Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940156275854 |
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| Publisher: | Shana Galen |
| Publication date: | 04/16/2019 |
| Series: | Survivors |
| Sold by: | Draft2Digital |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Sales rank: | 130 |
| File size: | 480 KB |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
The Claiming of the Shrew (Survivors, #5)
4.9 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
7 reviews.
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After finally finding out why Benedict wasn’t married I was excited about his story. I knew it was going to be interesting and different and it doesn’t disappoint. Their first meeting was a shocking one and five years later the next one was just as shocking. I wasn’t sure how the danger was going to end but loved how the cat was involved. The ending was perfect.
Catarina is a very skilled lace maker and loves her independence. She was afraid of love because it meant losing control. Her temper had a tendency to control her which lead to problems.
Benedict has loved her and took his marriage vows seriously for five years. There is something about him that you love from the first time you meet him and his story just makes you love him more. I loved that because he is older he knows his mind and heart.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review
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The Claiming of the Shrew is Book 5 of The Survivors series. Years ago when Benedict Draven married the young and desperate Catarina Neves, he had nothing to lose. It helped her to escape a terrible situation. And he was going off to his life. Never expecting to have any further dealings. But now, Catarina wants a divorce. Her reasons for asking don't ring true with Draven. He does not feel right about just granting the divorce and moving on. He feels a connection with her. But can she convince him to sign the divorce papers? Does he really want to be free of her? Does she really want to be free of him? Its a marriage of convenience that isn't.
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The Survivors is a fabulous series from Shana Galen. Each and every one of these men are guardian-protector heroes and it's fabulous experiencing every one of their happily-ever-afters. I hope with the story of their leader that this isn't the end of the series. We met a few more in this one and I need to find out about them all.
Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven meets his long lost Portuguese wife, Catarina Ana Marcia Neves, and another finds another survivor! He seems to collect them being the leader of the "suicide troup" in England's army against Napoleon. The Survivors are not just the ones who survived from the troop but true heros who rise to help those who need. But with this story we find he's a guardian-protector of those he is responsible for including his long lost wife. He's often wondered how she was doing when he couldn't find her after the war. She pops back into his life with no explanation demanding an annulment so she can marry someone else. Seems he married her in the midst of the war to protect her from an abusive contracted fiance and father. Her "story" about the annulment doesn't add up and he's determined to find out what's up. She's being blackmailed and Draven comes to the rescue. Catarina has become a lace maker, a very highly sought after lace maker, who's lace is in high demand. It's a work of art and called "Catarina Lace" and known throughout Europe! Juan Carlos de la Fuente is a competitor trying to gain control over her business by marrying her off to his desolate son Miguel. With the help of a few of his men they get to the bottom of what's wrong and remove the danger to her.
Thank you Shana for a copy of this story for my voluntary and honest review. I am looking forward to reading more about these survivors.
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I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and the views expressed are my honest opinions. The Claiming of the Shrew is Shana Galen’s fifth instalment of The Survivors. Everyone familiar with Ms. Galen’s series surely knows about Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven. In fact, he is wildly sought after by matchmaking mamas. What is unknown to all, including his Survivors, is that Benedict married a fiery Portuguese ‘peasant’ girl, Catarina Neves, and left her behind in Portugal in order to help her from an abusive arranged marriage. Although he had tried to get in touch, she had moved away from her native village. Little did Benedict expect to return home one evening and find Catarina waiting for him.
Catarina was too intelligent and intense for the dull peasant life her father had chosen for her. Her determination was what made her succeed at getting married and succeeding at her job, that of lacemaking. Under the guidance and tuition of a kind soul, Catarina managed to create a wildly sought-after art. However, the greed of others was the main factor in her reunion with her husband. Together with her sister Ines, her “business partner” and his son, they travel to London so that Catarina could get an annulment. But when she is in danger, Benedict and his men come to the rescue.
Benedict has been a recurrent character in the Survivors’ books. Obviously, he is the reason for the whole troop. It is lovely to finally see him get a chance at love. Those matchmaking mamas never stood a chance! Ms. Galen found his perfect match in Catarina. A strong leader deserves a strong woman. The thing I like the most is that despite his extensive war experience, Benedict was constantly doubting himself and his abilities with regards to Catarina. This is to show that although a person might seem invincible, they too can be vulnerable at times. Will Catarina find she prefers the life of a businesswoman to that of a wife?
This book can be read on its own, but it is more fun if the previous books are read beforehand.
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NOT SHAKESPEARE
I have read nearly all of this author’s work. This has been one of my favorites. The story of Catarina and Benedict was engaging and easy to follow. Benedict is a former war hero and Catarina with a tiny bit of help created a life and prosperous business for herself. This historical story reflects this era of #MeToo as Catarina struggles with whether she will be believed about her assaults. As a historical romance I think the comment is that women have been struggling with this issue for a lot longer than the media has been paying attention to it. Ms. Galan has done a great job of providing a story about this difficult struggle for women, while also staying true to her writing style and the series. It was truly about their falling in love and the obstacles tackled together.
I love reading series with familiar characters, however in this story the the drop in of previous characters was minimal. If you haven’t read any previous books you can start here. I received this book as an ARC in exchange for this review.
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After the bombshell that Shana Galen had previously dropped about Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven having a secret wife, I was thrilled to read how it would unfold. While in Portugal during the war, Draven had married Catarina Neves to save her from being wed to a violent man, and almost forgot about it. Almost. Catarina found her place in the world crafting her exquisite lace, but being a successful businesswoman, her life was fraught with peril. Five years later, she travels to London to ask Draven for the annulment he had initially agreed to. That little something that has been in the air in Portugal has not vanished, and Draven is not convinced an annulment is the best solution. Neither is Catarina, but do they have a future together, or is it only that she feels safe with him?
THE CLAIMING OF THE SHREW is such a lovely, subtle romance amidst the danger that surrounds Catarina. Draven is quite a bit older than she is, and while those of us who have read the previous instalments knew he wouldn't make a fool of himself - he is much too cool, calm, and collected for that - he showed an irresistibly romantic nature. Catarina displays a fiery Latin temper, but thankfully no undue stubbornness; and she is in a serious pickle! The mood and the atmosphere give this novel that inexplicable little something extra: cold and grey London alternating with the colourful warmth of Barcelona; fear and danger that bring about the kindness of a relative stranger; the fire and ice of the protagonists' natures.
Draven is a superb hero, and I loved that nothing was rushed, and that they valiantly tried to do the right thing, even if it did not always work the way they wanted. The romance remained at the forefront throughout, and the suspense was satisfactorily resolved, although one detail seemed highly unlikely towards the end. It was also a great to have glimpses of some Survivors: Duncan and Phineas, but where had the adorable Survivor Colin FitzRoy been hiding all this time? There is still so much more to look forward to!
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For those of us who follow this series (as I do), Draven has always been a confirmed bachelor until his long lost wife popped up in a scene in the previous book. Since then I've been dying to know more about the Colonel so I was very much looking forward to this book and thrilled to receive an ARC.
Colonel Benedict Draven has finally retired from the army and now works as a consultant for the Foreign Office and spends his free time at his club with the surviving members of the suicide squad he commanded during the Napoleonic Wars. Even after five years worth of war he still can't rid his mind of the fiery Portuguese woman he married (in name only) to save her from the abusive man her father had promised her to.
Catarina Neves has used her skills at making lace and the independence afforded her by her married status to become a successful businesswoman. But eventually she finds herself in danger again and seeking out Benedict in London. She hasn't seen him since their hasty wedding in war-torn Portugal and he's never sought her out so she is shocked when he refuses to grant her the annulment she asks for. When he tells her that he did in fact try to find her after the war, she begins to wonder if she can truly come to know and trust him, maybe even enough to ask him for the help she really needs.
I've always been so curious about Draven and I thought it was great to have a hero who is much older than the heroine but isn't content to act the part of the doddering old fool. He's still in good shape and he's very easygoing, but also strong, stubborn, and very protective of his own, which includes Cataraina. It was very refreshing. He's not even afraid to admit when he's wrong, a trait that endeared him to me early on. He's always been this stoic character moving in the background and quietly helping the other survivors with their happy endings so it's great to see him getting one himself. I loved that he was brutally honest and not willing to waste time on games or power plays. His blatant honesty was surprising given the mystery that has always surrounded his personal life in the previous books. It was just adorable to see Benedict actively courting Catarina and trying to get to know her.
I loved the little pop-in moments featuring some of my favorite characters from previous books.
We also meet a couple new characters whose stories I'm always salivating for.
This was a very highly anticipated book for me and it did not disappoint. Each book is just so unique and each character so well-written. This is definitely one of my favorite series, I can't wait for more, and I'm already dreading its end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
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