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Captive of Sin
Captive of Sin is Anna Campbell's latest romance about two tortured souls who, despite the odds, find a once-in-a-lifetime love. When Sir Gideon Trevithick vows to protect a defiant beauty whatever the cost, he’s dismayed to discover that she’s none other than Lady Charis Weston, England’s wealthiest heiress—and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself!
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2009
60 people are currently reading
1067 people want to read
About the author
Anna Campbell
91 books1,573 followersI've written 53 bestselling historical romances: 11 multi-award winning books for Hachette Grand Central Publishing and Avon HarperCollins, and more than 40 as an independently published author, These include my popular series The Sons of Sin (6 books), The Dashing Widows (7 books), The Lairds Most Likely (10 books), A Scandal in Mayfair (4 books), and Scoundrels of Mayfair (4 books). My new series, Cinderellas of Mayfair, launched with Sir Hugo Seeks a Wife in 2025.
When I'm not touring the world seeking inspiration for my passionate stories, I live on the beautiful east coast of Australia.
I've always been a voracious reader and I delve into many different genres, as you'll see if you check out my books list. Favorite authors include Dorothy Dunnett, Elly Griffiths, K.J. Charles, and Loretta Chase.
My website is http://www.annacampbell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacampbell...
Twitter: AnnaCampbellOz
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Campbell/...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-...
I love to hear from readers and you can contact me on AnnaCampbellOz@hotmail.com
When I'm not touring the world seeking inspiration for my passionate stories, I live on the beautiful east coast of Australia.
I've always been a voracious reader and I delve into many different genres, as you'll see if you check out my books list. Favorite authors include Dorothy Dunnett, Elly Griffiths, K.J. Charles, and Loretta Chase.
My website is http://www.annacampbell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacampbell...
Twitter: AnnaCampbellOz
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Campbell/...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-...
I love to hear from readers and you can contact me on AnnaCampbellOz@hotmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
January 22, 2022
Aargh! Don't you hate when there's no epilogue? Why do authors do that? Or rather, don't do it?
Anyway, I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book but the middle was meh. In the beginning I thought the heroine was super strong and mature due to horrible things that has happened to her. But as soon as she fell in love, which was super quickly, I thought her quite childish. And the inner monologs were tedious.
The hero has had an incredibly hard life and is unable to move past his torments. It was nice seeing him overcoming it, even if his story was horrible.
Here they talk about a crumbling house in need of love, and I would have loved to see it being restored. But no, we spent a lot of time on their honeymoon. I know some things were important, but I rather my books be half the plot and half the romance and not only the couples sexual life. It was so heavy on that that I started to lose my interest. It only came back in the end and I am frustrated without an epilogue.
It was by no means a bad book, specially if you like a lot of spicy. It just failed to deliver what was a spectacular beginning.
Anyway, I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book but the middle was meh. In the beginning I thought the heroine was super strong and mature due to horrible things that has happened to her. But as soon as she fell in love, which was super quickly, I thought her quite childish. And the inner monologs were tedious.
The hero has had an incredibly hard life and is unable to move past his torments. It was nice seeing him overcoming it, even if his story was horrible.
Here they talk about a crumbling house in need of love, and I would have loved to see it being restored. But no, we spent a lot of time on their honeymoon. I know some things were important, but I rather my books be half the plot and half the romance and not only the couples sexual life. It was so heavy on that that I started to lose my interest. It only came back in the end and I am frustrated without an epilogue.
It was by no means a bad book, specially if you like a lot of spicy. It just failed to deliver what was a spectacular beginning.
December 14, 2009
I don’t know why the books featuring “Gideon” often turned out to be 4 – 5* winners for me (even tho’ the hero’s name is far from my “Fav names” list), e.g., Amanda Quick = Ravished – 5* ; Jane Feather = The bride hunt - 4* ; Anne Gracie = The perfect rake – 5*). COS is no exception. Mayhap ‘cuz I tend to gravitate towards dark, brooding, taciturn, tortured, spy hero who has survived unspeakable horrors, has to constantly battle his inner demons upon his return to human race, blessed w/ a talent for foreign language, is over-protective of the damsel in distress, thinks he should keep heroine @ foot's length, tries to send her away for her own good (why do dudes always think they know what’s best for their chicks ?) & is afflicted w/ a triple whammy (agoraphobia, claustrophobia & PTSD). I wanted to take Gideon into my flat bosom & never let go. I luved Charis’ unconditional love & steely determination to seduce & weaken his seemingly-impenetrable barricade. It’s prolly my 2nd or 3rd fav book of the year, after Meredith Duran = Written on your skin. I was once again hypnotized by AC’s evocative prose. She just can’t write a bad book IMHO. This was definitely what “To desire a devil” shoulda been. The execution is the difference here. H/H meet from the 1st page & spend almost the entire book together (except for a v. brief separation). Bonus points for internal conflicts (I just adore heroes who acutely feel their unworthiness & fear of hurting their heroines) & evolving relationship. I could see why they gradually fall in luv as they get to know each other, even tho’ Charis has luved him from the start & keeps telling him to free himself from his inner guilt for having survived his ordeal when his comrades have perished. Her healing touch is exactly what he needs even if none of the doctors have prescribed luvmaking as a surefire remedy. He keeps backing away from her pursuing love but despite his resistance, he finally comes to terms w/ his feelings. His heroic deeds have catapulted him into a national celebrity status, he chafes @ his label but is not above using it when it comes in handy in protecting Charis. He inspires admiration & loyalties from his BFF & inferiors for his bravery during his harrowing captivity (I’d need lifelong therapy if that were me) & who could blame Charis for developing a case of hero-worship for the martyr-like chap. I was captivated by the beautiful portrayal of Gideon’s inner struggle & sexual healing. Aside from Gideon’s dubious miracle, the intense, perilous journey towards HEA simply wowed me. AC sure does know how to pen the best tortured H/H in romancelandia.
On a side note, I was kinda bummed when I got my copy in the mail & the last few chapters were damaged by the deluge (been raining like there’s no tomorrow, U’d think the clouds have commuted from Seattle) & sloppy delivery < V shakes grubby paws @ USPS & Mother Nature >, but I was glad it didn’t ruin the entertainment value. Just like the flawed H/H, this physically-flawed copy of mine will stay on my keeper shelves forever =)~
On a side note, I was kinda bummed when I got my copy in the mail & the last few chapters were damaged by the deluge (been raining like there’s no tomorrow, U’d think the clouds have commuted from Seattle) & sloppy delivery < V shakes grubby paws @ USPS & Mother Nature >, but I was glad it didn’t ruin the entertainment value. Just like the flawed H/H, this physically-flawed copy of mine will stay on my keeper shelves forever =)~
October 7, 2010
Out of the four books I’ve read by Anna Campbell I’m two up (way way up!) and two down (deep deep down!). “Captive of Sin” is in with the downs :-/ I hated this book. It is so horribly stale and boring with an irritating try-too-hard gothic feel that it just never worked for me. I think the worst though is that it never ended. It was the same thing rehashed over and over again with annoying characters. The scenes are vivid enough but the whole thing is just at a standstill once you see where the story is supposed to be headed.
It starts out with Charis (whose name bugged me) the heiress who’s on the run from her abusive brothers. They’re forcing her to marry some creep that they owe a truckload of cash to. She refuses and she makes a run for it. So far the story is good. Her escape is way too long though what with the disguises and mishaps and when she meets up with the reclusive Gideon (the hero) it’s downhill from there. Gideon is a much celebrated war hero who suffered unspeakable torture in India. It was so bad that he can’t bear to be touched by anyone so crowds and social settings in general send him over the edge. He tries to help Charis “one dark and stormy night” by offering her protection which she accepts because she doesn’t have much choice. Charis starts to fall for him because she sees him as her savior but he keeps telling her to back off basically because he’s not fit for anyone. She’s going to do her damndest to change that. And the story stops even though you’re only a quarter into it up until the end when he finally accepts her and he deals with his problems.
I’m not a lover of the broken hero who can’t fix himself and this guy is busted up really bad. If you liked Untouched (that’s the other Campbell down for me) you’ll likely enjoy this guy. I’m also not a fan of the hero who regrets going at it with the heroine even if they had a smashing time, even if she likes it and even if they went it at like bunnies in the spring. He kept creating problems thinking she was better off without him so it’s this endless circle of her saying “I can help you” and him “No you can’t”, around and around with the odd intermission because the brothers track them down or he tells his war story.
The heroine is another kind of character I don’t like. She’s a crier, second-guesses herself too much and she’s an idiot as well as one of those women hell bent on fixing the man she loves and insists loves her. Move on! She lived pretty much cut off from the outside world and here she is all knowledgeable with certain things and then a total dolt when it comes to sex, I don’t know but it didn’t work for me. Their “love story” seemed highly unlikely.
Gideon’s story was very moving, the brothers were really mean sobs and like I said the scenery/atmosphere was quite vivid but that’s not enough to hold a book together. As for the steam when it finally makes an appearance it’s endless. I just started skim reading having had enough of all these “extremes of passion”. That’s pretty sad for a romance novel when the plot generally leads up to that part and you’ve usually been waiting for it too. I just didn’t care anymore. It was a “yeah, ok, hurry up already”.It nearly came across as the stereotypical romance novel that’s often made fun of.
So this book is painfully slow, overly dramatic at times and nothing but a chore to read - BUT - I’m not giving up on Anna Campbell because she was a true wizard with her first book Claiming the Courtesan and the genius behind good ol' Justin the Duke of Kylemore :D Go-go Justin, you psycho you ;D (but I digress, I know ;p)
It starts out with Charis (whose name bugged me) the heiress who’s on the run from her abusive brothers. They’re forcing her to marry some creep that they owe a truckload of cash to. She refuses and she makes a run for it. So far the story is good. Her escape is way too long though what with the disguises and mishaps and when she meets up with the reclusive Gideon (the hero) it’s downhill from there. Gideon is a much celebrated war hero who suffered unspeakable torture in India. It was so bad that he can’t bear to be touched by anyone so crowds and social settings in general send him over the edge. He tries to help Charis “one dark and stormy night” by offering her protection which she accepts because she doesn’t have much choice. Charis starts to fall for him because she sees him as her savior but he keeps telling her to back off basically because he’s not fit for anyone. She’s going to do her damndest to change that. And the story stops even though you’re only a quarter into it up until the end when he finally accepts her and he deals with his problems.
I’m not a lover of the broken hero who can’t fix himself and this guy is busted up really bad. If you liked Untouched (that’s the other Campbell down for me) you’ll likely enjoy this guy. I’m also not a fan of the hero who regrets going at it with the heroine even if they had a smashing time, even if she likes it and even if they went it at like bunnies in the spring. He kept creating problems thinking she was better off without him so it’s this endless circle of her saying “I can help you” and him “No you can’t”, around and around with the odd intermission because the brothers track them down or he tells his war story.
The heroine is another kind of character I don’t like. She’s a crier, second-guesses herself too much and she’s an idiot as well as one of those women hell bent on fixing the man she loves and insists loves her. Move on! She lived pretty much cut off from the outside world and here she is all knowledgeable with certain things and then a total dolt when it comes to sex, I don’t know but it didn’t work for me. Their “love story” seemed highly unlikely.
Gideon’s story was very moving, the brothers were really mean sobs and like I said the scenery/atmosphere was quite vivid but that’s not enough to hold a book together. As for the steam when it finally makes an appearance it’s endless. I just started skim reading having had enough of all these “extremes of passion”. That’s pretty sad for a romance novel when the plot generally leads up to that part and you’ve usually been waiting for it too. I just didn’t care anymore. It was a “yeah, ok, hurry up already”.It nearly came across as the stereotypical romance novel that’s often made fun of.
So this book is painfully slow, overly dramatic at times and nothing but a chore to read - BUT - I’m not giving up on Anna Campbell because she was a true wizard with her first book Claiming the Courtesan and the genius behind good ol' Justin the Duke of Kylemore :D Go-go Justin, you psycho you ;D (but I digress, I know ;p)
April 4, 2016
Priča počinje sa heroinom, Lady Charis Weston, u begu od njene brutalne polubraće, koji su pokušali da je slome da prihvati bračnu ponudu jednog od njihovih saradnika. Pretučena i očajna, Lady Charis nailazi na heroja, Sir Gideona Trevithicka koji se nedavno vratio u Englesku nakon godina provedenih u službi Istočno Indijske Kompanije. Gideon je izdržao pakleno mučenje u službi i proglašen vitezom za svoju hrabrost, međutim on sebe nikako ne vidi kao heroja.
Za Lady Charis, Gidion je njen princ na belom konju, častan muškarac koji joj nudi zaštitu i utočište od njene polubraće. Gidionu je Charis podsetnik na sve što on ne može imati, tako fizički i psihički uništen. On će učiniti sve da je zaštiti dok ona ne napuni 21 i dobije svoje nasledstvo - sve, uključujući i brak, ali samo na papiru.
Završila sam knjigu u par sati, zaista sam uživala u ovoj priči.
Topla preporuka svim ljubiteljima istorijske romanse. :)
Za Lady Charis, Gidion je njen princ na belom konju, častan muškarac koji joj nudi zaštitu i utočište od njene polubraće. Gidionu je Charis podsetnik na sve što on ne može imati, tako fizički i psihički uništen. On će učiniti sve da je zaštiti dok ona ne napuni 21 i dobije svoje nasledstvo - sve, uključujući i brak, ali samo na papiru.
Završila sam knjigu u par sati, zaista sam uživala u ovoj priči.
Topla preporuka svim ljubiteljima istorijske romanse. :)
June 11, 2025
Captive of Sin is the first book of Anna Campbell that I absolutely enjoyed and devoured. The premise is very interesting, with Lady Charis running away from her evil stepbrothers and stumbling on Sir Gideon, a hero of the realm who decides to be Charis's defendor even though he has his own demons to battle: namely, he can't touch another human without getting violently ill. With the evil stepbrothers in tow, the only solution they have for Charis to keep her fortune is for the two of them to marry, something Charis isn't as reluctant as you'd think since she's very attracted to Gideon from the beginning. But then, she has no idea what Gideon's demons are...
I really loved this book, especially after those two decide to get married. The fight against Gideon's inner demons seemed way more plausible than the way Hoyt approached the same subject in Wicked Intentions, even if after the bumpy beginning, Gideon's transformation happened much faster than I would have expected. But I loved the chemistry between those two and both their characters tremendously, so it didn't much affect my overall appreciation of the book.
The ending however was a little too fairytale-ish for my taste as well as .
Still, it's one of the rare historicals I've enjoyed reading so much lately, where the heroes talk like men and not besotted fools, where the heroines don't go jumping on handsome bachelors' beds without second thought and where the characters' actions actually fit their personality and were compatible with their way of thinking. Tight plot and beautiful writing make this a must read for romance readers looking for something darker in their fare IMHO.
I really loved this book, especially after those two decide to get married. The fight against Gideon's inner demons seemed way more plausible than the way Hoyt approached the same subject in Wicked Intentions, even if after the bumpy beginning, Gideon's transformation happened much faster than I would have expected. But I loved the chemistry between those two and both their characters tremendously, so it didn't much affect my overall appreciation of the book.
The ending however was a little too fairytale-ish for my taste as well as .
Still, it's one of the rare historicals I've enjoyed reading so much lately, where the heroes talk like men and not besotted fools, where the heroines don't go jumping on handsome bachelors' beds without second thought and where the characters' actions actually fit their personality and were compatible with their way of thinking. Tight plot and beautiful writing make this a must read for romance readers looking for something darker in their fare IMHO.
November 24, 2009
Lady Charis Weston is England’s wealthiest heiress. Seems there are a lot of these woman heiresses in regency England, who although obscenely wealthy, are on the run from some family member who wants to kill them for their fortune. In Charis’s case she’s hiding from her horrid, abusive step brothers who have beat her into near submission. They want to gain her fortune for their own means and try and force Charis to marry a man they owe a great deal of money to. All this must happen before her twenty-first birthday in three weeks when she will finally have access to her inheritance. Charis is able to escape from Hubert and Felix, the step brother duo who are oh so powerful. Again, it seems there are many of these evil powerful gentlemen also running around England hurting young women of various means.
Charis is hiding in a stable in the middle of winter and found by a stranger who frightens her because as he sits high upon his beast of a horse, she thinks he could either send her back to her step brothers or rape her. The gentleman concerned for this shivering and scared woman is Gideon Trevithick who has returned from India where he worked for the East India Company because of his talent in speaking many languages. But that’s not all, for Gideon was also a type of spy. Yes, yet another English gentlemen who’s a spy, but at least on another continent and not as a part of some underground London order where they wear robes, masks and hum the words, “Om”. At twenty-five Gideon has been through many unspeakable things, one-hundred times worse from what Charis has suffered. Something happened in India that makes Gideon standoffish and cold and even after he aids Charis, with the help of his friend Akash, Charis still feels Gideon will harm her. She lies and gives them a fake name and says she was set upon by ruffians and now is on her way to her aunt. Gideon doesn’t believe a word and because Charis is so fragile and bruised, he will protect her from whoever wants to harm her.
A few times Charis runs away but Gideon is able to catch her without ever laying a hand on her. Because she has no funds and knows her actions are desperate and foolish, she accepts Gideon’s offer of sanctuary after she tells him about her birthday deadline and what her step brothers forced upon her. Gideon wants Charis close, but not too close because for her to touch him is torture. Gideon cannot stand the touch of another even if it’s Charis who he’s falling in love with. Charis is annoyed that Gideon runs so hot and cold. He always wears black gloves and anytime she comes too close or lays a hand on him, he asks disgusted and becomes enraged. She begins to question her own appeal as a woman because she wants to be close to Gideon even though he keeps his distance and acts as if her touch makes him sick.
Each day closer to Charis’s birthday is very welcomed, but then Hubert and Felix come to Gideon’s estate because there are witnesses that place Charis with Gideon after he saved her from a group of nasty men. Gideon is a hero in the eyes of the people of England and keeping Charis a secret can’t last and he may end up arrested. Gideon has a solution to Charis’s problems that will test his endurance and means letting go of his unfortunate past and those memories in India where he feels like less than a man.
Captive of Sin has a feel of a luscious and all consuming romance. Unfortunately, I found it hollow and flat. Charis’s too stupid to live actions and Gideon’s growling one minute, protective and kind nature the next made my head spin. Nothing says cliché like a historical romance where you have the heroine scared of the hero from the beginning, but then suddenly out of the blue on page 36, for no reason I can think of, Charis forms lusty feelings for Gideon who almost made her faint in fear, and not because of the abuse she sustained from her one-dimensional villainous step brothers. Charis can’t understand her own strange attraction she now has for Gideon. Could it be because he rescued her from “discovery and disaster”? Or maybe it’s his regard towards her, where he’s full of desire, with his “carved saint” look and his “burning eyes that have no sanctity but are filled with suppressed passion, pain and anger”? As I read this passage, the song “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry ran through my head and stuck with me for the next 350 pages or so.
Gideon has all the attributes of a tortured hero who longs for touch and love. I felt the build up of passion between Gideon and Charis was too cut and dry. Not enough long stares or pleas were found within these two and I couldn’t find any emotional connection on my end. Even when Gideon and Charis have that moment of clarity, where everything comes together, I still felt something was missing.
I will give Anna Campbell credit for writing some really hot love scenes and she is still one historical romance author I turn to because her writing does grab you even though her characters may not. Not every author can have a winning book every time and Captive of Sin is such a book.
Charis is hiding in a stable in the middle of winter and found by a stranger who frightens her because as he sits high upon his beast of a horse, she thinks he could either send her back to her step brothers or rape her. The gentleman concerned for this shivering and scared woman is Gideon Trevithick who has returned from India where he worked for the East India Company because of his talent in speaking many languages. But that’s not all, for Gideon was also a type of spy. Yes, yet another English gentlemen who’s a spy, but at least on another continent and not as a part of some underground London order where they wear robes, masks and hum the words, “Om”. At twenty-five Gideon has been through many unspeakable things, one-hundred times worse from what Charis has suffered. Something happened in India that makes Gideon standoffish and cold and even after he aids Charis, with the help of his friend Akash, Charis still feels Gideon will harm her. She lies and gives them a fake name and says she was set upon by ruffians and now is on her way to her aunt. Gideon doesn’t believe a word and because Charis is so fragile and bruised, he will protect her from whoever wants to harm her.
A few times Charis runs away but Gideon is able to catch her without ever laying a hand on her. Because she has no funds and knows her actions are desperate and foolish, she accepts Gideon’s offer of sanctuary after she tells him about her birthday deadline and what her step brothers forced upon her. Gideon wants Charis close, but not too close because for her to touch him is torture. Gideon cannot stand the touch of another even if it’s Charis who he’s falling in love with. Charis is annoyed that Gideon runs so hot and cold. He always wears black gloves and anytime she comes too close or lays a hand on him, he asks disgusted and becomes enraged. She begins to question her own appeal as a woman because she wants to be close to Gideon even though he keeps his distance and acts as if her touch makes him sick.
Each day closer to Charis’s birthday is very welcomed, but then Hubert and Felix come to Gideon’s estate because there are witnesses that place Charis with Gideon after he saved her from a group of nasty men. Gideon is a hero in the eyes of the people of England and keeping Charis a secret can’t last and he may end up arrested. Gideon has a solution to Charis’s problems that will test his endurance and means letting go of his unfortunate past and those memories in India where he feels like less than a man.
Captive of Sin has a feel of a luscious and all consuming romance. Unfortunately, I found it hollow and flat. Charis’s too stupid to live actions and Gideon’s growling one minute, protective and kind nature the next made my head spin. Nothing says cliché like a historical romance where you have the heroine scared of the hero from the beginning, but then suddenly out of the blue on page 36, for no reason I can think of, Charis forms lusty feelings for Gideon who almost made her faint in fear, and not because of the abuse she sustained from her one-dimensional villainous step brothers. Charis can’t understand her own strange attraction she now has for Gideon. Could it be because he rescued her from “discovery and disaster”? Or maybe it’s his regard towards her, where he’s full of desire, with his “carved saint” look and his “burning eyes that have no sanctity but are filled with suppressed passion, pain and anger”? As I read this passage, the song “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry ran through my head and stuck with me for the next 350 pages or so.
Gideon has all the attributes of a tortured hero who longs for touch and love. I felt the build up of passion between Gideon and Charis was too cut and dry. Not enough long stares or pleas were found within these two and I couldn’t find any emotional connection on my end. Even when Gideon and Charis have that moment of clarity, where everything comes together, I still felt something was missing.
I will give Anna Campbell credit for writing some really hot love scenes and she is still one historical romance author I turn to because her writing does grab you even though her characters may not. Not every author can have a winning book every time and Captive of Sin is such a book.
December 21, 2023
Dit is het 4e boek van deze schrijfster wat ik gelezen heb en het heeft weer - nu zelfs 2 - hoofdpersonen die lichamelijk en/of geestelijk misbruikt zijn , het maakt haar verhalen vrij duister .
Maar ook dit verhaal is zeer origineel , net als de vorige 3 , en is goed geschreven .
January 12, 2010
60% *slightly* above average writing, 40% overblown melodrama. It's a shame, really. This had the potential to be great, but the prose is so eye-rollingly over the top corny, I could barely read most of it with a straight face. A tortured hero with a martyr complex meets a doormat heroine, and love miraculously, incredibly, conspicuously, conquers ALL. It has some very well-written moments, but there's just not enough substance there to overcome the silly, melodramatic prose.
Grade: C+
Sensuality Rating: R
Grade: C+
Sensuality Rating: R
September 14, 2011
This author really had something in this book: a tormented hero - with a really original affliction - and a strong heroine that confronted her problems. Whenever there was the two of them, I forgot about the cookie cutter villains, the asinine plot, the over the top prose, the bad editing or the author's predilection for her thesaurus (tocsin? cicatrices?)
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anybody who likes angst in their stories...but I think this book could have been so much more.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anybody who likes angst in their stories...but I think this book could have been so much more.
January 3, 2016
I'm a sucker for a tortured soul story, but with this book I got more than I bargained for. I wish the recovery was done a little slowly and there really was no need for the kidnapping bit at the end. Still, this was a good book and I was invested in the character's happy-ever-after.
August 13, 2016
Kitaba tek kelimeyle BAYILDIM.
October 31, 2018
Neden son okuduğum historicallar beni bir türlü tatmin etmiyor?
March 14, 2016
I wavered between 2 stars and 3 stars for this book but decided on 3 stars in the end to pay respect to Anna Campbell's writing.
Anna Campbell has a style, like many of the writers. At the end of the days a review becomes very much a reader's response to a writer's distinctive style. Anna Campbell favors sexually denied heroes and heroines and the Cornish storms often play as a catalyst for passion in her stories.
By default I do not respond well to stories which center around sex. Not that I am pining for clean romance, but I tend to lose interest easily if the focal point/major conflict of the relationship is about sex. Gideon is the sexually deprived hero to Charis's damsel in distress. That pretty much sums up the entire book. Charis was running away from her evil stepbrothers. Gideon saved her and ended up being attracted to her. But poor Gideon suffered greatly in India and could not tolerate being touched by other humans. Now now, he saved a beautiful woman in need of a hero. A marriage of convenience, must consummate marriage so that damsel was no longer a virgin. Poor Gideon, what to do, what to do?
This book reminds me The Highwayman, by Kerrigan Byrne, which everybody loved and I hated. Not that they are very similar but the heroes suffer from the same predicament: they had suffered greatly in life and could not tolerate human touch. And I raised the same question when I read The Highwayman: so if he didn't want people to touch him, how did he manage intercourse? Call me an unromantic, but the practical woman in me wants to know: how, dude? Maybe it seems incredibly romantic to others that a guy would deny himself carnal pleasures because of some phobia, could only liberate himself with the heroine. Well, it doesn't do anything for me.
Nothing romantic happened in the first 50%. It was setting up for the inevitable marriage of convenience. Charis's trouble came to light. Gideon gallantly offered to marry her but refused to be a real husband, citing his "problems". It all seemed rather melodramatic to me, I must admit, the conflicts and the emotions, just seemed unreal to me. In the second half it was just a whirlwind of crazy and rather violent sex. A sexually deprived man living in isolation with his temping innocent wife. What could happen, come on, ladies? Rough sex because he was all hot for his bride and did I mention that he had not had sex in a long time?? Then he felt remorse because he felt he had treated his bride like a savage. Wait, but I thought that was supposed to be titillating?
I apologize if I sound bored. But bored I am whenever I read an "erotic" story like this. I understand its appeal to readers who have an appetite for such themes. Erotica has its charms, I am certain. It is just I am not charmed.
Anna Campbell has a style, like many of the writers. At the end of the days a review becomes very much a reader's response to a writer's distinctive style. Anna Campbell favors sexually denied heroes and heroines and the Cornish storms often play as a catalyst for passion in her stories.
By default I do not respond well to stories which center around sex. Not that I am pining for clean romance, but I tend to lose interest easily if the focal point/major conflict of the relationship is about sex. Gideon is the sexually deprived hero to Charis's damsel in distress. That pretty much sums up the entire book. Charis was running away from her evil stepbrothers. Gideon saved her and ended up being attracted to her. But poor Gideon suffered greatly in India and could not tolerate being touched by other humans. Now now, he saved a beautiful woman in need of a hero. A marriage of convenience, must consummate marriage so that damsel was no longer a virgin. Poor Gideon, what to do, what to do?
This book reminds me The Highwayman, by Kerrigan Byrne, which everybody loved and I hated. Not that they are very similar but the heroes suffer from the same predicament: they had suffered greatly in life and could not tolerate human touch. And I raised the same question when I read The Highwayman: so if he didn't want people to touch him, how did he manage intercourse? Call me an unromantic, but the practical woman in me wants to know: how, dude? Maybe it seems incredibly romantic to others that a guy would deny himself carnal pleasures because of some phobia, could only liberate himself with the heroine. Well, it doesn't do anything for me.
Nothing romantic happened in the first 50%. It was setting up for the inevitable marriage of convenience. Charis's trouble came to light. Gideon gallantly offered to marry her but refused to be a real husband, citing his "problems". It all seemed rather melodramatic to me, I must admit, the conflicts and the emotions, just seemed unreal to me. In the second half it was just a whirlwind of crazy and rather violent sex. A sexually deprived man living in isolation with his temping innocent wife. What could happen, come on, ladies? Rough sex because he was all hot for his bride and did I mention that he had not had sex in a long time?? Then he felt remorse because he felt he had treated his bride like a savage. Wait, but I thought that was supposed to be titillating?
I apologize if I sound bored. But bored I am whenever I read an "erotic" story like this. I understand its appeal to readers who have an appetite for such themes. Erotica has its charms, I am certain. It is just I am not charmed.
June 19, 2018
This book reminded me of the last book of Maiden Lane series...where the author tries for a dark and scarred hero but everything seems so contrived and unnatural that you fail to relate to characters. The writing was also very repetitive...I just couldn't understand the hero's reasoning at the end and even the climax was very anticlimactic.
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September 8, 2011
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
I ALWAYS love a dark, brooding, tortured hero and a story with angst and emotions. This book had it all but in so many ways, it went wrong for me that I hardly know where to start. The background and the starting of the book were interesting enough but I didn’t really adore Charis and fell for Gideon. The chemistry between them most of the times felt forced, not something that’s coming from within. I didn’t really think they belong to each-other in that sense. I truly wished this wasn’t the case but in the end, I just couldn’t love the book.
Sir Gideon, 25, has a dark, haunted past. It all happened in India where he worked as a spy and was tortured by the Nawab of Rangapindhi. Man, what he went through, I simply couldn’t stomach the situation. It was too sad; I thought, just too unfair. He was young and brilliant, only about 18 and the studious sort. Some of his interesting abilities such as: to be able to master a language, led one of his professors to refer him for the job. Gideon’s family life was in shambles. His father, like any other wastrel lord, did nothing good and died drunk. His brother, the heir, took the same path. Gideon would’ve loved to know his mother but she died giving birth to him. Poor guy sort of grew up all on his own, always in the scrutiny of his debauched father who thought him a wuss for being interested in books and not drinks and whores, the ‘manly ways’ of life! Anyway, Gideon’s life irrevocably changed in India. Not only had he learned about the wilder sides of life, such as sex but also, to live with danger, in every step of the way. He worked there for quite a long time before he was betrayed and ‘paid’ for a year in a dungeon in Rangapindhi. Now, it’s been a few months that Gideon’s been back in England but he can’t mix with people anymore, he can’t touch anyone without being horribly sick. He was on his way to his childhood home in Cornwall, Penrhyn, when he met Charise.
Charis, an heiress, was running away from her brutal and greedy step-brothers, who were also her legal guardians; until she marries or turns 21. And, she’d be 21 in about three weeks. Her step-brothers just beat her within an inch of her life so that she marries a wastrel and hand her money over to that man and ultimately, to them. Charis was badly wounded but still managed to escape and was trying to get to Portsmouth to hide (I was a bit confused about the great-aunt story, so not sure where) ‘til she turns 21. And, in the inn stable, where she was hiding, is where Gideon comes to her rescue. He and his Indian friend Akash (later known as the Viscount Cranbourne) with the help of Gideon’s man-servant Tulliver, Charis was taken with them. Akash took care of her injuries. (FYI: Akash also took care of Gideon in India, then he met Tulliver on the ship back to England, who’s been taking care of Gideon ever since.) Charis lies to Gideon about her identity and situation, I understood why. But what I didn’t understand that how, in the state she was in, could she start fantasizing about Gideon?! And, it went on for about 1/3 of the book and then it got weird. So, she’s now a bit miffed that Gideon won’t touch her or carry her when she needed to be carried. She tried to runaway once again in Portsmouth, knowing if Gideon learns about the truth, he might become one of those men who turned greedy with the mention of her money. When Charis got herself in trouble, Gideon fights for her which made Charis more intrigued about him.
Meanwhile, Gideon is also attracted to her, despite her bruised face and so on. I don’t know, everything seemed to leap too fast, except the story itself. It dragged on and on; I grew bored at one point because nothing interesting was happening, AT ALL except for Gideon’s rude behavior towards Charis, his rebuffing her attempts to be close and she turning out to be some persistent wench! It’s Gideon she wants, it’s Gideon she’ll have! I should’ve found this interesting but sadly, not in this book. Because of Gideon’s past and his revulsion of human touch, he kept pushing Charis away, even though his body wants her. It’s all psychological. I would’ve applauded Charis’s attempts to reach him but at some point I thought, she should let him be, hoping it’d give him some incentive to think matters through himself. But later on I felt, if Charis gave up, Gideon mightn’t have picked up the gauntlet. And, it’s NOT a very nice situation for a romance novel. I would’ve loved to see him trying to break free of his fears. No, I’m not judging him for what he became; I can’t even begin to imagine the things he’d experienced there but when she’s trying so hard (even went as far as being quite pushy, hiding her embarrassments and humiliations) and if you really want her, why not at least TRY?
But, he didn’t, for a long time. Not even when he proposed a marriage of convenience to save her from her step-brothers, who found out where she was. I didn’t like the conditions he put forth for this marriage. I knew Charis had no other choice and the fact that she’d already fallen in love with him (seriously?! I simply couldn’t believe it and ‘til the end I had this feeling that it was an infatuation) didn’t make it easy for her. She even tells him that, which Gideon dismisses as a case of ‘hero worship’, even though his heart wants it to be true. But, Charis is convinced she’s in love. Me, growing bored and hopeless by the minute! Then they make plans and get away to some other place to get married. Even knowing Gideon’s abominable conditions, Charis went through it. I was seriously curious as to how the wedding night goes. I mean the marriage had to be consummated. Gideon said there’d be this one time and somehow he’d manage. In midst of it, he goes out because he was confused about his ‘performance’ and thought of trying it on a whore! Oh God, if he went through the plan, I would’ve knocked his bon-bons off, really! I didn’t even like this incident. But, the wedding night wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Gideon was feeling sick, yet managed it without hurting Charis much. This little experience made Charis a crazy kitty cat for Gideon, as now she wants more of ‘it’ and him. And she does that, being naked later and making him angry (because he was again trying to ignore his wants and thinking ‘this is for the best’ crap), which incidentally made him forget about his ‘demons’ of the past. In return, she got a ‘royal f*cking’! (...that’s exactly how Gideon phrased it afterwards and man, I loved it! :p). Funny thing is, in neither of the acts, Charis found her release. I’m mentioning it because later on, when she convinces him that this might work (she thinking she’s thought out some ‘miracle’ resolution to his problems and Gideon thinking he might not, after all, resign to a celibate life... oh joy!), Gideon promises to show her all the pleasures he can give. Then it seemed like his troubles went away, at least when it comes to Charis. He could touch her and the two had sex like bunnies for about 2 weeks afterwards *snorts*. No, I found Gideon kinda sexy, even though he’s a bit of a blockhead but his thoughts on ‘this is for the best’ simply made me nuts.
Charis is so in love with her husband and grateful for the privilege of touching him, the fact that she can’t vocalize her feelings was driving her crazy. She’d already said it once and was rejected. She knows he’s a good man, trusts him with all her heart. After everything he’d done for her, how can she not love him? (‘hero worship’, anyone?) Even now, when it seems things are looking better, Gideon keeps his emotions bottled up. Well, you should’ve known that woman! Didn’t you see how he was? I mean, her thoughts and actions, a lot of the times, didn’t cooperate- something that just grated on my nerves. Problem was, I couldn’t even call her TSTL outright because even in all these, some of her of the things she did were commendable. Like, her persistence on winning Gideon; when even I thought at times she should just give him her back, she didn't. It was something of a read!
So when, after this blissful interlude, Gideon went back to his: I should live apart as the original plan and let her f*ck some other guy and live in London because no one would want to live in this Godforsaken Castle with me [note: a castle that overlooks the beautiful Cornish sea]. It’s for the best! crap, I felt like strangling him, seriously! As I mentioned before, I would’ve LOVED to see him TRY and tell her, I want to see how it works between us or something like that. Charis was hurt because, obviously, she didn’t at all expect him to revert back to his original decision. They fight over it, which resulted in a strain in their relationship. On their way to Penrhyn, they were accosted by Charis’s step-brothers. After much shuffling thoughts and word exchanges, Gideon was taken hostage for her money. And, this hostage situation did something for him; Gideon had the time to think and come to terms with his ‘demons’. Finally, when he was rescued, he could let the past go and was able to mix with people around him. The whole thing was supposed to mark a momentous situation for the book but it came too late IMO and I had already lost much of my interest. All those tossing and turning, back and forth, had its toll on me. So later on, I decided on 3 stars because it wasn’t a bad book but just not enough to keep me glued to it. As a whole, I was distracted and annoyed far too many times to have truly enjoyed it.
I ALWAYS love a dark, brooding, tortured hero and a story with angst and emotions. This book had it all but in so many ways, it went wrong for me that I hardly know where to start. The background and the starting of the book were interesting enough but I didn’t really adore Charis and fell for Gideon. The chemistry between them most of the times felt forced, not something that’s coming from within. I didn’t really think they belong to each-other in that sense. I truly wished this wasn’t the case but in the end, I just couldn’t love the book.
Sir Gideon, 25, has a dark, haunted past. It all happened in India where he worked as a spy and was tortured by the Nawab of Rangapindhi. Man, what he went through, I simply couldn’t stomach the situation. It was too sad; I thought, just too unfair. He was young and brilliant, only about 18 and the studious sort. Some of his interesting abilities such as: to be able to master a language, led one of his professors to refer him for the job. Gideon’s family life was in shambles. His father, like any other wastrel lord, did nothing good and died drunk. His brother, the heir, took the same path. Gideon would’ve loved to know his mother but she died giving birth to him. Poor guy sort of grew up all on his own, always in the scrutiny of his debauched father who thought him a wuss for being interested in books and not drinks and whores, the ‘manly ways’ of life! Anyway, Gideon’s life irrevocably changed in India. Not only had he learned about the wilder sides of life, such as sex but also, to live with danger, in every step of the way. He worked there for quite a long time before he was betrayed and ‘paid’ for a year in a dungeon in Rangapindhi. Now, it’s been a few months that Gideon’s been back in England but he can’t mix with people anymore, he can’t touch anyone without being horribly sick. He was on his way to his childhood home in Cornwall, Penrhyn, when he met Charise.
Charis, an heiress, was running away from her brutal and greedy step-brothers, who were also her legal guardians; until she marries or turns 21. And, she’d be 21 in about three weeks. Her step-brothers just beat her within an inch of her life so that she marries a wastrel and hand her money over to that man and ultimately, to them. Charis was badly wounded but still managed to escape and was trying to get to Portsmouth to hide (I was a bit confused about the great-aunt story, so not sure where) ‘til she turns 21. And, in the inn stable, where she was hiding, is where Gideon comes to her rescue. He and his Indian friend Akash (later known as the Viscount Cranbourne) with the help of Gideon’s man-servant Tulliver, Charis was taken with them. Akash took care of her injuries. (FYI: Akash also took care of Gideon in India, then he met Tulliver on the ship back to England, who’s been taking care of Gideon ever since.) Charis lies to Gideon about her identity and situation, I understood why. But what I didn’t understand that how, in the state she was in, could she start fantasizing about Gideon?! And, it went on for about 1/3 of the book and then it got weird. So, she’s now a bit miffed that Gideon won’t touch her or carry her when she needed to be carried. She tried to runaway once again in Portsmouth, knowing if Gideon learns about the truth, he might become one of those men who turned greedy with the mention of her money. When Charis got herself in trouble, Gideon fights for her which made Charis more intrigued about him.
Meanwhile, Gideon is also attracted to her, despite her bruised face and so on. I don’t know, everything seemed to leap too fast, except the story itself. It dragged on and on; I grew bored at one point because nothing interesting was happening, AT ALL except for Gideon’s rude behavior towards Charis, his rebuffing her attempts to be close and she turning out to be some persistent wench! It’s Gideon she wants, it’s Gideon she’ll have! I should’ve found this interesting but sadly, not in this book. Because of Gideon’s past and his revulsion of human touch, he kept pushing Charis away, even though his body wants her. It’s all psychological. I would’ve applauded Charis’s attempts to reach him but at some point I thought, she should let him be, hoping it’d give him some incentive to think matters through himself. But later on I felt, if Charis gave up, Gideon mightn’t have picked up the gauntlet. And, it’s NOT a very nice situation for a romance novel. I would’ve loved to see him trying to break free of his fears. No, I’m not judging him for what he became; I can’t even begin to imagine the things he’d experienced there but when she’s trying so hard (even went as far as being quite pushy, hiding her embarrassments and humiliations) and if you really want her, why not at least TRY?
But, he didn’t, for a long time. Not even when he proposed a marriage of convenience to save her from her step-brothers, who found out where she was. I didn’t like the conditions he put forth for this marriage. I knew Charis had no other choice and the fact that she’d already fallen in love with him (seriously?! I simply couldn’t believe it and ‘til the end I had this feeling that it was an infatuation) didn’t make it easy for her. She even tells him that, which Gideon dismisses as a case of ‘hero worship’, even though his heart wants it to be true. But, Charis is convinced she’s in love. Me, growing bored and hopeless by the minute! Then they make plans and get away to some other place to get married. Even knowing Gideon’s abominable conditions, Charis went through it. I was seriously curious as to how the wedding night goes. I mean the marriage had to be consummated. Gideon said there’d be this one time and somehow he’d manage. In midst of it, he goes out because he was confused about his ‘performance’ and thought of trying it on a whore! Oh God, if he went through the plan, I would’ve knocked his bon-bons off, really! I didn’t even like this incident. But, the wedding night wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Gideon was feeling sick, yet managed it without hurting Charis much. This little experience made Charis a crazy kitty cat for Gideon, as now she wants more of ‘it’ and him. And she does that, being naked later and making him angry (because he was again trying to ignore his wants and thinking ‘this is for the best’ crap), which incidentally made him forget about his ‘demons’ of the past. In return, she got a ‘royal f*cking’! (...that’s exactly how Gideon phrased it afterwards and man, I loved it! :p). Funny thing is, in neither of the acts, Charis found her release. I’m mentioning it because later on, when she convinces him that this might work (she thinking she’s thought out some ‘miracle’ resolution to his problems and Gideon thinking he might not, after all, resign to a celibate life... oh joy!), Gideon promises to show her all the pleasures he can give. Then it seemed like his troubles went away, at least when it comes to Charis. He could touch her and the two had sex like bunnies for about 2 weeks afterwards *snorts*. No, I found Gideon kinda sexy, even though he’s a bit of a blockhead but his thoughts on ‘this is for the best’ simply made me nuts.
Charis is so in love with her husband and grateful for the privilege of touching him, the fact that she can’t vocalize her feelings was driving her crazy. She’d already said it once and was rejected. She knows he’s a good man, trusts him with all her heart. After everything he’d done for her, how can she not love him? (‘hero worship’, anyone?) Even now, when it seems things are looking better, Gideon keeps his emotions bottled up. Well, you should’ve known that woman! Didn’t you see how he was? I mean, her thoughts and actions, a lot of the times, didn’t cooperate- something that just grated on my nerves. Problem was, I couldn’t even call her TSTL outright because even in all these, some of her of the things she did were commendable. Like, her persistence on winning Gideon; when even I thought at times she should just give him her back, she didn't. It was something of a read!
So when, after this blissful interlude, Gideon went back to his: I should live apart as the original plan and let her f*ck some other guy and live in London because no one would want to live in this Godforsaken Castle with me [note: a castle that overlooks the beautiful Cornish sea]. It’s for the best! crap, I felt like strangling him, seriously! As I mentioned before, I would’ve LOVED to see him TRY and tell her, I want to see how it works between us or something like that. Charis was hurt because, obviously, she didn’t at all expect him to revert back to his original decision. They fight over it, which resulted in a strain in their relationship. On their way to Penrhyn, they were accosted by Charis’s step-brothers. After much shuffling thoughts and word exchanges, Gideon was taken hostage for her money. And, this hostage situation did something for him; Gideon had the time to think and come to terms with his ‘demons’. Finally, when he was rescued, he could let the past go and was able to mix with people around him. The whole thing was supposed to mark a momentous situation for the book but it came too late IMO and I had already lost much of my interest. All those tossing and turning, back and forth, had its toll on me. So later on, I decided on 3 stars because it wasn’t a bad book but just not enough to keep me glued to it. As a whole, I was distracted and annoyed far too many times to have truly enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2010
The story of these two lovers took me in from the very first pages. Gideon is a tortured soul that you will never forget and I was constantly amazed by the captivating way in which the author told his story. Gideon's character had more depth and was more intricate than any other romance hero that I've ever read - not only did Charis fall in love with him but you as a reader certainly will too. The author created a bold backstory for the hero that included scenes of unimaginable torture and she let these instances shape not only the emotional but also the physical makeup of his character.
The heroine, Charis, is fearless in her pursuit of rescuing the hero but at the same time she is also being pursued herself. She is exceptional in her strength and determination and she is completely stubborn in the face of hopelessness. Although these traits are common of romance heroines these days, the author gave this personality type a fresh take by pairing her with someone who unwittingly needed her help.
The heroine, Charis, is fearless in her pursuit of rescuing the hero but at the same time she is also being pursued herself. She is exceptional in her strength and determination and she is completely stubborn in the face of hopelessness. Although these traits are common of romance heroines these days, the author gave this personality type a fresh take by pairing her with someone who unwittingly needed her help.
December 10, 2025
Trully captivating until the very end.
Sir Gideon Trevithick is tall, dark, handsome, beautiful.
A broken war hero who had to fight his own demon.
Lady Charis Weston is the wealthiest heiress in England (if she lives to pass her 21st birthday, that is). Gorgeous, kind, strong-hearted, brave and resilient.
Plot:
She was badly beaten to a pulp by her stepbrothers to coerce her into marrying a man they owe money to.
Gideon took her under his protection (after much resistance from Charis).
Hero and heroine fall in love, but not in the easy way as the hero battles his own psychological illness. He had an aversion to human contact which complicate their relationship.
I love both characters immensely. They are both strong in their own ways. Eventually, they both found happiness within each other.
Sir Gideon Trevithick is tall, dark, handsome, beautiful.
A broken war hero who had to fight his own demon.
Lady Charis Weston is the wealthiest heiress in England (if she lives to pass her 21st birthday, that is). Gorgeous, kind, strong-hearted, brave and resilient.
Plot:
She was badly beaten to a pulp by her stepbrothers to coerce her into marrying a man they owe money to.
Gideon took her under his protection (after much resistance from Charis).
Hero and heroine fall in love, but not in the easy way as the hero battles his own psychological illness. He had an aversion to human contact which complicate their relationship.
I love both characters immensely. They are both strong in their own ways. Eventually, they both found happiness within each other.
March 18, 2010
This is a good read if you love historical romances with poor tortured heroes.
Charis is an heiress on the run from her two step brothers determined to marry her off to a man they on money too. On her run she meets Gideon who offers her his protection.
Gideon is back from several years in an Indian prison where he has been imprisoned, beaten, and tortured. This has given him PTSD and the inability to have anybody touch him without getting sick and scared.
Of course they fall in love and it is very sweet and very dark. Anna Campbell is becoming my favorite historical author after Lisa Kleypas even though she's only written a handful of books.
Charis is an heiress on the run from her two step brothers determined to marry her off to a man they on money too. On her run she meets Gideon who offers her his protection.
Gideon is back from several years in an Indian prison where he has been imprisoned, beaten, and tortured. This has given him PTSD and the inability to have anybody touch him without getting sick and scared.
Of course they fall in love and it is very sweet and very dark. Anna Campbell is becoming my favorite historical author after Lisa Kleypas even though she's only written a handful of books.
May 20, 2019
This is my second by Mrs Anna Campbell and if i have one thing to say, she knows how to create strong women and definitively stricken men bordering madness but also ready to face everything in the name of Love.
That Gideon after what he faced was still able to function is one miracle in itself, that he has limitations, is even more understandable but for Charis, he is even ready to go past them what ever the price if it means protecting her.
Charis is an incredible woman, life could have changer her in a bitter and distrusting young woman but she still has faith in it. She near instantly knows Gideon is a man she can trust, even if she had to taste him a bit at the beginning but never he failed her, not even when she hid who she was.
It is their incredible chemistry and attraction that will give her the strength to fight him for a future together while he wanted only to retire from life and let her go. She is not afraid to say her feelings nor to battle even if not fair to win him and the task is enormous as she has to face his own ghosts those which define him now. But slowly she will plant the seed of doubt and show him there are ways for them to be together.
It was also a very sensual read as they learn to know another, accepting the flaws of their souls and bodies as proof of the life they lived and survived.
That Gideon after what he faced was still able to function is one miracle in itself, that he has limitations, is even more understandable but for Charis, he is even ready to go past them what ever the price if it means protecting her.
Charis is an incredible woman, life could have changer her in a bitter and distrusting young woman but she still has faith in it. She near instantly knows Gideon is a man she can trust, even if she had to taste him a bit at the beginning but never he failed her, not even when she hid who she was.
It is their incredible chemistry and attraction that will give her the strength to fight him for a future together while he wanted only to retire from life and let her go. She is not afraid to say her feelings nor to battle even if not fair to win him and the task is enormous as she has to face his own ghosts those which define him now. But slowly she will plant the seed of doubt and show him there are ways for them to be together.
It was also a very sensual read as they learn to know another, accepting the flaws of their souls and bodies as proof of the life they lived and survived.
July 24, 2019
Günahın Esiri
Anna Campbell,
Ben bu kitabı nasıl okumamışım kendime inanmıyorum. Harika çok beğendim öyle ki yavaş yavaş sindire sindire okudum. Nasıl gizemli nasıl heyecan içeriyordu. Okurken çok şeyi merak ettim. Keşfetmek ve hissetmek harikaydı. Baştan sona kadar Gideon isminde sanırım hiç bir karekter kötü yazılmamış bayıldım karektere. Konu olarak ise abilerinden kaçan bir kız onu kurtaran yaralı muhteşem insan. Öyle yaralı ki neden öyle olduğunu merak etmeden duramıyorsunuz. Kısaca arkadaşlar ikilinin hikayesi benim için enfesti❤👏
Anna Campbell,
Ben bu kitabı nasıl okumamışım kendime inanmıyorum. Harika çok beğendim öyle ki yavaş yavaş sindire sindire okudum. Nasıl gizemli nasıl heyecan içeriyordu. Okurken çok şeyi merak ettim. Keşfetmek ve hissetmek harikaydı. Baştan sona kadar Gideon isminde sanırım hiç bir karekter kötü yazılmamış bayıldım karektere. Konu olarak ise abilerinden kaçan bir kız onu kurtaran yaralı muhteşem insan. Öyle yaralı ki neden öyle olduğunu merak etmeden duramıyorsunuz. Kısaca arkadaşlar ikilinin hikayesi benim için enfesti❤👏
December 30, 2011
This is definitely a book with a high personal angst quotient and minimal use of external sources of conflict. I definitely appreciated that. However, both the angst and the external sources of conflict seemed clumsily done to me.
Thoughts on key elements of the book:
The heroine - I want to say something nice about her, but I'm having trouble thinking of anything. It's not because she's extremely annoying, or TSTL (well, a bit, but within tolerable levels), it's just that she never feels like a)an adult or b)a real person or c)her feelings are more than adolescent infatuation. I wouldn't say she's a major flaw in the book, but she adds nothing positive to it either for me. She's all glowy-eyed faith in the handsome hero that she fell deeply in love with on first sight. She's got the magic hoo-ha (to borrow someone else's phrase) that's going to cure him of his affliction. She's not so much a character as a rough sketch of one.
The hero - He has an unusual affliction, and up to a point I found myself reasonably sympathetic, especially when the source of it was explained in more detail, because that was gross. However, there was so much wailing and gnashing of teeth over it, in relation to how quickly he seemed to overcome it (see magic hoo-ha above), that I did find myself becoming impatient. At first I just wanted him to be less whiny. Then I thought, "no, Cecilia, be fair. He did have that really gross thing happen. No to mention those really painful things. Wouldn't you want to have a little pity-party in those circumstances?" But then I thought about how Anna Campbell didn't have to shovel all those things on her poor hero; she could have had a little more restraint, which would then would have allowed for more subtlety in the angst. That would have been one thing that I'd have appreciated. On the other hand, it might have all been fixed with better pacing. Some scenes are fairly quick, and then other scenes (the really angsty ones) go on and on and on and on. What results from that is that this basically telescopes all the parts of the hero's cure into one or two long scenes. To me, this is completely unbelievable (given the intensity of the affliction and his unwillingness to believe anything can be done about it). What I would have liked to have seen is this cure happen over time. In showing his cure over time, with a few small set-backs, Campbell would have been also able to avoid one of the most inexplicable scenes of the book, . The only thing this scene does for me is give me the impression of filler; it's a scene designed to stretch things out because everything else was going too smoothly. If the author hadn't seemed to rely on the magic hoo-ha cure that works in one or two doses, then this sense of anti-climax (har har) wouldn't have been a problem, making the inexplicable scene unnecessary.
So, in short, the hero is so tortured, and so easily cured, but then it turns out, kind of dumb.
The villains:
There are only villains for the heroine, and they provide the spur to get things going. Otherwise, they're not often there, which is fine by me. However, when they are, they are cardboard cutouts of clever malice (in one case) and thick-necked thuggery (in the other). Naturally, they are easily defeated.
So, at the end of the book, I was left feeling like it had a lot of potential. The set up was interesting, and the writing (at the sentence and paragraph level) was certainly adequate. Nothing jumped out at me as egregious, anyway. In terms of the larger structure of the plot, and the characterization, though, it seemed kind of lazy - a lot of short cuts were taken, and then to fill in the short fall, a lot of droning on about my pain, my pain was provided. Or maybe it was the reverse; all the angsty dialogue was written and then to keep the book short enough to publish everything else had to be cut down to bare bones? In any case, it could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better.
Thoughts on key elements of the book:
The heroine - I want to say something nice about her, but I'm having trouble thinking of anything. It's not because she's extremely annoying, or TSTL (well, a bit, but within tolerable levels), it's just that she never feels like a)an adult or b)a real person or c)her feelings are more than adolescent infatuation. I wouldn't say she's a major flaw in the book, but she adds nothing positive to it either for me. She's all glowy-eyed faith in the handsome hero that she fell deeply in love with on first sight. She's got the magic hoo-ha (to borrow someone else's phrase) that's going to cure him of his affliction. She's not so much a character as a rough sketch of one.
The hero - He has an unusual affliction, and up to a point I found myself reasonably sympathetic, especially when the source of it was explained in more detail, because that was gross. However, there was so much wailing and gnashing of teeth over it, in relation to how quickly he seemed to overcome it (see magic hoo-ha above), that I did find myself becoming impatient. At first I just wanted him to be less whiny. Then I thought, "no, Cecilia, be fair. He did have that really gross thing happen. No to mention those really painful things. Wouldn't you want to have a little pity-party in those circumstances?" But then I thought about how Anna Campbell didn't have to shovel all those things on her poor hero; she could have had a little more restraint, which would then would have allowed for more subtlety in the angst. That would have been one thing that I'd have appreciated. On the other hand, it might have all been fixed with better pacing. Some scenes are fairly quick, and then other scenes (the really angsty ones) go on and on and on and on. What results from that is that this basically telescopes all the parts of the hero's cure into one or two long scenes. To me, this is completely unbelievable (given the intensity of the affliction and his unwillingness to believe anything can be done about it). What I would have liked to have seen is this cure happen over time. In showing his cure over time, with a few small set-backs, Campbell would have been also able to avoid one of the most inexplicable scenes of the book, . The only thing this scene does for me is give me the impression of filler; it's a scene designed to stretch things out because everything else was going too smoothly. If the author hadn't seemed to rely on the magic hoo-ha cure that works in one or two doses, then this sense of anti-climax (har har) wouldn't have been a problem, making the inexplicable scene unnecessary.
So, in short, the hero is so tortured, and so easily cured, but then it turns out, kind of dumb.
The villains:
There are only villains for the heroine, and they provide the spur to get things going. Otherwise, they're not often there, which is fine by me. However, when they are, they are cardboard cutouts of clever malice (in one case) and thick-necked thuggery (in the other). Naturally, they are easily defeated.
So, at the end of the book, I was left feeling like it had a lot of potential. The set up was interesting, and the writing (at the sentence and paragraph level) was certainly adequate. Nothing jumped out at me as egregious, anyway. In terms of the larger structure of the plot, and the characterization, though, it seemed kind of lazy - a lot of short cuts were taken, and then to fill in the short fall, a lot of droning on about my pain, my pain was provided. Or maybe it was the reverse; all the angsty dialogue was written and then to keep the book short enough to publish everything else had to be cut down to bare bones? In any case, it could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better.
May 23, 2010
I can sum up my dislike of this book in one word: Charis. The heroine annoyed me to no end. I barely finished the book because of her. She was pushy, obnoxious, and self-centered. Yes she claiming what she did was for Gideon, but i didn't get that impression. I got the impression that she didn't even care for his feelings only hers. Then she kept pushing him when he was ready for it. Now i abhor violence against women, but i was cheering for Gideon to hurt her. She even enraged my temper. Pretty sad when she came into his contact because she was physically hurt by her brothers. Something that i came to pity her less and less in the book. I don't know what happened to her. The first 180 pages i could stand her. The rest of the book i wanted to thrash her. Gideon didn't exactly endear me either. I jadore tortured heroes, but he did nothing for me. He seemed to be a cookie cutter cut out of what a tortured hero is supposed to be. I read it, but didn't feel it. The character i liked the most was Akash and he was barely in the book. I want Akash to get his own book....
The plot also did nothing for me. It was so....Boring...... By page 230 my mind was wondering on to more what should i read next than the actual story. The first half of the book kept me interested, but the moment they got to Jersey; where was snookie and what's his name. I don't know. I don't watch that crap show, but i'm sure if those people had been in the book it would be have been more interesting to read.
At the end, in all honesty, if you've ever seen the movie "Hoodwinked" there is a part where the squirrel named Twitchy is telling the wolf what he saw red riding hood was doing. One part he goes sarcastically "she was going lalalala through the woods" and in my mind his voice just goes "they went on their way singing lalalala" in the same tone. The romance was that much of a sell out to me. I read it, but never felt it. Therefore the book to me ends with Charis and Gideon going lalalala happily skipping through the woods in the most campy way possible.
Final rating: 3 stars. The first half of the book was good, but the second sucked. Badly.
The plot also did nothing for me. It was so....Boring...... By page 230 my mind was wondering on to more what should i read next than the actual story. The first half of the book kept me interested, but the moment they got to Jersey; where was snookie and what's his name. I don't know. I don't watch that crap show, but i'm sure if those people had been in the book it would be have been more interesting to read.
At the end, in all honesty, if you've ever seen the movie "Hoodwinked" there is a part where the squirrel named Twitchy is telling the wolf what he saw red riding hood was doing. One part he goes sarcastically "she was going lalalala through the woods" and in my mind his voice just goes "they went on their way singing lalalala" in the same tone. The romance was that much of a sell out to me. I read it, but never felt it. Therefore the book to me ends with Charis and Gideon going lalalala happily skipping through the woods in the most campy way possible.
Final rating: 3 stars. The first half of the book was good, but the second sucked. Badly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2009
This is my first read by Anna Campbell. I've been hearing her name lately and also hearing good things about this book, so when I brought it home from our RWA Christmas party this weekend, I dug in right away.
I wasn't disappointed. The story opens with the heroine, Lady Charis Weston, on the run from her brutal stepbrothers, who have tried to beat her into accepting one of their wastrel associates as a husband. Battered and desperate, Lady Charis encounters the hero, Sir Gideon Trevithick, newly returned to England after years of service with the East India Company. Gideon has endured unspeakable torture in the line of duty and been knighted as a reward, but he sees himself as anything but a hero.
To Lady Charis, Gideon is her knight in shining armor, a man of honor who agrees to shelter and protect her from her stepbrothers. The man who sets her on fire from the very beginning. To Gideon, Charis is a torment, a reminder of all he believes he can never have, damaged as he is in body and mind. He will do whatever is necessary to protect her until she turns twenty-one and comes into her fortune - anything, including marriage, but in name only. Once Charis is safely in possession of her rights he will set her free, in spite of the overwhelming desire building between them.
I'm not a big reader of Regencies. Life in high society has never really interested me, but there is little of the ton, balls and fancy gowns in this book. It's fraught with real conflict and danger. I couldn't help falling in love with Gideon and admiring Charis for her honesty and determination to be fair to Gideon and herself. As she discovers his fragility, her love for him only becomes stronger. The settings are superbly done, the love scenes very honest and emotional, and the characters richly detailed. I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly to any lover of romance, regency or otherwise. I will definitely be watching for Ms. Campbell's next release.
I wasn't disappointed. The story opens with the heroine, Lady Charis Weston, on the run from her brutal stepbrothers, who have tried to beat her into accepting one of their wastrel associates as a husband. Battered and desperate, Lady Charis encounters the hero, Sir Gideon Trevithick, newly returned to England after years of service with the East India Company. Gideon has endured unspeakable torture in the line of duty and been knighted as a reward, but he sees himself as anything but a hero.
To Lady Charis, Gideon is her knight in shining armor, a man of honor who agrees to shelter and protect her from her stepbrothers. The man who sets her on fire from the very beginning. To Gideon, Charis is a torment, a reminder of all he believes he can never have, damaged as he is in body and mind. He will do whatever is necessary to protect her until she turns twenty-one and comes into her fortune - anything, including marriage, but in name only. Once Charis is safely in possession of her rights he will set her free, in spite of the overwhelming desire building between them.
I'm not a big reader of Regencies. Life in high society has never really interested me, but there is little of the ton, balls and fancy gowns in this book. It's fraught with real conflict and danger. I couldn't help falling in love with Gideon and admiring Charis for her honesty and determination to be fair to Gideon and herself. As she discovers his fragility, her love for him only becomes stronger. The settings are superbly done, the love scenes very honest and emotional, and the characters richly detailed. I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly to any lover of romance, regency or otherwise. I will definitely be watching for Ms. Campbell's next release.
January 27, 2012
Captive of Sin
by Anna Campbell
5 stars
http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-...
He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . .
Returning home to Cornwall after an unspeakable tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick comes upon a defiant beauty in danger and vows to protect her whatever the cost. He's dismayed to discover that she's none other than Lady Charis Weston, England's wealthiest heiress—and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself! Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.
She promised to show him how to love—and desire—again . . .
Charis has heard all about Gideon, the dangerously handsome hero with the mysterious past. She's grateful for his help but utterly unwilling to endure a marriage of convenience—especially to a man whose touch leaves her breathless. Desperate to drive him mad with passion, she would do anything to make Gideon lose control—and fall captive to irresistible, undeniable sin.
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published November 1st 2009 by Avon (first published October 13th 2009)
ISBN
0061684287 (ISBN13: 9780061684289)
My Thoughts...
Really enjoyed this book it reminded me of how Bertrice Small writes her books. This book was a true romance of two troubled souls finding true love along a very rocky path. Gideon started out with trying to help a troubled girl vowing to protect her from the trouble that she is running from but in return she helped Gideon get is life back that he thought he had lost after being tortured and held in a foreign prison for a year . Gideon thinks his life is over and that he is mad and out of his mind but soon he finds out that his little determined wife is not giving up as she gradually co-worse's him out of his dark shadows and finds that his one true love will cure him after all.
by Anna Campbell
5 stars
http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-...
He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . .
Returning home to Cornwall after an unspeakable tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick comes upon a defiant beauty in danger and vows to protect her whatever the cost. He's dismayed to discover that she's none other than Lady Charis Weston, England's wealthiest heiress—and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself! Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.
She promised to show him how to love—and desire—again . . .
Charis has heard all about Gideon, the dangerously handsome hero with the mysterious past. She's grateful for his help but utterly unwilling to endure a marriage of convenience—especially to a man whose touch leaves her breathless. Desperate to drive him mad with passion, she would do anything to make Gideon lose control—and fall captive to irresistible, undeniable sin.
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published November 1st 2009 by Avon (first published October 13th 2009)
ISBN
0061684287 (ISBN13: 9780061684289)
My Thoughts...
Really enjoyed this book it reminded me of how Bertrice Small writes her books. This book was a true romance of two troubled souls finding true love along a very rocky path. Gideon started out with trying to help a troubled girl vowing to protect her from the trouble that she is running from but in return she helped Gideon get is life back that he thought he had lost after being tortured and held in a foreign prison for a year . Gideon thinks his life is over and that he is mad and out of his mind but soon he finds out that his little determined wife is not giving up as she gradually co-worse's him out of his dark shadows and finds that his one true love will cure him after all.
January 5, 2011
Quite boring. Both the main characters were okay, which is the only reason this book merited two stars and not one. Heroines, especially, tend to be disgustingly annoying in this genre, so props to the author for making her bearable.
I found it extremely amazing that the hero's face remained untouched during his entire time of being tortured. It was quite spectacular how all his scars could be covered and didn't really prevent him from doing most of his daily activities (aside from his psychological trauma). After reading about Sand dan Glokta from Joe Abercrombie's First Law series, I found this a bit silly and melodramatic. Uninventive torturers, not to mention flat, one-dimensional villians used purely as plot devices to be inserted whenever the hero/heroine needed to meet/fall in love/get together made this book just... drag on into an exercise in pithy cliches.
Sorry for tripping off into another genre there, but I don't believe that romance has to be wildly idealistic to be good; it would have been much better if the hero/heroine were more realistic, and less tortured, strong, brave, and prone to making long-winded speeches about how one fiercely loved the other (after about a week of knowing each other; both parties being amazingly hot helps, I guess) and was doing the best for him/her/them.
I found it extremely amazing that the hero's face remained untouched during his entire time of being tortured. It was quite spectacular how all his scars could be covered and didn't really prevent him from doing most of his daily activities (aside from his psychological trauma). After reading about Sand dan Glokta from Joe Abercrombie's First Law series, I found this a bit silly and melodramatic. Uninventive torturers, not to mention flat, one-dimensional villians used purely as plot devices to be inserted whenever the hero/heroine needed to meet/fall in love/get together made this book just... drag on into an exercise in pithy cliches.
Sorry for tripping off into another genre there, but I don't believe that romance has to be wildly idealistic to be good; it would have been much better if the hero/heroine were more realistic, and less tortured, strong, brave, and prone to making long-winded speeches about how one fiercely loved the other (after about a week of knowing each other; both parties being amazingly hot helps, I guess) and was doing the best for him/her/them.
April 3, 2019
Starts off strong but loses the plot. It’s a shame because Charis is in a life and death situation but there is no danger or, really, action. What made this reader lose interest occurs in the halfway mark when Gideon and Charis hide out until her birthday. The seclusion is important because Gideon and Charis have the chance to learn more about each other, but because everything has been hinted and spelled out more or less, the action feels unnecessarily dragged out. We know Gideon has suffered in India which makes him unable to touch people, a condition he feels is permanent, and therefore leaves him on the outer edges of society forevermore etc. etc. We know what Gideon thinks of Charis’s love for him, that of a crush on a hero - a mirage on a pedestal. Yet despite his demons, it's not convincing enough for this reader. Gideon comes across as a dum-dum delaying conflict resolution by digging in his heels, refusing to accept that he accepts a shot at happiness. I was also disappointed about the villains. Charis has been brutally beaten by her brothers at the start of the story. They seemed to be a match for the hero, but it's clear Gideon's got this each time. I've been consistently blown away by everything I've read by Campbell, so this one felt a little safe for her, with darkness unexplored. Captive of Sin is not bad, just okay.
March 25, 2010
Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone seeking a unique plot. Imagine a hero who is sickened, both physically and mentally, by human touch. That alone kept me reading for as long as I did. I had to know what exactly reduced this man to such a state of existence. Once that mystery was revealed, I did find myself skimming the pages to find out what happened to whom in order to satisfy my need to know if the heroine's brothers ever received their proper comeuppance. Not that the story was lacking in any way, I just wasn't captivated by the tale. A good read, yes. A keeper for me? No. But again, I would definitely recommend to many.
All in all I will say that the book had a few witty exchanges between the hero and heroine that made me laugh out loud and a couple of tender moments that had me misty-eyed. A likeable story.
All in all I will say that the book had a few witty exchanges between the hero and heroine that made me laugh out loud and a couple of tender moments that had me misty-eyed. A likeable story.
December 25, 2017
This book was literally everything I wanted it to be but it didn't meet my expectations. It fell short but Anna Campbell did try to have a comeback towards the end when I was reading about our hero, Gideon's, backstory. My heart shattered when I read about how he tortured,beat, and see the ones he cared about the most die. And his physical scars and his fears still haunt him till this day. Not to be outmatched, Charis, our heroine, is not picture perfect either. Her step-brother beat her and want to sell her off to the person they owe money to. LIKE COME ON. These two characters really needed to catch a break but it just never happened.
Anyways, the reason why this book was disappointing was because it just lacked the sexual tension I really needed. Gideon should have been a little bit more mysterious but what can you do?
Anyways, the reason why this book was disappointing was because it just lacked the sexual tension I really needed. Gideon should have been a little bit more mysterious but what can you do?
April 19, 2013
This is one of those books where if you don't mind overblown dramatic flair then you'll get to really enjoy the story.
Too many things annoyed me to give this book a higher rating but the fact that I finished it without regret give it a solid 3 stars. The heroine's love at first sight drove me crazy... The hero wasn't much different in that aspect. I wanted to see how the hero's illness issues get resolved and how he conquers his fears so that kept me reading.
It wasn't anything special but unless a book offends me or bores me to tears I give it 3 stars and thank the author for giving me something to read. :)
Too many things annoyed me to give this book a higher rating but the fact that I finished it without regret give it a solid 3 stars. The heroine's love at first sight drove me crazy... The hero wasn't much different in that aspect. I wanted to see how the hero's illness issues get resolved and how he conquers his fears so that kept me reading.
It wasn't anything special but unless a book offends me or bores me to tears I give it 3 stars and thank the author for giving me something to read. :)
January 23, 2018
High four stars. Very emotional in places; Gideon is a wonderful mix of strong and vulnerable.
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