Taken from my home and imprisoned in a stone tower by my enemy, I am at the mercy of a darkly attractive but dangerous bandit Lord.
Even though I want to hate him, I'm drawn to his chiseled features, stormy eyes, and drool-worthy physique.
And his mysterious aura both scares and attracts me, awakening a forbidden desire that overpowers my reason.
Managing my inner conflict is just the start; I also have to keep an unknown monster from killing me and learn to control my newly discovered powers.
As I come closer to uncovering the secrets of both my own powers and those of the bandit Lord, chaos and destruction loom on all sides, threatening war for both our kingdoms.
Now I must choose whether to find my way back to a home I may no longer want, or risk everything and stay with the bandit Lord.
The Bandit Lord's Captive is a steamy forbidden love fantasy romance, recommended for ages 18+ due to language and content. It's a full-length standalone book with a happily ever after and no cliffhangers, although it does hint at the next book in the duology.
Ok, this is a bit different than The Forbidden Mates series but holy smokes was it good! I absolutely love the brave character that's been created in Clio. She's stubborn, loyal, and so very smart. Her entire world has been flipped on its end and she's just living her life and trying to be a good person despite everything.
Arthur is broody as hell but loyal to his people, and it's clear that they are fond of him. I love how he begins to get closer and closer to Clio, and they both give in to what they know is right, despite all of the reasons it shouldn't work. They are on fire together, and I loved all of the secrets that were revealed in this. It was really well designed and structured to reveal information in a way that made me not want to put it down!
This was a very cute adventure style romance. It was a very nice story and was compelling from beginning to end. I was originally going to read this over the weekend but started it and could not put it down. I think there is a nice amount of spice it isn't overly excessive and is not plot less. The storyline was very enjoyable and written quite well. I do wish the book was longer and more descriptive in places but overall it was definitely a very good book that I would recommend giving a try to. I will definitely read more books in this series and other books by this author in the future.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Bandit Lord’s Captive is a gorgeously written fantasy romance with a stunning princess, a sexy beast, two incredible kingdoms, fae magic, and intriguing mystery. The action never stops, and the chemistry between the main characters is explosive. Supporting characters May and Rourke add great twists, and there are some other plot surprises along the way that had me gasping, laughing, and questioning where exactly author Alexa Ashe would take us next. This book was amazing. I simply adore the new world we are being introduced to, and I am very much looking forward to the next book in this new series.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Clio is the princess of the Kingdom of Aer and is busy with preparation for the Founding Festival and her upcoming marriage to the Baron. When a mysterious group of bandits attack the Kingdom, she takes shelter in a wagon. Unfortunately this wagon was owned by the very bandits attacking, and when they take off, she is carted off to the Oathlands with them. She is found by Arthur, the leader of the bandits, and is taken hostage. As the Oathlands are the sworn enemy to the Kingdom of Aer, Clio hides her identity and does her best to escape back home. But she can't deny her attraction to Arthur and the Oathlands aren't what she expected them to be. Is there another side to the historical violence between their countries?
The Bandit Lord's Captive is overall enjoyable but there's a few things I struggled with. One was Clio's engagement and views on sex. Initially in the book, Clio's father recommends Clio get pregnant to ensure the Baron remains interested and the wedding stays on. This makes no sense, as Clio is a princess and if the marriage falls through, she will just make another advantageous marriage. There is no obvious reason why the Baron is the best choice for her as all we know about the Baron is he's rich. As the Kingdom is not hurting for money, the only one with something to lose by the wedding not going though is the Baron since he'd lose the chance of potentially become king.
Further confusing this issue is Clio's response to her father's advice. She response like she's been raised like a traditional virginal princess. However, it becomes quite clear that she has had some sexual contact with her fiance. Initially she feels guilty of her attraction to Arthur, but then suddenly seems to go "Fiance? What fiance?" When she finally decides to sleep with Arthur. While she was starting to grow distant from the Baron, she had initially seemed faithful to her betrothed, and she doesn't make any major decisions to abandon the relationship prior to sleeping with Arthur, which seems extremely atypical for her character.
The second issue I had with the book is the side story of the monster. This is extremely short and truly has little to no real bearing on the story. It would be one thing if the person cursed to be a monster struggled with control, and him being a monster really made a real impact on the interactions between the Oathlands and the Kingdom. However, the cursed person has complete control, so appears to just be harassing Clio for no real reason. While his strength and speed come in handy, the fact that he's a monster is really just a footnote. It would have been more interesting for the monster to have a bigger impact or been fleshed out more. As it is, it could have easily been cut with no major impact from the story.
Still fun and quick, but falls short of the good ideas Ashe clearly had.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved this story. It has so much action, drama, and suspense. I really enjoyed Clio and her personality. She has such a sweet disposition and is caring as well as loving. She is strong and feisty at times. Arthur is such a gentleman and a protector. Their chemistry is strong and felt throughout the story. I loved how it showed the two countries having a long history that doesn’t seem to be told completely. It adds so much to the story. This story is unique and intriguing. It is extremely well written and developed. The descriptions are vivid and that extra element to the story that allows me to easily picture what is occurring throughout the story. It is a quicker read but yet it pulls you in and doesn’t let go. You absolutely have to find what happens next. The story doesn’t necessarily end in a cliffhanger but it ends in a way that I really hope there is another book. I hope we can find the answers to some of the questions that were raised throughout the story but not really answered. This absolutely a must read and doesn’t disappoint.
This story started out exciting. I felt like it went downhill soon after. The title should have been "The Accidental Hostage" also an actual line in the book. Clio seeks refuge in a wagon during a sudden attack on her family castle. The "Bandit" is really Lord Arthur ,not really a bandit. He grabbed a bunch of men and tried to steal grain, seeds and maybe some gold for their impoverished kingdom. Which really has had no queen or king for centuries! I can feel the love he has for his people and wants to help them. There is much going on in the story. Clio is initially treated as a captive and then, not so much! So it is publicized as a Romantasy. The romance between Clio and Arthur was mostly them talking and eventually they have sex, with more detail than I need to read. It wasn't very romantic . I felt like those scenes were thrown in for the "Romance " part needed. There are many secrets between Clio and Arthur, he really doesn't know who she is until the very end of the story. I thought that her family would come with an army much sooner...seemed like it was weeks and months! The fantasy part bugged me. Arthurs niece, I really wanted more scenes with her and powers! The monster with the red eyes was strange...it turns out this is part of Arthur's super power besides being able to jump far distances. I did not feel there was any swoon worthy chemistry between the Clio and Arthur. I would rather Clio had in fact been intentionally kidnapped and was indeed a real captive. Arthur was too nice as an enemy. I guess there are more books, maybe more things are answered. I am not going to read them. I would call this a PG read if it weren't for the sex scenes that were thrown in to qualify as romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I had some trouble getting into this book at the start. There are anachronisms, like a preindustrial society with light pollution (which requires electricity) and bathrooms with hot and cold running water and showers, and oddities like the crown princess wandering around the market with no attendants or guards, and ordering food for a feast from a vendor rather than from the royal kitchens, and the princess dismissing the cooks because she wants to make dinner for her father, but she certainly wasn’t making dinner for the rest of the castle staff of maids and butlers and guards who I guess went without dinner that night. And it seemed like the two main kingdoms in this saga were really just city states, a single city with some surrounding farmland. Reading it, I really wished I had been an alpha or beta reader on this book and could have persuaded the author to deal with some of these issues.
However, as I got further into the story, the magic of the story took over and those things mattered less, because Alexa Ashe has created an intriguing new world with sympathetic characters, magic, fae, political intrigue, and deep history, and she clearly has plans to continue this saga in interesting ways.
The MMC was very different from the jokesters who were MMCs in her previous series, and applaud her for moving in a different direction, because much as I enjoyed the humor of her other books, after a while the MMCs were a little too similar to each other. However, she still needs to work on writing dialog for more serious characters, as sometimes Arthur was a little pompous and unnatural sounding.
The FMC, Clio, was interesting; she started out very set in her opinions, but when it turned out so much of what she “knew” was wrong, she was able to shift gears and take on a new outlook. Both she and Arthur are good-hearted, and I know they will do well together. And they definitely have good sexual chemistry (much better than she had with her betrothed back home).
I would give this 3.5 stars, if we could give half stars, rather than 4, because of the anachronisms and oddities I mentioned at the start of this review, and the need to improve some of the dialog. But on the whole I liked the book, and look forward to reading its sequel.
I received an ARC of this book, and am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review
A brilliant story, with action, a slow-build romance, magic, mystery and humour.
Clio has always felt people only see what they want to in her. When the Kingdom is attacked she goes into the town to try to help and ends up being taken by the bandits. Her captor though doesn't want her to feel like a prisoner and allows her freedom, under escort. Arthur doesn't know who it is he brought back from the failed raid but he wants to know everything about her. The more time they spend together, the closer they become and secrets are discovered and uncovered.
If you enjoy fantasy romances with fast paced action, humour and a great story line, this will not disappoint; with lovely chemistry between the MCs, twists and a fantastic ending that's hinting at a second book. Mostly told from Clio's POV, some chapters are from Arthur's POV which helped to understand him more. I couldn't put it down and would definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love this book. It was a great story. And it was a page turner and the suspense fantastic amazing. I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down not even for a second. Arthur was a beefcake of handsome bandit and Clio loyal person as well smart. Their chemistry and physical attraction were sizzling spicy hot and intimacy of romance. He was a beast but they had to combine both kingdom during a mystery . And now Maya and Rourke in the mix of things with and action packed of twists and turns. But romance was in the air for all these characters. But things have to resolve in a major way for everyone. It was like you was already in the story and you was fight by the Arthur and Clio side. I highly recommend this book and you won't be disappointed. I am looking forward to the next book from Alexa Ashe.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Trina Jones
This story has a slow burn romance between the two main characters Arthur from Oathland and Clio from Kingdom. There is so much to love about this story and it kept me reading as there is a lot going on. There is hidden deception from those at the top in Kingdom, a kidnapping and warring neighbors. Clio lives in Kingdom but is about to find out what she thought she knew about her world and right and wrong is about to become upended when she is inadvertently abducted by a rival kingdom. Will Arthur and Clio see their HEA or will the the secrets they keep doom their future before it begins? Throw in a witches curse and a bit of fae magic and you have the makings for a very interesting read. I highly recommend you check it out!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a well-written, enjoyable story with romance, intrigue, and suspense to hold the reader’s attention. The characters are easily likable, with Clio being strong and caring and Arthur being gentle and protective. Dealing with war potentially between their two kingdoms, will Arthur and Clio find their HEA, or is there too much keeping them apart?
The world-building is detailed and imaginative, building the environment around us to make it feel even more real and making the reader feel like a part of it all. This book has an interesting story line full of suspense, danger, action, and unexpected twists, and an ending that left me wanting to read more! Highly recommended!
Wow, what a rollercoaster! Just finished this new read and it's a bit of a departure from The Forbidden Mates series, but boy did it deliver! Clio, our main gal, is one tough cookie - stubborn, loyal and super smart. She's dealing with her world being turned upside down but she's not letting it get her down.
Now let's talk about Arthur. He's got that broody vibe going on but he's devoted to his people and they love him for it. The way he and Clio start to get closer despite all odds is just too good. They are total dynamite together and the secrets that come out along the way? Mind-blowing! This book was so cleverly crafted and paced that I couldn't put it down.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book had a lot of twists and turns I didn't expect, which I found entertaining. I would classify this book as kind of a Beauty and the Beast re-telling for mature audiences (it contains three scenes of extremely explicit content that go on for several pages each) with a hint of fantasy (introduction to Fae and magic coming back into the world that will likely be further explored in later books).
The basic premise is that there are two groups of people who have been at war for ages, and our heroine comes to find out that her kingdom's version of history may be false... and that she herself isn't who she always thought she was.
This book is a fast read. Readers should note this isn't a standalone - the ending is open, hinting at questions that may be answered in the sequel.
To me the story rates a 3.5. Unintentionally falling into the hands of her enemy leads Clio to realise that what she has always known as the truth, might be lies. Lies to keep the Kingdom at war with the Outlanders. Finding the truth means she has to change her views radically. And of course, there is this handsome man around. Even whilst enjoying the story, it lacks some depth to my taste. There is very little written about the feelings of attraction between Clio and Arthur. Also the humor I found in ms Ashe's other books is missing.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was my first Alexa Ashe book but it certainly won't be my last. I was quickly involved in the book and particularly enjoyed the story being told by duel POV. I found the characters likeable and thought that the story progressed at a great pace. There was enough of a build up in the relationship to make it believable and I was pleased with the resolution of the book. We were NOT left with a cliffhanger but know that there is more to come. All in an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to any followups. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Clio, a princess, is taken hostage by bandits during a festival preparation. Among them is Arthur, their leader, whom she develops conflicting feelings for. As they journey through the Oathlands, she questions their countries' enmity.
I had mixed feelings about the book. It didn't capture my attention, but it also didn't leave me disliking it. It felt somewhat bland, and the big battle scene was chaotic and left unresolved. The love story was sweet, but there was a lot of telling rather than showing their feelings, which took away from the depth of their relationship.
Alexa Ashe knows how to merge fantasy and romance with a wonderfully written and balanced storyline. The chemistry between Arthur and Clio is fantastic. Overall, this was a great story with a lot of excitement and some spice. Can't wait for the next one in this series as the world building is very intriguing.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book made me laugh out loud a few times, swoon a few times, and end mostly on a high. The main character, Clio, albeit frustrating at times, partnered well with the hardened opposite main character. Arthur. The storyline itself was fun, the occasional twist delightful. My only concern was the ages of the characters didn't quite meet their personalities 🙃 but otherwise really entertaining once you get to the meet of it!
A good story told like a fairytale about Clio a sweet but fierce princess abducted by Arthur that abducted her my mystake and only wants to protect his people.A slow burn, enemies to lovers,full of secrets and betrayal,good world building, settings and characters. If you like your stories sweet,romantic about a hero and a princess this is for you!
This is so my kind of story! The duel POV as well as the relationship between the two MCs drew me in to this story and kept me there, wanting more. The MCs interact perfectly together and I did not put it down until I finished. Great Reat! I Loved It!!! No Spoilers!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved reading this book. I couldn't put it down. For the moment that I started reading, I was hooked. The relationship between Arthur and Clio is beautiful. Their love for each other is so special. I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a wonderful fantasy that has an intriguing storyline and characters. She gets taken by him and things get interesting but there are things she doesn’t know and things start happening. They have an attraction and have to figure things out together!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed the story and the main characters. Would have loved to hear a bit more about Roland and May but hopefully in the future as we learn all about the 2 kingdoms. Do not like the title at all. I almost didn’t read the book. But I’m glad I read it because I really fell into the pages of this story and I’m looking forward to more.
This was definitely an engaging enemies to lovers, slow burn story with two very strong, opinionated main characters. Clio is brave, Arthur is broody but they are both stubborn! There was a good amount of world building and I was intrigued to see how it would differ from Alexa's Forbidden Royal Mates series (which I loved). I look forward to reading the next in the series!
Great book. I love Alexa Ashe books. She does a great job and the dual POV is always appreciated. This book was great. Awesome read always. Great world building great characters.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Thus was a 3.5 for me. I didn't love it but also didn't hate. It was just a little bland and then the big battle was chaotic and unresolved. The love was sweet but a lot of telling how they felt instead of just showing and letting that be enough.
She has been taken and is now his captive. She should be scared of him but she also feels drawn to him and his strong body. Her life seems to be torn between freedom and him but she is unsure what to do. Will she try to escape? Will she stay? How will she decide what to do? See how she decides