**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

I absolutely loved Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh, so when I saw Captive was also by her I knew I had to read it ASAP. I have only read one other book about a girl falling for her captor, and it is a tricky subject for me. It is not something I could initially see myself doing in her situation, so in the past I have been wary of that idea, but I liked the first book I read with this theme. And I have to say Captive was great! I really, really liked it. Brighton Walsh write great characters that lend themselves to excellent romances. Within the first two pages of meeting Madison, I caught myself nodding my head along with her and thought to myself, "yep, been there done that." (note: I am not talking about the mother incident. I am talking about the getting dressed incident.) And just like that, I could identify with Madison. I know that may seem small, but it is the little details and unassuming sentences throughout the story that start to turn into magic with Captive. I just love Brighton Walsh's writing style.

Madison appears on the surface to lead a perfect life. She is super smart, super rich, and basically can have anything that she wants. But she doesn't have many (or any) friends, she is constantly taking care of her alcoholic mother, and her father is MIA all the time. I could feel her loneliness. It was a tangible thing throughout the whole story. And that just about broke my heart. But even though Madison was lonely and sad, she never gave up. This girl had spunk to spare. I loved that even when she was captured she was always paying attention, always looking for when and how she could make her next move. It made me admire the heck out her. And it gained Ghost's admiration too.

Captive is told mostly from Madison's point of view, but Ghost - or Gage- had a fair share of chapters spread throughout. I loved Gage's chapters because the more I got to know him the more I loved him. How can you not when you find out why he took the job? That is as close to a good reason as I could ever dream up. Brighton Walsh did such an excellent job making her characters redeemable. And she made the romance feel so very real. And so wonderful. I think Madison and Gage would have fallen for each other no matter how they met. Brighton Walsh made me a believer in captive/captor romances. Or at the very least, she made me a believer in hers. Brighton Walsh will make you swoon, make you feel, make you fall in love with Gage and Madison in Captive. If you have not read one of her books, you should. Right now.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs