Pirate’s First Mate - Daria Black

Reading Challenge Category: Free ARC from Booksprout

Official Blurb:

There's a first time for everything, especially love.
I'm Pete King, code name "Pope," a nickname my special forces team gave me after they learned I was... inexperienced with the ladies when I joined up. What they don't know is that I haven't added much to my romance resume, despite lots of opportunities over the years.
I didn't intend to wait this long, it's just never felt right.
But when the guys call me to help out with an off-the-books op to take down a kingpin who has skirted justice for far too long, I don't go in expecting to find her. All it takes is one look, one brush of her skin on mine and it's like all the atoms in our bodies wake up and reconnect with their mates.
I'm here to take his treasure... I never expected this jewel to steal my heart.

My Thoughts:

This was a fantastic read until the end, which let the book down somewhat.
I was gripped by Pope and Mariselle’s story. You could see their world was about to collide, and it was wonderful when they did. You really felt like you got to know them, their histories and wishes. I was so wrapped up in the adventure side of the book I’d completely forgotten about the sexy side. So, this took me a little by surprise but was a fitting ending for the two lovebirds.
The problem I had with the ending is that Mariselle escapes from the boat at the same time disaster befalls her father. What were the repercussions? As surely someone as dangerous as her father was portrayed to be would not have thought twice of getting information out of her and putting two and two together. Also, what happened to the funding she needed and, therefore, her future? I would have liked just a small epilogue explaining the fallout from the actions throughout the rest of the book. So because of this, it felt a little lacking. It could have been an outstanding read, but instead, I was left disappointed, so just a three-star read overall.