Taking a trip to a small island off the coast of Rhode Island in February seems like a crazy idea for someone who has never been to New England in winter.  That is, unless you happen to be Elizabeth McGill, a writer intent on immersing herself in the history-rich setting of her next novel.

As Elizabeth delves into the world of Matthew, an eighteenth century pirate, and his childhood sweetheart, Abby, the novelist cannot help but be distracted by her gorgeous, piratical-looking neighbor, Lucius Stone.  When a storm forces the writer and the handyman together, Elizabeth discovers her characters aren’t the only ones who can burn up the sheets.

A sexy hero, a smart heroine, and an intriguing story-within-a-story, Pirate’s Booty has all the elements of a great tale.  Yet despite its interesting premise, Pirate’s Booty never quite grabbed me.  The pacing seemed rushed, in that characters seemed to act on impulse at times and the explanation for their behavior felt like it was an afterthought.  There were also too many asides; they pulled me out of the story at odd times.  Concerning the characters, I really wanted to get to know Lucius better.  Though he was a dominant presence in the book, I never felt that I really got to “know” him.  Elizabeth was charming and I enjoyed watching her work through her novel in her head.  For me, watching Elizabeth develop her book’s plot was one of the most interesting parts of Pirate’s Booty.

What would have made the story more interesting for me overall was more development.  I would have loved to see both Elizabeth and Lucius and Matthew and Abby’s stories fleshed out some more.  Perhaps a longer story might have done the plot more justice.  All in all, Pirate’s Booty was enjoyable, but it didn’t sweep me away.