Except for one violent and horribly abusive wedding night,
Lady Isabelle, Countess of Tynsdale, had managed to avoid
for five years her nasty elderly husband and the fate of
his three previous wives by seeking the protection of her
uncle at Alnsworth castle.
When her uncle dies in the spring of 1355, Isabelle is
determined not to be forced to join her husband and sets
off with a guard to see if King Edward would dissolve her
marriage.
On her way, they are approached by troops with the Tynsdale
colors. Isabelle seeks to escape as there is no way she
wants to be taken back to Tynsdale Castle. Dashing pell-
mell away from her guard and with no sense of direction,
Isabelle manages to escape one danger only to fall prey to
another. Being alone in the woods is not the safest place
to be.
Fortunately, she is rescued by Sir David Campbell, a
Scottish laird, whose own nuptial plans need a lot of
adjusting or a feud between the clans can easily arise.
Fearing to tell him the truth, Isabelle spins a story that
David can accept, but he refuses to take her to England as
he knows the King would only regard him as an enemy and be
inclined to see him in jail or worse.
As neither tells the other the real story behind their
plans or intentions, some interesting misadventures arise
as Isabelle internally vows never to be with her husband
again and seeks to escape from what she thinks David is
planning. For his part, David is torn between his growing
attraction to Isabelle and the need to make a match
that will bring clans together and avoid bloodshed. David
faces a difficult heart-wrenching choice between duty and
love.
Amanda Forester has written a very charming and captivating
novel that is sure to please historical romance fans, with
her strong character development and historical accuracy
and sense of the time. Given Forester's background as a
psychologist, the characters were realistic in their
motivations and instincts, even if their decisions, actions,
and reactions were not always the best. On a personal
level, I just adored David Campbell and found him a very
appealing and quintessential hero. He is strong, kind and
considerate who realizes his role and responsibilities. He
makes thoughtful and tough decisions, supported by his
faith in God, for what he levies will be the best for his
clan and the people under his protection. This is a
lovely and fun romance to get lost back in the Scottish
highlands, so find a wee bit of time and enjoy! You won't
regret it!
Fleeing into the wilderness to escape an abusive marriage,
Lady
Isabelle Tynsdale would sooner face down a wild boar than
spend another night with her wretched husband. Battered
by the elements, desperate to elude a band of attackers, and
defending herself against, as fate would have it, a wild
boar she
is rescued by the handsome Laird David Campbell.
Campbell knows holding Isabelle captive for ransom is his
best chance to temper the storm threatening to destroy his
clan. The ransom of an English countess should be more than
enough to pay off his debts to England and save him from an
unwanted marriage. But Isabelle didn’t escape her husband
just to become another man’s captive and Laird Campbell is
seriously misguided if he thinks she’s going to go quietly.