Those captivating Kendricks!

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The Highlander's English Bride (Clan Kendrick #3) 
by Vanessa Kelly            
“Och, don’t fash yourself," those Kendrick lads and their lasses are back! This time it's twin Graeme who meets his match. Such a simple thing really. Singularly pursuing a band of organized robbers, Graeme is tracking down his mark along the banks of the Serpentine River, in the rain. Naturally! Sighting a lady in the early morning, seemingly waiting for someone, Graeme's further discomposed when his mark veers off and attempts to grab the lady's reticule. His mark's quarry is made of sterner stuff and fights back. Unfortunately during  the melee she falls into the river. (Melee appears to be a key word for all that follows with this delightful, snippety female. She never goes quietly! Mmm! a match made in heaven?)
What's Graeme to do but leave off with the pursuit and rescue the tiresome female who's interfered with his plans.
Needless to say upon confronting Lady Sabrina Bell, Graeme is lost. Captive to a female who looks like a harmless kitten, but is as stubborn as he is with the claws to match.
The despicable Lord Cringlewood makes an appearance once again. This time Lady Sabrina is his quarry. She thinks she can handle him. I'm struck time and time again by Sabrina's belief in herself (a good thing) which sometimes hampers her ability to see the truth (a conundrum) and how she so often completely foils the best laid plans of mice and men (a problem). Cringlewood's disposed of once again but I'm sure he's evilly waiting in the wings to make a grand appearance in a future novel. Meantime Lady Sabrina unknowingly prevents the Crown's operative (i.e. Graeme) from carrying out his orders. Still her grand plans always seem to make things turn about, even if there's a few scares enroute. Methinks Graeme visibly ages before our eyes, or at least it sometimes seems like that.
There's so much more going on here including threats against the King, whiskey smuggling, absentee landowners, and forced enclosures.
Angus is once again his normal rapscallion self, who goes his own way and confounds everyone when more often than not he "comes home with the bacon."
I love Graeme's return to his Scots accent when disturbed. As one lady says, ..."that brogue. So delicious."
An amusing, witty Highlander novel that thoroughly engaged me.

 A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley

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