"Truly heartwarming Scottish romance!"
When his sister Fiona warned him that the prince was looking
to hang him, Jack Haines, Earl of Lambourne, decided it was
time to leave London and go visit the Highlands for a bit.
At least until the scandal surrounding the princess dies
down and the prince has cooled off. After all, sleeping with
the princess is considered treason and is punishable by
hanging. Not something Jack wants right now. He knows he
won't be able to go to Lambourne Castle since it's the first
place the prince will send his bounty hunters. Eventually,
Jack gets caught and is taken prisoner by Carson Beal, a
Highland laird. Instead of turning Jack over to the bounty
hunters, Carson offers Jack a deal. If Jack will agree to
handfast his niece, Carson will keep Jack safe from the
bounty hunters. Seeing no other options, Jack agrees. Lizzie Beal and her older sister, Charlotte, have inherited
Thorntree when their father died, only because of the royal
decree which prohibits any male from inheriting in their
clan. Unfortunately for Lizzie and her sister, the estate is
pretty much bankrupt and they've been managing to get by on
their uncle's generosity. So when Carson threatens to send
the bill collectors after Lizzie, she reluctantly agrees to
handfast with the stranger. Of course, the stranger is very
handsome, rich and an Earl, but Lizzie wanted to marry for
love. With the handfasting, Lizzie knows her chances of
making a decent marriage will be ruined. Even though she's
now handfasted, Lizzie has no intentions of allowing a
consummation. After Carson has made sure the whole clan has seen Lizzie
and Jack together, he agrees to allow Lizzie to return to
Thorntree—but she will have to take Jack with her. In order
to make sure Lizzie abides by the handfasting, Carson has a
couple of his men stay at Thorntree—one constantly trails
Jack and the other is to take care of Charlotte. As a young
woman, Charlotte was in a riding accident and lost the use
of her legs. Naturally, Lizzie doesn't exactly make Jack
feel at home at Thorntree, forcing him to sleep in an
unheated sitting room off her bedroom and making sure he
won't be fed. Well, Jack isn't going to tolerate this, so he
begins telling stories of the prince and his time in London
in order to eat. He also begins to help around the estate by
doing things. While out getting some slate to repair the
roof one day, Jack notices some of Carson's men riding in a
direction that leads to nothing. Now Jack realizes there is
a reason why Carson wants Lizzie and Charlotte tied to the
estate. Not surprisingly, the more time Carson spends with
Lizzie, the more he comes to admire her. Exactly what is Carson up to? Why does he not want Lizzie or
Charlotte to leave Thorntree? To what lengths will Jack go
to ensure Lizzie's future? HIGHLAND SCANDAL is a truly wonderful Scottish romance.
Julia London has written a truly heartwarming story full of
enough plots and subplots to keep anyone reading way past
their bedtime. From Jack's problems with the prince to
Lizzie's problems with Carson. Then we also have Charlotte,
the sister Lizzie will not abandon. We get to watch as Jack
goes from being a self-absorbed rake to really caring about
someone. And even with all the problems Lizzie has, she
never loses her zeal for life and remains true to her
personality. I highly recommend this story to all lovers of
historical romance.
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted April 21, 2009
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Which is a London rakehell most likely to survive - a hanging or a handfasting to a spirited Highland lass?
On the run from the wrathful Prince of Wales, Jack Haines, Earl of Lambourne, is taken prisoner by a Highland laird who makes him an unusual offer: if Jack handfasts his niece, then his life will be spared. The old Highland custom -- a marriage lasting only a year and a day, unless both partners agree to make it a lifelong vow -- sounds preferable to Jack to being dragged to London in chains, and when he meets lovely Lizzie Beal, his dilemma starts to seem positively enjoyable. Until the hellion vents her fury...on him! Detesting the scandalous match that will end all her chances of making a respectable marriage, Lizzie can't abide living intimately with a fugitive nobleman bent on seducing her and then running off. But in teaching her the pleasures of a wife's duties, Jack sparks within them both a passion that will make him wish he could stay with Lizzie for much longer than a year and a day. Genre: Historical Romance Previous "Scandal" books:
- The Book of Scandal
- Snowy Night with a Highlander (a novella from the "Snowy Night with a Stranger" anthology)
- Highland Scandal
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