Author:
Julia London
Publication
Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher:
Pocket Books
Series:
The Secrets of Hadley Green # 4
Who
is the captive and who is the captor? When a sexy laird holds a spirited
English lady for ransom, she turns the tables and steals his heart. The lush Scottish Highlands are a tempting
setting for seduction in New York
Times bestselling
author Julia London’s sparkling new novel.
The last person Daria Babcock expects to find in her grandmother’s home is a
brawny, naked Highlander. She doesn’t buy Mamie’s explanation about finding the
poor man shot in the woods. Nor does she trust the gorgeous laird, who insists
his own memory fails him. But Daria came to Scotland looking for adventure and
romance, and after the intriguing stranger kidnaps her, she gets her wish—and
so much more. . .
“The
announcement had made Daria quite cross, too. She desperately wanted a baby of
her own, even a herd of them. Every time Daria held a baby she felt an
uncomfortably deep tug in her chest. She would like to be married, to be a
mother, a wife, to have some purpose other than to attend teas. Yet in spite of
having spent the last three years endeavoring to put herself in every
conceivable avenue of society, she had not even a whiff of a proper marriage
prospect.” – Finished Copy pg. 7
“‘I
don’t want biscuits. You are right that I have come a very long way. I made
that journey in the anticipation of a lovely reunion with my grandmother and I imagined
something vastly different – a house, a small village. A servant! But I find
you in a crofter’s cottage without any help at all, with a wounded, naked man.” – Finished Copy pg. 31
“That
drew a curious look from Daria, but Mamie said impatiently, ‘Daria, you do not
understand how things are done here. Scotland is not the least bit like
England. People here tend to take matters into their own hands. They don’t live
by the strict rule of law as we do.’” – Finished Copy pg. 45
“‘Don’t
you dare smile at me as if this is some sort of game,’ she said, her voice low
and full of warning. She shifted closer, studiously avoiding his gaze as she
gingerly worked the ends of the bandage free.” – Finished Copy pg. 59
Daria
Babcock’s story starts like any other. She is the last debutante left, out of
all her friends, with not even a possible prospect for marriage. She is lonely
and saddened by the idea of not being a wife or a mother, and longs to find
some purpose in her life. When an unexpected letter from her grandmother comes,
all the way from Scotland, stating financial problems, Daria jumps at the idea
of taking a break from her life at Hadley Green and searching for an adventure
in Scotland. Little does she know, she has more surprises waiting for her in
Scotland than she ever could have dreamed.
I
loved the transfer from Hadley Green and England to Scotland. My mother’s side
of the family is originally from Scotland, so this makes the setting all the
more interesting for me. I also loved the character shift in Daria. Daria
Babcock is used to a somewhat privileged lifestyle in England and is taken
aback by the way her grandmother lives in Scotland. It was like taking a city
girl and sticking her out in the middle of nowhere. I loved Daria’s adjustment
and being able to see her grow and change as the plot thickened. I also greatly
enjoyed Daria’s Mamie. She was the perfect grandmother and was full of humor
and a knack for landing Daria and herself in some sticky situations.
There
is a hostage situation in this story and I was quite surprised by the turn of
events. The action rises appropriately and readers are left guessing what will
happen next. Daria’s male counterpart, Jamie, was not my favorite at first. It
was my fault for judging a book by its cover. I slowly learned Jamie’s situation
and had to reconsider my first judgment. He is a smart, witty, and rather rough
around the edges rogue. I loved his tough exterior and the way that he broke a sophisticated
city girl down into a loveable and humble young woman. I hope it makes sense to
say that Jamie simplified Daria’s character and took away the chip that she was
so desperately carrying on her shoulder.
Loved
this story and was pleased that even though it is part of a series, it can
stand alone!
***Thank
you to the publishers at Pocket Books for providing me with a copy of this book
in exchange for my honest review***
No comments:
Post a Comment