Pirates Books in Order

The Pirates series is the place where Karen Robards' published career begins. Island Flame was her first novel, and Sea Fire follows the same central couple through another round of danger, desire, and high-seas trouble.

At the center are Lady Catherine Aldley and Jonathan Hale. Catherine is the sheltered daughter of England's ambassador to Portugal, traveling toward London when pirates attack her ship. Jonathan is the pirate captain who pulls her out of one danger and straight into another kind of captivity, where wit, pride, and attraction keep colliding.

It is old-school historical romance, and it feels like it. The emotions are large, the setting is dramatic, and the relationship begins in a combative place. Readers who enjoy early historical romance will recognize the shipboard peril, the clash of class and freedom, and the push-pull between a stubborn heroine and a dangerous hero.

The sea matters here.

These books use the ocean as more than scenery. Ships cut the characters off from the rules of home. Reputation, safety, and control can change in a moment. A cabin, a deck, or a hostile shore becomes the stage for arguments, escapes, misunderstandings, and the slow question of whether trust is even possible.

Sea Fire is not a reset with a new couple. It continues Catherine and Jonathan's story, which makes the duology best read in order. The second book builds on the bond and conflict already in motion, so starting with Island Flame gives the emotional stakes much more room to land.

For modern readers, the series is also a snapshot of Robards at the start of her career. It has the bold, turbulent feel of the early 1980s romance market, with rougher edges than many newer historicals. If you want Karen Robards in her first mode, full of pirates, pride, danger, and sweeping romantic conflict, this is the natural place to look.