Unfortunately for me the story line was just that bit too far fetched .
The plot was certainly well paced but the characters lacked depth and were not believable.

I tried really hard to get into this book and just gave up half way thru. I just couldnt connect to the story or characters.

A fun, fast-paced, easy read. Not a lot of conflict.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is only 3 stars for me.
Why? Because, the plot is good but the book did not stand out for me and did not grab me as other books do. Saying that, it was a good book overall to read and I will still recommend it.

Fast paced fun read, enjoyable with a few questions as to the romance, but still good read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Captive Angel has a time travel theme similar to that used in the Outlander series, except in this story it’s fog that whisks our heroine Gabrielle from the 2005 beach where she’s sleeping off a hangover and onto a 1760 privateer ship sailing out of Boston Harbour.
The story is fast paced and filled with interesting twists. I had an inkling of how it would end and even though I was more or less correct there was plenty to entertain me along the way. The characters are well developed and Damion, ship’s captain extraordinaire, absolutely owns his scenes. He is utterly magnificent. I wasn’t always completely taken with Gabrielle. Some of her modern day behaviours and language didn’t quite gel for me, but really these were minor things. This story is entertaining and engaging and I will definitely be looking for more from author Cyndi McKay.

Gabrielle is a college student just living her life when mysterious fog transports her back to 1760. She ends up on a vessel where Damien is the captain. Sparks fly but what will Damien think of a modern woman who is good with a sword? Fast-paced time travel read with great characters and an entertaining story. I really liked it.

This book could have been really interesting, unfortunately I found that it was just not well written enough to hold my interest.

Gabrielle is somehow transported from the sea shore in 2005 onto a British ship sailing from America in the 1700’s. She clashes with the British captain Damien, who is the second son of a Marquess, heading to England to assume the title and marry.

He treats Gabrielle with suspicion, as he thinks she is a spy. He also doesn’t appreciate her 21st century manners and demeanour. He tries to make her submit to his authority as the captain of the ship and also as a man. They are attracted to each other, how will they resolve their differences and.come together? Unfortunately I did not care enough about them to find out.

Both of them are woefully annoying characters. Gabrielle was whiny and weak some moments, and strong in others. She was also TSTL on occasion. Damien was equally inconsistent as a character, the dialogue was quite painful to read in parts, and the whole thing dragged on far too long.

Really not my cup of tea.

It came as a pleasant surprise to discover that Captive Angel by Cyndi McKay is a time travel book. Gabrielle Ross and Damion Sinclair are products of their time. Conflicts are bound to happen when 1760 and contemporary times collide together. When it happens on a ship full of men there is even more confusion. Captive Angel has drama, intrigue, action, historical reminders and romance, along with danger early on in the story.

Damion Sinclair for his part is an honorable captain but Gabrielle who can wield a sword with the best of them comes as a shock. Just as shocking is her suddenly being transport back in time. This is a romance but it is a bumpy one when no one understands or listens to Gabrielle, least of all Damion. I enjoyed the story but would not want to suddenly be in her place or to have to make the choices that she does. Enjoyable romance and one that calls for some reflection too.

Captive Angel by Cyndi McKay
Captured in a time not her own.
For modern day Gabrielle Ross, a college student and fencing enthusiast, the unexpected happens—a mysterious fog transports her back to the year 1760. Suddenly she finds herself aboard a sailing vessel where sea battles and sword fights make it far easier to die than to live.
Branded a stowaway and a spy, she is forced to pick up a sword to defend herself. While being interrogated by a take-no-prisoners English sea captain, Gabrielle must fight for her independence in a time when women have none.
While doing his part for “king and country” aboard the HMS Seawraith, Captain Sinclair has earned a reputation for courage and daring. Women find him irresistibly heroic, and yet, no woman has ever touched Damion’s heart—until a twist in fate has a fiercely independent 21st-century woman landing on board his ship.
Though unsure if Gabrielle is friend or foe, Damion is drawn to the spirited beauty in ways he cannot deny. As he becomes increasingly intrigued by her unusual mannerisms, the defiant tilt to her chin and thunderous flash to her gray eyes, he begins to unravel her secrets. Damion embarks on a skilled seduction that not only places Gabrielle in his bed—but in his heart as well
This is Gabrielle Ross and Damion's story.
Gabrielle Ross staggered to her feet, shaking her head and blinking salt water from her lashes. She swiped a hand down across her face and flung the water from her fingertips. “Idiot!” she scolded herself, flicking water off her black blazer and worn jeans. “That’s what happens when you pass out drunk on the beach.”
A series of creaks and groans, an odd flapping sound above her head, and snatches of male voices tangled with the fog surrounding Gabrielle. Without warning the ground dropped out from under her and before she could scream it returned, solid and sure beneath her feet. Gabrielle gasped, pitching forward as the ground took another roll and the palms of her hands smacked against a wooden keg the size of a large trash can. “What the hell?”
Ignoring the sting to her hands, Gabrielle’s head shot upward and her eyes skimmed the beach for houses. With bewilderment she inspected the tangles of mist and a thick crisscrossing of rope. Her vision filled with chunky white sails. Gabrielle stood quiet and still as she watched the spinning whirlpool of fog distorting everything within her vision, giving it a bent look similar to mirrors in a fun house.
Damion cursed the fog that attached to his ship shortly before leaving Boston Harbor. He tried to gauge its depth. Fog, not storms, destroyed more ships.
“Appears to be staying with us,” Jacob Gilbert, the first mate, announced.
Damion nodded as he strode toward the bow. The weather seemed odd. He stared blindly into the dense fog that hindered his every attempt to shake it loose.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."
Captive Angel by Cyndi McKay is a 3 star book.
Cyndi's Books with Tule:
Captive Angel

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The premise:
Gabrielle is a college student studying in Boston who is mysteriously transported to the 1700s by fog. First thought to be a stow away and then a spy, this is her story on surviving a British captain's ship just prior to the American Revolution.

The Good:
An interesting premise, this book had the potential to be a hit.

The Not-So-Good:
This book really requires suspension of belief - and not because of the time traveling elements. Unfortunately, it simply wasn't well-written enough to really immerse me as a reader and really believe what was happening. The characters weren't believable, there was an extreme lack of character developments, and, quite unfortunately, the protagonist just wasn't a relatable character for me.

This would have been a three star review if it wasn't for the end. [The whole book, Gabrielle is supposed to be this twenty-first century, modern woman, yet succumbs to the pressure to be a wife and mother in the 1700s with only her wit, somewhat, still intact. She mentions that she wants to wait to have children because she wants to pay her parents back, but then just abandons her parents - and the rest of her family, friends, education, dancing career, etc. - all too easily. She wants to wait to have children, but doesn't even think twice about having unprotected sex? Also, she's supposed to be a "modern" character, but of course she has to be a virgin, because what pirate novel is complete without the deflowering of a virgin? The book was filled with cliche, overused tropes and what could have been a breath of fresh air to a stale genre, was instead an unforgivable gust of the same, old, incredibly stale air. (hide spoiler)]

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book to give a voluntary honest review. This review contains only my own thoughts and opinions of this book.

Captive Angel was an absolute delight to read. The cover actually did not do the story any justice. It was bland compared to the action, drama, complex historical society and heated romance I lived through reading the book from start to finish. Though it was a bit of a bumpy ride the book really grew on me.

Right from the get-go we were thrown right into the action. A woman waking up in a different timeline and on a ship filled with an all male crew and with no memory of how she got there. She gets mistaken for a boy having her hair up under a cap (although I found that part a bit unrealistic since hair doesn’t really define womanly features). The crew thinking she is a stowaway forces her to a sword fight that she unexpectedly wins at the cost of the crew discovering she is a woman. And that’s how Gabrielle met Captain Damion Sinclair.

Their relationship was explosive to say the least. Immediately drawn to each other but both fighting it lead to some heavy fights and arguments. Sparks was practically flying when they were in each other’s vicinity, both from the anger and from the confined attraction. Their banter lead to difference of opinion which lead to arguments which in turn lead to heated kisses. The development of their relationship and romance was not only beautifully written but also the driving force of the story. The drama in their relationship really made it compelling as well as the disagreement and injustice of a woman’s place in society.

The way women was looked upon at that time was a very defining aspect in the story and handled perfectly. It had a big part in forming the relationship and characterization. For Damion, being used to meek women and being in charge, meeting Gabrielle was like a fresh breath of air. She did not bow down or submit to men’s will. She wore breaches, knew how to sword fight and spoke her mind, which was what often lead to the battles of will between her and Damion. While Damion was not interested in committing to a submissive woman to begin with, handling Gabrielle’s defiance and strange behavior took him understandably some time getting used to. And Gabrielle hating being called endearments, being told what to do or to lose had to learn to once in a while step back and calm herself. This being the major factor in them both to finally stop fighting their feelings for each other and be together was a very clever way to implement the woman treatment of that time period and how they both fought for equal ground with each other.

However much I loved Damion and Gabrielle together it slightly confused me as to how they came to that point. It felt like it too quickly went from them constantly butting heads to them accepting each other. There was no major resolution that really lead them there. It felt like they suddenly just moved past their differences and decided to get married. The marriage deal was also kind of confusing since I did not understand the reasoning behind it. I mean, I understood why it was beneficial for Gabrielle, but how was it a good deal for Damion? What did he get out of it and what was the point of getting married and then a divorce? That I had difficulty understanding some things leads me to think that it was the writing that caused the problem for me. Because although the development and storyline was beautifully written, the reason that I at times couldn’t fully follow what was happening was that the writing was a bit more ... sophisticated (if that’s the right word?) than I’m used to. I get why however, since it was made to match that time-set. And overall it did not take away anything from the amazing romance, drama, characters or world.

I loved the ending. It was a great note to end the adventure on and even though I can’t get enough of the romance I do love a happily ever after. I hope that I get to see more in a sequel, whether it will be from Gabrielle’s point of view or someone else’s.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Gabrielle is somehow transported to another time in history and lands on Captain Sinclair ship. She had to fight off the crew members and has the advantage since she also practiced fencing in her former time. She develops a romance with the captain who is uncertain of her political intentions but is inexplicable drawn to her. I enjoyed the banter between them since it's very clear that Gabrielle is not used being treated as the lesser sex. Entertaining.