Love Held Captive

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
LOVE HELD CAPTIVE

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 Review:

Believe me, no dust gathered on this book's pretty cover once it arrived at my house. In fact, I didn't even introduce it to the other books on the TBR pile. I'm such a rude hostess! Instead, I gathered all my avid reader essentials -- you know, tissues, chocolate, smelling salts -- and actually dove into the story mere seconds after rescuing it from the mailer. Scandalous, I know, but this series -- A Lonestar Hero's Legacy -- is so amazingly good that niceties go to the wayside whenever I get one in my clutches.  And sadly, Love Held Captive is the last in the series which is heart-wrenching though I am somewhat consoled with the fact that there are two heroes and two heroines in this book which means...wait for it...double the romance!

You don't need to have read the first two books in the series to enjoy this one, but, honestly, I highly recommend reading them all! There's something about these heroes -- loyal, brave, broken by war and struggling to find their place in a new society -- but honorable to the very core. And I love the foundation of this series -- a brotherhood of soldiers who survived being prisoners of war  and continue to support one another in civilian life.

In this final book it is Ethan and Devin who are confronted by a vicious colonel from their past and the terror he has reigned on two women. Gray isn't reticent about highlighting the effects the war had on the women of the south. It's gutsy and raw and all too painfully real. Lizbeth and Julianne are true women of courage even if they don't feel that way. They are survivors, determined to make a way for themselves in an often hostile world. And everything these heroes think they know is challenged as they draw closer to the women who have captured their hearts.

There comes a point where Ethan and Devin must make an appeal for help and the band of brothers rides again in one final mission of justice. Cue an Old West theme song as you lose yourself in the exciting visual of them riding out together in their old army formation. I might have let a fangirling squeal or two slip at that exact moment. :-)

Action, adventure, romance all wrapped up with a thread of faith. My heart hurts that it's over, but what a glorious ending!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Love Held Captive, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of  @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 22 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!