I have read several of Shelley Shepard Gray's books, usually Amish. This one was about the post Civil War period when officers in the Confederacy meet women who have had difficult lives during the War and did what they had to, to survive.

There are some adult themes in the book. The book goes back in time to days in the prison camp spent together by the officers and then returns to the current time of the book.

It appears that I have read a book that has previous books in the series. It took me a little while to understand some things as a result, but it was still alright that I had missed some of the earlier books.

Disclosure: I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley for my review. All thoughts are my own.

This is the third book in the Lone Star Hero series which takes place post Civil War. The author does a great job filling in the background of the series while using flashbacks. Five men held captive on Johnson island as POWs banded together to look out for each other during their imprisonment and afterwards. One by one each of the men have found their bride. In this story, couples Ethan and Lizbeth and Devin and Julianne must overcome obstacles in their relationships.

I couldn't wait for this book to come out. Love Held Captive is the third book in the Lone Star Heroes Love Story series. I have read the first two, and was dying to see who's heart was captured next. This series follows a group of soldiers who became more like brothers. They are always there for each other no matter what. When they find out that one man is responsible for deeply hurting two different women, they call on the men they would trust with their lives to help solve the threat. Will they be able to track him down? Or will he cause even more damage before they can?

When Ethan runs into someone from his past he feels he must do everything in his power to help her. Coming from a well off family doesn't hurt matters, and the woman is in a desperate situation. Evan has money, but is that what she needs? Devin and Ethan have been there for each other for some of the worst times in their lives. When Devin learns some things about a woman's past, he knows he can trust Ethan to help right the wrong. The question is, how can they take care of the situation and earn the trust of the women they have grown to care for?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. It was fun revisiting a time to where our country was still trying to get along after the war. Lines were drawn, and sometimes those lines separate those who once fought on the same side. It was interesting having two love stories in one, and I didn't feel that it was rushed at all. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

With the friendships four men formed while at a POW camp for Confederate soldiers during the civil war, it makes perfect sense that their lives are connected. Combining Ethan Kelly’s and Devin Monroe’s stories, Love Held Captive finishes out Shelley Shepard Gray’s Lone Star Heroes series.
I enjoy how Gray has used the time the men spent in the internment camp to give readers insight into the bond they formed as well as the ghosts and demons that haunt them long after the war.
This book deals with some of the atrocities that no one mentions—the raiding of homes and the actions not befitting a soldier. These hard subjects are handled delicately in Love Held Captive while conveying the life-altering, trust-shattering effects they had on the victims.
The contrasts between the relationships between the couples—Ethan and Lizbeth vs Devin and Julianne—are true-to-life. The way these four lives interconnect through one person isn’t contrived and it adds elements of suspense and danger as justice is sought out.
This book moved along quickly and brings the four men readers have gotten to know through this series together once again to seek out truth, honor, and justice as they protect the women they’ve grown to love. But don’t worry if you haven’t gotten to the first two books, this one can also be read as a stand-alone.
***I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This was an absolutely amazing book, I was so sad to finish it, but I just had to get to the end. Shelley Shepard Gray had my attention from the beginning, and the flashbacks give you more of a backstory. I was a little hesitant when it came to Devin and Julianne's point of view because I wanted to know more about Ethan and Lizbeth, but towards the end of the book, I was excited for their point of view. The relationship between Devin, Ethan, Thomas, and Roger was one of true friendship. I found it extremely amazing that they would just drop what they are doing to come to the others aid. When Roger called for help Ethan and Devin came as fast as possible, and when Thomas called for help they all came running to help. The plot line was very interesting, Daniel Bushnell definitely added to the story, adding a kind of suspenseful feel to the plot line. I did not want to put the book down, I only wish that it wasn't over.

Love Held Captive by Shelley Shepard Gray is the third book in the Lone Star Hero’s Love Story series, and it picks up with both Major Ethan Kelly and Captain Devin Monroe’s stories, more of the prisoners during the Civil War that the previous books in the series has followed.
Major Ethan Kelly is haunted by the face of the woman at the house he led his soldiers to raid during the War Between the States. He could see in her eyes she was hurting and desperate, but his men had to eat. When the same sprite of a woman barges in his hotel room, trying to escape from another man in the hotel who Kelly knew in the war and who always rubbed him the wrong way, the plot thickens.
Meanwhile, Captain Devon Monroe is bewitched by the lovely Julianne, but he doesn’t know the secrets she hides. When Kelly calls for help in dealing with the man from his past, neither of them could have bargained for how intertwined all of their pasts are.
This book was an interesting conclusion to the series. All I could think while reading it was “what a small world!”. I did feel as if the plot could have moved faster; by the time the book finished it seemed as if it had only covered a couple of day’s worth of time, and that the characters didn’t know each other well enough for a romance, no matter how tied together their pasts were. Something about the plot just seemed odd, but I can’t put my finger on it. I will say that while the first book in the series was my favorite, I did really appreciate the hard topics that this whole series dealt with, from suicide to rape and from war to true love. It made the characters more deep and relatable.
Thank you to Zondervan for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and were not required to be positive.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Love Held Captive (2017) by Shelley Shepard Gray is the third novel in the Lone Star Hero series. This novel will come in all forms including eBook, and is 320 pages in length. This novel is due to be released on October 10, 2017. With a full-time job and a vibrant five-year old, this novel took me three days to read. I received a free review copy of this novel in eBook form from NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this novel 5 STARS. This novel is a Christian Historical Romance. Disclaimer — this novel does delve into heavy topics including rape, physical abuse, and prostitution as a means to survive.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel so much. They are so well written! The novel is told through the perspectives of four different characters: Ethan, Devin, Lizbeth, and Julianne. Each character has his/her unique struggle and deals with the struggle in very real, emotional, authentic ways. The first story that the reader is introduced to is Ethan’s. Love Held Captive takes place several years after the Civil War. As the reader has learned from the previous two novels, Ethan is part of a Band of Brothers: Phillip (who died during captivity as a POW), Robert, Thomas, and Devin. This band of brothers will do anything for each other. If one man needs help, the other three immediately come to his aid. At the start of this novel, the reader sees Ethan wake from a nightmare. He is plagued by many events that took place during the War, just as any soldier is, but one event haunts him the most: the day he stole everything from a scared, clearly hurt young woman. It just so happens that this woman, Lizbeth, makes a sudden appearance into Ethan’s life. Could this be God’s way of giving Ethan a chance at retribution?

The second story in this novel is Devin’s. Devin is the much-revered Captain who led, and still leads, this noble band of brothers. At the start of this story, Devin is in love. But, where he could lead scores of men into battle with no hesitation, the idea of talking to the girl of his dreams makes him feel like an insignificant school boy. It is incredibly sweet and endearing. In the first two novels, Devin is so intimidating. He’s clearly confident, powerful, and almost untouchable. As I read the first two books, I very much put Devin on a pedestal. He is the very definition of a man’s man. In this final novel, though, Devin is made more real to me. He has issues himself, and he makes some stupid mistakes. As I said above, Devin is in love with a woman — Julianne. He doesn’t know anything about Julianne; his feelings strictly come from seeing her. When he comes face-to-face with her past, he doesn’t like what he hears, and he gets a little arrogant and disappointingly mean (for all of like five seconds…he goes back to being awesome almost immediately). Devin’s initial reaction to Julianne’s past is exceptionally true-to-life. But, he goes to God. He thinks things through. And, then he realizes that holding Julianne to a standard he can’t even uphold is wrong. In my opinion it’s one of the best parts of this novel.

The villain, Daniel Bushnell, is pure evil. He uses his money and power to take advantage of women. He abuses women. He manipulates women. He makes women feel dirty, ashamed, and broken. He is a vile, repugnant man. He is a man perfectly ok with shooting someone in the back. He cares only about himself and what can benefit him no matter the cost to another person. Both Lizbeth and Julianne have suffered at the hands of this man. The crux of this novel is avenging Lizbeth and Julianne, and saving a helpless woman Daniel has just kidnapped. The band of brothers reunite and do save the day! It is, for me, an incredibly satisfying ending to a story. But, I do want to warn anyone with delicate sensibilities. This novel does deal with the effects of rape, forced prostitution, and domestic violence. I feel that Ms. Gray does a very respectful job of dealing with these issues, but these issues are there.

Love Held Captive is an excellent novel. It is a fast-paced, action-filled page turner. I truly could not put this book down. I love the characters in this novel. They are so well written, and they truly are endearing. This novel is intense, and does deal with some harsh realities, but I feel Ms. Gray dealt with these issues respectfully and genuinely. I highly recommend this novel. It is an excellent end to a fantastic series.

Love Held Captive
Shelley Shepard Gray

Long before PTSD was identified and labeled, men and women, survivors of war, had to deal with the trama and anxiety alone. Shelley Shepard Gray has done an exceptional job of exposing life, post Civil War, and the emotional toll it has taken on a group of POW's and how a forged friendship with one another has allowed them to move forward in their lives with the support of each other. This third and final book in the series dives into the lives of Captain Devon Monroe and Major Ethan Kelly as both try to unsuccessfully bury the skeletons of the past. It is highly recommennded you read each book in succession because they build on one another.

Ethan Kelly has been haunted for years due to a raid he made with his men when the war between the stars was raging. He ordered his men to take everything they could find because they were starving. They took the last of everything from a poor woman who had recently been violently abused and injured. She was in desperate shape. The memory of her ate at Ethan's conscious regularly making the shame of what he had done unbearable. Years later,  he stumbles upon her as she wards off a despicable man. Ethan vows to himself to make her life better in an effort to redeem himself.

Another member of the group, the esteemed Captain Devin Monroe, has a mission of his own. He is ready to fall in love and settle down believing he has found the woman of his dreams. He then is to be utterly dismayed at her former life choices centered around a contemptible soldier from the war. As it turns out, this man knew both the woman (Lizbeth) in Ethan's care and the woman (Julianne) that Devin had longed for. Both men come together to bring the man to justice. In the process, they all lean on their faith, friendships, and belief they must let go of the past to claim their futures.

This book wraps up this remarkable series. Not only were the books well researched but the tone of the series reflected the desperation of the times. Shelley Shepard Gray has written an excellent and compelling set of three novels around the theme of the Lone Star Heroes. Each book and hero deserves a read!

Book One: The Loyal Heart
Book Two: An Uncommon Protector
Book Three: Love Held Captive

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and enjoyed the previous book in this series, “An Uncommon Protector”. While you can read ‘Love Held Captive’ as a stand alone, there are parts that would flow together smoother for you if you had read the previous two books.

‘Love Held Captive’ starts out a little slow, but you are quickly brought up to speed. In this 3rd book, you will find the stories of both Major Ethan Kelly & Captain Devin Monroe. A friendship that began during the civil war and grew stronger as they struggled to survive the POW camp. As the men discover that the women they have fallen for both have a history with their former Colonel, Adam Bushnell they must decide if the feelings they are beginning to have are strong enough to survive the storm that is sure to come.

Both Lizbeth and Julianne have painful histories that they would just as soon forget, and they find they have more in common than they first knew. Can they move past the hurt and regret of the past to find love?

While not a light read in the way of the heavy topics included (horrors of war, rape, & prostitution), you could easily read this book in a day or possibly two.

There are several flashback scenes, where you are taken back to the war or a scene in the POW camp. While some of these helped carry the story, there were a couple that I personally felt could have been left out and I wouldn’t have missed them. For me, they broke up the flow of the story.

The characters are vivid and complex. The setting is realistic, and there is a few twists that will keep you turning pages. Due to the mature content, I wouldn’t recommend this story to those under 16. I give this story 3 and 1/2 stars.

(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

I had mixed feelings about this book. I found it to have too many points of views and story-lines. I would have enjoyed it more if the focus had been on Major Kelly and Lizbeth's story.

Lizbeth provides the only good example. She is strong and tries to put her past behind her which includes not seeking vengeance. She also helps others even when it is hard on her. Ethan has a mixed sense of obligation. He is hung up on revenge but also wants to protect Lizbeth due to their past.

Julianne kept justifying her sin saying it was something she had to do instead of repenting. I don't have a problem when someone repents of their sin and is turning their life to God, but they aren't seeing it as a sin and she is not repenting. Devin falls in love with Julianne and wants to marry her when the only real conversation he had with her was about the fact she was a mistress and wasn't ashamed of it.

The pace of the majority of the book was slow and the story-lines were not progressing. They seemed stuck in a loop.

Just about everyone is obsessed with revenge and murder when vengeance is the Lord's. "“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord." -Romans 12:-19

My favorite part of the book was Lizbeth and Ethan's storyline and the flashbacks. While things were retold from the first and second book, I feel the reader would benefit from having read the first two before reading this one.

I received this book free from Netgalley but the opinions are 100% my own.

This was good read, interesting story line, and characters that have survived the horrors of war and are left to pick up the pieces of their lives and find meaning again. I haven't read book 1 or 2 but the storyline is explained enough that I didn't feel lost and was able to keep up with the story.
Received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

Love Held Captive by Shelley Shepard Gray is a story of love, forgiveness and the atrocity of war. The story is set in Texas after the war has ended but there are many referrals to the prison camp and time of war
Major Ethan Kelly and Captain Devin Monroe both fought during the “War of Northern Aggression” and spent time together in a prison camp. Both are trying to deal with life after the war as they struggle with the nightmares that remain. Neither intends to finds love but when they meet two women also damaged by the ravages of war their hearts may betray them. Julianne and Lizbeth were affected by the war in different ways and both struggle with what they went through and how they managed to survive. Can these four form friendships and possibly more? Can they find forgiveness for those who have betrayed and injured them in order to move forward? Are all of the enemies conquered once the war ends?
This book is not always an easy read. There are some graphic passages of what happens during war times and after. I did find myself feeling sympathy for the main characters and rooting for them to overcome all that had happened to them in the past. The story is well-written and I wanted to know what would happen next. I could feel the lack of trust the characters had in their own feelings. The four main characters are all Christians but are realistically portrayed as struggling with their feelings of what is the right thing to do and whether they can forgive and love again. I give this book 5 of 5 stars. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys Christian romance.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this was not my favorite by this author. I really couldn't get a connection with any of the main characters - and there were four of them, so that's pretty significant! The two men seemed odd to me, both in their views of their actions (justifying raiding people's homes, especially one who had so obviously been sexually assaulted, for example) and their reactions to things like adultery. While I generally enjoy Christian romance, I'm not a fan of heavy topics like rape and adultery in my romance novels. It's realistic but not something I want to read about. The two women were better, but at the same time, lacked that spark that needs to draw me in, to grab me. Overall, it was not a good fit for me.

Shelley Shepard Gray is an outstanding author. I always enjoy her work...and look forward to her next publication. LOVE HELD CAPTIVE captured my attention from page one....and did not let go. I loved this story...from beginning to end. I have shared it w/ all of my reading friends.

This was a good book. Surprising twists, vivid characters, and an interesting plot. I always appreciate reading a book with different perspectives from more than one character as the current voice. It was enjoyable.

Though the writing style is light and you could easily finish this book in a day, there is nothing light, quick or easy about the story. Love Held Captive is about the horrors of war, the way it changes people and the struggle to go on when everything has been turned upside down. It is a story of friendship, love and forgiveness, walking through difficult topics including rape and prostitution. It’s a story about being broken and learning to let go of the past. While the novel did a good job of walking you through the lives of these characters whose stories had been turned upside down by war and pain I wouldn’t say it was an enjoyable novel to read. It’s not a book I could recommend if you are looking for entertainment. If you are instead wanting to read about a historical reality with a hopeful outcome, then you might enjoy this novel.

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I received a free digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lizbeth was my favorite character of the story she was so strong to put up with as much as she did. Shelley story held me captive I couldn't seem to put it down. Shelley shepard gray fans will not disappointed agine with this book. I hope newcomers start from the beginning that hasn't read her story's you will love it.

I’ll start this review by saying that while this is the 3rd book in this series, it can be read as a complete standalone. While there are updates given about the previous couples, this book has the information needed for the stories of Ethan and Devin.

Now, onto this book – I was actually very interested in how this book would work because it’s about 2 different couples. Honestly, I almost expected it to just be 2 complete stories that were written separately, however I was very surprised at how entwined the stories were. This book wouldn’t have been half as good as it is now if the characters would have been kept separate.

While this is a couples story, I didn’t feel like one couple got more “face time” than another. The stories were so entwined that it worked out perfectly the way it was written.

Finding out more about Ethan and Devin, and the suffering that they had gone through was just horrible. It was so well written that I couldn’t stop myself from feeling horrible for them. And the same goes for Lizbeth and Julianne’s stories. It was so interesting to see how 2 completely different women were both hurt, and while they were hurt differently, they both ended up becoming stronger for what they had been through.

Overall – this was an amazing story and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this 3rd book in the Lone Star Hero’s Love Story series. The combination of Devin & Ethan’s stories was well-done. The complex relationship between the “band of brothers” Devin, Ethan, Robert, & Thomas is quite well done. I do think you would be better served by reading the first 2 books before reading this 3rd one. Gray does give some of the backstory for Thomas and Robert, but reading the previous books helps you to better understand why these men pledged to help each other “no matter what” at the end of the Civil War. Get the book when it is released in October!