The Captive - Grace Burrowes

He'll never be free...

Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, survives by vowing to take revenge on his tormentors. Before the duke can pursue his version of justice, Gillian, Countess of Greendale, reminds him that his small daughter has suffered much in his absence, and needs her papa desperately.

Until he surrenders his heart...

Gilly endured her difficult marriage by avoiding confrontation and keeping peace at any cost. Christian's devotion to his daughter and his kindness toward Gilly give her hope that she could enjoy a future with him, for surely he of all men shares her loathing for violence in any form. Little does Gilly know, the battle for Christian's heart is only beginning.

My thoughts:

Poor Christian. When you talk about heroes who has suffered, well Christian truly did. He spent months being a captive of the French. Being sadistically tortured and abused. This is a broken hero that comes back to England.

At first I did not think of it, it was first later on in the book that it hit me. Yes Christian is the obvious captive. But so was Gillian. She spent 8 years in a bad marriage. She was as much of a captive as he had been. Just abused in another way. The same goes for Lucy, Christian's daughter who has been silent since her mother died. Another captive of herself.

Gillian is perfect for Christian. Of course she wants to heal him, but mostly she just wants to be there. Be a friend, get him home so Lucy would be ok. She saw his scars and did not shy away. She was used to it all. I liked her for it. She was the calm he needed in the storm. And he also healed her.

Conclusion:

I do like Burrowes books so no wonder I enjoyed this one too. Two broken characters. Moving on in their own ways, facing their fears and falling in love.

Cover

ok

Mass Market Paperback, 439 pages
Published July 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Captive Hearts #1
Historical romance
For review