Smitten by Books

Taming the Highland Bride
Author: Lynsay Sands
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: January 26, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061344787
Retail Price: $7.99
384 pages

She was ready to let her heart run wild . . .

Merry Stewart has had enough! Enough of her brothers, whose behavior would make even the most improper lady blush. Enough of their highland home, which would surely have fallen to ruin were it not for her. She dreams of escaping into the arms of her betrothed, Alexander d’Aumesbery—even though they haven’t yet met. But when they do, Merry is devastated. It seems he’s no better than the men in her family.

So beautiful, so brazen . . .

From the moment he meets Merry, Alexander is overcome with desire. Desperate to convince her he’s nothing like the members of her roguish clan, he will prove he is every bit the well-mannered gentleman. Yet beneath it all beats a heart as intense and uncontrollable as hers. And finally, when his life is threatened, Merry realizes he’s the husband she’s been waiting for . . . and their passion becomes the one thing that cannot be tamed.

~*~*~

Taming the Highland Bride is a page turner in which the hero and heroine must overcome many obstacles to find love.  Lynsay Sands’ light and easy prose makes this fast-paced story about mistrust and misunderstandings, a fluid read.

Alex is patient, sweet and loyal man and I like that a lot about him. Even though he has misgivings about Merry from rumors that she is a shrew, from the beginning he is attracted to her. He wants to make her happy to be his wife. My only problem with Alex is that he is not portrayed as a warrior. For the better part of the book, Merry runs the household and holds the men together, while Alex is constantly in harm’s way and banged up.

Merry is a strong, independent and caring woman. After suffering through years of taking care of her drunken brothers and father, she is desperately seeking a new life. I honestly felt Merry’s disappointment at her first encounter with her Alex, knowing she feels as though she’s traded one horrible situation for another.

As they both try to move forward from their awkward first encounter, they both have to learn to let go and find love. I enjoyed the way Alex worked to lower Merry’s guard and prove that he is not like the men in her family. He takes his time and doesn’t force her but rather shows her that he is a man of honor.  Sure enough, on their adventure to Scotland, Merry sees her husband for the man he truly is and allows him to slowly enter her heart.

While they are both discovering their newfound feelings for one another, mystery and danger lurks around every corner. I felt the mystery incorporated throughout the story was interesting and at the end I was a little surprised at the villain. But I wanted them to dig around to discover who was behind the “mysterious” incidents, and was slightly disappointed that they just happen to stumble across the truth.  No one else seemed to be concerned about the danger they were in except Merry.

Overall, I would recommend Taming the Highland Bride to anyone who wants a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more book in this series.

Rating: 6 (Satisfactory)

Heat Level: 3 (Sensual)

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