Scottish hijinks!
It's Getting Scot in Here (Wild Wicked Highlanders #1) by Suzanne Enoch
I must say, I enjoyed this immensely. Nothing like the brawny alpha males being dragged into doing something against their will. Backstory--the Sassenach mother of three young sons, Coll, Aden, and Niall fled to London from the wilds of the Highlands for her own good reasons, taking their young sister Eloise. Now comes the tricky part. Upon her marriage Francesca controlled the purse strings (highly unusual). But then her father, the Viscount of Hornford "had more money than Midas and a bevy of very fine solicitors." Part of the agreement when Francesca fled Aldriss Park was that come marriageable age, the boys must marry English women before their sister married else the funds supporting Aldriss Park and Clan Ross would be forfeited.
Francesca has selected a bride for the eldest, Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, the epitome of barbarian Scotsman who won't be told. However, when his mother's choice of bride, Amelia-Rose Hyacinth Baxter answers Coll somewhat tartly he storms out--of their very public theater box no less! It appears Coll is looking for an insipid bride whom he can leave to fade into obscurity in London, whilst he stays in the Highlands master of his own life, apart from the obligatory getting an heir visit. Even that had more strings attached!
And this is where things become interesting as the younger MacTaggert brother Niall keeps trying to rescue the situation. Of course he becomes madly attracted to the proposed bride. But what can he do? There's the legal agreement and the tenants and retainers of Aldriss Park all depending on them to 'bring home the bacon', as it t'were.
Couple all this with Amelia-Rose's situation. She has the prune faced mother who bemoans missing out on marrying a title and who sees her daughter as fulfilling these ambitions. Never mind the cost. (Mind you I just finished watching a movie about the Duchess if Devonshire so I was well and truly upset with the double standards for men, and the various ambitions of the ton.) Amelia's dilemma played into my already jaundiced view.
A witty tale with amusing interludes and selected moments of heavy breathing. I so disliked Francesca, but came to quite enjoy her towards the end. She's still a bit of a mystery. And just exactly why does she have so much social power in the drawing rooms of London?
A stand out, stimulating read especially when viewed against so many other Highlander romantic efforts set in this era.
I am oh so looking forward to the future novels in this series!
A NetGalley ARC
*****
Francesca has selected a bride for the eldest, Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, the epitome of barbarian Scotsman who won't be told. However, when his mother's choice of bride, Amelia-Rose Hyacinth Baxter answers Coll somewhat tartly he storms out--of their very public theater box no less! It appears Coll is looking for an insipid bride whom he can leave to fade into obscurity in London, whilst he stays in the Highlands master of his own life, apart from the obligatory getting an heir visit. Even that had more strings attached!
And this is where things become interesting as the younger MacTaggert brother Niall keeps trying to rescue the situation. Of course he becomes madly attracted to the proposed bride. But what can he do? There's the legal agreement and the tenants and retainers of Aldriss Park all depending on them to 'bring home the bacon', as it t'were.
Couple all this with Amelia-Rose's situation. She has the prune faced mother who bemoans missing out on marrying a title and who sees her daughter as fulfilling these ambitions. Never mind the cost. (Mind you I just finished watching a movie about the Duchess if Devonshire so I was well and truly upset with the double standards for men, and the various ambitions of the ton.) Amelia's dilemma played into my already jaundiced view.
A witty tale with amusing interludes and selected moments of heavy breathing. I so disliked Francesca, but came to quite enjoy her towards the end. She's still a bit of a mystery. And just exactly why does she have so much social power in the drawing rooms of London?
A stand out, stimulating read especially when viewed against so many other Highlander romantic efforts set in this era.
I am oh so looking forward to the future novels in this series!
A NetGalley ARC
*****
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