Tag: Captured by Love

Another book review! I have a stack to catch up on so bear with me. 🙂 Jody Hedlund’s newest book Captured by Love is awesome. I received it over the summer from Bethany House’s book review program and am glad for the chance to check out new books every month!

Here’s a description of the book from the publisher:

Michigan Territory, 1814. A voyageur and a young woman swept up in a time of upheaval and danger discover firsthand the high price of freedom.

The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.

Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British–and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who’s grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.

As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they’ll risk for love.

My five point review as usual:

• Though I’ve read Jody Hedlund’s books before and loved them, I was especially interested in this one because it’s set on Mackinac Island! I grew up visiting my grandparents in Midland, MI [where Jody is from] and going on vacation to their cottage on Higgins Lake. Our day trips, especially when it was raining, were to Mackinac Island. It was so fun thinking about those times as I read about the history of the island. Jody Hedlund’s writing is so descriptive and I wanted to be there on the island, even though the British occupation during the War of 1812 made life very difficult, especially during the long winter months.
• I really enjoyed the storyline between Angelique and her guardian. If you read the description above, you might think that’s strange since he is so cruel. However, considering that this situation was probably a reality for many women throughout history makes me really sad…and I loved reading about her redemption from him by Pierre, as well as his brother, Jean.
• There’s a love triangle in this book [when is there not?] between Angelique and Jean, who she promised herself to while Pierre is away and Angelique and Pierre, who she’s always been in love with but thought he’d never come home. Craziness, I tell ya. Though I like both men, I didn’t like the decision Angelique was forced to make. The relationship with Pierre was portrayed as fun and amusing, but I hate that Jean would have to be thrown under the bus for that relationship to succeed. I do appreciate that this relationship wasn’t determined by death as most wartime romances are. I won’t tell you what happens but it’s good!
• In reading some reviews online I noticed that some people consider this book to be too racy or graphic. I thought it was fine, but you can judge for yourselves once you read it.
• All in all, this was a great book. Intriguing, captivating, well written, and well researched. It was the location that drew me in and the characters that made me read it in two days. A great read! Check out this post if you want to hear more about why the author wanted to write the book. It’s fascinating!

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!