Title: Love Held Captive
Series: Lone Star Hero #3
Publisher: Zondervan
Publish Date: October 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-0310345473
Source: BookLook Bloggers
Pages: 320
Rating: 4 Stars
Purchase: Amazon
About The Book
After the War Between the States, a Confederate officer longs to heal the heart of a beautiful woman—but first he’ll have to right the wrongs that were done to her.
Major Ethan Kelly has never been able to absolve himself of the guilt he feels for raiding a woman’s home shortly before he was taken prisoner during the Civil War. He is struggling to get through each day until he once again crosses paths with Lizbeth Barclay—the very woman he is trying to forget.
Life after the war is not much different for former Captain Devin Monroe until he meets Julianne VanFleet. He knows she is the woman he’s been waiting for, but he struggles to come to terms with the sacrifices she made to survive the war.
When Ethan and Devin discover that their former colonel, Adam Bushnell, is responsible for both Lizbeth’s and Julianne’s pain, they call on their former fellow soldiers to hunt him down. As the men band together to earn the trust of the women they love, Lizbeth and Julianne seek the justice they deserve in a country longing to heal.
My Thoughts
I’ve been a fan of Shelley Shepard Gray’s for some time, after reading her Amish novels. I love her writing style when she captures the simplicity of the Amish life and creates stories her fans won’t soon forget. So, I was ready to jump on the band wagon with her historical romance war/post war stories. Sadly, this was the third book in the series, and I missed a few things along the way. That said, this was still a wonderfully written novel, proving that Ms. Gray has what it takes to branch away from what her readers are used to and create a story that will still hook us, still enthrall us, still give us just what we want.
The characters within these pages are chiseled perfectly. The historical detail of the Civil War era is stunningly captured. The interaction between all the characters, beautifully done. Ethan, Devn, Julianne and Lizbeth all stole a piece of my heart and they will be there for a long time to come! The pain that the ladies endured, the anger that the men felt, the love and happiness they seek to find, all of it became mine for a time and I was up late into the night turning the pages of this novel.
Will I go back and read book 1 and 2? Absolutely. Do I still recommend this book 3 in the series? For sure. I just would recommend reading in order, because I wouldn’t want you to miss out on somethings in this fantastic 4 star novel, like I did. I am looking forward to going back and reading book 1 and 2. If you are looking for a novel that will move you, make you angry, happy and sad all in one setting, yet leave you with a feeling of redemption and hope, longing and love, then this is one to be on your bookshelf. Well done, Ms. Gray! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
About The Author
Since 2000, Shelley has sold over forty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Abingdon Press. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club.
Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.
Shelley also writes historical, western inspirational romances for Abingdon Press as Shelley Gray. Her first novel with Abingdon, A Texan’s Promise, was released in October 2011 and has earned glowing reviews.
In addition to her writing as Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley has written a dozen novels for Harlequin American Romance under the pseudonym Shelley Galloway. Her first novel with Harlequin, Cinderella Christmas, reached number six on the Waldenbooks Bestseller list, and her second book for the American Romance line, Simple Gifts, won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Harlequin American Romance of 2006.
Her written essays have appeared on CNN.com
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.
When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.
Shelley is a member of RWA’s Published Author chapter, ACFW, and the Faith Hope and Love Chapter of RWA.
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I like Shelly’s books. I will have to check this one out.
I really need to read my copies of these books.Thanks for sharing!