Bride Of A Scottish Warrior
by Adrienne Basso
Blurb:
A union born of duty...
Newly
knighted Sir Ewan Gilroy needs a dowry and a wife, in that order. Though the
widowed Lady Grace plans to enter a convent, squandering so much lush beauty -
and such a fortune - would surely be its own sin. Grace will not be easily
wooed, despite her family's urging and Ewan's famed charm. She challenges him
as no woman ever dared, proving his equal in spirit and in passions...
Forged by desire...
To
atone for her past, Grace vows to never remarry - least of all a brash and
reckless warrior. Yet whether defending her honor or stoking desires she hardly
knew she possessed, Ewan is a man beyond compare. And as their fragile trust is
threatened by treachery, Grace must decide whether to reach for the happiness
within her grasp - and fight for the love of her bold Highlander...
Themes: Historical
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Another richly detailed and vividly beautiful
portrayal of the lives of historic highlanders, full of intrigue, drama,
passion and beauty, Basso takes us through the highland season and the troubles
and issues faced by all clans big and small and all members of the clan from
the lowliest farmer to the leaders of the clans. I am a big fan of historicals, especially
anything set in Scotland, but I have found that I love the richness of Basso’s
writing and the way she always shows the day to day lives of her characters,
not just the drama and passion. This
story, while not connected to other series, is the second book of hers I have
read and gives me the same feelings and enjoyment.
This
story is about the lives of two people who both swore to never fall in love
again, never risk the danger to their hearts, but sometimes fate steps in. Ewan has been given the great honor of
becoming a landowner and leading a small clan to a new start, but he is rather
short of supplies and needs a rich bride to make the lives of his new people
better. Grace has just returned to her family home after becoming a young widow
under slightly suspicious circumstances when Ewan arrives seeking advice from
his old friend Brian, who just happens to be Grace’s older brother. Though there is an immediate connection
between Grace and Ewan, she is determined to return to the convent where she
was raised and live out her life in solitude.
Ewan sets about winning her hand, but her resistance makes his quest
futile. Only when the sisters who have
given her sanctuary are put into danger by her presence does she relent,
agreeing to marry Ewan in exchange for his keeping her safe. But as their passion explodes in their
marriage, it becomes less likely they will be able to keep their hearts from
falling to one another. With danger around every corner the only chance for
them to maintain their happiness is to trust one another explicitly and work
together to overcome all odds.
I
liked Grace very much when she finally stopped being so self-deprecating, but I
did wish she had let go of her guilt for something beyond her control much
sooner. Being a very religious woman she
is a bit more pious than I would have been able to handle in person, but when
she finally allows herself to be free and to love Ewan with all her heart and
body I found myself liking her much more.
It was nice to see a woman with more of a brain than many women in historicals,
but her stubbornness in resisting Ewan was incomprehensible to me. I would have given in five minutes after
meeting him! Ewan was a sexy, chivalrous, sweet and gorgeous knight. A man with the skills to lay siege to one’s
body and heart with very little effort, one that could find any weakness and
make you life better with very little true effort. He treats Grace like a queen, even when she
resists that role, and does everything he can to make sure she never regrets
becoming his bride. When he is facing his enemies he is strength personified in
all ways and you never have any doubts that he will prevail no matter the
circumstances.
I
found myself engrossed in every second of this novel, never doubting that it
would end well for both Grace and Ewan, but traveling with them on their
journey brought tears and laughter as they grew together and separately. Grace was a pretty decent character once you
got past the overly pious nature to the core of the woman underneath all her
religious training. She is obviously a
care-giver, a woman meant to be the center of her family with those around her
leaning on her for all their emotional and many of their physical needs. Ewan, a man that really has no reason to
believe in love, is a man that knows what he wants and will go to any length to
get it, slowly convincing Grace that she belongs with him and no outside forces
will ever tear them apart. There was a
lot of drama and danger returning from Grace’s past, but Ewan is more than up
for the challenge of protecting her and their people. I am looking forward to
the chance to read more by this author and would love to see a good series come
out of some of her books. Definitely
adding Adrienne to my list of historical authors to watch out for.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No
compensation was provided.
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