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Captive Heart
Emmalyne Madsen sends a desperate plea heavenward as a band of lawless men makes their way up the aisle of the railcar. When one hauls her roughly from the seat, threatening and cursing, Emmalyne fears her adventure out West has just turned into a nightmare.
Thayne Kendrich has an urgent need for a school teacher, and he's not above doing whatever it takes to get one-including forcing her at gunpoint across the scorching prairie. But the teacher he chooses turns out to be a little tougher-and softer-than he anticipated, and before long he finds himself battling emotions he vowed to never feel again.
Emma, too, struggles with feelings she knows she ought not be having toward Thayne. He's an outlaw, after all-or is he? As the days pass and their destination-the Black Hills-draws nearer, Emma realizes that out West, the line between right and wrong is sometimes blurred. Might the man she believed to be on the wrong side of the law have acted with the purest intentions? If so, her greatest danger may be in her own heart, as he holds her captive in more ways than one.
Thayne Kendrich has an urgent need for a school teacher, and he's not above doing whatever it takes to get one-including forcing her at gunpoint across the scorching prairie. But the teacher he chooses turns out to be a little tougher-and softer-than he anticipated, and before long he finds himself battling emotions he vowed to never feel again.
Emma, too, struggles with feelings she knows she ought not be having toward Thayne. He's an outlaw, after all-or is he? As the days pass and their destination-the Black Hills-draws nearer, Emma realizes that out West, the line between right and wrong is sometimes blurred. Might the man she believed to be on the wrong side of the law have acted with the purest intentions? If so, her greatest danger may be in her own heart, as he holds her captive in more ways than one.
255 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
1078 people want to read
About the author
Michele Paige Holmes
30 books418 followersMichele Paige Holmes is the author of eighteen published romance novels and five novellas in the Timeless Romance Anthologies.
She loves history and all things romantic, though the reality of her life is often less so, with piles of laundry to be folded, meals to be cooked, and dishes to be washed. She finds those things blessings too, or evidence of the blessings in her life—her husband, five, mostly grown children, and five charming grandchildren (four of whom reside in her home).
She is married to her high school sweetheart, a true Ironman who considers doing ultramarathons and triathlons fun. The only time Michele logs serious miles is at Disney theme parks, but she and her super-fit husband have been happily married for thirty-five years, in spite of her lack of coordination and lagging fitness levels.
While her husband is out running, biking, or swimming, Michele’s furry companion Sherlock Holmes—a Cavapoo strongly resembling a teddy bear—keeps her company and keeps her feet warm during the cold winter months in Utah.
In recent years Michele has enjoyed traveling to some of the locations she writes about. This summer she will be returning to Scotland to do research for upcoming Hearthfire Historical novels.
You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
She loves history and all things romantic, though the reality of her life is often less so, with piles of laundry to be folded, meals to be cooked, and dishes to be washed. She finds those things blessings too, or evidence of the blessings in her life—her husband, five, mostly grown children, and five charming grandchildren (four of whom reside in her home).
She is married to her high school sweetheart, a true Ironman who considers doing ultramarathons and triathlons fun. The only time Michele logs serious miles is at Disney theme parks, but she and her super-fit husband have been happily married for thirty-five years, in spite of her lack of coordination and lagging fitness levels.
While her husband is out running, biking, or swimming, Michele’s furry companion Sherlock Holmes—a Cavapoo strongly resembling a teddy bear—keeps her company and keeps her feet warm during the cold winter months in Utah.
In recent years Michele has enjoyed traveling to some of the locations she writes about. This summer she will be returning to Scotland to do research for upcoming Hearthfire Historical novels.
You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
July 31, 2017
Emmalyne Madsen is on a train, headed to be a schoolteacher, when it is robbed by outlaws. Besides stealing gold, they also steal women, and Emmalyne finds herself in the company of one Thayne Kendrich. Thayne insists that he isn't really an outlaw, but he needed a teacher. The Lakota Indians have something that belongs to him, and he needs Emmalyne in order to get it back. With the other outlaws on their tail, not to mention no means of transportation or supplies, Emmalyne and Thayne's journey to his home in the Black Hills is definitely not pleasant. However, each comes to find that the company is better than expected. Soon, they're fighting feelings for one another, as Thayne has obligations that keep him from being able to pursue a romance and Emmalyne thinks he doesn't care for her.
I thought I would really like this book--historical romance, set in the west, is precisely what I'm interested in reading. I really, really WANTED to like it...but I didn't. There were too many things that just didn't add up in this book, not to mention that the REAL problem in the story (the one that could have been developed to really mean something) was so quickly resolved it was ridiculous.
****SPOILERS*****
Thayne doesn't technically abduct Emma, but he does make her go with him, even tying her up and threatening her with a gun. I'm sorry, but what's romantic about that? And if she's going to fall for him, couldn't it be AFTER he shows some remorse (something he doesn't really do)?
What is he doing abducting her anyway? He needs someone to teach his son, who has some physical problems...and he left his son with the Lakota Indians to care for him while he went to fetch a teacher....except all along, he makes it sound like they took him, not that he left his son there. It was like the Lakota people were just thrown in the story as a vehicle, so that Emma could be afraid of them and Thayne could comfort her. It's like they were just a device thrown into the story, not actual people, and I, for one, think it was kind of an easy out, a typical thing to throw in...and it didn't work. Additionally, why doesn't Thayne, since he's pretty darn well off, just take his son back east to a doctor? Or even out west to a doctor. There are way more obvious answers than joining up with a band of outlaws to hold up a train and miraculously find a teacher. And if he really did want a teacher, rather than a doctor, why couldn't he pay one? He pays Emma well, once he's gotten her home. He didn't think he'd be able to get a woman to agree to come with him, out to his forsaken land. Doesn't have a real great opinion of women, does he? There are women who would be willing (especially if he was paying well) to help his son; there are compassionate women out there, and the fact that Thayne couldn't recognize that seemed kinda ridiculous to me (and doesn't exactly make him a dashing romantic hero). I understand that we're supposed to see him as being desperate to do anything for his son...but there are way more logical, not to mention faster and easier.
Finally, the one conflict that could have really been explored and developed--that Thayne is already married, to a saloon girl who ran off on him--only took up about 20 pages of the book. Thayne sues for divorce, she shows up to threaten their son in order to get Thayne's money, he defeats her (which we don't even SEE), and everything works out. Really? Come on. There were some many better ways this could have gone; this plot line could have been the whole crux of the book (if the author gave us a compelling reason why Thaye abducted her), but it was a piddling little piece of nothing.
*******************END SPOILERS*******************
So, I didn't really care for it. The romance between Thayne and Emma was fine, but I felt like the story wasn't very well thought out. It felt like the author wanted to be able to include a good outlaw and a romance, and just threw a story together around those pieces but didn't really think it through enough.
I thought I would really like this book--historical romance, set in the west, is precisely what I'm interested in reading. I really, really WANTED to like it...but I didn't. There were too many things that just didn't add up in this book, not to mention that the REAL problem in the story (the one that could have been developed to really mean something) was so quickly resolved it was ridiculous.
****SPOILERS*****
Thayne doesn't technically abduct Emma, but he does make her go with him, even tying her up and threatening her with a gun. I'm sorry, but what's romantic about that? And if she's going to fall for him, couldn't it be AFTER he shows some remorse (something he doesn't really do)?
What is he doing abducting her anyway? He needs someone to teach his son, who has some physical problems...and he left his son with the Lakota Indians to care for him while he went to fetch a teacher....except all along, he makes it sound like they took him, not that he left his son there. It was like the Lakota people were just thrown in the story as a vehicle, so that Emma could be afraid of them and Thayne could comfort her. It's like they were just a device thrown into the story, not actual people, and I, for one, think it was kind of an easy out, a typical thing to throw in...and it didn't work. Additionally, why doesn't Thayne, since he's pretty darn well off, just take his son back east to a doctor? Or even out west to a doctor. There are way more obvious answers than joining up with a band of outlaws to hold up a train and miraculously find a teacher. And if he really did want a teacher, rather than a doctor, why couldn't he pay one? He pays Emma well, once he's gotten her home. He didn't think he'd be able to get a woman to agree to come with him, out to his forsaken land. Doesn't have a real great opinion of women, does he? There are women who would be willing (especially if he was paying well) to help his son; there are compassionate women out there, and the fact that Thayne couldn't recognize that seemed kinda ridiculous to me (and doesn't exactly make him a dashing romantic hero). I understand that we're supposed to see him as being desperate to do anything for his son...but there are way more logical, not to mention faster and easier.
Finally, the one conflict that could have really been explored and developed--that Thayne is already married, to a saloon girl who ran off on him--only took up about 20 pages of the book. Thayne sues for divorce, she shows up to threaten their son in order to get Thayne's money, he defeats her (which we don't even SEE), and everything works out. Really? Come on. There were some many better ways this could have gone; this plot line could have been the whole crux of the book (if the author gave us a compelling reason why Thaye abducted her), but it was a piddling little piece of nothing.
*******************END SPOILERS*******************
So, I didn't really care for it. The romance between Thayne and Emma was fine, but I felt like the story wasn't very well thought out. It felt like the author wanted to be able to include a good outlaw and a romance, and just threw a story together around those pieces but didn't really think it through enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2024
Barely 4 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot! I found myself reading into the wee hours of the morning which for me is always a good sign. The romance was strong and sweet but the chemistry went a little flat about halfway through which was disappointing. There were some glaring issues- conflict at the end resolved way too easily and without more explanation and the premise for the MC male fell a bit flat for me (with his wealth and connections he could have hired a teacher instead of hoping God would help him find a suitable one to abduct from a train). Putting that aside, I found the female MC very likeable and enjoyed the bickering, the humor and the will they/won't they suspense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2019
Very interesting exploration of history and sweet romance.
May 4, 2011
Historical fiction is fast becoming one of my favorite type of books and Michele Holmes knows just how to write them. This is a definite page turner, I couldn't wait to get to the see the ending and I wasn't disappointed.
Emmalyne is on a train heading to be a school teacher in Sydney. Her train is waylaid by outlaws and she is pushed from the train. The "outlaw" that she lands on isn't what he seems to be. He wants her to go to the Lakota Indian reservation to teach a boy. She misunderstands and thinks that she is destined to be an Indian teacher. With this idea for a future she tries to escape without success. Thayne is really a decent, rancher and father looking for a teacher to help his 2 year old son, Joshua who hasn't talked or walked yet. When she realizes what she is really meant to do, Emmalyne is content, but torn because she is starting to have feelings for Thayne, but since getting to his home, he has been distant. Thayne's distance can be explained by his still being married to the madwoman who threw her own son down the stairs and injured his hearing because of his crying. Marcus, a friend helps Thayne get papers for a divorce so he can stop playing that Emma is his cousin and that he has no feelings for Emmalyne for being the woman he always wanted and the mother that Josh never had. The problem arises that Christina, his wife isn't ready to let go of the wealth she can get from Thayne in exchange for her agreeing to a divorce. Friends and listening to the intuition that comes and is good to listen to, helps the outcome become a happy one.
Emmalyne and thayne are married and go to the east to get Josh's leg fixed. They return with her father and another addition a 2 month old baby girl.
Emmalyne is finally home in Dakota where she never expected to be, but where she found adventure and love she never thought she was missing.
Emmalyne is on a train heading to be a school teacher in Sydney. Her train is waylaid by outlaws and she is pushed from the train. The "outlaw" that she lands on isn't what he seems to be. He wants her to go to the Lakota Indian reservation to teach a boy. She misunderstands and thinks that she is destined to be an Indian teacher. With this idea for a future she tries to escape without success. Thayne is really a decent, rancher and father looking for a teacher to help his 2 year old son, Joshua who hasn't talked or walked yet. When she realizes what she is really meant to do, Emmalyne is content, but torn because she is starting to have feelings for Thayne, but since getting to his home, he has been distant. Thayne's distance can be explained by his still being married to the madwoman who threw her own son down the stairs and injured his hearing because of his crying. Marcus, a friend helps Thayne get papers for a divorce so he can stop playing that Emma is his cousin and that he has no feelings for Emmalyne for being the woman he always wanted and the mother that Josh never had. The problem arises that Christina, his wife isn't ready to let go of the wealth she can get from Thayne in exchange for her agreeing to a divorce. Friends and listening to the intuition that comes and is good to listen to, helps the outcome become a happy one.
Emmalyne and thayne are married and go to the east to get Josh's leg fixed. They return with her father and another addition a 2 month old baby girl.
Emmalyne is finally home in Dakota where she never expected to be, but where she found adventure and love she never thought she was missing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2011
This was a fun fast passed romance with a little history thrown in. I was surprised I liked it so much. The premise is a little wild- guy steels girl from train to be a teacher... OK. He could have just hired one. But it all worked out for my fun and enjoyment so whatever. The writing was ok and the story put together well witch was a nice surprise. There were a couple of glitches but overall it was a sweet romance, that kept me reading. Anyone who likes a good clean romance will like this one. There was a little talk of God but overall not preachy or connected to one religion.
June 2, 2014
There were too many plot holes for me in this book. It wasn't awful but I just didn't buy a lot of things. It did work out okay in the end but there were some really sad things in it.
May 21, 2024
This was ok. I liked the writing style, but the story was a little sappy and unbelievable. There were lots of things that happened too quickly and needed a little more detail to feel real. What happened to the gang? What happened with Thayne and the theif/grandma? Why kidnap a teacher? With as rich as Thayne is, he could have put out an ad and offered a good sum of money. And why does he not just tell her he needs her to teach his son up front? If there had been a good reason behind that, it might have made more sense. There was hardly any romance, and it wrapped up way to quickly. After reading the whole book, we should at least have gotten to read about a kiss or the wedding at the very least!
June 15, 2018
I liked the overall story. I loved that it was clean. I would have liked a bit more romance though. I thought there were some cute parts and I would have liked a bit more of that. I also felt like the ending was a little abrupt. Reminded me of a Hallmark movie and I would have liked a bit more in the end. Reading about a wedding would have been nice and I wish there had been more about Joshua at the end. Overall I did enjoy the story though.
August 25, 2021
There was a couple of things I would have liked to have had in more detail. Or revisit them again in the book. The Lakota friends, that ending with Christina, and the Martin gang. All of these happened and not much went with them. I think the story was cute, and Josh was a sweetheart. The one scene I liked the best was when Thayne yelled at the other guy claiming Emma.
July 16, 2025
Emma is on a train and captured by Thayne. He wants her to teach his son. Emma tries to escape many times until she realizes the kind acts he has done for her with the exception of the kidnapping. When she meets Joshua she is entranced and realizes she has special skills to help him. The Teo fall in love and can finally marry after a showdown with the first wife Christina.
July 5, 2017
3.5 stars. I wasn't expecting a ton out of this, just a light summer read. I ended up being quite engrossed and read it in one sitting well into the night. Great dialogue, action, and character development set this apart from the plethora of historical romance novels.
August 11, 2017
Emmalyne ran away from an engagement she did not want to become a teacher in the West. Along the way a gang of robbers came aboard the train and captured several young girls, including Emmalyne. Her adventure from here is interesting in what she imagined to what was really going on.
August 29, 2017
4 1/2 stars! I really, really enjoyed this book from the very beginning. The only reason I didn't give it 5, is because the ending felt a little too rushed, I would have liked more closure at the end. But I loved the story
April 19, 2019
I honestly thought this book would be better. It started out so good, and then you find out the wife is alive and all that junk. The main character was really annoying to me, so that kinda made me not like the book even more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this story!
This book was a treat ! While some of the plot details seemed a bit far-fetched, I found Emma and Thayne to be endearing and their relationship just drew me into the story! It was endearing, funny and sweet! I was happy to read it and you will be too.
This book was a treat ! While some of the plot details seemed a bit far-fetched, I found Emma and Thayne to be endearing and their relationship just drew me into the story! It was endearing, funny and sweet! I was happy to read it and you will be too.
June 30, 2023
Sign me up for the next kidknapping by Thayne Kendrich!!!! 🤭 seriously!!! Sign me up!! 😂 This book is like all of my favorite things. Kidknapping. Hot guys. Daughter of the pirate king vibes. Old timey. Swoonworthy. Fast paced. Hilarious. 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
June 25, 2017
A fun, entertaining, and sassy story.
January 6, 2018
Fun western. 3.5
June 5, 2018
Overall a good read. I struggle to understand why Thayne didn't tell her up front why he needed her help. Other than to draw out the story.
September 25, 2018
A lot of conflicts, but an easy quick read.
September 21, 2019
I liked the suspense and mystery of Thayne's life. Felt like the ending was rushed but worth reading!
August 9, 2021
I really enjoyed the book!
January 5, 2022
A light read in a different setting and subject than typical. Black Hills of South Dakota and a woman who knows sign language and can teach a man's deaf son.
October 18, 2024
Good story, I just wish there were more details. But it was still an enjoyable story.
December 1, 2024
Look I know it's cheesy and kind of stupid but something about this story touches my heart and makes me want to do some service and hug a baby and I love how it's so sweet
July 2, 2025
3.5 stars
June 21, 2011
I was excited to read Captive Heart by Michele Holmes because the backliner intrigued me and the first chapter didn’t disappoint. The book starts off with a train robbery and young women being kidnapped from the train. One young lady tries hard not to be noticed and when she is, and is being forced from the train, she fights for her life. And such begins a quirky, fun, and very emotional journey for our main characters.
The thing I liked best about this book is that it would seem to be a predictable western romance, but the author has several twists and turns that had me wondering where exactly she was going to take it. I really enjoyed the depth of both her hero and her heroine with the experiences they’d both been through to lead them to this point. There was one situation that really had my mouth hanging open and the author plays it well, engendering pity, outrage, and sorrow for what has happened to a young family.
This book is a perfect blend of great characters and a well-written plot, combined with a unique setting that adds just the right touch. The only thing I didn’t like about it (and it was a teeny tiny personal thing) was that the epilogue goes a bit further than I wanted it to. I wanted to see an event that had been hinted at throughout the story, but the epilogue goes beyond that by about a year. With that said, however, the book ends with a great sense of closure and it’s the kind of book that makes you smile once it’s done. I highly recommend it.
This was originally reviewed on my blog http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com
The thing I liked best about this book is that it would seem to be a predictable western romance, but the author has several twists and turns that had me wondering where exactly she was going to take it. I really enjoyed the depth of both her hero and her heroine with the experiences they’d both been through to lead them to this point. There was one situation that really had my mouth hanging open and the author plays it well, engendering pity, outrage, and sorrow for what has happened to a young family.
This book is a perfect blend of great characters and a well-written plot, combined with a unique setting that adds just the right touch. The only thing I didn’t like about it (and it was a teeny tiny personal thing) was that the epilogue goes a bit further than I wanted it to. I wanted to see an event that had been hinted at throughout the story, but the epilogue goes beyond that by about a year. With that said, however, the book ends with a great sense of closure and it’s the kind of book that makes you smile once it’s done. I highly recommend it.
This was originally reviewed on my blog http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com
February 17, 2014
Before I dive into a review, I must warn that this book (clean and Christian) deals with a couple of serious / dramatic topics / events involving women and children.
Pros: This book's main character of Thayne was spot on. I ADMIRED the main heroine and found myself laughing and proud of the woman she was. Good plot. I read the book in two days, unable to put it down.
Cons: The first half of the book is different than the second. I do not want to give too much information away, but the first half is fast paced, dangerous, and even funny. The second half is slower, still meaningful, but just...different. All the scenes and dialogs were related to the plot...which was good... but the book felt split in half which was unusual. Not a major con, just an observation.
Also I found myself blush a couple of times with some of Thayne's comments in the beginning. I am very strict on the romance books I read, and what he said was not bad, but the indications of what he meant made me squirm slightly. It probably will not bother other people. Also, the romance in the beginning is different than the second half, which I was not a fan of. (Consistency needed.)
Overall this was a good read. I enjoyed it, but again the topics discussed in this book are not for everyone.
Truthfully, I probably will not buy this book. But I might read more from this author if the reviews on her other works are good.
Pros: This book's main character of Thayne was spot on. I ADMIRED the main heroine and found myself laughing and proud of the woman she was. Good plot. I read the book in two days, unable to put it down.
Cons: The first half of the book is different than the second. I do not want to give too much information away, but the first half is fast paced, dangerous, and even funny. The second half is slower, still meaningful, but just...different. All the scenes and dialogs were related to the plot...which was good... but the book felt split in half which was unusual. Not a major con, just an observation.
Also I found myself blush a couple of times with some of Thayne's comments in the beginning. I am very strict on the romance books I read, and what he said was not bad, but the indications of what he meant made me squirm slightly. It probably will not bother other people. Also, the romance in the beginning is different than the second half, which I was not a fan of. (Consistency needed.)
Overall this was a good read. I enjoyed it, but again the topics discussed in this book are not for everyone.
Truthfully, I probably will not buy this book. But I might read more from this author if the reviews on her other works are good.
November 7, 2011
Saw this book in the Seagull book catalog and thought it would be an interesting read. I always enjoy a good period piece. This was clean romance literature with a spiritual tone as well.
Seagull Description:
Emmalyne Madsen sends a desperate plea heavenward as a band of lawless men makes their way up the aisle of the railcar. When one hauls her roughly from the seat, threatening and cursing, Emmalyne fears her adventure out West has just turned into a nightmare.
Thayne Kendrich has an urgent need for a school teacher, and he's not above doing whatever it takes to get one - including forcing her at gunpoint across the scorching prairie. But the teacher he chooses turns out to be a little tougher - and softer - than he anticipated, and before long he finds himself battling emotions he vowed to never feel again.
Emma, too, struggles with feelings she knows she ought not be having toward Thayne. He's an outlaw, after all - or is he? As the days pass and their destination - the Black Hills - draws nearer, Emma realizes that out West, the line between right and wrong is sometimes blurred. Might the man she believed to be on the wrong side of the law have acted with the purest intentions? If so, her greatest danger may be in her own heart, as he holds her captive in more ways than one.
Seagull Description:
Emmalyne Madsen sends a desperate plea heavenward as a band of lawless men makes their way up the aisle of the railcar. When one hauls her roughly from the seat, threatening and cursing, Emmalyne fears her adventure out West has just turned into a nightmare.
Thayne Kendrich has an urgent need for a school teacher, and he's not above doing whatever it takes to get one - including forcing her at gunpoint across the scorching prairie. But the teacher he chooses turns out to be a little tougher - and softer - than he anticipated, and before long he finds himself battling emotions he vowed to never feel again.
Emma, too, struggles with feelings she knows she ought not be having toward Thayne. He's an outlaw, after all - or is he? As the days pass and their destination - the Black Hills - draws nearer, Emma realizes that out West, the line between right and wrong is sometimes blurred. Might the man she believed to be on the wrong side of the law have acted with the purest intentions? If so, her greatest danger may be in her own heart, as he holds her captive in more ways than one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews