The Lover

Niall does *not* commit adultery at all, or even fool around, once he and Sabrina are together, in this newer edition. I like it much better than the 1997 edition. It's really enjoyable. Good read. I like Nicole Jordan's books a lot, and always look forward to them!

Oh --my -- !!! These are the first words which come to mind when I think about this strong and lovely story .. it took me by surprise! Not *completely* by surprise, since I trust I'll always be thrilled by Ms. Jordan's heartfelt novels. I want ROMANCE and PASSION in my historical romances, and I want those to be quite strong, so that I have no doubts as to the future happiness of the two main characters by the story's end. I just finished the book, and, well, let's just say I'm having a hard time coming back to the 'real world' !! ... I'm still back in the book, there with Niall and Sabrina... I didn't want it to end. I'd love a sequel, a whole series of books about them, in fact, taking us through the rest of their lives ... but no doubt I'm in the minority, wanting to see more about the same couple. One can always hope! Niall McLaren, a Highland laird (who holds depths you'd not imagine; he's far from a stereotype) and Sabrina Duncan, the granddaughter of a neighboring friendly clan (but raised in Edinburgh, not in the wilds) are for the most part forced into marriage. It's a political arrangement, one neither of them wanted, brought on by the impending death of her grandfather, the head of the Duncan clan. She's the only heir, the only one able to represent the clan. Set in 1739, the backdrop of warring, vengeful Highlander clans is well-drawn, giving readers what they need to know about these times, and this place, but always woven within the context of the love story, so that you learn as you go... painless for non-history buffs, and fascinating for history-lovers such as myself.Niall and Sabrina have fiery tempers, and the fact that their marriage was arranged exacerbates this aspect of their personalities. She's inexperienced and unsure of herself, having been jilted by a former suitor, and finds it impossible to believe that Niall, "the Lover" of the title and a man of vast experience and countless dalliances, could ever truly be attracted to her. She despairs of ever knowing real love, now that she's married to a man who openly admits he has no intention of denying himself the charms of other women, vows or no vows. When he DOES take her to the marriage bed (the only true sealing of a marriage in those days, after all), he IS the consummate lover, very considerate, and very generous... not because he loves her, but because he is a gentleman; again, he's not your typical Highland savage. She definitely learns, in a most beautiful way, that there's another Sabrina within her, one she never knew existed. MOST satisfying, indeed...But a series of events involving the warring clans almost undoes their already-tense marriage. His desire for revenge, and her disbelief in her own charms, as well as a truly surprising twist in the plot (I was SURE the trouble was coming from somewhere else!) , create some pretty palpable tension... you WANT Niall and Sabrina together, and in love, and cannot imagine how it can ever work out. H

When I bought this book, I read the reviews and was a little iffy about it because how Niall cheated on Sabrina. Normally, I do not like the cheating but some reviewers made it sound alot worse then it really is. The scene was heartbreaking and real, which is why I thought it did the book good. It really is not all that bad. It more fits in with the story. Its the slap that Niall needed and its not like Sabrina let him walk all over her. She is a very strong heroine and Niall is a great hero. I look foreward to her next book with baited breath. I cant wait. And if you have read the reviews and are discouraged, don't be. This book will not disapoint.

The Lover is a Scottish Highland historical romance novel that centers on two allied clans. Niall McLaren, the hero, is the laird of a very strong and powerful clan. Niall has a prominent image of a fair laird who carries a lot of influence and commands respect. While Niall is well known as this authoritative laird, he also carries a second reputation as a notorious rogue. Niall had not expected to be laird of his clan. He had spent most of his years in pursuit of other financial endeavors and more infamously as a lover to many women. Six months ago his older brother, laird of the McLaren clan, died tragically and Niall had come home to take the leadership of his family's clan.Sabrina Duncan is very satisfied with her life as a lowlander living in the city of Edinburgh. She resides with her stepfather who is a very wealthy merchant. Sabrina spends her time assisting her stepfather in business matters and tolerates a rather boring but necessary social life. Sabrina had lived in the Highlands until her father's death at the age of four. Shortly after his death, Sabrina's mother remarries and they both move to Edinburgh with her new stepfather. She has not returned to the Highlands in all of the years since although she realizes she is the only descendent of her grandfather who is laird of the Duncan clan.Sabrina is summoned to come immediately to the Highlands to see her grandfather. He is on his deathbed and insists on seeing his granddaughter and only heir. When Sabrina arrives at her grandfather's home, she soon discovers that he has arranged a marriage for her with the laird of the McLaren clan. She has absolutely no desire for this marriage. Not only does she dislike the idea of leaving her life in Edinburgh but she also doesn't want an arranged marry without love and commitment. And Sabrina knows a lot about the reputation of her future husband, Niall, and does not want the unfaithful rogue for her spouse. Niall is also opposed to the marriage but the Laird Duncan asserts that the marriage is absolutely necessary to save his clan once he dies. There is no male Duncan strong enough to lead the clan and Niall will be laird of both the McLaren and Duncan clans once the marriage has occurred. Since the two clans are extremely close allies, Niall grudgingly accepts the fact that they could lose one of their most important allies if the Duncan leadership is weak and taken over by one of the enemy clans.From the beginning pages, Niall is just too much of a rogue for me to like his character much. He hopes to shame Sabrina into breaking the betrothal by carousing with other women in front of her. He blatantly informs her that he will not be faithful to her as her husband. He does not consider fidelity as even a possibility once he marries. I found the story a little lacking at this point. Although it was very entertaining reading, Niall was just too mean during this portion of the tale. Actually, he is very thoughtless throug

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was great from the first page. I loved the way Niall turned Sabrina into the woman that she could be. But, my favorite part was when he caught her with Keith...twice! It was quite fitting for the Darling of Edinburgh to be jealous!