The Captive Duke is the first book in her Captive Hearts trilogy series. This story is about two people that have been tortured in different ways. Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia was captured by the French, held prisoner and tortured for months. He is physically and mentally scarred and returns home to find his wife and son have died in his absence.

Gillian, Countess of Greendale is related to Christian by marriage, and hears of his return. She visits him and sees the state he is in and informs him his daughter is still alive but barely functioning. As she helps him reunite and eventually heal both physically and mentally, they try to help Lucy get well.

Gillian is as broken as he is, having been abused by her deceased husband is also scarred and appears to be in danger after several accidents. Christian feels that Gilly is keeping her own secrets and tries to get her to share them with him. Will Christian be able to save Gilly and his daughter Lucy before it is too late.

This book is definitely about tortured souls. It is painful to read about the abuse each has suffered through no fault of their own. Eventually see that they are exactly what each other needs in order to survive. I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, was captured and torture during the war in France. Home now, the memories plague his dreams and he is determined to have his revenge on his torturer. Gillian, Countess of Windmere, is his late wife’s cousin. She is a widow after having suffered years of abuse at the hands of her late husband. She has come to his estate to care for his young daughter Lucy. A trauma, which no one can identify, has caused Lucy to stop speaking. Gillian convinces Christian that he is what Lucy needs. The Captive Duke is an intensely emotional story. The main characters suffer the after effects of fright and/or abuse. Gillian becomes the anchor for Christian and Lucy. The villains are interesting. Some are obvious, Christian’s torturers and Gillian’s late husband. One other villain stalks the trio, the person who terrorized Lucy. That villain is the worst of all, and it’s hard to believe who it is. This is a story with betrayal, pain, a need for revenge, danger, soul searching, and finally, love and family. Great read!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Grace Burrows employs a writing style that takes a bit of time to adjust to, but once you do, you’ll find a well-crafted, interesting tale that will capture your attention and heart.

For Christian, it was probably a blessing in disguise that his wife, Helene, wasn’t alive anymore when he returned from the war. She sounded like she would not have been able to deal with all the changes his captivity had wrought. Whereas Gillian handled him with aplomb. She wasn’t afraid to discover and confront all the darkness lurking inside his head.

Christian and Gillian became very familiar with each other very fast. Their romance, in contrast, grew slowly and every action was considered thoroughly. There were strong parallels between the abuse they have both suffered. Christian came to see his suffering differently when compared to Gillian’s torture at the hands of her late husband. At one point he suggested that she was a prisoner of war too.

This thought from Christian summarized it perfectly: “He was a war hero for silently enduring a few months of Girard’s intermittent abuse, while Gilly remained emotionally imprisoned after eight years of silent torture, for which the law and Society both had guaranteed her tormentor impunity.”

The story also gives Christian’s jailor, Girard, a complex character that makes it more difficult to just outright hate him for his actions against Christian.

This is a rerelease of this book and it’s the second time I’ve read this story. I liked it better this time around and I can recommend it if you like historical romance. But be aware that there are heart-breaking issues (handled truly well) that might be hard to read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, fascinating, charming and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

This is my first Grace Burrowes book, however, it will not be my last. I adored this book from start to finish. Gilly, the heroine, it beautifully written and likable from the moment we meet her. The Christian we meet at the start of this book is an extremely broken hero who is filled with rage and revenge (rightfully so). We have two characters that aren't overly sentimental or emotional but feel an inexplicable draw and find that they fit the mold of what each other need so perfectly. At times you may be questioning why we are reading the perspective of secondary characters, but Burrowes is such a beautiful writer that you'll quickly jump on board and continue. Lastly, I can't stress this enough, but Grace Burrowes is a beautiful writer. I'm a bit angry at myself for not discovering her sooner but now I'm all in, baby!

Christian is a duke who was held captive and was finally released, only to find his wife and son dead, but he does have aliving daughter, Lucy. Whom has been cared for by Gilliy, his wife's cousin. He did not have a mad love affair with his duchess...but he does find Gilly, at first annoying and then takes a shine to her. Gilly has been keeping Lucy safe and raising her, while she herself had been in mourning.

There's some intrigue with Girard and that is a large focus, as does the very slow build between Christian and Gilly.

Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, lost his wife, his son, and his will to live. He struggles to find a way back to the world he once knew until Gillian, Countess of Windmere, pointedly reminds him that he has a daughter who still needs him. As Christian and Gillian spend more and more time together trying to help Margaret, who was traumatized by her mother's death, their attraction slowly begins to grow.
A well written book that ticked all the boxes for me & once started I found it hard to put down & read until silly o’clock to finish it. I loved both Christian & Gillian & was totally invested in their journey to a HEA. Strong characters & a well paced story held my interest all the way through. However just when things came together the book ended. I’m a lover of an epilogue & this book needed that to fully round off the story. This book was previously published as The Captive.
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

He's out for revenge...

Christian is a duke who was held captive and was finally released, only to find his wife and son dead, but he does have aliving daughter, Lucy. Whom has been cared for by Gilliy, his wife's cousin. He did not have a mad love affair with his duchess...but he does find Gilly, at first annoying and then takes a shine to her. Gilly has been keeping Lucy safe and raising her, while she herself had been in mourning.

There's some intrigue with Girard and that is a large focus, as does the very slow build between Christian and Gilly.

An emotional roller coaster ride for readers and the characters. Christian the Duke of Mercia has been held captive and tortured by the French, physically and mentally. As the war ended he is released but has so much to overcome and adjust to. Starting with proving he is the lost Duke. When he finally returns to London he is accosted by his deceased wife’s cousin, Gillian. His daughter the only surviving member of his family needs him. And as ill and unfit as he is he heads to his home to reunite with his daughter..
Gillian is finally free, her abusive husband is dead. Although there is a shadow hanging over her as to her innocence. Finding purpose in helping with the care of her cousin daughter has also lead her to offer support and care for the broken shell of a man Lucy’s father the Duke.
Wonderfully written story of the the will to survive and overcome betrayal. Which both MC have experience. Of learning to believe and trust again. The story centers more on the personal issues than romance which I did like. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheCaptiveDuke

An unflinching look at POWs in the Napoleonic Wars

Christian is finally released after months of tortuous captivity, only to find his wife and young son have died in his absence. Gillian, cousin to his late wife, has been caring for his daughter and demands that Christian reunite with Lucy as soon as possible. Gilly is a recent widow herself, and by a coincidence not all that unusual in the insular aristocracy, the man who inherited her late husband's title is also heir to Christian's dukedom.

I loved the way the treachery came virtually out of nowhere and didn't follow a predictable path. That part of the storyline really kept me guessing right up until the clue about the horse, then I was kicking myself for missing it in the first place. This whole part of the story - the profound exploration of the emotional aftermath and the cost of war on a person's psyche - was excruciatingly well done.

The romance was so very sweet and tender. Christian and Gilly have an almost immediate intuitive connection, one that was far more emotionally intimate than any physical relationship could be. The way she knew exactly what to do for him - right down to peeling the oranges - was astoundingly beautiful. This is a true soulmates love story and I enjoyed every breathtaking part of it.

This author is one of my favorites in the historical romance genre, and this book is a stellar example of why that is. I highly recommend it for all romance readers. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

The easiest way to hook me as a reader is to give me a plot line I’ve never read before in one of my favorite genres. Enter: The Captive Duke by Grace Burrowes. Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia was taken prisoner by the French where he was tortured until his release during peacetime. A shell of his former self, he is only able to come alive in the presence of Gillian, the Dowager Countess of Greendale. It is Gilly’s no-nonsense mannerisms and lack of sympathy that has Christian slowly opening up.
I loved that at first, Christian finds Gilly overly talkative, average-looking, and unaffected by his rogue state. But Gilly is so easily able to peel his layers back and bring him back to his old self without making Christian feel like less than a man or like something he’s not. Gilly and Christian have some of the best interactions, and much like a sick bed scene would endear readers to the servicing character, Gilly carefully tending to the Duke in every way he least expects, softening his heart to her. Christian’s mind and body have been through tortured hell, he’s returned to a deceased wife and child, and he can not even stomach tea, and yet Gilly is the salve that feeds his soul. Likewise, as Gillian is in mourning herself, Christian slowly begins to show her that she is worth more than how she was treated for the past eight years by her husband. And under these pretenses, a romance begins to bloom. I loved seeing both Gilly and Christian revitalized by each other and even though this was a lengthy book, I was always interested as the plot continued to develop and Christian seeks revenge for his enslavement. This is not the spiciest historical romance, but the feelings between these two are so real and I felt the longing and need they had for each other. As this is a re-release, hopefully more readers will come to read Grace Burrowes’ series (this book was previously titled The Captive). I know I will definitely be picking up the next book in The Captive Hearts series. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this advanced copy. I read and chose to review this book. All opinions are my own.
CW: Circumcision, descriptions of torture, assault

The Captive Duke is a re-release of a novel first published in 2014, the first in the Captive Hearts series. To plot was interesting, with some suspense and quite a lot of heartache. Unfortunately, I found the language used very stilted, which made it harder to read and less enjoyable than it could have been. Surprisingly, there are also some open door sexy times and a HEA for the couple.

Christian had been taken and horribly tortured by the French, after he returns home he's trying to sort out his life when Gillian walks into it and makes him feel alive. Gillian needs Christian to return home, not only to take care of his home and land, but his daughter desperately needs him.

I loved the way the romance was slowly built. Both Christian and Gillian have been through trauma and seeing them learn not only to trust each other but also to feel safe with each other was really beautiful. I loved not only their relationship with each other but with his daughter Lucy who was adorable and learning how to trust that her father wasn't going to disappear again.

I really enjoyed this emotional rollercoaster of a story and will definitely be reading more of this author.

The Captive Duke is the first book in the Captive Hearts series. This is a re-release of the book The Captive from 2014.

The Duke of Severn was a prisoner of war to the French and suffered greatly at their hands. Yes, he bears the scars, but they did not break him. Now returned to England, he is trying to find the will to rejoin the living. He finds the source of his calm in the most unlikely place. Gillian, Countess of Windmere, his late wife's cousin, reminds him he still has reasons to live. Returning back to his county seat and reuniting with his daughter who needs him. The draw towards Gillian is impossible to resist, and figuring out her quirks is high on Christians' to-do list. And when strange things start happening, Christian goes into protective mode. As we learn from life, everything isn't always as it seems.

This book was a bit of a revelation to me because I was not expecting this. It is a layered story, a lot of healing on both sides and it’s very touching to see how both of them are what they need to heal their wounds.

There isn’t much steam because the author focuses more on the emotional side of the relationship which I think it’s very fitting giving both Christin and Gillian were fighting their own wars.

I will be honest though because despite the fact that I enjoyed this book and I loved to see the character development and the relationship grow I got the feeling that in middle it was dragging a little bit.

It’s a quiet, but powerful and meaningful story.

This is a powerful, well told story. Christian and Gillian are strong, compelling, smart, relatable, captivating characters. Their development both individual and as a couple through this story was well done. I enjoyed these characters and their romance. I loved Lucy and the animals. They added to the characters and the story in many good ways. This story was a roller coaster ride in good ways. There were necessary scenes in the story that were tough to read (Trigger Warning for discussion of abuse and torcher). I wish we had gotten an epilogue because I would have loved to have seen them in their HEA with possibly more children.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A somewhat darker story than most where the lead character's are prisoners both of war and marriage. They found love, strength, courage and protection in each other having been related through marriage. An excellent complicated read about overcoming one’s traumatic past and find optimism for the future with the expected villains and somewhat hidden twists. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DNF ~50%. This is a long, plodding, character-driven story. Not much happens in the first half (the part I read). The tone is unrelentingly dark. I like fun books, which this is not. Fans of dark romance may enjoy it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

My main problem with the book was how complicated the writing style was.
The author used overly wordy style of storytelling, which shifted the focus from the plot to the vocabulary used.
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The plot was interesting enough, it was original, and I liked the sequence of the relationship, both took their time to free themselves from trauma and showed their love for one another beautifully.
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Christian was a great character, not the most loveable love interest I've read, but as a whole, I liked how multilayered his character was.
Gillian, on the other hand, was quite confusing to me. She was hot and cold for the whole book, which made frustrated with her, especially toward the end, where she was holding back from the relationship without a concrete reason.
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I wasn't a fan of the ending, it was super... Staged? It wasn't rational and felt anticlimactic.
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Overall, a good book, just not my favorite.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Enjoyable, great pacing, exciting settings kept me hooked. Classic, spicy love novel that will be the perfect beach read. Thank you Net Galley for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion