The Blue Diamond (The Razor's Edge #1)

After being orphaned and left vulnerable with her three cousins, Ivory Shepard, also referred to as “Madame Razor,” has made a name for herself amongst the Caribbean islands as a ruthless pirate. But after Ivory and her cousins take a merchant ship with much more on board than they had anticipated, Ivory finds herself captured and held prisoner by the even more notorious pirate, Blacksnake. 

Maddox Carbonale, also known as “Blacksnake,” has much riding on delivering Ivory Shepard to Nassau. After all, the fifty thousand pound bounty he would collect will set him up nicely … and allow him to finally leave the pirate life behind for good. With the assumption that Ivory would be pardoned for her crimes rather than hanged, he mostly has a clear conscience. However, he soon finds himself inexplicably drawn to the spunky pirate, and a night of passion between the two further muddies the waters. After fighting and failing to deny his attraction to her, Maddox offers his loyalty—but will Ivory be able to trust him after he has broken her faith in him, or will the fate of their relationship prove that there is no honor among thieves? 

Although this story begins with much promise, a lack of focus in the plot detracts from the potential of the novel. This is a weighty novel, and although there are issues with focus within the plot—a number of different story lines and character motivations—the witty dialogue, especially between Ivory’s cousins, adds a higher level of craft to Bartlett’s work. Readers who enjoy authors such as Johanna Lindsey and books about female pirates should give this read a try. 

Mia Francis