Rogue with a Brogue

June 2, 2014
Enoch (The Devil Wears Kilts) strikes all the right notes in this charming 19th-century caper. Despite a tenuous truce, the old feud between the MacLawrys and the Campbells still simmers. Arran MacLawry, a rugged Highlander to the core, chafes at a Mayfair masked ball, where he has to behave himself while his brother and clan chieftain tries to build interclan alliances to cement the MacLawry fortunes. Wearing a fox mask, Arran encounters a ravishing green-eyed Lady Vixen and falls under her spell—only to learn she’s Mary Campbell. The chase is on, but which fox is the pursuer? After Mary lets Arran steal her to the wild North rather than submit to the dull suitors her parents prefer, Enoch effectively balances powerfully crescendoing romantic interludes with stages of a rattling coach ride. Fox and vixen must save each other at least once from disaster, keeping the action moving to a colorful, convincing climax.

July 15, 2014
Sparks fly when Arran MacLawry and Mary Campbell meet at a London ball, and the fact that their families are sworn enemies only adds to their interest in each other. Trying to escape the annoying clutches of his sister's best friend at a masked ball, Arran bumps into an unknown woman whom he asks to dance. The two definitely feel an attraction, but once the waltz is over, his sister informs him that the woman is none other than Mary Campbell, granddaughter of the leader of an enemy clan. At first convinced she was trying to make a fool of him, Arran confronts her, but she confounds him by turning his attack into a conversation and then finagling him into spending time in her company, which he enjoys more than he ever expected. Their awareness and interest grow, but both Arran and Mary have potential arranged marriages hanging over them, all the better to keep alliances strong and a negotiated peace in place among all the clans. When a misstep leads to the discovery of their relationship, Mary's family tries to force her into marrying a brute, and Arran rescues her with plans to elope to Scotland. Hunted by Mary's family and possibly his, they commit to a dangerous path and face betrayal but find shelter and aid in unexpected places. A charming, fun, sexy Highlander version of Romeo and Juliet-or rather an anti-version, since it promises a happily-ever-after. Scottish clan wars, a Regency sensibility and star-crossed lovers make for a sensual, captivating romance.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.