For the Love of a Pirate Book

Constantine, Lord Wylde, is a gentleman beyond reproach. A member of the nobility, and the most untarnished member of the ton. He has endeavored his entire life to make it that way. His entire existence aimed at carrying on a respectable family title that can be envied by anyone of his peers. He has taken the utmost care to not leave the smallest crumb of scandal. Now, he has decided to take the next step in securing his future, and that is the choosing of a proper wife who will make a most proper mother to his future heir. Of course, Lord Wylde believes he has found her and wastes not a moments hesitation in moving his so respectable life forward. His life's work, however, is suddenly threatened by an aging pirate who appears to make outlandish accusations and claims of his own. One such accusation is that Constantine has already been engaged to his granddaughter since he was a small child! Constantine has no intention of marrying said granddaughter or complying with the brigand's outrageous demands, but ever the gentleman, he will pay his respects and intelligently work-out this craziness. For surely, they have the wrong man! Or do they?
Edith Layton lays out an interesting plot, but unfortunately the characters just don't seem to be able to pull it off. First, although the hero is a character to be above reproach and as straight-laced as they come, he is too much so. This makes him dull and much too safe to be interesting in my viewpoint. The heroine is much more vibrant, but there aren't any real sparks that leap off the page between the two. Besides it takes 3/4 of the book before anything really juicy seems to happen between them, and that much or longer before the hero can even see the error of his ways and really start doing something about it. By that time, I was long gone!