Malcolm McNair and his brothers, were battling for the Beaumont keep when Malcolm was stunned when a flaming arrow struck his shield. Looking up to the battlements he spied the archer and was amazed to discover a bewitching wraithlike vision surrounded by a golden halo of hair he could only liken to a fairy queen, hefting a cross-bow with all the fierce determination of an Amazon warrior.
Looking down from her perch, Lady Rosalind of Beaumont was determined to hold her keep, and protect her people from the heathen Scots, though noting that the burly Scot leader assaulting her keep was a most magnificent and handsome man. She is English, and attraction or not, she’d lost enough to the barbarian Scot’s and would lose no more, even though Malcolm’s merest touch set her mind and body on fire. Nevertheless, for Malcolm though he might conquer the keep, winning the heart and hand of the fair Lady Rosalind would be the greatest accomplishment of all.
*** This was a stimulating medieval read with a delightful lead couple. Rosalind grabbed me right from the start with her courage and ‘do what you gotta do’ attitude – especially with her ‘where the heck is a man, when you need him’ statement as the Scot’s began their assault! Malcolm – gosh who can’t fall in love with a burly Scot who can forgive a she-devil who stabs him, yet makes sure her rose garden isn’t destroyed as he rebuilds her keep! While I did get a bit frustrated with Rosalind and her general hatred of the Scot’s, the author painted a perfectly acceptable reason for the anguish that Rosalind felt as she tried to fight her attraction to Malcolm. Overall, the pacing of the story was even and well sustained; and the manner in which the author allowed the story to be told was well done as well; and the sensuality was deliciously steamy. With well-defined secondary characters and situations, this was an enormously entertaining read from beginning to end that I heartily recommend.
