Hello, my friends! I'm so excited to be part of A Captain for Caroline Gray Blog Tour! I really wanted to read this one, and I'm so glad I did!
"An unconventional woman finds herself at home at sea in this stirring Regency from Julie Wright…This adventure is sure to entice fans of historical romance."— Publishers Weekly
A Captain for Caroline Gray
by Julie Wright
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Pages: 336
Received: I received a copy of the book for my honest opinion.
Rating: 4 stars
Regency London
Caroline Gray's third season in London society ends as badly as her first two—no marriage proposal, no suitor, not even a glimmer of an interested prospect. She suspects it's because she is far too quick to speak her mind to men who are put off by her forthright opinions, her eager intellect backed by a formal education, and her unconventional ideas about the future. She is far more daring than demure to suit the taste of her class. Besides, Caroline thinks there will always be next season to find a husband.
However, her family's dwindling income leaves Caroline with only one choice to secure her future: a one-way ticket to sail with the Fishing Fleet to India, where the son of a family friend waits. If the match doesn't work, Caroline cannot return home.
Captain Thomas Scott loves the thrill of the open sea, and as commander of one of the ships of the Fishing Fleet, he ferries scores of young English girls to the shores of India to find husbands. The voyages pay well, but he struggles to understand why families would allow young women to be matched with total strangers so far away.
The trips have always been routine and uneventful—until this trip's first night's dinner with one Miss Caroline Gray. She engages in a lively political conversation, presenting opposing viewpoints to the conventionally opinionated gentlemen at her table. Captain Scott is secretly amused and delighted at her boldness, not to mention quite drawn to her beauty.
The rest of the passengers are shocked by her behavior and Caroline finds herself an outcast, suffering harsh judgments from the other passengers. However, she finds an unlikely ally in Captain Scott which quickly draws them closer.
Both know an arranged marriage awaits Caroline at the end of their voyage, yet the attraction between them is undeniable. Caroline will have to decide if she will honor her mother's wishes and marry a man in India whom she has never met, thus securing a future for her and her mother, or be brave enough to throw convention to the wind and commit to love a sea captain. He may be enchanted by her bold and unconventional ways, but will his love and admiration last?
My Review
Faced with the harsh reality of being a spinster and being passed around to relatives that would take her in or going to India to meet a man to marry - Caroline chooses the adventure of going to India.
I was fascinated that this was a thing. I mean, I knew about mail order brides of the U.S., but I didn’t realize that women would do something similar in England. It makes sense, though. The ratio of men to women at this time was low. They were called “Fishing Fleet women” who would brave the seas and unknown diseases to find husbands.
I really enjoyed Caroline’s time aboard the ship, along with the other passengers and crew. Learning what life was like in India for those new brides was so interesting! I loved it!
I truly loved Caroline - She’s brave, curious, and intelligent. She enjoyed talking about politics and learning how things worked. Her beauty attracted gentlemen, but her outspokenness and honest opinions would turn them away.
A Captain for Caroline Gray is a wonderful adventure and a fine proper romance! I would highlight recommend it!
FTC Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the story from the publisher for my honest review.
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About the Author
Julie Wright wrote her first book when she was fifteen and has written over twenty novels since then. She
is a Whitney Awards winner for best romance with her books Cross My Heart and Lies Jane Austen Told Me, and she is a Crown Heart recipient for the novel The Fortune Café.
She has one husband, three kids, one dog, and a varying amount of fish, frogs, and salamanders (depending on attrition). She loves writing, reading, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.
She hates mayonnaise.
Connect with Julie Wright
"A charming historical romance in which smarts and sass are vindicated."— Foreword Reviews
"…a delightful, not exactly traditional Regency romance. Teen readers will enjoy this adventurous journey with its proactive heroine and exotic settings."— Booklist, starred review
Join the virtual blog tour of A CAPTAIN FOR CAROLINE GRAY (Proper Romance Regency), Julie Wright’s highly acclaimed historical romance novel March 1 – 28, 2021. Over forty popular blogs specializing in historical romance, inspirational fiction, and Austenesque fiction will join in the celebration of its release with excerpts, spotlights, and reviews of this new Regency-era novel set aboard an English ship bound for India.
Blog Tour Schedule
March 01 My Jane Austen Book Club (Excerpt)
March 01 Austenprose — A Jane Austen Blog (Review)
March 02 Storeybook Reviews (Review)
March 02 Bookworm Lisa (Review)
March 03 Probably at the Library (Excerpt)
March 03 Our Book Confessions (Review)
March 03 Lady with a Quill (Review)
March 04 The Caffeinated Bibliophile (Review)
March 04 Fire & Ice (Review)
March 05 Literary Time Out (Review)
March 05 Among the Reads (Review)
March 06 Books and Socks Rock (Review)
March 07 Encouraging Words (Excerpt)
March 08 So Little Time… (Review)
March 09 For Where Your Treasure Is (Review)
March 10 Laura's Reviews (Review)
March 10 My Bookish Bliss (Review)
March 11 Heidi Reads (Review)
March 12 Reading with Emily (Review)
March 13 The Christian Fiction Girl (Review)
March 14 Silver Petticoat Reviews (Excerpt)
March 15 Austenesque Reviews (Review)
March 16 The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)
March 16 Greenish Bookshelf (Review)
March 17 Inkwell Inspirations (Review)
March 18 A Darn Good Read (Review)
March 19 Relz Reviewz (Review)
March 20 Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina (Review)
March 20 Christian Chick's Thoughts (Review)
March 21 Jorie Loves a Story (Review)
March 22 From Pemberley to Milton (Review)
March 23 Gwendalyn's Books (Review)
March 23 Historical Fiction with Spirit (Review)
March 24 Captivated Reading (Review)
March 24 Books, Teacups, & Reviews (Excerpt)
March 25 Rosanne E. Lortz (Review)
March 26 Cup of Tea with that Book, Please (Review)
March 26 Randi Loves 2 Read (Review)
March 27 Library of Clean Reads (Review)
March 28 The Bibliophile Files (Review)
Many thanks to Laurel Ann Nattress @ Austenprose for organizing and including me on this tour, and to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advanced copy of the book!
Did you all know about "Fishing Fleet women", or was that just me? Haha! 😆
Yeah, that is fascinating about the Fishing Fleet. I noticed in several historicals that women would travel to India to find husbands if they couldn't find one in England, but I did realize it had a name and was much larger a migration than I thought. Sounds like a bold heroine and good story.
ReplyDeleteHey, Sophia Rose! Yes, it was a fantastic story! I knew people at that time did business in India, but I don't think I've read a story about a lady going to India to find a husband before. Very interesting! Plus, to see how life was for these women in India was another fascinating detail.
DeleteHi Candy, thank you for the lovely review, and for participating in the blog tour. Best, LA
DeleteHello, Laurel Ann! It was my pleasure! It's such a great story. Thanks for having me!
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