In closing the Captive Hearts Regency trilogy (after The Captive and The Traitor), which closely examines post-traumatic struggles, Burrowes uses the familiar romance framework to tell a somber and affecting story about people who did the best they could under awful circumstances. Nine years after disappearing on his wedding night to go to war, Michael Brodie returns home to Scotland without warning. His bride, Brenna, isn't sure how they can put back together a marriage that never really got started, but her love for Michael means she's willing to try. While the typical romantic push and pull appear, the true center of the story is the damage caused both in war and by evildoers close to home. Burrowes displays exceptional skill in dealing gently with difficult topics, including sexual assault, and manages to build a remarkably positive story that ends happily; would that all such tales did. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The third in Burrowes' Captive Hearts series features the mysterious Michael Brodie, whom readers will recognize as the taciturn agent who helped St. Clair in The Traitor (2014). Newlywed Brenna was left to deal with Brodie's estate alone for all the years he was away, and the villagers hold grudges over her past mistakes. Now she has no time or energy to deal with a returning husband who hurt her so badly when he extended his stay in London after the war. Furthermore, she knows Michael's young sister, Maeve, is not safe when she comes to live with them. Burrowes' experience as a family lawyer comes through in the plot's dark secrets involving Brodie's uncle Angus, who abuses children. Burrowes portrays all her characters and their depth and growth with realistic detail and insights. She also deftly blends romance with serious issues to create a compelling balance, leading to a satisfying ending for the reunited husband and wife. Burrowes fans may also enjoy Tracy Devlyn's edgy historical romances.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2014 Booklist

Returning to the responsibility of his Highland clan after nine years away, Michael Brodie is greeted not only by his loyal, competent, yet resentful wife, Brenna no longer the child bride he remembers but also by a strangely troubled family who are not at all as he left them. Unrest simmers just below the surface, and evil lurks in this seamlessly plotted story that drops enough clues for readers to connect the dots but doesn't lessen the impact when the crafty, perverted villain finally gets his comeuppance. A fiercely protective heroine with secrets to guard and an honorable hero determined to win her trust find understanding and love as they confront betrayal, child abuse, and deception in a tale brightened by shards of humor and exquisite character development. VERDICT Tender, sexy, and thoroughly satisfying, this final book in the "Captive Hearts" trio neatly ties up dangling threads but leaves major hints of a possible second series to come. Note: Each story stands on its own in this back-to-back trilogy about linked military heroes dealing with the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, but readers may wish to begin at the beginning with The Captive. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.