His Captive

I must admit, I'm normally not a fan of Scottish Historicals, but I really loved this one! And I'm very happy to know that the secondary character (Duncan) has his own story coming out in December!

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

I love this book good from beginning to end. Worth reading very original and interesting.

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.

Sir Alexander MacGruder was a man on a mission. He wanted revenge on the bloody English who murdered his father. He wanted to defeat the English Lords from taking away any more rights and lives from his homeland, Scotland. Thus decided, he was to kidnap the Baron of Monceaux, an adviser to King Edward, and hold him for ransom. His path was clear, but a lovely English lady caught him unawares: the sister of his enemy, Lady Nichola Westcott. What was a man to do in this situation? Why not take the Lady instead, and hope he can withhold his heart at the same time. This new author has told a tale of love and hope, when Scottish were against the English. Ms Crosby is a true talent in storytelling. She writes a prose so well, that this reader did not want the story to end. I can't wait til the next one. Bravo!