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The Hostage Bride
The Hostage Bride by Kate Walker released on Mar 25, 2003 is available now for purchase.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
About the author
Kate Walker
505 books150 followersI was born in Nottinghamshire, England, but I didn't live there for very long. The family moved to West Yorkshire when I was just eighteen months old and so I have always regarded Yorkshire as my home. I grew up there as the middle child in a family of five—all girls—in a home where books were vitally important and I read anything I could get my hands on.
Even before I could write I was making up stories. My mother tells the story of me recounting the tale of the Three Little Raindrops — Drippy, Droppy and Droopy to my two younger sisters when I was four. I can't remember a time when I wasn't scribbling away at something, and I wrote my first 'book' when I was eleven, an adventure story, most of it in secret in lessons at school—particularly maths lessons, which I hated.
But everyone, particularly teachers and my parents, told me that I would never make a living as a writer, and I should work towards a more secure career. So I decided instead that if I couldn't write books, I could at least work with them and so I settled for becoming a librarian. On leaving school, I went to the University College of Wales Aberystwyth where I studied English and Librarianship for my degree.
More importantly, university was also where I met my husband who was also studying English there. We married and moved back north, eventually settling in Lincolnshire. Here I worked as a children's librarian until I left work when my son was born.
After three years of being a full-time housewife and mother, I was ready for a new challenge, but needed something I could do at home, and so I turned to my old love of writing. My first attempts at novels were written on the kitchen table, often late into the night when my son was asleep or during a few snatched hours when he was out at nursery school.
The first two novels sent off to Harlequin Mills & Boon were rejected, but the third attempt was successful. I can still remember the moment that a letter arrived instead of the rejection slip I had been dreading. I think I must have read it over and over at least a hundred times before the reality of what it said sank in, and for days I kept checking it just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. In 1984, THE CHALK LINE was published just in time to be one of my best Christmas presents ever.
Fitting in hobbies around working and being a wife and mother can be difficult, but I always find time to read. I love all sorts of fiction, especially Romance, obviously. I also enjoy historical novels, detective fiction and long, absorbing biographies about fascinating people and I can spend hours in bookshops just browsing. I enjoy knitting and embroidery, but I rarely get time to do either now that I'm a full-time writer. I also love looking round antique fairs or junk shops, hoping to add to my collection of Victorian embroidery. During my working hours my four cats, all adopted from the RSPCA, usually keep me company in my study, though they have to be dissuaded from sitting on the piles of papers that they are convinced are there just for them.
I love to travel and visit new places, especially places with an interesting history, and I always enjoy visiting old castles or stately homes and imagining how the people who used to live there spent their days.
I'm often asked if I'm a romantic sort of person because I specialise in writing Romances. Well, if being romantic means caring about other people enough to make that extra special effort, then yes, I am. Romance is about making the important people in your life feel valued and letting them know that you care. But I also write about relationships and the difficulties people sometimes have in understanding each other, or expressing affection, or overcoming problems.
Sometimes—when the right words won't come, or an idea hasn't worked out as I'd thought, I wonder why I don't have some regular nine to five job, but when the story's flowing and the characters come alive, I really can't imagine a
Even before I could write I was making up stories. My mother tells the story of me recounting the tale of the Three Little Raindrops — Drippy, Droppy and Droopy to my two younger sisters when I was four. I can't remember a time when I wasn't scribbling away at something, and I wrote my first 'book' when I was eleven, an adventure story, most of it in secret in lessons at school—particularly maths lessons, which I hated.
But everyone, particularly teachers and my parents, told me that I would never make a living as a writer, and I should work towards a more secure career. So I decided instead that if I couldn't write books, I could at least work with them and so I settled for becoming a librarian. On leaving school, I went to the University College of Wales Aberystwyth where I studied English and Librarianship for my degree.
More importantly, university was also where I met my husband who was also studying English there. We married and moved back north, eventually settling in Lincolnshire. Here I worked as a children's librarian until I left work when my son was born.
After three years of being a full-time housewife and mother, I was ready for a new challenge, but needed something I could do at home, and so I turned to my old love of writing. My first attempts at novels were written on the kitchen table, often late into the night when my son was asleep or during a few snatched hours when he was out at nursery school.
The first two novels sent off to Harlequin Mills & Boon were rejected, but the third attempt was successful. I can still remember the moment that a letter arrived instead of the rejection slip I had been dreading. I think I must have read it over and over at least a hundred times before the reality of what it said sank in, and for days I kept checking it just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. In 1984, THE CHALK LINE was published just in time to be one of my best Christmas presents ever.
Fitting in hobbies around working and being a wife and mother can be difficult, but I always find time to read. I love all sorts of fiction, especially Romance, obviously. I also enjoy historical novels, detective fiction and long, absorbing biographies about fascinating people and I can spend hours in bookshops just browsing. I enjoy knitting and embroidery, but I rarely get time to do either now that I'm a full-time writer. I also love looking round antique fairs or junk shops, hoping to add to my collection of Victorian embroidery. During my working hours my four cats, all adopted from the RSPCA, usually keep me company in my study, though they have to be dissuaded from sitting on the piles of papers that they are convinced are there just for them.
I love to travel and visit new places, especially places with an interesting history, and I always enjoy visiting old castles or stately homes and imagining how the people who used to live there spent their days.
I'm often asked if I'm a romantic sort of person because I specialise in writing Romances. Well, if being romantic means caring about other people enough to make that extra special effort, then yes, I am. Romance is about making the important people in your life feel valued and letting them know that you care. But I also write about relationships and the difficulties people sometimes have in understanding each other, or expressing affection, or overcoming problems.
Sometimes—when the right words won't come, or an idea hasn't worked out as I'd thought, I wonder why I don't have some regular nine to five job, but when the story's flowing and the characters come alive, I really can't imagine a
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 30, 2019
Hero kidnaps heroine before her forced marriage to a business rival. Seems his half sister is in love and pregnant by his business *rival* and he wants to give them a chance.
What?
It gets worse. Heroine was marrying the business rival because her father had ripped off both the hero and the business rival. The business rival is in a snit about his pregnant girlfriend and arranged this forced marriage to punish his girlfriend instead of sending the h’s father to jail.
What?
The H/h fall in love/have sex the first night he kidnaps her – but can’t discuss their feelings.
What? Oh, wait – this is normal HP logic. Carry on.
The hero returns her to her home, but the press are hanging around her apartment. So they go to his house in Argentina.
What? Argentina is not next to London.
They have a great time in Argentina. Heroine learns to tango, etc. Once the business rival and the hero’s sister marry, they feel free to declare their love. Then Hero finds out by fax that the heroine’s father ripped him off and he thinks the heroine bedded him on purpose.
What? She didn't plan this- he kidnapped her.
Several pages later the hero believes the heroine loves him and they’ll get daddy dearest into counselling for his gambling habit.
HEA?
I suppose. Kate Walker told me this, but didn’t show it – at least not in a logical manner.
What?
It gets worse. Heroine was marrying the business rival because her father had ripped off both the hero and the business rival. The business rival is in a snit about his pregnant girlfriend and arranged this forced marriage to punish his girlfriend instead of sending the h’s father to jail.
What?
The H/h fall in love/have sex the first night he kidnaps her – but can’t discuss their feelings.
What? Oh, wait – this is normal HP logic. Carry on.
The hero returns her to her home, but the press are hanging around her apartment. So they go to his house in Argentina.
What? Argentina is not next to London.
They have a great time in Argentina. Heroine learns to tango, etc. Once the business rival and the hero’s sister marry, they feel free to declare their love. Then Hero finds out by fax that the heroine’s father ripped him off and he thinks the heroine bedded him on purpose.
What? She didn't plan this- he kidnapped her.
Several pages later the hero believes the heroine loves him and they’ll get daddy dearest into counselling for his gambling habit.
HEA?
I suppose. Kate Walker told me this, but didn’t show it – at least not in a logical manner.
May 3, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Kate Walker is one for my keeper shelves. I have about 70% of all her books. This one reminded me a little of The Devil and Miss Jones, her next to last book. It also started off with a bride and a hot Spaniard. The story line may have started off with a cancelled wedding but the two stories diverged instantly.
This one, with a kidnapping, family ties and blackmail went with a bang. The hero Rico is utterly gorgeous and hot enough to melt the iciest heroine. Felicity is that heroine and while she can maintain that icy facade for her groom to be, it doesn't take Rico long to turn up the heat.
The story kept me turning the pages and the tension between Felicity and Rico was scorching as they were forced to spend time together and the misunderstandings and deceptions crumbled one by one.
This one, with a kidnapping, family ties and blackmail went with a bang. The hero Rico is utterly gorgeous and hot enough to melt the iciest heroine. Felicity is that heroine and while she can maintain that icy facade for her groom to be, it doesn't take Rico long to turn up the heat.
The story kept me turning the pages and the tension between Felicity and Rico was scorching as they were forced to spend time together and the misunderstandings and deceptions crumbled one by one.
November 13, 2012
the start was too good but as soon as they had had sex the story lost its appeal
April 8, 2025
I'll never understand the appeal of these sorts of romances.
The hero selfishly ruins the heroine's life and he genuinely despises her, believing her to be a filthy slut, a money grubber and a liar. He broadcasts this hatred with his disdainful, sneery looks. Time and again he looks at her, and talks to her, as though she were dog shit. He also wants to fuck her, badly, because while he is disgusted by her as a person he thinks she had a hot body. As soon as he has sex with her he's leaping out of bed and throwing insults at her. She is treated like worthless trash with a convenient sex hole that he occasionally has sex into.
Then at about page 80 he says 'I love you!'
We the reader are supposed to believe that somewhere in all this depressing bullshit a 'romance' took place. How can he fall in love with her, he doesn't KNOW her. He literally knows nothing about her as a person - all he ever knows is 'I think she's a slut' and 'she looks small and vulnerable'.
Obviously many women *do* enjoy these 'romances', but for me they are incredibly sad because all I see is a woman being degraded and used by a cruel man. No thanks.
The hero selfishly ruins the heroine's life and he genuinely despises her, believing her to be a filthy slut, a money grubber and a liar. He broadcasts this hatred with his disdainful, sneery looks. Time and again he looks at her, and talks to her, as though she were dog shit. He also wants to fuck her, badly, because while he is disgusted by her as a person he thinks she had a hot body. As soon as he has sex with her he's leaping out of bed and throwing insults at her. She is treated like worthless trash with a convenient sex hole that he occasionally has sex into.
Then at about page 80 he says 'I love you!'
We the reader are supposed to believe that somewhere in all this depressing bullshit a 'romance' took place. How can he fall in love with her, he doesn't KNOW her. He literally knows nothing about her as a person - all he ever knows is 'I think she's a slut' and 'she looks small and vulnerable'.
Obviously many women *do* enjoy these 'romances', but for me they are incredibly sad because all I see is a woman being degraded and used by a cruel man. No thanks.
December 20, 2017
299 ـ أشواق مرة :
روايات احلام
كيت والكر
ـ هل تريديني ياحلوتي ؟
تمكنت من أن تقول وشيء من الضحك يشوب كلماتها : لكن من أنت ؟أنا حتى لا أعرف اسمك !
نظرت إلى سواد عينيه ورأت التغيير السريع فيهما ضحك وقال : اسمي ريكو وهو اختصار لريكاردو. ريكاردو جون كارلوس فالبرون في خدمتك آنستي كان ما قاله صفعة وجهها وصدمت الكلمات أحاسيسها كضربة قاسية جعلت قلبها يتوقف عن الخفقان وأنفاسها تموت في رئتيها .
ريكاردو فاليرون الرجل الذي خطفها من عريسها يوم عرسها الذي تعتمد على رحمته من أجل سلامتها وربما حياتها .. هو الرجل الذي تعرف أن عليها أن تخشاه أكثر من أي شيء آخر فمصيرها ومصير أبيها معلقان بكلمة واحدة منه.
روايات احلام
كيت والكر
ـ هل تريديني ياحلوتي ؟
تمكنت من أن تقول وشيء من الضحك يشوب كلماتها : لكن من أنت ؟أنا حتى لا أعرف اسمك !
نظرت إلى سواد عينيه ورأت التغيير السريع فيهما ضحك وقال : اسمي ريكو وهو اختصار لريكاردو. ريكاردو جون كارلوس فالبرون في خدمتك آنستي كان ما قاله صفعة وجهها وصدمت الكلمات أحاسيسها كضربة قاسية جعلت قلبها يتوقف عن الخفقان وأنفاسها تموت في رئتيها .
ريكاردو فاليرون الرجل الذي خطفها من عريسها يوم عرسها الذي تعتمد على رحمته من أجل سلامتها وربما حياتها .. هو الرجل الذي تعرف أن عليها أن تخشاه أكثر من أي شيء آخر فمصيرها ومصير أبيها معلقان بكلمة واحدة منه.
July 13, 2016
Modest accountant’s daughter Felicity has steeled herself to marry local aristocrat Edward Venables, in order to save her family, but all plans are thrown into chaos when she gets kidnapped on her way to the church. By an Argentinian billionaire, because reasons.
Yes, it’s difficult to get proper ordinary English girls into the narrative clutches of dominating and ruthless yet at the same time honest and fundamentally good smouldering ultra-rich Argentinians, but you really have to do better than this. The story starts out making no sense, and continues to make no sense all the way to the end. It’s impossible to take the romance seriously, because it’s impossible to take any of it seriously. Every step of the story runs into the sheer stupidity of the situation the characters have been put in.
Don't buy this. Get “The Devil and Miss Jones” by the same author, which starts with an ordinary English girl being picked up by a dominating and ruthless smouldering ultra-rich Argentinian on the day she’s supposed to marry someone else, but which makes sense and is awesome.
Yes, it’s difficult to get proper ordinary English girls into the narrative clutches of dominating and ruthless yet at the same time honest and fundamentally good smouldering ultra-rich Argentinians, but you really have to do better than this. The story starts out making no sense, and continues to make no sense all the way to the end. It’s impossible to take the romance seriously, because it’s impossible to take any of it seriously. Every step of the story runs into the sheer stupidity of the situation the characters have been put in.
Don't buy this. Get “The Devil and Miss Jones” by the same author, which starts with an ordinary English girl being picked up by a dominating and ruthless smouldering ultra-rich Argentinian on the day she’s supposed to marry someone else, but which makes sense and is awesome.
kindle-hq
June 17, 2021Fliss's father has been embezzling from Argentine billionaire Ricardo Valeron! She knows Rico is ruthless in his business dealings and will stop at nothing to ruin her father if he should uncover the truth. To save her father, Fliss agrees to marry an old friend—and in return he'll pay her father's debt.
But before the ceremony takes place, Rico arrives and whisks Fliss away. Has he discovered the missing money? Is he out for revenge? Just what are Rico's intentions toward his hostage bride...?
But before the ceremony takes place, Rico arrives and whisks Fliss away. Has he discovered the missing money? Is he out for revenge? Just what are Rico's intentions toward his hostage bride...?
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews