Pub Date: 1988
Illustrator: Pino
Imprint or Line: Zebra Historical
Book Series: Gillard-Macpherson #1 (Published #4 of #6)
Published by: Kensington
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 511
Format: Paperback
More at: Goodreads
Purchase Book: Buy on Amazon
Synopsis:
SHE SWORE TO STAY WED
Abandoned, penniless, and suddenly responsible for the biggest tobacco plantation in Colleton County, distraught Caroline Gillard had no time to dissolve into tears. The previously pampered, indulged mistress of the South Carolina estate had to learn fast how to manage her workers, her money — and her broken heart. By day the willowy redhead labored to exhaustion beside her slaves … but each night left her restless with longing for her wayward mate. Soon, though, her misery gave way to anger, and the determined woman knew that somehow she’d make him regret his betrayal until he begged her to take him back!HE VOWED TO BE FREE
CAPTIVE ANGEL by DEANA JAMES
Handsome Hunter Gillard had been born to ride the everchanging sea, not to harvest and plant year in and year out. Tired of his commitments, the virile, hot-tempered captain meant to call his destiny his own like he had before he’d met his tantalizing Caroline. When his adventure was over, maybe he’d return to his patient, understanding wife. But when he learned she’d left him for parts unknown, the furious philanderer promised he’d track her down to teach her how to be Hunter’s loyal partner, his unquestioning concubine, his forgiving…
Reviewed by: Introvert Reader
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT ⚠
The frightened, pampered child-woman who had been deserted by her husband ten months ago was gone forever. In her place stood a self-confident, independent creature who would not hesitate to dare the devil.
CAPTIVE ANGEL
Deana James’ Captive Angel, An Unusual Romance
How do I begin to review this amazing, conflicting journey through a woman’s incredible 19th-century life? I have to tell it all, so this review is pure spoilers.
By all rights, Deana James’ Captive Angel is the kind of romance I should have tossed into a blazing fire and gleefully cheered, “Burn, book, burn! Bad, bad book!”
Perhaps it helped that I knew exactly what I was getting into before I started. Plus, having previously read a few of Deana James’ books, I knew Captive Angel couldn’t be that horrible. She’s one of the best authors to have come out of Kensington’s Zebra imprint. The cover of it even had a quote from Johanna Lindsey, stating: “Delightfully different, emotionally involving, and impossible to put down,” which is 100% true.
The Background
Captive Angel surpassed my expectations. It stars one of the greatest romance heroines ever, paired with one of the most piggish, most oblivious, POS heroes I’ve ever come across in an old-school historical (other than Regan Van Der Rhys from Fern Michaels‘ Captive Series. Hunter Gillard’s not a crazed male protagonist like Sean Culhane from Stormfire or Duke Domenico from The Silver Devil because he’s not super-obsessed over his woman (until the middle-end). He’s just a selfish prick. It’s all about him. So, on the one hand, we have a heroine whom I’ve placed in my “greatest hall of fame” list, while the hero is relegated to the “jerky pig hall of fame” list reserved for the most porcine of leading men I’ve encountered in Romancelandia.
Caroline, or Fancy as she prefers to be called, is incredible in her character transformation. She starts down in the dumps: “Woe is me, I’m depressed, and in mourning for my dead child. I’m fat, and my husband doesn’t love me anymore. Sure, he’ll bang me something fierce, but it’s not just me who’s getting his love, is it?”
The Plot
Caroline and Hunter Gillard have been married for ten years. Their baby daughter had died a couple of years earlier. They have a young son, but Caroline’s fallen into a deep depression about her baby’s death, as it seems she cannot have any more children. So naturally, she’s let herself go a bit. Caroline has gained a few (or more than a few) pounds. Even so, her lusty husband still doesn’t mind giving her a good porking. But Hunter does hate her crying, her wallowing in self-pity, and–oh yeah–her refusal to worship and adore him and treat him like the king he thinks he is.
Hunter has other things on his mind. He’s a seaman by nature and hates being tied to his wife’s plantation, England’s Fancy, and the responsibilities it entails. He hates how mopey Fancy is and often leaves for long instances. She’s no longer the same beautiful woman who caught Hunter’s eye at a ball. She’s dumpy and fat now. Although, as I said, that doesn’t stop Hunter from giving the old girl a bit of loving.
Life for Fancy isn’t great and it’s about to get worse. Her plantation is not producing as it should, and her husband…is a piece of excrement.
Because a horrible truth comes to light:
Hunter has many mistresses, but there is one special young lady he’s currently particularly keen on. And now the unthinkable has occurred. She’s pregnant!
Hunter decides he’s had enough of Fancy. So he takes his young, virginal (before Hunter, anyway) mistress aboard his ship to travel to Europe. Even worse, he brings along his and Fancy’s son, Alex. As for Caroline, well, kiddo, it’s been fun, but it’s over.
It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better
More pain is to come. Hunter leaves Fancy penniless, their bank accounts emptied. All that Fancy has left is her run-down plantation.
If not for Holy Dulcibella, the servant who raised her from infancy, Caroline would be all alone in the world. There’s also her overseer, a man Fancy should have had a fling with. But Caroline had no mind for men, just her property. With the help of her overseer & Dulcibella, Caroline engages in back-breaking labor to keep her plantation up and running.
Just when it seems Caroline’s hard work will bring a good harvest, a terrible storm wipes out the crops, ruining her.
Does Caroline give up? No. She is determined to make her way somehow.
For the first time in Caroline’s life, she has nothing. Just like Janis Joplin sang (or was it Kris Kristofferson?) “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” Fancy is free.
A Light in The Darkness
Then revelations come to light. Holy Dulcibella is not a slave but a free servant. She discloses to Fancy that she was Fancy’s grandfather’s lover. He was a ship captain who fell in love with her even though he had a wife and family at a home. Dulcibella is a princess of Madagascar who willingly gave up her life to live with her man.
This shocks Fancy to her core. It sounds weird, but to me, it was refreshing that Deana James wrote Captive Angel with a sense of historical authenticity. Fancy Caroline was uncomfortable with this fact at first. Even though Holy Dulcibella was the only person who had her back from day #1 and stuck with her through the worst, Caroline still saw Dulcibella as an “other.” Dulcieblla was “inferior” to her because of her race and station. This made Caroline seem like a real person of her time, a flawed and imperfect woman.
But eventually, Caroline does get over it. Through their shared travails she sees Dulcibella not as a slave or servant but as family, calling her “grandmother.”
It takes time to unfold. Their relationship is one of authentic, selfless love. The deepest, truest connection Caroline has in this book is not with her wayward husband, but with this great woman.
The Creep “Hero” Returns
Told of her grandfather’s secret treasure hidden off the coast of Africa, Caroline determines to travel across the world to find it. She arranges to obtain a ship, captain, and crew who will sail with her to search for the gold.
Ultimately, Hunter hears that Caroline is risking her life for a foolish idea of an impossible treasure. For that reason, he abandons his pregnant mistress to go to save his wife.
But Caroline doesn’t need saving! In fact, Hunter’s the one who gets captured, and she must rescue him. In the end, she lets Hunter think he saves her, to please his ego. She understands her husband’s nature now.
Hunter has never seen Caroline like this before, so confident in herself. It excites him to see this new woman of adventure. With the other woman long out of his mind, he attempts to seduce his wife. As Caroline never stopped desiring Hunter, she engages with him eagerly. The makeup sex is steamier than ever before. The two reunite, promising to love one another forever.
The Conclusion
And as for the treasure? Why it was lost in the seas, never to be found!
Hunter’s cast-off mistress gives birth. She goes away and leaves her baby with Hunter, to be raised by him and Caroline.
Does Hunter deserve Caroline? No freaking way!
Be happy that the heroine is happy. She loves her husband. When the book ends Hunter promises to be on his best behavior. He still will go out to sea once every so often while Caroline raises her son and her husband’s lovechild as their own. She will remain home and tend to their plantation. Hunter will be a good boy from here on out. He enjoys plowing Fancy’s fields now a lot more now than he ever did before.
However, Fancy’s no dummy. Once that trust is lost, it can never wholly be regained, no matter how much love exists. Fancy is determined her love will last a lifetime.
Nevertheless, she’ll keep some secrets to herself…
Namely, that the treasure wasn’t a legend and it wasn’t lost. Caroline sneakily hid it from Hunter. Maybe she’ll let him know about it. Maybe not.
In the end, Caroline gets it all.
Final Analysis of Captive Angel
Why did I love this book? It is not really a romance, or more correctly, it’s more than just romance. It’s women’s fiction, an action-adventure saga, historical fiction, and a character study, too.
You may read it and hate it and I wouldn’t blame anyone for that. This is a romance novel, so one expects certain rules in romance. Here, Deana James broke the rules. Despite being a stickler for them, James turned the tables on me to create a story I loved. I was drawn to like a cat to a crinkly toy ball covered in catnip.
Deana James’ Captive Angel was an emotional, turbulent read with a heroine whose identity was forged in fire.
Maybe her love story is not an all-time great. But her life story was.
5 Stars
Hello:) Do you know where I can get a digital copy of this?
Hi, Lu.
Thank you for visiting us.
After seeing your comment, I did a little research. So far, I have not found any official digital/ebook versions of “Captive Angel”. It doesn’t appear as though Zebra/Kensington, the book’s publisher, has digitized any of Ms. James’ books. Sorry about that.
Sorry, an addendum to the previous message.
There are four of Ms. James’ books available on Open Library/Internet Archive; however, none are “Captive Angel”. The four books there are “Acts of Love; “Lovestone”; “Masque of Sapphire” and “Speak Only Love”.