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Enslaved
I was to teach a slave.
Marcus, a gladiator in my father’s ludus, was compelled to my presence to learn of Rome’s gods, her legends. When first he came, fear consumed me - fear of this silent, resentful slave who burned with his anger.
Time, though, changes much. Marcus softened and I grew unafraid. As we became closer, I grew more than merely unafraid – I grew to love him. Never did I think we would be separated.
I was wrong.
Marcus, a gladiator in my father’s ludus, was compelled to my presence to learn of Rome’s gods, her legends. When first he came, fear consumed me - fear of this silent, resentful slave who burned with his anger.
Time, though, changes much. Marcus softened and I grew unafraid. As we became closer, I grew more than merely unafraid – I grew to love him. Never did I think we would be separated.
I was wrong.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2011
1 person is currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Dean
42 books191 followersCassandra Dean is an award-winning author of historical and fantasy romance. She grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.
Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.
Visit Cassandra’s website at http://cassandradean.com
Join Cassandra’s mailing list at http://cassandradean.com/extras/subsc...
Be sure to follow Cassandra on BookBub for the latest on sales: https://bit.ly/3rzSIpu
Follow Cassandra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandra... and on Twitter @authorCassDean
Contact Cassandra at cassandra@cassandradean.com
Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.
Visit Cassandra’s website at http://cassandradean.com
Join Cassandra’s mailing list at http://cassandradean.com/extras/subsc...
Be sure to follow Cassandra on BookBub for the latest on sales: https://bit.ly/3rzSIpu
Follow Cassandra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandra... and on Twitter @authorCassDean
Contact Cassandra at cassandra@cassandradean.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 17, 2013
I have a thing for Ancient Rome at the moment so I was drawn to this book with a pretty cover and an interesting premise. How can a noble's daughter fall in love with a gladiator and they live HEA?
Well... this historical novel was very well researched. The writing style helped transport me to Ancient Rome as well. This story was written only in Lucia's POV. I wish the gladiator Marcus could have had his own page time. They were both interesting characters but I never felt close to Marcus because the author kept us at a distance.
The romance was very little. It took a LONG time for the relationship between the two to develop. If the writing/historical details hadn't have been good I would have given up. A lot of this book could have been cut to increase the pacing and get to the fireworks faster. Once you get to the 75% mark it is pretty good although the ending seemed a little forced.
I don't really recommend this as a romance... it was barely above "sweet" aside from the crude language. But it gave a great glimpse into the beliefs and practices of Ancient Rome.
Well... this historical novel was very well researched. The writing style helped transport me to Ancient Rome as well. This story was written only in Lucia's POV. I wish the gladiator Marcus could have had his own page time. They were both interesting characters but I never felt close to Marcus because the author kept us at a distance.
The romance was very little. It took a LONG time for the relationship between the two to develop. If the writing/historical details hadn't have been good I would have given up. A lot of this book could have been cut to increase the pacing and get to the fireworks faster. Once you get to the 75% mark it is pretty good although the ending seemed a little forced.
I don't really recommend this as a romance... it was barely above "sweet" aside from the crude language. But it gave a great glimpse into the beliefs and practices of Ancient Rome.
September 26, 2011
I don't like to read stories in first person pov, it's just not my thing. But this author did an excellent job with it. I was hooked from the first chapter. I thought the H/h spent a little too much time apart but not enough to mark off for it or anything. The visuals, the writing, the research, all were well done. And the premise was so unique I couldn't help but wonder how she was going to wrap this up and make it work. I may have done things a little differently were I in her shoes but again, the author did a wonderful job on her own. Well done.
April 11, 2022
Good read but not one I usually read. Lots of excitement, suspenseful and emotional. Takes you to another time and place where you can read and dream. Hard for me to get into though in a way. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.
August 26, 2011
Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com). This review was done on an ebook copy provided by the lovely ladies at Sirens Song Reviews.
Lucia’s father owns slaves, but most especially he owns gladiators. One named Marcus has shown particular promise, and Lucia’s father has great aspirations for him – but first he must learn of the Gods. Determined to have Marcus learn, Lucia’s father demands that she teach him all she knows about the Roman gods and the glory of Rome. However what starts as innocent teaching turns into love. But soon enough, life and society catch up with Lucia and her slave – can their love survive the distance thrust upon them?
This book sounded really interesting – mostly because of the unique time period. Historical romance is a genre dominated by one time period and place – Regency England. Other, much more minor, time periods and places include the Wild West/American Frontier, Medieval Europe, and the European Continent during the 1800s. Very few people write romances set in Rome, and for that reason I was definitely intrigued. And the novella was just as good as I hoped – in fact, I wish it had been a full-length novel.
The first thing I noted was that Dean is excellent at world-building. I am no particular expert on Ancient Rome, but to me it seemed like the story was historically accurate. I was immersed to the hilt in historical cities filled with gladiators, sinful excess, and coliseums. I found the time and place fascinating, and so well-written that for time and place alone I would’ve kept reading – simply because it was unique and different, daring and bold. I liked that Dean wrote in first person (from Lucia’s point of view) and I truly enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. To be honest, I generally dislike first person so the fact that I was able to enjoy it here was another surprise. Dean clearly writes very well.
The book was too short for my tastes, especially for all that happened during it; it moved at an incredibly fast pace – so fast I almost felt rushed. I still enjoyed and savored every page, every moment, every word – and I desperately wanted to see more. Dean was very good about marking how much time had past – either using the age of characters or by actually stating it, which was important. The story takes place over the 15 or so years of Lucia’s life, and without the marking of time I could’ve been very lost. Dean seemed to be cognizant of her reader’s possible confusion while writing, and filled in any holes almost immediately – making it an easy, fast, and fun read.
Marcus is interesting, sexy, romantic, and surprisingly contemporary. I got a generally modern-esque feel from him, probably due to the fact that he’s a self-made man and a scholar. He was patient, sweet, and adorable with a certain little girl who served as a secondary character. I liked Lucia, and felt bad for all she suffered before her HEA, but it was Marcus who really caught my eye. Some people may be bothered by a few of his actions but I enjoyed how real he seemed – and how he was able to admit he had needs, and that one of those was for comfort.
What else is there to say? Good characters (Oh Marcus! *fans self*), a great location and time period, and a wonderful romance – put this book on your to-read list right away!
“Sexy”ness rating: Hot. Like, burning coals hot.
Overall Rating: A- (on the novella scale)
Bottom Line: A really interesting setting, well-developed characters, and a super-fast pace makes this novella a definite TO-READ.
Lucia’s father owns slaves, but most especially he owns gladiators. One named Marcus has shown particular promise, and Lucia’s father has great aspirations for him – but first he must learn of the Gods. Determined to have Marcus learn, Lucia’s father demands that she teach him all she knows about the Roman gods and the glory of Rome. However what starts as innocent teaching turns into love. But soon enough, life and society catch up with Lucia and her slave – can their love survive the distance thrust upon them?
This book sounded really interesting – mostly because of the unique time period. Historical romance is a genre dominated by one time period and place – Regency England. Other, much more minor, time periods and places include the Wild West/American Frontier, Medieval Europe, and the European Continent during the 1800s. Very few people write romances set in Rome, and for that reason I was definitely intrigued. And the novella was just as good as I hoped – in fact, I wish it had been a full-length novel.
The first thing I noted was that Dean is excellent at world-building. I am no particular expert on Ancient Rome, but to me it seemed like the story was historically accurate. I was immersed to the hilt in historical cities filled with gladiators, sinful excess, and coliseums. I found the time and place fascinating, and so well-written that for time and place alone I would’ve kept reading – simply because it was unique and different, daring and bold. I liked that Dean wrote in first person (from Lucia’s point of view) and I truly enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. To be honest, I generally dislike first person so the fact that I was able to enjoy it here was another surprise. Dean clearly writes very well.
The book was too short for my tastes, especially for all that happened during it; it moved at an incredibly fast pace – so fast I almost felt rushed. I still enjoyed and savored every page, every moment, every word – and I desperately wanted to see more. Dean was very good about marking how much time had past – either using the age of characters or by actually stating it, which was important. The story takes place over the 15 or so years of Lucia’s life, and without the marking of time I could’ve been very lost. Dean seemed to be cognizant of her reader’s possible confusion while writing, and filled in any holes almost immediately – making it an easy, fast, and fun read.
Marcus is interesting, sexy, romantic, and surprisingly contemporary. I got a generally modern-esque feel from him, probably due to the fact that he’s a self-made man and a scholar. He was patient, sweet, and adorable with a certain little girl who served as a secondary character. I liked Lucia, and felt bad for all she suffered before her HEA, but it was Marcus who really caught my eye. Some people may be bothered by a few of his actions but I enjoyed how real he seemed – and how he was able to admit he had needs, and that one of those was for comfort.
What else is there to say? Good characters (Oh Marcus! *fans self*), a great location and time period, and a wonderful romance – put this book on your to-read list right away!
“Sexy”ness rating: Hot. Like, burning coals hot.
Overall Rating: A- (on the novella scale)
Bottom Line: A really interesting setting, well-developed characters, and a super-fast pace makes this novella a definite TO-READ.
August 24, 2011
The first thing I noted was that Dean is excellent at world-building. I am no particular expert on Ancient Rome, but to me it seemed like the story was historically accurate. I was immersed in historical cities with gladiators, excess, and coliseums. I found the time and place fascinating, and so well-written that for time and place alone I would’ve kept reading – simply because it was unique and different. I liked that Dean wrote in first person (from Lucia’s point of view) and I truly enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. To be honest, I generally dislike first person so that was another first for me, that I enjoyed it here. Dean clearly writes very well.
The book was too short for my tastes, for all that happened during it, and it moved at an incredibly fast paced – so fast I almost felt rushed. I still enjoyed and savored every page, every moment, every word – and I desperately wanted to see more. Dean was very good about marking how much time had past – either using the age of characters or by actually stating it, which was important. The story takes place over the first 30 or so years of Lucia’s life, and without the marking of time I could’ve been very lost. Dean seemed to be cognizant of her reader’s possible confusion while writing, and filled in any holes almost immediately – making it an easy, fast, and fun read.
What else is there to say? Good characters (Oh Marcus! *fans self*), a great location and time period, and a wonderful romance – put this book on your to-read list right away!
http://sirenssongreviews.blogspot.com...
The book was too short for my tastes, for all that happened during it, and it moved at an incredibly fast paced – so fast I almost felt rushed. I still enjoyed and savored every page, every moment, every word – and I desperately wanted to see more. Dean was very good about marking how much time had past – either using the age of characters or by actually stating it, which was important. The story takes place over the first 30 or so years of Lucia’s life, and without the marking of time I could’ve been very lost. Dean seemed to be cognizant of her reader’s possible confusion while writing, and filled in any holes almost immediately – making it an easy, fast, and fun read.
What else is there to say? Good characters (Oh Marcus! *fans self*), a great location and time period, and a wonderful romance – put this book on your to-read list right away!
http://sirenssongreviews.blogspot.com...
May 23, 2013
The author did a wonderful job transporting the reader to Ancient Rome. I really liked her writing style. As a history buff this alone earned the book another star. The premise of this book was unique which drew me to it, unfortunately the romance fell flat. This story is written solely in Lucia's POV. She is the daughter of a noble family. Her father instructs her to teach a gladiator Marcus about the gods of Ancient Rome. During these sessions the two develop feelings for each other. I wish their would have been scenes from Marcus' POV. He was a very interesting/complicated character. I really wanted to know what he was thinking!
My only other complaint about this story is the slow romance. After Lucia got married I had no idea how she was going to get together with Marcus. I wish the book had been faster paced. A lot could have been cut to get to the romance faster; although the constant jumping ahead in time and skipping of important scenes did get annoying. Once Lucia and Marcus did consummate their love the scene wasn't extremely steamy, but it was touching. I felt the ending seemed a little forced, but at least it was a HEA.
I highly recommend this book for the unique historical value although it wasn't my type of romance.
My only other complaint about this story is the slow romance. After Lucia got married I had no idea how she was going to get together with Marcus. I wish the book had been faster paced. A lot could have been cut to get to the romance faster; although the constant jumping ahead in time and skipping of important scenes did get annoying. Once Lucia and Marcus did consummate their love the scene wasn't extremely steamy, but it was touching. I felt the ending seemed a little forced, but at least it was a HEA.
I highly recommend this book for the unique historical value although it wasn't my type of romance.
January 20, 2024
What an emotional rollercoaster spanning many years! Lucia is 16 when she first meets Marcus. Watching their relationship grow and change over time was quite heart wrenching. The life of a gladiator and the life of a young daughter in this time period clearly are not their own. Watching Lucia’s life progress without her control seemed to suck the pleasure out of it. Although an uncomfortable path, I did like the path Lucia and Marcus embarked on years later. It is satisfying to see that sometimes HEA dreams come true!
I received an ARC and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
February 12, 2013
I just love to read a story that takes you to the past. To get lost in the pages of a twist love story that you cannot put down.
I can’t really put it to words without giving it away.
So I am going to have to say that this is a most read for anyone who is looking for a different kind of historical love story. It’s not a mushy love story but one that if full of action and heat!
I’m giving this one 4 stars
I can’t really put it to words without giving it away.
So I am going to have to say that this is a most read for anyone who is looking for a different kind of historical love story. It’s not a mushy love story but one that if full of action and heat!
I’m giving this one 4 stars
November 2, 2017
I never could really get into the book. I waited for something hot to happen but nothing did. It was a short read. I was glad when it ended.
July 28, 2012
Stayed up reading this till 4am :) Lovely book, I enjoyed this story of love, hardships, and finding a lost love. Oh, and a hot-bodied gladiator isn't so bad either. ;)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews