Michigan Territory, 1814A voyageur and a young woman swept up in a time of upheaval and dangerdiscover firsthand the high price of freedom.The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only … after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.
Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British–and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who’s grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.
As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they’ll risk for love.
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It was 1814 and the British have taken over Michilimackinac Island. The citizens who did not swear an oath of loyalty to the crown were forced to leave the Island. Angelique MacKenzie’s stepfather swore the oath of loyalty, allowing them to remain on the Island. Angelique’s life was far from perfect living with her stepfather and stepmother.
Pierre Durant, a childhood friend to Angelique, returned to the Island to spy on the British for the American Army. He also spied on the Americans, although spying for the Americans was just a ruse’ allowing Pierre to cozy up to the leader of the British on the Island. He could also check on his widowed mother.
When Angelique and Pierre come across each other, Angelique remembers her feelings for him were not just friendship. However, she was betrothed to Pierre’s younger brother. who had left the Island and joined the American Army.
Pierre and Angelique spent much time together and their feelings for each other grew. Well, I will stop there so I don’t spoil the story for you. This is a clean, intriguing historical story that will keep you turning the pages of the book. There is some tension and hurt feelings, but it is a wonderful story. Jody Hedlund is a fabulous author and you will find out just what I mean when you read Captured by Love for yourself. Enjoy!
Captured by Love has all of the elements that I consider to be Jody Hedlund’s trademark. Her setting is well developed, main characters are fully fleshed out, and the plot is a delicious blend of romance and history. I know that anytime I open one of her books, I’m in for an enjoyable experience, and Capture by Love was no exception.
I love the unique setting and time period of the story. She made British-held Mackinac Island of 1814 come to life in a vibrant way. The opening chapter really pulled me in; I was immediately drawn into the story and wanted to know more about Angelique. The conflict of the story comes from several different angles, but in no way was that overdone. Rather they all flowed together seamlessly and made for a truly encompassing story. For me, after the first few chapters, the story lagged a bit, but it quickly picked back up and made up for the lag I felt there by being fast-paced until the end.
Angelique longs for the day that she is free from her step-father’s cruelty and the hunger the constantly gnaws at her belly. She made a promise years ago to Jean, Pierre’s brother, away fighting for the Americans, and longs for the stability she believes his return will bring. In the meantime, her childhood idol, Pierre, a seasoned fur trader, returns to help his aging mother, and also Angelique. Torn between his restless nature, duty to his mother and awakening feelings for Angelique, he also has secrets that could endanger them all. Living with her harsh step-father, Angelique is constantly under her scandalous mother’s shadow, and her guilt and self-judgment over her feelings for Pierre made my heart break for her, while giving her character a realistic flaw. Her personal struggle was genuine and though I even wished at times that she wouldn’t let it bother her as much, it made sense in light of her limited circumstances.
As to the romantic aspect, I loved it at times, and at times I didn’t love it. Hedlund excels at writing romance into her stories – talk about swoon-worthy scenes! I love the sweet moments between Angelique and Pierre. On the flip-side, due to Angelique’s promise to remain loyal to Jean, the romance was at times very bittersweet.
Personally, I wanted the other aspects to come into the story a bit more than the romance at times; however, I know when I’m reading a historical romance, that is what I should come to expect. I do love that Jody doesn’t sacrifice the historical elements for the romance. I loved how there were so many layers and so much depth to their relationship; they had history together and were living in a tense time and place, which made it all the more poignant.
The last one hundred or so pages were non-stop action, and featured some of my favorite scenes of the book. I enjoyed the suspense that came from Pierre’s decision to remain loyal to Americans; in fact, loyalty was a huge theme of this novel, and I loved how it came to play in both their interactions together. Though at times it was heart-wrenching for them; it was admirable to see them become their best selves. And the ending – let me just say, my heart was broken and mended by the ending, but not in a cop-out sort of way; it added the perfect touch of realism to the story, and it was so edifying to see that Angelique overcame her guilt and shed the specter of her mother to do what she knew was best for herself.
Overall, this is a wonderful addition to Jody Hedlund’s historicals. Though Rebellious Heart still holds to the top spot for me, Capture by Love is one I can see myself reading again. Though this is third in the Michigan Brides series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I heartily recommend it to those who have already read and loved Jody Hedlund’s other books and to fans of romantic historical Christian fiction.
Wonderful story about how life was kind of dealt with at that time. This story tell about the battle of 1812. There a lovely story about two people and their love. They have a few thing to go though. Their tail and error and you do learn about the fur trading and much more. It is really cool and fun way to see how the battle of 1812.There adventures in the book as well. It a book with leaves you wanting more. I so really would love to have read the other two books in series. I tend to do so at some point. Love history well this a book for you. Love American history this is a book for you as well. It has Romance in it as well. It’s a great book all around.