Mad for the Plaid (The Oxenburg Princes #3)
by Karen
Hawkins
Blurb:
The third captivating, sizzling Scottish
historical romance in New York Times bestseller Karen Hawkins's Princes of
Oxenburg series. Fans of Julia Quinn, Monica McCarty and Julie Garwood will be
enchanted by this dazzling read.
Prince
Nikolai Romanovin is bored out of his bejeweled crown with London's society
scene. If he has to make inane small talk or dance with one more tongue-tied
virgin, he might actually run off. So when he gets word his beloved grandmother
might be in danger back in his homeland of Oxenburg, Nik is all too willing to
rush to the estate she's been staying in in the snow-capped mountains of
Scotland. Arriving in secret only to find his grandmother missing, Nik devises
a plan to switch identities with a member of his honor guard so he can move
around freely without the pomp and circumstance that comes with the Crown
Prince title. He relishes the freedom that comes with losing his title, until
he spots her...
While
her five older sisters all enjoyed seasons, got married to men of high station,
and had children of their own, Lyssa, the baby of the family, was left at home
to be raised by her absent father and her sharp-witted, but ailing grandmother
after losing her mother in childbirth. Now twenty-nine years old, the sole
caretaker of her grandmother, and the entrenched mistress of the castle, Lyssa
has resigned herself to living at the castle and enjoying the amusements
offered - spending time with her grandmother, copious amounts of reading, wild
rides through the moors, and the occasional ball in the local town. All in all,
it's a satisfying, if sedate, life... But when she meets a guard more handsome,
and far more arrogant and sure of himself than any man she's ever met, she's
determined to figure out his secrets, no matter the cost.
Themes: historical,
Scotland
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
The
crowned-prince of Oxenburg has finally gotten his chance at love! This series has followed the Romanovin men,
all princes of Oxenburg (a small fictional country placed between Russia and
Prussia) as their Romany grandmother has led them on a mad chase through
Scotland and each has fallen for their own wild Scottish woman. Fans of the series know that it is a spin-off
of the previous Hawkins series Duchess Diaries and we have waited a long time
now to read Nikolai’s book. Nik’s book
is full of angst, fear, danger, and love, and he and Ailsa are beyond amazing
and perfectly matched in every way.
Karen Hawkins is a writer that has skills that span different countries,
different worlds, and the ability to bring her characters to life in a way that
makes you wonder if these people really once existed. I can totally see Tata Natasha sitting in a Romany
tent and reading fortunes for those that seek her vast knowledge and
experience. I was sad to see this
particular series ending because I am a big fan of the Scottish women she has brought
into her writing, but I am looking forward to wherever her next project takes
her readers.
Prince
Nikolai Romanovin is working in Edinburgh to bring peace and prosperity to his
country when he receives notice that his beloved grandmother, who has been
visiting an old friend in the Scottish highlands, has been kidnapped. Unwilling to leave her possibly in the hands
of his enemies, Nik comes up with a daring plan to sneak away, pretending to be
a commoner, in order to lead a mission to save her. When he arrives at the home of the Mackenzie,
where his grandmother was staying, he finds himself faced with the immovable
obstacle of the young Lady Ailsa Mackenzie, the defacto leader of the clan
while her father is away on business.
Ailsa has been handling clan affairs for a long time, but when she
confronts Nik, who she knows is no mere commoner, she finds herself more than
attracted to this strong and ever-changing man. Thrown into danger as they work together—sort
of—to rescue the hostages, Nik and Ailsa soon find themselves unable to resist
the passion between them. With a
treacherous plot unfolding around them will this proud and alpha man follow his
heart to the woman he loves, or will he give up everything for the duty of his
crown?
Nik
is obviously a man that knows his duty, a man that has hidden his true nature a
long time in order to serve his country to the best of his ability. He has
devoted his entire life to being able to protect his people and always knew it
would be his duty to marry to enhance the standing of his family and
country. Meeting Ailsa throws him off
his game in a big way. He doesn’t
understand his intense attraction to this stubborn and argumentative female,
but there is no denying he wants her with every fiber of his being. I loved seeing Nik get put into his place a
few times, and when he finally began to understand how to work with Ailsa in
order to keep everyone safe and have the best outcome of their drama, he
becomes a truly great man and leader. He
was sweet too, a lot of the time, but his obliviousness was maddening more
than once. Seeing him come to appreciate
those around him as more than just background noise was wonderful to
experience. I also loved his obvious
enjoyment of and love for his family, Tata Natasha especially, even when they
were making him crazy. In the end Nik
needed a push here and there to know just what he needed in his life to be
happy, but he gets there in the end and fully understands just how lucky he is
to have his happily ever after.
Ailsa
Mackenzie is a throwback to clan chieftesses of the past. Determined to be more
than just the pretty adornment on some man’s arm, she wants to lead her people
and prove to them that she is smart and capable. When she ventures out on her quest to save
the hostages, she knows that she won’t be able to work with Nik’s condescension
and highhandedness, so she decides to leave him behind, but nothing will stop
this determined prince. Faced with the
lack of choice Ailsa is not going to let the passion and heat that Nik has
coursing through her body distract her from her goals or her responsibilities.
She begins to believe that the strange problems they are having along the way
are more than coincidences and fears for Nik’s life. Ailsa was a woman that I could definitely
respect. I liked seeing her holding her own in arguments with Nik, leading her men, and even rescuing the prince when
he is almost killed. She is educated,
sweet, and willing to get right down in the trenches with her people to get
done what needs doing. I was sad for
Ailsa a few times when she felt like she didn’t have a chance with a man like
Nik, but in the end she is just what he needed to be the leader his people
needed. With her by his side there will
be nothing stopping this royal pair.
Mad
for the Plaid marks the final prince of Oxenburg’s love story and I will be sad
not to see these characters in future novels, but the ending was enough to keep
me from being too sad. There was plenty
of intrigue, drama, sensuality, laughter and tears to fill the void until
Karen’s next project sweeps me away to a new world. Lady Ailsa Mackenzie is a true highland lass
and she embodies all the stubbornness and strength of the clans. She is sweet though, too, and when she loves,
she does so with every inch of her body.
I enjoyed seeing her sparring with Nik and finding a way to show Nik
that his way isn’t always the only way. Nik
on the other hand needed his butt kicked a few times until he came to
understand that sometimes following the advice of others is the path to
success. But, I suppose one cannot
expect a crown prince, used to always being the one giving orders, to change
overnight. The love and passion between
these two is interesting to watch grow and kindle. I really think these two were the best match
of all the Princes and their women. I am
thrilled to have had the chance to read this story and cannot wait for the next
Hawkins masterpiece. If you are a fan of
highland lasses taking control and demanding their due even as they fall in
love you cannot go wrong with this story of love and treachery, as two people
find their way to one another despite all odds and even against their own
understanding of what their perfect mate will someday be. Thanks for the amazing experience, Karen.
*book provided by publisher for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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