Captive Bride

The Ghost of Gwynedd Castle #1

by Katharine Ashe

Sensible, practical Beatrice Sinclaire has two secret passions: gothic novels and Lord Peter Cheriot, the man her beautiful sister left heartbroken years ago. When Bea’s scapegrace twin brother begs her help to rescue a maiden from a haunted castle, Bea seizes the chance for real adventure. If only Lord Cheriot didn’t insist on protecting her! How can she maintain a clear head in the face of terrible danger when all she wants is to be in his arms?

Lord Cheriot may be the catch of the London season, but he has only ever loved one woman, Bea Sinclaire. And he’s determined to have her. He doesn’t count on a meddling ghost whose demand for a virgin bride threatens Bea in the direst manner. But the specter has a deadline, All Hallows Eve, and it’s fast approaching. In the race to capture the heart of one daring lady, it’s every man—and ghost—for himself.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Paranormal, Ghosts, Paranormal Romance, Regency Romance

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2012

About the author

Katharine Ashe is the USA Today bestselling author of historical romances reviewers call “intensely lush” and “sensationally intelligent,” including two Amazon's Best Romances of the Year. A professor of history and popular culture, she writes fiction because she adores the grand adventures and breathtaking sensuality of historical romance. For more information, please visit her at http://www.katharineashe.com.

Reviews

[Inna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. This could have been a really fun read, except that there was a huge miscommunication trope throughout the entire book. The story became rather frustrating instead. This is a friends to lovers romance - they are in love with each other for the entire story and for the four years prior - but neither of them is willing to discuss feelings until the very end. It became ridiculous how much they would each push away at times. The heroine truly is the worst of the pair since she was willing to sacrifice her LIFE in some absurd attempt to be noble. 🙄 This story often read like a farce.

Other things to note: This story has a paranormal element in the form of a ghost who needs to bed a virgin. 👻👻 Some parts of the story were still left unclear by the end. There are many secondary characters mentioned, so this didn’t read like a first in a series book. Overall, not a terrible story, but the miscommunication trope really made me want to get stabby. 🔪


Safe; virgin heroine, hero celibate for 4 years - ever since he fell in love with the heroine, some OM drama from the ghost, no major OW drama, no scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Captive Bride by Katharine Ashe
Publication Date: October 13, 2012
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Review copy provided by the author

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the bestselling author of The Earl and My Lady, My Lord comes a delectably sexy tale of a lady torn between loyalty to her family and the man of every one of her forbidden dreams. A dark castle, a handsome lord, and a wicked ghost... When Bea Sinclaire's scapegrace brother begs her help to rescue a maiden from a haunted castle, she seizes the chance for adventure. If only Lord Peter "Tip" Cheriot didn't insist on coming along. How can she maintain a clear head in the face of danger when Tip is so utterly, deliciously distracting? Then an alluring ghost makes Bea a shocking offer, and he won't take no for an answer. Tip Cheriot has loved Bea forever, and he's determined to have her-no matter how scandalous his past. But a cursed specter has claimed Bea as his bride, and Tip must save her from eternal darkness before All Hallows Eve. In the race to capture the heart of one daring lady, it's every man-and ghost-for himself. * This is an reissue of the original 2012 edition, with minor editorial changes and exclusive BONUS MATERIAL: the Captive Bride playlist.

What I Liked:

This book was originally published in 2012, but the author reissued the book after changing the cover and doing a little revising and editing. I absolutely love this new cover - it's so lush and dramatic and beautiful. I received a copy from Ashe but this has in no way affected my opinion of the book.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book. I decided to pick it up on a whim because there are only a few days until Halloween, and this seemed like a great romance novel to read during the Halloween season. A haunted castle, a villainous ghost, a delicious tug-of-way romance? Sold!

Beatrice Sinclaire is used to getting her twin brother out of trouble. She is used to doing everything her overbearing mother tells her to do. She is used to Lord Peter Cheriot proposing to her every couple of months. She is used to telling him no, despite having been in love with him for years. What she isn't used to is getting a letter from her brother, who is in Wales, telling her that there is a maiden in a haunted castle, and she (Bea) must help him with the situation. Bea - and Peter, and Bea's great-aunts - travels to Wales and discovers that there is a ghost in the castle and he is very much real. He has been cursed and is determined to break the curse by marrying a virgin maid, as the curse dictates. That could be Lady Bronwyn, the maiden that Thomas (Bea's brother) is determined to save... or that could be Bea. They only have a few nights until All Hallows Eve, when the ghost will take what he demands.

I'd never read a Regency romance with a ghost involved! This ghost was determined to ruin lives - or it seemed. He was actually quite lonely, not that that excuses his actions. In any case, a ghost in a dark, haunted castle is an intriguing feature and I was a huge fan.

I liked Peter (or "Tip", as he is nicknamed) from the start. He is charming and sweet and very considerate, and he has a teasing, wicked nature about him. He is always asking Bea to marry him, even though she always says no. I love how nice he is to Bea's mother and great-aunts, and how he clearly tries to please everyone else. He isn't a pushover but he is so considerate of everyone. Perhaps it is his status (he has title and wealth, whereas Bea's family doesn't), but I think it's more of him being a very good guy. He is persistent and protective and he is prone to a little jealousy, at times. He's a great example of how attractive an alpha male can be, when written well.

Bea was fun to follow, though I liked Peter more. She is clever and intelligent, though occasionally she is a little dense. I think the lady protested too much and sometimes she was a little hypocritical - but that was all part of her character development. She protected her heart and didn't want to believe that Peter was actually serious about proposing. She loved him since they were young, but she hadn't know that he was being serious with her. Bea's character development is the most profound because she has the most to come to terms with. She realizes that Peter is serious, that he is a good guy, that he loves her, that he wants her just as much as she wants him.

For once, the aunties in the story are actually really sweet and helpful, and not annoying or bothersome. They weren't even c**k-blockers - they actually were silently cheering for Peter/Bea to be a thing! I loved the two aunts, especially Aunt Julia. She was so sweet and supportive. And Aunt Grace was firm and supportive and didn't put up with Bea's constant denial.

I hated Thomas and didn't really care for Lady Bronwyn, but I'm glad they got their happy ending. I hated Bea's parents but I was happy to see Bea's mother grow up and stop treating Bea like an ugly stepchild, when in fact Bea had always been her best child.

The romance is very sweet, full of banter and a tug-of-way in terms of chemistry. Bea wants Peter desperately, but she isn't sure he is serious about her. Peter wants Bea desperately, but of course she has turned down every one of his proposals, so naturally he wonders if she doesn't want him. But the chemistry between them is super hot and never lets up. There are some great sexy times in this book, even with it being a shorter book. I loved seeing Peter and Bea grow in their love for each other, especially upon realizing that the other has feelings for them.

This was a fun, sexy, and thrilling read that is perfect for Halloween! It ends wonderfully and it's a romance novel that I will be rereading. File this under one of Ashe's best!

What I Did Not Like:

I wish Bea would have stopped putting herself in denial and being a hypocrite - BUT I recognize that that was all part of her character development throughout the story. But still, it got tedious. Good thing Peter had an iron will and unbending persistence. He is a sweetheart!

Would I Recommend It:

If you have enjoyed any of Ashe's books, give this one a try! She self-published it and it's fairly cheap on Amazon Kindle, cheaper than a publisher's price. It's perfect for Halloween - not a scary book, but there is definitely haunting vibe to it, with the ghost and the castle and everything boiling down to All Hallows Eve. Romance + Halloween vibes = win!

Rating:

4 stars. I'm going to dig through some of Ashe's older books, because it seems like I've been enjoying those! I adored her Prince Catchers series, The Scoundrel & I, The Pirate & I... her latest series has been up and down for me but I'm sticking it out. I have Swept Away by a Kiss and may try it soon!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love historical romances, such as Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflower series and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books. Unfortunately, for the past 5 years I haven’t been able to get into the genre. Katharine Ashe seems to be changing this. Captive Bride: A Regency Ghost Novel, is one of her stand-alone novels, which I picked-up after reading two of her novellas and enjoying them.

Captive Bride is a ghost story that is heavier on the historical romance side than the paranormal. After receiving a letter from her twin brother, Beatrice travels to a remote estate to help him get out of his newest mess. Accompanied by her two aunts and Lord Peter Cheriot, the man who has been proposing to her for the past four years, she discovers that her brother’s mention of a ghost were not false.

For all intents and purposes, I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed this book as much as I did. The terms of the ghost’s curse were pretty clichéd. Basically, the ghost must marry a maiden to free himself from the curse. So, any maiden who crosses the threshold of the estate gets trapped in the castle. You know where the story is leading in this regard. Ashe did put a small spin on the plot towards the very end, but it still generally ended-up in the same place I had thought it was going when I heard the term of the ghost’s curse. Despite this, I still really enjoyed the journey.

What made the book enjoyable were the characters. Bea and Peter’s relationship was cute, if a little frustrating because one clear conversation between the two would’ve cleared up so much angst. I also really love the way Ashe writes her heroes as not overbearing, which is found a lot in historical romances and was the reason I stopped reading them. I got tired of the caveman routine prevalent in the genre’s lead male characters. So, it was refreshing to get Peter as a lead because ultimately he wanted Bea to be happy. Even if that meant, after all was said and done, she wouldn’t be with him.

All in all, Captive Bride was a solid book. I will definitely look into some of Ashe’s other full-length novels soon.

[Farisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO GOOD!!! The best kind of surprise. Mutual pining, friends to lovers, forced proximity & a ghost!

Beatrice, her friend Lord Cheriot & her two aunts travel to Wales to rescue her brother from a problem he's embroiled himself in. Her brother is in a castle haunted by a ghost that is only visible to virgins (😂). The book's title comes from Beatrice's captivity in the castle - she can't escape - not because of any old school romance elements.

I looved all the yearning in this book! Katharine Ashe is a new to me author so I'm ecstatic to have found her & can now go through her backlist 🤩

Buut as much as I loved this book, there are elements that *really* annoyed me. Awful family members aren't exactly a trigger for me but they do irk me. Thankfully, it only lasted about 15%ish of the end of the book but I was sufficiently annoyed anyway. & The characters do feel frustrating at times but never overwhelmingly so and I got over those bits quite quickly.

There's supposed to be a sequel to this book for a pivotal character in the story but it's been 9 years and still no sequel :( I'm holding out hope though!!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Katharine Ashe's work, it was a cool experience reading one of the first full length novels she wrote shortly after reading her latest, The Duke. Captive Bride has a spooky castle haunted by a ghost and the threat of eternal damnation for all virgins within its walls, but somehow, this book remains lighter and sweeter in tone than most of Ashe's later work. I really enjoyed seeing how her voice is still the same, but how she builds her characters and establishes their love story has changed.

In Captive Bride, Tip (Peter) and Bea have loved each other forever. Despite their feelings, they haven't learned to talk or express their feelings for one another. While I liked these two in every other way, I could not for the life of me understand how they missed all the signals. Sure, in youth we can all be a little obtuse, but seriously, these two...they needed a ghost to spell it out for them in chilling and dire fashion before they got their act together ;)

Anyway, Ashe's voice lends itself well to building the ambiance. I loved her descriptions of the castle and the land and it was suitably haunting for a Halloween read. She also has a large cast in the book from Bea's hapless twin brother, a beautiful but flighty woman who resides in the castle, a heartbroken governess, Bea's two aunts, Bea's parents, and the ghost. I never felt confused and even though the cast was large, the bulk of the story still rested with Bea and Tip and their angsty I-desire-you-but-you-don't-love-me-and-I-can't-bear-to-love-you-alone courtship dance. It may have driven me nuts, but I still loved reading because, well, it's Ashe and I have a compulsion to read and savor everything she writes whether I agree with her characters or not.

There are some steamy scenes in this one and I really liked Peter and his devotion and quiet strength, and while Bea was a bit of a martyr at first, she ends up coming into her own and I was happy to see that. I also liked Aunt Julia...she was a bit silly, but lovely all the same. The ghost is a voyeur and often comes off as a villain, but he does have some surprises that make me more curious about him and his full story.

Overall, I'd say that I found some of the angst a bit needless, but still enjoyed the journey. It was a fun read for Halloween and I enjoyed Ashe's writing style, which is gorgeous as usual even when the characters were being miserable. I do seem to be a big fan of Ashe's self-published work. I like the larger range of freedom she seems to have with her prose and I get a kick out of the way she weaves in paranormal elements.

[Shelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is smutty romance dressed up as a Recency historical with a ghost and a witch tossed in. I wasn't impressed as I'd hoped for my Recency and paranormal and fewer cliches about his "manhood" and her "womanhood" and the like. It was a flashback to my junior high days when we all giggled over Harlequin romances and about as well written. Very disappointing, given the description, and I'm glad it was a freebie.

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me say at the outset that Katherine Ashe is on my auto-buy list. I love her stories, I love her characters and I love her writing style. So I was pretty excited to see that this had been re-released on Kindle. This is, I think, the first novel she wrote, so it is interesting to go back to this one after having read all the rest. Clearly, her writing has developed and she has honed her craft, but the skill she has in bringing interesting characters to life, with both their charms and their foibles, is already there.

Katherine Ashe explored paranormal romance in her Twist series -Again, My Lord and My Lady, My Lord. I loved those, but this is more old-school, with a ghost, a curse, a castle in Wales and the whole Gothic thing. Oh, and sex is in the mix, too:)

It is sweet and the premise is a bit crazy/improbable, but I let it go because the H is really lovely and it means we can have a bit of steam when we finally get down to it.(imagine remaining celibate for four years because you only want that one woman? How nice to have a hero who is not promiscuous!! But it did make him VERY desperate!)

The heroine is surrounded by a selfish and unappreciative family, and she just sucks it up for most of the book, which got very frustrating. She finally develops strength of character and and tells them all politely that they can f*** off now. At the same time, the hero realises he has got to let go of his own phobia if he wants his HEA. Smart boy.

It is not The Earl, which I freaking loved, but it was fun and I enjoyed it.

[Chumchum_88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was nice but I felt some parts were unnecessarily prolonged and repetitive, but I enjoyed it nevertheless ^^

- I liked the hero and the heroine, they both has their misunderstandings from the start, she thought he was only joking when he kept proposing to her for the 100 millions times and he thought she didn't like him enough, God they were frustrating

- Then the thing with the annoying selfish brother happened, and then he became jealous of a ghost, she became a target of a ghost and yeah it kinda gets frustrating with these two more and more

- I didn't like the girl the brother was crushing after she was a bit flighty seriously who loses their virginity one day and the next she changes her target to another man.

- The heroine was so ignorant of the hero I kinda wanted to smack her over the head she didn't get it till he spilled it out to her word by word.

- I loved how she stood up to her parents especially her mom it was kinda cool XD

- I was intrigued by the ghost and the aunt he didn't act with her the same way he acted around the heroine and he seemed gentler and kinder to the aunt I'm really looking for her next book regarding the ghost

Overall, *thumbs up*

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, Katharine Ashe. This book was such a hot mess. It was the worst kind of misunderstanding plot, and it was all over the place in terms of the weird ghost plot that didn't really go anywhere. That said, I definitely saw all the things that makes me like her later books: the chemistry and the dialogue and the richness of the setting and the zany/interesting (but lately more contained) background characters.

[Leonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Just no. Spineless heroine, ridiculous plot, no sense of period. I read to the end by skimming. 1 star for reasonable writing style, one for ... no. Just one star.

[Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A dark castle, a handsome lord, and a wicked ghost..."
Captive Bride is from the USA Today bestselling author of The Earl and My Lady, My Lord.
It is a story of a lady torn between loyalty to her family and the man of her forbidden dreams.
It is the story of Bea Sinclaire and Lord Peter "Tip" Cheriot.
Bea is summoned to a haunted castle to help her rakish brother, Thomas. He has begged her to come to help him rescue a maiden from a haunted castle. A maiden he has become attracted and attached to.
Seeking adventure, Bea jumps at the chance. She didn't count on Tip coming along to escort her. She isn't sure she can keep a clear mind when facing any danger with Tip around. She has loved him forever, but has family obligations that keep her from accepting his many proposals. She is easily preoccupied with thoughts of him, and even more so with him being close.
Tip has loved Bea for so many years. He is determined to have her hand even with his family's disgraceful history. When the ghost claims Bea as his betrothed, Tip must go into action to rescue her from eternal damnation. He only has til All Hallows Eve to capture the heart of Bea, no matter what.
After the bewitching ghost makes Bea an outrageous proposition, she isn't sure what will happen. The ghost of won't take her denial as a proper reply. She is not sure if even Tip can help her out of this curse. What can a lady do?
I liked the loyalty of Bea to her family even though they don't deserve it. I liked the way she finally came to realize Tip has been serious about his many marriage proposals and why he has kept asking her a secret from her family. I like the adoration and respect Tip has for Bea. I love how Tip helped rescue Bea from her mother's ungratefulness.

[Cherise · Rating 2 out of 5]

cannot like this one. Premise is good with a pining H and the marriage proposal beginning immediately lured me to read on, but as the story progresses, I started to wonder what the H sees in the h.

The h is one of the most silly h I've ever read. Though I can understand why she's adamant in rejecting the H, with so many repeats going on I wonder why she will still have that belief (like he said, one needs not propose and repeatedly at that if one doesn't want a marriage for reals). She also seems extremely stupid in that even though she rejects him continuously, she cannot seem to keep her hands off him, talk about mixed signals. Her dealings with her family also make me mad and the reversal scene is not as satisfying considering what she's been through all along.

I also find the H's reasonings a bit hard to understand, and both their dealings with each other for YEARS frustrating. I don't think it's categorized as a misunderstanding as I doubt from their dealings they understand each other much to begin with.

The book itself's interspersed with a lot of dear diary excerpts that's not in any chronological order and really don't have much links I can see to the progressing storyline, I find the excerpts together with the constant pov switches very choppy to read, and think this is one of the reasons I cannot really get much into the story.

Like another reader has mentioned, I also think there's a loose end regarding the paranormal aspect of the book where I want to know what really motivates and what happens afterwards.

All in all, it should actually have been a very satisfying read considering the theme's one of my favorites, yet the writing's not up to it I'm afraid. This is my first read of the author and I'm hoping another reader is correct in that her other series is better...

[Nat · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I finished this is because of Justine Eyre. The book had serious potential, but it was so ridiculously heavy and serious.... too bad the author didn't take the opportunity for fun banter and comedy.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is kind of a mess, the same way a really good banana split or kitchen sink cookie is. I get the split reviews, either super high or low, here. This is too much flavor for some people, and like a gooey indulgence for others. One part run-of-the-mill regency pacing, one part menacing medieval ghost looking for a bride to free him from his curse, and one part Pride and Prejudice vibes with the protagonist's not understanding the trauma perspectives of the other. I hate needless misunderstanding angst, but this is a journey of both protagonists figuring out their own issues, learning to understand the other, and actually figuring out how to communicate and build on that. I felt like they really parsed the depths of each of their own perceptions and learned to actually hear the other.

Some reviewers said the female lead was TDTL (too dumb to live), but I think it was an accurate portrait of someone learning who they are and stand on their own two feet. Sometimes these journeys just don't gel with a reader, but this one did for me and it felt very true to life.

I am going to continue this series. I love the ghost element as the uniting theme. I've been ticking off my literary classics TBR hard core so far this year, apparently my brain is ready for some romantic adventure fun and I am going to just go with it.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and charming, but both the hero and heroine had me wanting to choke them a few times in my frustration at their stubborn cluelessness. Lost count at how many times the heroine said "no" to hero's marriage proposals (over a 4-yr. period...they had each secretly been in love for 7). 😳 COMMUNICATION IS KEY, people! 😂 They both grew in different ways....Bea found her backbone and stopped being used as a savior to her family, and Peter found his backbone and stopped comparing his own relationship moves with Bea to what his parents had. Ghost antics led an interesting angle too. Ashe is a favorite of mine, and this was one of her earliest efforts. ❤️
Favorite quote in the book:

(Bea) "Thank you for your confidence in me, Peter. You are the best friend I have ever had."
He offered her a beautiful smile.
(Peter) "I wondered if you would ever notice that."

[Lindsay pinkcowlandreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m usually a huge fan of Katharine Ashe’s writing, but the way these characters interact killed me! I almost DNF this book so many times! I wanted to throw my phone (audio book) and rip my earbuds out. Tell each other how you feel!!! Ugh, there is nothing that drives me crazy than two characters that want the same thing but refuse to come out and actually say it, all the time assuming the other is not on board.... how can a woman reject innumerable proposals from the man she loves because she loves him so much that these proposals must be a joke or from pity?!?! As the hero says at the end, a man does not propose when trying to stay unmarried!

I was glad I made it through this but miscommunication like this and to this degree is my kryptonite.

[Eden Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars I really really wanted to like this one more. A castle, a ghost, a handsome lord, and a beautiful maiden sounded like a perfect gothic romance recipe. It had so much potential but the constant back and forth, the reason for Bea denying Peter's proposals, and Peter's reason for not proclaiming his love were ludicrous. And goodness, why can't our silly heroine speak her mind and get to the point! It was very taxing to have to wait till the end for our heroine to get her wits about her. I'm not sure if I can find the patience to do that again. Side note, the steam level was still pretty good. I may have re-read My Lady, My Lord to refresh my memory as to how good of an author this is.

[Janine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This couple was TSTL. He asked her to marry him countless times and she kept turning him down. Why? He never asked her and she somehow assumed he was in love with her sister although there was no evidence of this. It took forever for them to get together and when they did there was still a huge misunderstanding and they were unaware they were both in love with each other.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an interesting premise, but I don't particularly enjoy plots that depend on two people who don't talk to one another bout their relationship because the plot requires them not to, when their personalities would have otherwise been frank with one another and resolved it years earlier without all the drama.

[Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little late for Halloween, but this was a fun ghost story woven into a romance. The miscommunication droned on for way too long, but the resolution was good. Watching her overcome her insecurities was cringe at some points, but the confrontation was satisfying. I liked both leads, and the side characters were interesting.

[Melanie Atchley Robb · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's one of the best books I've ever read.

This was a fun book to read. I am very impressed with the plot and characters. The passionate scenes are intense and emotional but well-written. I enjoyed the ghost story because it added to the spice of the whole plot. I will definitely add this author to my favorites list.

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not get the conflict of this book. I understand it is difficult to speak of feelings but the entire book we know they love each other and it is not entertaining to read an whole book for feeling to be announced.

[The Bookish Vixen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to like this book, but it barely cleared “it was ok”. Fun idea, but I felt like the majority of the conflict was a result of the heroine and her brother’s competition over who could be a bigger moron. It also seemed to lose focus after about two thirds of the book. Once a major conflict was solved it didn’t seem to know what to do with itself.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on a whim without reading the blurb and I didn’t realize it was paranormal. It isn’t my favorite genre but it was different for me. The romance was a little frustrating, but it was okay.

[Katie McC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one for Corset & Crown for October! A ghost story & romance all in one!

[Nina Sundström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine is TSTL and H not far from it either. Annoying read. Great narrator though.

[WLL413 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I wish the ghost was more sexual. I liked the deflowering scene.

[Jane Christovao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Club. First story I’ve read with a ghost.

[Brandy]

Wasn’t feeling it, and I got bored

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original...lovely ghost story.. good writing.