Tamed by a Laird

May 25, 2009
Set in 14th-century southern Scotland, this langorous series opener features a plucky heroine and an obstinate but caring leading man. Lady Jenny Easdale sneaks away with a group of traveling minstrels to have a final adventure before her wedding. When her betrothed's brother, Sir Hugh Douglas, catches up to her, they discover a plot involving stolen jewelry as well as a passion for each other that cannot be ignored. Hugh's efforts to control the headstrong Jenny are amusing, though at times her naïveté is more annoying than charming. Scott (Border Moonlight
) creates a lovely, complex cast of secondary characters and has a deft touch with thorny period language, but when the jewelry theft conspiracy is resolved as quickly as Jenny's robe is removed, it's hard to justify the long buildup.

June 15, 2009
When Jenny Easdale, a young orphaned noblewoman, escapes from her own betrothal party to enjoy one last taste of freedom before she is forced to marry her guardian's feckless, spoiled younger brother, she and her maid join a troupe of traveling minstrels as they leave town. But Jenny is in for a wee bit more adventure than she'd planned when she inadvertently learns of a plot to assassinate a powerful laird. She and Sir Hugh Douglas, her intended's widowed elder brother, who has been sent to find her, make plans to warn the man, never thinking that they will find a totally unexpected love along the way. VERDICT Noted for her exceptionally well-written and well-researched Scottish historicals, Scott breathes vivid, colorful life into 14th-century Scotland with strong, well-motivated characters, a passionate love story, and enough political intrigue to keep the action lively in the first in a projected series. Scott ("Border Moonlight") lives in Folsom, CA.

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