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His Captive Indian Princess
Banished from her dynastic family home by her grandmother, Gauri Rao has lived under the weight of scandal. But now her past has come back to find her in the shape of deliciously handsome and dangerously powerful Vikram Singh.
With the Rao family in tatters, Vikram has promised Gauri’s father he will track down his daughter and bring her home—at all costs. Yet somehow the naive girl who ran away has blossomed into an independent woman. Vikram is not used to taking no for an answer...has he finally met his match?
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
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169 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 9, 2013
Amazing book... Keeps you at the edge til you complete... A definite page turner... Characters come alive. You can feel sad for the princess and anger for the prince... Beautifully described setting...
Loved every minute of reading the book...
Thanks Tanu for such a lovely book.. Looking forward to reading more of your books...
Loved every minute of reading the book...
Thanks Tanu for such a lovely book.. Looking forward to reading more of your books...
February 25, 2014
Gauri is beautiful, fiercely independent with a strong sense of justice and equally determined to excel as a lawyer. Everything is seemingly normal in her life with her aspirations of becoming a leading lawyer driving her life. But then comes Vikram Singh, a ghost from her past. A past she has buried and never wants to face again.
Gauri had run away from her home, years ago, after some unfortunate incidents. Now Vikram is here to take her back to her family that shunned her and made her even change her identity to escape them!
What will be Gauri's fate now?
Will she be able to face her traumatizing past and also face her attraction towards the sexy and gorgeous, Vikram Singh?
I received this book as a prize of a giveaway hosted by Fabulous Adda and I am so thankful to its owner for introducing me to this very entertaining love story. :)
Now I have recently read a number of Indian authors like Adite Banerjie, Shoma Narayanan etc. writing for M&B and I am so happy to state with confidence that all books and authors have a different style of writing which makes it a pleasure to read their books. Although the books may be written for Mills and Boon but the story lines and the treatment is fresh and varied. This is Tanu Jain's first M&B romance published in 2013. Tanu Jain has always been a M&B fan and it shows in her book which reads like our typical M&B love stories with a dominant alpha male and a headstrong female lead.
Gauri is a strong protagonist who has faced many hardships and is now determined to change her life around which includes forgetting her past life. Vikram has had a hard childhood and although he comes from a royal line, he has never seen any true happiness in his life and so seems authoritative and distant even to the point of being dominating in his demeanor Both these characters, although attracted towards each other, are always confrontational with each other. I was thoroughly entertained by these two and their scenes together are sensuous, romantic and also humorous.
I despised "Aaji Ma", Gauri's grandmother with a vengeance and felt like slapping Maya, Gauri's elder step sister. Tanu has created characters that instantly connect with the reader and make him feel for each of their actions. She has expertly balanced all the people in the book and made each of them have their fair share of limelight.
The setup of a royal family is beautifully sketched and she makes the reader feel the modern day splendor of the Kings. I could visualize the royal family and their palace which is now a hotel much like the many palaces in India. The scenes are written in all their color and lack any artificiality.
The story is almost predictable but the main appeal comes from the character interactions and the feeling, that the author has succeeded in putting in the story.
The writing style is simple and dialogues heartfelt. I was deeply touched by the emotional turmoil the protagonists face along the way to the final realization of their love for each other.
Vikram held her away from him and his eyes bored into hers. 'You think what I feel for you is guilt and responsibility. Do you want to know what I feel for you? I cannot name this emotion. Maybe you can name it? Can you tell me -what is this emotion that fills me when I see you smiling? What is this feeling that inundates my being when I hold you in my arms? What is this fury which inflames me when I think of all those who have hurt you?...What is this sublime joy which bathes me when I think of spending my remaining life with you?...'
The only glitches in this otherwise sweet book are: Gauri's brother's angle in the story looks a bit rushed and I really would have loved if more pages had been devoted to it. The chapter division is a bit lacking and the book could have done better with several chapters rather than one long chapter. I am a hopeless romantic and so totally loved the book but still felt that the intimate scenes between Gauri and Vikram could have been made less explicit without any loss in their emotional and sensual appeal.
Other than these small glitches, His Captive Indian Princess is a breezy and heartfelt romance that will entertain you and also leave you smiling with a deeply satisfying happily- ever- after. A perfect read for a lazy holiday, I give it 4 shiny stars out of 5 and a full on recommendation that you buy, read and enjoy this "worth-every-penny" book.
This review is also available on my blog Njkinny's World of Books
Gauri had run away from her home, years ago, after some unfortunate incidents. Now Vikram is here to take her back to her family that shunned her and made her even change her identity to escape them!
What will be Gauri's fate now?
Will she be able to face her traumatizing past and also face her attraction towards the sexy and gorgeous, Vikram Singh?
I received this book as a prize of a giveaway hosted by Fabulous Adda and I am so thankful to its owner for introducing me to this very entertaining love story. :)
Now I have recently read a number of Indian authors like Adite Banerjie, Shoma Narayanan etc. writing for M&B and I am so happy to state with confidence that all books and authors have a different style of writing which makes it a pleasure to read their books. Although the books may be written for Mills and Boon but the story lines and the treatment is fresh and varied. This is Tanu Jain's first M&B romance published in 2013. Tanu Jain has always been a M&B fan and it shows in her book which reads like our typical M&B love stories with a dominant alpha male and a headstrong female lead.
Gauri is a strong protagonist who has faced many hardships and is now determined to change her life around which includes forgetting her past life. Vikram has had a hard childhood and although he comes from a royal line, he has never seen any true happiness in his life and so seems authoritative and distant even to the point of being dominating in his demeanor Both these characters, although attracted towards each other, are always confrontational with each other. I was thoroughly entertained by these two and their scenes together are sensuous, romantic and also humorous.
I despised "Aaji Ma", Gauri's grandmother with a vengeance and felt like slapping Maya, Gauri's elder step sister. Tanu has created characters that instantly connect with the reader and make him feel for each of their actions. She has expertly balanced all the people in the book and made each of them have their fair share of limelight.
The setup of a royal family is beautifully sketched and she makes the reader feel the modern day splendor of the Kings. I could visualize the royal family and their palace which is now a hotel much like the many palaces in India. The scenes are written in all their color and lack any artificiality.
The story is almost predictable but the main appeal comes from the character interactions and the feeling, that the author has succeeded in putting in the story.
The writing style is simple and dialogues heartfelt. I was deeply touched by the emotional turmoil the protagonists face along the way to the final realization of their love for each other.
Vikram held her away from him and his eyes bored into hers. 'You think what I feel for you is guilt and responsibility. Do you want to know what I feel for you? I cannot name this emotion. Maybe you can name it? Can you tell me -what is this emotion that fills me when I see you smiling? What is this feeling that inundates my being when I hold you in my arms? What is this fury which inflames me when I think of all those who have hurt you?...What is this sublime joy which bathes me when I think of spending my remaining life with you?...'
The only glitches in this otherwise sweet book are: Gauri's brother's angle in the story looks a bit rushed and I really would have loved if more pages had been devoted to it. The chapter division is a bit lacking and the book could have done better with several chapters rather than one long chapter. I am a hopeless romantic and so totally loved the book but still felt that the intimate scenes between Gauri and Vikram could have been made less explicit without any loss in their emotional and sensual appeal.
Other than these small glitches, His Captive Indian Princess is a breezy and heartfelt romance that will entertain you and also leave you smiling with a deeply satisfying happily- ever- after. A perfect read for a lazy holiday, I give it 4 shiny stars out of 5 and a full on recommendation that you buy, read and enjoy this "worth-every-penny" book.
This review is also available on my blog Njkinny's World of Books
March 11, 2014
Heartbreaker: Heart-maker
I am a romance writer too. And I have recently started writing Indian romance, for which one of my submissions was of a TDH named Vikramaditya Singh. While the fate of my Vikram is still in limbo, I chanced upon the lovely cover Tanu Jain’s “His Captive Indian Princess.” The captive princess’s doe eyes caught my eye and I read the blurb, following up on Google. And quel horreur! Her hero was a Vikram Singh too! Thankfully, he has Pratap for a middle name. So, it was with a lot of trepidation that I read this M&B romance which has a Woman Done Wrong at its core.
I needn’t have worried.
From the first page itself I was swept away: by the story, the setting (a lovely fictional place named Mogragarh), the action and the heroine Gauri Rao.
Gauri is a lawyer with terrible secrets, but her outward composure belies a heart as fragile as a bruised petal. Shunned and tormented by almost everyone in her ‘royal’ family one fateful night, Gauri runs away and manages to establish a new identity for herself as a young and upcoming lawmaker.
Maharaj Vikrampratap Singh, or Vikram as he is known, is a princely businessman with many burdens. He has only one goal in life. That of finding the vanished princess of Mogragarh and bring her home to the palace to make her pay for all the alleged sins she has committed. Did I forget to mention he is ridiculously handsome?
The action is swift, almost breathless.
Vikram finds Gauri and in the first of many charged, passionate encounters, basically orders her to drop her entire existence and do his bidding. Gauri resists, but Vikram maneuvers things so that she ends up going home with him anyway. To the land and people she’d left behind six years ago, especially her beloved Baba. She returns back to being Yuvrani Gauri Rao (lovely terminology), the illegitimate daughter of Maharaj Sambhaji Rao who is now in no fit state to rule.
Add in the grandmother from hell and an older sister who is selfish and conniving and the stage is set for a typical Cinderella story.
Jain’s “His Captive Indian Princess” could have gone several soap-opera ways, none of which could have complemented the poise of its achingly vulnerable heroine. Thankfully, it remains true to the internal conflict of Gauri who only longs for the love of a family that has always shunned her. She is forever the outsider, looking in. And yet discharges her duties out of love and compassion instead of a sense of holy vengeance.
In case you’re thinking she sounds like a complete pushover; she ain’t.
Gauri gives it back to Vikram as good as she gets, be it verbally or sexually. And in a particularly tense scene, even puts the grand dowager in place.
Vikram, the lonely, autocratic, RH prince of the nearby state of Bijagarh initially comes off as too autocratic and rigid, but becomes human halfway through the book. And his confused desire for the lovely princess has been vividly portrayed.
A thing I found a little difficult to digest was the first passionate encounter that Jain introduced. Acting the caveman would surely not be a suave, princely businessman’s style. But then again, passion does make fools of mere mortals so it can be overlooked. A real area of concern, at least for me, (the girl who would have been either a lawyer or a writer) was how young the lawyer Gauri was in regards to the prominent position she held in a charitable organization for abused women.
Do they really breed them that young, Ms Jain?
But, let me reiterate, leaving aside these and other minor weak threads, the well-rounded plot, crackling pace and crisp dialogue, coupled with the fresh royal setting that Tanu Jain has used with remarkable effectiveness, makes “His Captive Indian Princess” one of my personal favorites ever. For the subtle way in which family abuse is explored, for Gauri’s strong-but-vulnerable character and that scorching motel room scene, which was a delightful surprise in a completely Indian Romance.
Very much looking forward to the next gut-wrencher from the pen (or keyboard) of Tanu Jain. I heart and recommend it!
- Xx
Aarti V Raman aka Writer Gal
VERDICT: Five pointy inches of heat and heart!
I am a romance writer too. And I have recently started writing Indian romance, for which one of my submissions was of a TDH named Vikramaditya Singh. While the fate of my Vikram is still in limbo, I chanced upon the lovely cover Tanu Jain’s “His Captive Indian Princess.” The captive princess’s doe eyes caught my eye and I read the blurb, following up on Google. And quel horreur! Her hero was a Vikram Singh too! Thankfully, he has Pratap for a middle name. So, it was with a lot of trepidation that I read this M&B romance which has a Woman Done Wrong at its core.
I needn’t have worried.
From the first page itself I was swept away: by the story, the setting (a lovely fictional place named Mogragarh), the action and the heroine Gauri Rao.
Gauri is a lawyer with terrible secrets, but her outward composure belies a heart as fragile as a bruised petal. Shunned and tormented by almost everyone in her ‘royal’ family one fateful night, Gauri runs away and manages to establish a new identity for herself as a young and upcoming lawmaker.
Maharaj Vikrampratap Singh, or Vikram as he is known, is a princely businessman with many burdens. He has only one goal in life. That of finding the vanished princess of Mogragarh and bring her home to the palace to make her pay for all the alleged sins she has committed. Did I forget to mention he is ridiculously handsome?
The action is swift, almost breathless.
Vikram finds Gauri and in the first of many charged, passionate encounters, basically orders her to drop her entire existence and do his bidding. Gauri resists, but Vikram maneuvers things so that she ends up going home with him anyway. To the land and people she’d left behind six years ago, especially her beloved Baba. She returns back to being Yuvrani Gauri Rao (lovely terminology), the illegitimate daughter of Maharaj Sambhaji Rao who is now in no fit state to rule.
Add in the grandmother from hell and an older sister who is selfish and conniving and the stage is set for a typical Cinderella story.
Jain’s “His Captive Indian Princess” could have gone several soap-opera ways, none of which could have complemented the poise of its achingly vulnerable heroine. Thankfully, it remains true to the internal conflict of Gauri who only longs for the love of a family that has always shunned her. She is forever the outsider, looking in. And yet discharges her duties out of love and compassion instead of a sense of holy vengeance.
In case you’re thinking she sounds like a complete pushover; she ain’t.
Gauri gives it back to Vikram as good as she gets, be it verbally or sexually. And in a particularly tense scene, even puts the grand dowager in place.
Vikram, the lonely, autocratic, RH prince of the nearby state of Bijagarh initially comes off as too autocratic and rigid, but becomes human halfway through the book. And his confused desire for the lovely princess has been vividly portrayed.
A thing I found a little difficult to digest was the first passionate encounter that Jain introduced. Acting the caveman would surely not be a suave, princely businessman’s style. But then again, passion does make fools of mere mortals so it can be overlooked. A real area of concern, at least for me, (the girl who would have been either a lawyer or a writer) was how young the lawyer Gauri was in regards to the prominent position she held in a charitable organization for abused women.
Do they really breed them that young, Ms Jain?
But, let me reiterate, leaving aside these and other minor weak threads, the well-rounded plot, crackling pace and crisp dialogue, coupled with the fresh royal setting that Tanu Jain has used with remarkable effectiveness, makes “His Captive Indian Princess” one of my personal favorites ever. For the subtle way in which family abuse is explored, for Gauri’s strong-but-vulnerable character and that scorching motel room scene, which was a delightful surprise in a completely Indian Romance.
Very much looking forward to the next gut-wrencher from the pen (or keyboard) of Tanu Jain. I heart and recommend it!
- Xx
Aarti V Raman aka Writer Gal
VERDICT: Five pointy inches of heat and heart!
January 3, 2014
This is the first Mills and Boon by an Indian Author (amongst all those that I've read) where the female protagonist was beaten down by circumstances. Tanu made the oppression sound very real; I could imagine it really happening. The 'bedroom' scenes were a little too explicit for my taste, but otherwise a good plot, and believable conflicts!
December 9, 2014
Hi Y'all
Good Evening
Today I got the opportunity to review a very good book after so many months .This book was staring at me annoyed as I didn't pick the book first ..... .But finally today I decided to review the book and make it fell happy and loved by you all .
His Captive Indian Princess is written by very brilliant Author Tanu Jain
The Story is about:
Banished from her dynastic family home by her grandmother ,Gauri Rao has lived under the weight of Scandal .But now her past has come to find her shape of deliciously handsome Vikram Singh
With Rao family in tatters .Vikram has promised Gauri father that he he will track his daughter and bring her home ----at all cost .Yet this naive girl who ran away has blossomed into an independent
women.
Vikram is not used to 'no' for an answer ...... has he finally found his match
My views:
The Author has written the book very well .She has essayed the character with such a ease that you can't keep the book down until you have finished reading it .Its the best part of this Author as she indirectly forces you to read her story .The pace of story is 'OK'. The storyline is quiet simple the characters are very well designed .The Scenes are very well visualized and written in such a way that you can identify yourself with the characters .I liked Vikram 's and Gauri 's Characters and their arguments which they on each and every topic .The Author has very well crafted the dialogues between the main characters
and supporting characters.The dialogues are Sweet and Crisp
Over all I can say that The Author is like Piped Piper who mesmerizes us with her beautiful story that makes you lost in wonder land with the characters and that make you feel happy and elated .
Highly Recommended
Good Evening
Today I got the opportunity to review a very good book after so many months .This book was staring at me annoyed as I didn't pick the book first ..... .But finally today I decided to review the book and make it fell happy and loved by you all .
His Captive Indian Princess is written by very brilliant Author Tanu Jain
The Story is about:
Banished from her dynastic family home by her grandmother ,Gauri Rao has lived under the weight of Scandal .But now her past has come to find her shape of deliciously handsome Vikram Singh
With Rao family in tatters .Vikram has promised Gauri father that he he will track his daughter and bring her home ----at all cost .Yet this naive girl who ran away has blossomed into an independent
women.
Vikram is not used to 'no' for an answer ...... has he finally found his match
My views:
The Author has written the book very well .She has essayed the character with such a ease that you can't keep the book down until you have finished reading it .Its the best part of this Author as she indirectly forces you to read her story .The pace of story is 'OK'. The storyline is quiet simple the characters are very well designed .The Scenes are very well visualized and written in such a way that you can identify yourself with the characters .I liked Vikram 's and Gauri 's Characters and their arguments which they on each and every topic .The Author has very well crafted the dialogues between the main characters
and supporting characters.The dialogues are Sweet and Crisp
Over all I can say that The Author is like Piped Piper who mesmerizes us with her beautiful story that makes you lost in wonder land with the characters and that make you feel happy and elated .
Highly Recommended
May 25, 2015
Captive Indian Princess
I enjoyed the story however there was a climatic moment that left me angry. It was a trait that I have seen countless times by other authors that is infuriating. Don't put the characters in climatic positions that even a 3 year old would've known better. An example would be if I have first-hand knowledge that I'm hated by someone but I secretly meet with them after they threaten to kill me. NO!
Also there was no closure on several characters (brother-in-law, lady running the women's shelter, and stable boy).
Other than that, I enjoyed each of the (main) characters and can see me rereading the story. Wish the dad and brother could've been part of the story and not just the epilogue. That part seemed rush.
Overall, a good read.
I enjoyed the story however there was a climatic moment that left me angry. It was a trait that I have seen countless times by other authors that is infuriating. Don't put the characters in climatic positions that even a 3 year old would've known better. An example would be if I have first-hand knowledge that I'm hated by someone but I secretly meet with them after they threaten to kill me. NO!
Also there was no closure on several characters (brother-in-law, lady running the women's shelter, and stable boy).
Other than that, I enjoyed each of the (main) characters and can see me rereading the story. Wish the dad and brother could've been part of the story and not just the epilogue. That part seemed rush.
Overall, a good read.
April 1, 2014
I became curious about this book when I came to know that its writer holds a Doctorate in English Lit. Moreover,I was also reading and loving Tanu's blogs. That is how I had set a high level of expectations from this book. It fulfilled all those and more. This book reminds me of Mills & Boons that are written by Jessica Steele and Ann Mather, of non-trusting heroes and misunderstood heroines.
Read it! And keep a cup of coffee and some munchies near by as you may not want to leave it for a meal break.
Read it! And keep a cup of coffee and some munchies near by as you may not want to leave it for a meal break.
April 30, 2014
Finished it in few hours NEW RECORD,loved it
Totally loved this book, gauri was gone through so mush pain, no one tried to understand her and blamed her for all, so ran away. then one day vikram finds her (her childhood love), but as everyone he blames her too but this time she know running is not the solution n face her past and present.
Totally loved this book, gauri was gone through so mush pain, no one tried to understand her and blamed her for all, so ran away. then one day vikram finds her (her childhood love), but as everyone he blames her too but this time she know running is not the solution n face her past and present.
December 27, 2013
wesome...give feeling of actual kingdom world...amazing chemistry between gauri and vikram.
August 4, 2014
Something different than the usual romances. (3.5/5)
Full review- http://wp.me/p2vbKI-3i
Full review- http://wp.me/p2vbKI-3i
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July 8, 2019The Anger I am feeling while reading this story is making my head light. I want to strangle almost everyone in this book because the abuse that this woman has to endure and had to endure as a child is maddening. Vikram has a tarnished childhood due to his family and yet he is putting Gauri through the ringer based off the fact that her mother was a gold digging actress. I understand that things will probably change throughout this novel between the two main characters but it’s still infuriating at this moment. I really hate the queen and Gauris half sister. But I am very captivated by this book and can’t wait to see how it ends. From begging my mind was stole by the story line. So far I love it. But as I have said I’m very angry with some of the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2017
This is what one calls an unputdownable book and I enjoyed it immensely. Keep them coming Tanu Jain. I have become your fan.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews