What do you think?
Rate this book
Prisoner
Nothing about the situation made sense!
Julia loved living in Rome. And in her job as companion to Christina, the daughter of a wealthy Italian businessman, she had adjusted to the elaborate security precautions surrounding them.
The kidnapping, when it came, was not exactly unexpected. What was surprising was the fact that though both girls were captured, it was Julia they were concerned about holding.
Most surprising of all was the captor, Raphael--a charming, attractive, sophisticated man, who did not conceal his feelings for Julia and who, under other circumstances, Julia knew she could have loved ....
Julia loved living in Rome. And in her job as companion to Christina, the daughter of a wealthy Italian businessman, she had adjusted to the elaborate security precautions surrounding them.
The kidnapping, when it came, was not exactly unexpected. What was surprising was the fact that though both girls were captured, it was Julia they were concerned about holding.
Most surprising of all was the captor, Raphael--a charming, attractive, sophisticated man, who did not conceal his feelings for Julia and who, under other circumstances, Julia knew she could have loved ....
188 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 1986
2 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa James
23 books41 followersaka Sally Beauman
Sally Kinsey-Miles graduated from Girton College, Cambridge (MA in English Literature) She married Christopher Beauman an economist. After graduating, she moved with her husband to the USA, where she lived for three years, first in Washington DC, then New York, and travelled extensively. She began her career as a journalist in America, joining the staff of the newly launched New York magazine, of which she became associate editor, and continued to write for it after her return to England. Interviewed Alan Howard for the Telegraph Magazine in 1970 in an article called 'A Fellow of Most Excellent Fancy'. (Daily Telegraph Supplement, May 29th.) Apparently a very long interview. The following year they met again, and the rest is history. After a long partnership Sally and Alan married in 2004. She has one son, James, and one grandchild.
Sally had a distinguished career as a journalist and critic, winning the Catherine Pakenham Award for her writing, and becoming the youngest-ever editor of Queen magazine (now Harper’s & Queen). She has contributed to many leading newspapers and magazines in both the UK and the USA, including the Daily Telegraph ( from 1970-73 and 1976-8 she was Arts Editor of the Sunday Telegraph Magazine), the Sunday Times, Observer, Vogue, the New York Times and the New Yorker. She also wrote nine Mills & Boon romances under the pseudonym Vanessa James, before publishing her block-buster novel Destiny in 1987 under her real name. It was her article about Daphne du Maurier, commissioned by Tina Brown, and published in The New Yorker in November 1993, which first gave her the idea for writing Rebecca de Winter’s version of events at Manderley – an idea that subsequently became the novel, Rebecca’s Tale. In 2000 she was one of the Whitbread Prize judges for the best novel category.
Sally Kinsey-Miles graduated from Girton College, Cambridge (MA in English Literature) She married Christopher Beauman an economist. After graduating, she moved with her husband to the USA, where she lived for three years, first in Washington DC, then New York, and travelled extensively. She began her career as a journalist in America, joining the staff of the newly launched New York magazine, of which she became associate editor, and continued to write for it after her return to England. Interviewed Alan Howard for the Telegraph Magazine in 1970 in an article called 'A Fellow of Most Excellent Fancy'. (Daily Telegraph Supplement, May 29th.) Apparently a very long interview. The following year they met again, and the rest is history. After a long partnership Sally and Alan married in 2004. She has one son, James, and one grandchild.
Sally had a distinguished career as a journalist and critic, winning the Catherine Pakenham Award for her writing, and becoming the youngest-ever editor of Queen magazine (now Harper’s & Queen). She has contributed to many leading newspapers and magazines in both the UK and the USA, including the Daily Telegraph ( from 1970-73 and 1976-8 she was Arts Editor of the Sunday Telegraph Magazine), the Sunday Times, Observer, Vogue, the New York Times and the New Yorker. She also wrote nine Mills & Boon romances under the pseudonym Vanessa James, before publishing her block-buster novel Destiny in 1987 under her real name. It was her article about Daphne du Maurier, commissioned by Tina Brown, and published in The New Yorker in November 1993, which first gave her the idea for writing Rebecca de Winter’s version of events at Manderley – an idea that subsequently became the novel, Rebecca’s Tale. In 2000 she was one of the Whitbread Prize judges for the best novel category.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 4, 2016
Re Prisoner - This one requires a huge suspension of disbelief. If you can make it past that wall and the fact that the romance is very much an insta-lust thing, this is a very dramatic book.
The h is in Italy doing Italian translations and takes a job with an old friend of her father's escorting his rambunctious 15 going on 45 daughter around to various cultural sites in Rome. The babysitting job is a way to earn a bit extra so she can stay on in Italy. The girl's family is very rich and there is a lot of security measures as the h is repeatedly warned about kidnapping attempts.
The 15 yr. old also has a brother who is very enamored of the h. She really wants nothing to do with him, but he is in puppy love and he plots with his sister to get the h alone. She completely tells him off. The 15 yr old is shocked that the h would tell her brother off, but she does promise to behave better now that she understands the h isn't an evil tart golddigger. Unfortunately the girl's reformation comes a little too late when she and the h are kidnapped.
The h had thought someone was following her around, but she couldn't pinpoint anything and so while she reported her suspicions to the local police, not much could be done. The h assumes that they are after her charge and she tries to figure out a way to get them both out of what looks like a bad situation.
One of the kidnappers is a very handsome man who accuses the h of all sorts of promiscuous things and makes her write a letter to her estranged mother and stepfather to try and get a ransom out of them. The h explains that they will have more luck with her charge's father, but the man doesn't want to hear it.
Then the h makes an escape attempt that fails, one of the other kidnappers is very violent about this and the lead man kicks him out. The h is starting to feel an attraction to the lead man and it seems that feeling is returned.
There is some kissing and some passion and finally the lead man tells her he will release the girl if she will marry him. The h agrees and they are married and the girl is removed from the h's presence. A journalist friend of the lead man shows up but the h doesn't take the opportunity to let him know she being held hostage. Something about the man she is marrying is preventing her from seeing him punished.
The h manages to escape the next morning and realizes too late that she loves her kidnapper. She calls her charge's father after visiting the police, but he is acting very strange and agrees to meet with her. Then she sees a newspaper and finds out that her charge was released the evening she married her kidnapper. When the father shows up, he brushes off the entire incident, givse the h a huge check and tells her to leave the country.
The h figures something is very wrong and is set to go back to England, but she has to write one last letter to her husband saying she regretted not verbalizing her feelings for him. She also calls and leaves a message of goodbye with his mother.
The h wants the letter delivered by a friend she can trust. She goes over to his (her friend's) flat to leave the letter with him, but when she gets there she is attacked by the other kidnapper. The H comes in to save her from violent assault and she is saved in the nick of time.
Let the explanations begin.
The h had made a lot of acquaintances during her time in Italy and a lot of them were male. That, plus the fact that the babysitted girl's brother was all ready to break off his arranged marriage/business merger to be with the h made the woman's family call the wealthy H in to arrange the h's kidnapping. She was set up because the brother told everyone he was going to marry the h- even though she never went out with him or encouraged him.
The H married her because her escape attempt impressed him, she turned out not to be a gold digger and he wanted the brother to be aware that the h was now out of bounds. He tells the h that he fell in love with her, and supposedly she loved him back and they will now be married together for the HEA.
Even when I first read this one, the story did not sit well. Robyn Donald'sPrince of Lies (Dangerous Liaisons) and Tiger Eyes and Penny Jordan's Desire's Captive also have the kidnapee falling in love with the kidnapper trope-- to much better effect IMO.
But then all three of those books really build the relationship between the couple, so it was feasible that a real love affair could happen, especially when the finer details are added - like those H's weren't going to harm the h and in two cases were actually rescuing her by being an inside plant.
(Tiger's Eyes has the h kidnapped by the H cause she won't tell him where his brother is.)
This one had almost no build up of h and H relationship, except he stalked her for weeks at his wealthy friend's request. The story goes from the h being afraid they were going to be killed and offering anything up to and including her body to be released or at least for the kidnapper to let the 15 yr old go, to the h being wildly in love and the kidnapper feeling the same. I just couldn't get past the disbelief factor, even back in the 80's kidnapping was serious and most of the time it did not end well for the kidnapee and there was a definite threat of death in tone of this one.
The phrase Stockholm syndrome comes to mind, and that is compounded when you add in the h's aloneness in a foreign country and her complete lack of anger or really much of a response when she finds out this whole thing was done because of a young man's foolish infatuation that she had thoroughly shot down.
Especially when no one in either family even bothered to talk to her - at the very least the father of the young man could have given the h a check and sent her home. Instead the whole incident is written off as the instigators being Italian and inclined to intrigue, drama and passion and the h accepts this without a qualm or a protest - there should have been a lot more anger on the h's part, her passive acceptance just did not fit her character.
I like VJ but this one was not a win, the suspense was excellent but the love story to balance it was non-existent. Frankly while that emo angst drama works well for Penny Jordan- her h's are neurotic anyway, so no one was surprised when she married her kidnapper- it did not seem in character for this h, who was pretty rational and resolute in a very dangerous situation.
Also, there should have been a big redemption scene from the H. Saving the h from a violent attacker that he put into her radius just wasn't good enough to get us to a believable HEA. There should have been more relationship between the H and h to make this work and VJ just did not have the page count or the scenes set to do so.
The h is in Italy doing Italian translations and takes a job with an old friend of her father's escorting his rambunctious 15 going on 45 daughter around to various cultural sites in Rome. The babysitting job is a way to earn a bit extra so she can stay on in Italy. The girl's family is very rich and there is a lot of security measures as the h is repeatedly warned about kidnapping attempts.
The 15 yr. old also has a brother who is very enamored of the h. She really wants nothing to do with him, but he is in puppy love and he plots with his sister to get the h alone. She completely tells him off. The 15 yr old is shocked that the h would tell her brother off, but she does promise to behave better now that she understands the h isn't an evil tart golddigger. Unfortunately the girl's reformation comes a little too late when she and the h are kidnapped.
The h had thought someone was following her around, but she couldn't pinpoint anything and so while she reported her suspicions to the local police, not much could be done. The h assumes that they are after her charge and she tries to figure out a way to get them both out of what looks like a bad situation.
One of the kidnappers is a very handsome man who accuses the h of all sorts of promiscuous things and makes her write a letter to her estranged mother and stepfather to try and get a ransom out of them. The h explains that they will have more luck with her charge's father, but the man doesn't want to hear it.
Then the h makes an escape attempt that fails, one of the other kidnappers is very violent about this and the lead man kicks him out. The h is starting to feel an attraction to the lead man and it seems that feeling is returned.
There is some kissing and some passion and finally the lead man tells her he will release the girl if she will marry him. The h agrees and they are married and the girl is removed from the h's presence. A journalist friend of the lead man shows up but the h doesn't take the opportunity to let him know she being held hostage. Something about the man she is marrying is preventing her from seeing him punished.
The h manages to escape the next morning and realizes too late that she loves her kidnapper. She calls her charge's father after visiting the police, but he is acting very strange and agrees to meet with her. Then she sees a newspaper and finds out that her charge was released the evening she married her kidnapper. When the father shows up, he brushes off the entire incident, givse the h a huge check and tells her to leave the country.
The h figures something is very wrong and is set to go back to England, but she has to write one last letter to her husband saying she regretted not verbalizing her feelings for him. She also calls and leaves a message of goodbye with his mother.
The h wants the letter delivered by a friend she can trust. She goes over to his (her friend's) flat to leave the letter with him, but when she gets there she is attacked by the other kidnapper. The H comes in to save her from violent assault and she is saved in the nick of time.
Let the explanations begin.
The h had made a lot of acquaintances during her time in Italy and a lot of them were male. That, plus the fact that the babysitted girl's brother was all ready to break off his arranged marriage/business merger to be with the h made the woman's family call the wealthy H in to arrange the h's kidnapping. She was set up because the brother told everyone he was going to marry the h- even though she never went out with him or encouraged him.
The H married her because her escape attempt impressed him, she turned out not to be a gold digger and he wanted the brother to be aware that the h was now out of bounds. He tells the h that he fell in love with her, and supposedly she loved him back and they will now be married together for the HEA.
Even when I first read this one, the story did not sit well. Robyn Donald'sPrince of Lies (Dangerous Liaisons) and Tiger Eyes and Penny Jordan's Desire's Captive also have the kidnapee falling in love with the kidnapper trope-- to much better effect IMO.
But then all three of those books really build the relationship between the couple, so it was feasible that a real love affair could happen, especially when the finer details are added - like those H's weren't going to harm the h and in two cases were actually rescuing her by being an inside plant.
(Tiger's Eyes has the h kidnapped by the H cause she won't tell him where his brother is.)
This one had almost no build up of h and H relationship, except he stalked her for weeks at his wealthy friend's request. The story goes from the h being afraid they were going to be killed and offering anything up to and including her body to be released or at least for the kidnapper to let the 15 yr old go, to the h being wildly in love and the kidnapper feeling the same. I just couldn't get past the disbelief factor, even back in the 80's kidnapping was serious and most of the time it did not end well for the kidnapee and there was a definite threat of death in tone of this one.
The phrase Stockholm syndrome comes to mind, and that is compounded when you add in the h's aloneness in a foreign country and her complete lack of anger or really much of a response when she finds out this whole thing was done because of a young man's foolish infatuation that she had thoroughly shot down.
Especially when no one in either family even bothered to talk to her - at the very least the father of the young man could have given the h a check and sent her home. Instead the whole incident is written off as the instigators being Italian and inclined to intrigue, drama and passion and the h accepts this without a qualm or a protest - there should have been a lot more anger on the h's part, her passive acceptance just did not fit her character.
I like VJ but this one was not a win, the suspense was excellent but the love story to balance it was non-existent. Frankly while that emo angst drama works well for Penny Jordan- her h's are neurotic anyway, so no one was surprised when she married her kidnapper- it did not seem in character for this h, who was pretty rational and resolute in a very dangerous situation.
Also, there should have been a big redemption scene from the H. Saving the h from a violent attacker that he put into her radius just wasn't good enough to get us to a believable HEA. There should have been more relationship between the H and h to make this work and VJ just did not have the page count or the scenes set to do so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2020
Hero Raphael and heroine Julia didn't meet until almost midway into the book. Julia instead spent much of her time with her employer's daughter, Christina; valuable time in which the author squandered in order to establish the story's subplot. The hero did pop in and out briefly in the interim, but he had no speaking lines or interactions with the heroine.
When the protagonists finally did meet Raphael's main interest was in kissing or groping his hostage. Julia loved his attentions despite hating him and barely having had a prior conversation with him, so when she realized she'd fallen in love with Raphael I couldn't believe in this change. It just happened too quickly without much basis to support her turn of heart.
Finally, the reason for Julia's kidnapping was just too ridiculous. The kidnappers could have just talked to Julia beforehand as she acknowledged. Raphael claimed being Italian made them inclined to intrigue, drama, and passion. Thinking with "cold northern logic" just hadn't occurred to them. LOL
The premise of this book had potential, but poor execution hampered the romance.
When the protagonists finally did meet Raphael's main interest was in kissing or groping his hostage. Julia loved his attentions despite hating him and barely having had a prior conversation with him, so when she realized she'd fallen in love with Raphael I couldn't believe in this change. It just happened too quickly without much basis to support her turn of heart.
Finally, the reason for Julia's kidnapping was just too ridiculous. The kidnappers could have just talked to Julia beforehand as she acknowledged. Raphael claimed being Italian made them inclined to intrigue, drama, and passion. Thinking with "cold northern logic" just hadn't occurred to them. LOL
The premise of this book had potential, but poor execution hampered the romance.
June 17, 2016
Clear case of Stockholm syndrome. The hostages exhibited a shocking attitude considering they were threatened, abused, and feared for their lives for over a week. Julia “bonded” emotionally with their captor and she protected him against the police. I don't care if he was the most gorgeous man ever lived or he was richer than Croesus.. in my opinion he was a thug. Don't even start me on Julia's employer or what a scumbag he was.
May 2, 2020
Nothing about the situation made sense!
Julia loved living in Rome. And in her job as companion to Christina, the daughter of a wealthy Italian businessman, she had adjusted to the elaborate security precautions surrounding them.
The kidnapping, when it came, was not exactly unexpected. What was surprising was the fact that though both girls were captured, it was Julia they were concerned about holding.
Most surprising of all was the captor, Raphael--a charming, attractive, sophisticated man, who did not conceal his feelings for Julia and who, under other circumstances, Julia knew she could have loved ...
Julia loved living in Rome. And in her job as companion to Christina, the daughter of a wealthy Italian businessman, she had adjusted to the elaborate security precautions surrounding them.
The kidnapping, when it came, was not exactly unexpected. What was surprising was the fact that though both girls were captured, it was Julia they were concerned about holding.
Most surprising of all was the captor, Raphael--a charming, attractive, sophisticated man, who did not conceal his feelings for Julia and who, under other circumstances, Julia knew she could have loved ...
June 3, 2020
Review based on re-read:
This was one of my favorite romance books when I first started reading them, 20 something years ago. It's been at least 15 years since my last read of it, and my how things have changed. If I were reading it today for the first time, I would have probably gone with 3 stars. I'm keeping my 5 star rating because that's what I felt when I first read it.
This was one of my favorite romance books when I first started reading them, 20 something years ago. It's been at least 15 years since my last read of it, and my how things have changed. If I were reading it today for the first time, I would have probably gone with 3 stars. I'm keeping my 5 star rating because that's what I felt when I first read it.
July 18, 2024
Lol. What did I just read..? Vanessa J is a talented writer and the book is well written and you’re hooked in by the first few pages. But. Then it’s a totallll let down of very weird circumstances that make no sense.
You’d really have to be on some mighty stuff to believe this ridiculous trope. I was just mad cuz the writer took her sweet time delaying the most mediocre reveal ever. What was the point of fancy words and harbored feelings when it’s all a sham of a show.
A very ridiculous Stockholm syndrome scenario. I’d say not bother with this book unless you really are stuck on an island and that’s all you got. The H could’ve been more realistically romantic but instead he behaved like a groping teen who had no control and desperately needed a lay. This wasn’t the beginning of a sweet consuming love but extremely petty and distasteful insta loving. To be honest even Alexa Riley would be mortified here. What was wrong with this grown a$$ man.
So this is more of a rant and not a review. I put an extra 🌟 in for VJ cuz she doesn’t disappoint often. But this is more of a 1.5.
As for spoilers, I almost thought the H was the h’s step dad’s son. Or Christina’s brother’s fiancé’s brother/cousin. So freakin random. Go figure and happy reading 😵💫
You’d really have to be on some mighty stuff to believe this ridiculous trope. I was just mad cuz the writer took her sweet time delaying the most mediocre reveal ever. What was the point of fancy words and harbored feelings when it’s all a sham of a show.
A very ridiculous Stockholm syndrome scenario. I’d say not bother with this book unless you really are stuck on an island and that’s all you got. The H could’ve been more realistically romantic but instead he behaved like a groping teen who had no control and desperately needed a lay. This wasn’t the beginning of a sweet consuming love but extremely petty and distasteful insta loving. To be honest even Alexa Riley would be mortified here. What was wrong with this grown a$$ man.
So this is more of a rant and not a review. I put an extra 🌟 in for VJ cuz she doesn’t disappoint often. But this is more of a 1.5.
As for spoilers, I almost thought the H was the h’s step dad’s son. Or Christina’s brother’s fiancé’s brother/cousin. So freakin random. Go figure and happy reading 😵💫
September 27, 2014
3.5 stars, maybe 4 if I'd been in a different mood. Living in today's world, with terrorism and violent kidnappings, it's a little hard to view this premise as romantic. I couldn't help but think that the hero's advances early in the kidnapping would seem creepy and a real kidnapping victim would be terrified of rape, not aroused. But, the story was decent and I liked the hints we got of the hero's feelings. I think in another mood I might have liked this one more.
November 20, 2014
3.5 STARS
This book had a way better plot than most Harlequins and some action
Though, I have to say, the reason for the hero kidnapping the heroine could've been resolved without an actual kidnapping
Very dramatic and unnecessary but it added to the story
This book had a way better plot than most Harlequins and some action
Though, I have to say, the reason for the hero kidnapping the heroine could've been resolved without an actual kidnapping
Very dramatic and unnecessary but it added to the story
November 16, 2022
When you've been kidnapped in Italy, beaten unconscious, threatened with a gun and harbor a certainty that you are on the cusp of being tortured and murdered... obviously you're gonna gush over that fine silk Channel blouse (omg giiiirl it's sooooo fashionable) and undress for a totes lush bath and makeup session in the bathroom attached to the room you're locked in. Right? And sure the guy who kidnapped you thinks you're nothing more than a filthy whore, utterly below his contempt... but giiiiirl his hair is so thick (siiiigh)
February 22, 2013
Two words...Hot Mess
March 20, 2013
Vanessa James has become one of my absolutely favorite authors within two books. She is definitely close to Penny Jordan in writing skill. I can't wait to read more by her.
July 23, 2023
"Prisoner" is the story of Julia and Raphael.
This is one of those insanely absurd books that you have to read to believe.
The heroine is a super stunning woman, who works as a chaperone/ nanny for a billionaire's daughter. She is hounded daily by unwanted attention, yet is devoted to her job.
Things take a turn when she and her ward are both kidnapped! She soon realizes, that she might have been the target all along, and her captor is quite taken with her..
If you are obsessed with HQN romances like me, you'd figure out the big reveal midway. Hero kidnapping the heroine for his own "purposes", is insanely obsessed with her and her charms, her trying to escape yet getting married to him.. it was all silly fun. My only grudge is that the heroine forgave way too soon, I needed more grovel but guess she was in LURVEEE...
Safe
4/5
This is one of those insanely absurd books that you have to read to believe.
The heroine is a super stunning woman, who works as a chaperone/ nanny for a billionaire's daughter. She is hounded daily by unwanted attention, yet is devoted to her job.
Things take a turn when she and her ward are both kidnapped! She soon realizes, that she might have been the target all along, and her captor is quite taken with her..
If you are obsessed with HQN romances like me, you'd figure out the big reveal midway. Hero kidnapping the heroine for his own "purposes", is insanely obsessed with her and her charms, her trying to escape yet getting married to him.. it was all silly fun. My only grudge is that the heroine forgave way too soon, I needed more grovel but guess she was in LURVEEE...
Safe
4/5
June 23, 2024
"Nothing about this situation made sense" says the blurb, and I for one do not disagree with this description. Julia and the mature 15 year old Italian girl she's being companion to are kidnapped and held in assorted luxury accommodation (complete with perfectly fitting wardrobes of designer clothes) by a man calling himself Raphael Pierangeli. The whole thing was odd and as I don't really like kidnapping plots I'm not really sure why I read this.
August 11, 2018
I am disappointed of the reason for kidnapping. The whole book not until the last pages I thought its because of the revenge against our heroin or something much more deeper. But, well, it was a nice read though.
April 24, 2024
This book has everything:
Kidnapping ✅
People with too much money and not enough accountability ✅
Betraying body syndrome ✅
And last but not least
Characters who actions are consistently inconsistent ✅
Kidnapping ✅
People with too much money and not enough accountability ✅
Betraying body syndrome ✅
And last but not least
Characters who actions are consistently inconsistent ✅
August 11, 2020
Engaging
January 21, 2025
Wow, this is a different sort of storyline - it's got a totally strange vibe to it, but I rather loved it. The heroine is 22, works in Rome, is beautiful, independent and rather nice, but somewhat feisty. The hero is brooding, confident, gorgeous and clearly crazy about her. I don't want to put in any spoilers as it's nice to have the story unfold. Lovely ending.
4 1/2 stars
4 1/2 stars
February 29, 2016
excellent read ...suspension of disbelief heavily required
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews