A gloriously silly, dizzily plotted historical adventure set in a version of the Tudor era. The first time Catherine sights gigantic Jake Pennlyon, Captain of one of Queen Elizabeth’s fleet of raiding vessels, he is insufferable, rude and offensive. But worse than that, he blackmails her into betrothal by threatening to report her married sister Honey’s family as subversive Catholics. 

          Then a Spanish galleon glides into the nearby harbor and Cat, Honey and their maid Jennet are shanghaied to the Canary Islands where Cat is politely violated for nights on end until she becomes pregnant by Don Felipe, the Governor. This is in revenge for Jake’s rape of Felipe’s young Spanish bride. Soon there is a houseful of little bastards. After Cat weds Felipe (she’s fond of him), over the bright blue sea comes Jake, kills Felipe, and they wed. Busier than Secretariat’s stud schedule.