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"Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she’d always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn’t like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.
When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can’t refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can’t deny the pull that’s evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she’s been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she’s with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she’s Estella Everstone? She’s not entirely sure."
My Rating
Spring/Summer
My Review
Wealthy and withdrawn Estella Everstone is in hiding, but her new role as companion to Mrs. Granton brings her back to one of her father's hotels. At Everston, her past, present, and future meet on a vacation that's low on relaxation - and high on drama, mystery, and romance.
With a title including the word "captive," and given the nature of the endings of the first two books in the series, I perhaps hoped for a bit more emphasis on the general suspense element. Since there was a lingering threat from Book 2 (The Bound Heart), it felt like this concluding installment of the trilogy should have been a tad more epic and drawn out in that way.
However, I was quite satisfied with the romantic suspense/tension, and I believe I enjoyed this romance the most out of the three! Lots of emphasis is placed on the time spent between the hero and heroine, Dexter and Estella, resulting in many exciting and tender scenes with a unique, not-quite-Gothic flavor. I loved the resort setting that served as the wild and grand backdrop for the romance. I also appreciated that the faith element felt stronger in this book, with a couple of sermons in the woods to highlight the beliefs and growth of the characters.
The Captive Imposter came across as almost more of a stand-alone with the seclusion of the main characters and setting, making it a little easier to follow compared to the other books in the series. The Everstone Chronicles as a whole is a lovely and intriguing collection, and while I felt the climax could have been stronger in this last book, I think the story flowed best, even if the characters still made me frustrated at times... But I guess it wouldn't be as much fun otherwise! :) Another great historical romance from Dawn Crandall!
*With thanks to the author for providing me with a Kindle copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*
Check out my reviews of The Hesitant Heiress and The Bound Heart, Books 1 and 2 in the series!
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