My Captain Jack

ISBN 1-57343-032-3 (Paperback)
ISBN 1-57343-001-3 (Ebook)

Eppie Award finalist
Romantic Times - Four Stars
Sime-Gen - Four Stars

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Nissa Gedhaul finds she can't support herself and her sister on a schoolmarm's salary. She sets aside her romantic riverboat fantasies to marry Chase Fortier, a handsome, young businessman willing to also accept her five year old sister. Blinded by a recent accident, Nissa learns Rafe Fortier, Chase's uncle, has arrived to escort her to the waiting arms of her intended groom.

Rafe's instant attraction to his nephew's blind fiancée set him at odds with himself. To compensate for the attention he can't bestow on Nissa, he lavishes fatherly attention on her little sister, Katie. Unknowingly, he wins both their hearts.

Nissa's first mistake was to believe Rafe's assurances of his nephew's love. Her second was to attempt independence, when she flees from the scandal of living under Rafe's roof, as evil forces are eager to send her to an asylum. With Katie in tow, Rafe and Nissa flee from the law. Her final mistake is to play the role of Rafe's wife hoping he will make the falsehood right. But, he is not ready to accept her as his own, not when she can't see the scars that cost him his first love.

Book Reviews

Romantic Times / April Redmon - Four Stars
Concerned with caring for her five-year-old sister, schoolmarm Nissa Gedhaul put aside her dreams of a swashbuckling fantasy lover and accepted the proposal of Chase Fortier, a handsome young businessman.

Blinded by an accident, Nissa decides Chase could never accept her as she is now, and is resistant when his uncle, Rafe Fortier, comes to take her to New Orleans.

Upon meeting his nephew's beautiful fiancée, Rafe is torn. His instant attraction to Nissa urges him to pursue her, yet his honor and family loyalty prevent him from doing so. Nissa and her sister quickly work their way into his heart, and for a little while, he has the family he thought he'd never possess. What will the future hold when Chase returns for his intended bride?

My Captain Jack is a very well-written story. The characters are vivid, and so is the setting. Only one thing might have served this story better: a few less misunderstandings between the hero and heroine.

Nissa was a little to quick to jump to conculsions. Nevertheless, this is a satisfying read. Sweet.

Sime-Gen / Kara L Wolf - Four Stars
My Captain Jack is the story of Rafe Fortier and Nissa Gedhaul. Nissa is to marry Rafe's nephew, Chase, and he agrees to escort Nissa to his nephew's home. Along the way, he finds himself wanting to know her better. Nissa, due to a recent accident, is blind. Rafe's nephew, once he finds his fiancée is blind, reacts badly. He tells her the engagement is off. Rafe, hearing of this, throws Chase out, and insists he will care for Nissa himself. Nissa, however, has other ideas. She leaves Rafe's home and attempts to make it on her own. Rafe nearly kidnaps her to get her back, and the misunderstandings and adventures that follow will make you laugh and cry as Nissa finds her 'Captain Jack.'

The story is set in many different areas, all linked together by boat. The Mississippi is the primary link, and the river is described in detail. The setting often seemed to laze by, as if the reader was being carried on that majestic river. Nissa, her sister Katie, and Rafe are all three-dimensional and engaging characters. I was caught up in the story, and rooting for the characters to find each other at the end.

I give the story 4 stars out of 5. The romance was engaging and it was easy to root for Nissa and Rafe to find each other. However, some of the twists at the end seemed to drag on, and by the time it was over, instead of feeling satisfied, I felt like it was about time! Still, the book was definitely worth the read.

The Word On Romance / Carol Durfee
School teacher Nissa Gedhaul is left blind after an accident. The doctor keeps telling her that she will regain her sight, but she feels it may never happen. Nissa has fantasies about a swashbuckling riverboat captain she names "Captain Jack", but she puts those aside and accepts a proposal of marriage from Chase Fortier, a successful businessman who is to come and whisk her away at any moment. He has accepted her five year old sister, Katie, but Katie doesn't care for him. Unable to retrieve Nissa and Katie, Chase sends his uncle Rafe to step in. Worried Chase will not accept her as a wife, because she is blind, Nissa knows she can't support Katie on a teacher's salary, especially now. Chase does reject her and Nissa leaves Rafe's home in an attempt to make it on her own, but Rafe finds her and takes her home.

Little does businessman Rafe Fortier know, that he is about to have his heart lassoed by a precocious five year old when he arrives to pickup his nephew's bride to be. Instantly attracted to Nissa, Rafe must put any feelings he has for her away because she is promised to another. Rafe decides to put all his attentions into Katie and finds such delight with her. With walls around his heart, after being left by someone he loved, Katie and Nissa make a difference in Rafe's life. Disgusted by his nephew's reaction to Nissa's blindness, Rafe throws Chase out of his home and tries to ease Nissa's grief.

My Captain Jack is filled with compelling characters, a sweet love story, and struggles to overcome obstacles. Rafe and Nissa make a charming couple and both are devoted to Katie's future. There is a nice touch of humor within the pages, mostly centered around Katie and her antics. Rafe finds love when he least expects it, but he fights his feelings as long as he can because of his nephew. Rafe is a wonderful hero that could win the hearts of many women. I found myself pulling for the three of them to make a life together. Rafe and Nissa do have some misunderstandings which makes them stronger characters. The story is well-written and engaging... I found it to be a satisfying read and definitely worth the time.

Romance Reviews Today / Robyn Reo
My Captian Jack introduces us to a heroine who knows no limitations even though she is blind, and a wounded hero who hides his heart because someone he loved has hurt him before. It taks a strong woman to open Rafe's heart and show him the true meaning of love. Diane Drew takes a classic love story to new dimensions by adding Nissa's blindness to the story. I am always a sucker for characters who have "handicaps," who overcome the odds and find their hearts desires. Nissa does not let her blindness control her life. My Captian Jack is a sweet romance well worth the read.

What Readers Are Saying

"I have enjoyed reading My Captain Jack . Diane has created compelling characters and a riveting story." Susan

Diane Drew

Diane married her first love. After twenty-four years of marriage, she believes that romance is what drives the world and always has. She lives in a quiet community about twenty miles from the Mississippi River. Both her children live nearby. Her son, Chris, has provided her with a grandson, BoJesse, and a granddaughter, Dreona. Her daughter, Carrie, is working toward her business degree.

With the support of her husband, Diane quit working and persued her second love, writing. She acquired a BA in English at twenty-nine.

She decided to learn the game of football when she couldn't take her husband's attention away from the Superbowl three weeks into their marriage, and became an avid fan. She discovered one could enjoy anything if they understood it. Since then she's also discovered baseball and hockey.

Her favorite pasttimes are sitting by the Mississippi on a quiet day and walking in the woods. Golf has become her favorite active sport, although she feels keeping score is annoying. She also enjoys cross-stitch and her flower garden.

Having lived near the Mississippi all her life, she has always been fasinated with the river and the history of the area. While staying with relatives in LaCrosse as a child, she first saw the Cass Street Castles. In later years, they recaptured her attention as the story of My Captain Jack began to take shape in her head.

Diane would love to hear from her readers. You can email her at DDrew@pcii.net.