isn’t a girl at all... moreWhen pirate Henry Dyer’s ship captures the French frigate Sans Souci, nobody seems to know why Captain Buckler has been chasing such a neglected and unprepossessing prize ship. The puzzle only gets more perplexing when they take the ship and find an English girl in leg irons. It’s an old and popular love story – the pirate and the virgin who steals his heart away, only this time the pirate is the virgin and the girl isn’t a girl at all. She is James ‘Jem’ Exley, thief, molly, occasional actor and full time transvestite. Jettisoned to the New World in order to spare his aristocratic family any further disgrace, Jem is glamorous, flamboyant and fascinating to Henry, a former quiet country boy who became a pirate when his merchant vessel was robbed. At only nineteen, Henry is determined to prove himself a man one way or the other, and is astonished to find that nothing makes him feel like more of a man than his increasingly reckless passion for Jem. As their love leads them into trouble, the mysterious circumstances of Jem’s capture lead Henry deeper into a mystery that not only upends his whole world, but sees them running for their lives across the Caribbean. Stolen jewels, scheming Captains and devious drag artists collide in this steamy eighteenth century romp from the author of These Violent Delights and Going Sasquatch. less

More money, more ships, more problems. As the accidental inheritor of a small pirate fleet young Captain Henry Dyer should have it made. But ‘should’ is not a word suited to the uncertain world of pirates, and Henry rapidly finds himself in over his head, facing off against hurricanes, the Royal Navy and not least the whims of his devious little husband, Jem, who always has his eye out for the next big score... moreMore money, more ships, more problems. As the accidental inheritor of a small pirate fleet young Captain Henry Dyer should have it made. But ‘should’ is not a word suited to the uncertain world of pirates, and Henry rapidly finds himself in over his head, facing off against hurricanes, the Royal Navy and not least the whims of his devious little husband, Jem, who always has his eye out for the next big score. When an Italian heiress approaches Jem with a plan to claim her controversial inheritance, Jem leaps at the opportunity, dragging a reluctant Henry in his wake. All they have to do – according to Jem – is sail to Saint Domingue, present some proof of identity, sign some documents and sail home with a fat percentage of the profits. In theory, it’s the simplest scam in the world. In practice, it’s a lot more difficult, especially when the so-called civilized society of Cap François proves darker and even more dangerous than the life of a pirate. less