The Captive by Joanne Rock

Slow and subtle Viking romance
4 stars

When Vikings attack the hall where she is staying, rich Saxon widow Gwendolyn refuses to give up without a fight. But when her daring leads to her falling at the feet of Viking warrior Wulf, she realises she may be in deeper than she anticipated.

Wulf didn’t plan his raid to find captives but one look at the wilful Gwendolyn and he knows he has to take her. But as he soon finds out, taking Gwendolyn and keeping her are two very different things.


When I first started to read this book I assumed it would be all strong, brawny Vikings raiding English villages, stealing away innocent maidens and sailing on the high seas. So I was more than a little surprised when the story was actually a lot slower than the mad paced adventure I thought it would be.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing though as it gave you time to get to know the characters. Gwendolyn was a delight. She was a strong woman who knew her own mind but still had insecurities, faults and while being impulsive, was sensible with it. Wulf was the strong, silent type and while I knew he was a tough leader, he did tend to be a lot softer and calmer than you might expect a Viking warrior to be. Together the couple worked well and they had some good chemistry although not as hot as some I have read.

The story held me from beginning to end and I did enjoy the battle of wills between Wulf and Gwendolyn. The ending was wrapped up nicely and overall this was an enjoyable story that I very much enjoyed. If you enjoy a Viking romance without too much war or wickedness then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.