I first read Captivated by Nora Roberts perhaps about 10 or 12 years ago, in the omnibus edition of the Donovan Legacy stories. I remember loving this story of Morgana and Nash, mostly because I always enjoy romances where the two protagonists struggle to be together and need to resolve personal issues to do so. And also because #witchcraft.Morgana is a witch. She's not the cackle-over-the-cauldron-while-she-mixes-potions kind of witch, but a modern witch who plays off her own eccentricities and runs a kitschy knick-knack shop in Monterey, California. She's confident and sexy, and basically the kind of woman we all want our daughters to be. Roberts writes her strongly, and you just can't help but to love her for her strength and tenacity to live an authentic life.Nash is the typical guy with the baggage of having had a rough start to life. His compensation is stories, and he loves to tell them to the masses through the silver screen. He's an avoider; he'd rather divert conversations to pleasant topics or make jokes, than fight about anything. He writes about the supernatural, but he's a skeptic and only believes what he can see. And who can blame him?Seeing Morgana and Nash come together (because this is a Nora novel, so HEA is a given!), was so sweet. Nash is full of stereotypes and he applies them to all the things he sees around him, until he meets Morgana. It was so captivating to see how they challenged each other, smoothed out each other's rough edges to settle into a couple that fits like they were made for each other. Watching their story unfold, and seeing Nash slowly believe the unbelievable was incredibly sweet.I just love Nora Roberts. She writes novels you can easily settle into, the kind that make you wish for flames crackling in the fireplace while you sip a mug of hot chocolate. Narrator 4-1-1 Therese Plummer is an awesome narrator! I was captivated (hehe) by her story-telling, and she played all the parts easily. She was just super easy to listen to and I would definitely buy more audios she has narrated.This book may have been provided in exchange for an honest review, and therefore will be noted on the original post.
What do You think about Captivated (2004)?
Fascinating and irresistible, the mysterious Donovan cousins share a secret that's been handed down through generations, a secret that sets them apart from ordinary beings.His interest in her was purely professional. Or so he told himself. Nash Kirkland had sought out the alluring Morgana Dovovan to help him research his latest screenplay, though the hard-headed skeptic didn't believe for a minute she was what she professed to be. But, as Morgana revealed herself to him, Nash found himself falling under her bewitching spell. Nash had never trusted his feelings and always kept them in check. So how could he be sure the irresistible passion he felt for Morgana was real and not just some conjurer's trick?I first read Captivated back in 2008 and couldn’t for the life of me remember the ending so while looking at the books in my favourite charity shop I couldn’t pass it up for just a 99p!I’ll be completely honest, I may be a big Nora Roberts fan but I am however not a fan of Captivated. The hero and the heroine, Nash and Morgana just annoyed me. I didn’t feel like the story really went anywhere, other than to introduce you the family Donovan and the other characters that would appear in the next two books.I liked the idea of this book but sadly it just didn’t work for me overall, but I liked meeting Morgana’s two cousins, I enjoyed the ending of the book and not because I could put the book down but because it was a sweet and funny ending that I did truly enjoy. I just couldn’t warm up to Nash and Morgana and I found that ultimately disappointing.Overall, you could miss this book and it wouldn’t be a big miss however, you would miss more information on the two other cousins that follow in this series.11th October 2009
—Ally
I loved this story! I sometimes forget just how great a writer Nora Roberts is and was caught off guard with this book. The prose is almost lyrical and the characters come to life off the pages. It is truly a magical experience.Morgana is indeed captivating. I admire her confidence and self-awareness where she knows who she is and is content with life. Her attraction to Nash unsettled her in a really good way and she had the same imprint on him. This story captured the best of both of them and the conflict rising from his insecurities seemed realistic. Her cousin Sebastian is oh so intriguing and I cannot wait for his story. This book was written some time ago but it does not have a dated feel in the least. It's a wonderful romance between two very attractive characters and is so well written. This book should be a part of your Nora Roberts collection.
—Jonetta
This was a massive disappointment for me. I'm not big on romance to start with, but with the previous Nora Roberts novel I read I was able to enjoy the story beyond the romance. I had hoped it would be the same with this one but no such luck. I had two major problems with this novel- firstly, I could not understand the awkwardly placed, spontaneous outbursts of physical passion. Combined with my second issue - my hatred of Nash - these outbursts seemed out of place and completely unbelievable. Mere pages after the two meet they're already getting physical, despite the fact that he's an arrogant wanker. There is nothing likable about him, which means there's nothing likable about their relationship, which, tragically, seems to be the only purpose of this novel. There is no proper story beyond Boy Meets Girl, making both the issues and their resolutions predictable. The inner dialogue of the two main characters is repetitive and boring, and it's hard to keep up when you think you're reading an argument but the couple can't stop touching each other the entire time. It made no sense to me at all, and was a chore to read. If you enjoy gratuitous sex scenes and don't really care for plot I'm sure you'll enjoy it, but if you want substance look elsewhere.
—Krystal
