#Review: His Captive Princess by Sandra Jones - 4 Wine Glasses

Title: His Captive Princess
Author: Sandra Jones 
Format: eBook/Paperback, 200 pages
Published: April 28th 2015 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN:139781619228405
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Contest
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Earned respect is sweet…but deserved revenge is sweeter.

Warren de Tracy was assured the Welsh village of Dinefwr would be an easy conquest, as would the widow of its fallen prince. Wedding her will appease the locals and win the respect of his liege, the usurper King Stephen.

Instead, Warren is ambushed, taken prisoner by a hooded Welshwoman with skin that glows like moonlight. If he must die at her hands, at least his honorable death will silence the whispers of disloyalty hanging over his name.

Princess Eleri has never seen a knight as stoic—and as eager to die—as Warren. She’d love to oblige the bastard, but something in his ocean-blue eyes stays her hand. Plus, suspicion nags at her, for the arrows that wounded him and killed his men are Norman, not Welsh.

A ghostly prophecy portends danger that thrusts the enemies closer together, where hate explodes into passion that won’t allow Eleri to surrender Warren to her vengeful clan. But returning him to his king breaks more than it mends…and for Warren, retaliation will be sweet, indeed.

Warning: Contains a Norman warrior with a thirst for justice, a Welsh rebel princess with second sight and a steady bow hand, magical prophecies, and a plot of royal proportions. 

Linda's Thoughts:


HIS CAPTIVE PRINCESS by Sandra Jones is a wonderful, exciting medieval historical romance set in the perilous period when the Welsh were fighting for their independence from the English at the same time King Henry's throne was being fought over by two cousins. This story is the tale of Norman knight Warren de Tracy and Welsh Princess Eleri.

I loved both the strong-willed heroine and the chivalrous hero. Eleri was still grieving for her husband, killed by the Normans, when Warren peaceably rode into her life supposedly to offer his hand in marriage to bring stability to their peoples. Instead of ending up a bridegroom, he and his men were betrayed and Warren ends up being the captive of his intended bride. Her people demand his death but her visions call for Warren to live, so she sets out on a secret, dangerous journey to take Warren to her father. 

Warren and Eleri made for an endearing couple and I was happy dancing when they finally succumbed to their undeniable attraction despite all the obstacles to their union. Their chemistry was certainly steamy and combined with touches of mystery and betrayals, dashes of humor, a wee bit of paranormal and scads of action, it all added up to a well-balanced, entertaining tale. I thought it was an unique storyline to have him as her prisoner; and then to have the tables turned and have her as his.

One of my favorite scenes took place up in a tree when Warren was threatening to expose their small party to the warriors who would kill him below:

"What have you to trade for my silence?" ...
He opened his mouth to beckon the men, but Eleri moved like lightning. With her right arm restrained, she couldn't cut him. However, her weapon of choice caught him completely off-guard.
Her lips sealed to his, cutting off his voice in a hard kiss...
Bracing his back against the gnarled tree branches, he relaxed for more, but the kiss ended as briskly as it had begun....
Blood surging through his body, Warren grinned and lowered his face over hers. "Not the price I had in mind, but...um, shall we see what else you have to offer?"

Following please find a few more of my favorite quotes from this sweet and savory tale - some also demonstrate the humor within:

"I'll kiss your feet if you'd scratch my nose."
---

His gaze lowered to her breasts, scalding her with the intensity of his stare. "At this moment, I'm exceedingly glad I'm no longer a monk."
---

Her eyes narrowed with feigned disgust. "I cannot walk backwards anymore! I'm too afraid you'll run me into something."
He released one of her hands and reached around her, to cup her firm behind. "Trust me. I'd never risk hurting your backside."
---

"You've always done as you pleased, Princess. I can't change you, nor do I want to. You're strong, a fighter. And I've never wanted another woman as I want you."
---

"The only death I fear is the one I fell when we're apart."

Sandra's writing flows smoothly and is well-paced, keeping the reader spellbound. It is obvious that she thoroughly researched the time period making the tale seem more realistic. Expect some surprising twists and treachery that I certainly didn't see coming! HIS CAPTIVE PRINCESS is the first book I've ever read by Sandra but I can assure you that it won't be the last as I already have another book by her, HER WICKED CAPTAIN, on my reader and plan to happily indulge in it very soon! I highly recommend HIS CAPTIVE PRINCESS to anyone who enjoys historical romances.