Series: Captive Hearts (Book 3)
He left his bride to go to war...
After years of soldiering, Michael Brodie returns to his Highland estate to find that the bride he left behind has become a stranger. Brenna is self-sufficient, competent, confident-and furious about Michael's prolonged absence.
Now his most important battle will be for her heart
Brenna is also hurt, bewildered, and tired of fighting for the respect of those around her. Michael left her when she needed him most, and then stayed away even after the war ended. Nonetheless, the young man who abandoned her has come home a wiser, more patient and honorable husband. But if she trusts Michael with the truths she's been guarding, he'll have to choose between his wife and everything else he holds dear.
Good ending to the Captive Hearts series. Michael made his first appearances in The Captive and The Traitor, as part of the undercover team sent to France by Wellington. Just before he left for the war, nine years earlier, Michael had married Brenna. They had been betrothed since he was thirteen and she was eight. When the marriage took place, Michael was twenty and Brenna was sixteen. Though Brenna begged to go with him, Michael left her behind, telling her that she would be safer at home.
The book began as Michael returned home, appearing without notice. Brenna is shocked, angry, and worried. She has spent the years since his departure taking care of home and hearth with little communication with her husband. It hasn't been easy. Her husband's uncle actively works against her, and the people of the clan that she tries to care for look on her with contempt and suspicion. She is furious with Michael for abandoning her, and his staying away even after the war ended only aggravated her more. But, in spite of her anger with him, Brenna also remembers the days when he was her only friend, that she felt safe and protected with him. Michael is glad to be home, his duties to his country finally at an end. He hopes to find peace and healing in his land and the arms of his wife.
I loved that first meeting between Brenna and Michael. He gets quite a shock when he discovers that she isn't the plump, quiet, girl that he left behind. Instead, he finds a strong, capable woman who is justifiably angry at him. I loved that he admitted his mistakes and promised to do better. Brenna has had such a miserable time that she's ready to call it quits on the marriage. She makes good points that they don't know each other anymore. Michael is determined to make the marriage work, but he is also sensitive to Brenna's feelings. I loved his patience as he slowly worked his way past her walls and earned her trust. There are some very sweet scenes as he woos his wife, showing her the care and respect that she has craved for so long. Brenna is wary around Michael. She quickly realizes that she still cares for him, but she has secrets that could easily destroy his respect for her. I loved seeing the two of them together, as their shared history helped ease the way for them to get to know each other again. I especially enjoyed seeing Michael's belief in Brenna and determination to make things right for her. Brenna also helps Michael deal with the memories of the things he's had to do over the years. I loved the ending as both of them are able to put the past behind them and move on to a future together.
Underneath the happiness of Michael's return, there is also the undercurrent that something isn't quite right. The antagonism between Brenna and Angus is clear, and Michael wants to know why. I liked his quiet watchfulness as he gathered the facts before he made his move. It made me happy to see his righteous anger over how she had been treated by his people. Michael wasn't quite done yet, and he continued his investigation. He did not expect what he found, and his shock and horror were indescribable. The confrontation was intense, though I was not surprised by either accusation. I had disliked Angus from the start because of his attitude toward Brenna, and my suspicions of him continued to grow throughout the book. There were times when he made my skin crawl, and I wanted to yell at Brenna to expose him. There was a slight redemption at the end, but overall I think he got a better ending than he deserved.
I loved seeing St. Clair and Milly (The Traitor) when they arrived to visit the Brodies though their timing was certainly awkward. The friendship between the two men is clear, as is the respect. I loved seeing St. Clair give Michael relationship advice. I also enjoyed the growing friendship between Milly and Brenna and loved Milly's part in revealing some of Brenna's troubles to Michael. It was terrific to see the changes in St. Clair since Milly came into his life.
There were other secondary characters to round out the story. Brenna's MacLogan cousins were somewhat integral to what was going on. They were there because of Brenna's marriage to Michael but were not universally accepted. Angus used them as a stick to keep Brenna in line but also had to be wary because of what they knew. I was angry at them for their part in the event that turned the clan against Brenna, but I also liked Hugh's support of Michael as he worked to get at the truth. Maeve was an interesting addition to the story. I ached for her and the betrayal she felt as her sister sent her away from the only home she had ever known to a brother she had never met. It was no wonder that she was as prickly as she was. She was also lonely, which made her a prime target for Angus. I liked Brenna's understanding of how Maeve felt, and her desperate need to protect Maeve. It would have been a lot easier if she had told Michael why she was so adamant in her rules. I would love to see a book with Maeve as the heroine.
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