Book Review: Captive by A.D. Robertson

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: October 22, 2013

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle. But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign. Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history."

Sarah, a Searcher, is on a mission to learn more about a secret castle in Ireland where the enemy is.  It's a reconnaissance mission and she knows she might not get out alive.  The Searchers have been fighting against the Keepers, witches who use dark magic, for years and they need more information about the what secrets the castle holds.  Tristan, a noble born Keeper, lives there with along with his servants and guards.  Once she scales the fortress walls, she is caught by an incubus who imprisons her for Tristan to interrogate.  Tristan who is so tragically lonely on the island (he isn't allowed to leave) is intrigued by his prisoner and decides to treat her more as a guest.  He hopes to learn more about her and her mission this way, plus he can't deny the fact that he is interested in her.  Sparks ignite between Sarah and Tristan even though they are supposed to be enemies; their relationship ends up leaving them questioning how much are they willing to risk for each other and for love.  A.D. Robertson's (Andrea Cremer) Captive is a captivating, racy adult tale set in the world of Nightshade, Cremer's bestselling young adult paranormal series.

Sarah is such a fun heroine in Captive. She's gutsy, strong, and the kind of girl I love to read about.  She is initially freaked out by the fact that Tristan has made her prisoner and as they get to know each other better, she realizes that he is more than just a wealthy Keeper. Tristan is the opposite of Sarah, but opposites definitely attract in this story.  Their relationship was hot; sparks definitely fly between the two of them. Their relationship was one of the best parts of Captive. I mean who doesn't love a forbidden romance?

I have never read a romance novel before, unless you count steamy parts in "New Adult" books, so this was uncharted territory for me.  I've been trying to branch out and I absolutely love the Nightshade series, so I thought I would give Captive a try. It went much better than I thought. At first I was completely turned off by a few of the clichés that sometimes show up when you read a romance novel, but much like Nightshade, Robertson's writing and her characters sucked me in.  Robertson (Cremer) is such an awesome writer. She really pulls a reader in and even though there were a lot of steamy parts to Captive, some of which were very good and some that made me roll my eyes due to the cheesy factor, nothing trumped the fact that I cared about Tristan and Sarah. I wanted them to be together despite their backgrounds and the fact that they are supposed to be enemies.

I loved the setting of the Gothic castle in Ireland. It felt very old-world and very much like a fairy tale, but at the same time the characters and situations felt modern in Captive.  I love the paranormal world of Nightshade, so I was completely enthralled with the whole setting, the magical war, the forbidden love, and the secrets which slowly unfold.

You don't have to have read Nightshade to read Captive, but fans of the series can appreciate things a bit more if you have read it and are familiar with the world.  So, with that said, adult fans of the Nightshade series that like the romance genre, should definitely check out this new sexy series. Being a newbie to the romance genre,  I think I am still blushing from certain scenes in this book! Cremer really knows how to bring the sexytimes...that is for sure!