In all her daydreams about her wedding day, Lady Claray
MacFarlane never once imagined being dragged to the altar by her greedy uncle
and forced to marry a man she didn't know. But that's what happened, or would
have, had a Highland warrior not snatched her up at the last minute and ridden
off with her in his arms. . .
They call him the Wolf. The mercenary's courage and
prowess in battle are known throughout the Highlands, and with his handsome
face and black-as-sin hair, he is as intelligent and deadly as the wolf he was
named for…
But the Wolf is also Claray's betrothed. Thought to have
been killed as a child, he's been in hiding all these years. Now he's
determined to earn enough coin to rebuild his home, reclaim his birthright, and
honor his marriage contract to Claray. For he's fallen for the tender-hearted
lass…and he will do anything to protect her and their future together.
This was a fun, typical Lynsay Sands romp through the
Highlands. We have the lass in distress/danger, the grumpy Highland hero with
the hidden soft heart, the road trip (or two) from one place to another, the
evil villain with the grudge against hero or heroine, and the growing feelings that
become all-encompassing love. It may be a formula, but it works.
Here we have Claray MacFarlane, who believes that she
will never marry. Her betrothed died when they were both children, and her
father is in no hurry to arrange another marriage. She's a sweet young woman
who longs for a family of her own and lavishes her care on the injured animals that
she finds. She never expected a visit to her cousin to end with her uncle
dragging her to a forced marriage. She's saved from that fate by the arrival of
a Highland mercenary known as "The Wolf," who scoops her up and
carries her off.
I loved Clary's reaction. She believes he's the answer to
her prayers for rescue, notices his handsomeness, and recalls the stories she's
heard of him. Grateful for her rescue and trusting him instinctively, she
promptly falls asleep in his arms. Claray has no idea that The Wolf is Bryson
MacDonald, aka Conall, her betrothed, who escaped the slaughter of his family.
He was hidden away, and his name changed to protect him until he was grown. For
the last twelve years, since earning his spurs, he fought to gain the funds to
rebuild his home and reclaim his life and his bride.
I loved Conall. She isn't at all what he expected. First
of all, she surprised him with her trust though she had no idea why he had
rescued her. Then there was his reaction to her rescue of various animals along
the journey. First, the bunny, which he thought was for dinner, resulted in a
look of horror from Claray. Then the baby stoat (ermine), which he called
"vermin." By the time she rescued an injured fox kit, he just shook
his head and made room for it. I loved his care for her during the journey,
from holding her while she slept to accepting that she doesn't eat meat and
finding other things for her to eat.
I loved watching the relationship between Claray and
Conall develop. Though he's a fierce warrior, when it comes to Claray, Conall is
kindness itself. He is protective without being overbearing and drawn to her more
than any other woman in his life. He does hold onto the truth of his identity a
little longer than he should have, but even there, he had his reasons. The more
time he spends with her, the stronger his attraction to her grows. There are
also a few satisfying instances of jealousy when his cousin tweaks him about
his earlier reluctance to marry yet. Claray could have been portrayed as a complete
ditz, but though she is somewhat naïve, she is by no means stupid. She had an
excellent grasp of her uncle's plan and that of his coconspirator. She was
sweet but not a pushover and knew how to get her way when it was important to
her. She was attracted to Conall but torn because of the teachings of the
family priest.
Once Claray and Conall were married, their relationship
continued to grow as they worked together to return his home and lands to their
former glory. I loved their teamwork and seeing them pull everyone together.
But not everyone is happy to see the progress. When someone shoots an arrow at
them while they are cavorting at the pond, the question is who and why? Is it
the person responsible for the deaths of Conall's family, back to finish the
job? Or is it Claray's rejected bridegroom trying to get her back? The
intensity goes up when another attack succeeds in injuring Claray, and there is
still no clue who is behind it. The third time is nearly the charm, as the
attacker tries again. I was glued to the pages as the bizarre reason for the
attacks was explained and watched Claray try to talk her way out of danger. I was
surprised and creeped out by the final player and happy to see their end. I
adored that Claray's rescues played a significant part in that ending. With
some good news regarding the other threat to their happiness, Claray and Conall
are finally free to live their lives.
I loved seeing characters from other books in the series,
such as Aulay and Alick Buchanan. It was very special to see Annabel and Ross
MacKay from the first book in the series (An English Bride in Scotland). Conall
is their nephew; his mother was Ross's sister Giorsal. Other secondary
characters, such as Payton and Roderick, kept Conall and Claray safe when
permitted to stay close and served as a bit of conscience when Conall needed
it. My favorite secondary characters were the four-footed, furry ones. Each one
had a story and distinct personality, and several played critical roles in the
book.
I can't wait to see what is next for the Highland Brides.
Perhaps one of Claray's sisters?
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