Border Wedding

Border Wedding and Border Lass are part of a series by Amanda Scott focusing on the stories of families that lived on the border of England and Scotland in the late 1300s. In Border Wedding, we meet Sir Walter Scott (yes, based on the real person) as he is about to hang for being caught trying to retrieve his stolen cattle. However, he is presented a choice: marry the thief's oldest daughter, Lady Margaret Murray, or hang. With little choice, a hasty wedding takes place. Wat takes Margaret home with him, barely knowing her and not entirely willing to find out. Despite his resistance (and hers) they still begin to realize that each is not what they expected. But as the politics of the land become more and more pressing, their marriage causes them both to be pawns in the battle for the Kingship of the land. Border Lass follows the story of Margaret's sister, Amalie. After a heartbreaking experience in her youth, Amalie is set on never marrying. Instead, she has devoted her service to the beloved widow of the Douglas, Princess Isabel. Equally unwilling to wed, but still intrigued by Amalie is Sir Garth Napier. When he finds her eavesdropping at a door with potentially dire consequences, they enter into an even deeper political quagmire than her sister did. But as they deal with the upcoming power struggle, they continue to need each other as much as they attempt to deny their growing feelings for each other. Amanda Scott knows her history. Both Border Wedding and Border Lass are very detailed on all the politics and conspiracies that took place in Scotland at the time. In fact, in the first book in particular, the details overwhelm the story. The first book also had two traits I don't care for: dialogue written with the dialect and accent of time, which makes it difficult to read; and a relationship that did not make me root for them. Wat is portrayed as a hard man, with very little regard for his wife, even once he realizes he loves her. However, I did enjoy Border Lass quite a bit more, in part because most of my problems with the first one were not present. The characters were much more fun and enjoyable. The relationship was fun to watch and the resolution was satisfying. In fact, I enjoyed Border Lass enough to look forward to the next book, Border Moonlight, due January 5, 2009. Niki Lee Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

When Sir Walter Scott is caught in the act of stealing back his own cattle, he is given a choice by his captor: marry his captor's eldest daughter, Margaret, or hang - and his men hang with him. Wat chooses to marry Meg. The story that follows is that of their falling in love, persevering through their forced marriage, prejudices against each other, and violent politics of the Scottish borders on the 14th century. I had mixed feelings about this book. It's an interesting story, and I kept reading it to find out what was going to happen, but I had a hard time for several reasons. First, Scott (the author, not the character) embroils her story in the politics of the period - who is loyal to whom, who is spying on whom, and who is intermarried to which family and regards themselves as English or Scottish. It got very confusing. Aside from that, the other thing that was off-putting in this story was, quite frankly, the hero's attitude toward having sex with the heroine, his wife. True to attitudes of the time period, Wat is only concerned with his own pleasure and with getting off. Unfortunately, this realism is not necessarily desirable in a romance novel. I want to be able to empathize with the heroine, and that means she can't be left hanging at the end of each sexual encounter with her husband! She may not know what she's missing, but I as the reader do, and it is very frustrating. Granted, Wat concedes that he's been a prig and resolves to make sure she comes every time he does - before he does, even - but that concession comes 50 pages from the end of the novel, and the reader never sees him do anything about it. Come to think of it, the last two chapters seem almost like Scott was trying to finish her story and keep it under 400 pages, thereby condensing at least 100 pages' worth of story into 20. If I hadn't been so confused about the politics (which, granted, may have been easier to follow if I hadn't taken a week-long break in the middle of the novel), frustrated over the lack of sexual resolution for the heroine, and disappointed by the rushed ending, I would be more than happy to give the novel 5 stars. As it is, I'm not willing to drop to 3.5, but will give it 4 stars. I may or may not be reading the sequel, Border Lass, when it comes out in September.

Sir Walter Scott's decision to steal back his cattle from a thieving neighbor results in a do or die situation. Unfortunately Wat and his men are caught in the act and thievery is a hanging offense. He's given a choice of marrying or hanging. While being hung is preferable to marrying his captor's homely eldest daughter, watching the men who followed him die is more than he's willing to accept for his offense. Lady Margaret Murray may not be a raving beauty but she is a dutiful daughter and if her parents insist on her marrying Wat then she'll accept her fate. She's spent years watching her mother wheedle her father around to her way of thinking but never realizes just how much of that behavior she'll take on - or how much it will annoy her new husband. Despite her concerns Meg enters into her marriage with a hopeful heart. Her sister Amalie will be accompanying her to her new home so that she won't be surrounded by only strangers. Wat's men may have vowed to protect and serve her but can she count on them to keep their word with the marriage taking place under such duress? Meg thought Wat would be taking her to his home but instead he leaves her at his parents' home while he supposedly goes to fix up his peel tower so that it will be more presentable for her. Meg isn't about to remain with Wat's parents forever especially once she realizes that Amalie is very uncomfortable. With the battle for supremacy between England and Scotland escalating Meg will find herself torn between her loyalty to her family and her new husband. Shocking secrets will be revealed and Meg may just discover that she's fallen in love with her husband. Will Meg be able to balance the various aspects of her new life and still win her husband's love? Amanda Scott continues to enchant readers with her latest release BORDER WEDDING. Meg is such an understated character that I loved reading about the gradual changes in her personality and absolutely cheered her for refusing to cower in the face of her husband's anger. Wat is as honorable as he is loveable. He takes his responsibilities seriously and I simply had to laugh at how ballistic he becomes over what he perceives to be Meg's disobedience. Ms. Scott based Meg and Wat loosely on real historical figures which makes them even more memorable. This story has the perfect blend of passion, emotion, and historical context to ensure readers will be adding this book to their keeper shelves. I'm now anxiously awaiting Amalie's story, BORDER LASS which is supposed to be released in September 2008. I'm not going to give anything away but after reading about this young woman's life and fears I really want her to have a happily-ever-after. Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Reviewed by LuAnn Morgan for Rebeccas Reads (3/08) When Sir Walter (Wat) Scott's cattle are stolen, he decides to get them back. He gathers his men and rides out to round them up, only to be ambushed by those who took them to begin with. They are held captive by Sir Iagan Murray, Baron of Elishaw, and sentenced to hang. However, Murray's wife finds Wat to be a possible husband for their eldest daughter, who is beyond the typical age of marriage. Murray offers to spare Wat and his men if he will marry Margaret (Meg). At first, he refuses, until he realizes a young boy had followed them and will be the first to hang. He agrees and thus begins the story of what turns out to be a deep and satisfying love for Wat and Meg. The year is 1388 and the setting is the borderlands between Scotland and England. The area is a zone controlled by factions who are mainly Scots, yet many have a bit of English blood in them. As England attempts to overtake the lands, families must decide which side to support. It's a time when men are in control and women are subservient, following orders from their husbands, brothers and fathers. Yet, Meg was raised to be headstrong and Wat finds himself often flabbergasted and enraged by her stubbornness. Neither one of them has much experience dealing with the opposite sex. Meg knows she needs to do as she's told, but her own personality keeps getting in the way. Wat soon begins to realize that here is a person he can actually talk intelligently with and she becomes the focus of his thoughts whenever they are apart. No matter how much she frustrates him, he still wants to please her and hates it when his anger gets the best of him. The young couple finds themselves falling deeply in love with each other. Soon, there isn't anything they won't do to protect the other or to make the other happy. It's a wonderful story, full of adventure and history. Amanda Scott is obviously very well-versed on life in the 14th century of Europe and she brings her knowledge to the page. She understands the language spoken, how people lived during that era and the tensions that ran rampant in a time of war and dividing factions. I found this novel particularly intriguing due to the fact that my own ancestors came from this area of the world. I recognized some of the names mentioned as those my family dealt with in history. Scott has written an excellent story for both the romance reader and the history buff, bringing out the personalities of the characters to make it an enjoyable read. "Border Wedding" is a part of a series by this author, with each book strong enough to stand on its own. I'm anxious to read others by Scott in the future.

In 1388 British sympathizer Sir Iagan Murray catches his neighbor stealing cattle that he previously stole from his prisoner Scottish supporter Sir Walter "Wat" Scott. Iagan gives Wat an alternate to hanging; he can marry his daughter Lady Margaret "Muckle-Mouth Meggie" Murray, who besides ripping off men's skin is not pretty. He chooses marriage more to save the lives of his loyal men, but has doubts that he made the right selection especially when he expects his betrothed to be dragged to the altar and later to kick his butt (and another part of his anatomy) when he beds her. Instead she seems elated with the marriage as Meg believes this is her time to find happiness. However, as Meg and Wat fall in love, she catches her sibling spying on her spouse for the British. Meg knew her birth family and marital family were in conflict, but never expected to be the rope pulled by each side. Few authors do medieval romances as consistently excellent as Amanda Scott does. Her current tale brings to life the late fourteenth century near the English-Scottish border, which constantly changes. The romance is a classic gender war battle between two fully developed likable individuals, but it is the historical tidbits that anchor an era filled with betrayal, machinations, and changing loyalty that makes the great Scott's latest offering a winner. Harriet Klausner