Bride of a Wicked Scotsman

I loved the first two books in the McBride family trilogy (The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell and Seduction of an Unknown Lady) and loved this one just as much. Alec McBride just melted my heart (oh, what a hero!). The masquerade scene when they first meet is one of the best I've ever read. It had me laughing out loud. Such great banter! All of Samantha James's books tug at the heartstrings. This is no exception. Samantha James never disappoints.

Samantha James penned a winner for me with "Bride of a Wicked Scotsman". This is her final book starring members of the McBride family and this time we learn more about the eldest brother Alec. Long ago there was a proud Irish family, the McDonoughs, and they lived on a prosperous estate; partly thanks to a magical relic called the Circle of Light. Then one day a pirate called the Black Scotsman sailed in and stole the Circle of Light and ever since, the McDonough lands have languished and the family has all but died out...with the sole exception of Lady Maura. She promised her father, on his deathbed, that she would find and return the magical artifact to their lands in Ireland...this is her story. Alec, Duke of Gleneden, is NOT superstitious. He IS, however, very handsome and quite sought after by both mothers and maidens of the ton both in England and Scotland. But he's wise enough to avoid the traps laid for him...until Maura. Their attraction is immediate, but when she tricks him into marriage his anger is fierce; until he comes to know Maura and realizes his desire for her is more than lust. But will he believe in magic and relics? The story is so much better than I described above. Maura becomes torn between her people and her love and Alec must learn to look beyond the facts. Two people who turn out to be just right for each other, yet still willing to sacrifice for the greater good. I like that neither of them were stupid, malicious, or mercenary. Their relationship began with a bang (hah hah), but afterward they dropped back and the growth of their love was well-paced and realistic--each coming to know and love the other for the small things that make up an individual. The sensual attraction between the hero and heroine was electric from the first; and kept growing throughout the story. The love scenes were HOT, but still within an NC-17ish rating. The story didn't make me cry. It did provide several laughs, many sighs, and a tense moment or two. Samantha James' books are a pleasure to read and I found "Bride of a Wicked Scotsman" no exception.

There must be some sort of requirement that words like 'wicked' and 'sin' be used in the titles of romance novels no matter how inappropriate. This is definitely the case with this book. A much better title would be Wicked Bride of a Scotsman, but I suppose that wouldn't appeal as well. The story follows Lady Maura O'Donnell whose family once possessed the Circle of Light, a priceless treasure that brought peace and prosperity to their lands. Then it was stolen by a pirate, the Black Scotsman, and the O'Donnells met with nothing but despair for generations. After the curse claims Maura's father, she is determined to end the thing once and for all by stealing the Circle back. To do so, she must get into the Black Scotsman home by tricking his decendent, Alec, Duke of Gleneden, into marrying her. While this book was an okay read, I had several problems with it. The first problem was the writing itself. A lot of the sentences in this book ended with exclamation marks that left me feeling like the book was being shouted at me. The author provided very few descriptions of the scenery so I kind of had to fill in the gaps with my own imagination. In lieu of scenery, we were given almost endless descriptions of the way the hero and heroine's bodies were reacting to each other. I would have liked a few less of those lusty scenes in favor of some actual scenes, but I've been having that problem a lot lately so maybe it's unique. As for the characters themselves, I didn't have a problem with Maura being devious and ruthless in getting her goals accomplished. My problem was that her motivations were so stupid. No matter how the whole plotline with the Circle of Light played out, it was a rather dumb thing to believe in to begin with. Maura thought she could bring back joy to her household by bringing back the treasure, but I couldn't help thinking that she should have invested in a mine or something instead of drugging a man and forcing him to marry her. Did she never think that he would have figured it out eventually? Or that he might claim his rights in the bedchamber? She was a ditz. If this book has one saving grace however, it would be the hero Alec. Despite a plotline that could have made him look like quite an idiot, the author managed to give him shrewd demeanor that kept him ahead of the game. He also had a strong character that matched Maura's equally strong one blow for blow. He wasn't a rake, he wasn't servile and he didn't spend the entire book pushing Maura away because of his own brooding. I really liked him. I also liked reading the witty banter between the leads between all their lusting. They were both funny and charming in their own ways and it was a fun trip. They also did things together, like shopping and going for walks so I could actually see them falling in love with each other. That was a nice change of pace for me. All in all, the misnamed Bride of a Wicked Scotsman was a pleasent read but I had too many problems with it to

I will not get into telling the story since, other's will explain it better. Will say that it has been a long time since reading an amazing Historical romance novel that left me so happy. This story is beautiful and the Author is true talent. If you want romance,sadness,happiness,adventure and in the end(Happy Ever After) this is it!! Get it if you are a true fan of romance.

In Ireland Clan McDonough possessed the legendary Celtic relic Circle of Light seemingly forever. Over time with so much fortune bestowed on the clan, a belief grew that the Circle of Light was a special gift that even St. Patrick came to see. The clan felt they were the guardians, but to lose the Circle of Light meant to lose prosperity. When the Black Scotsman McBride stole the Circle of Light, Clan McDonough fell into poverty and a sense of disgrace for failing their mission. On his deathbed, Clan McDonough leader Lord O'Donnell forces his daughter Maura to vow to take back what is theirs and save the clan. Duke Alec McBride, a descendent of the thief, arrives in town. When Maura meets him to beg he give her the Circle of Light, they are compromised. Outraged and holding her culpable they marry; something she did not plan when she went to beg. Neither is aware of the enchantment of love between them as each tries to top the other in a game of seduction. BRIDE OF A WICKED SCOTSMAN is a fabulous historical romance with a touch of whimsical fantasy based on a Celtic legend. Misleading title aside; Alec and Maura are fully developed rivals competing for the upper hand in their relationship with the stakes being the Circle of Light artifact. Fans will enjoy the battle between the Scotsman and the Irish lady as love proves the most powerful magic of all. Harriet Klausner