A century ago, the McDonough clan took charge of the mystical Celtic "Circle of Light." Its power blessed the McDonoughs with peace and prosperity until the pirate known as the Black Scotsman stole it for his own. From that moment on, the clan suffered sorrow and poverty.
Lady Maura O'Donnell promised her dying father she would find the ancient relic and bring prosperity back to their lands. Her plan is quite simple. When it's announced that Alec McBride, Duke of Gleneden, nicknamed the Black Scotsman, is visiting Ireland, Maura plans to trap him into marrying her. What she does not expect is the instantaneous sexual attraction, which makes her plan to keep him at arm's length until she finds the circle difficult.
Alec McBride calls himself stupid and foolish for falling for the oldest trick in the book of being caught in bed and compromising a virgin. In order to prevent scandal, he weds the calculating vixen, but she will pay. Maura does not act like a fortune hunter, but wanders through his massive home. Her behavior puzzles Alec. He attempts to seduce the truth from her, but instead falls for the skittish young woman.
It is impossible to put Ms. James' latest tale down. From the first chapter, the emotional turmoil caused by the Celtic relic legend captures readers' imagination. Watching Maura struggle to find the circle, while guarding her heart against the wicked but appealing Scotsman, is classic. The writing is superb and the storytelling excellent. This story belongs right on the keeper shelf.
Lady Maura O'Donnell swore to her father on his deathbed that she'd recover the Circle of Light, an enchanted Celtic relic that had brought the family prosperityβuntil it was stolen a century earlier by a notorious pirate. Now the pirate's descendant, the Duke of Gleneden, holds this rare treasure, and Maura would give anything to get it back . . .
Alec McBride knows when he's been had. Lady Maura tricked him into marriage with the expertise of a born seductress, and now she'll pay for her treachery. He'll ravish her, tempt her, tame herβuntil she sorely wishes she'd never heard of the Duke of Gleneden. Caught up in their game of revenge, Alec and Maura never notice what is happening in their heartsβuntil it's too late.
Their marriage may have been a farce, but there is nothing truer than their desire . . .
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