Beloved Castaway

Title: BELOVED CASTAWAY
Author: Kathleen Y’Barbo
Publisher: Barbour Books
2007
ISBN: 978-1-59789-593-4
Genre: Inspirational/historical

Isabelle Marie Gayarre needs a passage to Europe where she hopes to obtain her rightful inheritance instead of the life that she’s living in New Orleans. She’s saved up enough money for the trip, and now she has to convince Captain Josiah Carter into allowing her to ride on his boat. Josiah rather reluctantly agrees, but the situation turn bad when he’s discovered that she has several other women stowing along.

When Isabelle gets on board, she’s discovered that her trucks have been open and the lining ripped to shreds. She fears that she’s been robbed, but then learns that one of the ladies with her was responsible for the missing money. But Josiah wants the money before he agrees to leave port.

Josiah is trying to escape from his own demons. He doesn’t want to be taken, like a naughty child, back to Virginia and his father is enroute to do just that. But without Isabelle’s money he can’t leave. How can Josiah and Isabelle rectify this situation?

BELOVED CASTAWAY is the first longer book I’ve read by Ms. Y’Barbo. There is definitely conflict between the two main characters; Isabelle and Josiah were at each other’s throats from the first moment. I wondered if they ever would stop fighting long enough to learn to like each other.

Josiah wasn’t exactly a kind considerate hero like readers of sweet romances expect. He was gritty and rough. However, I grew to like him as the story progressed and to care for him. Initially, this story confused me, but when I forced myself to keep reading, I grew to care and had to keep reading to find out what would happen to this pair. $9.97. 288 pages.