This is the second book in the Bonded by Blood series that focuses on vampire Broderick and his soul mate, Davina. However, the main romantic plot centered on his adopted daughter, Cailin, and her intended husband, James.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints (Cailin, James, Broderick, Davina, the villain Angus, and a few others I think). Sometimes these viewpoints were separated by proper scene/chapter breaks. Sometimes they weren’t which led to confusion as to who was thinking and speaking. Anyway, the author has a way with words and she strings them together like a romantic poem or a song. I didn’t find any typos and this third person POV story is very well-written.
I’m disappointed because I couldn’t connect with James and Cailin, the main H/h. Cailin seemed feisty and strong-willed when we first meet her but she acted a bit childish throughout most of the book (I think she was 17 years old), especially when she found out about the kidnapping plot and decided to handle the problem herself.
James is 25, a Grandmaster swordsman and much more mature. At age 17, he willingly negotiated a promise of marriage to Cailin with his father and Broderick when she was only 9. He soon left home for seven years to go to school and he returned home to Scotland as a man who seems to have experience with women. I couldn’t help but wonder how many women he slept with while away at school with his fiancée still at home. Then he tried to seduce a stranger in an alley, not realizing she was Cailin, while he planned to find his future bride and marry her. After this, I had a hard time respecting him.
Cailin and James didn’t spend much on-page time together. She believed she wasn’t a worthy wife for James but he appreciated her swordsmanship and thought of her as an equal (kudos for him but he wouldn’t tell her this). Her parents and handmaiden were more concerned with keeping Cailin a virgin until her wedding night than letting Cailin and James get to know one another. The few times Cailin and James actually spoke, they would argue and Cailin would run from the room in a fit because she couldn’t control her temper.
The best part of the book for me were the long kidnapping scenes. Cailin definitely matured and seemed to grow into herself as a woman so I started to like her better. James redeemed himself in his quest to save her and I appreciated his strength to do what was needed even with the cost to himself.
A good third or more of the book showed Broderick’s quest to find out how to protect his family. He met a seer, Malloren Rune, who taught him a protection spell to use against vampires. Malloren also told him about the prophesy he’s destined to fulfill.
Every scene with Angus held my attention. He was strong, psychotic, and an interesting, three-dimensional character.
The overall story is good. The prophesy information, the cleansing/protection spell, the scenery description and the history of the time is sooooo interesting. I’ve read in various reviews for the series that the first two books don’t support strong female leads but, from book 3 on, the women are much stronger. I hope that’s the case because I want to continue the series. I already know some of what to expect ahead (poor Broderick) and I’m anxious to learn more.
3 Stars


Disclaimer – I won a copy of this ebook in a contest/giveaway. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion. ( )

An intriguinging story. Book 2 picks up several years after book 1. Angus remains a villain but this time he is seeking his revenge on Broderick's weakness...his family. Cailin is grown-up and betrothed to a guy I admire...most especially because he doesn't waste/downplay her usefullness. One of my favorite lines in the story came towards the end, "James set Cailin down, grabbed her by the hand and marched—surprisingly—toward her father. “Why did you bother training her to use her blades if not for this moment?”". The romantic scenes getter better with each one. Looking forward to reading more books in this series ( )

Amazon Description:
Leith, Scotland - 1531

Cailin MacDougal has lived a dangerous life being the adopted daughter of vampire Broderick "Rick" MacDougal, so she had no choice but to learn to fight in order to protect herself. However, such behavior is hardly desirable in a dutiful wife who's supposed to embroider and run a household. This aggressive side of her behavior should be easy enough to hide from her betrothed...shouldn't it?

After being away at fencing school for seven years, James Knightly has returned as a master swordsman, ready to captain his own ship and finally wed his childhood sweetheart, Cailin MacDougal. What he finds waiting for him is a dagger-toting hellion for a bride, an immortal father-in-law, and an enemy bent on extracting revenge by threatening the family James holds most dear-the MacDougals.

BRODERICK MAC DOUGAL is lured away from his family with the promise of-at last-learning a way to protect those he loves from his clan enemy, Angus Campbell. Broderick knows he's headed for a trap, but the bait is too tempting to resist...and he unravels the beginning of a prophecy that will lead to redemption for all vampires. The cost of such redemption, though, may be the very soul of the woman he would die for...his wife, Davina.

Reader Advisory: This story contains some explicit love scenes, described using graphic and direct language. This story also contains explicit, nail-biting scenes of violence and sword fights.

Opinions:
Midnight Captive is the second book to the Bonded by Blood Vampire Chronicles. If you did not read the first book, Midnight Conquest, then you are about to read some spoilers. You have been warned!

The story takes place about seventeen years after the first book. Cailin is now woman and ready to become engaged to her childhood sweetheart, James Knightly. MacDougal and Knightly own a business together. When James father disappears, Broderick takes over his fatherly role to James. James is sent off to Germany to learn fencing before taking up the family business. Cailin, in the meantime, learns how to fight rather than learn domestic duties. She learns how to fight because Angus Campbell is still at large and trying to hurt Broderick through the people he loves. Will he succeed this time?

The story is written in third person mostly following Cailin, James, and Broderick. Broderick is determined to protect his family. Despite his better judgment, he goes off to find a way to help protect his family, leaving his future son-in-law in his place. Broderick learns a key figure in a prophecy is him, but his actions could undo the prophecy and those he loves. Cailin grew up with the knowledge of her adopted father as a vampire and the dangers of Angus around every corner. In fact, Angus was almost successful at abducting and killing her family as a girl. She, therefore, goes against her gender role and learns to fight. And not just fight, but how to fight a vampire. James does not know what Broderick is at the beginning of the story. Despite what the MacDoughals are, he is in love with Cailin and is willing to do anything to protect – which is tested in this book. In this story, we learn more about the prophecy that was mentioned at the end of the first book. Other characters from the prior book make their appearance or are mentioned. There are, however, a few new characters – good and bad.

I liked the story to this book better than the first. It seemed like there were more action/danger going on. Although shorter, the second book moves along well and leaves off for the next book in the series while finishing the current story. I was a little turned off by James when we first see him, but eventually that wore off. The prophecy and other teachings that Malloren spoke of kept my interest. I would hope to see more of that in the following books.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you like historical fiction/vampire novels, then you might want to try this book – after reading the first, Midnight Conquest. ( )

Of course I love my own book, but this is the second installment in the Bonded By Blood series where readers will not only get to see Cailin's story (Davina's toddler daughter grown up from Book 1) but learn more about the prophecy for vampire redemption, thereby further advancing the overarching story in the series. ( )