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Captive #1
Captive Passions
Their passions clashed in a battle for revenge....Their love held captive by desire...Only Fern Michaels could tell this exotic tale of passion and adventure on the lusty high seas!
441 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1977
461 people are currently reading
1199 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
426 books6,526 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
October 6, 2022
After Sirena's ship is attacked and her family murdered, she vows revenge against the man she holds responsible - the man she must marry, Regan van der Rhys.
I love a good crazy-sauce vintage romance. In fact, I can't really resist them. And considering it was a ranting review of this book that started that obsession for me, it's fitting that I've finally gotten around to reading it.
Guys, this book is such a mess. There's a long-lost child, a heroine leading a double life, a scheming mistress, and lots of rape and murder. Also, the hero Regan is possibly one of the dumbest heroes I've had the pleasure of encountering. How does one never recognize the enemy they're obsessed with to be the wife they are also obsessed with despite sleeping with them both in rapid succession? How does one consider doing anything to make their wife stay but saying 'I love you'?
But then again, Sirena also makes the startling leap in logic that a pirate ship with an English captain that flies a Dutch flag must have been sanctioned by the Dutch governor of Port Batavia, so I suppose these two numbskulls are suited to each other.
As is fitting for this genre, the prose is purple and the villains incredibly dastardly, which was fun to read. And I loved that Sirena managed to kill lots of people while Regan is dragged along in her wake like a hapless milquetoast despite being one of those old-fashioned alpha heroes.
I doubt I will read the next books in the series, especially as the next book is part two of the Sirena and Regan show and I think I've put up with quite enough drama from the pair of them. But I'm glad Captive Passions lived up to all my expectations.
I love a good crazy-sauce vintage romance. In fact, I can't really resist them. And considering it was a ranting review of this book that started that obsession for me, it's fitting that I've finally gotten around to reading it.
Guys, this book is such a mess. There's a long-lost child, a heroine leading a double life, a scheming mistress, and lots of rape and murder. Also, the hero Regan is possibly one of the dumbest heroes I've had the pleasure of encountering. How does one never recognize the enemy they're obsessed with to be the wife they are also obsessed with despite sleeping with them both in rapid succession? How does one consider doing anything to make their wife stay but saying 'I love you'?
But then again, Sirena also makes the startling leap in logic that a pirate ship with an English captain that flies a Dutch flag must have been sanctioned by the Dutch governor of Port Batavia, so I suppose these two numbskulls are suited to each other.
As is fitting for this genre, the prose is purple and the villains incredibly dastardly, which was fun to read. And I loved that Sirena managed to kill lots of people while Regan is dragged along in her wake like a hapless milquetoast despite being one of those old-fashioned alpha heroes.
I doubt I will read the next books in the series, especially as the next book is part two of the Sirena and Regan show and I think I've put up with quite enough drama from the pair of them. But I'm glad Captive Passions lived up to all my expectations.
February 20, 2013
My mom bought these books when they first came out and I snuck and read them! They were the start of my passion for reading. It's like that old ugly sweater in your closet that you can't get rid of no matter how much it clashes with everything on your closet...yeah that's this book for me! They are my source of comfort, if I'm having a bad day or missing my mom, I open these books and read them! Some of my first fantasies were of Reagan and Caleb, no lie! I will never be able to get rid of the old, worn out copy my mom gave me of these! I have read them more than any other book own.
September 2, 2007
While at a book sale my son ripped the cover off this book. The woman clucked and taped it back together, but I felt that I should buy it. Because my kid damaged it and all.
On the front it says, "A tumultuous struggle between a fiery temptress and the violent man that sought to enslave her."
Enslave her? When he said, "QUIT KILLING PEOPLE!" He was denying her rights? Because she was a woman! And men are horrible beasts that hate anything but docile and demure! But she was not! And she hated him! And then they had sex! And then they were in love, only they didn’t know it because she was too busy killing people!
Ugh.
On the front it says, "A tumultuous struggle between a fiery temptress and the violent man that sought to enslave her."
Enslave her? When he said, "QUIT KILLING PEOPLE!" He was denying her rights? Because she was a woman! And men are horrible beasts that hate anything but docile and demure! But she was not! And she hated him! And then they had sex! And then they were in love, only they didn’t know it because she was too busy killing people!
Ugh.
April 22, 2012
Mmmm, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed bodice rippers when I was a teenager! I cannot believe (or maybe I can) that I read these things at 15/16. I had also forgotten how intriguing stories based in the Far East were.
July 26, 2012
I stopped after reading about 75% of the book.
I just couldn't finish it. The historical inaccuracies didn't bother me, because I knew this wasn't a historical romance so much as a romance/bodice-ripper conveniently set in a historical era. The plot didn't bother me, because as eye-roll-worthy as it was, I knew what I was getting into before I started reading it. Even the blatant lack of research (for example: last I checked, there's no Greek sea goddess named Rana) didn't bother me.
The main reason I stopped was because the writing style drove me batty. Exclamation marks abounded, because every second sentence was apparently so exciting it needed to be emphasized. People never said anything (they did, however, roar and murmur and exclaim things at length). And the descriptions... Where do I begin with the descriptions? They were some of the most bizarre things I've ever read. Sirena's eyes spew flames (and her eyes are green, y'all. But hey, if you forget her eyes are green, don't worry: you'll be reminded of it every few pages just in case. Sea green, grass green, bottle green--if it's a type of green, you'll bet it'll be used to describe her eyes at some point). Regan's eyes are blue slits of steel. Someone else's are sultry orbs. And so on. The book took itself seriously, but it was too over-the-top for me to do the same.
In short: this was not my kind of book. At all.
I just couldn't finish it. The historical inaccuracies didn't bother me, because I knew this wasn't a historical romance so much as a romance/bodice-ripper conveniently set in a historical era. The plot didn't bother me, because as eye-roll-worthy as it was, I knew what I was getting into before I started reading it. Even the blatant lack of research (for example: last I checked, there's no Greek sea goddess named Rana) didn't bother me.
The main reason I stopped was because the writing style drove me batty. Exclamation marks abounded, because every second sentence was apparently so exciting it needed to be emphasized. People never said anything (they did, however, roar and murmur and exclaim things at length). And the descriptions... Where do I begin with the descriptions? They were some of the most bizarre things I've ever read. Sirena's eyes spew flames (and her eyes are green, y'all. But hey, if you forget her eyes are green, don't worry: you'll be reminded of it every few pages just in case. Sea green, grass green, bottle green--if it's a type of green, you'll bet it'll be used to describe her eyes at some point). Regan's eyes are blue slits of steel. Someone else's are sultry orbs. And so on. The book took itself seriously, but it was too over-the-top for me to do the same.
In short: this was not my kind of book. At all.
July 15, 2014
Faithless swine!
January 8, 2015
I hate to be negative but I just have to give my 2 cents.
I'm not a fan of cheating MCs' but I'm always willing to give it a chance. However, if the MC cheats more than once, you're most likely going to lose me. This doesn't drive me to give up quite yet though because I believe in miracles and for this book I kept hoping there'd be a miracle to override the discrepancy. But then they cheat and cheat again and with no explanation.... well no thank you, you've completely lost me.
Because of this, it's hard to believe the depth of love between the MCs'. When I read a romance novel I want to believe in the love. I want to not doubt the faithfulness of the MC. So sadly this is a 1 star for me. A sad 1 star.
There are other reasons of course why I dislike this book but that is my main reason.
I'm not a fan of cheating MCs' but I'm always willing to give it a chance. However, if the MC cheats more than once, you're most likely going to lose me. This doesn't drive me to give up quite yet though because I believe in miracles and for this book I kept hoping there'd be a miracle to override the discrepancy. But then they cheat and cheat again and with no explanation.... well no thank you, you've completely lost me.
Because of this, it's hard to believe the depth of love between the MCs'. When I read a romance novel I want to believe in the love. I want to not doubt the faithfulness of the MC. So sadly this is a 1 star for me. A sad 1 star.
There are other reasons of course why I dislike this book but that is my main reason.
March 20, 2011
I have to confess! I cannot finish this book! The heroine being brutally gang rape is a huge pet peeve of mine but I wanted to try and step out of my comfort zone and read this book anyway because it had so many other things I love reading about and the hero seemed like the kind of hero I love. I really wanted the the angst of the cheating, the evil mistress ,and the mean hero, but couldn't get pass the gang rape. It just isn't my cuppa. It ruined the whole book for me. The book became a chore for me to read after the heroine was raped over and over again and I just could not enjoy the story anymore after that happened no matter how hard I tried. I wish I was able to (believe me) cuz the hero was one stud muffin. I gave this book to one of my friends to read and she loved it, so I think if I could have gotten pass the gang rape, I would have enjoyed it.
August 8, 2015
Definitely a five-star read! This book has a very special place in my heart. It was the historical romance which got me deeply interested in the genre and sparked my addiction! Also was the first time I read a Fern Michaels novel and it was only then when I discovered how historically inaccurate she can be but I overlooked that fault and just enjoyed it for the sake of reading HR. I recommend for everyone, especially historical romance lovers.
September 11, 2012
In my top ten of romance novels. All romance novels.
June 13, 2017
Read this a million times in my teens and twenties. It's dated now because of societal norms, but wow, I loved this heroine. The hero deserves to be bitch slapped, but he was a sign of the times. And who hasn't overlooked an overbearing man if we happen to love them? Love this book. Would love for her to update it. Is that sacrilege? Can you image? This book, updated? Oh my, but it would be colossal.
Want to read
September 6, 2012This lady's rant is the only reason I would consider reading this. Bloody hilarious!
http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/bl...
http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/bl...
August 6, 2021
The writing and story pulled me in, but I had a hard time accepting this as a romance.
The scenes of intimacy were mostly between the villainess and the hero. Any scenes of intimacy between the h and H faded to black. Since I view those scenes as building the relationship, the lack of detail and moments of connection lent to my disbelief in their love.
This was also a cheating hero with no remorse. Regan wanted to hold a perceived romance between the heroine and the villain over Sirena’s head, when all along he was the one sleeping around.
While I wasn’t fond of the hero, there was a lot about Sirena that I liked throughout the book. She was strong, brave, and loyal and deserved a hero that could have been her equal.
This is an author I will try again.
CW for this book: Rape, abuse/physical assault
The scenes of intimacy were mostly between the villainess and the hero. Any scenes of intimacy between the h and H faded to black. Since I view those scenes as building the relationship, the lack of detail and moments of connection lent to my disbelief in their love.
This was also a cheating hero with no remorse. Regan wanted to hold a perceived romance between the heroine and the villain over Sirena’s head, when all along he was the one sleeping around.
While I wasn’t fond of the hero, there was a lot about Sirena that I liked throughout the book. She was strong, brave, and loyal and deserved a hero that could have been her equal.
This is an author I will try again.
CW for this book: Rape, abuse/physical assault
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2018
Captive Passions
Great job, Fern Michaels! Romance, adventure, intrigue - what more could we ask for? There’s just one thing, though. Wish that the titles were numbered in order, as I came across book #2 first.
There is another matter that I need to point out, & that is punctuation. It is very distracting to come across periods or commas where they don’t belong! Don’t you have proof readers go through your manuscripts before they are printed? The errors are so elementary that a middle school student could point the errors out. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book!
Great job, Fern Michaels! Romance, adventure, intrigue - what more could we ask for? There’s just one thing, though. Wish that the titles were numbered in order, as I came across book #2 first.
There is another matter that I need to point out, & that is punctuation. It is very distracting to come across periods or commas where they don’t belong! Don’t you have proof readers go through your manuscripts before they are printed? The errors are so elementary that a middle school student could point the errors out. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book!
February 20, 2022
DNF. This is literally the worst book I’ve ever read. I love the old bodice rippers and will finish just about anything, but about 3/4 of the way through this stinker I had to quit. The book is a caricature of itself - the action is completely implausible and the characters are like fairy tale archetypes (I.e. Gretchen screaming about “my gowns!”) I was embarrassed for the author while I was reading. My only regret is not following my instinct to stop after chapter one.
August 7, 2021
Great pirate story about the beautiful sea siren and how she was known to all with her saber at her side she would kill in a minute She loved Regan her son Mikel and Caleb her fake brother. I enjoyed this novel so much great writing and full of adventures and 💗 love. Looking forward to the next book
September 6, 2024
5 stars but don’t read it. So many content warnings. The hero is trash but the heroine is a badass. Published in 1977, so much purple prose, rape, cheating, evil other woman, villains, kidnapping, murder. The heroine does become a pirate and sinks 20 ships and murders everyone that did her bad, except her stupid husband.
February 28, 2021
It wasn’t nearly as great as I though I remembered it was
March 1, 2022
Love this book
Read
August 22, 2023First five chapters very hard to read too many titles etc explaining people a bit easier to read as the story takes hold
Read
November 25, 2023Captive Embraces, Captive Splendor
June 12, 2025
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SERIES
I'm in love with these characters. Can't get enough of them. Please write another series like this one. You are an exceptional author.
I'm in love with these characters. Can't get enough of them. Please write another series like this one. You are an exceptional author.
no-fcking-ways
December 4, 2025Cheater H.
October 4, 2023
A bit drawn out but entertaining. Need to read book 2 to finish the story.
August 8, 2015
The story itself, I loved. I've become very fond of Fern Michaels, and historical fiction itself. Though it's hard to truly believe a lot of things in the story, like the fact that no one puts two and two together to realize that the sea siren is, in fact Sirena, I can understand that this is fiction and can enjoy the story itself.
What bothered me far beyond simple irritation was that the editors didn't care enough about Fern and her story to take their job of proofreading and editing seriously. Countless times, when Fern had intended an exclamation point, an "l" is in it's place. There, were, commas, where, grammatically, there, shouldn't, be, one, and I feel that whoever supposedly proofread this book should go back to school and learn proper English writing.
All in all, I liked the book, and will definitely be reading the sequels.
What bothered me far beyond simple irritation was that the editors didn't care enough about Fern and her story to take their job of proofreading and editing seriously. Countless times, when Fern had intended an exclamation point, an "l" is in it's place. There, were, commas, where, grammatically, there, shouldn't, be, one, and I feel that whoever supposedly proofread this book should go back to school and learn proper English writing.
All in all, I liked the book, and will definitely be reading the sequels.
October 21, 2014
First in a series of 4 books. This is based during the time of Pirates. A Spanish woman is on a voyage with some family members, angry that her holy sister is contracted to become wife of a Dutchman that during this time would be considered going against the competitor in the trade system of goods. The ship is overtaken by Blackheart and her family is brutally murdered and raped. She thinks that the Dutchman caused this, thus takes the part of her sister with the vow for revenge. While doing this, she not only finds out that he is not really the one who was behind this, but she ends up falling for the Dutchman. This book was a nice easy read. While some stuff in the book I find literally fiction, I still enjoyed it.
May 30, 2013
I was in the "What was that book called?" group and someone was looking for a book that called to mind this one. I'd forgotten about it until then. It was one of the romances I sorta snuck as a teen when books were passed along to my mom.
What I remember best is that the heroine knew her mind and chose to be master of her own destiny. Yes, there were things she didn't have full info about, but she worked with what she did know - and adjusted and she had more info.
Which is likely not what would be the way others would describe it, being a classic romance of arranged marriage and misunderstanding, but there you have it.
What I remember best is that the heroine knew her mind and chose to be master of her own destiny. Yes, there were things she didn't have full info about, but she worked with what she did know - and adjusted and she had more info.
Which is likely not what would be the way others would describe it, being a classic romance of arranged marriage and misunderstanding, but there you have it.
January 12, 2008
This is actually book #1 in the Captive Series and should be read in order or you will be L.O.S.T.
I read this set about 20 years ago and I remembered that I liked them. In 2007, I picked them up to reread and I was so annoyed at the style, characters, and plot, that I was unable to reread them.
Times they have achanged...or maybe me. This is old style romance/pirate theme. Bad things happen to the heroine, hero is overwhelmingly macho, yet....er...stupid. There are some great old style romances that I love, Shanna, etc. But this is not one of them.
I read this set about 20 years ago and I remembered that I liked them. In 2007, I picked them up to reread and I was so annoyed at the style, characters, and plot, that I was unable to reread them.
Times they have achanged...or maybe me. This is old style romance/pirate theme. Bad things happen to the heroine, hero is overwhelmingly macho, yet....er...stupid. There are some great old style romances that I love, Shanna, etc. But this is not one of them.
March 11, 2011
The problem I had with this BR was that I really did not like the H or h. I really didn't see a romance between them develop that would make me believe that they actually love each other. Regan just wants to screw around, the male whore. Sirena (AKA the Sea Siren) just wants to kill and possibly castrate her enemies. There is a brutal group rape scene. There was a lot of action and the story did move swiftly. I liked VALENTINA better.
February 3, 2013
I gave this book 2* because the first 60% of the book was BORING. I do applaud the author for writing the rape scene in the beginning of the book, in the year it was written that was a bold move
(1977). I will read the other "Captive" books in this series. This is the first Fern Michaels I have read . I will decide after reading more of her work to decide if I like her writing .
(1977). I will read the other "Captive" books in this series. This is the first Fern Michaels I have read . I will decide after reading more of her work to decide if I like her writing .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews