The Lord's Captive (Border Series, #2) by Cecelia Mecca Published by Altiora Press on June 6th 2017
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The LordSir Bryce Waryn has dreamed for years about the day when he will finally liberate his home from the Scots who killed his parents and stole his brother’s birthright. Now that day is finally upon him, only his brother has abdicated the title of lord of Bristol Manor to him. Bryce should be celebrating, but something unexpected stands in his way—the sister of the Scot who held Bristol. In the chaos of the raid, Lady Catrina Kerr was injured and left behind. Bryce takes her captive, hoping to exact an even more satisfying revenge from his enemy. Except the fiery beauty is far more compelling than he would like…
The CaptiveRaised by three elder brothers, Lady Catrina Kerr knows a thing or two about stubborn men. But Bryce is more strong-willed than all of her brothers combined. He’s also maddeningly handsome, brave, and kind—but no matter how compelling her captor, she’s intent on escaping him. Only then will she be able to protect her brothers. But as Bryce’s plan escalates and her feelings for him intensify, she finds herself facing an unthinkable choice between her family and the man who has captured her heart.
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~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~
The Lord’s Captive is the second book in The Border Series by Cecelia Mecca. It can easily be read as a stand alone book, but having read the first in the series, The Thief’s Countess, I knew more of the background of the story and characters, and it only added to my enjoyment of this book.
Sir Bryce Waryn, his brother Geoffrey, and their Uncle Hugh have spent the last 5 years doing all they could to raise an army to take back their castle and lands that they had taken from them. The Scottish Kerr clan believed as a border property between England and Scotland, they had a right to it. During the upheaval Bryce’s parents were murdered, and he vowed to get revenge from that day. He would get back his home and he would kill the clan leader.
Finally after all their planning, Bryce and his army win back their holdings, and Bryce becomes the Lord or Bristol Castle. A title that would have gone to his elder brother, but he wanted Bryce to have it as he was married and living elsewhere meaning he couldn’t be a good Lord of the land. Bryce should be celebrating, but instead immediately after the battle he is left in a dilemma after his men find a terribly injured woman near the river and bring her back to the castle to be looked after. The dilemma being that she is the sister of the men who murdered his father. She is a Kerr. Having her there meant for definite that sooner rather than later the Kerr clan would attack again in order to free her. Of course that is if he didn’t come up with a way to stop that happening. He decides he will write to her brother and offer her freedom for a ransom. In the mean time the healer must deal with her and get her well.
Lady Catrina Kerr is the hostage in question. Although she is being held captive she admits, if only to herself that her captor is not only the most stubborn man she’s ever met, but he is also very very attractive. Once she is well she knows she must escape the castle so that her brothers and the army don’t come after her. There has been enough blood shed, and she wants no more.
Bryce finds Catrina maddening, and like no other woman he knows, she can fight, she wears breeches, and she definitely speaks her mind. She is also stunningly beautiful and when Bryce should be hating her for being a Kerr, he battles constantly with the need to pull her into his arms and kiss her.
Can a relationship ever develop between them, even if Catrina wasn’t a Kerr, she’s been betrothed for years and it wouldn’t be something she could easily get out of. How can Bryce have his revenge knowing Catrina would never forgive him? How can he keep from fighting her clan when they will always want to take back Bristol Castle believing they have the rights to it? There are so many reasons that Catrina and Bryce shouldn’t be an ‘item’ but the overwhelming lust they feel for each other the more time they spend together has them both trying to figure out ways they could possibly be together. In the mean time, they can’t help but fight their passionate natures and give in at least to some of their needs.
This is an amazing story, not only of lust/love between our hero and heroine, and boy oh boy were the passionate scenes between them sizzling hot, but it’s one of family loyalties, and of the fight between Catrina and Bryce’s hearts and heads. As a reader it was so difficult to decide who should hold Bristol Castle, as both families did indeed have a right to the land. I didn’t want Bryce to kill Catrina’s brother, but I certainly didn’t want him to end up killed either, and poor Catrina, either way I could only see her being heart broken. I had no idea how the story could be resolved to everybody’s satisfaction and with no broken hearts. Was it resolved? You will have to read to find out. I loved this story and read it in one sitting because I just couldn’t wait to find out how it ended. So yes, the book really IS that good, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
The only negative I can think of, and it’s just a small one, but on occasion the word bitch was used to describe a woman. I didn’t think that was something they would have said in that particular era. I am no expert, but whether it was used or not, it just didn’t sit right amongst the rest of the content of the book. That tiny negative point certainly doesn’t stop the book being a full 5 star rating from me, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers’ copy of this book.
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About Cecelia Mecca
A former English teacher, Cecelia combines two of her passions, romance novels and the middle ages, in debut novel The Thief’s Countess. Combining alpha male types and strong female heroines, Cecelia transports readers to an admittedly romanticized time of knights and castles.
After reading Johanna Lindsey and Judith McNaught, she started a manuscript twenty years ago when medieval romance was at its height of mainstream popularity. Picking it back up in 2015 when vampires and highlanders reigned supreme, Cecelia stuck to the genre she loved and brought medieval England back to life.
She lives in Northeast, Pennsylvania with her husband and two young children where she can be found either planning a Disney trip, watching period dramas or convincing her children to watch Star Wars. She is firmly House Stark and Gryffindor.
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