Heather & the Blade

Historical romances are rarely told from the first person point of view, but this one does so very successfully. The story is set in early 18th century Scotland. Laurie Campbell is the younger daughter of a wealthy Scottish nobleman. Despite the fact that Campbells and MacDonalds are traditional enemies, her father agrees to marry his oldest daughter to the son of the laird, MacDonald of Glencoe, in return for money. The son, Callum MacDonald, gets a pardon. He was to be hanged as punishment for taking part in the 1715 rising of the Scottish Jacobites against the government under George I. When Laurie's sister faints from fright, Laurie gets to be the last minute replacement bride. She is dragged off to the MacDonald castle in the highlands where Callum vows to everyone that he will not have a true marriage to a Campbell. Laurie finds herself surrounded by enemies, particularly, her husband's father and Fiona, the castle (...)who wants Callum for herself. But Laurie shows she has spirit and fights to make a life for herself in a remote corner of the castle. She makes a few friends and although she doesn't perceive it, wins the grudging admiration of almost everyone including Callum. She realizes she is falling in love with her handsome husband who claims to resent every kindness he shows her. Forced to keep up appearances for the sake of Callum's continued reprieve from the noose, the MacDonalds travel to another highland wedding where Laurie and Callum have to share a bedroom. Just when she has hopes that she might finally have a real marriage, more plots of rebellion set in motion a string of actions which renew the hatred between the Campbells and MacDonalds and threaten not only the possibility of love, but the life of Laurie's husband. The author manages to add a lot of history into the story. There are some cliché plot devices, but the reader's ability to appreciate the heroine when she doesn't appreciate herself is well rendered in this story. She's a character you soon love and start rooting for. Her seemingly hopeless love for her husband is poignantly told.