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Captive At Her Enemy's Command
The man she loves to hate
…is the only man she wants!
Stranded in Italy, Katie Whittaker is horrified when sexy security billionaire Jared Caine rescues her. After humiliatingly rejecting innocent Katie years before, he’s as complicated and brooding as ever. To protect Katie, Jared demands she stay at his luxury villa. But as sexual tension builds, will the temptation to finally succumb to their burning attraction be too much to resist?
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2018
51 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Rice
600 books412 followersMy name's Heidi Rice, I'm a USA Today Bestselling author. I'm married with two sons (which gives me rather too much of an insight into the male psyche!).
I love my job because it involves sitting down at my computer and getting swept up in a world of high emotions, sensual excitement, funny feisty women, sexy tortured men and glamourous locations where laundry doesn't exist ...
I also tutor a 14-week in-depth online Write a Romance Novel course. So, if you have ever wanted to learn how to write romance from a bestselling author, check it out here: www.profwritingacademy.com/course/wri...
Now I believe wholeheartedly that readers should give honest and open reviews on Goodreads and Amazon and elsewhere. If you didn't like a book you are entitled to say so (even if it's mine! ouch). But you may notice that none of my book reviews are less than four-stars. That's simply because as an author myself I know how pathetically sensitive I am about bad reviews and with that in mind I prefer to spread the love among other authors — and don't do public reviews of books I didn't like. Just thought I'd clarify that!
You can find out about my latest releases and all my other books at www.heidi-rice.com
I love my job because it involves sitting down at my computer and getting swept up in a world of high emotions, sensual excitement, funny feisty women, sexy tortured men and glamourous locations where laundry doesn't exist ...
I also tutor a 14-week in-depth online Write a Romance Novel course. So, if you have ever wanted to learn how to write romance from a bestselling author, check it out here: www.profwritingacademy.com/course/wri...
Now I believe wholeheartedly that readers should give honest and open reviews on Goodreads and Amazon and elsewhere. If you didn't like a book you are entitled to say so (even if it's mine! ouch). But you may notice that none of my book reviews are less than four-stars. That's simply because as an author myself I know how pathetically sensitive I am about bad reviews and with that in mind I prefer to spread the love among other authors — and don't do public reviews of books I didn't like. Just thought I'd clarify that!
You can find out about my latest releases and all my other books at www.heidi-rice.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 9, 2018
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The heroine Katherine is the younger sister of Megan, the heroine from The Virgin's Shock Baby. The H Jared, is best friends with Megan's husband Dario. Both Katie and Jared had been introduced in The Virgin's Shock Baby. This novel begins 5 years after their initial meeting in that novel. Katie is a more assertive woman when compared to Megan. She's a free spirited artist who loves to paint but she also has a lot of emotional turmoil that's linked to her late mother's promiscuous public image. Katie had met Jared 5 yrs ago when Dario had assigned him to be her bodyguard during the tumultuous period after her father ( who's not her biological dad ) had assaulted Megan. The then 19 yr old Katie had developed a massive infatuation for the studly Jared Caine and had made a clumsy attempt to seduce him. Jared, out of loyalty to Dario, had rebuffed her advances and this had been their last encounter until they meet at the start of this novel.
Both MC's are plagued with terrible emotional and psychological issues. Katie's biggest fear is that she will turn out to be a "worthless whore" like her late mom, because that's the accusation her "father" used to throw in her face. Jared's problems have a more darker origin: He'd been physically abused by his stepfather when he was a child: when he was 11 yrs old, his stepfather had taken him to see a Yankees baseball game and afterwards escorted him to an abandoned room in a slum area and told him he needed to earn his keep by having sex with men. The 11 yr old H had refused and the stepfather had punished him by stubbing out lighted cigarette butts on his forearms. The nasty evil bastard kept the little boy locked in that room for 4 days without food and would only return to beat him. On the 4th day, the vile motherf****r returned with another man and this pedophile animal raped the starved and weak little boy. Jared was left alone in the room again but after the rape he managed to escape and was then placed into a series of foster homes.
Jared is such a tortured soul that he is unable to forge any lasting connections with other people. The only person he trusts is Dario, the H from The Virgin's Shock Baby, because the latter had saved him when he was a homeless teenager. At the start of this novel, Katie is stranded in Sorrento Italy after she's been mugged by 2 teenagers. Dario sends Jared to locate her and keep her safe until she can get a replacement passport. The MC's are still attracted to each other but neither is, at first, willing to make the first move. Katie is afraid of rejection and Jared doesn't want to become involved with her since she's Dario's sister in law. When they eventually make love, Katie is filled with hope but Jared keeps pushing her away. I really felt sorry for them because they're both damaged souls who really need each other but they're too afraid to try. Katie is the one who is willing to try but Jared is too afraid to love because he cannot allow himself to be vulnerable to another person again.
They part ways after they return to New York from Capri and Katie spends a lot of time working on a painting of Jared. The H is also missing her but he has gone off to his cottage in Vermont where he can brood in splendid isolation. It's Megan, Katie's sister, who finally encourages the heroine to go and see Jared. I am not usually a fan of story lines where the heroine goes after the H but this specific situation was an exception. I think when a woman truly loves a man and knows that he is tortured and suffering because of his emotional burdens, then there's nothing demeaning or wrong with her going after him. Love means knowing when to put aside one's pride and allow a little humility to step in sometimes. Katie's love for Jared allowed her to do this, especially after Megan hinted to her that the H was dealing a lot of F up childhood issues that tormented him. I applauded Katie's decision to break the impasse and go to Jared, because the H was really in a terrible state when she eventually found him alone in that cottage.
The scene at the cottage was so sad that it almost made me cry. Jared really loved Katie but the abused little boy who lives inside of him is afraid to be happy. The last time Jared had been truly happy had been that day when he had gone to the Yankees baseball game and that happiness had been crushed in the most cruel way. He's afraid to let his happiness depend on another person and this was so sorrowful. This story line necessitated an ending where it was the heroine who made that first move to help heal the man she loves. Jared is filled with self loathing because he still feels dirty after his childhood rape ordeal. He tells Katie that he is not good enough for her:
“I want to love you,” he said. “But what if I’m not capable of love?”
She could hear his fear and suddenly she knew that a part of the young boy who had seen the best day of his life turn into the worst still lurked inside him. That he was scared to grab the golden ring in case it turned to dust in his hands.
But the only way to make the fear go away was by showing him he had the power to defeat it.
“Don’t you see? Just wanting to love me is enough,” she said. “If you’re ready to stop running and try. Are you?”
In the epilogue, we are told that the MC's have been together for a year and have been living at his apartment for 6 months. It was a realistic epilogue because it showed that they needed time together to learn about each other before embarking on something as permanent as marriage. Jared wants to propose but is still afraid she might say no. After some manly bonding with Dario, Jared lets go of his anxiety and makes a cute but clumsy proposal to Katie. The heroine also reveals her own little secret to him: her news that they're expecting a child. I loved seeing Megan and Dario in the epilogue as well, because these two also reveal that they're going to be having a 3rd child.
Both MC's are plagued with terrible emotional and psychological issues. Katie's biggest fear is that she will turn out to be a "worthless whore" like her late mom, because that's the accusation her "father" used to throw in her face. Jared's problems have a more darker origin: He'd been physically abused by his stepfather when he was a child: when he was 11 yrs old, his stepfather had taken him to see a Yankees baseball game and afterwards escorted him to an abandoned room in a slum area and told him he needed to earn his keep by having sex with men. The 11 yr old H had refused and the stepfather had punished him by stubbing out lighted cigarette butts on his forearms. The nasty evil bastard kept the little boy locked in that room for 4 days without food and would only return to beat him. On the 4th day, the vile motherf****r returned with another man and this pedophile animal raped the starved and weak little boy. Jared was left alone in the room again but after the rape he managed to escape and was then placed into a series of foster homes.
Jared is such a tortured soul that he is unable to forge any lasting connections with other people. The only person he trusts is Dario, the H from The Virgin's Shock Baby, because the latter had saved him when he was a homeless teenager. At the start of this novel, Katie is stranded in Sorrento Italy after she's been mugged by 2 teenagers. Dario sends Jared to locate her and keep her safe until she can get a replacement passport. The MC's are still attracted to each other but neither is, at first, willing to make the first move. Katie is afraid of rejection and Jared doesn't want to become involved with her since she's Dario's sister in law. When they eventually make love, Katie is filled with hope but Jared keeps pushing her away. I really felt sorry for them because they're both damaged souls who really need each other but they're too afraid to try. Katie is the one who is willing to try but Jared is too afraid to love because he cannot allow himself to be vulnerable to another person again.
They part ways after they return to New York from Capri and Katie spends a lot of time working on a painting of Jared. The H is also missing her but he has gone off to his cottage in Vermont where he can brood in splendid isolation. It's Megan, Katie's sister, who finally encourages the heroine to go and see Jared. I am not usually a fan of story lines where the heroine goes after the H but this specific situation was an exception. I think when a woman truly loves a man and knows that he is tortured and suffering because of his emotional burdens, then there's nothing demeaning or wrong with her going after him. Love means knowing when to put aside one's pride and allow a little humility to step in sometimes. Katie's love for Jared allowed her to do this, especially after Megan hinted to her that the H was dealing a lot of F up childhood issues that tormented him. I applauded Katie's decision to break the impasse and go to Jared, because the H was really in a terrible state when she eventually found him alone in that cottage.
The scene at the cottage was so sad that it almost made me cry. Jared really loved Katie but the abused little boy who lives inside of him is afraid to be happy. The last time Jared had been truly happy had been that day when he had gone to the Yankees baseball game and that happiness had been crushed in the most cruel way. He's afraid to let his happiness depend on another person and this was so sorrowful. This story line necessitated an ending where it was the heroine who made that first move to help heal the man she loves. Jared is filled with self loathing because he still feels dirty after his childhood rape ordeal. He tells Katie that he is not good enough for her:
“I want to love you,” he said. “But what if I’m not capable of love?”
She could hear his fear and suddenly she knew that a part of the young boy who had seen the best day of his life turn into the worst still lurked inside him. That he was scared to grab the golden ring in case it turned to dust in his hands.
But the only way to make the fear go away was by showing him he had the power to defeat it.
“Don’t you see? Just wanting to love me is enough,” she said. “If you’re ready to stop running and try. Are you?”
In the epilogue, we are told that the MC's have been together for a year and have been living at his apartment for 6 months. It was a realistic epilogue because it showed that they needed time together to learn about each other before embarking on something as permanent as marriage. Jared wants to propose but is still afraid she might say no. After some manly bonding with Dario, Jared lets go of his anxiety and makes a cute but clumsy proposal to Katie. The heroine also reveals her own little secret to him: her news that they're expecting a child. I loved seeing Megan and Dario in the epilogue as well, because these two also reveal that they're going to be having a 3rd child.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2018
I had a hard time connecting to the hero and heroine and their connection. I have a feeling it’s me, not you. Too many heroes behaving badly and badly done angst in a row for me. I need a lighthearted one or else just exceptional.
Maybe later.
Maybe later.
March 29, 2018
Rating this one a 3.5
I enjoyed this for the first third of the book but the middle dragged a little for me. Last half was good as well.
I found the heroine likable enough but did struggle with how long it took for her to "find" herself and a purpose.
Hero was fairly well developed. At time he seemed to blow hot and cold though.
Relationship could have used a little more openness and honesty IMHO.
All around good read though.
I enjoyed this for the first third of the book but the middle dragged a little for me. Last half was good as well.
I found the heroine likable enough but did struggle with how long it took for her to "find" herself and a purpose.
Hero was fairly well developed. At time he seemed to blow hot and cold though.
Relationship could have used a little more openness and honesty IMHO.
All around good read though.
August 7, 2018
Triggers: domestic violence, abuse of a child, rape of a child
Heroine was 19 when she met the security guard tycoon hero. She tried to seduce him on the eve of her father's trial for beating her sister. (This is a sequel to The Virgin's Shock Baby) Hero was tempted, but heroine was too young and vulnerable.
Fast forward five years. Heroine has been robbed while painting and backpacking her way across Italy. Heroine's sister and billionaire brother-in-law have called on the hero to find her. She is resentful and bratty. He is resigned to taking care of her for four days until her new passport is issued.
The sexual tension explodes and virgin heroine finally gets her very damaged man. A few twists and turns later an HEA with a proposal and a pregnancy in the epilogue.
I could only give this two stars because the hero's backstory was so horrific and came too close to the end of the story that the HEA was overshadowed by his long-ago trauma. Heroine was also annoying - especially at the beginning of the story. She really was an ungrateful brat for too many chapters.
I'm really glad the hero is in therapy and I hope the heroine goes, too. They had some real trauma in their lives - the kind that would come out while parenting.
Heroine was 19 when she met the security guard tycoon hero. She tried to seduce him on the eve of her father's trial for beating her sister. (This is a sequel to The Virgin's Shock Baby) Hero was tempted, but heroine was too young and vulnerable.
Fast forward five years. Heroine has been robbed while painting and backpacking her way across Italy. Heroine's sister and billionaire brother-in-law have called on the hero to find her. She is resentful and bratty. He is resigned to taking care of her for four days until her new passport is issued.
The sexual tension explodes and virgin heroine finally gets her very damaged man. A few twists and turns later an HEA with a proposal and a pregnancy in the epilogue.
I could only give this two stars because the hero's backstory was so horrific and came too close to the end of the story that the HEA was overshadowed by his long-ago trauma. Heroine was also annoying - especially at the beginning of the story. She really was an ungrateful brat for too many chapters.
I'm really glad the hero is in therapy and I hope the heroine goes, too. They had some real trauma in their lives - the kind that would come out while parenting.
March 15, 2018
3.75 stars
Having liked The Virgin's Shock baby and with Megan and Dario being one of my favourites, also having felt the sexual tension between Megan's outspoken sister Katie and Dario's best friend, Jared Caine, at that little court scene in the book, I was eagerly awaiting for this book about the two.
It was a nice read and I liked both Jared and Katie, but initially for nearly one third of the book I felt something missing between them. I didn't feel the gripping tension that should have been there when they meet again after five years considering what happened the last time that they were together. A smitten nineteen year old Katie wanting to show Jared, whom Dario had asked to guard, that she was not the child he thought her to be, seduces him with a kiss that drives him to his knees, but then he remembers she's his best friend's soon to be sister-in-law and snubs her.
Both had a lot of emotional and psychological problems. What Jared went through as a eleven year old was horrifying Since he's wakes up with nightmares whimpering and screaming on a regular basis, he doesn't sleep with anyone and doesn't do permanency. His answer to everything was only sex, which at times didn't sit well with me.
Katie's issues I felt were all in her head and of her own making. I felt she was unnecessarily being harsh on herself. I couldn't understand why she felt she's inherited her mother's slutty gene just because she kissed Jared and was finding it difficult to bridle her sexual urges where he's concerned when she's managed to avoid having sex with men before. Moreover, I get that her defiant behaviour growing up was because her father kept telling her she was like her wild and promiscuous mother, who died with her lover in a car crash when Katie was just a baby, but I couldn't understand the reason behind her wild reckless behavior like dancing on table tops and getting arrested for and many more citations and fines after his imprisonment, not once or twice but for four and a half years, in the bargain dragging her family's name into the mud --the only family she has is her sister and brother-in-law and their children all who love her and care for her-- especially when she doesn't want to be like her ill-reputed mother. So, I was very confused with her behaviour and thoughts initially.
Nevertheless, I'm glad she was able to sort herself out, visit her mother's grave and forgive her mother and that she took the initiative to go to Jared --helped and advised by Megan-- and confess her love for him and also tell him she was ready to help him overcome his fear of being incapable of love if he was willing to take it.
"Don’t you see? Just wanting to love me is enough,” she said. “If you’re ready to stop running and try. Are you?”
It was a risky question. Their whole future rested on the answer, but the euphoria and hope built in her chest because she could already see the answer in his eyes as he studied her.
“I’m not sure I have a choice,” he murmured. “Because the one thing I am sure of is I’m not strong enough to walk away from you again.”
I also liked the epilogue. It showed how they'd worked out their issues in the past one year and were now confident about their relationship.
So while I had a bit of a problem initially getting into the characters and the story, I quite liked the latter half of the book. Definitely one of the better recent HPs. Liked seeing Dario and Megan, settled into domesticity with two kids and one on the way. I missed little Isabella though. Recalled her scene in the epilogue where she has Dario wrapped around her little finger even as a new born
Having liked The Virgin's Shock baby and with Megan and Dario being one of my favourites, also having felt the sexual tension between Megan's outspoken sister Katie and Dario's best friend, Jared Caine, at that little court scene in the book, I was eagerly awaiting for this book about the two.
It was a nice read and I liked both Jared and Katie, but initially for nearly one third of the book I felt something missing between them. I didn't feel the gripping tension that should have been there when they meet again after five years considering what happened the last time that they were together. A smitten nineteen year old Katie wanting to show Jared, whom Dario had asked to guard, that she was not the child he thought her to be, seduces him with a kiss that drives him to his knees, but then he remembers she's his best friend's soon to be sister-in-law and snubs her.
Both had a lot of emotional and psychological problems. What Jared went through as a eleven year old was horrifying Since he's wakes up with nightmares whimpering and screaming on a regular basis, he doesn't sleep with anyone and doesn't do permanency. His answer to everything was only sex, which at times didn't sit well with me.
Katie's issues I felt were all in her head and of her own making. I felt she was unnecessarily being harsh on herself. I couldn't understand why she felt she's inherited her mother's slutty gene just because she kissed Jared and was finding it difficult to bridle her sexual urges where he's concerned when she's managed to avoid having sex with men before. Moreover, I get that her defiant behaviour growing up was because her father kept telling her she was like her wild and promiscuous mother, who died with her lover in a car crash when Katie was just a baby, but I couldn't understand the reason behind her wild reckless behavior like dancing on table tops and getting arrested for and many more citations and fines after his imprisonment, not once or twice but for four and a half years, in the bargain dragging her family's name into the mud --the only family she has is her sister and brother-in-law and their children all who love her and care for her-- especially when she doesn't want to be like her ill-reputed mother. So, I was very confused with her behaviour and thoughts initially.
Nevertheless, I'm glad she was able to sort herself out, visit her mother's grave and forgive her mother and that she took the initiative to go to Jared --helped and advised by Megan-- and confess her love for him and also tell him she was ready to help him overcome his fear of being incapable of love if he was willing to take it.
"Don’t you see? Just wanting to love me is enough,” she said. “If you’re ready to stop running and try. Are you?”
It was a risky question. Their whole future rested on the answer, but the euphoria and hope built in her chest because she could already see the answer in his eyes as he studied her.
“I’m not sure I have a choice,” he murmured. “Because the one thing I am sure of is I’m not strong enough to walk away from you again.”
I also liked the epilogue. It showed how they'd worked out their issues in the past one year and were now confident about their relationship.
So while I had a bit of a problem initially getting into the characters and the story, I quite liked the latter half of the book. Definitely one of the better recent HPs. Liked seeing Dario and Megan, settled into domesticity with two kids and one on the way. I missed little Isabella though. Recalled her scene in the epilogue where she has Dario wrapped around her little finger even as a new born
March 7, 2018
Sweet romance with 2 likable characters.
March 9, 2018
so far the best HP of the month! my heart broke for the poor hero :( I am so happy he found love and peace with the heroine ♡
December 12, 2020
3.5 stars
He is older and a "tough" man; she is much younger and tried to seduce him (....) a few years ago; she was rejected, of course, so she wants to have nothing to do with him.
Unfortunately, he has been tasked to protect her: she is alone in a foreign country, documents and money stolen - she is forced to live in his villa and the UNTHINKABLE happens!
Loads of angst, passion, push and pull - good read!
He is older and a "tough" man; she is much younger and tried to seduce him (....) a few years ago; she was rejected, of course, so she wants to have nothing to do with him.
Unfortunately, he has been tasked to protect her: she is alone in a foreign country, documents and money stolen - she is forced to live in his villa and the UNTHINKABLE happens!
Loads of angst, passion, push and pull - good read!
March 7, 2021
I gave up reading at the end of chapter 4. The hero kept pushing away the heroine and it got tiresome. He was the perfect feminist hero and he bored me. I didn't feel a chemistry between the hero & heroine...sure she had a teenage crush on the hero then kept distancing herself from him which annoyed me. I wanted to see them grow closer, I didn't want to read about her pleasuring herself alone in her bedroom. There was also too much time spent on childhood drama...all that could've been dealt with in therapy so the focus of this romance could be on building the ROMANCE between the hero and heroine.
Last, the clinical description of the heroine's sexual organ was...clinical and cold...this is a romance not a medical text book. I do miss the interesting way old school romance writers described how a heroine's body reacted to the hero's body.
Last, the clinical description of the heroine's sexual organ was...clinical and cold...this is a romance not a medical text book. I do miss the interesting way old school romance writers described how a heroine's body reacted to the hero's body.
August 17, 2018
When blazing blue eyes meet glowing green ones
Sparks are bound to fly
The Whittaker Sisters Duology by Heidi Rice regales you with the tale of Megan and Katherine Whittaker, who meet their respective partners courtesy the very hateful antagonist Mr. Whittaker, their father.
The story of Megan and Dario is there in The Virgin's Shock Baby while Katie and Jared find their own space in Captive At Her Enemy's Command.
Synopsis:
The prologue describes the events from the first book, but this time, it is from the younger Whittaker sister, Katherine's viewpoint.
And then, when the book starts like this … 'Please don’t die…please don't die'. One really feels like 'dying to read it'!
The story then starts five years after the incidents of the previous book, and takes forward the story of Katie, now all grown up, and stranded on the Amalfi Coast one adventurous evening with only a box of paints, gifted by Megan, to keep her company. And in comes Jared Caine to rescue her, the one and only introduced to the readers in the first book. Katie, with an independent streak, and all of twenty-four years now, wants to make it on her own. The story is about Jared and Katie's unfurling desire for each other as they are kind of forced to share the premises due to the circumstances they find themselves stuck in. How both of them rise from their respective pasts and insecurities to form a beautiful unit is what forms the rest of the story.
Review:
One certainly draws parallels between the two sisters, as Megan's story also started when she was twenty-four, and the somewhat similar happenings with Katie. But, Dario-Megan butting in throughout this book at almost every turn stole a bit of Jared-Katie's thunder and rendered their chemistry unviable. And however vague the remembrances, Katie tying up her behaviour with her mother's, her inadequacies/insecurities in relation to that became major highlights of the story. The sisterly bond is something! And that almost made me jealous (on account of not having experienced such a beautiful relationship), the way the author has defined the beloved siblings was just a pleasure to read. The introduction to Megan's second kid Arturo is adorable! And Jared's horrifying past really makes you cry for him, for the little boy who had to go through such trauma at that young age. And of course, who can forget the motorbike, it plays such an important role in the seduction, and sensuality of the whole story:-
And coming back to Jared and Katie, they had a relation which took quite a long time to take off but that is a given considering their traumatic/broken pasts. But eventually they do find a wonderful life together, and it is for the reader to see how they reach that pinnacle!
And in the epilogue, loved reading about their announcements (by their, I mean Megan and Katie), and the sweet ending!
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/201...
Sparks are bound to fly
The Whittaker Sisters Duology by Heidi Rice regales you with the tale of Megan and Katherine Whittaker, who meet their respective partners courtesy the very hateful antagonist Mr. Whittaker, their father.
The story of Megan and Dario is there in The Virgin's Shock Baby while Katie and Jared find their own space in Captive At Her Enemy's Command.
Synopsis:
The prologue describes the events from the first book, but this time, it is from the younger Whittaker sister, Katherine's viewpoint.
And then, when the book starts like this … 'Please don’t die…please don't die'. One really feels like 'dying to read it'!
The story then starts five years after the incidents of the previous book, and takes forward the story of Katie, now all grown up, and stranded on the Amalfi Coast one adventurous evening with only a box of paints, gifted by Megan, to keep her company. And in comes Jared Caine to rescue her, the one and only introduced to the readers in the first book. Katie, with an independent streak, and all of twenty-four years now, wants to make it on her own. The story is about Jared and Katie's unfurling desire for each other as they are kind of forced to share the premises due to the circumstances they find themselves stuck in. How both of them rise from their respective pasts and insecurities to form a beautiful unit is what forms the rest of the story.
Review:
One certainly draws parallels between the two sisters, as Megan's story also started when she was twenty-four, and the somewhat similar happenings with Katie. But, Dario-Megan butting in throughout this book at almost every turn stole a bit of Jared-Katie's thunder and rendered their chemistry unviable. And however vague the remembrances, Katie tying up her behaviour with her mother's, her inadequacies/insecurities in relation to that became major highlights of the story. The sisterly bond is something! And that almost made me jealous (on account of not having experienced such a beautiful relationship), the way the author has defined the beloved siblings was just a pleasure to read. The introduction to Megan's second kid Arturo is adorable! And Jared's horrifying past really makes you cry for him, for the little boy who had to go through such trauma at that young age. And of course, who can forget the motorbike, it plays such an important role in the seduction, and sensuality of the whole story:-
'He felt so sure and solid and unyielding, as if he were a Roman God and she were being kidnapped on the back of his winged horse.'
And coming back to Jared and Katie, they had a relation which took quite a long time to take off but that is a given considering their traumatic/broken pasts. But eventually they do find a wonderful life together, and it is for the reader to see how they reach that pinnacle!
'From their sparring matches five years ago, he knew her default position was mouthy and it was better not to engage.'
And in the epilogue, loved reading about their announcements (by their, I mean Megan and Katie), and the sweet ending!
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/201...
March 8, 2020
Heidi Rice is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. Her prose is articulate, emotional and descriptive, and her characters are well developed and engaging. Her stories rattle along at a great pace and keep me engaged to the last page. This one is no exception and I found the emotions in this book beautifully realised and the love story was so fabulous that I wanted to read it all over again as soon as I had finished. I loved meeting the h/H from the first book and I loved the epilogue which brought them all together. I totally recommend both books.
September 24, 2018
Brilliant! Absolutely fascinating! Two tormented protagonists. Jared and Katherine had the 'hots' for each since she was 19 years old. However Jared rejected her advances and she had been nursing the rejection ever since. Jared was a rough edged hero, he protected her without beguiling words nor seductive or manipulative planning unlike other HPs. Both H and h were frank, straightforward and didn't mince words. The angst was equal to their primitive passion. They were both vulnerable to their respective past, each had an innocent child in fear and yearned for protection they never came when they needed it most. They complimented each other well. He was the master of security and she was the mistress of impulsivness.....I enjoyed it! This is one of the very few books where a reader can see how much their passion for each other was a connection and not just enjoyment but souls joining.
January 1, 2020
I can't handle a young boy of eleven being raped as his parent/step parent whored him out. It just happened once but that was quite enough. It made me sick to my stomach as he told of how painful the rape was. I didn't need to be anymore depressed than I already was!
This is too far out of my wheelhouse!
In good conscious I could never recommend this book to anyone.
This is too far out of my wheelhouse!
In good conscious I could never recommend this book to anyone.
April 16, 2018
Good, interesting, enjoyable read, I Loved the chemistry/interaction between Katie and Jared. It is an emotional romance keeps you interested, with Katie helping Jared to deal with abuse at a young age and they heal each other. This is a keeper, I will read again.
April 30, 2018
I enjoyed this book about Katie and Jared. It was a conclusion of what happened to Katie after her sister found her HEA. Worth the read. I really did enjoy and now may need to look up the 1st book and refresh my memory. Enjoy the book.
July 11, 2021
Los protagonistas son Jared y Katie,
Ambos vienen por distintas causas de una infancia infeliz, y no creen en el amor para toda la vida, pero por las circunstancias, tienen que pasar 4 días juntos.
Me gustó la historia, es un romance corto, con un final feliz garantizado.
Ambos vienen por distintas causas de una infancia infeliz, y no creen en el amor para toda la vida, pero por las circunstancias, tienen que pasar 4 días juntos.
Me gustó la historia, es un romance corto, con un final feliz garantizado.
March 30, 2018
Brilliant
A highly emotional love story , I loved it in fact I had to finish it in one sitting, a must read.
A highly emotional love story , I loved it in fact I had to finish it in one sitting, a must read.
July 25, 2019
There is so much to love about this book! I read both books about the Whittaker sisters back to back so that was also rather enjoyable. Both these MCs have had a really tough upbringing, but the hero's back story is so horrific 😢 my heart was shattered when I read it... so beware of the triggers if you decide to read this. I will most definitely remember this one.
March 19, 2018
Really enjoyable read.
May 22, 2018
Katie Whittkaer has had more than enough rejection in her life. And the fear that she is just like her mother hangs heavy on her heart. Rejected by Jared Caine years ago should have meant the end of things, but there is no getting past the things that Jared stirs within her.
Jared Caine was trying to do the right thing when he rejected the 19-year-old Katie. Beyond being young, the sister-in-law of his best friend, she also stirs emotions in him he knows he is not capable of dealing with. Having the now 24-year-old Katie back in his life, he can not resist the temptation, or the draw to his heart.
Overall the story was OK. I really, really disliked the constant use of crotch in the story. Crotch this, crotch that. There really are lot of of there terms that can be used that would reflect better on the story.
Jared Caine was trying to do the right thing when he rejected the 19-year-old Katie. Beyond being young, the sister-in-law of his best friend, she also stirs emotions in him he knows he is not capable of dealing with. Having the now 24-year-old Katie back in his life, he can not resist the temptation, or the draw to his heart.
Overall the story was OK. I really, really disliked the constant use of crotch in the story. Crotch this, crotch that. There really are lot of of there terms that can be used that would reflect better on the story.
May 3, 2018
Sequel to The Virgin's Shock Baby by Heidi Rice, this is the story of Katie Whittaker, sister to Megan the h from the first book. It starts out with Katie stranded after being mugged and is then "rescued" by Jared Caine, security expert and close friend of her brother-in-law. Katie has had a crush on Jared since she was 18, but after being rejected by him back then has struggled with her feelings for him. Jared has his own darkness to deal with and can't afford to have any feelings toward the sister-in-law of his best friend.
I thought this book was OK, but nothing really engaging.
Oh, and the title stinks!!!! He wasn't her enemy and really wasn't a captive!
I thought this book was OK, but nothing really engaging.
Oh, and the title stinks!!!! He wasn't her enemy and really wasn't a captive!
June 17, 2018
Despite the title of this book being misleading I did enjoy this story - it sounds as though she has been kidnapped by say the person wrongly accused of killing her mum/best friend/ pet dog?? When actually her Brother in Law has sent his head of security to get her out of a jam which truth be told he needed his help.
October 1, 2021
Well is in the middle... you can read this book in less than two hours maybe for an afternoon having tea and having a good time. Of course, there are attitudes within the protagonists are sometimes immature who can fix themselves by talking about their problems, but they don't, it seems that everything is solved with sex.
June 18, 2020
This story is decent. Was shocked to learn that the hero was violated when he was a kid, poor boy. I never get the heroine's intention on staying away from her family, her sister and her brother-in-law.
September 30, 2024
Books where men are mean to women because they can’t say how they feel grate me :(
November 5, 2022
loved jared and his intensity......better of the duet series, MCs are great together after they start talking...
April 12, 2018
3.5 Star Review at HarlequinJunkie.com
A few years ago Jared Caine rejected her, but now he’s coming to her rescue again when her brother-in-law decides she needs saving again. However, he’s determined to keep his distance while Katie Whittaker is determined to finally get the man she wants. Will Katie be able to convince Jared that he deserves to be happy, or will his past demons keep them apart? Read More
hq-to-read
June 9, 2021The man she loves to hate…
…is the only man she wants!
Stranded in Italy, Katie Whittaker is horrified when sexy security billionaire Jared Caine rescues her. After humiliatingly rejecting innocent Katie years before, he’s as complicated and brooding as ever. To protect Katie, Jared demands that she stay at his luxury villa. But as sexual tension builds will the temptation finally to succumb to their burning attraction be too much to resist…?
…is the only man she wants!
Stranded in Italy, Katie Whittaker is horrified when sexy security billionaire Jared Caine rescues her. After humiliatingly rejecting innocent Katie years before, he’s as complicated and brooding as ever. To protect Katie, Jared demands that she stay at his luxury villa. But as sexual tension builds will the temptation finally to succumb to their burning attraction be too much to resist…?
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