Lt. David Archer, an officer in the Royal Navy, is hopelessly in love with his shipmate, Lt. William Marshall. When a pirate kidnaps the two men and forces them to survive in close quarters, William and David must admit their true feelings for each other. And as they attempt to escape, they face yet another challenge. Will their love be strong enough to hold them together in a society where love between men is punishable by death?
Ransom was really good, but I found some of the parts regarding the planning of their escape and the ship terminologies boring. However, I absolutely loved the relationship between Will and Davy. Davy has been in love with Will for a few years now, but didn't want to do anything to ruin their friendship. When they are captured, along with their Captain, for ransom, things start to get a little dicey. The kidnapper was a very sadistic man who threatened to geld Will to get Davy to voluntarily sleep with him. Because this book is set in the 1700's, Davy had to keep quiet about what was happening to him. If it came out, he could be kicked out of the Navy or worse, hung for sodomy. During a nightmare Davy was having, he and Will become intimate. This intimacy actually helps Davy endure the kidnapper's attentions and opens the door to one of the sweetest romances I have read in a long time. There was passion, love and tenderness between them and it was a refreshing change to the usual conflicts that potential couples face. This is a story that I definitely recommend.
