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Defiant Captive
An innocent beauty is kidnapped by a handsome, powerful lord who mistakes her for his missing wife. Once Alexandra's heart is conquered in a new burning passion, their rapturous love is threatened by the schemes of the lord's vengeful enemies.
389 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 1990
4 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Christina Skye
61 books342 followersAKA Roberta Helmer
Roberta Helmer is an American writer of Chinese art and culture and as Christina Skye is a best-selling USA Today and Publishers Weekly writer of over 23 romance novels. Her romance book have been translated into 8 languages.
Roberta Helmer was born in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A., an is a descendant of Revolutionary War hero Adam Helmer. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and obtained a doctorate in classical Chinese literature at Ohio State University, where she learned to speak fluent Chinese, French, and Japanese. Later, she worked as translator and as a consultant to the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History. She lived in on the western slopes of McDowell Mountains in Arizona.
Roberta Helmer is an American writer of Chinese art and culture and as Christina Skye is a best-selling USA Today and Publishers Weekly writer of over 23 romance novels. Her romance book have been translated into 8 languages.
Roberta Helmer was born in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A., an is a descendant of Revolutionary War hero Adam Helmer. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and obtained a doctorate in classical Chinese literature at Ohio State University, where she learned to speak fluent Chinese, French, and Japanese. Later, she worked as translator and as a consultant to the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History. She lived in on the western slopes of McDowell Mountains in Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 17, 2024
Omg what a mess. Every review about this book is 100% right. I gave it a read because I've found that sometimes my tolerance for shenanigans is higher than others. Buuutttt, not this time.
I wish I could capture the true horifficness that IS this book but I don't think I can truly manage. Instead I'll give you a play by play. If you want loads of spoilers feel free to keep reading. If not. Just know Defiant Captive isn't a diamond in the rough. It's a disaster. 🤣🤣🤣
What follows is a bunch of spoilers for Defiant Captive. It's totally biased, and based completely on my opinion of the book. You have been warned:
I think the girl's name was Alexandra, and idk what his name was, because they just kept calling him Hawksworth. 🤔 Maybe it was Richard? Because he was a Dick... 😑
Okay so Alex is fresh off the boat from India, lamenting the loss of her father and angry about the fact that a bunch of prissy Englishmen drove him to suicide because he felt his post had been served dishonorably. As she's trying to make her way to... well, nowhere because it didn't actually say, she's accosted by a literal madman. He accuses her of being his faithless wife and spares no detail in how he will make her suffer for all sorts of wrongs, both real and imagined.
Alexandra is all like "No! I'm not her!" And manages to escape for a second. She flees down an alley where we get a glimpse of her "disfigurement" (she has a limp from a riding accident). Then she runs into a cute boy named Pence. He could have made this book a million times better if the author had half-a-brain to use him... she didn't. Hawksworth follows Alexandra, kidnaps her, takes her to - a boat I think? Where he tells her all about how he would rape her but it wouldn't be rape (because he said so). Then she escapes again for a second only to be once again apprehended and groped by our *ahem* hero. 🤨
He takes her to his fancy house, all the while berating and hating her. He locks her in a room. She escapes to the roof and literally takes a swan dive into an oak tree. She hits a bunch of branches on the way down but is totally fine, and manages to hide in a glorious hollow tree. 😒 He finds her again, ties her up and brutally rapes her before realizing she is not, in fact, his wife.
But that's okay, because it's really her fault he raped her. He continues to rape her "traiterous body" several times throughout the book (I mean every other page here). He torments her, accuses her of lying and plotting against him. He insults and embarrasses her, gets her pregnant, and tells her he is going to keep the baby and send her away.
This sounds all wonderfully angsty but in actuality, you as the reader don't really care about any of the book characters. They're too one dimemtional to feel real, and their over the top "acting" is so pathetic it doesn't even make you feel anything but apathy. I kept reading because there was an adorable ferrit (or whatever he was) and I kept hoping Pence would make an appearance.
The "real" bad guys are supposed to be Hawksworth's wife and brother-in-law but all their plotting is offscreen. You don't see or care about them. You do however get intimately acquainted with Richard and his neverending lust for literally anything, money, women, drugs, selfishness. But you know...at the very end, he calls her a whore and tells her she WILL marry him and they live happily ever after? She was thrilled. I was thrilled the book was over, and you have been warned. Even if you like abused heroines and villains painted as heroes, this will let you down, because the writing is so awful you just can't feel it's legit.
I wish I could capture the true horifficness that IS this book but I don't think I can truly manage. Instead I'll give you a play by play. If you want loads of spoilers feel free to keep reading. If not. Just know Defiant Captive isn't a diamond in the rough. It's a disaster. 🤣🤣🤣
What follows is a bunch of spoilers for Defiant Captive. It's totally biased, and based completely on my opinion of the book. You have been warned:
I think the girl's name was Alexandra, and idk what his name was, because they just kept calling him Hawksworth. 🤔 Maybe it was Richard? Because he was a Dick... 😑
Okay so Alex is fresh off the boat from India, lamenting the loss of her father and angry about the fact that a bunch of prissy Englishmen drove him to suicide because he felt his post had been served dishonorably. As she's trying to make her way to... well, nowhere because it didn't actually say, she's accosted by a literal madman. He accuses her of being his faithless wife and spares no detail in how he will make her suffer for all sorts of wrongs, both real and imagined.
Alexandra is all like "No! I'm not her!" And manages to escape for a second. She flees down an alley where we get a glimpse of her "disfigurement" (she has a limp from a riding accident). Then she runs into a cute boy named Pence. He could have made this book a million times better if the author had half-a-brain to use him... she didn't. Hawksworth follows Alexandra, kidnaps her, takes her to - a boat I think? Where he tells her all about how he would rape her but it wouldn't be rape (because he said so). Then she escapes again for a second only to be once again apprehended and groped by our *ahem* hero. 🤨
He takes her to his fancy house, all the while berating and hating her. He locks her in a room. She escapes to the roof and literally takes a swan dive into an oak tree. She hits a bunch of branches on the way down but is totally fine, and manages to hide in a glorious hollow tree. 😒 He finds her again, ties her up and brutally rapes her before realizing she is not, in fact, his wife.
But that's okay, because it's really her fault he raped her. He continues to rape her "traiterous body" several times throughout the book (I mean every other page here). He torments her, accuses her of lying and plotting against him. He insults and embarrasses her, gets her pregnant, and tells her he is going to keep the baby and send her away.
This sounds all wonderfully angsty but in actuality, you as the reader don't really care about any of the book characters. They're too one dimemtional to feel real, and their over the top "acting" is so pathetic it doesn't even make you feel anything but apathy. I kept reading because there was an adorable ferrit (or whatever he was) and I kept hoping Pence would make an appearance.
The "real" bad guys are supposed to be Hawksworth's wife and brother-in-law but all their plotting is offscreen. You don't see or care about them. You do however get intimately acquainted with Richard and his neverending lust for literally anything, money, women, drugs, selfishness. But you know...at the very end, he calls her a whore and tells her she WILL marry him and they live happily ever after? She was thrilled. I was thrilled the book was over, and you have been warned. Even if you like abused heroines and villains painted as heroes, this will let you down, because the writing is so awful you just can't feel it's legit.
January 31, 2011
Book is called the Defiant Captive, as such, this book is just one annoying fight after another. The constant raping, smacking, bickering, and ranting never stops. I find books like this utterly exhausting to read, not to mention aggravating. I wished these two would just get it over with and kill each other and call it a day.
I heard somewhere that this was the author's first book, although it was repetitive at times, her writing wasn't bad for a first novel.
I heard somewhere that this was the author's first book, although it was repetitive at times, her writing wasn't bad for a first novel.
November 13, 2012
I really have no idea why I kept reading this book. Hawke is horrible, believing the worst possible things, and punishing Alexandra time and again. In my eyes, he could not possibly be redeemed. She would marry him, he would make her, force her. So why Alexandra was suddenly in love with him, is beyond me. Because he made her feel passion? Against her will?
I knew this was an old historical romance, Christina Skye’s first book. I do love her romantic suspense, and I also enjoy her historical ghost series, but this one, wow. I still do not know why I kept on reading. But kudo’s to her writing style for making me do just that. If you can read past all the rape and abuse, the story and plot itself was good, and surprising, with the bad guys really bad and evil. Still, I totally cannot believe in the romance part.
If you do enjoy an oldfashioned bodice ripper now and again, I do recommend it. If not, please don’t read this book, read one of her romantic suspense ones instead, as those are very good.
How to rate this? I disliked the characters, but the book is well written and kept me reading despite.
6 stars
I knew this was an old historical romance, Christina Skye’s first book. I do love her romantic suspense, and I also enjoy her historical ghost series, but this one, wow. I still do not know why I kept on reading. But kudo’s to her writing style for making me do just that. If you can read past all the rape and abuse, the story and plot itself was good, and surprising, with the bad guys really bad and evil. Still, I totally cannot believe in the romance part.
If you do enjoy an oldfashioned bodice ripper now and again, I do recommend it. If not, please don’t read this book, read one of her romantic suspense ones instead, as those are very good.
How to rate this? I disliked the characters, but the book is well written and kept me reading despite.
6 stars
November 10, 2018
I think I was blinded by the man candy on this cover. Seriously. It took me almost six days to read a novel that should've taken me three. I will say that the HEA was the most satisfying I've read so far in historical romances, but that's only chalked up to the fact that the love interests in question (if you can even call them that) were so infuriating!!! The dashing duke (AKA Hawke) takes who he believes to be his wretched wife off the London streets in order to punish her for her evil deeds. But it turns out, this chick is not his wife, but simply a dead ringer for her. He punishes her by rape, (he's true to his alpha hole ways, I'll give him that) and then wonders why she does the whole spit fire bit in lieu of enjoyment. Here are a few points: 1. Slow exposition, and ever changing perspectives were a bit much (what was with that rando captain's perspective?) 2. It had nice pacing in the beginning in terms of equal share of action sequences vs. sexcapades (and boy were there plenty) 3. That "who I am" vs. "who you think I am" wore thin after awhile. 4.Despite this being categorized under historical ROMANCE, there is little to none of that until the last twenty pages or so; but one could argue this is a direct remedy to insta loves. 5. Way early on, I compared Hawke's awful treatment of Alexandra to those "loves"
to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (he uses the word "tame" on more than one occasion) and lo and behold, in the last three pages of the novel, he says "I have tamed my shrew" I mean... called it!!! But it also shares a bit of similarity to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff and Hawke are brooding young men who seek to ruin the lives of the women they supposedly love through sex and familial betrayal, and are more than a bit similar in terms of aesthetics: bronze skin with dark locks and forever brooding eyes who fall for feisty heroines who believe they are scum. 6. Alexandra was at a crossroads of a character for me. She struck me in the beginning as a "kick ass" heroine, with her verbal smack downs that could hurt twice as hard as her physical blows. But she also had traits of the dreaded "too stupid to live" heroine. She had a perpetually broken ankle, no money, no connections, and still tried to escape not once but three different times. The lame-ness in her ankle only seemed to come up when she was fleeing Hawke, but not when she was running with her mongoose or literally running into the arms of several scoundrels (she's a
danger magnet). Unfortunately, she proved to be the "too stupid to live" girl to me. 7. The rape scenes (particularly the first) I skipped over. I couldn't read on and on about her saying "no" and him plowing onward. Sick. 8. The fishing scene thrown in was adorable, but it was short lived with the sex. 9. Alexandra's belief that by buying into Hawke's evil perceptions of her would get her freedom was ludicrous! You just made yourself an even more appealing captive. 10. Hawke saves her (surprise, sur-motherfuckn'-prise) from a piggish rapist, and says how he understand brutality in war, but when it happens to terrified peasant woman, it's too much for him. HUH?!?! Gallant yes, consistent, no. The whole first and middle chunks were all of this from you!!!! Maybe error of his ways? This was when the love finally happened. 11. The literary references (Emma, Wordsworth forward and Shakespeare were perfect). 12. The word "man root is uttered in this novel; I thought that was an urban romance myth and the cringiest line ever: "you were made for loving... My loving". Oh... Wow. 13. I don't think I'm giving anything away here, so here goes. The ending page is from the perspective of Rajah..... THE MONGOOSE?! Yes, Alexandra's pet, who it seems was guarding Alexandra the whole time? Whaaaat? The mongoose is literally waxing retrospective on the novel's events, and speaks of his own life outside hers with his own family. This is the exact formula of that animated Titanic movie where the mouse narrates the story around the humans and says they saved them all. I'm, I'm just at a loss, guys.
to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (he uses the word "tame" on more than one occasion) and lo and behold, in the last three pages of the novel, he says "I have tamed my shrew" I mean... called it!!! But it also shares a bit of similarity to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff and Hawke are brooding young men who seek to ruin the lives of the women they supposedly love through sex and familial betrayal, and are more than a bit similar in terms of aesthetics: bronze skin with dark locks and forever brooding eyes who fall for feisty heroines who believe they are scum. 6. Alexandra was at a crossroads of a character for me. She struck me in the beginning as a "kick ass" heroine, with her verbal smack downs that could hurt twice as hard as her physical blows. But she also had traits of the dreaded "too stupid to live" heroine. She had a perpetually broken ankle, no money, no connections, and still tried to escape not once but three different times. The lame-ness in her ankle only seemed to come up when she was fleeing Hawke, but not when she was running with her mongoose or literally running into the arms of several scoundrels (she's a
danger magnet). Unfortunately, she proved to be the "too stupid to live" girl to me. 7. The rape scenes (particularly the first) I skipped over. I couldn't read on and on about her saying "no" and him plowing onward. Sick. 8. The fishing scene thrown in was adorable, but it was short lived with the sex. 9. Alexandra's belief that by buying into Hawke's evil perceptions of her would get her freedom was ludicrous! You just made yourself an even more appealing captive. 10. Hawke saves her (surprise, sur-motherfuckn'-prise) from a piggish rapist, and says how he understand brutality in war, but when it happens to terrified peasant woman, it's too much for him. HUH?!?! Gallant yes, consistent, no. The whole first and middle chunks were all of this from you!!!! Maybe error of his ways? This was when the love finally happened. 11. The literary references (Emma, Wordsworth forward and Shakespeare were perfect). 12. The word "man root is uttered in this novel; I thought that was an urban romance myth and the cringiest line ever: "you were made for loving... My loving". Oh... Wow. 13. I don't think I'm giving anything away here, so here goes. The ending page is from the perspective of Rajah..... THE MONGOOSE?! Yes, Alexandra's pet, who it seems was guarding Alexandra the whole time? Whaaaat? The mongoose is literally waxing retrospective on the novel's events, and speaks of his own life outside hers with his own family. This is the exact formula of that animated Titanic movie where the mouse narrates the story around the humans and says they saved them all. I'm, I'm just at a loss, guys.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2020
The “hero” commits an irredeemable act against the heroine in a the first couple chapters, and never apologizes or attempts to make up for it through the rest of the story (not that it would be possible to make up for). This book was published in 1990 and it shows. It’s for the best that romance like this is left in the past.
August 25, 2011
Whatever will I say for this one? I've read only one other book of Christina Skye and I liked it pretty much. This one was equally nice as a story in the whole. What I itched to do though, was to smack the hero in the head! I mean how can someone confuse his wife with a stranger, do and say all these horrible things because he loathes her? I totally thought that the hero was crazy in some part. Thankfully the ending was kind of smooth or else I would have thought that it was a story written in a hurry...
June 20, 2013
I fully intend on writing a review for this...but I'm still overwrought by the gutpunch hilarity of it all. ;> TBC.
August 12, 2021
Typical jerk hero romance. Can't imagine what is sexy about rape and fighting with a loony is though.
July 22, 2023
Well, this was my first book by Christina Skye and it is a bodice ripper. The story was good but I wish it could have been written a bit differently. It is hard to pinpoint. I just feel like there was something missing. Hero was a very hard person to deal with-his awful wife made sure of that. Alexandra was brave and inteligent. Well, I do not want to say more to spoil it for other readers.
October 25, 2018
It's really bad when you start hating the innocent and abused heroine, and just want her to stfu.. But that was what happened to me with this book... I don't care much for endless bickering and fighting, which this book mainly consisted of (at least the part that I read)
January 15, 2022
After 19 chapters I was soooo done with this book. The opening was good and interesting but then the book became boring, with Alexandra trying to escape and with the duke wanting his dick wet even though he knows it's wrong. Nope, done!
December 30, 2011
http://www.romancenoveljunkies.com for readers
Some world wind, when I read this book this guy was very very over baring but it was an ok read for me ..didn't agree with her first time but he didn't know. You have to read it for yourself..but it was readable...
Some world wind, when I read this book this guy was very very over baring but it was an ok read for me ..didn't agree with her first time but he didn't know. You have to read it for yourself..but it was readable...
August 31, 2016
thank God, i finally reach the last page.
if we've hero like the one in this story who needs a villain. story's start was quite interesting but after, OK let say 70 pages it was intolerable for me..
if we've hero like the one in this story who needs a villain. story's start was quite interesting but after, OK let say 70 pages it was intolerable for me..
March 18, 2016
DNF @ 50%.
I thought after the H treated the h so badly he would be remorseful but the story was just the h being mistreated over and over again.
I thought after the H treated the h so badly he would be remorseful but the story was just the h being mistreated over and over again.
February 6, 2013
involves rape and mistaken identity.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews