OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Captain's Captive" by Leslie Hachtel.]

Captain’s Captive is a historical romance novel by Leslie Hachtel. The story begins in England in 1723. Marilee Booth is running away after an attempt on her life for her deceased father’s fortune. Disguised as an old woman, she seeks employment as a cook. Fortunately, she finds work aboard a ship and is immediately drawn to the captain. Right before they land in Williamsburg, she goes to his room out of her disguise while he is drunk. Afterward, he doesn’t realize that the young woman in his room that night was actually the old cook. Once they land in Virginia, she tries to create a new life for herself in the town. Because she’s young, beautiful and single, Marilee isn’t well accepted. Plus, the night that she revealed herself to the captain creates its fair share of consequences, both good and bad. On top of all that, her past comes back to haunt her. It takes more than just coming to the New World for her to have a fresh start.

The story is well written and quite polished. There are many flashbacks that are efficiently integrated. New details are revealed throughout the story about Marilee’s parents and those who may be out to harm her. There are also some erotic scenes. Overall, the book is a real page-turner. The plot moves swiftly and has lots of twists and turns. It’s a quick and enjoyable read.

Marilee is pretty deluded when it comes to love and romance, which is very relatable. What’s most striking about her character is how independent and self-assured she is. She works hard on the ship without a hitch and always stands up for herself. She understandably lies and deceives for her own well-being. Many of the secondary characters’ attitudes were a bit hard to believe. They accept the scandalous aspects of the plot far too easily, especially given the time period. The villains from Marilee’s past come across as one-dimensional in their execution. However, they have interesting backstories and motives beyond just wanting her money.

I didn’t always believe the characters were in the 18th century. The story doesn’t spend much time on recreating the time period. It leans more on the romance genre rather than taking full advantage of its historical setting. The initial premise of Marilee being disguised as an old woman doesn’t last long. After they get off the ship, it’s suggested that she, still believed to be an old woman, go to work as a cook at the captain’s house. This doesn’t come to fruition, but it would have been an interesting storyline to explore.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I would have preferred that more time was spent on Marilee in her disguise, but what followed was still entertaining. If you prefer realism in fiction, then this isn’t the book for you. I’d recommend this book to those who like romance combined with mystery and suspense.

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Captain's Captive
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Like Tanaya's review? Post a comment saying so!

Great review! It's too bad the author didn't spend enough time on giving a better sense of the time period. That's the enjoyable part of reading historical fiction.

Thanks, bookowlie. Yeah, there was missed opportunity there but it was enjoyable nonetheless!

Great review! Kinda makes me think of Mrs. Doubtfire.

Thanks! And I had the same exact thought.

Great review indeed! I am glad you enjoyed the book.

Thanks! It was certainly a fun read.

It's always great to see strong female characters! Great review!

Excellent review, Tanaya! The novel would be really cool if the disguise could make up most of the book. As a percentage, how much would you say Marliee's disguise makes up of the book?

Jesska6029 wrote:It's always great to see strong female characters! Great review!

Agreed. And thanks!

Leon Durham wrote:Excellent review, Tanaya! The novel would be really cool if the disguise could make up most of the book. As a percentage, how much would you say Marliee's disguise makes up of the book?

Maybe 20ish percent. Then it kinda just becomes a running joke for the rest of the book.

@Tanaya

Oh. I guess I'd be okay with it if it only makes up a fifth of the book. If it was more, like almost half, then I would consider the novel seriously undeveloped; however, it could work in a trilogy or series.

I get what you're saying. I just found that to be the most interesting aspect of the book so I wanted it to be longer. At the same time, it was well used as a jumping-off point from which the rest of the plot could develop.

bookowlie wrote:Great review! It's too bad the author didn't spend enough time on giving a better sense of the time period. That's the enjoyable part of reading historical fiction.

Great job with this review! I completely agree with bookowlie about what makes historical fiction enjoyable. Your review made the book sound so interesting, but without making use of the time period I cannot see this book being for me.

Thanks for the feedback!

Great review! It sounds like a fun read. Too bad that the historical aspect isn't as strong, that's part of the experience.