Little of what Lady Aila Graham has envisioned for her life comes to fruition. Aila is the only surviving child of Laird Graham of the prestigious Dundaff Castle in Scotland. Her vision of becoming a nun is quickly extinguished with the immediate marriage forced upon her by her father with the handsome, but ruthless knight, Padyn MacLaren.

In exchange for the protection of the Graham clan from a vicious threat, Padyn receives everything Aila is to inherit, which will aid in the support of his own clan. Having been betrayed by a previous love, Padyn vows never to trust another female. Insurmountable misunderstandings on their wedding night become the catalyst for violent and ironic events. Amid clashing swords and numerous attempts to divulge the miscreants, Aila and Padyn are also fighting their attraction to each other.

I completely enjoyed the clever events surrounding the two strong-willed characters of Aila and Padyn. The story was well-written and interesting, as well as easy to follow the sequence of events. Padyn is a stubborn and strong opponent with a warm heart that matches the feisty and clever Aila. I would definitely seek more works by Amanda Forester.