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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting, original story with wonderful leads, October 29, 2009
This review is from: Captive of Sin (Mass Market Paperback)
Anna Campbell's latest offering Captive of Sin is unique and heartfelt with one incredibly brave and memorable hero. This is one of the best romance novels I have read this year.
Lady Charis Weston is the richest heiress in England but unable to access her funds for at least three more weeks until her birthday. She has two amoral, greedy and violent step brothers who have plans for her to marry so they can take her money and when she does not succumb to their wishes, they brutally beat her. Charis escapes but gets only as far as a local inn's stables before she must rest.
Gideon Trevithick has recently returned from India and is on his way to his ancestral seat when he discovers the badly bruised and injured Charis. These opening scenes are very well written as Ms. Campbell describes the tangible fear and distrust Charis has toward Gideon, even though he is nothing but kind. Charis lies to Gideon about her circumstances claiming she is on her way to visit an aunt in Portsmouth and that she was set upon by footpads. Eventually Gideon persuades her to accompany him to Portsmouth via his carriage.
In the close confines of this transport Gideon and Charis form a reluctant truce. Charis is rightfully nervous and Gideon longs to help Charis but realizes she is wary of him. In Portsmouth, Charis has no funds and makes a smart move by accepting Gideon's offer of sanctuary at his home. Gideon is incredibly noble but he is described as damaged and this becomes abundantly clear whenever Charis sees his reaction when he is physically touched. Gideon was a prisoner for a year in India and his torture has left him quite unable to withstand physical contact; he becomes violently ill, even a handshake or a caress will undo him.
This is absolutely heartbreaking for Charis as she now sees Gideon as her hero. His trauma is incredibly moving and Charis develops strong feelings of compassion and love for this tortured man. Yet she also desires him and is uncertain how she could ever have a physical relationship with Gideon.
Gideon also desires Charis. He is incredibly protective of her even though he does not know her full story (Charis has a tendency to reveal her past in small increments rather than share her entire story outright). His mission is to save her from her horrible family and in so doing the reader can see that this is in actuality Gideon's hope for redemption.
The tension in this book is marvelous. Gideon and Charis long for each other but any physical expression becomes overwhelming to Gideon and greatly discouraging for Charis. I wondered how these two would ever be able to have a normal romance. Yet the steady build up of sexual frustration and pent up desires kept me deeply engrossed in this story. When these two do touch it is powerful. But just as intense are Gideon's revelations about his past, these are haunting experiences which have wounded him in all ways, he bears physical scars but the mental ones are debilitating and keeping him from a normal life.
I truly liked both the leads. Charis is resourceful and has the courage of a long ago knight. She will battle anybody or anything for Gideon even risking her personal and emotional safety. Gideon is a hero in every sense of the word. He is just, protective and brave. He recognized the innate strength in Charis right from the start. The final third of this novel is sublime, beautifully penned. Their physical encounters are sensual and honest but also difficult for Gideon especially. These two wounded people must overcome great obstacles before they can have the relationship they both desire. This novel is riveting from the opening scenes to the heart warming ending.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Devoured every page, November 11, 2009
This review is from: Captive of Sin (Mass Market Paperback)
At long last! Dear Anna has done it again by inventing a story which does not remind you of another, with an irresistable hero, a wonderful heroine who has self esteem, pride courage and sense for a change, and a story so tensely wrought with adventure, it keeps you hanging on every line. I had read many books prior to this which did not deserve the paper they were written on, but this story made up for the previous disappointments.
Sir Gideon Trevithic is returning to his estate in Cornwall after serving his country in India. He returns a hero but what he endured there has left him with serious physical and mental scars. He is haunted by nightmares brought on by his ordeal, suffering from insomnia and panic attacks in the proximity of people,unable to bear the company of others ,except for two trusted friends. He simply cannot tolerate any form of intimacy, not even that of a handshake. This tortured man has ample compassion however, so when he comes across a severely abused woman hiding in the stables, he insists on helping, though he realizes that her pitiable story is a fabrication.
Lady Charis Weston is running away from her two stepbrothers who threaten to rape her, after having beaten her beyond recognition in an attempt to make her accept the hand of a man of their choice, . She is England's wealthiest heiress who will come into her fortune on turning twenty one. If she marries before that time, her husband will control her money. She must therefore, remain in hiding for the next three weeks until her birthday. If her brothers find her, she'll be forced into matrimony and then conveniently disposed of once their goal is achieved. When she's offered a ride by this kind mysterious man, Charis accepts with relief and gratitude, although she must escape from him as well. She is aware that once he finds out her true identity he will have no option but to return her to her lawful guardians.
Gideon, is determined to offer sanctuary to this girl, no matter what the inconvenience to him. He takes her to his home which, despite its neglect, retains its grace and beauty, much like our broken hero, who remains noble and courageous. The heroine also acts with strength and resolve, agreeing to mary Gideon when she realizes it is the only sensible option. But she is not about to passively accept a marriage of convenience to a man who shirks at her mere touch. She has fallen in love with the strong, magnanimous man who at times seems vulnerable and fragile , his sanity hanging by a thread. Charis has fortitude, challenging this man's deep seated insecurities, patiently reawakening him to love, passion and trust.
It is an intensely emotional book, the hero and heroine remarkable in their courage yet they do posses human weaknesses which make them lifelike.Their characters are multilayered , parts of which are revealed as their love grows. The atmosphere is palpable, I felt as if I was watching a black and white movie like 'Jamaica Inn', so vivid are the descriptions of the landscape ,weather, the roads and cities. The suspense is intense as the stepbrothers are desperate and prepared to go to any lengths to get their hands on Charis' fortune. I absolutely loved it and wish that there were more writers who could write with such flair.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A grown-up's love story in spite of the very young protagonists, November 4, 2009
This review is from: Captive of Sin (Mass Market Paperback)
Nobody in recent years does damaged souls healed by the power of love quite like Anna Campbell does. Her books remind me of what Mary Jo Putney used to write (The Rake, Dearly Beloved, etc.) or Laura Kinsale (Flowers From the Storm, The Prince of Midnight). Other reviewers have summed up the plotline, so I'm just adding my 5 stars for the book. I must agree with the reviewer who thought the hero's problems were too easily resolved, considering how deep his emotional trauma was, but it's still a very good plot and it is well written. The heroine is mature beyond her almost 21 years so the story should appeal to a wide age-range readership.
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