The Heart of a Captain — Jolene Perry

James LaTierre wants nothing more than to distinguish himself in the British Navy, and when a battle catapults his rank from second lieutenant to captain, he's well on his way. But he returns home to a Britain who has just declared peace, and suddenly, his entire future is on the line. Sarah Taylor is the daughter of a merchant who relies on his abilities to get French goods in a time of war for the majority of his income. With possible peace on the horizon, he wants nothing more than to marry her to a wealthy man—just as he did with her older sister. But Sarah sees her sister's misery and is determined to put off a match for as long as possible. When James and Sarah meet, neither has a notion of romance, but they find friendship with their shared uncertainties about their futures and even deeper connections as Sarah learns more of war and James learns more of a woman's place in 1801 British society. A shared journey to London catapults them from friendship to romance, but just as something like hope takes hold, Sarah is whisked to Bath and James loses his commission in the Navy. With no established connection, they're cut off from one another in a time of peace—will their newfound romance be enough to hold their hearts until they can find one another once again?