Reviews for Captive of Sin

The average rating for Captive of Sin based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-07-16 00:00:00 Annemarie Cronin Finally coming home after being through horrors and tragedies Sir Gideon Trevithick comes across a badly beaten woman and pledges to make sure she is safe but is surprised when this woman is none other then Lady Charis Weston the wealthiest heiress of England and on the run. It's up to Gideon to keep her safe from those who wish her harm but Gideon is also endanger of losing his heart and soul to Lady Charis..... The Queen of Regency noir does it again with Captive of Sin with shades of her earlier novel Untouched, creating yet again damaged and imperfect characters that pull on you heart strings as you read their unfolding story. Lady Charis stumbles into a stable after being badly beaten by her stepbrothers who wish to use her money to pay off their gambling and other debts, finally seeing an escape Charis runs off into the unknown with only the ragged dress on her back. When she meets a soft talking and beautiful stranger Gideon Trevithick she doesn't want to put him into any more trouble, but needs up needing him more. I wavered throughout the book between liking Charis and getting tried of her, between her courage of fighting off her stepbrother, then her hero worship/love of Gideon. Charis was sometimes a hard character to like, but her love for Gideon grows from hero worship to real mature love, as she starts to break down the walls around him and starts to see the broken man with a kind and beautiful heart. Gideon tugged and pulled at my heart strings until tears came to my eyes with the horrors he endure in a torture prison. Strong with a huge heart, with the torture he under went, he has painc attacks when someone touches him and in small places. Gideon gave up ever having a normal life after being set free, when he meets Charis his heart almost beats out his chest, but he fights his attraction to her due to demons that haunt him. Willing to do anything for her though, Gideon loves her, but wants her to have a better life then someone whom has so many troubles stacked against them. Gideon isn't ready though for Charis bullheaded her way into his life and making him face his demons with her love. While Gideon's over-protectiveness of Charis well-being toward the end go on my nerves, this was pretty much short-lived when he sees he can't go on without her as he protects her against her stepbrothers. The pace of the story is on the slow side but slowly picks up as Gideon and Charis starts to find out more about each other. The love scenes between them are slow on the uptake with Gideon having to deal with no-touch phobia he takes a few tries to get it right and when it does watch the fireworks go off! WHEW! They're smoking hot! Greed yet again (shades of Untouched again) makes the baddies of this story mega a-holes and it was great seeing the stepbrothers taken down by Gideon and his friends. The trouble I had with this book mostly was the pace and up and down between Charis and Gideon as they try and protect one another from their said demons or stepbrothers. But mostly how quickly Gideon overcame his phobia so quickly, not that it can't be done, but I think AC wrote it that it was the first step to finally putting the past behind him and moving on. Overall: at times a heartbreaking story of two people as they heal not only the wounds on their bodies but on their hearts and souls.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-05-08 00:00:00 William Morrison I don't know why the books featuring "Gideon" often turned out to be 4 - 5* winners for me (even tho' the hero's name is far from my "Fav names" list), e.g., Amanda Quick = Ravished - 5* ; Jane Feather = The bride hunt - 4* ; Anne Gracie = The perfect rake - 5*). COS is no exception. Mayhap 'cuz I tend to gravitate towards dark, brooding, taciturn, tortured, spy hero who has survived unspeakable horrors, has to constantly battle his inner demons upon his return to human race, blessed w/ a talent for foreign language, is over-protective of the damsel in distress, thinks he should keep heroine @ foot's length, tries to send her away for her own good (why do dudes always think they know what's best for their chicks ?) & is afflicted w/ a triple whammy (agoraphobia, claustrophobia & PTSD). I wanted to take Gideon into my flat bosom & never let go. I luved Charis' unconditional love & steely determination to seduce & weaken his seemingly-impenetrable barricade. It's prolly my 2nd or 3rd fav book of the year, after Meredith Duran = Written on your skin. I was once again hypnotized by AC's evocative prose. She just can't write a bad book IMHO. This was definitely what "To desire a devil" shoulda been. The execution is the difference here. H/H meet from the 1st page & spend almost the entire book together (except for a v. brief separation). Bonus points for internal conflicts (I just adore heroes who acutely feel their unworthiness & fear of hurting their heroines) & evolving relationship. I could see why they gradually fall in luv as they get to know each other, even tho' Charis has luved him from the start & keeps telling him to free himself from his inner guilt for having survived his ordeal when his comrades have perished. Her healing touch is exactly what he needs even if none of the doctors have prescribed luvmaking as a surefire remedy. He keeps backing away from her pursuing love but despite his resistance, he finally comes to terms w/ his feelings. His heroic deeds have catapulted him into a national celebrity status, he chafes @ his label but is not above using it when it comes in handy in protecting Charis. He inspires admiration & loyalties from his BFF & inferiors for his bravery during his harrowing captivity (I'd need lifelong therapy if that were me) & who could blame Charis for developing a case of hero-worship for the martyr-like chap. I was captivated by the beautiful portrayal of Gideon's inner struggle & sexual healing. Aside from Gideon's dubious miracle, the intense, perilous journey towards HEA simply wowed me. AC sure does know how to pen the best tortured H/H in romancelandia. On a side note, I was kinda bummed when I got my copy in the mail & the last few chapters were damaged by the deluge (been raining like there's no tomorrow, U'd think the clouds have commuted from Seattle) & sloppy delivery < V shakes grubby paws @ USPS & Mother Nature >, but I was glad it didn't ruin the entertainment value. Just like the flawed H/H, this physically-flawed copy of mine will stay on my keeper shelves forever =)~