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yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Easily my favorite of the Beverly Jenkins' romances I've read! This is the sweetest pirate kidnapping of all time, a tender and affirming romance, and a dramatic high-stakes family rescue that makes for a stressy (and violent, see CWs) third act. It's also a unique time period for pirate stories in historical romance - set ahead of the American Revolutionary War - and showcased, as usual, Jenkins' historical research and insight into undertold stories in major American historical moments.
I've struggled previously with Jenkins' tendency to lean more tell vs. show and to write main characters who generally make the right decisions and say the right things and show up as fully formed already once on page (what can I say, I like when we start messy). That said, Jenkins writes celebratory romances for characters who were wholly ignored in historical romance before her, and I do think there's something to be said for creating characters whose conflict lies outside them. With racism, slavery, oppression and a violent state consistently challenging the existence of Black folks during these time periods, Jenkins' decision to create external conflicts for her characters makes a lot of sense. In Captured, while the primary conflicts are external (our female main character's enslavement and forced separation from her children being the central, driving force), I felt both main characters had to grapple with what they were willing to risk for freedom and revenge, what they wanted of their lives and their families, and how to move forward in spite of fear and grief.
If you love sweet and swoony and heroic pirate stories with capital-V-Villains who get their comeuppance, Captured is a fun read that had me cheering through the final chapters.
I've struggled previously with Jenkins' tendency to lean more tell vs. show and to write main characters who generally make the right decisions and say the right things and show up as fully formed already once on page (what can I say, I like when we start messy). That said, Jenkins writes celebratory romances for characters who were wholly ignored in historical romance before her, and I do think there's something to be said for creating characters whose conflict lies outside them. With racism, slavery, oppression and a violent state consistently challenging the existence of Black folks during these time periods, Jenkins' decision to create external conflicts for her characters makes a lot of sense. In Captured, while the primary conflicts are external (our female main character's enslavement and forced separation from her children being the central, driving force), I felt both main characters had to grapple with what they were willing to risk for freedom and revenge, what they wanted of their lives and their families, and how to move forward in spite of fear and grief.
If you love sweet and swoony and heroic pirate stories with capital-V-Villains who get their comeuppance, Captured is a fun read that had me cheering through the final chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Kidnapping, Child death, Torture, Confinement, Murder, Trafficking, Death, Slavery, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
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