When Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston from an eastern finishing school, she's stunned to find her father in ill health. Though she loves him, he's only ever focused on what she's not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run their family business, Renard Shipping.
Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole's father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping's good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father's work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father's rivals--the Jenkins brothers--on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.
Darius Thornton needs a secretary--someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana, Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he's determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won't distract him from his important research.
The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she'll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can't remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn't fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves. (Amazon book summary)
Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole's father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping's good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father's work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father's rivals--the Jenkins brothers--on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.
Darius Thornton needs a secretary--someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana, Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he's determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won't distract him from his important research.
The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she'll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can't remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn't fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves. (Amazon book summary)
When I saw the cover of this book my expectation was a kind of whimsical, fun-loving romantic story. I was honestly pleased to find that this story had a nice Jane Eyre-ish feel to it, with the slightly darker, brooding Darius Thornton and the smart and capable Nicole. Nicole is not just a girl with a fancy education and no grit. Quite the contrary. She's handy with a knife, she knows how to swim, and she's not afraid to fight back. She also doesn't let Darius' dark moods get the best of her. She stands up to him when she needs to, but she is also respectful of him. Darius was a great hero. He was fighting his own personal dark side, letting something from his past overshadow anything good in his present or future. His darkness is what made him a very appealing character. I love the combination of his character with Nicole's. She also met his match with scientific and mathematical knowledge...and I love a smart heroine ; ).
This story was rich with historical facts concerning the steam ship/shipping industry and the deaths that would occur due to exploding boilers. Darius' personal mission was to test and figure out why so many accidents were happening. I was rooting for him. I liked the combination of fact and fiction. It was also one of Witemeyer's more romantic novels in my opinion. The scenes between Nicole and Darius had the sparks flying. I honestly couldn't put this book down! I stayed up til 2 am finishing it and didn't want it to end. My top Witemeyer book has always been "To Win Her Heart"....but "Full Steam Ahead" may just have claimed first spot. I would definitely recommend it!!
*****
5 stars! (Absolutely loved it!)
*I received a free e-copy of this book from Bethany House publishers to give an unbiased review*
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