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Captive Bride
San Francisco, 1870Huiann arrives in America expecting to be wed to a wealthy businessman. She no sooner disembarks from the ship than she realizes Xie is not looking for a Huiann is worth more to him as a high-end prostitute. Though her fate is better than that of other Chinese women forced into the sex trade, she has no intention of waiting for Xie to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. At the first opportunity, she escapes and disappears into the city.When a beautiful woman takes refuge in his store, Alan's life changes forever. He's spent the last five years trying to forget the horrors of war, and had almost given up hope of finding love. He hires Huiann as his housekeeper, and though they can only communicate through signs and sketches, they quickly form a bond that transcends the need for words. But Xie is determined to recover his property, and love may not be enough to protect Huiann from his vengeance.75,600 words
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2011
6 people are currently reading
424 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Dee
131 books698 followersI began telling stories as a child. Whenever there was a sleepover, I was the designated ghost tale teller. I still have a story printed on yellow legal paper in second grade about a ghost, a witch and a talking cat.
I enjoy dabbling in many genres. Whether you're a fan of contemporary historical or fantasy romance, you'll find something to enjoy among my books. I'm interested in flawed, often damaged, people who find the fulfillment they seek in one another. To stay informed about new releases, please sign up for my newsletter. You can join my street team at FB. Learn more about my backlist at http://bonniedee.com and find me on FB and Twitter @Bonnie_Dee.
I enjoy dabbling in many genres. Whether you're a fan of contemporary historical or fantasy romance, you'll find something to enjoy among my books. I'm interested in flawed, often damaged, people who find the fulfillment they seek in one another. To stay informed about new releases, please sign up for my newsletter. You can join my street team at FB. Learn more about my backlist at http://bonniedee.com and find me on FB and Twitter @Bonnie_Dee.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 20, 2015
3.5 unique, romantic, sexy stars!
Bonnie Dee writes some impressive historical romances, if for no other reason than they are unique. She takes the same old storylines and gives them a twist which makes them distinctive and definitely interesting!
Description...
San Francisco, 1870My review...
Huiann arrives in America expecting to be wed to a wealthy businessman. She no sooner disembarks from the ship than she realizes Xie is not looking for a bride: Huiann is worth more to him as a high-end prostitute. Though her fate is better than that of other Chinese women forced into the sex trade, she has no intention of waiting for Xie to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. At the first opportunity, she escapes and disappears into the city.
When a beautiful woman takes refuge in his store, Alan's life changes forever. He's spent the last five years trying to forget the horrors of war, and had almost given up hope of finding love. He hires Huiann as his housekeeper, and though they can only communicate through signs and sketches, they quickly form a bond that transcends the need for words.
But Xie is determined to recover his property, and love may not be enough to protect Huiann from his vengeance.
Captive Bride is another mail-order-bride-disaster story, but this time we have Chua Huiann who has come to America to marry Xie Fuhua, a successful Chinese businessman. Her parents hadn’t met the man, but through Lui Dai, one of Xie’s servants/agents, they were assured that their beloved, albeit unruly daughter, would have a life of prosperity and happiness. However, when Chua Huiann arrives in San Francisco she finds that things were not at all as they had been made out to be, and her life would be anything but happy.
Alan Sommers is the owner of a successful general store. He’s an honorable, hard working man who is running from the memories and nightmares that haunt him. Having fought in the Civil War and been taken prisoner early on, he spent years in captivity, not knowing whether he’d live or die, before he was finally released. Alan headed west to start a new life, but his nightmares followed him.
This story delves into the racism so prevalent during the time period, and the hardships Asian immigrants endured while trying to make a life for themselves. I don’t want to go into detail about how Huiann and Alan meet and spoil it for you, but I enjoyed watching their relationship grow into a sweet love story. Their cultural difference and the language barrier made for some fun and touching moments.
The bottom line...
Overall, Captive Bride was another enjoyable, sweet and sexy read by Bonnie Dee, and I’m looking forward to more by this talented author.
3.5/5 stars
This story was provided to me by netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2011
First off, can I say how much I love the cover of this book? It's not only beautiful but it fits the story too! That's quite a rare treat in today's crazy publishing world, LOL.
This was my second read by Ms. Dee and it was another winner. I'm not familiar with her backlist - but I definitely plan to be - so I don't know if this is her niche in writing, but I loved how she wasn't afraid of tackling "controversial" subjects in the two books I've read. So refreshing!
Captive Bride takes place in San Francisco, 1870 - which is an unusual setting in Romancelandia. Just so you get a better understanding of that time and place, here's an excerpt of the Author's Note:
"In 1867 the Pacific Mail Steamship Company began regularly scheduled runs between Hong Kong and San Francisco. Between 1870 and 1883 an average of 12,000 Chinese were arriving in San Francisco each year.
In 1870 California passed a law against the importation of Chinese, Japanese and Mongolian women for the purpose of prostitution.
The Chinese Exclusion Act, passed by Congress in 1882, was the only U.S. law ever to prevent immigration and naturalization on the basis of race."
Chua Huiann is one of those Chinese women who are taken from their home country to be a prostitute in San Francisco. The difference is, she and her parents have been lied to and believe that she's to marry Xie Fuhua, a Chinese businessmen who's made his fortune in America. When Huiann is taken to Xie's Pleasure Palace and finds out what he really wants from her, she pretends to be resigned to her fate in order to buy some time. She manages to escape before her virginity is sold to the highest bidder and runs to hide inside the first shop that catches her attention.
Alan Sommers is a solitary man who's still trying to forget the horrors he suffered during the Civil War. When Huiann bursts through the door of his shop and starts talking to him, he doesn't understand a word she says, but the desperation he sees on her face is enough to convince him to give her shelter from whoever is after her.
And so it begins... Huiann and Alan's relationship is very tentative at first, as one can't understand the other's language and have to communicate through drawings and signs. Alan hires Huiann as a housekeeper so she has a safe place to stay - and hide from her "owner" Xie - and they soon find themselves irrevocably attracted to each other. But what good can come from that? Xie's a powerful man, he wants his "property" back and, on that matter, the law is on his side. And even if Xie wasn't a threat in itself, the "good citizens" of San Francisco wouldn't compliment Alan on marrying Huiann, a woman of "inferior" race. Are Huiann and Alan destined to live in hiding?
This was one of the most romantic books I've read. Yeah, romance books are supposed to be romantic, I know, but this one was different. I don't know how to explain it, I can only say that I was very aware of Huiann and Alan's love for each other during this read. Something in Ms. Dee's writing struck a chord with me, even though I thought it was too poetic now and then.
I did have a problem with the pacing of the story, though. The first half was too slow and very descriptive. I could see why it had to be that way, considering that Huiann couldn't speak English and had to rely on her other senses to understand the new and sometimes frightening world that surrounded her, but I found myself wishing for a faster pace.
Overall, I really liked this book. It had great characters - yes, I mean not only Huiann and Alan, but the secondary characters too - and an engaging story. What's not to like?
Note: I received this eARC from Carina Press via NetGalley. That had no influence on my review/rating.
This was my second read by Ms. Dee and it was another winner. I'm not familiar with her backlist - but I definitely plan to be - so I don't know if this is her niche in writing, but I loved how she wasn't afraid of tackling "controversial" subjects in the two books I've read. So refreshing!
Captive Bride takes place in San Francisco, 1870 - which is an unusual setting in Romancelandia. Just so you get a better understanding of that time and place, here's an excerpt of the Author's Note:
"In 1867 the Pacific Mail Steamship Company began regularly scheduled runs between Hong Kong and San Francisco. Between 1870 and 1883 an average of 12,000 Chinese were arriving in San Francisco each year.
In 1870 California passed a law against the importation of Chinese, Japanese and Mongolian women for the purpose of prostitution.
The Chinese Exclusion Act, passed by Congress in 1882, was the only U.S. law ever to prevent immigration and naturalization on the basis of race."
Chua Huiann is one of those Chinese women who are taken from their home country to be a prostitute in San Francisco. The difference is, she and her parents have been lied to and believe that she's to marry Xie Fuhua, a Chinese businessmen who's made his fortune in America. When Huiann is taken to Xie's Pleasure Palace and finds out what he really wants from her, she pretends to be resigned to her fate in order to buy some time. She manages to escape before her virginity is sold to the highest bidder and runs to hide inside the first shop that catches her attention.
Alan Sommers is a solitary man who's still trying to forget the horrors he suffered during the Civil War. When Huiann bursts through the door of his shop and starts talking to him, he doesn't understand a word she says, but the desperation he sees on her face is enough to convince him to give her shelter from whoever is after her.
And so it begins... Huiann and Alan's relationship is very tentative at first, as one can't understand the other's language and have to communicate through drawings and signs. Alan hires Huiann as a housekeeper so she has a safe place to stay - and hide from her "owner" Xie - and they soon find themselves irrevocably attracted to each other. But what good can come from that? Xie's a powerful man, he wants his "property" back and, on that matter, the law is on his side. And even if Xie wasn't a threat in itself, the "good citizens" of San Francisco wouldn't compliment Alan on marrying Huiann, a woman of "inferior" race. Are Huiann and Alan destined to live in hiding?
This was one of the most romantic books I've read. Yeah, romance books are supposed to be romantic, I know, but this one was different. I don't know how to explain it, I can only say that I was very aware of Huiann and Alan's love for each other during this read. Something in Ms. Dee's writing struck a chord with me, even though I thought it was too poetic now and then.
I did have a problem with the pacing of the story, though. The first half was too slow and very descriptive. I could see why it had to be that way, considering that Huiann couldn't speak English and had to rely on her other senses to understand the new and sometimes frightening world that surrounded her, but I found myself wishing for a faster pace.
Overall, I really liked this book. It had great characters - yes, I mean not only Huiann and Alan, but the secondary characters too - and an engaging story. What's not to like?
Note: I received this eARC from Carina Press via NetGalley. That had no influence on my review/rating.
December 19, 2014
4.5 stars
Huiann comes to America believing she is to marry Xie, a rich Chinese businessman. However, she soon finds out that Xie plans to use her as a high-class prostitute rather than his wife. Huiann manages to escape and hides inside a shop which is run by Alan Sommers, a war veteran and aspiring politician. Alan takes the young woman under his care and asks her to become his housekeeper. Not left with any options Huiann accepts. Huiann and Alan have to use sign language to communicate, since neither of them speaks the other's language. Soon Huiann realizes that she can trust Alan to care for her and protect her, while Alan comes to admire her strength and optimism. At the same time their attraction becomes stronger every day but Alan is too much of a gentleman to take advantage of his housekeeper until finally their feelings overwhelm them both. But Xie seems not to have forgotten Huiann so they can't be happy while his threat is hovering over them. Besides, Alan can't publicly acknowledge his relationship with Huiann because that would be the end of his political career, so what future is there for them anyway?
I really, really loved this book. I'm still not sure why I'm reluctant to rate it with 5 stars and I think I might have to change my rating in the future:) The story is a wonderful blend of love, passion and suspense. The first part where Huiann and Alan learn to live together, was so heartwarming and tender, it took my breath away. The descriptions of how Alan kept looking forward to go to his previously empty rooms after closing the shop and meet Huiann at the end of the day, made my heart melt. And later when their relationship evolved, the love scenes were hot and passionate, but still I could feel the love between them; it was not just sex for the sake of it. I also liked the way the threat of Xie hovering over their heads was woven in the story: it didn't take the focus away from the romance (except near the end) but added some suspense and angst that made the love story even more poignant. Even the stories of the secondary characters were interesting and had something to add to the overall feeling of the book. But the story never wavered away from Huiann and Alan, both people I came to care deeply about. Huiann was a very strong woman, determined not to whine but to fight back despite the difficult situation she found herself in and I couldn't help but admire her for it. Alan on the other hand was so tender and caring and kind, you couldn't help but adore him as Huiann did:)
If I were to make a complaint or two, it would be about the overly poetical descriptions of many of the love scenes (for example her sex was repeatedly described as her 'lotus') and a scene at the end that had to do with other prostitutes which seemed pretty unrealistic and leading to more questions rather than a closure. Still, my complaints are minute compared to my overall feelings for the book. Readers looking for a historical romance set outside the usual premises of Victorian England and the ton, should definitely check this out.
Huiann comes to America believing she is to marry Xie, a rich Chinese businessman. However, she soon finds out that Xie plans to use her as a high-class prostitute rather than his wife. Huiann manages to escape and hides inside a shop which is run by Alan Sommers, a war veteran and aspiring politician. Alan takes the young woman under his care and asks her to become his housekeeper. Not left with any options Huiann accepts. Huiann and Alan have to use sign language to communicate, since neither of them speaks the other's language. Soon Huiann realizes that she can trust Alan to care for her and protect her, while Alan comes to admire her strength and optimism. At the same time their attraction becomes stronger every day but Alan is too much of a gentleman to take advantage of his housekeeper until finally their feelings overwhelm them both. But Xie seems not to have forgotten Huiann so they can't be happy while his threat is hovering over them. Besides, Alan can't publicly acknowledge his relationship with Huiann because that would be the end of his political career, so what future is there for them anyway?
I really, really loved this book. I'm still not sure why I'm reluctant to rate it with 5 stars and I think I might have to change my rating in the future:) The story is a wonderful blend of love, passion and suspense. The first part where Huiann and Alan learn to live together, was so heartwarming and tender, it took my breath away. The descriptions of how Alan kept looking forward to go to his previously empty rooms after closing the shop and meet Huiann at the end of the day, made my heart melt. And later when their relationship evolved, the love scenes were hot and passionate, but still I could feel the love between them; it was not just sex for the sake of it. I also liked the way the threat of Xie hovering over their heads was woven in the story: it didn't take the focus away from the romance (except near the end) but added some suspense and angst that made the love story even more poignant. Even the stories of the secondary characters were interesting and had something to add to the overall feeling of the book. But the story never wavered away from Huiann and Alan, both people I came to care deeply about. Huiann was a very strong woman, determined not to whine but to fight back despite the difficult situation she found herself in and I couldn't help but admire her for it. Alan on the other hand was so tender and caring and kind, you couldn't help but adore him as Huiann did:)
If I were to make a complaint or two, it would be about the overly poetical descriptions of many of the love scenes (for example her sex was repeatedly described as her 'lotus') and a scene at the end that had to do with other prostitutes which seemed pretty unrealistic and leading to more questions rather than a closure. Still, my complaints are minute compared to my overall feelings for the book. Readers looking for a historical romance set outside the usual premises of Victorian England and the ton, should definitely check this out.
February 18, 2017
I started off liking this book and the characters, but that quickly fell away once I got past the halfway point. The one thing I liked about the book in the beginning was that I was glad the author didn't feel the need for shock value. She could've made Huiann's week-long captivity brutal, even without rape, but she didn't. However, in the second half of the book,
Alan seemed okay to me in the beginning, though he is a really bland and uninteresting character. We're told he suffers from nightmares, which start to increase in frequency after he and Huiann start sleeping together. Are his nightmares going to continue? Why did they start to occur more often? We're led to believe there will be more about it, but nothing comes of it. The author just dropped them and they're forgotten by the end. It seemed the author wanted to add some depth to Alan, feeling the need to include some sort of backstory, but she never explores it. other than being told that he's been in the army, was captured in his very first battle, and has a family (who we never meet), there's nothing more to him. He's just a basic white guy who runs a store. Oh, and he does things that made me sid-eye him. There's a point in which he wonders if having sex with Asian women is different somehow. He also judges their neighbour Dora, who's in an abusive relationship. When she finally gets away from her abusive partner, he's surprised that "she showed more backbone than he credited her with." Just...what the fuck? Fuck off, man.
His entire relationship with Huiann had me side-eyeing the fuck out of him. I tried to ignore the creepy situation with her living under his protection and having no one to turn to or nowhere else to go, stranded in a foreign country, unable to speak the language...and then having sex with her protector or saviour or whatever you want to call him. Just...okay, I didn't like the situation but I was willing to look past is just to enjoy the story. However, I really didn't like their relationship because of the way he treats her. He keeps her as his dirty little secret, hidden away in his home so no one knows.
His political ambitions and community standing mean more to him than Huiann does for a majority of the book. He doesn't like it when his white associates and acquaintances are maligning Chinese people and being racist, but truthfully? It's a pot/kettle situation because he's racist, too. Sure, Alan likes to act like he isn't, but he is. He wouldn't have disrespected Huiann the way that he did otherwise. Even though he pretends otherwise, he treats her as less than, just as his other white brethren, because he would never have disrespected a white woman the way he did Huiann -- by taking her virginity and then continuing to sleep with her even though he has no intention of ever marrying her.
Even Jeremy, who's younger than Alan and probably more immature, respected the woman he loved enough to marry her before sleeping with her. Alan can spout as many pro-Chinese thoughts as he wants and think he's not racist, but his actions prove his words false.
Alan acknowledges the wrongness of his actions, but his self-awareness of the situation doesn't make things better. I don't care if he's acknowledging the way he treats her, it doesn't lessen it or make it better any. In fact, I feel it makes it a lot worse. I get that the author was writing with the climate of the time in mind, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not at all palatable to me to find a guy appealing who actively chooses appearances and position over a woman simply because she's not white.
Dora, a girl Huiann befriends and hasn't even known as long as she's known Alan, stands up for Huiann and the racism against her, not Alan, the man who she's not only been sleeping with, but has also helped to turn a profit for by working as a seamstress. And this is after he's already decided he wants Huiann and loves her and doesn't care what others think. And he still doesn't stand up for her, instead standing there and telling Dora to cool it.
The other thing I didn't like were the depictions of the different people. While the white people that we're introduced to are shown as good, upstanding citizens, though a bunch of racists, the Chinese are shown as being criminally active. Aside from Huiann, the one "good" Chinese character, Dong Li, is mentioned to bend rules (Alan noting that it's unlikely that much of his merchandise has probably passed through customs). Literally every other POC character we meet, all of whom are Chinese, are involved in prostitution and other criminal activities. We meet one white person who's involved with that stuff, but all we know about him is his name and never meet him again. Every other white person, besides Dora's abusive partner, is shown in a good light. Where's the white corruption at, author??
I was honestly rolling my eyes and skimming by the end. I just...Alan and the cops coming in as a bunch of white saviours here to save the poor, abused Chinese women from the Big Bad Chinese crime bosses? I mean...like...can we just not? These Chinese ex-prostitutes, saved by White Saviour Alan, then begin working alongside Huiann as seamstresses. Alan and Huiann have fifteen women, who share four rooms, working for them in a small area and who knows how much they're being paid. This entire part, and Huiann's whole seamstress profession to begin with, just felt very much like a stereotype and was reminiscent of a sweatshop to me. I didn't enjoy reading about it.
The author also likes to make a lot of mentions of the Yangtze river, dragons, phoenixes, cranes, lotus as a euphemism. I felt like the author was trying to make her POC character authentic, but it just came off very fake and...well, like someone trying to make their character sound like what they think represents that POC. I didn't like that the author felt the need to constantly mention dragons and phoenixes simply because the female protagonist was Chinese.
I also didn't like the author feeling the need to infantalize Huiann. It was disgusting to read references to how Huiann was looking like/reminded Alan of a little girl or child. I tried to ignore it at first because I figured the author was just trying to show she looked vulnerable, but it got creepy when it kept happening. East Asian women have to deal with this BS all the time and it's disgusting that the author felt the desire to include it in her book, coincidentally one starring a Chinese WOC.
Alan seemed okay to me in the beginning, though he is a really bland and uninteresting character. We're told he suffers from nightmares, which start to increase in frequency after he and Huiann start sleeping together. Are his nightmares going to continue? Why did they start to occur more often? We're led to believe there will be more about it, but nothing comes of it. The author just dropped them and they're forgotten by the end. It seemed the author wanted to add some depth to Alan, feeling the need to include some sort of backstory, but she never explores it. other than being told that he's been in the army, was captured in his very first battle, and has a family (who we never meet), there's nothing more to him. He's just a basic white guy who runs a store. Oh, and he does things that made me sid-eye him. There's a point in which he wonders if having sex with Asian women is different somehow. He also judges their neighbour Dora, who's in an abusive relationship. When she finally gets away from her abusive partner, he's surprised that "she showed more backbone than he credited her with." Just...what the fuck? Fuck off, man.
His entire relationship with Huiann had me side-eyeing the fuck out of him. I tried to ignore the creepy situation with her living under his protection and having no one to turn to or nowhere else to go, stranded in a foreign country, unable to speak the language...and then having sex with her protector or saviour or whatever you want to call him. Just...okay, I didn't like the situation but I was willing to look past is just to enjoy the story. However, I really didn't like their relationship because of the way he treats her. He keeps her as his dirty little secret, hidden away in his home so no one knows.
His political ambitions and community standing mean more to him than Huiann does for a majority of the book. He doesn't like it when his white associates and acquaintances are maligning Chinese people and being racist, but truthfully? It's a pot/kettle situation because he's racist, too. Sure, Alan likes to act like he isn't, but he is. He wouldn't have disrespected Huiann the way that he did otherwise. Even though he pretends otherwise, he treats her as less than, just as his other white brethren, because he would never have disrespected a white woman the way he did Huiann -- by taking her virginity and then continuing to sleep with her even though he has no intention of ever marrying her.
Even Jeremy, who's younger than Alan and probably more immature, respected the woman he loved enough to marry her before sleeping with her. Alan can spout as many pro-Chinese thoughts as he wants and think he's not racist, but his actions prove his words false.
Alan acknowledges the wrongness of his actions, but his self-awareness of the situation doesn't make things better. I don't care if he's acknowledging the way he treats her, it doesn't lessen it or make it better any. In fact, I feel it makes it a lot worse. I get that the author was writing with the climate of the time in mind, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not at all palatable to me to find a guy appealing who actively chooses appearances and position over a woman simply because she's not white.
Dora, a girl Huiann befriends and hasn't even known as long as she's known Alan, stands up for Huiann and the racism against her, not Alan, the man who she's not only been sleeping with, but has also helped to turn a profit for by working as a seamstress. And this is after he's already decided he wants Huiann and loves her and doesn't care what others think. And he still doesn't stand up for her, instead standing there and telling Dora to cool it.
The other thing I didn't like were the depictions of the different people. While the white people that we're introduced to are shown as good, upstanding citizens, though a bunch of racists, the Chinese are shown as being criminally active. Aside from Huiann, the one "good" Chinese character, Dong Li, is mentioned to bend rules (Alan noting that it's unlikely that much of his merchandise has probably passed through customs). Literally every other POC character we meet, all of whom are Chinese, are involved in prostitution and other criminal activities. We meet one white person who's involved with that stuff, but all we know about him is his name and never meet him again. Every other white person, besides Dora's abusive partner, is shown in a good light. Where's the white corruption at, author??
I was honestly rolling my eyes and skimming by the end. I just...Alan and the cops coming in as a bunch of white saviours here to save the poor, abused Chinese women from the Big Bad Chinese crime bosses? I mean...like...can we just not? These Chinese ex-prostitutes, saved by White Saviour Alan, then begin working alongside Huiann as seamstresses. Alan and Huiann have fifteen women, who share four rooms, working for them in a small area and who knows how much they're being paid. This entire part, and Huiann's whole seamstress profession to begin with, just felt very much like a stereotype and was reminiscent of a sweatshop to me. I didn't enjoy reading about it.
The author also likes to make a lot of mentions of the Yangtze river, dragons, phoenixes, cranes, lotus as a euphemism. I felt like the author was trying to make her POC character authentic, but it just came off very fake and...well, like someone trying to make their character sound like what they think represents that POC. I didn't like that the author felt the need to constantly mention dragons and phoenixes simply because the female protagonist was Chinese.
I also didn't like the author feeling the need to infantalize Huiann. It was disgusting to read references to how Huiann was looking like/reminded Alan of a little girl or child. I tried to ignore it at first because I figured the author was just trying to show she looked vulnerable, but it got creepy when it kept happening. East Asian women have to deal with this BS all the time and it's disgusting that the author felt the desire to include it in her book, coincidentally one starring a Chinese WOC.
February 24, 2011
There are times when I think that I might be a *bit* too generous with five star reviews, but then there are other times when five stars doesn't seem nearly enough to express just how much a particular work moved me. I know that AAR uses "desert isle keepers" and as I'm in the Pacific Northwest, I think I'll call it a monsoon-must. Bonnie Dee earned every point of this five star review with an emotional tale of forbidden longing and loneliness. It's 1870 and Huiann has come to San Fransisco from China marry a wealthy businessman only to learn that she's been deceived: her wealthy businessman is, in fact, a brothel owner and intends to sell Huiann to the highest bidder. Huiann manages to get free and runs away, right into Alan's general store. Alan owns a General Store in San Fransisco because it was the last stop on the train west, and after the Civil War, he just kept heading west in an effort to outrun his inner demons. He immediately does the right thing when Huiann appears and hides her--and I loved this about him. There was no second-guessing, no "are you sure you're really in trouble," no convincing needed--he grasped that she was in trouble, believed her, and hid her.
Alan is attracted to her from the beginning, but he fights very hard against this, because he knows what she's escaped from, and he's well-aware that there's no future for them. But he keeps her on as his housekeeper, and what follows is one the most unlikely and beautiful friendship-to-love stories. Early on, there is a scene where they have a conversation--each one speaking in his/her native tongue, completely unable to understand each other's words, yet revealing deep, painful secrets precisely because there is no chance of censor. And, actually, they understand each other perfectly. Dee manages to convey more emotion with a single glance or bowl of soup than many authors wring out of multi-page love scenes. When Alan and Huiann finally give into their passion, it is a beautiful union--these are some of the most loving, emotional love scenes I have read. Which is strange really, because love scenes should be filled with love, but oftentimes they serve a different purpose to the story. But, here it is all about unspoken love.
Dee captures 1870 San Fransisco remarkably well, but what I loved were all the day-to-day living details. I could easily picture the general store and the attached quarters that become Huiann's whole world for most of the novel. So often historical fiction gloss over unpleasant details, but Dee understands that the smell of the streets, the crowdedness of the courtyard which is anything but picturesque, the crumbly walls, and impossibility of doing laundry in a tiny space, all add immeasurably to the impact of this tale. I loved too that she didn't feel the need to give us a history lesson on San Fransisco--each detail included was relevant. So many late 1800s books set in SF feel the need to mention the opium trade even if it has no relevance to the plot. It's not relevant here, so Dee focuses on what is--small-time city politics, the Chinese sex-trade industry (which all things considered plays a very, very small role), general store operations, dress making, and food.
The realism continues with the character arcs. The language barrier persists throughout the book, which made everything feel more authentic. I have read many inter-cultural love stories where about 1/4 of the way through the book, suddenly one of the parties seems to locate a star trek transponder or decoder ring, and the parties are conversing as if they've always spoken each other's language. That's not the case here, and by keeping Huiann's acquisition of language gradual, Dee has to deliver through gestures and inner-thoughts. With such a hurdle, it would be easy to let the pacing suffer, but this was a fast read, with the backdrop of the risk to Huiann if she is discovered keeping the tension high. Dee moves us through several months seamlessly, which also felt authentic--these are two very shy, very lonely, very scarred individuals, and even though the attraction is there, they aren't going to act on it overnight.
She also managed to make them feel very true to their time period--Alan totally felt like an 1870's man, not a 2011 Alpha Male deluxe archetype inserted into a historical. Huiann doesn't suddenly become westernized, but she's also not a stereotypical Chinese woman of the time period. Her belief system doesn't change just because she loves Alan--it expands to incorporate him and vice versa. This was just beautifully handled. If you love Susan Wiggs's early historicals set in this time period, you will adore this book as she captures a similar tone and feel. If you love unusual love stories of any genre, you are in for a treat with this lovely tale. This is one of those books that I want to chase down my friends and MAKE them read it because I want more people to talk about it with.
Alan is attracted to her from the beginning, but he fights very hard against this, because he knows what she's escaped from, and he's well-aware that there's no future for them. But he keeps her on as his housekeeper, and what follows is one the most unlikely and beautiful friendship-to-love stories. Early on, there is a scene where they have a conversation--each one speaking in his/her native tongue, completely unable to understand each other's words, yet revealing deep, painful secrets precisely because there is no chance of censor. And, actually, they understand each other perfectly. Dee manages to convey more emotion with a single glance or bowl of soup than many authors wring out of multi-page love scenes. When Alan and Huiann finally give into their passion, it is a beautiful union--these are some of the most loving, emotional love scenes I have read. Which is strange really, because love scenes should be filled with love, but oftentimes they serve a different purpose to the story. But, here it is all about unspoken love.
Dee captures 1870 San Fransisco remarkably well, but what I loved were all the day-to-day living details. I could easily picture the general store and the attached quarters that become Huiann's whole world for most of the novel. So often historical fiction gloss over unpleasant details, but Dee understands that the smell of the streets, the crowdedness of the courtyard which is anything but picturesque, the crumbly walls, and impossibility of doing laundry in a tiny space, all add immeasurably to the impact of this tale. I loved too that she didn't feel the need to give us a history lesson on San Fransisco--each detail included was relevant. So many late 1800s books set in SF feel the need to mention the opium trade even if it has no relevance to the plot. It's not relevant here, so Dee focuses on what is--small-time city politics, the Chinese sex-trade industry (which all things considered plays a very, very small role), general store operations, dress making, and food.
The realism continues with the character arcs. The language barrier persists throughout the book, which made everything feel more authentic. I have read many inter-cultural love stories where about 1/4 of the way through the book, suddenly one of the parties seems to locate a star trek transponder or decoder ring, and the parties are conversing as if they've always spoken each other's language. That's not the case here, and by keeping Huiann's acquisition of language gradual, Dee has to deliver through gestures and inner-thoughts. With such a hurdle, it would be easy to let the pacing suffer, but this was a fast read, with the backdrop of the risk to Huiann if she is discovered keeping the tension high. Dee moves us through several months seamlessly, which also felt authentic--these are two very shy, very lonely, very scarred individuals, and even though the attraction is there, they aren't going to act on it overnight.
She also managed to make them feel very true to their time period--Alan totally felt like an 1870's man, not a 2011 Alpha Male deluxe archetype inserted into a historical. Huiann doesn't suddenly become westernized, but she's also not a stereotypical Chinese woman of the time period. Her belief system doesn't change just because she loves Alan--it expands to incorporate him and vice versa. This was just beautifully handled. If you love Susan Wiggs's early historicals set in this time period, you will adore this book as she captures a similar tone and feel. If you love unusual love stories of any genre, you are in for a treat with this lovely tale. This is one of those books that I want to chase down my friends and MAKE them read it because I want more people to talk about it with.
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1572968006i%2F3840999._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 17, 2011
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
Let me tell you the first and foremost, I loved Alan. I simply adored him and I’m going to gush about it throughout my review. He was so sweet from the beginning, I knew I’m gonna like him very much but boy as the story progressed, I fell in love... Huiann, you might have to scooch over dear! :p And, Bonnie Dee’s stories do have something so earthy and special about them, from Bone Deep to A Hearing Heart and now Captive Bride, another winner for me. The whole premise was very interesting and a Chinese heroine, a first for me. I loved the description of the post Civil War era San Francisco and its China Town. BD does have a gift for narrating history without making you bored and runny eyed. I absolutely loved the way Huiann and Alan’s relationship was described, which blossomed into love without even communicating properly. It proved that words don’t always have to be the means of communication for two people who are meant for each-other.
Huiann came to SF with a dream to be a bride to a businessman, only to find herself into a web of deceit and lies by a dangerous mafia boss of the China Town. Her parents sent her so far away from home because they didn’t have enough money to marry her off. When the messenger from this wealthy businessman arrived with the proposal, it was godsend to them. Huiann is young, petite and very beautiful. She’s their youngest daughter. They didn’t care for anything else and signed the contract on spot. She journied to this foreign land with the man and a woman send by her prospective husband to accompany her. On the ship, while touring it she finds out many women, slaves it seems, kept in such inhuman conditions that she decides she’d ask her husband to help them. Upon her arrival, Huiann is taken to a house. She didn’t like it’s decoration on the first glimpse. It was bad and vulgar. She kept planning how to do this and that and change the house when she’s taken to a room and the woman, Madam Teng, asks her to strip, wear only a robe and follow her. Huiann felt the first apprehension but obeyed nonetheless. And soon, from Xie Fuhua, her prospective husband himself, she finds out she’d been lied to and paid for, to become a famous courtesan. Huiann is in shock and in denial first but she realizes she can’t do a thing to escape, unless she plans carefully. Xie threatens her that an escape would certainly mean something horrible for her. So, she’s kept locked away but only for the prospective customers, who wanted to have a ‘look’ at her. She had to strip down, feeling humiliated and disgusted. It’s like some cattle they’re measuring the market for. It was so disgusting and some men were too, I kept shaking my head reading their tasted. Just perverts! Then Madam Teng teaches her the ways of whoring herself properly. Huiann has no other option but to listen to her. Soon, one distasteful white guy becomes the higher bidder for her virginity and she was being ready to be taken away to the man’s house as his ‘bride’. On the way, Huiann is given a chance and she takes it. She runs for her life and hides into Alan’s shop.
Alan is a war veteran but he didn’t fight, mostly spent his time in a prison where he was taken to just after the war started. He feels guilty for it. As far as I understood, he has mild PTSD; nightmares from his stay in that prison, in an utterly inhuman condition no doubt, some of which comes out later in narrative. I felt for Alan from the get go. After he was released, he just couldn’t pick up his life so he left his home town and moved to SF, without any ambition in mind. It’s been 5 yrs and he’s now a successful salesman and owner of a grocery store. He’s also ambitious about his budding political career. The China Town is nearby and he knows some vendors, from whom he buys his supplies. One day he’s out there shopping and decides to take a walk to the port. On a ship, he sees this beautiful Chinese woman and instantly felt something. Even after coming back, he kept on thinking about her like: why she is here, if she was here to marry etc. I so understood his yearning since he’s a lonely man. His clerk Jeremy is his only constant companion as they work in the store throughout the day. Then a few days later, when that woman rushed into his shop, it seems like running for her life, Alan decides on the spot to help and shelter her.
I liked the way it all started and Alan and Huiann’s attempt at communication. They didn’t understand a thing they said to each-other. It was done very well IMO, their bits and pieces of conversations which started out as monologues from both sides; Huiann talking about whatever comes to her mind, Alan to his. Then, it was through pictures and pantomimes (sort of). Soon Huiann took over Alan’s household as his housekeeper. Alan asked Jeremy to keep quite about it. She did cooking, cleaning and all the other chores. She slept in one of the rooms in the small apartment over the store. Soon she meets Dora, a woman living close by with a drunkard who beat her daily after a few glasses of drink. Huiann felt a kinship with her and they become friends. Huiann also starts sewing, something she loves to do. At first, she sews curtains for the apartment, surprising and pleasing Alan. Then, from some of the catalogs that illustrate the recent womens’ fashion from Alan’s store, she decides to copy them and help Alan with his income. But in between, there was no denying the budding attraction, something that was becoming painful for Alan to keep in check. He just didn’t want to be lonely anymore and it wasn’t just sex that he wanted, as he soon realizes. But what can he do? He can’t make a mistress out of his own housekeeper, a woman he’d sworn to protect. He can’t make her live out the same fate she was brought here to live in the first place. But it was difficult since Alan knew the attraction was mutual.
And Huiann was attracted to him. Although at first, Alan’s alien American features, great height and bright blue eyes seemed unappealing to Huiann, soon she found him attractive. The more she saw him, the more appealing he became. He was also kind and generous; she never thought she’d ever find someone like him after the game fate played with her life. Alan was meanwhile teaching her to speak English, with a little help from Jeremy and Dora, while Huiann would tell him, in broken sentences about her life and some Chinese customs and games. Alan brought her gifts, with the help of one of the Chinese vendors he regularly purchased items from named Dong Li. Huiann was beyond pleased by his gestures, even though some of the gifts were inappropriate for an unmarried girl. But of course, Alan didn’t know about it. In the meantime, we met some of the SF’s elites that were interested in Alan’s ambitions and his position as an ‘eligible bachelor’. One of them, the Dodges would invite him to their house, mostly because of their daughter Cynthia. Alan had no interest in her but he knew he had to keep his connections to further his goals to become a successful politician. He also knew that the words of a Chinese woman living in his house can destroy everything for him. By now, from Huiann’s gesture and a few broken words, he knew what happened to her and that it was the mafia boss Fuhua who was responsible. The police steer clear of the China Town, so no help would come from them. Alan knew if Fuhua takes Huiann somehow, no one would help him out.
Every night when Alan would go to bed, Huiann, knowing it was wrong would think of him. Would he come into her room? Would he ask for more? Because she certainly wanted to give him what he wanted, something which was apparent from his looks and the way he studied her when he thought she wasn’t looking. I loved this little information and seeing things from Huiann’s POV. She was small and soft on the outside but inside, quite courageous and passionate. She knew she’d allow Alan anything he wants and it’s not entirely because of gratitude. There was something between them none of them can deny. Then one night, when he got up again (something he does often, Huiann guessed he cannot sleep or something; she was actually jealous when Alan would go out in the middle of the night thinking he might be visiting a woman, oh I loved it!), Huiann thought he’d go out. But sounds from the kitchen took her downstairs. I just adored this scene, the raw intensity and yearning coming from Alan and Huiann reciprocating:
The exhaustion apparent in his slumped shoulders made her heart twist. He looked so tired she wanted to rub his back and stroke his hair, as a mother would for a child. This was natural compassion, she decided, and walked toward him to give him what comfort she could.
He finally heard her and lifted his head from his arms. Locks of sandy hair fell over his forehead and he looked up at her with deep indigo eyes. Even in the dim light, she could see pain etched across his features. What horrors stalked his dreams? What could she do to help him sleep peacefully?
For a long moment they gazed at one another and then Huiann rested her hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Alan leaned into her body. They came together like two halves of an eggshell carefully broken. He slid a hand around her waist and pulled her closer. His face pressed against her breast. His arms wrapped around her.
She held him, cradling his head, rubbing his back. His body was so warm in her embrace. Her heart beat steadily and her stomach flipped in slow, lazy somersaults. The moment she’d sensed coming for so long was here. What would happen next?
For a long time, they remained locked in perfect union, contented, safe, no longer alone. As she caressed his hair, soft as she’d imagined, he tilted his face to look up at her. His eyes glittered in the lamplight. He wanted more and Huiann realized she did too.
Nothing happened that day but a heartwarming kiss. And, then more kisses in the coming days. One day, Alan asks her to share his bed, only share and nothing else. Though he’d love to make love to her but even without it, he’d make do but he can’t sleep alone for another night. It turned into more soon enough. Alan kept his promise to Huiann though, that he won’t ask to have sex but they kiss and touch. Huiann, on the other hand, just wanted to give him something so much, so she used a bit of Madam Teng’s instructions...
When the last peak died away, Alan opened his eyes. Huiann was watching his face. He was embarrassed until he saw the glitter of tears in her eyes.
He touched her cheek. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” His sticky spunk was all over her hand and his belly and he felt like a fool. He reached to grab the undershirt he’d tossed aside and wiped both of them clean. “I’m sorry.”
“No. No, Alan.” She touched her fingers to his mouth. “Gou. It is good. You face is beau-ti-ful.” She pronounced each syllable with exquisite care.
He kissed the fingers pressed to his lips. “No, you’re beautiful. A damn miracle.”
Huiann has already decided to give herself to Alan so she, with Dora’s help, visits a doctor to buy some medicine for precaution. On the way, she saw a man following them and ran back home. Alan was furious as he was searching for her when he found out she wasn’t anywhere in the house. Then he takes care of her blistered feet, so sweet of him. Then Huiann promises him about the night. When she goes to his room after preparing herself, seeing Alan through her eyes was just so sexy, my stomach fluttered too!
Her protector and savior was shirtless and barefoot, dressed only in a pair of drawers. He stood beside the bed with his back to her, turning down the covers. She studied the rippling muscles of his shoulders and arms as he performed the mundane task. His back was a beautiful, pale canvas on which she could imagine painting letters and designs. She admired the bands of muscle and the shadows beneath his shoulder blades. His drawers sagged low, revealing narrow hips and the intriguing curve of his rear. Her sex tightened at the glimpse of his buttocks.
His face was in profile and his nose no longer seemed too big or his features too coarse as she’d once thought, so long ago it seemed. Instead, they appeared assertively masculine except for the thick sweep of eyelashes and the generous fullness of his lips.
Alan noticed her and turned. The blanket fell from his fingers as he gazed at her with the eyes of a hungry dragon. His lips parted and the exhalation of his breath floated to her across the quiet room. Then he walked toward her.
Soon, they make love. Alan can’t seem to get enough of her, yet feels guilty of this situation. He wants to marry her but knows he can’t, due to the social prejudice as well as his political ambitions. I didn’t, for once, felt that he was fooling around. I knew he was serious because Alan is the kind of man you trust, respect, adore and love. Huiann knew that too. Meanwhile, Jeremy, Alan’s clerk, a starry-eyed boy who falls in love with every pretty lady, seems to attract Cynthia Dodge’s attention. Oh Jeremy was a goner from the moment he saw her but Alan was a bit worried that the girl maybe was going to use him and then trample over his heart. Still, he helps Jeremy further his goal.
Alan was attacked on his way to the bank and warned by Fuhua’s men. He got worried for Huiann and decides he’s going to send her to a remote place he’s just bought, a big farm and let her continue her sewing there with some helpers she’s been asking for. So far, it’s been only her and Dora. Alan knew he should’ve taken in the fact that her whereabouts might spread out sooner or later. Huiann isn’t happy about it but she’s just too nice to say anything else. Alan understands that and at night, asks her nicely to move into the farm. She accepts. The man Dora was living with, one night beat her quite horribly so she takes shelter in Alan’s house. When the skunk threatens Alan that he must get rid of Huiann, I knew he’d be upto no good! The next day, Alan tells Dora that she can go with Huiann and live in the farm, helping her as she already did. But Dora reminds Alan, however unintentionally, about how very close Huiann’s current situation is to what she’s been originally destined for when she came here. Alan again feels guilty and I understood. It was such a mess, mixed marriages could ruin peoples lives back then but there was no doubt that Alan really wanted Huiann to be with him always.
That same night, Alan had a ball to attend, courtesy Mrs. Dodge and ironically, he couldn’t dodge this party as he so wanted to because of his career goals. Jeremy had some plans for Cynthia. Alan kept quiet about it though he wasn’t sure if the boy was doing the right thing. Dora and Huiann dress in some of their own creations and dance with Alan. Alan felt bad for hiding Huiann out but dancing with her was pure heaven to him. Then he still didn’t know what’s waiting for him later that night. When Alan, surviving the boring party, comes back he finds his shop on fire and no Huiann on sight! Dora informs him that some men did this and abducted Huiann. Later on, it was revealed that the skunk has been talking to Fuhua’s men for a few drinks. Alan’s on his way to China Town, looking for her. He goes to the roadside shacks, where prostitutes serviced men, living like strays themselves. One of them recognized Huiann’s name and I knew that moment who she was. Lord, BD captured the whole sex slavery thing so well, I hated reading it but praised her efforts at the same time. It was so so horrifying, so utterly unimaginable the way those women were brought back from China and used. No doubt, Fuhua was the boss around here and his cronies took care of the business on his behalf. I’m saddened to think that even today so many women fall pray to the same kind of men and fate, something I wouldn’t even wish upon my enemy. Back to the story, Alan decides to take Jeremy’s help. In his apartment, Alan sees Cynthia and later it was known they got married the other night. From then on it’s an action packed rescue adventure into the brothel. Fuhua already beat Huiann to submission; the beating was done by his agent who brought Huiann back from China. I wanted to kill them both myself, felt so angry seeing the way they treated her.
Must say that when I read Bone Deep and A Hearing Heart, I thought those books should be made into movies. As I read on Captive Bride, I had the same thought whirling around my mind. I, for one, would love to see it. In the end, the two of course came together. Though at first Huiann didn’t want to become anymore trouble for Alan, they professed their love soon. After some days, they help saving some of those women in the shacks, as laws were being passed to rectify the situation and police investigating further into the happenings of Chaina Town. Alan’s political career was over but he didn’t mind a bit. Jeremy bought his shop, as he moved into the farm with Huiann with plans to make a family there. Huiann requests those women to earn their keep by helping in the sewing. I loved loved loved the ending. *sigh* They marry and oh, one hot love scene on the beach. Can’t you tell? I adore the notion of making love on a beach! *giggles*
A perfect 5 star for this book.
PS: This book was full of Chinese proverbs as Huiann remembers them to cope with her situations. There were also a few American ones, from Alan too. I really found them inspiring and a praiseworthy effort by the author.
This is the picture of the Chinese fertility goddess Kwan Yin, a statue of whom Alan gave to Huiann as a gift. I could've find some statue pics but this one is just so beautiful, couldn't help posting!
Let me tell you the first and foremost, I loved Alan. I simply adored him and I’m going to gush about it throughout my review. He was so sweet from the beginning, I knew I’m gonna like him very much but boy as the story progressed, I fell in love... Huiann, you might have to scooch over dear! :p And, Bonnie Dee’s stories do have something so earthy and special about them, from Bone Deep to A Hearing Heart and now Captive Bride, another winner for me. The whole premise was very interesting and a Chinese heroine, a first for me. I loved the description of the post Civil War era San Francisco and its China Town. BD does have a gift for narrating history without making you bored and runny eyed. I absolutely loved the way Huiann and Alan’s relationship was described, which blossomed into love without even communicating properly. It proved that words don’t always have to be the means of communication for two people who are meant for each-other.
Huiann came to SF with a dream to be a bride to a businessman, only to find herself into a web of deceit and lies by a dangerous mafia boss of the China Town. Her parents sent her so far away from home because they didn’t have enough money to marry her off. When the messenger from this wealthy businessman arrived with the proposal, it was godsend to them. Huiann is young, petite and very beautiful. She’s their youngest daughter. They didn’t care for anything else and signed the contract on spot. She journied to this foreign land with the man and a woman send by her prospective husband to accompany her. On the ship, while touring it she finds out many women, slaves it seems, kept in such inhuman conditions that she decides she’d ask her husband to help them. Upon her arrival, Huiann is taken to a house. She didn’t like it’s decoration on the first glimpse. It was bad and vulgar. She kept planning how to do this and that and change the house when she’s taken to a room and the woman, Madam Teng, asks her to strip, wear only a robe and follow her. Huiann felt the first apprehension but obeyed nonetheless. And soon, from Xie Fuhua, her prospective husband himself, she finds out she’d been lied to and paid for, to become a famous courtesan. Huiann is in shock and in denial first but she realizes she can’t do a thing to escape, unless she plans carefully. Xie threatens her that an escape would certainly mean something horrible for her. So, she’s kept locked away but only for the prospective customers, who wanted to have a ‘look’ at her. She had to strip down, feeling humiliated and disgusted. It’s like some cattle they’re measuring the market for. It was so disgusting and some men were too, I kept shaking my head reading their tasted. Just perverts! Then Madam Teng teaches her the ways of whoring herself properly. Huiann has no other option but to listen to her. Soon, one distasteful white guy becomes the higher bidder for her virginity and she was being ready to be taken away to the man’s house as his ‘bride’. On the way, Huiann is given a chance and she takes it. She runs for her life and hides into Alan’s shop.
Alan is a war veteran but he didn’t fight, mostly spent his time in a prison where he was taken to just after the war started. He feels guilty for it. As far as I understood, he has mild PTSD; nightmares from his stay in that prison, in an utterly inhuman condition no doubt, some of which comes out later in narrative. I felt for Alan from the get go. After he was released, he just couldn’t pick up his life so he left his home town and moved to SF, without any ambition in mind. It’s been 5 yrs and he’s now a successful salesman and owner of a grocery store. He’s also ambitious about his budding political career. The China Town is nearby and he knows some vendors, from whom he buys his supplies. One day he’s out there shopping and decides to take a walk to the port. On a ship, he sees this beautiful Chinese woman and instantly felt something. Even after coming back, he kept on thinking about her like: why she is here, if she was here to marry etc. I so understood his yearning since he’s a lonely man. His clerk Jeremy is his only constant companion as they work in the store throughout the day. Then a few days later, when that woman rushed into his shop, it seems like running for her life, Alan decides on the spot to help and shelter her.
I liked the way it all started and Alan and Huiann’s attempt at communication. They didn’t understand a thing they said to each-other. It was done very well IMO, their bits and pieces of conversations which started out as monologues from both sides; Huiann talking about whatever comes to her mind, Alan to his. Then, it was through pictures and pantomimes (sort of). Soon Huiann took over Alan’s household as his housekeeper. Alan asked Jeremy to keep quite about it. She did cooking, cleaning and all the other chores. She slept in one of the rooms in the small apartment over the store. Soon she meets Dora, a woman living close by with a drunkard who beat her daily after a few glasses of drink. Huiann felt a kinship with her and they become friends. Huiann also starts sewing, something she loves to do. At first, she sews curtains for the apartment, surprising and pleasing Alan. Then, from some of the catalogs that illustrate the recent womens’ fashion from Alan’s store, she decides to copy them and help Alan with his income. But in between, there was no denying the budding attraction, something that was becoming painful for Alan to keep in check. He just didn’t want to be lonely anymore and it wasn’t just sex that he wanted, as he soon realizes. But what can he do? He can’t make a mistress out of his own housekeeper, a woman he’d sworn to protect. He can’t make her live out the same fate she was brought here to live in the first place. But it was difficult since Alan knew the attraction was mutual.
And Huiann was attracted to him. Although at first, Alan’s alien American features, great height and bright blue eyes seemed unappealing to Huiann, soon she found him attractive. The more she saw him, the more appealing he became. He was also kind and generous; she never thought she’d ever find someone like him after the game fate played with her life. Alan was meanwhile teaching her to speak English, with a little help from Jeremy and Dora, while Huiann would tell him, in broken sentences about her life and some Chinese customs and games. Alan brought her gifts, with the help of one of the Chinese vendors he regularly purchased items from named Dong Li. Huiann was beyond pleased by his gestures, even though some of the gifts were inappropriate for an unmarried girl. But of course, Alan didn’t know about it. In the meantime, we met some of the SF’s elites that were interested in Alan’s ambitions and his position as an ‘eligible bachelor’. One of them, the Dodges would invite him to their house, mostly because of their daughter Cynthia. Alan had no interest in her but he knew he had to keep his connections to further his goals to become a successful politician. He also knew that the words of a Chinese woman living in his house can destroy everything for him. By now, from Huiann’s gesture and a few broken words, he knew what happened to her and that it was the mafia boss Fuhua who was responsible. The police steer clear of the China Town, so no help would come from them. Alan knew if Fuhua takes Huiann somehow, no one would help him out.
Every night when Alan would go to bed, Huiann, knowing it was wrong would think of him. Would he come into her room? Would he ask for more? Because she certainly wanted to give him what he wanted, something which was apparent from his looks and the way he studied her when he thought she wasn’t looking. I loved this little information and seeing things from Huiann’s POV. She was small and soft on the outside but inside, quite courageous and passionate. She knew she’d allow Alan anything he wants and it’s not entirely because of gratitude. There was something between them none of them can deny. Then one night, when he got up again (something he does often, Huiann guessed he cannot sleep or something; she was actually jealous when Alan would go out in the middle of the night thinking he might be visiting a woman, oh I loved it!), Huiann thought he’d go out. But sounds from the kitchen took her downstairs. I just adored this scene, the raw intensity and yearning coming from Alan and Huiann reciprocating:
The exhaustion apparent in his slumped shoulders made her heart twist. He looked so tired she wanted to rub his back and stroke his hair, as a mother would for a child. This was natural compassion, she decided, and walked toward him to give him what comfort she could.
He finally heard her and lifted his head from his arms. Locks of sandy hair fell over his forehead and he looked up at her with deep indigo eyes. Even in the dim light, she could see pain etched across his features. What horrors stalked his dreams? What could she do to help him sleep peacefully?
For a long moment they gazed at one another and then Huiann rested her hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Alan leaned into her body. They came together like two halves of an eggshell carefully broken. He slid a hand around her waist and pulled her closer. His face pressed against her breast. His arms wrapped around her.
She held him, cradling his head, rubbing his back. His body was so warm in her embrace. Her heart beat steadily and her stomach flipped in slow, lazy somersaults. The moment she’d sensed coming for so long was here. What would happen next?
For a long time, they remained locked in perfect union, contented, safe, no longer alone. As she caressed his hair, soft as she’d imagined, he tilted his face to look up at her. His eyes glittered in the lamplight. He wanted more and Huiann realized she did too.
Nothing happened that day but a heartwarming kiss. And, then more kisses in the coming days. One day, Alan asks her to share his bed, only share and nothing else. Though he’d love to make love to her but even without it, he’d make do but he can’t sleep alone for another night. It turned into more soon enough. Alan kept his promise to Huiann though, that he won’t ask to have sex but they kiss and touch. Huiann, on the other hand, just wanted to give him something so much, so she used a bit of Madam Teng’s instructions...
When the last peak died away, Alan opened his eyes. Huiann was watching his face. He was embarrassed until he saw the glitter of tears in her eyes.
He touched her cheek. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” His sticky spunk was all over her hand and his belly and he felt like a fool. He reached to grab the undershirt he’d tossed aside and wiped both of them clean. “I’m sorry.”
“No. No, Alan.” She touched her fingers to his mouth. “Gou. It is good. You face is beau-ti-ful.” She pronounced each syllable with exquisite care.
He kissed the fingers pressed to his lips. “No, you’re beautiful. A damn miracle.”
Huiann has already decided to give herself to Alan so she, with Dora’s help, visits a doctor to buy some medicine for precaution. On the way, she saw a man following them and ran back home. Alan was furious as he was searching for her when he found out she wasn’t anywhere in the house. Then he takes care of her blistered feet, so sweet of him. Then Huiann promises him about the night. When she goes to his room after preparing herself, seeing Alan through her eyes was just so sexy, my stomach fluttered too!
Her protector and savior was shirtless and barefoot, dressed only in a pair of drawers. He stood beside the bed with his back to her, turning down the covers. She studied the rippling muscles of his shoulders and arms as he performed the mundane task. His back was a beautiful, pale canvas on which she could imagine painting letters and designs. She admired the bands of muscle and the shadows beneath his shoulder blades. His drawers sagged low, revealing narrow hips and the intriguing curve of his rear. Her sex tightened at the glimpse of his buttocks.
His face was in profile and his nose no longer seemed too big or his features too coarse as she’d once thought, so long ago it seemed. Instead, they appeared assertively masculine except for the thick sweep of eyelashes and the generous fullness of his lips.
Alan noticed her and turned. The blanket fell from his fingers as he gazed at her with the eyes of a hungry dragon. His lips parted and the exhalation of his breath floated to her across the quiet room. Then he walked toward her.
Soon, they make love. Alan can’t seem to get enough of her, yet feels guilty of this situation. He wants to marry her but knows he can’t, due to the social prejudice as well as his political ambitions. I didn’t, for once, felt that he was fooling around. I knew he was serious because Alan is the kind of man you trust, respect, adore and love. Huiann knew that too. Meanwhile, Jeremy, Alan’s clerk, a starry-eyed boy who falls in love with every pretty lady, seems to attract Cynthia Dodge’s attention. Oh Jeremy was a goner from the moment he saw her but Alan was a bit worried that the girl maybe was going to use him and then trample over his heart. Still, he helps Jeremy further his goal.
Alan was attacked on his way to the bank and warned by Fuhua’s men. He got worried for Huiann and decides he’s going to send her to a remote place he’s just bought, a big farm and let her continue her sewing there with some helpers she’s been asking for. So far, it’s been only her and Dora. Alan knew he should’ve taken in the fact that her whereabouts might spread out sooner or later. Huiann isn’t happy about it but she’s just too nice to say anything else. Alan understands that and at night, asks her nicely to move into the farm. She accepts. The man Dora was living with, one night beat her quite horribly so she takes shelter in Alan’s house. When the skunk threatens Alan that he must get rid of Huiann, I knew he’d be upto no good! The next day, Alan tells Dora that she can go with Huiann and live in the farm, helping her as she already did. But Dora reminds Alan, however unintentionally, about how very close Huiann’s current situation is to what she’s been originally destined for when she came here. Alan again feels guilty and I understood. It was such a mess, mixed marriages could ruin peoples lives back then but there was no doubt that Alan really wanted Huiann to be with him always.
That same night, Alan had a ball to attend, courtesy Mrs. Dodge and ironically, he couldn’t dodge this party as he so wanted to because of his career goals. Jeremy had some plans for Cynthia. Alan kept quiet about it though he wasn’t sure if the boy was doing the right thing. Dora and Huiann dress in some of their own creations and dance with Alan. Alan felt bad for hiding Huiann out but dancing with her was pure heaven to him. Then he still didn’t know what’s waiting for him later that night. When Alan, surviving the boring party, comes back he finds his shop on fire and no Huiann on sight! Dora informs him that some men did this and abducted Huiann. Later on, it was revealed that the skunk has been talking to Fuhua’s men for a few drinks. Alan’s on his way to China Town, looking for her. He goes to the roadside shacks, where prostitutes serviced men, living like strays themselves. One of them recognized Huiann’s name and I knew that moment who she was. Lord, BD captured the whole sex slavery thing so well, I hated reading it but praised her efforts at the same time. It was so so horrifying, so utterly unimaginable the way those women were brought back from China and used. No doubt, Fuhua was the boss around here and his cronies took care of the business on his behalf. I’m saddened to think that even today so many women fall pray to the same kind of men and fate, something I wouldn’t even wish upon my enemy. Back to the story, Alan decides to take Jeremy’s help. In his apartment, Alan sees Cynthia and later it was known they got married the other night. From then on it’s an action packed rescue adventure into the brothel. Fuhua already beat Huiann to submission; the beating was done by his agent who brought Huiann back from China. I wanted to kill them both myself, felt so angry seeing the way they treated her.
Must say that when I read Bone Deep and A Hearing Heart, I thought those books should be made into movies. As I read on Captive Bride, I had the same thought whirling around my mind. I, for one, would love to see it. In the end, the two of course came together. Though at first Huiann didn’t want to become anymore trouble for Alan, they professed their love soon. After some days, they help saving some of those women in the shacks, as laws were being passed to rectify the situation and police investigating further into the happenings of Chaina Town. Alan’s political career was over but he didn’t mind a bit. Jeremy bought his shop, as he moved into the farm with Huiann with plans to make a family there. Huiann requests those women to earn their keep by helping in the sewing. I loved loved loved the ending. *sigh* They marry and oh, one hot love scene on the beach. Can’t you tell? I adore the notion of making love on a beach! *giggles*
A perfect 5 star for this book.
PS: This book was full of Chinese proverbs as Huiann remembers them to cope with her situations. There were also a few American ones, from Alan too. I really found them inspiring and a praiseworthy effort by the author.
This is the picture of the Chinese fertility goddess Kwan Yin, a statue of whom Alan gave to Huiann as a gift. I could've find some statue pics but this one is just so beautiful, couldn't help posting!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2011
Good story. Huiann is a young Chinese woman whose parents strike a deal with a rich American merchant. They think Huiann is going to America to be the man's wife.. but upon reaching San Fran, Huiann discovers she's to be a whore.
She escapes straight into the arms of Alan, a white man with a small store and big political aspirations. I liked this part. I liked how Alan and Huiann find ways to communicate with each other and tell each other stories even though they speak different languages. There was something very touching about all of this.
Well, the inevitable happens. They fall in love and get that stirring in their loins.. And here is my complaint: The sex is OTT with passages such as, "He traced his finger down the crack between her cheeks, skating lightly over her anus, which clenched spasmodically. Once more, he reached between her legs, fingered her engorged vulva.."
Engorged vulva?? EWWWWW. That does NOT get me excited.
Anyways, back to the story. Alan is falling in love with a Chinese woman, but is fully aware that his voters (white) are going to have an issue if he takes a Chinese wife. Huiann is falling in love as well, but her pimp is out there looking for her.. and she is in a bit of a debate about going back to China. "Here she was a wage earner with the ability to earn money for herself and live life on her own terms, as much as a woman could."
That's assuming the pimp doesn't get to her first...
Favorite quote: "I'm pretending to be alive.......talking to people, eating food, sh*tting it out again, going to bed at night, then starting all over again the next day. But it all means nothing to me. I'm hollow"
How many of us have had those same thoughts?
She escapes straight into the arms of Alan, a white man with a small store and big political aspirations. I liked this part. I liked how Alan and Huiann find ways to communicate with each other and tell each other stories even though they speak different languages. There was something very touching about all of this.
Well, the inevitable happens. They fall in love and get that stirring in their loins.. And here is my complaint: The sex is OTT with passages such as, "He traced his finger down the crack between her cheeks, skating lightly over her anus, which clenched spasmodically. Once more, he reached between her legs, fingered her engorged vulva.."
Engorged vulva?? EWWWWW. That does NOT get me excited.
Anyways, back to the story. Alan is falling in love with a Chinese woman, but is fully aware that his voters (white) are going to have an issue if he takes a Chinese wife. Huiann is falling in love as well, but her pimp is out there looking for her.. and she is in a bit of a debate about going back to China. "Here she was a wage earner with the ability to earn money for herself and live life on her own terms, as much as a woman could."
That's assuming the pimp doesn't get to her first...
Favorite quote: "I'm pretending to be alive.......talking to people, eating food, sh*tting it out again, going to bed at night, then starting all over again the next day. But it all means nothing to me. I'm hollow"
How many of us have had those same thoughts?
October 25, 2011
Enjoyable book that takes place in San Francisco in 1870. It seemed to be well researched and the information was basically imparted as part of the story of this Chinese girl who was imported to be a prostitute unbeknownst to her. When she finds out she runs away and is taken in by a white American man who hires her as a housekeeper and then falls in love with her.
The story develops over several months and you see the two of them learn about each other and fall in love. The plot was fairly tight and the writing as always from Bonnie Dee was well done and flowing. POV from both the hero and the heroine.
I am greatly enjoying Ms. Dee's romances set in very different times and places than the norm in romance fiction.
The story develops over several months and you see the two of them learn about each other and fall in love. The plot was fairly tight and the writing as always from Bonnie Dee was well done and flowing. POV from both the hero and the heroine.
I am greatly enjoying Ms. Dee's romances set in very different times and places than the norm in romance fiction.
April 5, 2011
Published on: Over A Cuppa Tea
Date published:26th Jan 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/captive-bride/
Captive Bride by Bonnie Dee is a very sexy and romantic read. I like this very much, but I have trouble grasping the plot at the beginning of this story. I was not quite sure what the author is trying to write, but it began to be clear to me after reading it for a while.
There’s room for improvement though the romantic scenes are spectacular. I was hoping for more… perhaps a faster pace? I’m not quite sure. The author was highly descriptive on the settings: clothes, environment and whatnot, but I was hoping for more character’s development.
This book is enjoyable nevertheless. If I were to rate this book, I would give it a 3 stars out of 5 stars.
Date published:26th Jan 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/captive-bride/
Captive Bride by Bonnie Dee is a very sexy and romantic read. I like this very much, but I have trouble grasping the plot at the beginning of this story. I was not quite sure what the author is trying to write, but it began to be clear to me after reading it for a while.
There’s room for improvement though the romantic scenes are spectacular. I was hoping for more… perhaps a faster pace? I’m not quite sure. The author was highly descriptive on the settings: clothes, environment and whatnot, but I was hoping for more character’s development.
This book is enjoyable nevertheless. If I were to rate this book, I would give it a 3 stars out of 5 stars.
April 16, 2011
This was a great book. Awesome beta minded hero and great love scenes. Bonnie really hits the time period perfectly.
April 13, 2012
Reviewed for THC Reviews
It seems that whenever I run across a Bonnie Dee book, the synopsis and excerpt never fail to draw me in, so I was very excited to finally have a chance to try one of her novels. Captive Bride didn't quite reach the heights of perfection for me, but it was a solid piece of storytelling that I really enjoyed reading. I always like a good interracial story, and this one was quite interesting especially in the historical context where prejudice and racism seemed to run rampant. Alan struggles with truly wanting to make Huiann more than his mistress or lover, but knowing that he would receive public censure if he married her. The author also sheds some light on the sexual slave trade that was prevalent at that time in which young Asian women were either kidnapped or taken from their families under false pretenses, shipped to America under horrific conditions, and then pressed into prostitution where they were treated little better than animals. Considering that this type of sex trafficking still occurs in certain parts of the world today, I really have to give the author kudos for addressing this important women's rights issue.
Huiann is a kind-hearted innocent who truly has no idea that she is not bound for America to become a stranger's wife, but instead will be working as a high-priced courtesan. She was nervous enough about becoming a bride, but when she found out the truth, she was absolutely horrified. She may have been sweet and demure in some ways, but even in the opening chapter, I could detect a natural curiosity and spunkiness that definitely served her well as the story progressed. When she discovered her fate, Huiann never gave up on the possibility of escape and was ever vigilant looking for that opportunity. When it finally presented itself, she grabbed hold with both hands and didn't let go, leading her to find an ally in Alan. I admired Huiann for being a hard-worker who showed her gratitude to Alan by doing everything she could to make life easier for him. When they became more intimately involved, she was also very giving and loving toward him, offering herself freely. In the end, when Huiann once again found herself kidnapped, she was at first depressed, but it didn't take long for the wheels to begin turning in her head to formulate another potential escape plan. She was a strong woman who didn't just wait around for someone to come save her, but took her fate into her own hands while still being a gentle soul at her core.
Although Alan was certainly willing to do what needed to be done to save Huiann, he was, in my opinion, more of a beta hero. He is attracted to Huiann from the moment he sees her disembarking from a steamer. Alan was somewhat tortured from his time spent as a prisoner of war at Andersonville during the Civil War. He still has nightmares from that, and interestingly, the authors chooses not to make them magically go away because of Huiann's gentle love. When Huiann coincidentally shows up in his store, obviously running and hiding from someone, Alan can relate even though they initially can't communicate. Alan is a successful business man and one of the good guys who wants to run for political office out of a sense of rightness and fairness and truly wanting to help constituents by cleaning up the corruption in the city of San Francisco. I liked that Alan treated Huiann with kindness, and like an equal, in spite of her being a woman, and Asian at that, in a time when most whites saw people of other races as good for nothing more than the labor they could provide. He always gave her a choice in everything she did, not wanting her to feel like she'd left one “master” for another. I also got the impression that Alan was a little more average looking which is a rarity for a romance hero. At no point, did Huiann think of Alan as gorgeous. In fact, at first, she doesn't even find him attractive, but as she begins to see the beauty inside, it changes her opinion of the outside. Overall, Alan was a great guy who could be strong while also being extremely sweet.
During the early parts of the story, I had a hard time feeling the emotional connection between Huiann and Alan. They were very obviously attracted to one another, but there wasn't quite enough happening between them to make the reasons readily apparent. He had found her beautiful from the moment he first saw her and she was very grateful for his kindness in saving her from a terrible fate, but there was still a little something missing for me. I think part of it had to do with the language barrier. They each speak candidly in their own tongue and glean a certain amount of meaning from facial expressions and gestures, but since they still couldn't really understand one another, these “conversations” didn't seem quite as meaningful as they would have otherwise. I also detected some passivity in the narrative prose which always makes it a little harder to feel things too, because it tells more than shows. Once Huiann starts to learn some English and the story got to the love scenes that all changed though. The first time Alan and Huiann share a bed was very sweet. They may not have gone “all the way,” but they were very loving and giving to each other. The later love scenes remained gentle and truly romantic while still being spicy, very much the physical expression of their burgeoning love. I loved that Alan was always so tender with Huiann, and that he cared about her enough to use protection which is pretty rare in a historical romance.
Overall, Captive Bride was a very enjoyable read with a hero and heroine I could really root for. It's setting and certain story elements were somewhat unusual for historical romance which made it all the more intriguing. This was my first read by Bonnie Dee, and I'm happy to say that she didn't let me down in my expectations of her storytelling abilities. I'm now looking forward to trying some of her other works soon.
It seems that whenever I run across a Bonnie Dee book, the synopsis and excerpt never fail to draw me in, so I was very excited to finally have a chance to try one of her novels. Captive Bride didn't quite reach the heights of perfection for me, but it was a solid piece of storytelling that I really enjoyed reading. I always like a good interracial story, and this one was quite interesting especially in the historical context where prejudice and racism seemed to run rampant. Alan struggles with truly wanting to make Huiann more than his mistress or lover, but knowing that he would receive public censure if he married her. The author also sheds some light on the sexual slave trade that was prevalent at that time in which young Asian women were either kidnapped or taken from their families under false pretenses, shipped to America under horrific conditions, and then pressed into prostitution where they were treated little better than animals. Considering that this type of sex trafficking still occurs in certain parts of the world today, I really have to give the author kudos for addressing this important women's rights issue.
Huiann is a kind-hearted innocent who truly has no idea that she is not bound for America to become a stranger's wife, but instead will be working as a high-priced courtesan. She was nervous enough about becoming a bride, but when she found out the truth, she was absolutely horrified. She may have been sweet and demure in some ways, but even in the opening chapter, I could detect a natural curiosity and spunkiness that definitely served her well as the story progressed. When she discovered her fate, Huiann never gave up on the possibility of escape and was ever vigilant looking for that opportunity. When it finally presented itself, she grabbed hold with both hands and didn't let go, leading her to find an ally in Alan. I admired Huiann for being a hard-worker who showed her gratitude to Alan by doing everything she could to make life easier for him. When they became more intimately involved, she was also very giving and loving toward him, offering herself freely. In the end, when Huiann once again found herself kidnapped, she was at first depressed, but it didn't take long for the wheels to begin turning in her head to formulate another potential escape plan. She was a strong woman who didn't just wait around for someone to come save her, but took her fate into her own hands while still being a gentle soul at her core.
Although Alan was certainly willing to do what needed to be done to save Huiann, he was, in my opinion, more of a beta hero. He is attracted to Huiann from the moment he sees her disembarking from a steamer. Alan was somewhat tortured from his time spent as a prisoner of war at Andersonville during the Civil War. He still has nightmares from that, and interestingly, the authors chooses not to make them magically go away because of Huiann's gentle love. When Huiann coincidentally shows up in his store, obviously running and hiding from someone, Alan can relate even though they initially can't communicate. Alan is a successful business man and one of the good guys who wants to run for political office out of a sense of rightness and fairness and truly wanting to help constituents by cleaning up the corruption in the city of San Francisco. I liked that Alan treated Huiann with kindness, and like an equal, in spite of her being a woman, and Asian at that, in a time when most whites saw people of other races as good for nothing more than the labor they could provide. He always gave her a choice in everything she did, not wanting her to feel like she'd left one “master” for another. I also got the impression that Alan was a little more average looking which is a rarity for a romance hero. At no point, did Huiann think of Alan as gorgeous. In fact, at first, she doesn't even find him attractive, but as she begins to see the beauty inside, it changes her opinion of the outside. Overall, Alan was a great guy who could be strong while also being extremely sweet.
During the early parts of the story, I had a hard time feeling the emotional connection between Huiann and Alan. They were very obviously attracted to one another, but there wasn't quite enough happening between them to make the reasons readily apparent. He had found her beautiful from the moment he first saw her and she was very grateful for his kindness in saving her from a terrible fate, but there was still a little something missing for me. I think part of it had to do with the language barrier. They each speak candidly in their own tongue and glean a certain amount of meaning from facial expressions and gestures, but since they still couldn't really understand one another, these “conversations” didn't seem quite as meaningful as they would have otherwise. I also detected some passivity in the narrative prose which always makes it a little harder to feel things too, because it tells more than shows. Once Huiann starts to learn some English and the story got to the love scenes that all changed though. The first time Alan and Huiann share a bed was very sweet. They may not have gone “all the way,” but they were very loving and giving to each other. The later love scenes remained gentle and truly romantic while still being spicy, very much the physical expression of their burgeoning love. I loved that Alan was always so tender with Huiann, and that he cared about her enough to use protection which is pretty rare in a historical romance.
Overall, Captive Bride was a very enjoyable read with a hero and heroine I could really root for. It's setting and certain story elements were somewhat unusual for historical romance which made it all the more intriguing. This was my first read by Bonnie Dee, and I'm happy to say that she didn't let me down in my expectations of her storytelling abilities. I'm now looking forward to trying some of her other works soon.
November 19, 2012
(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This post was an absolute bear to write. I'm not sure why, since I even had decent notes that covered pretty much everything I wanted to write. I just had a hard time putting those notes into reasonably coherent and mostly organized paragraphs. I'd have abandoned the whole thing, except I liked the book enough that I wanted to make sure there was a mention of it on my blog. Plus, the cover image is pretty.
Anyway, the first half of this book really grabbed me. I read a good chunk of Captive Bride in just one day. Huiann was a great heroine – although she had grown up relatively sheltered and suddenly found herself in a very bad situation, she didn't completely fall apart. Instead, she did her best to survive, kept her head, and waited for a chance to get free. Even when she was captured again later in the book and there was a greater possibility someone (Alan) would come for her, she didn't wait to be saved, but rather looked for opportunities to save herself.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book where Alan and Huiann were still getting to know each other and gradually becoming more comfortable with living together. Although they didn't speak each other's languages at first, they still managed to get by. They even managed to benefit from the language barrier – they felt more free to confess their fears to each other, knowing that the exact meaning of their words wouldn't be understood and yet gaining comfort from being able to finally say things they could never say to anyone else. Alan spoke of the horrible, lasting effect being in a Civil War prison camp had had on him, while Huiann spoke of her anger at her parents for sending her to marry a man they had never met.
Although Huiann wasn't technically Alan's prisoner, she was limited in what she could do or where she could go – any time she went out in public, she risked being spotted by Xie or one of his men. Although Alan enjoyed just having her around, I liked that he understood her need to have something to do, particularly something that was truly useful. Her dressmaking filled up her time and challenged her, as she tried to work out how to copy expensive designs. It also gave her a chance to earn money, since Alan refused to take all of the profits. When her talents began to be more in demand, she was able to help her friend Dora out by enlisting her help – working with Huiann allowed Dora to earn a little money for herself that the abusive drunk she lived with didn't have complete access to.
In addition to having to deal with being cooped up a lot, Huiann understandably experienced some homesickness. I loved the gifts Alan purchased for her, a few small Chinese items he thought might remind her of home and give her some comfort. Although none of the book's events took place in China, Dee was still able to work in Chinese cultural details. Huiann's love for and closeness to her family were clear, and I admit to both hoping that she would be able to see them again and dreading the possibility, since, if she went back, it was highly unlike she'd ever be able to see Alan again.
For some reason, I didn't find the second half of the book to be quite as good as the first. Part of my problem, I think, was that, even with Huiann gaining a few slight freedoms here and there, the book began to feel a bit claustrophobic after a while. Every time Alan left to attend parties or speak to people in order to further build up his political career, I worried more and more about Huiann, who seemed destined to become Alan's dirty little secret. The one thing that kept me from disliking Alan and his part in this was that he, too, worried about Huiann and felt guilty about the position he was putting her in. It also helped that Huiann was aware of some of the obstacles standing between her and Alan and knew full well that she might be making a mistake she'd have to pay for later.
Dee did manage to give Huiann and Alan a happy ending, but it wasn't all kittens and rainbows – there was a definite recognition of the fact that their chosen path would have bumps along the way. However, Dee managed to make me believe that, whatever their future might hold, Alan and Huiann would be able to weather it. They were strong individuals and, at the same time, a solid couple.
Some additional comments I wanted to make but couldn't quite find room for (which probably contributed to the weeks it took me to write this post):
- There were a few things I felt got kind of...dropped. Dora seemed to just disappear, unless she got another mention that I somehow missed. I'm assuming she found herself another place to live. Also, I wondered why
- For those of you interested in romance novels in which contraceptives are mentioned: Alan has condoms, and Huiann drinks some kind of horrifying concoction designed to keep her from becoming pregnant. I was kind of curious about how effective condoms made at this time were, and I worried a bit that the stuff Huiann drank might make her sick.
This post was an absolute bear to write. I'm not sure why, since I even had decent notes that covered pretty much everything I wanted to write. I just had a hard time putting those notes into reasonably coherent and mostly organized paragraphs. I'd have abandoned the whole thing, except I liked the book enough that I wanted to make sure there was a mention of it on my blog. Plus, the cover image is pretty.
Anyway, the first half of this book really grabbed me. I read a good chunk of Captive Bride in just one day. Huiann was a great heroine – although she had grown up relatively sheltered and suddenly found herself in a very bad situation, she didn't completely fall apart. Instead, she did her best to survive, kept her head, and waited for a chance to get free. Even when she was captured again later in the book and there was a greater possibility someone (Alan) would come for her, she didn't wait to be saved, but rather looked for opportunities to save herself.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book where Alan and Huiann were still getting to know each other and gradually becoming more comfortable with living together. Although they didn't speak each other's languages at first, they still managed to get by. They even managed to benefit from the language barrier – they felt more free to confess their fears to each other, knowing that the exact meaning of their words wouldn't be understood and yet gaining comfort from being able to finally say things they could never say to anyone else. Alan spoke of the horrible, lasting effect being in a Civil War prison camp had had on him, while Huiann spoke of her anger at her parents for sending her to marry a man they had never met.
Although Huiann wasn't technically Alan's prisoner, she was limited in what she could do or where she could go – any time she went out in public, she risked being spotted by Xie or one of his men. Although Alan enjoyed just having her around, I liked that he understood her need to have something to do, particularly something that was truly useful. Her dressmaking filled up her time and challenged her, as she tried to work out how to copy expensive designs. It also gave her a chance to earn money, since Alan refused to take all of the profits. When her talents began to be more in demand, she was able to help her friend Dora out by enlisting her help – working with Huiann allowed Dora to earn a little money for herself that the abusive drunk she lived with didn't have complete access to.
In addition to having to deal with being cooped up a lot, Huiann understandably experienced some homesickness. I loved the gifts Alan purchased for her, a few small Chinese items he thought might remind her of home and give her some comfort. Although none of the book's events took place in China, Dee was still able to work in Chinese cultural details. Huiann's love for and closeness to her family were clear, and I admit to both hoping that she would be able to see them again and dreading the possibility, since, if she went back, it was highly unlike she'd ever be able to see Alan again.
For some reason, I didn't find the second half of the book to be quite as good as the first. Part of my problem, I think, was that, even with Huiann gaining a few slight freedoms here and there, the book began to feel a bit claustrophobic after a while. Every time Alan left to attend parties or speak to people in order to further build up his political career, I worried more and more about Huiann, who seemed destined to become Alan's dirty little secret. The one thing that kept me from disliking Alan and his part in this was that he, too, worried about Huiann and felt guilty about the position he was putting her in. It also helped that Huiann was aware of some of the obstacles standing between her and Alan and knew full well that she might be making a mistake she'd have to pay for later.
Dee did manage to give Huiann and Alan a happy ending, but it wasn't all kittens and rainbows – there was a definite recognition of the fact that their chosen path would have bumps along the way. However, Dee managed to make me believe that, whatever their future might hold, Alan and Huiann would be able to weather it. They were strong individuals and, at the same time, a solid couple.
Some additional comments I wanted to make but couldn't quite find room for (which probably contributed to the weeks it took me to write this post):
- There were a few things I felt got kind of...dropped. Dora seemed to just disappear, unless she got another mention that I somehow missed. I'm assuming she found herself another place to live. Also, I wondered why
- For those of you interested in romance novels in which contraceptives are mentioned: Alan has condoms, and Huiann drinks some kind of horrifying concoction designed to keep her from becoming pregnant. I was kind of curious about how effective condoms made at this time were, and I worried a bit that the stuff Huiann drank might make her sick.
May 18, 2011
I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this, but as the story unfolded, it became clear that this story was better than I had expected. It's a romance, so it's about finding love (in this case, interracial love when that wasn't allowed), but it's also about finding friendship, acceptance, and a home.
Alan came to San Francisco to escape his past, and the dark memories which haunted him. It hasn't worked too well, but he keeps hoping that will change. He has, however, done well enough for himself that he runs his own store, and lives above it. His life changes when a beautiful Chinese girl ducks into his shop, obviously hiding from someone, though she doesn't know enough English to ask for help. Being a good guy, he hides her, and offers her a job as a housekeeper in exchange for a place to hide.
Huiann doesn't know what to make of this strange man. The language and culture barriers between them keep things tense and awkward, but it's clear to her early on that Alan is a good man. So she stays. And finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him as time goes on. It inevitably grows into a friendship, and then into something else entirely.
One of the biggest hurdles for Huiann and Alan is the language barrier; Huiann doesn't know English, and Alan doesn't know Mandarin. Nor does he know anything about her culture, though he tries to learn. I was a bit dubious at first, because the linguistic/cultural barrier problem is all too often botched, as authors use devices of convenience to rush the relationship. That didn't happen here; Huiann struggles to learn English, and Alan tries to help her. In fact, their inability to communicate with each other leads to one of my favorite scenes as they take advantage of each other's lack of understanding to confess difficult things to each other.
The romance was sweet, building slowly enough that it didn't feel like a whirlwind, yet never dragging so much that it felt slow. That is to say, it was well paced for the page count, and I feel like it was handled well enough. It's clear from early on that Alan is interested in Huiann, but it takes a while for her to become interested in him, which works.
Overall, I'd say it's earned a 4/5. It's not fine literature (most of what I read isn't) but it was a good read, with good writing, and an interesting plot. (Plus, they didn't completely botch San Francisco.) If you like historical romances, I'd suggest this one.
{Disclosure: I got a free review copy.}
Alan came to San Francisco to escape his past, and the dark memories which haunted him. It hasn't worked too well, but he keeps hoping that will change. He has, however, done well enough for himself that he runs his own store, and lives above it. His life changes when a beautiful Chinese girl ducks into his shop, obviously hiding from someone, though she doesn't know enough English to ask for help. Being a good guy, he hides her, and offers her a job as a housekeeper in exchange for a place to hide.
Huiann doesn't know what to make of this strange man. The language and culture barriers between them keep things tense and awkward, but it's clear to her early on that Alan is a good man. So she stays. And finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him as time goes on. It inevitably grows into a friendship, and then into something else entirely.
One of the biggest hurdles for Huiann and Alan is the language barrier; Huiann doesn't know English, and Alan doesn't know Mandarin. Nor does he know anything about her culture, though he tries to learn. I was a bit dubious at first, because the linguistic/cultural barrier problem is all too often botched, as authors use devices of convenience to rush the relationship. That didn't happen here; Huiann struggles to learn English, and Alan tries to help her. In fact, their inability to communicate with each other leads to one of my favorite scenes as they take advantage of each other's lack of understanding to confess difficult things to each other.
The romance was sweet, building slowly enough that it didn't feel like a whirlwind, yet never dragging so much that it felt slow. That is to say, it was well paced for the page count, and I feel like it was handled well enough. It's clear from early on that Alan is interested in Huiann, but it takes a while for her to become interested in him, which works.
Overall, I'd say it's earned a 4/5. It's not fine literature (most of what I read isn't) but it was a good read, with good writing, and an interesting plot. (Plus, they didn't completely botch San Francisco.) If you like historical romances, I'd suggest this one.
{Disclosure: I got a free review copy.}
January 23, 2016
Though the cover of this book is lovely, the title didn't seem very appealing. But after reading the synopsis and a sample, I thought I was mistaken. Captive Bride seemed to be a really interesting historical novel focusing on post-Civil War San Francisco and the influx of Chinese immigrants and the politics surrounding the blend of multiple cultures.
Sure, I knew the focus of this story would be on a sort of Mail Order Bride who escapes a horrible fate, but I was really looking forward to reading about this time period and setting.
I was wrong. There are few political and cultural reflections here. This is 50 Shades of Asian in 1870.
Huiann is a beautiful young woman who's inner phoenix is desperately attracted to the giant white man, Alan, and his strong dragon. Her inner phoenix dances in response to his smile, it tempts his dragon, and she feels it soar in response to Alan's generosity. Meanwhile, she cleans, sews, cooks amazing meals (with canned meat and unspecified 'exotic spices'), abandons her culture and learns English.
Alan is... a really boring white dude who wants to run for local office because he dislikes how he and fellow merchants are being ripped off. He also gets hard by following Huiann up a flight of stairs, imagining her small feet in his hands, and watching her do laundry. Alan has no problem taking Huiann in and giving her a job cleaning his house - he later sells her work in his shop and sleeps with her - but take her as a wife? It will ruin his chances at becoming a politician!
There was some effort made to make Alan a little deeper - he had nightmares about being held captive in war and left his family to find some sort of life after Civil War ended. But personally I just could not take this book seriously once Huiann's inner phoenix started dancing around after interacting with the boring, if not totally one dimensional, Alan. I guess 50 Shades of Grey left deeper wounds than I realized...
Sure, I knew the focus of this story would be on a sort of Mail Order Bride who escapes a horrible fate, but I was really looking forward to reading about this time period and setting.
I was wrong. There are few political and cultural reflections here. This is 50 Shades of Asian in 1870.
Huiann is a beautiful young woman who's inner phoenix is desperately attracted to the giant white man, Alan, and his strong dragon. Her inner phoenix dances in response to his smile, it tempts his dragon, and she feels it soar in response to Alan's generosity. Meanwhile, she cleans, sews, cooks amazing meals (with canned meat and unspecified 'exotic spices'), abandons her culture and learns English.
Alan is... a really boring white dude who wants to run for local office because he dislikes how he and fellow merchants are being ripped off. He also gets hard by following Huiann up a flight of stairs, imagining her small feet in his hands, and watching her do laundry. Alan has no problem taking Huiann in and giving her a job cleaning his house - he later sells her work in his shop and sleeps with her - but take her as a wife? It will ruin his chances at becoming a politician!
There was some effort made to make Alan a little deeper - he had nightmares about being held captive in war and left his family to find some sort of life after Civil War ended. But personally I just could not take this book seriously once Huiann's inner phoenix started dancing around after interacting with the boring, if not totally one dimensional, Alan. I guess 50 Shades of Grey left deeper wounds than I realized...
March 5, 2016
This was...okay. I love that Bonnie Dee writes unusual situations and characters, but I kind of had a disconnect with both MCs in this one,plus, it kind of dragged toward the middle and through the end, but maybe that was because I grew kinda uncomfortable about the portrayal of the characters. Huiann's internal thoughts (and actions, tbh) were too Western for me, patterns, names and expressions for things, etc.Not that I'm knowledgeable by any means on Chinese customs or behaviors of the time, but i do know it just read too modern, maybe. Also, the whole seamstress thing and all the women working in crowded, dire circumstances or conditons and it was supposed to be better for them? Not sure I bought it. And Alan kind of creepered me a bit, lusting after Huiann from the get go and then having sex with her even while having reservations about her nationality and circumstances? Dunno. Wasn't a big win for me, even though I am a fan of Ms. Dee's stories.
July 16, 2011
This was a great story! Huiann & Alan's relationship was wonderful to watch unfold. I liked that Huiann was friends with Dora, too. I loved that Huiann came to value her own strengths, and Alan grew as a person, too.
The story was more explicitl/hotter than a typical historical, but that was a good thing for me.
The story was more explicitl/hotter than a typical historical, but that was a good thing for me.
May 25, 2015
this is an average reads for me.
It puzzled me when I read that Alan did not tap the table to signify that he likes the food. this is the first time I read about this custom. as far as I know, tapping table is for when someone pour tea to the person. and tapping the table with two fingers meant "thank you"..
It puzzled me when I read that Alan did not tap the table to signify that he likes the food. this is the first time I read about this custom. as far as I know, tapping table is for when someone pour tea to the person. and tapping the table with two fingers meant "thank you"..
April 3, 2011
Uhg, that ending was way too long.
September 1, 2012
The story started off slowly; but picks up nicely as you read. I love the fact that the h is Asian. The H (Alan) is a real sweetheart.
The love scenes are great ;-)
The love scenes are great ;-)
July 3, 2012
An excellent romance enriched by history,truth, and suspense.
book-boner
August 28, 2012Yes, I'm sold on the cover and the premise. When publishers don't whitewash, I reward them.
January 5, 2015
Nice premise. I think Carina press needs a better line editor. There were a few spelling mistakes and misusage of the verb "to lie".
December 27, 2015
Sweet and silly
A sweet and ultimately silly read. Not too sure about the historical accuracy or whether it represented Chinese culture appropriately.
A sweet and ultimately silly read. Not too sure about the historical accuracy or whether it represented Chinese culture appropriately.
March 13, 2017
sweet, could have delved further into the different perspectives and the social and racial climate of the time.
January 14, 2018
Story takes place in 1870 San Francisco. Was OK, nothing special, though the hero was white and the heroine was Chinese which is different.
Read
January 25, 2025Dnf at 56
April 15, 2025
DNFed at 33%. Got bored around 20% in as all I wanted to know was what happened with Xie Fuhua. How she’ll get away from him.
March 9, 2011
3.5 Stars
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