Customer Reviews

His Captive (Zebra Debut)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

On the English/Scottish border, in the year 1296, Sir Alexander MacGruder, a Scot, is assigned a task by his brother. To kidnap an English Baron for ransom. The money is needed to pay for arms to help the rebels in the fight against English occupation. Upon gaining stealth entry into the castle, the Baron is nowhere to be found. Instead, in a split decision, Alexander decides to kidnap the nobleman's sister. Lady Nicola Westcourt is outraged and frightened by the dangerous and seductive Scot. As a mere pawn, Nicola is wary of Alexander's assurances of her safety. With revenge of his fathers death upper most in his mind, he cannot entangle himself with the enemy. But as everyday passes on their journey back into Scotland, a deep attraction for each other comes to light. Pushing their emerging feelings aside, they both must resist this deadly passion.

What a wonderful book! A really good *romance* centered romance. I say this because sometimes the love story is overshadowed in romance books (crazy I know!) and not given enough space (pages) to develop. Not here! The reader can actually *see* the deep love budding & building between the H/H. I ached for Alexander, torn for his love for Nicola and his duty to his homeland. And Nicola's frustration with her treacherous feelings. Each emotional scene between these two was tinged with sadness, knowing that this could be their last. A relationship that was doomed to failure from the beginning. I had no idea how Cosby (author) could resolve this problem, but this is a romance, so of course there is a happily-ever-after-ending. An ending which is quite clever, I might add, and completely believable.

Since most of the book focused on the romance, little was spent on the historical aspect. I would have liked have read a little bit more about the Scottish rebellion and Sir William Wallace. Those snippets were very interesting.

I found the secondary characters, mostly Alex's brothers, intriguing and hope to read about them in a sequel. The light-hearted rogue Duncan and the serious Earl would make great hero's.

So all-in-all good characterizations. Ample sexual tension. An old plot device made fresh. Mixed in with some action which makes this a captivating (ha ha -couldn't help myself!) Scottish romance debut.

This novel was a predictable captor captive romance. There was a little twist in the plot at the end, but it was still your basic romance formula of: female captive hates her captor yet is drawn to him and attempts to escape several times, usually to her own detriment. There is also the requisite villian too. What would have elevated this novel to more than just a captive/captor plotline would have been really likeable leads. They were a bit bland.

English Lady Nichola, the heroine, never really knows her own mind. After she is captured from her brother's castle by Scottish hero Alexander she fights her feelings for him as they traverse Scotland. However, her actions did not demonstrate tender emotions. She was at times terribly ungrateful for his kindness when she clearly deserved his wrath.

Alex spent most of the time regretting his decision to capture Nichola because he believed her to be so vulnerable. I never saw it in Nichola except her irrational fear of storms and locked rooms. It seemed Alex was constantly saying "I'm sorry" to Nichola for every mishap that had occurred in her life. It was a bit tiresome. He is also torn between duty to country and his feelings for Nichola; she recognized this faster than he did.

Also, I did not see Nichola do much to endear herself to others, especially the Scots. This would have made her character richer and kinder as it was she seemed aloof with everyone.

As stated earlier, the ending has an unexpected twist which did surprise me, but other than the "that's interesting" ending, the book fell flat.

overall pretty boring. The book was reasonably well-structured and followed the typical historical romance formula. It simply didn't contain enough excitement and certainly not enough romance for me and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. The author has talent, but unfortunately this book didn't hold my interest.

I kept waiting for this story to be believable and/or get better. I am the type who will read even a bad story to the end, always hoping for the best. This one was poorly written from the very beginning. I wasted the time reading it, so you don't have to.

I agree with Romance Lass- don't waste your time. It is pretty boring and there are so many other Scottish historical romances that are better.

An enjoyable Scottish historical tale of a lady stolen for ransom from her brother's home by the middle son of an enemy clan chief . Hero Alexander needs to raise funds for the war effort to free Scotland from the hated English. Heroine Nichola is easier to capture than her brother the Lord.

I liked that they actually treated the captive as one. The book delved into her fear and sorrow and rage at being held against her will. In most of these types of books, the `lass' falls deeply in love with her captor, and there is no more of the captive/captor aspect to their relationship after that. But this one does not lapse into that trap. Even if she finds herself attracted to the impossibly handsome hero, she remains loyal to her family and Country. Good for her! She puts up a good fight all the way through and her attitude makes the story work well.

There is an amazing chapter where the hero Alexander reunites with his brothers for a bit of brotherly fun. I thought the chapter was so wonderfully well written. It makes you feel like you are there riding the horses with them under the moonlight and roughhousing. It conveyed the deep and abiding love and affection between brothers. Something you don't read much about in a typical romance book. They usually just `talk' about how they love each other. But this one, put the `words' into action and the reader benefits.

Fantastic!!! Gripping!! It makes the homeland come to life. With each page the author captured the sights and smells so much I actually could see and feel where these characters were, what they felt, and understand the thought processes of a country at war. I really love the Grandmother. I hope Diana writes a book around the character of the Grandmother. Before I knew it,I loved each of the characters. I laughed, I cried, their weaknesses were explored at much at their strengths, which made them real, take that human form. I really can't wait for October. Thanks Diana Cosby for a great read.

Originally posted at: [...]

Right smack dab in the middle of the war between Scotland and England a charming and misguided but honorable rebel kidnaps a woman and gets more than he bargained for.

Alexander is the reluctant hero. Oh, he's a risk taker, don't get me wrong, but the role he plays in this story has him questioning his path and his beliefs. He has to take a stand on a few issues and face a few facts about himself that are surprisingly brutal. It proves the measure of the man and the result is Alexander being a character I could respect and root for. He doesn't run. He gets a bit twisted because he's eventually played by someone he trusts, but in the end he stands up for what is truly right. His emotions are all over the place because it's a time of war. Who to trust? How far is he willing to fight? How true to himself is he being? How can he want to hug her and run from her all at the same time?

The `her' is the heroine, Nichola. Wow, talk about a woman put on the spot. I guess the best way to describe her is as a piece of taffy. Her emotions are pulled, stretched and twisted all over the place as she starts off in fear and then gradually comes to understand the other side of the coin, so-to-speak. Because she is initially a victim, her verbal fighting, mistrust, bad temper and standoffish ways are perfectly in line with an innocent woman of means being forced to deal with the enemy. Perhaps it went on a bit too long for my tastes but who knows how I'd actually fair if I were in her position. My perception could have been my impatience in wanting the romance to progress faster because I really did like the relationship between Nichola and Alexander and I wanted them together.

Speaking of impatience, the sensual buildup, the seduction and courting of Nichola, even when circumstances botched it at times, was well done but slow. By that I mean, there was a war on and Alexander himself is ping-ponged back and forth with wanting to trust her but at the same time was thwarted by being held back by his family's distrust of her. Plus people kept interrupting the good stuff! Both of them end up being pretty frustrated at times but it made the final coming together all the more poignant and special. I figured after all they went through, through the course of the book, their love will be as hard as diamonds and granite. If they can survive this, they'll survive and persevere far into the future. It's a solid happily ever after.

Oh, and I really wish I could have `met' Alexander's grandmother. She left this little legacy that makes me very curious about who or what she was. I could tell she loved her grandsons but I have to wonder if she was more than just a loveable and wise old lady. Especially with that little sentence towards the end - my curiosity is definitely aroused.

Secondary characters are Alexander's brothers, a few soldiers and Nichola's brother. All played pivotal roles in advancing the plot or showcasing interesting quirks about the hero and heroine. The villain was a shock and brought sadness to me. The author did a great job of ensuring that I harbor no ill feelings toward him but instead a great sympathy. It got really tense at one point and I wasn't sure how it was going to play out, but the author did what was best for the story and the characters. It was a harsh and brutal time and there was even mention of the real Scottish war hero, but I'm hazy on the details of his life. The book made me want to Google and do some research. Nothing like making history come alive.

His Captive is a gripping glimpse into life in Scotland during times of unrest and war. The fact that romance can survive despite incredible odds is a testimony to the endurance and power of love. This story drew me in and kept me wondering how well earned distrust could be overcome to allow the roots of love to grow and flourish. It's a well told tale with clever and true to character dialogue with a hero and heroine sure to earn a place in a reader's heart. I'm so glad I read this and look forward to the next installment because after all, Alexander does have brothers and they're just as yummy as he is.

Kidnapped from her home and held for ransom, Lady Nichola Westcott, does not believe a word that comes from Sir Alexander MacGruder's mouth when he promises that no harm will come to her. All he wants is the ransom from her brother and he will set her free. Unbeknown to him, they are penniless, her brother Griffin, the Baron of Monceaux has depleted their coffers dry and she was secretly selling precious family heirlooms to provide food and make ends meet. She is starting to fall for Alexander with his caring and tender ways, especially after a failed escape attempt landed her in a nettle bush. It's not soon after that the captive becomes a guest, melting the tough warrior's heart, secretly hoping he will never return her home.

Seeking justice and revenge for his father's death, Alexander travels to Northern England in the hopes of murdering Griffin, but a secret panel allows him to flee and escape enraging Alexander who then kidnaps his sister. On the journey to Scotland and his home, he pushes his developing feelings for Nichola away to no avail. When they arrive at his homeland he tucks her away in the tower, while trying to convince his brothers this is the right thing to do. But when word comes that Nichola's brother is dead, it is soon discovered that she is penniless. This information places her in harm's way as one of Alexander's brothers is convinced she is nothing but a English Spy and devises a plan that will rid her from his brother's life.

HIS CAPTIVE is the debut novel for upcoming and talented author Diana Cosby. The story pulls you in right from the first chapter, and while the characters waffled back and forth on their desires and love for each other for a fair majority of the novel I found it only mildly annoying. As it was often the cause for misunderstandings between the two main characters, proving to be the catalyst for an exciting and nail biting ending, as loyalties and family ties are tested and twisted, and you can't wait to see how it all ends. I really enjoyed HIS CAPTIVE and the characters, and I look forward to reading more from this author. She left an impression on me, in this time in Historical Romance where stories and plot lines are often overused and have become boring--Diana Cosby was able to take such a plot line making it uniquely her own. It's an enjoyable debut novel.

Sir Alexander MacGruder and his brothers planned to kidnap Baron Griffin Monceaux, but when Griffin is nowhere to be found, Alexander takes Griffon's sister, Lady Nichola Westcott instead. The ransom they will demand for Nichola's return will pay rebels who will aid in the war the Scots plan to wage against the English.

The journey to Alexander's home creates an intimacy between Alexander and Nichola. They are enemies and therefore there is no future for them though. Once back at Lochshire Castle, Alexander faces more than just his forbidden attraction to Nichola. He and his brothers are going to war against the English and thoughts of a relationship with his English captive are futile. But can they continue to deny their desires?

From the moment they meet, Alexander is both Nichola's captor and her knight in shining armor. Alexander is an honorable and good man. Although I understood and sympathized with Nichola, the way she constantly pushed Alexander away then pulled him back again became tiring. His Captive is a good story though. It's interesting, sensual and full of emotion. I hope Alexander's brothers will have their stories told as well.

Nannette
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed