The character development is what really shined for me in this novel. The characters were beautifully nuanced and complex. More emphasis was placed on emotions of the characters than plot events which made pacing felt a bit slow at times.

I really enjoyed reading Christian and Gillian's story. I just loved watching these two help one another get over their past trauma and get their HEA.

This is such a lovely example of the best of regency romance. However, it's not just a regency romance. My favorite part was how this book addresses the Duke's trauma from his torture. I really loved how it was approached. The romance was written well, and it did not feel like it was a copy of every other regency romance. The duke's torture and experiences were well written.

A sweet and steamy historical romance from one of the greats. Christian and Gilly were electric. Sweet, compelling, and emotional.

This was pretty good! I enjoyed the dynamics and how the two main characters were both complex and recovering from traumatic events; it added a different layer to the story, and the author did it quite well. I also really enjoyed the family dynamic throughout the book, and I absolutely loved Gilly. My only issue was how quickly the relationship between Gilly and Christian developed. Other than that, this was good!

Initially this book was so hard to get into. But in my opinion the story picked up once Marcus made it back home and met Gilly then I thoroughly enjoyed the book from that point. I thought the first few chapters are very heavy and for him to be a captain and come home and find out that his wife and son had passed away was not enjoyable. My mouth fell open when Gilly told Marcus that she was promised to him first until her husband started sniffing around and then her cousin became his wife. Anyway I’m glad that Marcus was able to find love again and work through his issues

Grace Burrowes is one of my favorites! I enjoyed this book. Christian and Gilly have a very sweet relationship, I found this book very romantic. A must read!

Grace Burrowes never disappoints. The Captive Duke was a heartfelt, beautifully written romance that will stay with me for a long time.

Christian and Gilly are perfection together. I loved how their love grew over time through the little things they did for each other. The way they were able to really open up and bond over their shared trauma was inspiring.

I loved this book so very much and highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The first book in the Captive Hearts series, a well written story that held my interest from cover to cover. I enjoyed seeing Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia and Gillian, Countess of Windmere along with his daughter Lucy, get a happy ending. She is one strong willed woman and he is a very damaged man. This is a story that is well worth reading. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Captive Duke is the first book in a new series by Grace Burrowes and enjoyed this one.

Christian Severn is our mmc and as the book opens, we learn he was captured by the French and has been tortured during his captivity. As he gains his freedom, he realizes he is coming back to a different world with his wife and son having died, he has to figure out what's important to him; life and family or revenge.

Upon his return, his late wife's relation, Gillian, Countess of Windmere, shows up and reminds him that while he lost his wife and son, he still has a daughter and she needs him. His daughter, Lucy, for some reason no longer speaks and Gillian has taken this as an opportunity to get away from the reminders of her failed marriage. As she pulls Christian back to life, they both find themselves healing their past pains and finding solace with each other.

I enjoyed how Burrowes developed these characters. Yes, a lot of the story revolves around their time together but they had very separate lives prior and we got to see what they were like before which helped to understand how they were when they were first together. I enjoyed the development of the relationship as well.

If you're looking for a new historical romance series to start, I recommend picking this one up. It has a great story, well developed characters, and a solid romance. I look forward to the next book in this series!

I'm very interested as to why this one got a reprint -- what changed from the original? The pacing and language/ voice of this felt really stiff and stilted and I'm just surprised that it didn't get a more 2023 writing change, to draw in more current historical romance fans.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Whew, this was an emotional read as you find that both Christian and Gillian have had tremendous trauma in their lives and yet they are strong enough to work through that damage to find a new norm. Christian was held captive and tortured and Gilly was abused in her marriage.

I really loved Gillian, she was a take charge and don't mess with her attitude which must have been refreshing for her after her terrible marriage. Christian just needed a lifeline to process the world after captivity, and she was there for him.

There is so much going on in this book and so many secrets that I don't want to give away anything! One clue was pointed out many times but both Gillian and Christian were dealing with so much other drama that they didn't realize what was clear to the reader.

Great drama, intrigue, and romance so it was hard to put the book down! Now I have to go back and read the book with Devlin, again!

Christian and Gilly have both been through a lot of trauma and are clearly suffering from the after effects of this. Christian’s daughter, too, has been traumatised, yet the cause is something of a mystery. As the three come together to form a family, danger still lurks in the shadows and Gilly is in danger. This is darker than the average historical romance, dealing with some difficult issues. There are plot twists, suspense and a surprising ending. At its heart though, is a message about having the strength to move forward and find joy in life, not letting the past define who you are.

4 1/2*STARS*
Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, is captured out of uniform by the French, held prisoner and tortured for a year. Gillian, Countess of Windmere, has her own nightmares from a ten year marriage to Lord Greendale. Circumstances of his death are up for questions in an inquest with her as a prime suspect.
Gillian will bring Christian back from the dead, he will fight her nightmares, but someone isn't happy with their connection.
A non stop read from start to finish.
Descriptive violence and sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This book seemed familiar as I started reading it and no wonder because I subsequently found out that it's a re-release of a book first published in 2014.  Apparently, the title was changed from "The Captive" to the Captive Duke and the book got a new cover.  Nevertheless, despite the lingering sense of familiarity, I enjoyed the reading since the details of the story had been lost in the depths of my memory.
Liberated by the fall of Napoleon, the Duke of Mercia is liberated and returns home to find that his wife and young son are dead, and the world has both remained the same and yet changed none the less. He is barely scraping himself together when he is visited by Gillian, his wife's cousin imploring him to return to his ducal seat and care for his daughter who has been struck dumb by all the misfortunes in his young life.
As Christian heals, he finds Gillian an inspiration and of course a source of comfort and love. Are all the accidents that befall Gillian benign or is there something more sinister going on here. This path to love is definitely not smooth and comes with a bit of danger and intrigue as well but all's well that ends well. 
Just when things seem to be falling in place for Christian and Gillian, his torturer from France is in England having inherited an English title. How will Christian cope with his desire for revenge with his need for love? Read the book and find out.

Perfect for fans of Mary Balogh, The Captive Duke is a touching second-chance romance which brings together Christian and Gilly, with the reader cheering for their very well-deserved happy ending. After an extremely brutal captivity by the French, Christian, the Duke of Mercia, is finally safely back home in England only to encounter stress and turmoil in his home life. Recent widow Gillian helps him recover both physically and emotionally. Burrowes does a beautiful job in believably resolving the many conflicts in this emotional tale.

[Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]

//REVIEW IN ENGLISH SOON//

Tenía ganas de leer a esta autora pero este libro, aunque no está mal, no me ha conquistado. Es un libro bien escrito, con una escritura y un lenguaje cuidados, y un punto de partida de lo más interesante pero la escritora me parece que se acaba perdiendo de su propia historia y al final no sabe cómo rematarla.
Christian es un duque que es apresado y torturado por los franceses (estamos en la época de Napoleón y soldados británicos traumatizados por cualquier batalla que les tocara librar por estos lares) el cual, cuando es liberado, solo tiene en mente vengarse. En su camino se cruza una condesa viuda, Gilly, que vela por la salud de la hija de Christian y que al final acaba viviendo con ellos en su casoplón. Tanto Christian como Gilly están traumaditos y el amor que surge entre ellos (primero el palotismo, claro) les ayuda a sanar. Y en estas cosas casi nos olvidamos de la venganza de Christian y de unos intentos de asesinato que aparecen como de la nada. Obviamente, al final hay que resolver todo pero, chica, de qué modo más rápido, soso y anticlimático lo hace

I would like to thank netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable.

Compelling story with a great mystery behind it. As a fan of the Moreland family books I loved seeing St. Just as a character.

CW: the book portrays torture, and physical and emotional abuse

I really enjoyed this one- it's much darker than your average historical romance, and I loved how deep it was. There were some things I disliked about it, but enjoyed the emotional conflicts and the way the main characters developed in time. I also liked that the duke was physically ill for a while, because we don't always see that with romances with rescued captives, and it's both realistic and empathetic to his struggles. I love the duke's development, and Gillian is a great protagonist. This has propelled me to read a bunch more of her work!