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Love's Prisoner
Hostage of the heart
Dynamic news journalist Piers Armstrong had survived being held hostage by terrorists in Central America for a year. Now he was back home and the slow process of rehabilitation had begun. Every night Piers returns to captivity in his dreams...
Suzy Collier had to talk Piers into giving an interview about his experiences--and of course he refused to cooperate! He was the same tubborn, difficult...incredibly sexy man that Suzy had fallen in love with three years ago. Or was he? Suzy couldn't help noticing subtle changes in him...
[Summary is from the back of the book]
Dynamic news journalist Piers Armstrong had survived being held hostage by terrorists in Central America for a year. Now he was back home and the slow process of rehabilitation had begun. Every night Piers returns to captivity in his dreams...
Suzy Collier had to talk Piers into giving an interview about his experiences--and of course he refused to cooperate! He was the same tubborn, difficult...incredibly sexy man that Suzy had fallen in love with three years ago. Or was he? Suzy couldn't help noticing subtle changes in him...
[Summary is from the back of the book]
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 17, 2018
Re Love's Prisoner - Elizabeth Oldfield brings us a second chance romance in this one. More interestingly, this is one of the very, very rare HP's that shares a title with an earlier HP story.
This is the second Love's Prisoner in the HP line up, after Violet Winspear's Love's Prisoner, which was written in 1974 and is HP #36. Tho the EO title has a LOT more romance than the VW version.
The h in this one is 26 and a freelance feature reporter finishing up a manuscript on people who have survived extended hostage situations. When the story opens, the h is browbeaten by her publisher to include the H's interview in her already written book.
The H is a war correspondent reporter who was held hostage with another journalist for a year. Both the H and the other reporter made it out okay, but since the H is HPlandia's Version of a dashing, into the ladies Anderson Cooper, public interest in his story is high and the h's publisher is convinced including the H will boost the book's sales.
There is only one little problem with this, the h worked with the H on the same paper three years earlier and they dated for three months. She fell in love, but only managed to seduce the H one time and give up her unicorn grooming license. Then the H took off for another assignment.
While he was gone, the h interviewed an up and coming publicity seeking actress, who implied that she and the H were VERY close friends. When the actress was able to provide some very personal details about an injury the H had sustained, the h concluded that the H had been two timing her all along.
To save her pride and not look like an unsophisticated bumpkin in the big city, the h told the H that she only wanted to go to bed with him to lose the trailing unicorn chorus line and gain some expertise. This made the H very angry and he took off again. The h changed papers and then found herself writing non fiction in-depth feature books.
So the h goes to see the H right before he gets out of hospital. She plans to get the H to blow off her interview request, so she can tell her publisher she tried and he refused to cooperate.
Seeing the H looking even more well built than he was when he left, cause being locked in a hut gives you lots of time for exercise, and the underlying tensions of thwarted Love Force Mojo causing both of them to snarl at each other, the h changes her mind about doing part of her book on the H.
But now he really won't cooperate and the h figures she will just interview his friends and his famous actor father, that the h knows fairly well, instead.
(The h met the father when the H was first taken.. His dad and he did not have a good relationship because his dad dumped him in boarding school when the H's mum died, but his dad really does care about him and did a lot of work to keep the H's plight in the public awareness. Unfortunately the H's supposed actress girlfriend used the H's plight to keep herself in the publicity headlines too.)
The H gets angry when he finds the h interviewing his dad, but then he gets sneaky and makes the h move in with him for three weeks by promising a full interview. The h figures he is out for some kind of revenge because she claimed she used the H for stud service, but that doesn't stop her knees from weakening every time the H runs around clad only in a towel - and he likes to parade around in a towel a lot.
So the h moves in with the H and tho the actress OW keeps stopping by, the H seems to find all kinds of reasons to put her off. The H has a few nightmares and some adjustment problems, but the h realizes that his dad dumping him in boarding school mentally prepared him for being held hostage, both were very isolating acts and the H was used to it.
The h does manage to effect a reconciliation between the H and h is father, in between the H's one line innuendos and flirting attempts, but it isn't until the H and h take a trip to NYC to see the reporter the H was held hostage with that the real pressure begins.
The h and H have to share a room in New York and even tho it is twin beds, the h is feeling the effects of the Lurve Force Mojo - especially when she has to act like the H's girlfriend, even tho she thinks the H and the actress are getting engaged.
(The H runs around half dressed a lot, but he is remarkably hands off except when the h kinda encourages him - so there is no lurve clubbing events going on - just a ton of tension.)
Finally the H and h are on the way back to London and the H mentions that the actress is engaged to another man. The h is shocked, the H is ecstatic because he clued in that the OW was using him to boost her acting career right away and he had to maneuver around her carefully to keep the OW from trying to grab even more headlines.
The h explains how the wanna be OW tricked her and the h's father as well, then the h tells the H about how the OW implied the H was seeing both of them at the same time. The h apologizes for getting it wrong and explains she cared about the H three years earlier.
Then the H drops the bomb that he loves the h back. He was in love three years earlier, but he wasn't sure he was ready for marriage and he knew it wasn't fair to marry the h and then go off all the time. He never slept with the actress and really only met her when she was a tagalong with his father's other actor friends.
Then the h dumped him and he got held hostage and that time to reflect made him determined to get the h back, cause he was ready for the marriage and the babies and the love of a good h.
So now the H and h are getting married, after a solid week of purple passion mojo bliss, and the H is taking an editorial position at the paper. So we leave the two of them declaring true love forever and kittens and unicorns are dancing for the big pink sparkly HP HEA.
This one is really well done and really funny. EO never does the big whacktastic drama, but she does provide a very solid romance with two people who act like adults and not spoiled two year olds. So give this one a go when you want a nice romance with a solid HEA and little bit of outside inflicted angst for your next HP outing.
This is the second Love's Prisoner in the HP line up, after Violet Winspear's Love's Prisoner, which was written in 1974 and is HP #36. Tho the EO title has a LOT more romance than the VW version.
The h in this one is 26 and a freelance feature reporter finishing up a manuscript on people who have survived extended hostage situations. When the story opens, the h is browbeaten by her publisher to include the H's interview in her already written book.
The H is a war correspondent reporter who was held hostage with another journalist for a year. Both the H and the other reporter made it out okay, but since the H is HPlandia's Version of a dashing, into the ladies Anderson Cooper, public interest in his story is high and the h's publisher is convinced including the H will boost the book's sales.
There is only one little problem with this, the h worked with the H on the same paper three years earlier and they dated for three months. She fell in love, but only managed to seduce the H one time and give up her unicorn grooming license. Then the H took off for another assignment.
While he was gone, the h interviewed an up and coming publicity seeking actress, who implied that she and the H were VERY close friends. When the actress was able to provide some very personal details about an injury the H had sustained, the h concluded that the H had been two timing her all along.
To save her pride and not look like an unsophisticated bumpkin in the big city, the h told the H that she only wanted to go to bed with him to lose the trailing unicorn chorus line and gain some expertise. This made the H very angry and he took off again. The h changed papers and then found herself writing non fiction in-depth feature books.
So the h goes to see the H right before he gets out of hospital. She plans to get the H to blow off her interview request, so she can tell her publisher she tried and he refused to cooperate.
Seeing the H looking even more well built than he was when he left, cause being locked in a hut gives you lots of time for exercise, and the underlying tensions of thwarted Love Force Mojo causing both of them to snarl at each other, the h changes her mind about doing part of her book on the H.
But now he really won't cooperate and the h figures she will just interview his friends and his famous actor father, that the h knows fairly well, instead.
(The h met the father when the H was first taken.. His dad and he did not have a good relationship because his dad dumped him in boarding school when the H's mum died, but his dad really does care about him and did a lot of work to keep the H's plight in the public awareness. Unfortunately the H's supposed actress girlfriend used the H's plight to keep herself in the publicity headlines too.)
The H gets angry when he finds the h interviewing his dad, but then he gets sneaky and makes the h move in with him for three weeks by promising a full interview. The h figures he is out for some kind of revenge because she claimed she used the H for stud service, but that doesn't stop her knees from weakening every time the H runs around clad only in a towel - and he likes to parade around in a towel a lot.
So the h moves in with the H and tho the actress OW keeps stopping by, the H seems to find all kinds of reasons to put her off. The H has a few nightmares and some adjustment problems, but the h realizes that his dad dumping him in boarding school mentally prepared him for being held hostage, both were very isolating acts and the H was used to it.
The h does manage to effect a reconciliation between the H and h is father, in between the H's one line innuendos and flirting attempts, but it isn't until the H and h take a trip to NYC to see the reporter the H was held hostage with that the real pressure begins.
The h and H have to share a room in New York and even tho it is twin beds, the h is feeling the effects of the Lurve Force Mojo - especially when she has to act like the H's girlfriend, even tho she thinks the H and the actress are getting engaged.
(The H runs around half dressed a lot, but he is remarkably hands off except when the h kinda encourages him - so there is no lurve clubbing events going on - just a ton of tension.)
Finally the H and h are on the way back to London and the H mentions that the actress is engaged to another man. The h is shocked, the H is ecstatic because he clued in that the OW was using him to boost her acting career right away and he had to maneuver around her carefully to keep the OW from trying to grab even more headlines.
The h explains how the wanna be OW tricked her and the h's father as well, then the h tells the H about how the OW implied the H was seeing both of them at the same time. The h apologizes for getting it wrong and explains she cared about the H three years earlier.
Then the H drops the bomb that he loves the h back. He was in love three years earlier, but he wasn't sure he was ready for marriage and he knew it wasn't fair to marry the h and then go off all the time. He never slept with the actress and really only met her when she was a tagalong with his father's other actor friends.
Then the h dumped him and he got held hostage and that time to reflect made him determined to get the h back, cause he was ready for the marriage and the babies and the love of a good h.
So now the H and h are getting married, after a solid week of purple passion mojo bliss, and the H is taking an editorial position at the paper. So we leave the two of them declaring true love forever and kittens and unicorns are dancing for the big pink sparkly HP HEA.
This one is really well done and really funny. EO never does the big whacktastic drama, but she does provide a very solid romance with two people who act like adults and not spoiled two year olds. So give this one a go when you want a nice romance with a solid HEA and little bit of outside inflicted angst for your next HP outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
Nice second chance story between a journalist and a war correspondent who was held hostage for a year. H/h had dated for a long time, then had sex once (heroine was a virgin). Then an actress OW made the heroine think that the hero had been carrying on an affair with her all the time they were dating.
Heroine was devastated and broke it off without telling hero why. (Of course) Hero assuaged his broken heart by squiring OW all over the place in between assignments. When hero was captured, heroine became close to his father and helped him through the one year ordeal.
Now heroine's editor wants heroine to include the hero in a book she is writing about hostages and how they handled their ordeal. Hero at first turns her down, but then agrees if she'll move in with him.
H/h are obviously well-suited. The hero is kind to a fellow hostage and insists the heroine accompany him to NYC to meet this man, too. There is a nice travelogue of NYC with the World Trade Center still intact. *sigh* And the H/h eventually talk out their differences like grown ups.
Hero never had sex with OW. He was afraid of commitment, but he wasn't a cheater. Now he's ready to settle down for an HEA.
Boogenhagen has all the spoilers in her excellent review.
Heroine was devastated and broke it off without telling hero why. (Of course) Hero assuaged his broken heart by squiring OW all over the place in between assignments. When hero was captured, heroine became close to his father and helped him through the one year ordeal.
Now heroine's editor wants heroine to include the hero in a book she is writing about hostages and how they handled their ordeal. Hero at first turns her down, but then agrees if she'll move in with him.
H/h are obviously well-suited. The hero is kind to a fellow hostage and insists the heroine accompany him to NYC to meet this man, too. There is a nice travelogue of NYC with the World Trade Center still intact. *sigh* And the H/h eventually talk out their differences like grown ups.
Hero never had sex with OW. He was afraid of commitment, but he wasn't a cheater. Now he's ready to settle down for an HEA.
Boogenhagen has all the spoilers in her excellent review.
November 4, 2020
Sweet surprising read. I’d read this book decades ago back in high school and could never find it /remember any details of it and just my luck to come upon it after all these years.
I remembered Piers just like he’d stayed in my memory. A sweet and teasing alpha H. Vintage feels and a sweetly tempered h. A lot of babble in the background with the h and H revisiting the details of his life as a hostage. Also OW who was not as vampy as you commonly see them.
Beyond happy to have found this book after so many years!!
I remembered Piers just like he’d stayed in my memory. A sweet and teasing alpha H. Vintage feels and a sweetly tempered h. A lot of babble in the background with the h and H revisiting the details of his life as a hostage. Also OW who was not as vampy as you commonly see them.
Beyond happy to have found this book after so many years!!
November 30, 2015
I liked this book a lot. Both the H and h seemed like normal people, no over the top jealousies and unreasonable behavior from either character. The story starts when the h who has written a book (profiling hostage survivors) is asked to include the story of the Hero, who has just recently survived being held hostage by terrorists. Turns out h and H used to be lovers but because of a misunderstanding split up 3 years previously. So there is some awkwardness between then and resistance on the part of the H. Anyway the H eventually agrees to the interview on the condition the h move in with him. So they start getting to know each other all over again. Other secondary characters play a role like H's dad and some OW action but on the whole not too much angst. And they get their HEA in the end.
August 15, 2015
Excellent story. 3,5 I love a man who loved heroine for a while. Even when they break up. Heroine not too bad.
February 16, 2023
Nah, very minor dumb 'misunderstanding' instead of just communicating fears. Skip it, there is a lot of okay set up but just goes no place.
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November 19, 2017Hostage of the heart
Dynamic news journalist Piers Armstrong had survived being held hostage by terrorists in Central America for a year. Now he was back home and the slow process of rehabilitation had begun. Every night Piers returns to captivity in his dreams...
Suzy Collier had to talk Piers into giving an interview about his experiences--and of course he refused to cooperate! He was the same stubborn, difficult...incredibly sexy man that Suzy had fallen in love with three years ago. Or was he? Suzy couldn't help noticing subtle changes in him...
Dynamic news journalist Piers Armstrong had survived being held hostage by terrorists in Central America for a year. Now he was back home and the slow process of rehabilitation had begun. Every night Piers returns to captivity in his dreams...
Suzy Collier had to talk Piers into giving an interview about his experiences--and of course he refused to cooperate! He was the same stubborn, difficult...incredibly sexy man that Suzy had fallen in love with three years ago. Or was he? Suzy couldn't help noticing subtle changes in him...
September 22, 2018
Suzy Colliers worked alongside Piers Armstrong, a wandering journalist, a few years ago. They dated, and after Suzy fell in love and she pushed, they became lovers for one night, giving him her virginity. Then, Suzy learned that she wasn't the only woman Piers was dating. And so, she saved face by telling him she'd gotten what she wanted and they could just move on with their life now. Piers walked away furious and Suzy was brokenhearted. Now, Piers has recently been released from a hostage situation and Suzy's book editor wants her to interview him for her book. Suzy is extremely reluctant, but eventually agrees only to find Piers irrationally angry with her and refusing to do the interview. He does change his mind, but his condition is a bit like blackmail - she has to spend time with him and live in his apartment while she collects information for his interview. Suzy finds herself falling in love with Piers again, but is reluctant to trust her heart to the man who already broke it once.
I picked this one up because of a review that said that the characters in this story were mature...not old mature, but behavior mature. And that is absolutely accurate. Compared to most HP stories, where heroines act like teenagers and engage in high drama and heroes are irrationally vengeful and equally likely to engage in high drama with a smirk on their face, these characters were quite sedate - not in a bad way, but in a refreshing way. In fact, the only high drama character here is the OW, who is the cause of the initial misunderstanding that creates all of the drama. It's too bad she ends up with her own sort of HEA...
When Suzy learns she's going to have to interview Piers, she makes all kinds of arguments why she can't and fights it, but does suck it up and agree to go see him. Then, she finds herself really wanting the interview, but is surprised that Piers has no interest. At no point do we get histrionics. Then, when she's blackmailed into living with him, there is no pouting, no shouting and no tears. She's reluctant, but she agrees. The two get on well enough, with enough tension (some OW drama) and chemistry to keep the reader interested. Of course, there is some juvenile behavior with the Hero walking around half-dressed to tempt the heroine, but that's nothing! Suzy and Piers more or less rebuild their friendship and learn more about each other before Piers finally explains that he'd loved Suzy all along and she learns that there never was another woman...it was all a lie. And it's not like they could have overcome that sooner because Piers didn't know about the OW's responsibility in their break up and Suzy didn't know that Piers didn't know about the OW's responsibility. Yeah...that's not confusing. So they hash things out and Suzy finally understands that Piers had loved her. And for once, I was surprised at how much I liked the "it was for the best" realization. Piers wasn't sure he was ready to settle down, but definitely loved Suzy and didn't want to hurt her. So when she walked away, although he was hurt, that dilemma was taken off his plate. So he went around traveling, got held hostage and realized he didn't want that anymore. So he was ready to settle down with Suzy. That worked quite well.
I was also rather surprised how much I liked only having Suzy's POV. Normally I want the hero's POV as well so I can see him falling for the heroine or that he regrets his asshole behavior or whatever. But it worked better in this story, not knowing what Piers was thinking. Maybe that's because Piers wasn't an asshole and his behavior was sort of mysterious, in that it could be read as him falling in love or not. We are as clueless as the heroine and I liked the mystery for once.
All in all this was a solid and enjoyable romance, and this probably ranks as one of my all time favorite second chance romances (possibly because neither one was at fault and they were so mature about it) But, I did have two minor sticking points. I would have much preferred for their final conversation where they hash things out to have been done in more privacy, where they could have maybe consummated their love, rather than on an airplane (even if it was first class). And that's related to my wanting another love scene between the characters...as it was, we got their first time together in a flashback and nothing else in the present day.
I picked this one up because of a review that said that the characters in this story were mature...not old mature, but behavior mature. And that is absolutely accurate. Compared to most HP stories, where heroines act like teenagers and engage in high drama and heroes are irrationally vengeful and equally likely to engage in high drama with a smirk on their face, these characters were quite sedate - not in a bad way, but in a refreshing way. In fact, the only high drama character here is the OW, who is the cause of the initial misunderstanding that creates all of the drama. It's too bad she ends up with her own sort of HEA...
When Suzy learns she's going to have to interview Piers, she makes all kinds of arguments why she can't and fights it, but does suck it up and agree to go see him. Then, she finds herself really wanting the interview, but is surprised that Piers has no interest. At no point do we get histrionics. Then, when she's blackmailed into living with him, there is no pouting, no shouting and no tears. She's reluctant, but she agrees. The two get on well enough, with enough tension (some OW drama) and chemistry to keep the reader interested. Of course, there is some juvenile behavior with the Hero walking around half-dressed to tempt the heroine, but that's nothing! Suzy and Piers more or less rebuild their friendship and learn more about each other before Piers finally explains that he'd loved Suzy all along and she learns that there never was another woman...it was all a lie. And it's not like they could have overcome that sooner because Piers didn't know about the OW's responsibility in their break up and Suzy didn't know that Piers didn't know about the OW's responsibility. Yeah...that's not confusing. So they hash things out and Suzy finally understands that Piers had loved her. And for once, I was surprised at how much I liked the "it was for the best" realization. Piers wasn't sure he was ready to settle down, but definitely loved Suzy and didn't want to hurt her. So when she walked away, although he was hurt, that dilemma was taken off his plate. So he went around traveling, got held hostage and realized he didn't want that anymore. So he was ready to settle down with Suzy. That worked quite well.
I was also rather surprised how much I liked only having Suzy's POV. Normally I want the hero's POV as well so I can see him falling for the heroine or that he regrets his asshole behavior or whatever. But it worked better in this story, not knowing what Piers was thinking. Maybe that's because Piers wasn't an asshole and his behavior was sort of mysterious, in that it could be read as him falling in love or not. We are as clueless as the heroine and I liked the mystery for once.
All in all this was a solid and enjoyable romance, and this probably ranks as one of my all time favorite second chance romances (possibly because neither one was at fault and they were so mature about it) But, I did have two minor sticking points. I would have much preferred for their final conversation where they hash things out to have been done in more privacy, where they could have maybe consummated their love, rather than on an airplane (even if it was first class). And that's related to my wanting another love scene between the characters...as it was, we got their first time together in a flashback and nothing else in the present day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2023
A decent read, and the conflict was too silly and would have been resolved if not for a conversation but then there would not have been a story.
Also when you love someone to give up so easily feels childish to me on both their parts.
Also when you love someone to give up so easily feels childish to me on both their parts.
February 27, 2024
DNF’d at 74%
hq-to-read
February 6, 2019Hostage of the Heart
Dynamic news journalist Piers Armstrong had survived being held hostage by terrorists in Central America for a year. Now he was back home and the slow process of rehabilitation had begun. Every night Piers returns to captivity in his dreams….
Suzy Collier had to talk Piers into giving an interview about his experiences—and of course he refused to cooperate! He was the same stubborn, difficult…incredibly sexy man that Suzy had fallen in love with three years ago. Or was he? Suzy couldn't help noticing sublte changes in him….
Dynamic news journalist Piers Armstrong had survived being held hostage by terrorists in Central America for a year. Now he was back home and the slow process of rehabilitation had begun. Every night Piers returns to captivity in his dreams….
Suzy Collier had to talk Piers into giving an interview about his experiences—and of course he refused to cooperate! He was the same stubborn, difficult…incredibly sexy man that Suzy had fallen in love with three years ago. Or was he? Suzy couldn't help noticing sublte changes in him….
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