Friday, December 08, 2006

A Noble Captive - Michelle Styles


Title: A Noble Captive

Author: Michelle Styles

Line: Mills & Boon Historical Romance

Release month: UK - January 2007

The S-Factor: Simmering

Back-Blurb:
Roman soldier

Strong, proud, honourable - Marcus Livius Tullio embodied the values of Rome. Captured on the high seas and brought to the Temple of Kybele, he was drawn towards the woman who gave him refuge.

Pagan priestess

Fierce, beautiful, determined - Helena despised all that Rome stood for. In sheltering Tullio, she had to subdue her awareness of him --- or she might confess all! The soldier’s strength and nobility tempted her to lean on him, but she knew that to succumb would be to betray her people…

Review:

A Noble Captive chronicles the romance between Helena, the priestess’ assistant at a pagan temple, and the prisoner who has just been transported to the same temple – a strong-willed Roman suffering anguish after his capture by pirates. The two are thrown together in a story that is centred around a single location – the island temple – but manages to pack plenty of plot and incident in along the way.

In Helena, Michelle Styles has created a pleasingly complex heroine, one who is both sympathetic and at the same time self-willed, somebody the reader can feel for while at the same time respect. In her hero, Marcus Livius Tullio, Michelle has captured an essentially Roman ‘character’, focusing on all that is admirable about that race, while giving equal weight to Tullio’s own personality and focusing on his own inner turmoils.

An engaging cast of supporting characters flesh out the rest of the book and there are many well-drawn figures to equal the hero and heroine. A sub-plot concerning the romance between Quintus and Galla is particularly engaging and one feels that their own story could fill a book. Meanwhile, corrupt officials and bloodthirsty pirates are always present in the backdrop, adding a palpable sense of mystery and tension to the proceedings.

There is plenty of reference to period detail which helps add to the overall authenticity of the book and the author gives a good idea of what life was like during the Roman period, from the day-to-day chores carried out by servants to the bartering and merchanting that was carried out on the high seas.

A Noble Captive is an engaging and well-researched Historical romance that should entertain any fan of the genre. Michelle Styles deserves kudos for ably bringing to life the ancient past.
Reviewed by: Gray
Hero Hotness Factor = ♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor = ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor = ♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor (will they have a happily ever after) = ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor = ♥♥
Weepy Factor = ♥♥♥


Did you know that: Julius Caesar's capture by pirates in 73 BC provided the inspirational spark for this book? To find out more about Michelle why not visit her website or her Blog...


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