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Captive Bride

by Bonnie Dee (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 53 ratings · 21 reviews

San Francisco, 1870

Huiann arrives in America expecting to be wed to a wealthy businessman. She no sooner disembarks from the ship than she realizes Xie is not looking for a bride: Huiann is worth more to him as a high-end prostitute. Though her fate is better than that of other Chinese women forced into the sex trade, she has no intention of waiting for Xie to sell her vir...more

ebook, 292 pages

Published February 14th 2011 by Carina Press (first published January 21st 2011)

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Jan 31, 2011 Dina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, netgalley, ebook

First off, can I say how much I love the cover of this book? It's not only beautiful but it fits the story too! That's quite a rare treat in today's crazy publishing world, LOL.

This was my second read by Ms. Dee and it was another winner. I'm not familiar with her backlist - but I definitely plan to be - so I don't know if this is her niche in writing, but I loved how she wasn't afraid of tackling "controversial" subjects in the two books I've read. So refreshing!

Captive Bride takes place in San...more

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Oct 15, 2012 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-review, 2011-reads, author-bonnie-dee, black-sheep, captive-kidnapped, cultural-biases-between-couples, cultural-differences, format-kindle-or-kindle-compatible, forced-prostitution, historical-romance, historical-romance-american-west, arranged-marriage, human-trafficking-for-sex-and-slave, kidnapped-hostage, military-former, netgalley, racism-bigotry-prejudice, reviewed-by-me, starts-with-a-thru-d, 3-5-stars

Bonnie Dee writes some impressive historical romances, if for no other reason than they are unique. She takes the same old storylines and gives them a twist which makes them distinctive and definitely interesting!

Captive Bride is another mail-order-bride-disaster story, but this time we have Chua Huiann who has come to America to marry Xie Fuhua, a successful Chinese businessman. Her parents hadn’t met the man, but through Lui Dai, one of Xie’s servants/agents, they were assured that their belo...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Fani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley-to-review, romance-historical, emotional, best-of-2011, historicals-america, hero-is-good-man, sweet-and-tender, heroine-in-need-of-protector, starcrossed-lovers, heroine-i-loved

4.5 stars

Huiann comes to America believing she is to marry Xie, a rich Chinese businessman. However, she soon finds out that Xie plans to use her as a high-class prostitute rather than his wife. Huiann manages to escape and hides inside a shop which is run by Alan Sommers, a war veteran and aspiring politician. Alan takes the young woman under his care and asks her to become his housekeeper. Not left with any options Huiann accepts. Huiann and Alan have to use sign language to communicate, since...more 4.5 stars

Huiann comes to America believing she is to marry Xie, a rich Chinese businessman. However, she soon finds out that Xie plans to use her as a high-class prostitute rather than his wife. Huiann manages to escape and hides inside a shop which is run by Alan Sommers, a war veteran and aspiring politician. Alan takes the young woman under his care and asks her to become his housekeeper. Not left with any options Huiann accepts. Huiann and Alan have to use sign language to communicate, since neither of them speaks the other's language. Soon Huiann realizes that she can trust Alan to care for her and protect her, while Alan comes to admire her strength and optimism. At the same time their attraction becomes stronger every day but Alan is too much of a gentleman to take advantage of his housekeeper until finally their feelings overwhelm them both. But Xie seems not to have forgotten Huiann so they can't be happy while his threat is hovering over them. Besides, Alan can't publicly acknowledge his relationship with Huiann because that would be the end of his political career, so what future is there for them anyway?

I really, really loved this book. I'm still not sure why I'm reluctant to rate it with 5 stars and I think I might have to change my rating in the future:) The story is a wonderful blend of love, passion and suspense. The first part where Huiann and Alan learn to live together, was so heartwarming and tender, it took my breath away. The descriptions of how Alan kept looking forward to go to his previously empty rooms after closing the shop and meet Huiann at the end of the day, made my heart melt. And later when their relationship evolved, the love scenes were hot and passionate, but still I could feel the love between them; it was not just sex for the sake of it. I also liked the way the threat of Xie hovering over their heads was woven in the story: it didn't take the focus away from the romance (except near the end) but added some suspense and angst that made the love story even more poignant. Even the stories of the secondary characters were interesting and had something to add to the overall feeling of the book. But the story never wavered away from Huiann and Alan, both people I came to care deeply about. Huiann was a very strong woman, determined not to whine but to fight back despite the difficult situation she found herself in and I couldn't help but admire her for it. Alan on the other hand was so tender and caring and kind, you couldn't help but adore him as Huiann did:)

If I were to make a complaint or two, it would be about the overly poetical descriptions of many of the love scenes (for example her sex was repeatedly described as her 'lotus') and a scene at the end that had to do with other prostitutes which seemed pretty unrealistic and leading to more questions rather than a closure. Still, my complaints are minute compared to my overall feelings for the book. Readers looking for a historical romance set outside the usual premises of Victorian England and the ton, should definitely check this out.(less)

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Oct 17, 2011 .þµŋψà. [Punya Reviews...] rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bonnie-dee, favorites, oh-honey-shag-me-silly, sweetnsexy-beta, erotica

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 18, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this, but as the story unfolded, it became clear that this story was better than I had expected. It's a romance, so it's about finding love (in this case, interracial love when that wasn't allowed), but it's also about finding friendship, acceptance, and a home.

Alan came to San Francisco to escape his past, and the dark memories which haunted him. It hasn't worked too well, but he keeps hoping that will change. He has, however, done well enough for hims...more I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this, but as the story unfolded, it became clear that this story was better than I had expected. It's a romance, so it's about finding love (in this case, interracial love when that wasn't allowed), but it's also about finding friendship, acceptance, and a home.

Alan came to San Francisco to escape his past, and the dark memories which haunted him. It hasn't worked too well, but he keeps hoping that will change. He has, however, done well enough for himself that he runs his own store, and lives above it. His life changes when a beautiful Chinese girl ducks into his shop, obviously hiding from someone, though she doesn't know enough English to ask for help. Being a good guy, he hides her, and offers her a job as a housekeeper in exchange for a place to hide.

Huiann doesn't know what to make of this strange man. The language and culture barriers between them keep things tense and awkward, but it's clear to her early on that Alan is a good man. So she stays. And finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him as time goes on. It inevitably grows into a friendship, and then into something else entirely.

One of the biggest hurdles for Huiann and Alan is the language barrier; Huiann doesn't know English, and Alan doesn't know Mandarin. Nor does he know anything about her culture, though he tries to learn. I was a bit dubious at first, because the linguistic/cultural barrier problem is all too often botched, as authors use devices of convenience to rush the relationship. That didn't happen here; Huiann struggles to learn English, and Alan tries to help her. In fact, their inability to communicate with each other leads to one of my favorite scenes as they take advantage of each other's lack of understanding to confess difficult things to each other.

The romance was sweet, building slowly enough that it didn't feel like a whirlwind, yet never dragging so much that it felt slow. That is to say, it was well paced for the page count, and I feel like it was handled well enough. It's clear from early on that Alan is interested in Huiann, but it takes a while for her to become interested in him, which works.
Overall, I'd say it's earned a 4/5. It's not fine literature (most of what I read isn't) but it was a good read, with good writing, and an interesting plot. (Plus, they didn't completely botch San Francisco.) If you like historical romances, I'd suggest this one.

{Disclosure: I got a free review copy.}(less)

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Feb 23, 2011 chanceofbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-keepers, 2011-read, netgalley, top-100

There are times when I think that I might be a *bit* too generous with five star reviews, but then there are other times when five stars doesn't seem nearly enough to express just how much a particular work moved me. I know that AAR uses "desert isle keepers" and as I'm in the Pacific Northwest, I think I'll call it a monsoon-must. Bonnie Dee earned every point of this five star review with an emotional tale of forbidden longing and loneliness. It's 1870 and Huiann has come to San Fransisco from...more There are times when I think that I might be a *bit* too generous with five star reviews, but then there are other times when five stars doesn't seem nearly enough to express just how much a particular work moved me. I know that AAR uses "desert isle keepers" and as I'm in the Pacific Northwest, I think I'll call it a monsoon-must. Bonnie Dee earned every point of this five star review with an emotional tale of forbidden longing and loneliness. It's 1870 and Huiann has come to San Fransisco from China marry a wealthy businessman only to learn that she's been deceived: her wealthy businessman is, in fact, a brothel owner and intends to sell Huiann to the highest bidder. Huiann manages to get free and runs away, right into Alan's general store. Alan owns a General Store in San Fransisco because it was the last stop on the train west, and after the Civil War, he just kept heading west in an effort to outrun his inner demons. He immediately does the right thing when Huiann appears and hides her--and I loved this about him. There was no second-guessing, no "are you sure you're really in trouble," no convincing needed--he grasped that she was in trouble, believed her, and hid her.

Alan is attracted to her from the beginning, but he fights very hard against this, because he knows what she's escaped from, and he's well-aware that there's no future for them. But he keeps her on as his housekeeper, and what follows is one the most unlikely and beautiful friendship-to-love stories. Early on, there is a scene where they have a conversation--each one speaking in his/her native tongue, completely unable to understand each other's words, yet revealing deep, painful secrets precisely because there is no chance of censor. And, actually, they understand each other perfectly. Dee manages to convey more emotion with a single glance or bowl of soup than many authors wring out of multi-page love scenes. When Alan and Huiann finally give into their passion, it is a beautiful union--these are some of the most loving, emotional love scenes I have read. Which is strange really, because love scenes should be filled with love, but oftentimes they serve a different purpose to the story. But, here it is all about unspoken love.

Dee captures 1870 San Fransisco remarkably well, but what I loved were all the day-to-day living details. I could easily picture the general store and the attached quarters that become Huiann's whole world for most of the novel. So often historical fiction gloss over unpleasant details, but Dee understands that the smell of the streets, the crowdedness of the courtyard which is anything but picturesque, the crumbly walls, and impossibility of doing laundry in a tiny space, all add immeasurably to the impact of this tale. I loved too that she didn't feel the need to give us a history lesson on San Fransisco--each detail included was relevant. So many late 1800s books set in SF feel the need to mention the opium trade even if it has no relevance to the plot. It's not relevant here, so Dee focuses on what is--small-time city politics, the Chinese sex-trade industry (which all things considered plays a very, very small role), general store operations, dress making, and food.

The realism continues with the character arcs. The language barrier persists throughout the book, which made everything feel more authentic. I have read many inter-cultural love stories where about 1/4 of the way through the book, suddenly one of the parties seems to locate a star trek transponder or decoder ring, and the parties are conversing as if they've always spoken each other's language. That's not the case here, and by keeping Huiann's acquisition of language gradual, Dee has to deliver through gestures and inner-thoughts. With such a hurdle, it would be easy to let the pacing suffer, but this was a fast read, with the backdrop of the risk to Huiann if she is discovered keeping the tension high. Dee moves us through several months seamlessly, which also felt authentic--these are two very shy, very lonely, very scarred individuals, and even though the attraction is there, they aren't going to act on it overnight.

She also managed to make them feel very true to their time period--Alan totally felt like an 1870's man, not a 2011 Alpha Male deluxe archetype inserted into a historical. Huiann doesn't suddenly become westernized, but she's also not a stereotypical Chinese woman of the time period. Her belief system doesn't change just because she loves Alan--it expands to incorporate him and vice versa. This was just beautifully handled. If you love Susan Wiggs's early historicals set in this time period, you will adore this book as she captures a similar tone and feel. If you love unusual love stories of any genre, you are in for a treat with this lovely tale. This is one of those books that I want to chase down my friends and MAKE them read it because I want more people to talk about it with.
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Feb 15, 2011 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, arc

Isn't this a gorgeous cover? I almost feel badly for an author who isn't blessed to have a talented cover artist these days because I think so many of us - yes, I hang my head in shame and include myself - are picking books based on covers sometimes. I know just enough about Asian culture to be dangerous in my semi-knowledge, but was fascinated by the prospect of a story about an Asian woman on her own and forced to depend on someone she can't communicate with, especially a westerner. Add in wha...more Isn't this a gorgeous cover? I almost feel badly for an author who isn't blessed to have a talented cover artist these days because I think so many of us - yes, I hang my head in shame and include myself - are picking books based on covers sometimes. I know just enough about Asian culture to be dangerous in my semi-knowledge, but was fascinated by the prospect of a story about an Asian woman on her own and forced to depend on someone she can't communicate with, especially a westerner. Add in what's probably a bigger taboo - falling in love with one - and I was there.

Having had her virginity confirmed, her body examined by Xie, the man she thought she'd been sent to America to marry, and now sold for deflowering, Huiann was being delivered to the highest bidder when she saw her chance at escape and jumped into the crowd in a busy San Francisco marketplace. She runs into a general store and finding the friendly - and stunned - face of the owner, ducks behind the counter to hide from Lui Dai, Xie's henchman. When he comes in demanding to know if she's there, the store owner lies and said he never saw her.

Alan had first seen Huiann when she disembarked from her ship from China days earlier and was shocked to see her barrel into his store. He could see she was terrified and his first instinct was to lie for her and offer shelter. Although she doesn't speak English and he doesn't speak Chinese, they decide she'll act as his housekeeper for his apartment above the shop in exchange for room and board. The language barrier leaves Huiann a little uneasy about the specifics of their agreement - she's wondering if Alan will expect her to perform sexual favors for him. She doesn't find his American face particularly handsome, his western food very appetizing and his manners are confusing.

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the multi-cultural aspect of the story and wondered how the author would handle it. I think there's a tendency to Anglicize the heroine/s not long after they fall in love with their American hero - at the very least, they immediately think he's the most handsome thing they ever laid eyes on. Huiann didn't fall in love, lust or understanding with Alan for a while. She appreciated him for what he did for her because she understood the risk he was taking, but she still had an air of cultural superiority about her at first. She thought he was coarse and his belongings were inferior to hers. Conversely, Alan thought she was exquisite - he'd been captivated by her on the docks and when she'd run into his store, dumbfounded. Now that she's in his home, he's trying to put her at ease any way he can even though he doesn't really understand any of her customs. They spend a lot of time talking to each other, even though neither has a clue what the other is saying, pouring out their pain over their pasts.

Because of their language barrier and cultural divide, Huiann and Alan spent some time avoiding their attraction for each other. It adds so much when they do make love because they do it with almost no words - can I also say how refreshing it is when the uh, fireworks go off one at a time because someone makes an effort to light the second fuse after the first one goes off? Again with the not having to speak to communicate thing. Their love story was sweet and romantic - rather flowery from Huiann's point of view - it's everything you'd imagine a story with a princess and handsome hero would be.

I did have a couple of issues. Alan was a Union soldier who was injured at the beginning of the war and sent to the horrific Andersonville prison camp. It's mentioned in the beginning of the story to explain why Alan settled so far west - his family's in New Hampshire - and why he's plagued by nightmares. There are a few other mentions, and that's it. It's too weighty of an issue to belong in a book alongside the issue of the Chinese sex trade. It should be one or the other in my opinion. I also think it was unlikely that Lui would have given up looking for Huiann so quickly the day she disappeared into the marketplace, given her worth to Xie. It was a little thing, but it bothered me for a while.

Huiann remains uniquely Chinese for the entire story - something I was so relieved to read. Aside from a few western mannerisms she needed to adapt, she didn't get the Anglo-treatment. She still didn't speak a lot of English and Alan didn't speak more than a word or two of Chinese. Your mileage my vary about whether you think their relationship would be as publicly acceptable as it seemed, given the time (late 1880's), but for some romantic escapism, this works on a nice scale.

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Jan 19, 2011 Tara Chevrestt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, historical-fiction, netgalley, kindle, chinese-history-culture

Good story. Huiann is a young Chinese woman whose parents strike a deal with a rich American merchant. They think Huiann is going to America to be the man's wife.. but upon reaching San Fran, Huiann discovers she's to be a whore.

She escapes straight into the arms of Alan, a white man with a small store and big political aspirations. I liked this part. I liked how Alan and Huiann find ways to communicate with each other and tell each other stories even though they speak different languages. There...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Cleffairy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Published on: Over A Cuppa Tea

Date published:26th Jan 2011

Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/captive-bride/

Captive Bride by Bonnie Dee is a very sexy and romantic read. I like this very much, but I have trouble grasping the plot at the beginning of this story. I was not quite sure what the author is trying to write, but it began to be clear to me after reading it for a while.

There’s room for improvement though the romantic scenes are spectacular. I was hoping for more… perhap...more

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Nov 18, 2012 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-star, read-2012, historical, format-ebook, acquired-bought-new

(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

This post was an absolute bear to write. I'm not sure why, since I even had decent notes that covered pretty much everything I wanted to write. I just had a hard time putting those notes into reasonably coherent and mostly organized paragraphs. I'd have abandoned the whole thing, except I liked the book enough that I wanted to make sure there was a mention of it on my blog. Plus, the cover image is pretty.

Anyway,...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Historical Romance w/Unique Elements, I/R Romance w/Asian Heroine

Shelves: historical-romance, read-2012

Reviewed for THC Reviews
It seems that whenever I run across a Bonnie Dee book, the synopsis and excerpt never fail to draw me in, so I was very excited to finally have a chance to try one of her novels. Captive Bride didn't quite reach the heights of perfection for me, but it was a solid piece of storytelling that I really enjoyed reading. I always like a good interracial story, and this one was quite interesting especially in the historical context where prejudice and racism seemed to run rampa...more Reviewed for THC Reviews
It seems that whenever I run across a Bonnie Dee book, the synopsis and excerpt never fail to draw me in, so I was very excited to finally have a chance to try one of her novels. Captive Bride didn't quite reach the heights of perfection for me, but it was a solid piece of storytelling that I really enjoyed reading. I always like a good interracial story, and this one was quite interesting especially in the historical context where prejudice and racism seemed to run rampant. Alan struggles with truly wanting to make Huiann more than his mistress or lover, but knowing that he would receive public censure if he married her. The author also sheds some light on the sexual slave trade that was prevalent at that time in which young Asian women were either kidnapped or taken from their families under false pretenses, shipped to America under horrific conditions, and then pressed into prostitution where they were treated little better than animals. Considering that this type of sex trafficking still occurs in certain parts of the world today, I really have to give the author kudos for addressing this important women's rights issue.

Huiann is a kind-hearted innocent who truly has no idea that she is not bound for America to become a stranger's wife, but instead will be working as a high-priced courtesan. She was nervous enough about becoming a bride, but when she found out the truth, she was absolutely horrified. She may have been sweet and demure in some ways, but even in the opening chapter, I could detect a natural curiosity and spunkiness that definitely served her well as the story progressed. When she discovered her fate, Huiann never gave up on the possibility of escape and was ever vigilant looking for that opportunity. When it finally presented itself, she grabbed hold with both hands and didn't let go, leading her to find an ally in Alan. I admired Huiann for being a hard-worker who showed her gratitude to Alan by doing everything she could to make life easier for him. When they became more intimately involved, she was also very giving and loving toward him, offering herself freely. In the end, when Huiann once again found herself kidnapped, she was at first depressed, but it didn't take long for the wheels to begin turning in her head to formulate another potential escape plan. She was a strong woman who didn't just wait around for someone to come save her, but took her fate into her own hands while still being a gentle soul at her core.

Although Alan was certainly willing to do what needed to be done to save Huiann, he was, in my opinion, more of a beta hero. He is attracted to Huiann from the moment he sees her disembarking from a steamer. Alan was somewhat tortured from his time spent as a prisoner of war at Andersonville during the Civil War. He still has nightmares from that, and interestingly, the authors chooses not to make them magically go away because of Huiann's gentle love. When Huiann coincidentally shows up in his store, obviously running and hiding from someone, Alan can relate even though they initially can't communicate. Alan is a successful business man and one of the good guys who wants to run for political office out of a sense of rightness and fairness and truly wanting to help constituents by cleaning up the corruption in the city of San Francisco. I liked that Alan treated Huiann with kindness, and like an equal, in spite of her being a woman, and Asian at that, in a time when most whites saw people of other races as good for nothing more than the labor they could provide. He always gave her a choice in everything she did, not wanting her to feel like she'd left one “master” for another. I also got the impression that Alan was a little more average looking which is a rarity for a romance hero. At no point, did Huiann think of Alan as gorgeous. In fact, at first, she doesn't even find him attractive, but as she begins to see the beauty inside, it changes her opinion of the outside. Overall, Alan was a great guy who could be strong while also being extremely sweet.

During the early parts of the story, I had a hard time feeling the emotional connection between Huiann and Alan. They were very obviously attracted to one another, but there wasn't quite enough happening between them to make the reasons readily apparent. He had found her beautiful from the moment he first saw her and she was very grateful for his kindness in saving her from a terrible fate, but there was still a little something missing for me. I think part of it had to do with the language barrier. They each speak candidly in their own tongue and glean a certain amount of meaning from facial expressions and gestures, but since they still couldn't really understand one another, these “conversations” didn't seem quite as meaningful as they would have otherwise. I also detected some passivity in the narrative prose which always makes it a little harder to feel things too, because it tells more than shows. Once Huiann starts to learn some English and the story got to the love scenes that all changed though. The first time Alan and Huiann share a bed was very sweet. They may not have gone “all the way,” but they were very loving and giving to each other. The later love scenes remained gentle and truly romantic while still being spicy, very much the physical expression of their burgeoning love. I loved that Alan was always so tender with Huiann, and that he cared about her enough to use protection which is pretty rare in a historical romance.

Overall, Captive Bride was a very enjoyable read with a hero and heroine I could really root for. It's setting and certain story elements were somewhat unusual for historical romance which made it all the more intriguing. This was my first read by Bonnie Dee, and I'm happy to say that she didn't let me down in my expectations of her storytelling abilities. I'm now looking forward to trying some of her other works soon.(less)

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May 04, 2011 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-setting-hr-romance, keeper

Bonnie Dee is a rising author, whose work is always new and fresh, from a different and new perspective and for me Captive Bride "captures" this perfectly. With a setting unknown and sometimes forgotten in America history and not one of the brightest spots in US history. Dee brings it to vivid color with her writing voice, with the ability not to point fingers but give it to the reader in brass facts.

The journey of Huiann who arrives in america thinking she was to be a bride, but really going...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-historical-not-old-west, historical-romance, immigrants, interracial, kindle-reads, she-fell-for-the-boss

Enjoyable book that takes place in San Francisco in 1870. It seemed to be well researched and the information was basically imparted as part of the story of this Chinese girl who was imported to be a prostitute unbeknownst to her. When she finds out she runs away and is taken in by a white American man who hires her as a housekeeper and then falls in love with her.

The story develops over several months and you see the two of them learn about each other and fall in love. The plot was fairly tigh...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Anne Dirty Girls' Good Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great story! Huiann & Alan's relationship was wonderful to watch unfold. I liked that Huiann was friends with Dora, too. I loved that Huiann came to value her own strengths, and Alan grew as a person, too.

The story was more explicitl/hotter than a typical historical, but that was a good thing for me.

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Sep 04, 2011 Steffi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, prostitution, need-to-review

I've read several books by Bonnie Dee that I greatly enjoyed and Captive Bride is one of them. Review to come...

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Apr 16, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book. Awesome beta minded hero and great love scenes. Bonnie really hits the time period perfectly.

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Aug 28, 2012 TheFountainPenDiva marked it as book-boner

Yes, I'm sold on the cover and the premise. When publishers don't whitewash, I reward them.

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Jul 03, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

An excellent romance enriched by history,truth, and suspense.

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Apr 02, 2011 Tasha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

Uhg, that ending was way too long.

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Mar 09, 2011 MJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, standalone, 4-star-ratings

3.5 Stars

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Sep 01, 2012 Fashionista rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: interracial, historical-romance, virgin-heroine

The story started off slowly; but picks up nicely as you read. I love the fact that the h is Asian. The H (Alan) is a real sweetheart.
The love scenes are great ;-)

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May 18, 2013 Djinnk marked it as to-read

May 18, 2013 Daena marked it as to-read

May 18, 2013 Alex marked it as to-read

May 14, 2013 Syeda marked it as to-read

Shelves: interracial-romance

May 11, 2013 Minou marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 05, 2013 Enigma Monkey marked it as to-read

May 04, 2013 September20six rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Apr 25, 2013 Suzanne Moore marked it as to-read

Apr 24, 2013 Maggie Thom marked it as to-read

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About Bonnie Dee

I began telling stories as a child. Whenever there was a sleepover, I was the designated ghost tale teller. I still have a story printed on yellow legal paper in second grade about a ghost, a witch and a talking cat.

Writing childish stories for my own pleasure led to majoring in English at college. Like most English majors, I dreamed of writing a novel, but at that time in my life didn't have the...more

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Quotes from Captive Bride

“When she’d finished, she cut the thread with a pair of scissors, patted the wound once more and stepped back. “Better.”
“No bandage?”
She shook her head. “No bandage. Need air.”
“All right. I guess you’re the doctor.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. Even in the midst of inflicting pain she’d aroused his lust. “Don’t I get a reward for being a good patient?”
“I don’t understand.” She delivered the all-purpose phrase he’d taught her.
“Reward. A kiss.”
The grooves in her cheeks flashed as her lips turned up. “Yes, you need a kiss.” And she bent her head to give him one.” — 2 people liked it

“As he left Chinatown behind, Alan thought of the woman he’d seen on the wharf the other day, the golden splendor of her gown, her glossy hair and the turbulent emotion in her eyes. He wondered what she was doing right now and if she’d found happiness in her new home.” — 1 person liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10197347-captive-bride?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1296328598l/10197347.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10197347-captive-bride?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Captive Bride by Bonnie Dee[/url]

Captive Bride

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