Beloved Castaway by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Afraid she is to be sold into servitude to an older man, Isabelle Gayerre throws caution to the wind and deceives the reprobate Captain Josiah Carter into taking her aboard his ship, the Jude, bound for London.

Josiah Carter has despised authority and proper behaviour for years after failing to meet his father's approval in any of his endeavours. Determined to protect his younger brother from such a oppressive upbringing he steals him away and soon finds himself being hunted for both his "illegal" stowaways.

When Isabelle discovers there is a depth and compassion in Josiah she could never imagined she is drawn to him but shuns Josiah at every turn as the circumstances of her birth could never allow her to marry.

Beloved Castaway was a little confusing initially but by a few chapters in I was intrigued by both Isabelle and Josiah and the path their relationship would take. With action aplenty, the Jude attempts to outmaneuver its pursuers while Isabelle and Josiah flirt around the edges of their attraction. This novel will appeal to all those who love romance and the angst of a love that cannot be. Kathleen Y'Barbo does well setting up the minor characters who I imagine will become the subject of subsequent books in this series. Beloved Castaway kicks off the series well and I look forward to reading more from Kathleen in the future.