Once Upon a Tower

Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James

Gowan Stoughton, Duke of Kinross and Chief of the Clan MaacAulay, is responsible for a very large Scottish estate, but business brings him to England and to a ball thrown by his colleague, the Earl of Gilchrest. He is not too fond of simpering English misses or English fops, but he cannot keep his eyes of his host's enchanting daughter, Lady Edith. Gowan has no idea that Edie is actually quite sick and the quiet and ethereal beauty he delights in is caused by her illness. The Earl accepts Gowan's proposal on Edie's behalf, and as a good daughter Edie concurs with his decision, but she has no remembrance of her dances with the Duke. To get to know him, and to ensure they are compatible, she begins a correspondence with him, making clear her expectations of their marriage and divulging more about herself. Gowan is surprised to learn his fiance has quite the sense of humor and is very opinionated about certain matters including where she sees their marriage going. Realizing that marriage is about compromise he is able to compromise some of what he wants, but he is quite determined that there marriage will be consummated as soon as possible. When he returns to London he makes it clear to Lord Gilchrest that he expects to expedite the marriage.

Edie finds herself tremendously attracted to her future husband and their courtship, taking place after the engagement, makes her quite eager for the wedding night. Gowan is also a virgin, having seen his father whore his way around Scotland and his own mother sleep around, but is anxious to please his wife. Unfortunately it is quite painful for Edie and instead of telling Gowan, she follows her step mother's advice and fakes it for the first several times they have sex. Edie is not pleased that there are servants constantly around her and Gowan and they never seem to have a moment's privacy, but she likes that Gowan allows her to play her cello. Edie is a an accomplished cellist and music is her life and Gowan appreciates her talents and would never take it away from her. When he accidentally discovers that she has been faking her pleasure he feels betrayed and angry and runs away after saying some very harsh things to Edie. Edie's stepmother makes it clear that he is just as much to blame and when he returns the two of them must work together to patch things up and determine that they can indeed find mutual pleasure in each other's arms.

Edie and Gowan were both incredibly young, 19 and 22 respectively, and, at least in Edie's regard, incredibly sheltered. I have definitely come to enjoy the romance novels that have both the hero and the heroine a little older than that, although Gowan had real life experience that made it easier to overlook his age. My biggest problem with getting to truly connect with Edie was her passion for the cello and how she regarded that as the most important thing in her life; perhaps because of years of being forced to practice instruments and listening to others do so, I just cannot understand a passion for musicianship and I wanted something more from her. I liked that she was "friends" with her step-mother, but even their interactions proved how immature Edie was and she really did not do all that much, just had a lot of thoughts on her father's marriage. Gowan was more likable, and despite numerous references to his temper and yelling, it really wasn't shown in the book and just made Edie look ridiculous for constantly referring to it. He had immense responsibilities and always did his duty making him a bit of a stick in the mud, but also admirable.

They were certainly attracted to each other, but the sex was just god awful, mostly because we were treated to it from Edie's point of view and she was not enjoying it. While I understand there had to be some sort of conflict, I really did enjoy reading so many scenes where the heroine was in such pain. I sympathized with both of them in this regard; him for feeling inadequate and her for feeling like she had to hide the truth from him and the way they handled it made sense to me. Their discussion at the end, where they both took responsibility and agreed to work it out together was very mature and showed that they could work well together. The side plots involved her father and step mother's marriage and I would honestly have liked to see more of that and how they resolved it. The most jarring aspect of the book was when Gowan easily allowed the Gilchrest's to adopt his orphaned sister; I was left with my jaw hanging open.

Rating: An enjoyable, if incredibly long read, about two young people falling in love, but I could not entirely relate to either of them and felt there were a lot of hiccups in the story.

The Devil Wears Kilts

The Devil Wears Kilts by Suzanne Enoch

Ranulf MacLawry, Marquis of Glengask, has no love for the English, and he has enough problems with the Highland feuds without worrying about the English aristocracy. His sister, Lady Rowena, however desperately wants a season and she is determined to make it happen even if it will upset her brother. Lady Charlotte Hanover is shocked when her mother's friends' daughter appears on the door step, but since her sister, Winnie is already being sponsored for a season, Rowena is welcomed into the fold. The three women make plans for the London season, even if Charlotte has no intention of finding herself another suitor; her fiance had been killed in a duel he had initiated over a small slight. Since then, Charlotte has maintained her distance from men, and her dislike of male pride, temper, and violence has only solidified. Ranulf races to London to rescue her sister and is shocked when Charlotte insists he rein in his temper and allow his sister to finally enjoy her life. After his initial horror wears off, Ranulf finds himself intrigued by the beautiful and outspoken Englishwoman. However, his mother had been English and had suffered greatly at the hardships of the Scottish life, and he fears that the same would happen to Charlotte.

He decides to attend the same balls as Charlotte and Rowena, but quickly realizes that his Highland ways are not very well received. Members of the ton do their best to tempt him into making mistakes and losing his temper, and the situation does not improved when the leader of the clan he has been feuding with decides to take things to the next level, threatening Ranulf and those he loves. Charlotte finds herself falling for Ranulf, sneaking out to see him, and enjoying a man's company for the first time since her fiance died. But she is worried about his inability to keep a level head, and the violence he displays. He knows her fears, and tries to placate her, but the life of a Highlander is different than that of a city bred English fop, and he knows that he needs to show his enemies his strength or wish losing everything. Together they will have to sort through their intricacies of their situation and find a way to find their happily ever after.

I absolutely loved both Charlotte and Ranulf. Charlotte was well rounded and managed to be independent and assertive, outspoken and friendly, without ever falling into the dreaded "sassy" trap. She had ideas of her own, she cared deeply for those who were important to her, and her life experiences shaped her views. She was scared of love and of the type of man Ranulf was, but she was also open to learning more, to experiencing more that life had to offer. Ranulf was hard headed and could be ruthless, but he too cared deeply for his family, and his motives behind all of the behavior that Charlotte found so objectionable, were truly well explained. He did have a side to him that would frighten Charlotte, but she helped him tame it, and he helped her understand that he could never live the life of an Englishman, just accepting insults to his person, because the safety of his clan depended on him being a man who could intimidate others. I felt like both of them changed for the better because of the other and they truly came to understand and accept each other.

Charlotte and Ranulf spent a great deal of time together in various social situations and alone, so it was quite clear that they were very well suited for each other. There was definite heat between the, and not just when they were arguing although they did argue a bit, but the payoff was really not as good as I had expected. The sex was lukewarm and infrequent, sad considering the attraction these two were supposed to have for each other. I very much enjoyed the side plots involving Rowena and her crush on her brother's friend, the unrequited love that drove her to run away to London in the first place. There was also a story involving Highland feuds, which was it's own subplot in its' own right, but also served to make it clear how precarious Ranulf's position was and why his particular personality was so important in order for him to keep everyone safe.

Rating: Two wonderfully written characters who I could really tell were in love with each other and could see having a meaningful and lasting relationship.

The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie

The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Daniel Mackenzie is one of the infamous Mackenzie's and has all the charm of his uncles and father and a lightness of spirit that escaped them. He enjoys creating inventions, and is especially fond of crafting a brand new car that would beat any of the German models. He knows immediately that Ms. Bastien, a renowned medium's assistance, is a fraud but instead of exposing her he is more interested in the contraptions she uses to make all the "spirit" sounds she uses to fool everyone. Violet is terrified that Daniel will expose her secrets, but even more scared when he kisses her and it brings back haunting memories of her childhood. In terror, she bashes him over the head and, believing him dead, she abandons him at a hospital. Daniel is, of course, not dead and while he is upset he is eve more intrigued by the beautiful young woman who hit him over the head and has a remarkable ability to make useful inventions. He follows her to Paris where Violet is shocked to find the man she believed she had killed, alive and well. Daniel takes an interest in Violet and her mother, especially when he learns that Violet is basically her mother's caregiver and believes her mother is taking advantage of her.

When one of her mother's clients attempts to assault Violet and she escapes, he decides to press charges and she is arrested. Daniel and his well connected family manage to get her out of prison but he decides that since he has such a vested interest in her welfare that she will accompany him in England. Her mother moves into the Mackenzie mansion and Violet finds herself far too close to the handsome Daniel. But even Daniel is not prepared when Violet confides in him details of her abusive and violent childhood and while she expects him to turn away in disgust, he instead appoints himself her protector and her avenger and dedicates himself to proving her capable of having a real relationship based on respect and love. When a villain from Violet's past resurfaces to cause trouble, the entire Mackenzie clan is there to defend their newest family member and Violet realizes that she truly wants nothing more than to find her happily ever after with Daniel.

I like that this story switched around the roles of the stereotypical roles of heroines and heroes as Violet was the one who was more broody about her past and Daniel had come to accept his own past and had made peace with his relationship with his father. I did like Violet because she was incredibly brave and I liked that she was a conundrum as she was fearless and independent but also cared so much about her mother that she sacrificed herself. Reading about a survivor of rape is always wrenching and Ashley does a deft job of adequately portraying the hurt, the betrayal, the hope, and spirit that accompanies such a violent act and the feelings that come later in the future. I liked that Daniel cared so much for Violet, but I felt like I was supposed to have lots of lingering feelings for Daniel as a holdover from his appearances in other books in the series, and indeed it often seems like the Mackenzie love builds on itself instead of being really expressed in the book.

Violet and Daniel worked incredibly well together and I really enjoyed that they had so many interests in common and that they each encouraged the other's pursuits and helped each other improve and work on their inventions. I liked that they enjoyed spending time together and that a majority of the book was spent with them in the company of each other and in a wide array of activities. There was some sex between them, but given her history, it was more about the emotional aspect of the sex and helping Violet overcome her fears. It was still better than a lot of romances I have been reading and I liked that they did not make her completely sexless just because she had been raped. Daniel and Violet's relationships with their families played an incredibly important part, but while I was interested in Violet's codependence with her mother it was dropped from the book far too quickly. The Mackenzies, who I have enjoyed in the past, and continued to be well done side characters who don't take over the story.

Rating: An interesting book, but despite everything, it still managed to be a little bland with nothing super exciting to keep more interested.

An English Bride in Scotland

An English Bride in Scotland by Lynsay Sands

As the second daughter Annabel was hidden away in a nunnery while her sister, Kate, was destined to make a fine marriage. When Kate runs off with the stable master's son Annabel is suddenly the only daughter they have to fulfill their marriage obligations and she is rushed home from the nunnery just in time for a marriage to Ross MacKay. Ross has finally settled the dispute to his title that arose after his father's death and now it is time for him to fulfill his father's marriage contract with his old friend. He immediately knows something is wrong when he arrives for his bride and sure enough rumors abound about Kate and her lover but he is very pleasantly surprised to see Annabel. Annabel remembers how she had always been overshadowed by her beautiful and slender sister, while she had been "Belly." She cannot imagine that someone would genuinely prefer her to her sister and feels bad that Ross is forced to take her as his wife. However, Ross is quite happy with his beautiful new bride, and after seeing how her family treats her he wastes no time in whisking her off to his estate in Scotland.

Ross wants his new wife to be happy with her life and he certainly wastes no time in ensuring that she is happy in the marriage bed and in her public life she begins to take over running of the keep as best as she is able since she was not trained for this task. Even while she knows that Ross is happy with her in the bedchamber, she wants to be the best wife she can be and make him not regret not marrying Kate. The people in the keep quickly grow to love Annabel because she is kind and generous and shows herself willing to learn and Ross is happy to finally have peace within his lands. Unfortunately someone is not as happy with their marriage as they are and has been trying to kidnap and/ or kill both Ross and Annabel. When Kate shows up Annabel tries to rekindle familial feelings and Ross is very happy to have ended up with Annabel. To make their marriage successful Ross and Annabel must discover who is trying to kill them and gain confidence in their own ability to make the other happy.

I, of course, love a heroine who is self conscience about her body and a hero who appreciates a woman with lots of curves. Annabel is kindhearted and quickly ingratiates herself with the members of Clan MacKay but Sands always manages to make sweet heroines who manage to be real and not to good to be true. I love how determined she is to prove herself and to make Ross proud of her despite her misgivings about her attractiveness and her abilities. I also liked how she wanted to be close to her family even though they were cold and unfeeling towards her, but she was able to admit when her relationships with her family had become irrepairable. There were times though when Annabel behaved in a manner that could easily be termed too stupid to live as she ventured out of the keep several times even though there was obviously someone out to get her. This is a common trait in romance novel heroines and one I absolutely detest.

Ross was a great hero; tall and manly and wearing a kilt and obviously a great warrior and a great leader to his clan. He was very protective of his wife which I appreciated and tried to treat her like an adult and equal partner in their relationship even when she did stupid things. I really felt their relationship progressing in this book as the two spent a lot of time together, both as a couple and interacting in a larger environment. They were very physically attracted to each other and there was quite a lot of pretty hot sex in this book, but nothing too scandalous or scorching. Sands is usually a very funny writer and this book is no exception as the characters are often in humorous situations and there are funny little mix ups. Her books always have a little mystery as someone is trying to harm the protagonists and the person is always someone who is there, but not necessarily the prime suspect. This book follows suit as we are lead down a bunch of wrong paths until finally the culprit is found. As usual the writing is fast and fun and the book is a very quick read (I read it in one day).

Rating: A very enjoyable and funny book, but it stuck a little too closely to the typical Sands format and the heroine did frustrate me at times.

The Seduction of Elliot McBride

The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jennifer Ashley

Julianna St. John is all set to get married until she discovers at the altar that her fiance has absconded with his widowed piano instructor. Julianna realizes she is more upset about the societal problems her broken engagement will cause than about actually losing her fiance. Luckily for her she sees her childhood crush, Elliot McBride, quite close at hand, and decides that she should make the most of the situation and asks him to marry him. Elliot had every intention of stopping the wedding of the woman who sustained him through years of torture in the Indian desert. He jumps at the chance to marry her and quickly scurries her to his crumbling estate in the Scottish Highlands. Julianna quickly notices that her husband is hiding secrets from everyone around him and it is apparent that many of the people closest to him regard him as barely sane. But she doesn't let anything get in the way of her happiness now that she is married to the man she has worshipped since she was little, the man she always imagined would be her husband.

Elliot is also living the life he has always wanted for himself with no one in the outside world to disturb the happiness he has finally found with Julianna. She is the best thing that ever happened to him and he doesn't want anyone to take Julianna away from him. Their happiness is threatened when a local couple threatens to have Elliot investigated for the death of a fellow Englishman in India but Elliot has recently discovered that this former friend has followed him from India and does not believe it is a friendly visit. Julianna is worried about Elliot's safety and about what this will mean for Elliot's mental healthy, which had been improving since their marriage. Elliot is determined to keep his family safe but it brings up unpleasant memories from India and he finds that the only way he can get through them is with Julianna's help. Together they must over come Elliot's demons and uncover what really happened to Elliot and his friend while in India before they can continue the happy marriage they both dreamed about.

Both Julianna and Elliot were complex characters who I have found it really hard to reflex on without first discussing their relationship. I felt like they had a very co-dependant relationship in the sense that it was obvious that Elliot would barely be able to function without Julianna there. She in turn seemed to relish being needed and had no difficulty focusing entirely on what needed to be done to help Elliot. This made her a rather unlikable heroine for me because I wanted someone who was strong on her own and this was almost like her entirely being became caught up in him. I appreciated that Elliot had lived through hell during his time in India and that this would, of course, cause immense emotional trauma. However, I do not want to read about a hero that is so mentally unstable that he operates under constant threat of having a relapse and choking someone close to him. This aspect of their relationship made me very uncomfortable.

Aside from that aspect of their relationship, which was of course predominant, there were a very few moments where I could see them being happy together, but they were never friendly and happy and joyous. They had sex but it was surprisingly dull and not very frequent. They were very accepting of Indian culture and this was supposed to endear them to the reader, show how open they were, but it seemed unrealistic for the time and like Ashley was trying too hard. About halfway through this very short book the side plot involving the friend from India took over and the relationship took a back seat which upset me, but was also I relief since I wasn't that into it. Unfortunately I was just as uninterested in what had happened to this friend and what was going to happen to him. I felt like it had nothing to do with the story and was just superfluous filler. The book was well written, an easy and fast read.

Rating: I did not enjoy this book and found the relationship between the characters mildly disturbing and the side plot just plain boring.

The Key

The Key by Lynsay Sands

When her father dies, Iliana Wildwood, is horrified when Lord Greenweld storms the family estate and forces her mother to marry him. He locks Iliana up and uses her as a tool to keep Lady Wildwood in line and when she asks the king for help, he sends Iliana up to Scotland to marry so that he can work towards Lady Wildwood's safety. The only Scottish laird who qualifies to marry Iliana is Duncan of Dunbar Castle, heir to his father Angus. Iliana finds her new husband handsome but cannot believe the filth that his people live in as their is grime and dirt covering every well, they wear dirty plaids, and only take baths twice a year. Her husband is no exception and his stench leads her to refuse him on their wedding night and don a belt of chastity, complete with lock and a key she hides from Duncan. Duncan cannot believe his wife refuses him and vows not to let her change his life overmuch, even while he searches for a way to get her into bed without giving into her demands. Iliana overcomes her shock at the poor sanitary conditions of the keep when she learns her husband has big plans for his castle and his people and she begins to understand there is more to her husband than she had suspected.

Iliana sets about setting the keep to rights, sweeping and mopping, white washing and scrubbing, planting a garden, improving the quality and flavor of the food, buying everyone a new plaid, and offering everyone in the keep the use of her bathtub. Duncan is upset at the changes she is making, feeling that it is too much too fast and that she is not looking out for the best interests of his people, and as always, is upset that she continues to insist he take a bath. But quite by accident he ends up bathed and finds that he immensely enjoys the rewards that the act reaps and knows that his wife does as well. He wants to spend as much time in her bed as possible, but alas, when he begins to smell, she again refuses him. He is angry once again, but there is suddenly a new problem when someone attempts to kill Iliana in her bed at night. Now there is nothing on Ducan's mind but finding the person who is responsible and many believe it is Lord Grenweld, looking to get revenge on the Wildwood women. Iliana must find the strength to fight for those he loves and Duncan realizes that compromises that lead to the happiness of the woman he loves are well worth it.

Iliana was an interesting character; she was industrious in cleaning her husband's castle and adamant in getting her own way about the bath, and other things, but I found that she was too much to Sands' type. There were hints at her vast strength, such as when she attempted to escape from Greenweld, but we really weren't told of the courage that took and even her own husband seemed to shrug that away. Her insistence that things go her away, even though I knew she was in the right, came across as naive at times and I kept waiting for her to stamp her foot in anger like a child. Duncan was surly and rude and it is hard to like someone who thinks it's perfectly acceptable to take a bath twice a year and get upset when get upset when no one wants to sleep in the same bed. I understood that his grand plans for his clan were supposed to show a hidden depth to him, and they certainly made Iliana like him a lot more, but it was rather glossed over in summary so it did not really endear him to me all that much. They interacted a lot together, but it was often full of arguments or tension and I really would have appreciated them interacting in a more personal, happier, manner.

Iliana and Duncan obviously liked each other, probably because of their mutual desire to help those they care about, and the selflessness in achieving those ends. I just did not really feel a connection between them while reading the book and I just did not see how either of them fell in love with the other, and I believe that Sands' tendency to summarize things may be to blame. Instead of detailing a conversation, she'll say what they discussed and how they felt about it in one paragraph and this does not help a romance. There was some sex, it was pretty lukewarm, and entirely toward the end of the book. I found the addition of the chastity belt humorous at times and frustrating at others and completely unrealistic that a woman in those times would have refuted her husband's advances in that manner. The plot involving Lord Greenweld was an important part of the book but I found it popping up at odd times and didn't completely mesh with the storyline and the side romance between Lady Wildwood and Angus was almost ridiculous in its abruptness.

Rating: A funny book, certainly very fast with two hard to pin down characters in a so-so romance with some interesting tension toward the end.

A Scandalous Scot

A Scandalous Scot by Karen Ranney R

Jean MacDonald has taken refuge at Ballindair Castle in the Highlands of Scotland, working as a maid, after a scandal in Inverness rocked her world and changed her life. When not trying to keep her beautiful sister, Catriona, from getting into trouble she wanders the halls searching for one of the many ghosts of Ballindair. Morgan MacCraig, retreats to his family estate after his own scandal leaves him the laughingstock of London. He hopes to live up to his father's reputation as a hero of Scotland by managing his own estate and slowly winning back the regard of his countrymen. His friend Andrew, a married womanizer, accompanies him and while Andrew sets his sights on winning Catriona, Morgan is far more intrigued by the ghost hunting beauty who wanders his halls and isn't scared to speak her mind in front of him. He finds himself looking forward to their encounters while she is out ghost hunting as the two of them talk about family ghosts and skirt around the issues hidden in their pasts. Morgan is haunted by the flagrant way his wife cheated on him with almost everyone in the ton and finds that Jean makes him forget what happened.

Jean sees the way Morgan tries so hard to live up to everyone's expectations and wishes there was some way to show him that he is already a man worthy of other's respect. As things get more interesting between Jean and Morgan, Catriona is trying to find a way to turn her beauty into something more. When she reveals her plan to become Morgan's mistress, Jean attempts to enlists Andrew's help and everything ends up backfiring when it is Jean caught in Morgan's room. Deciding that now is the time to show how honorable he is Morgan agrees to marry Jean, even while Jean is terrified that their marriage is a sham since she is still hiding to avoid her own scandal. She attempts to avoid the marriage, but there is no getting around Morgan's determination and her own secret desire for him. Catriona is bitter that Jean has outmaneuvered her and decides her best bet is to become Andrew's mistress and Jean feels she has to protect herself. She knows that she risks Morgan discovering everything she has been trying so hard to hide, but she doesn't know that Morgan recognizes how vital she has becoming in his life and will let nothing stand in the way of their happiness.

Jean was a rather bland heroine in my opinion; although she had interests in many different subjects I never really felt like she was truly passionate about anything, including Morgan. She didn't get excited or angry about anything really, just handled everything as it came and it annoyed me and made her seem incredibly unrealistic. She was anxious about her past, which certainly set up the conflict of the story, but her background turned out to be rather ho hum in my opinion as it had been blown out of proportion. Morgan's tortured background was far more interesting to me as he strived to live up the unrealistic (and unreal) expectations he had for himself and dealt with the issues surrounding his divorce. I enjoyed reading about his coming to grips with what his wife did to him and with the truth about his father as he came to the realization that he was his own man and just as worthy of respect as anyone. Perhaps that was the best part of their relationship as Jean helped him to this understanding through her support. Unfortunately the rest of their relationship was pretty boring and, while I liked that there was not a lot of arguing between them, I would have appreciated some excitement!

Jean and Morgan did not spend enough time together in my opinion, and the time they did seemed to be taken up by unimportant things, like the ghost hunting. They skirted around important issues and I don't see how they were able to fall in love. There was very little sex between them and it was at best, lukewarm and contributed absolutely nothing to the romance between the characters. Surprisingly enough I found the little plot involving Catriona to be more interesting than anything surrounding Jean. Catriona was a wonderfully written pretty, spoiled, and absolutely detestable person who you rooted against, but couldn't help wanting to read more about. She was perfectly mercenary and detestable, but I understood her motives, advancement and money, far more than Jean's far too polite and perfect desires. I felt like ghost aspect of the story was completely ridiculous and I did not really see what purpose it served other than to pop up at annoying instances and distract from anything important really happening.

Rating: A fast read, but rather boring, with a boring heroine and a character whose interesting past and development was overshadowed by a lukewarm romance.

The Duke's Perfect Wife

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

Lady Eleanor Ramsey was engaged to Hart Mackenzie, a future Duke, but was forced to call of the engagement when his former mistress revealed that there was a dark side to him that he was not telling her. She realized that Hart was primarily selfish and thought only of his own needs and desires, but even though she left him, she kept him in her heart. So when someone starts to send her nude pictures of Hart she wants to get to the bottom of it before the person exposes him just as Hart is poised to make a run for Prime Minister. Hart had not expected to see Eleanor again but realizes that it is perfect timing as he had been planning to take a wife and Eleanor would be a great political companion and he remembers how perfect they had been. Eleanor was the one person Hart trusted with his secrets, like his father killing his mother and his brother, Ian witnessing it and being thrown into a mental institution and Hart's own fight to keep from becoming like his father. He accepts her help really intending to make her his wife, but Eleanor is just as determined to not fall for Hart's charm again.

Eleanor throws herself into finding out who has the nude pictures of Hart and repeatedly finds herself admiring said naked pictures and remembering what it was like to make love to him. Hart worries that Eleanor's quest will lead her to discover the darkness in him that he wants to keep hidden. It is obvious that Hart is different in bed than most of the men of the ton and ladies speak about his prowess in whispers while men seek him out for advice and help. Eleanor does not know what these hidden facets are but she wants to find out and knows that the only way for her and Hart to move forward is for him to be completely honest. In his attempt to derail Gladstone's coalition government Hart opposes and Irish home rule bill that makes him a target of Irish independents and several attempts on his life are made. Hart cannot risk Eleanor getting hurt just as the two of them are working through their problems and possibly starting a new, more honest relationship. He is just as determined to protect her as she is to protect him but even aside from their outside threats, Hart's own secrets will prove the biggest obstacle to their happily ever after.

Eleanor was sassy and spunky and certainly jumped into her self appointed assignment of finding out who sent the nude pictures of Hart. The thing I admired the most about her is her dedication to her absentminded father and how cute and fun their relationship was. I thought the picture thing a little ridiculous and couldn't understand why she felt like she should be in charge of finding the pictures since Hart didn't really seem to care. I also could not understand what she found so likable about Hart as he was rather cold and distant and kind of took advantage of people, even if he thought he was doing it for their own good. Hart was certainly the strong, dark, brooding type as he directed the little people all around him because he knew what was best for them. I will admit his past was certainly haunted since his father was a grade A asshole but he was completely driven to be prime minister and the only real hint of a reason we were given was his future hope for Scottish home rule. It seemed a little far fetched. They spent quite a bit of time together and I did like how their relationship evolved beyond merely loving each other because of their past together.

Their previous relationship was brought up a lot but the reason behind their breakup was really poorly explained as Eleanor wasn't upset about his mistress, but about his "darkness" in the sexual arts. This is a recurring problem for me in Jennifer Ashley books as she constantly hints about how scandalous and sexual her male characters are and it ends up being sexy enough but not anything to merit all the worry. This book was even worse then usual as his "dark" side was the cause of much anxiety among both of them and even I started to buy into the hype wondering what was so exciting and secret. Needless to say I was incredibly disappointed and thought the whole build up was ridiculous and ended up being a complete let down. Hart's political career was a big part of the book but I found that I didn't really enjoy reading about it and I felt like it was a side story instead of a well integrated part of their romance. Past characters make frequent appearances, which I don't mind since they're family and it's done in a subdued but important manner. What I didn't like was that Ian ended up being my favorite hero in this novel when I was supposed to be thinking about Hart.

Rating: A big let down all around with totally unrealistic characters, the very disappointing secret, and a hero who's brother overshadowed him.

Seduced by Destiny

Seduced by Destiny by Kira Morgan 707

Josselin Ancrum was orphaned at a young age when her mother was killed while fighting for the Scots and trying to avenge her own husbands death. The man who killed her was an English soldier who only did so because she on the brink of death and was in much pain. Nevertheless he felt so guilty that he commits suicide after confessing his sins to his brothers and asking them to take in his young son, Andrew MacAdam, and raise him. Years later Adam is back in Scotland, pretending to be a Highlander, and "fighting" the enemy Scots by winning their purses when he beats them at golf, even if his uncles think that he's on the fighting circuit besting the Scots on a completely different field. Josie had been taken in by 3 men, her "da's," who teach her to fight and to want revenge for what happened to her mother. Years later she gains permission to go to Edinburgh to watch the arrival of Queen Mary, and as a loyal Scott she cannot sit idly by while other bystanders insult the Queen. When she defends the Queen she garners the Queen's attention and that of the golfer, Drew MacAdam.

Drew cannot get the beautiful and fiery lass out of his head, but he worries for her safety after having drawn the attention of the Queen and her secretary. He decides to keep an eye on her, with no knowledge that Jossie has been asked to pose as a beer maid while being a spy messenger for the Queen. Her job keeps her on many different golf courses and tournaments so of course it is impossible for her to ignore the irritating and far too handsome Highlander. Her job keeps her busy, but not busy enough and every time she turns around Drew is there and she begins to wonder if he is a spy. She needs to find out because she is starting to like him, but things get out of hand and in one night there relationship is suddenly irreversible and neither can keep away from the other. But the Queen's secretary has his own suspicions about Drew, and about Jossie's new relationship with him, and there are two families that have harbored a grudge for nearly 2 decades. Jossie and Drew will have to fight a royal spy and some long standing prejudices in order to find their happily ever after together.

Josie is certainly fiery and sassy, and while I know that many people like those types of heroines, I find them a tad obnoxious because it leads to far too many opportunities for her to get hot-headed and the man to prove how level-headed he is. This book was really no exception because there were several times when Josie did something patently stupid and Drew had to rescue her. I really do not like that at all. She was good with a sword, but every time she picked one up it was made clear that being a woman was quite the hindrance, which I don't like; once again the fiery little woman trying to do a man's job and failing. Blech. Drew was a little better because he did rescue Josie, or help her out at least, without regarding her lack of success as a complete failure on her part. I am not very interested in golf, but it was really just a backstory and just a nice little side story and little bit of history in the story that I actually enjoyed. Their relationship was solid, they did argue a lot in that feisty romance novel way of characters, but I felt like they really did belong together and worked well as a couple.

There was a decent amount of sex in the book, quite a few steamy scenes leading up to it, nothing particularly earth shattering or super hot, but it worked well in the book. I had doubts about this book going in because it seemed like the spy ring and battles would take over everything, but that turned out to be an element of the book that I really enjoyed. The spying was obviously an integral part of this book because it provided the reason for Josie staying in Edinburgh and for Drew being worried about her and for all of the juicy conflict that came later in the book. However, it definitely did not take over or overshadow the relationship in any way; it did what I wish every side plot would do- provide intrigue and keep my interest, while really playing up the relationship and giving the reader examples of how the characters interact together and work well together. There was mystery, there was suspense, there was quite a bit of betrayal from many different angles, and there was a lot of worry throwing Drew and Josie together in sexy situations (which I love).

Rating: A fun and fast book with two enjoyable characters, but the heroine fell into the feisty trap that I really can't stand.

Claimed by the Highlander

Claimed by the Highlander by Julianne MacLean  505

Angus MacDonald is determined to reclaim Kinloch castle after it was stolen from him by the MacEwan's because of his father's support of the Jacobites. He storms the castle and quickly overcomes all resistance, except for the late Lord's daughter, Gwendolyn, who is acting as ruler of the castle until her brother can be located and comes to take over. Seeing that she could pose a problem, Angus wastes no time in declaring that he and Gwen will marry and that their son will one day rule over Kinloch. Gwendolyn is furious and has no intention of marrying Angus, but can only smile and agree with him while secretly hoping that her brother or the English army shows up and throws Angus out. She writes to the English to ask for help and while she waits she strikes up a bargain with Angus; she will marry him and be loyal and dutiful, and in exchange he agrees to put off the consummation until their wedding night. When the English arrive she realizes she has made a dreadful mistake as she has destroyed Angus's trust and earned his anger.

Angus is furious that she has betrayed him, but takes her second vow of loyalty at face value and agrees to continue with his side of the agreement. Both of them are immensely attracted to the other so the wedding can't come soon enough for them to get their hands on the other. Angus had betrayed a friend to English, was thrown out of his father's house, and spent a year living with an oracle. He believes he has no heart so when he starts to feel deeper emotions for Gwen he is scared that he is becoming weak and that he will be dependent on someone else. Gwen is coming to care for her husband because there were so many times when he could have been cruel, but instead has shown himself to be caring and kind. But when his old lover comes back and claims that she had a vision where Gwen betrayed him, Angus can't help but believe that his love has been misplaced. Gwen is horrified that her husband can so easily disregard her word and has no trust for her and it will take a lot of hard work and trust for both of them to admit their love for each other.

Gwen was a feisty heroine who wanted to stand up and fight for her family's keep, which I admired, but what I admired most was her levelheadedness and her ability to recognize when it was better for her to "submit" to her fate and accept what had happened to her. She did what she could to save herself and her family's legacy but when she realized that this would not be possible she made the best of the card's she was dealt and fell in love with them in the end. I liked that when she did fall in love with Angus she fought for him and put herself on the line for him several times. Angus was very hard and slow to warm to everything and I had difficulty seeing why Gwen fell in love with him. At first I was impressed with his ability to forgive her for her initial betrayal and his sympathy towards women when it came to sexual experiences was also interesting. However when his fear that Gwen would betray him took over him I quickly lost patience and was disgusted by some of the things he did to her. He turned what should have been a happy moment between them and made it horrible and I don't see how it was forgivable.

There was a lot of sex in this book and it was quickly apparent that these two found it absolutely impossible to keep their hands off of each other. Despite the vast amounts of sex it was not really exciting or hot; it was quick and almost entirely lacking in emotions really and did nothing for me. This book also fell into a trap that I really can't stand in romances by having real arguments or discussion or problems suddenly end in them having sex. There were several instances where she was upset with him, and had a real genuine reason to want to talk to him and get him to apologize, but instead it ended with him sexing her up and the problem magically went away. Also- I had a problem with him referring to her "pastry" even if it was kind of a joke in the book, and with her saying twice (!!) that there was no need for foreplay because she was so turned on. In the end I don't really see how these two were able to make it work after everything that had happened and all the trusts that were betrayed. I did enjoy the side plots involving the uprisings (multiple!) and her family.

Rating: There was too much between Angus and Gwen that made me unhappy, and while the book was a fast read, I just could not root for Angus even while I loved Gwen for the most part.

Tempted by a Warrior by Amanda Scott

Tempted by a Warrior by Amanda Scott 909

Richard Seyton, Laird of Kirkhill, is called to visit his dying uncle, Old Jardine, because Jardine wants to talk to him about possibly inherited his estate. Jardine's son, Will, has been missing for several weeks and he wants to settle some things before he passes on. Kirkhill is not at all fond of his uncle and he does not know what happened to Will but he soon hears the rumors that Will's wife, Fiona, killed him. After meeting Fiona he knows that this would be impossible even if it is likely that Will certainly deserved death after everything he had done to Fiona. Fiona is furious when she discovers that Old Jardine is placing Kirkhill in charge of the entire estate, including herself, and her soon to be born son. She wastes no time acting on her feelings and behaves like a spoiled child, which irritates Kirkhill and causes him to make comparisons to his young and spoiled sister.

At the same time that he thinks she is too immature he is certainly attracted to her, but he has so much on his plate and with rumors about her involvement in her husbands disappearance circling, he is determined to stay away from her. Things are made more complicated when the English Earl of Northumberland threatens to invade Scotland and Kirkhill must prepare his own men and the men of Jardine's estate for battle. And his sister, Nan, is being a brat and refusing to marry the man of Kirkhill's choosing, whom she is in love with and who loves her for reasons I can't really figure out. There are also bridges to mend with Fiona's family who she has not seen since she eloped and of course they must figure out what happened to Will and prove Fiona's innocence. So with all this going on around them Kirkhill and Fiona still find time to fall in love and together work out all the crazy problems in their life.

My first thought in this book was how young Fiona was and how the book did almost nothing to make me think that her age was just a number and she was really mature. She behaved like the spoiled child he accused of her being and it was made even worse by his reaction to her as he threatened to throw her over his knee (like he would a child) and the constant comparisons to his sister's own unruly behavior. It really made him seem condescending to her and a relationship between them rather pedophilic really, although she was 17. So I guess that's one of the reasons I didn't really mind that there was no sex until the very end and even then it was not very good and was preceded by a few rather tame kisses. With so much going on around them these two had no time with just the two of them really and I did not really see how they managed to fall in love- it really just came out of left field.

But far and away the reason I did not really like this book was because the actual romance between the two of them seemed to be the fifth most important element in the story. First was the incoming battle of which there just seemed to be far too much planning and really made the story confusing as it mentioned lots of places and people who were unimportant and just blew through my mind. Second was what happened to Will which was certainly interesting and was an important and necessary element in the story. Third was his dealings with his family and how to deal with his sister and her insane antics, but more importantly him finally getting to know his mother to some degree. Fourth was her own dealings with her family which could have been interesting but seemed to turn into a big family reunion where we got to see how happy everyone from previous books is. And then... they fall in love.

Rating: This book was readable and the writing was well done, but I really just hated the romance aspect of it- or lack thereof.

Bride of a Wicked Scotsman

Bride of a Wicked Scotsman by Samantha James

Maura O'Donnel has grown up her whole life hearing the story of her family's stolen treasure whose loss meant slow destruction for the entire clan. She promises her father on his deathbed that she will rescue the "Circle of Light" from the pirate Black Scotsman who stole it two hundred years ago. Alec McBride, who earned the nickname The Black Scotsman from the Englishwomen whose hearts he's broken, knows nothing about a pirate ancestor, much less the mystical Circle of Light. Maura manages to trick her way into a ball where she knows Alec will be and (of course) at the ball both are dressed in matching costumes and are "drawn" to each other. Tricks ensue and the next morning Alec believes he has ruined Maura and has no choice but to marry her. This is just what Maura wanted as her plan all along has been to get access to Alec's Scottish estate to search for the Circle of Light.

Alec realizes that something isn't quite right, and the two tip toe around each other in Scotland. Maura trying to avoid any situations that would reveal her trickery, and thus her ultimate plan, and convinced that she will be able to walk away from the marriage once her task is complete. Alec, despite his misgivings, wants to make the best of his marriage, and his assumption that she is a fortune/ title hunter is quickly put to rest, as he gets to know his wife. The two spend so much time together that she has little time to engage in searching. Eventually she breaks down and informs him of the truth and then both of them agree to work together in pursuit of the Circle of Light. Our "climax" didn't involve any kidnappings, but there certainly was a moment of high tension and release, as well as a cute, if predictable, epilogue.

This was a fast read- the big type, and 350 pages and there weren't too many "slow" parts. It was fast-paced, fun, and breezy. I was nervous about the supernatural aspect, but it was surprisingly easy to digest and did not take over the entire book as it would have if either if the characters had possessed a supernatural power (and that totally annoys me). The Circle of Light part of the plot is, obviously, an essential part of the book that blends seamlessly into the novel, does not interfere with the romance, and does not take over the book. There is a nice little bit of angst as she battles her growing feelings for a man whose family brought destruction to hers and she feels guilty over her trickery. She is convinced that once he figures out the truth over what happened he will no longer care for her and she is distraught over this. And then of course there is a nice little bit of angst on his part when she does reveal the truth and he becomes convinced that she had just been pretending her feelings the entire time.

The romance is the central focus of the book and that makes a good romance novel to me. Despite the difficulties and awkwardness of their marriage Alec wants it to work and as a result, is incredibly sweet and loving towards Maura. The book does not get very steamy until close to the end, but the author does try to make up for it by giving us plenty, even if it is a little late. And at least it makes sense since Maura is trying to convince Alec that he had already deflowered her. I also enjoyed how the book resolved their living situation- we are informed throughout the entire book how much Maura loves Ireland, yet Alec lives in Scotland, but the author makes ending situation realistic, yet fulfilling. Last, but not least, I liked how we got plenty of information about what was going on from both his point of view and hers.

Rating: I never knew that I could enjoy a supernatural plot (even a mild one) and I liked the characters, and the romance was fun. It was a sweet but non-sticking novel.