by Samantha James (ISBN: 978-0-06-089940-0)
Lady Maura O’Donnell’s family had been plagued by a curse for nearly two hundred years. The curse was brought upon them by the Black Scotsman, a notorius pirate. He stole the Circle of Light which was the source of her families abundance. The Earl, Lady Maura’s father, sickened and died of an unknkown illness, but before he died he revealed to her that she was the chosen one to retrieve the Cirlce of Light from the Black Scotsman’s decendent. Lady Maura presents herself as a distant relative to gain entrance into a Masquerade Ball being attended by no other than the Duke of Gleneden, the Black Scotman’s kin. Her plan to seduce the Duke into marriage succeeds. She travels to his home in Scotland where she begins her search for the Circle of Light.
Alec McBride, the Duke of Gleneden, realizes he has been tricked into marriage with his lovely seductress. He sets out to turn the tables on her when she sidesteps her wifely duties. Intent on revenge, Maura’s search for the Circle of Light initially goes unnoticed.
During the pursuit of their seperate goals a love begins to grow between them quite unexpectedly.
Bride Of A Wicked Scotsman addresses loyalty to one’s family regardless of the personal cost. Both Maura and Alec willingly make sacrifices to restore and/or maintain their duty to their families. Also, it addresses how love can be found in the most unexpected of places.
I truly enjoyed the story. The plot was believable. It had many surprises, twists and turns just as real life often does. As always, Samantha James developed true to life characters. I was thrown from sadness to joy and back again many times throughout. I would recommend buying this novel because once the details have faded a bit, you will most certainly want to pick it up and enjoy reading it again.
Tags: Historical Romance, Love, Marriage, Novel Review, Samantha James
