It's the end of February, and finished this in November. Since I'm still thinking about it, I'm upgrading it from 3 to 4. ( )

Received from author for review for free and all opinions are my own expressed through my reading of this book.

This book had me hooked from the first page. Sabrina was enjoying her holiday in Bahamas in 2009 until she found herself suddenly transported into the 18th century. She ends up face to face with pirates She meets the bad boys of piracy, Edward England, Howel Davis, and “Black Bart” Roberts. These men become her only hope of survival and the key to her returning back to the present day.

This is a well written time travel romance/historical fiction novel. It really catapults the reader into the 18th century to be in the Golden age of Piracy. The characters are extremely well developed and I found it really easy to slip into this world and follow Sabrina’s journey.

I love Historical fiction and did a little bit of research and the main pirate characters do exist and R. L. Jean has done a great job bringing these historical figures to life. I couldn’t find anything to fault with this novel and I hope there is going to be a sequel and the author has left us with a cliff hanger.

I would recommend to readers looking for a good historical/romance novel.

This review was first published on http://everybookhasasoul.wordpress.com ( )

Sabrina Granger is fished from the ocean and hauled onto a pirate ship, bewildered to find herself in 1718, her iPod waterlogged and her Blackberry useless. She needs to find a way home to 2009, but in the meantime must survive the harsh realities of life in the 18th century.Except for perhaps the name, I found Sabrina to a be an appealing heroine. Despite her initial disorientation and incredulity, she quickly accepts her situation and actively works to fit in with the society she has landed herself in. Her decisions may not always be wise but they are plausible. She has a sense of humor as well as a brave determination to survive and even thrive in her unusual circumstances.It is obvious that the author has carefully researched the period to present a believable historical background for her imaginative tale. She captures the unwashed stench and casual violence of life in the 'Golden Age of Pirates' yet is able to humanise the legendary characters of Edward England and Howel Davies. The details ground the story allowing the reader to accept the more fantastical elements, and commit to the adventure. The storyline is fun with twists that keep it interesting and exciting.There were some elements that I found a little confusing. It threw me to have Captain England dissappear from the story as I'd invested in the relationship that seemed to be forming between he and Sabrina. I expected that he would come back into the story, instead he was replaced by Howel. I didn't feel as their story was finished somehow. Nevertheless, Howel makes a convincing, if unconventional, romantic hero.The Noble Pirates successfully blends fact with fiction to create a romantic adventure on the high seas. It is an entertaining novel that is fun to read with its orginal approach and likeable characters. The book has the potential to appeal to wide range of readers and I look forward to the sequel. ( )

R.L. Jean’s debut book, The Noble Pirates, begins what promises to be a thrilling hop, skip and jump through the lore of pirates, all through the lens of a sparkling, frank heroine named Sabrina Granger.

Did I like Sabrina? I did. And did I have fun with her story? You bet I did. This book was an exceptional ride for me. If you know me, you know that I don't like romance books, I don't like historical fiction and, before this story, I didn’t really have a thing for pirates. These subjects had no draw for me.

But! Jean creates a wonderful lead character who, time and again, exhibits believable behaviours and a simple, straight-ahead spirit which glows in her first-person descriptions of wonder, predicaments and the surreality of, well, traveling through time. The book is original in that it combines familiar elements in a new and interesting way. It doesn’t dwell on anything longer than it needs to but, instead, touches on the explanations for things like time travel -- a necessary hump for me to get over, but one that is not made ridiculous or silly. The plot is not cookie-cutter, something that I despise in so many books today and, given my initial apprehension at the genre areas it lives in, am surprised at how much I was invested and hoping for good news by the end. I liked the backdrops, the geography, the politics, the incredible research on sailing and life in the 1700s. I even liked the pirates England and Howel as characters, finding their struggles with their ‘lot in life’ to be well-thought-out and plausible without second thought. I quite liked a number of the surprises and twists the story took, and was so pleased it didn’t overly rely on the cliches that most pirate books and movies use. Yes, Depp, I’m talking about your Disney movies, bub.

I’ve spoken with the author, and got to know her over my reading of her book. She told me that her intent was to write a fun, entertaining story. She most assuredly accomplished that but it wasn't too light that I couldn't take it seriously. I felt for her characters, their fight, their plight. Not knowing what to expect with this pirate tale, I am keen to shout out for everyone to hear: it’s a fun ride on the high seas! But, lo!, there is also more depth to these waters than I ever expected. ( )

This book was too cute. I haven't read a pirate book before and this did not disappoint. I'm not going to ramble on about the storyline, as I hope you decide to read yourself.

I will say that I liked how Sabrina was stubborn, and realistic in how she reacted to the messed up situation she found herself in. She was not overjoyed to be surrounded by gruff, smelly pirates, but just got in with it.

I only drop a star, because I didn't understand the whole 'I'm married with a kid but going to fall in love and sleep with a pirate' thing.

Otherwise, it was fantastic. ( )