Prah & Constantine Book Review: Treasured Chest by Zrinka Jelic

Once again the tag team of Prah and Constantine have come together for another book review and I am dancing the running man with excitement. Check out last month’s review on both of our blogs if you missed it (Prah and Constantine), it was a good time had by all. 

We reviewed a Black Opal Book author this month and I’m antsy to head over to Cathrina Constantine’s blog to see what she thought about Treasured Chest by Zrinka Jelic.

There is nothing I love more in a story than a strong heroine and this book gave me one in pirate Carmen Ventura (Captain Sirena). I had never heard of a female pirate until this book. It turns out that becoming a pirate on an all female ship was not a decision she made by choice but by dire circumstance.  She is an honest to goodness, shiver me timbres, fight better than a man, and cuss like a sailor pirate.

    As if things aren’t complicated enough for her as a pirate, she is made the captain of the Strega.  To complicate matters even more she rescues Captain Marko Lucin (who is not a pirate) from a deserted island and takes him onto her ship.  The attraction between them is strong and immediate. I loved their romance. It was a sweet and passionate love affair.

    I enjoyed reading this book. I didn’t want to put it down (darn work and sleep). It wasn’t what I would consider a fast paced book, but the story was so interesting and I was so vested in the lives of the characters that I needed to see what happened next. The action scenes alone had my heart racing wondering who was going to get sliced and who would survive.

   I couldn’t believe (and yet I was impressed that Zrinka wrote it in) what Captain Sirena had to go through at one point in the book. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but the situation is intense.

    If you are a lover of action, romance, mystery, and great writing then Treasured Chest is for you.  I give Treasured Chest four out of five chocolate bars.

As part of this month’s review Constantine and I decided to each add a picture of what we thought Marko looked like. If Zrinka is game she can choose which one of us is closer to her physical depiction of the character she has so wonderfully written. Here is what Marko looks like to me. Yummy.

His beard could be fuller, but look at those eyes!

Heading over to Cathrina Constantine's blog to check out her review.

The blurb:

The last thing Captain Sirena expected to find on a desolate island was...him!

When Carmen Ventura takes up her post as commander of the Strega, she becomes the new Captain Sirena, the legendary pirate most people think is just a myth created to scare children. Her first quest is to search for the “treasured chest” hidden by her predecessor. But before she can even begin the hunt, she runs into Marko Lucin, captain of the Levant and Carmen’s most insane adventure yet. 

How can the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen be a bloody pirate?

Never one to pass up an adventure, especially where pretty women are concerned, Marko finds his ultimate challenge in Carmen. Not only does he fall for her courage, spunk, and intelligence, but the lady pirate can also help him get what he wants—the famous treasure everyone whispers about. His only problem—how long can he play the charming captain before she discovers his true intentions?