Annalisa Townsend and her father are glad to be departing England for the Caribbean. They need to move on from the recent death of Annalisa's mother, and what better place to do it than the little known Caribbean island of Mourning, which King George has assigned governorship of to Annalisa's father. But on the voyage over, their ship is set upon be pirates, and Annalisa is discovered in her hiding place in the hold. However, in exchange for letting Annalisa keep her necklace, a reminder of her dead mother, pirate James Sterling steals her ring and a kiss. A year later, Annalisa has a forged letter of marque to help her hunt down James Sterling. She wants to take back her father's treasure and restore his good name. But Annalisa is not entirely prepared for what James might steal from her this time--her heart.

I found To Catch a Pirate to be an adorable pirate romance story. The plot was a bit reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean, but I mean that in the best possible way. The love and danger on stormy seas, hidden treasure, and sword fighting really drew me in. I also liked how these fictional characters had encounters with a real pirate, Black Bart Roberts. The main characters were rather well developed, especially Annalisa. She is a strong minded and somewhat stubborn young woman who knows what she wants and will do almost anything to get it. Sterling battles with his whole good pirate/bad pirate persona, which is interesting; however, sometimes when it seems he's entirely on one side, he'll do something completely surprising. Some of the pirate encounters may seem unrealistic, especially because of the lack of loss of life, but it serves its purpose of simulating the dangers and excitement associated with piracy.

If you're looking for a unique romance story, To Catch a Pirate should be high on your life. Besides, who can resist a pirate story?

I really loved this book. Yes, it was a little cheesy and it was to short to really develope the characters but I was a fun romantic book.

I picked this book up on a whim sometime in the past year, and it's sat on my bookshelf mostly because I hadn't had much time for reading. But as I was preparing to go to Europe for two weeks this summer, I packed it figuring I'd find a least a little bit of time to read it on the plane or something. Wrong. It didn't actually make it into my suitcase after I picked that book up. After starting the book the day before my trip, I subsequently finished it in a few hours.

It is a light read, with relatively few pages, but the story just grips you and doesn't let you go. Chasing after a pirate who left her in the hold of her ship a year before, Annalisa Townsend is unyielding in her view of James Sterling, who despite leaving her mother's necklace, stole a kiss from her lips, which she can never forget. And his band of pirate friends took the treasure her father was responsible for.

Now in the jail, her father is condemned because the gold went missing and Annalisa, armed with the fake justice of a forged letter of marque, now seeks the pirates on the high seas. Except this time, Annalisa is in danger of losing more than a kiss. Or her mother's necklace. Getting to know a charming pirate like James Sterling puts her heart on the line as well as her father's fate in jail. And it's up to Annalisa to decide what to do with James Sterling, who refuses to hand over the gold without a little scheming on his part.

It probably helps that I love pirates and any book about them, but I really would recommend this book to anyone who's interested. To Catch a Pirate may lack the swagger of a movie like Pirates of the Caribbean, and it definitely lacks a cunning character like Captain Jack Sparrow, but there can't be a Black Pearl in every story. The characters introduced in this book are captivating in their own way and the journey they make, both physically and metaphorically, are worth the read.

This book was an alright read. It was a cute story with the romance, but it wasn't very...original. She gets attacked by pirates, wants revenge, falls in love with the pirate.

Also, it was rather predictable in various stages. The ending so much so that it was impossible to believe that James had hung. It made you think Annalisa was foolish and gullible for believing it.

All said, it was still enjoyable. There was just enough romance that left you wanting more, a perfect balance of fighting so you didn't wonder whether you'd picked up a war book, and the characters were are significant and left an impact, good or bad.

Some say that this book is the type to read on the beach, I would say if you're looking for some good old mind candy this is not it. This book is niether deep enough to be anything other than mindy candy, but to say it is mind candy is, I think a little harsh on the category teen lit. The main character was far to easily seduced and use and even when she found out that she had been duped she forgave her main aggressor! Also there was a lot of kissing, now kissing is okay but they were kissing so much it became as natural as breathing! And at the begining after her and James kissed (the first time) they kept talking about how " no other kiss could compare" it was so bla and cliche that I think the author just thought "this is what america wants" and tossed out this rubish. If you want any sort of full fillment look somewhere else. Because this book is NOT worth your money.

i wanted to read it as soon as i saw the summary of the book. many people said it was tacky and cheesy, but i thought it was a good kind of cheesy. i don't like romances where their love is apparent almost right from the start, and this is what i first thought about the book, however later on it is gradual enough to make me squirm in my seat, if you know what I mean. although, it's the kind of book that you enjoy while reading, but as soon as it's over, it leaves your mind. (but out of boredom, i soon found myself skimming through the best parts, enjoying it as much as the first time. be careful not to read it too many times though, in case you ruin the magic-which i'm scared i'll do with the newly popular twilight series). overall,i thought it was a cute, adorable love story, and it leaves you loving pirates.

I was a bit worried that this book would be too immature for my tastes, but it ended up being a really good read. The story line is interesting and I liked the strong female protagonist who showed some weakness but wasn't an idiot. I liked the pirate tie-in... it kind of reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean.

At first it seemed a little cheesy, but what pirate story doesn't? It starts off fantastically with Anna trapped by the handsome pirate James. The story wasn't predictable, though you could sense something was going to happen. I finished this in two days, and then gave it to my boyfriend. He'd laughed about reading a girly pirate book. The next day he gave me back the book and I thought he wasn't going to read it but then he grinned. "I finished it in 3 hours." If my boyfriend liked it, you're bound to enjoy it!

This book was kind of just a tacky romance novel. I didnt think it was very good.

I just finished this book and yes, it was a short, quick read. But it was fun. I was a little hesitant when I saw that it was classified as a "Romance" novel. I was expecting heaving boosoms and whatever. Instead I got a fun read about a girl, a pirate with a dream, and a kiss. I'm not sure that this would classify as great literature or anything, but if you've got an afternoon to kill, it's worth a look.

This is a nice quick read. I wish there was a second book. Very appropriate for the young teen.

I loved this book. Although it was quick and predictable, i love to read the historical romances. The passion was amazing and it was incredibly well written. I would recomend this to anyone who is a total romantic, like me. Has anyone found any other books like this one that are historical romances?

Ok, so to be brief, this is a book about a Female pirate (Annalisa) and a dangerous badboy pirate (sterling) who fall in love. I understand some people enjoy a quick, frivolous and predictable read, but come on! This book was not very imaginative, nor was it well written. Within 30 pages, we knew that both of the main characters had feelings for each other. The rest of the book was spent waiting for them to materialize, but at no point did we really think it wasn't going to happen. I'm sorry, the most important part of any book is the conflict, and this book was severely lacking in that area. It doesn't get one star because it was good for what it was meant to be, a cheap, short love story, that one could read on the beach.

I loved this book. I liked that it was short but also romantic. I thought that it was a really good book. I would recommand you read it if you like pirate books.

Michelle

I rate this an Ok, for the topic. I like the idea of a women going out in to the world to fight for what she believes in, and falls in love in the process. However I find the heroine, lacking. She needs more to be a stong willed, self serving women. She is quick to give in to what the men say and a various points in the story she doesnt seem like she knows what she is doing. Very innocent,I feel that it doesnt really fit the concept of the story. Since at points in the story the author has her swordfiting and usuing a gun (that also never comes in to play). Also, i find that the plot was predictable, and a little cliche. Very reminicent of Pirates of the Caribbbean. The writing of this book was very simple, and not that good. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean you might like this book. However keep in mind what i have already saiid.

I rate this an Ok, for the topic. I like the idea of a women going out in to the world to fight for what she believes in, and falls in love in the process. However I find the heroine, lacking. She needs more to be a stong willed, self serving women. She is quick to give in to what the men say and a various points in the story she doesnt seem like she knows what she is doing. Very innocent,I feel that it doesnt really fit the concept of the story. Since at points in the story the author has her swordfiting and usuing a gun (that also never comes in to play). Also, i find that the plot was predictable, and a little cliche. Very reminicent of Pirates of the Caribbbean. The writing of this book was very simple, and not that good. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean you might like this book. However keep in mind what i have already saiid.

it starts with Annalisa who is going to an island with her father to make it more civil. pirates board and she is hiding in the cargo hold. a pirate is sent there to get some goods and catches her. instead of taking her necklace, she begged since it was the last thing connecting her to her mother, he takes a priceless ring and steals a kiss. the other pirates steal a chest full of gold that was needed to start construction on the island.a year later she sets out with her own crew, which includes a man who wants to be more than friends with her, to get the chest and save her father who a governor thinks was involved in the robbery since he and his daughter lived. she first finds the pirate who stole a kiss from her and uses him to find the treasure. she grows to love him over the journey.

this book is very realistic. it uses ship slang and the plot is very developed. i recommend this book to any one who likes adventure and romance. the only thing i didnt like was that it was to short and the ending is kind of flimsy. overall is was a very good book!

it starts with Annalisa who is going to an island with her father to make it more civil. pirates board and she is hiding in the cargo hold. a pirate is sent there to get some goods and catches her. instead of taking her necklace, she begged since it was the last thing connecting her to her mother, he takes a priceless ring and steals a kiss. the other pirates steal a chest full of gold that was needed to start construction on the island.a year later she sets out with her own crew, which includes a man who wants to be more than friends with her, to get the chest and save her father who a governor thinks was involved in the robbery since he and his daughter lived. she first finds the pirate who stole a kiss from her and uses him to find the treasure. she grows to love him over the journey.

this book is very realistic. it uses ship slang and the plot is very developed. i recommend this book to any one who likes adventure and romance. the only thing i didnt like was that it was to short and the ending is kind of flimsy. overall is was a very good book!

I just want to start off by saying that this book is extremely under-rated. After reading the plot summary, I thought it sounded interesting. To my surprise, I saw mostly negative reviews. So, I decided to buy it anyway and decide for myself. And I'm very glad I did!

One complaint reviewers had was that the book was "too short." Yes, it only had about 230 pages, but there was a good, solid story that occurred in those "few pages." Also, I'd like to point out that not everybody has the time to read a thick, 400 page novel. This was a cute, quick read that isn't very forgettable...at least, to me it isn't.

I think there was another complaint that the characters had a lack of attraction. Lack of attraction?? Did we read the same book? Just because they didn't start off with a wild affair didn't mean they lacked attraction; they were still getting to know each other!

All in all, I did like this book, though it seems that, sadly, I'm one of the few. Admittedly, there WERE a few loose ties at the end, but it was nothing of major importance that pertained to the two main characters, Annalisa (the "innocent") and James Sterling (the pirate). This was entertaining, as their fights could sometimes be ridiculous. So I think that if somebody liked it and was put off by a review shouldn't listen to them and read it for themselves. You might just be surprised.

This book doesn't deliver the kind of guilty pleasure it promises. When I first looked at this book I didn't have high hopes, but one of my friends insisted I read it anyway. Of course it was much worse then I expected.

1. If you read the back of the novel one may think that the main character, Annalisa, is a strong and independent woman, however, she gets her lapdog, Nathaniel to do all her work for her.

2. The love between her and Sterling was a joke. There was no raw passion. She did whatever he wanted her to do and it seemed even though he was the prisoner, she was the one being held captive.

3. The girl was just so helpless. I know this sounds repetitive, but I was at least hoping for a strong character. However, I found her weak and underdeveloped.

After the death of her mother, Annalisa Townsend was looking forward to the adventure of traveling to the Caribbean, where her father was to be the governor of Mourning. But then the notorious pirate Crimson Kelly and his crew attacked the ship and the handsome, rakish pirate James Sterling found Annalisa hiding in the hold. Impressed by Annalisa's assertion that she'd rather lose her tongue than her mother's necklace, James agrees to let her keep her necklace in exchange for her ring--and a kiss. Although Annalisa and her father survive the pirate attack, the pirates manage to take the king's gold hidden aboard the ship. For the loss of this treasure, Annalisa's father is branded a suspected pirate collaborator and throne in prison. Now Annalisa has to prove her father's innocence by getting back the gold--and that means tracking down Crimson Kelly and finding where he buries his ill-gotten gains. With a forged letter of marque and her own ship, Annalisa sets out to capture James Sterling, who she is sure can help lead her to Crimson Kelly. However, finding James turns out to be the easy part. Gaining his trust and enlisting his help to find the treasure is a little more difficult. Sold by his mother into piracy as a child and abandoned by Crimson Kelly--the only father James has ever really known--life has not taught James to trust easily. But the hardest thing of all for Annalisa turns out to be not losing her heart to a certain charming pirate.

In To Catch a Pirate, Parker has created a very enjoyable, very quick read. All the ingredients for a good summer book are here: adventure, romance, strong heroine and charming hero, all woven together with breezy writing and snappy verbal sparring between the two leads. Although comparisons to Pirates of the Caribbean are not altogether that accurate, Annalisa is as smart and headstrong as Elizabeth Swan (and quite as willing to take up the sword) and James Sterling is another example that--at least in fiction--being a pirate doesn't mean being a bad guy. Although this definitely falls into the category of "fluff" reading, what matters in the end is that I read this book in a few hours and enjoyed every minute of it.

This is a very pleasant if simplistic story for young girls who would like something quick and light to read. There is really no depth in the characters and the plot line is cliched. There is no doubt that a happy ending will occur. The storyline is hard to believe but overall a pleasant, if not challenging read. If you or your daughter are interested in girl pirate adventures, a better choice would be "Pirates" by Celia Rees.

This is a very pleasant if simplistic story for young girls who would like something quick and light to read. There is really no depth in the characters and the plot line is cliched. There is no doubt that a happy ending will occur. The storyline is hard to believe but overall a pleasant, if not challenging read.

I read this book in one sitting. There was no waiting around for the action to begin. The opening of the book starts with a breathtaking encounter between the pirate and Anna. I was entranced throughout the book. I love books that don't wait until the very end to entice the readers and feel fulfilled. This book was written in a way that fulfilled but also left me wanting more. I loved it! I'm ashamed of those who would rate this book any less.

Even worse than your average paperpack romance, there is not one original thought or phrase in this entire book. The characters are totally two-dimensional and it seems that a third grader could have developed a better plot.

I liked this book alright, but I think prospective buyers should know that it's a really short book. When I ordered it, I was expecting something longer, but it's only 226 very small pages long, with big print. It's fine for a short read, but if you want something to occupy you for longer than an afternoon, look elsewhere.

I picked up this book because I will read anything that has to do with pirates, Peter Pan, or flying. I didn't think it would be a very good book, just by reading the blurb on the back. But this exceeded my low expectations to become the stupidest book that I have read in several years. The storyline moves so quickly that no plot points are developed at all. The dialog is trite and predictable. The story itself is also very predictable. I could write a better story, and I don't even consider myself a writer. The entire storyline is entirely fantastical. Nothing that happens in the book has any basis for how it happened, and it couldn't possibly have happened. While I like Sci-fi/fantasy as much as anyone, this book was not labeled as such, and therefore, should have had some basis in reality. I do not recommend for anyone over the age of twelve to read this book, as it is a waste of time that you could use on an infinitely better book.

This is your average pirate romance, where a girl meets a pirate who robs her, she later goes out for revenge, and they end up hopelessly in love. The book is predictable and a bit undeveloped, but pleasant enough if your goal is to read something short and entertaining. There are some moments of interest, sword fights and the like, but the characters are a little pale. I never really became concerned about the characters, nor did I ever become obsorbed in the story.

It's the year 1720, and Annalisa Townsend and her father are on their way to the Caribbean island of Mourning to set up a governorship when they are attacked by pirates. Hiding in the hold, Anna is discovered by the young James Sterling, who, surprisingly, says nothing of her whereabouts to the rest of the pirate crew. When he goes to take her necklace, however, which is all she has left of her mother, she begs him not to and he agrees, but only in exchange for a kiss. He then disappears with the rest of the pirates, and so does the treasure that the ship was carrying.

One year later, Anna has found a ship and crew of her own, and sets out to find James Sterling, determined to get her father's treasure back. She finds James and takes him prisoner easily enough, but getting him to cooperate is another matter entirely. As she spends more and more time with him, she slowly begins to forget that he is a pirate and starts to fall for him. James seems to feel the same about her, but has he really given up his pirating ways, and can she ever really trust him?

TO CATCH A PIRATE is a fun summer read full of swashbuckling adventure and romance on the high seas. Jade Parker, who also writes as Rachel Hawthorne and Lorraine Heath, has created a fantastic world with likeable characters that are sure to win over readers.

Reviewed by: Andie Z.

Don't be fooled by the 320-page listing. The story ends on page 226! I was quite stunned to discover that both Amazon and Borders lists the book at 320 pages and dismayed at the bookstore when I was handed a book with only about 240 pages at most (and about ten of those include front and back matter). The book, while entertaining, breezes by as quickly as one of the Pirates of the Caribbean moves. But don't look for characters as colorful as Jack Sparrow or those as rich as the ones in the Horatio Hornblower or Jack Aubrey novels. But perhaps you're not looking for that. While Annalisa is an interesting heroine (plucky is the word usually used for such heroines) and James Sterling is dashing and appropriately dangerous and gorgeous, you'll not be in doubt at the outcome of this story. Still, you might find it difficult to suspend disbelief, like I did, that Annalisa is so quickly able to get a ship, an action that takes place between the prologue and chapter 1. But if romance is what you're looking for, well then you'll find it here. Three stars for the romance, but 2.50 for plot.

I just finished this book, it was very sweet and definately put a smile on my face.

It was a fast read, but at the end of it I was wishing there was more (it took me a little over four hours to read.) I think the plot could have been a little more complex since the plot was geared towards older readers. But the plot wasn't completely simple, there were twists and turns... don't be fooled by the page count though... it's a fast book, but still worth the read.

After the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Annalisa Townsend leave England and sets sail for the Caribbean in 1720, where her father is to be the governor of a small island named Mourning. Shortly before they reach their destination, however, the ship is attacked by pirates. Annalisa is discovered hiding in the hold by James Sterling, a young pirate. When he tries to steal her necklace, all that is left of her mother, she begs him not to. He agrees in exchange for a kiss, and she expects never to see the disturbingly handsome young pirate again. But after arriving at their destination, Annalisa's father is accused of allowing the pirates to steal the gold that was to be used to build a port on Mourning, and sent to jail.

One year later, Annalisa has acquired a ship and a crew and set out in search of James Sterling. James has run into trouble of his own, having been marooned by his former captain, Crimson Kelly, for having let Annalisa escape during the pirate attack. Annalisa is determined to find James so that he can lead her to where Crimson Kelly hid the treasure her father was responsible for, so she can reclaim it and free him from jail. What Annalisa doesn't expect is for her unsettling feelings for the young pirate to resurface, and soon she finds herself in danger of falling in love with him.

This book was nothing spectacular, but it was good for what it was - a fun historical romance about pirates. If you like this kind of story, it's the perfect summer read - it's not a very long book, but it's enjoyable while it lasts. It has a cute love story, and teenage girls who love pirate stories are sure to enjoy it.