I finished the second story in this book, The Highland Bride by Lynsay Sands, yesterday, and I did enjoy it much more than Hannah Howell’s story. The dialogue, which I complained about in my review of the Howell story, was much easier to take, but then the heroine, Eva, is English, not Scottish.
Eva has been a “burden” to her brother since the death of their parents when she was nine years old. With no money for a dowry, he has been unable to find a husband for her, and made plans to send her to a convent. The night before she is to leave, six Scotsmen arrive, with an offer from their laird, who is willing to pay for Eva’s hand in marriage. So Eva finds herself married in a quick proxy ceremony and riding to Scotland to meet her husband.
Eva is a fun and likeable character. On the ride to her new husband’s home, the men accompanying her become worried that she is “mad”, because she keeps talking to herself. In actuality, she’s talking to her horse, and doesn’t understand why that should upset them. While she’s a little apprehensive about her new life, she’s also eager to meet her husband, and hopeful that her life will be better than it was in her brother’s home, where she was treated like a poor relation.
One reason I probably liked this story better is because Lynsay Sands always infuses her writing with humor. And four pages into the story, she actually uses the word “vampire”, and several more times throughout. Eva has been told by a maid at her brother’s home about the rumors that the MacAdie clan are vampires, but she is skeptical. I think party because she is so happy to be leaving her brother and not to be going to a convent.
Connall MacAdie, who is a cousin to Cathal, the hero from the first story, is not thrilled about his marriage, but can understand the reasoning behind Cathal’s plan to weaken their bloodlines with mortal wives. He had met Eva very briefly at court, when Eva’s brother had taken her there to attempt to find a husband. Knowing her brother was desperate to rid himself of Eva, Connall felt that he probably wouldn’t care about the rumors and would be eager to accept. In other words, Eva was an easy and convenient solution for Connall.
You know they will get their HEA of course, and as usual with Lynsay Sands, it is a very satisfying one.
(I purchased this book at Half Price Books.)
No comments:
Post a Comment