Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780778320920
ISBN number: 0778320928
Label: Mira
Manufacturer: Mira
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 384
Printing Date: November 01, 2004
Publishing house: Mira
Sale Popularity Level: 805687
Studio: Mira
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Claire Lennox, Countess of Errick and Mains, is a powerful woman in a man's world. Her slender beauty belies the strong shoulders upon which she carries much responsibility, guarding her clan against greed, betrayal and treachery. Confident and courageous, she refuses to marry--ever again. Eight years ago, when she was an impulsive young girl, she lost her heart and her husband to foolish pride. Now, as desperate rivals plot to seize her title and lands, one man is willing to risk everything to save her.
Fraser Graham tells himself there is nothing left between him and Claire but memories. Yet his heart dictates otherwise when ruthless enemies kidnap the woman who was once his innocent bride. After his daring rescue sends them running for their lives through the wild, windswept hills, he and Claire surrender to remembered passion. . .but pride and past hurts silence sweet words of love and forgiveness. As the noose of treachery tightens and a deadly plot unfolds to destroy everything Claire has sworn to protect, Fraser must decide if he will pledge his sword, his strength and his heart to the one woman he was always loved--or resign himself to losing her forever.
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Rated by buyers 
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I read the review of Thea and I agree whole-heartedly that the book was filled with discrepancies. When the book mentioned Fraser's brothers, Alexander (Arabella's twin) was left out of the book. In the Highlander, Arabella and Alexander were inseparable. Thea's review sums up the rest of the discreapancies quite accurately.
Rated by buyers -
This book contains so many mistakes that I wonder if somebody proofread it before it went to print.
In the very first place, the synopsis on the back cover is misleading, since it doesn't give you a sense of how the story really unfolds. For example the back cover reads "Eight years ago (...) she lost her heart and her husband to foolish pride" But it was not eight years ago but only two (they meet in 1741, get married a year later and get divorced after one year of marriage), that would mean they parted ways in 1743 and get reunited again in 1745. Even counting from the time they very first met, to the end of the book, it doesn't make 8 years but barely 4. The synopsis also reads "After his daring rescue sends them running for their lives through the wild, windswept hills..." and I wonder, when did this happen? The rescue occurred at the end of the book, not in the middle as the synopsis makes you think, and they never ran to any hills. It seems to me that the cover was designed and printed before the novel was written, and then the author changed her mind and wrote a completely different story.
Second, this book is a sequel to "The Highlander" which takes place in 1740 and maybe the beginning of 1741, and is the story of Jamie the Earl of Monleigh and Fraser's brother. However, when at the beginning of this book somewhere during the Spring or Summer of 1741 Claire's father asks Jamie if he is married yet or thinking of getting married, he responds that he is not married, that he is thinking about it but cant decide between all the lasses. That threw me off, since by that time he must have at the very least met Sophie and decided to marry her. Later in the book, Sophie magically appears as if the author had suddenly remembered her.
Another thing is that this novel does not seem to take into account the historic events of the time and place in which it develops. In 1745 a mayor uprising occurred in Scotland. I'm no expert, but I have read several other novels from this period that seem to have more consideration for history, and as I understand it, in 1745 the Highlanders rallied to Prince Charles Stuart and rose against the English in an endeavor to put the Stuart king on the throne. The English crushed the rebellion and the Highland Clans suffered harsh reprisal for their participation in it. I would have thought that an event of this magnitude would at least be acknowledged in this book, but it isn't even mentioned.
The book ends abruptly. What was called the epilogue should have been the last chapter, then it needed a real epilogue to tell us what happened after Fraser rescued Claire, and what punishment was given to the villains of this story, Isobel and Lord Walter. I have rarely encountered characters so evil as these two, and was looking forward to the time when they would be punished for all their horrendous acts. To simply be told that they had been arrested and were going to be tried is not the end I had imagined for them. It is too easy and doesn't even begin to pay for all their murderous acts and cruelty. After all the suffering they caused and the violent scenes that were vividly described, I think the readers were cheated out of the satisfaction of seeing them receive their just punishment.
One think I did not particularly like, was that the characters were too young. When the book started Fraser was 19 and Claire 15. By the end they could not have been more than 25 and 20. It is not impossible to believe that a girl of only 16 years could assume and fulfill the responsibilities of an earldom, or that she could show such maturity, but it is difficult. It would have been more believable if they were a little older. But that is just my personal opinion.
All in all, I think the story had the potential to be a good one, if it had been properly developed and someone had taken the time to correct the errors. As it is, it appears that it was written in a hurry just to have something ready to meet a deadline.
By the way, I wonder what book did Harriet Klausner read, because judging by her review it certainly wasn't the same one I read. It makes me wonder about the helpful votes she received. Maybe there is another version of this book I know nothing about?
Rated by buyers -
This book is awful. The "vernacular" -- "ye ken," "willna," "oot," "verra," "canna," "breeks" -- gets in the way at best, and is absurd at worst -- i.e., "ye arena going to miss the best part." There is no character development -- they meet, fall in love, she divorces him . . . . Really, one of the worst books I have ever read.
Rated by buyers 
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In 1741, teenage Lady Claire Lennox fell in love with Fraser Graham, who reciprocated her feelings. They married in a love match, but their relationship collapsed when she believed he betrayed her as he was there when her father was brutally murdered.
Eight years later, Claire as the oldest of four sisters leads her clan though her uncle has powerful influence over her. However, she has avaricious enemies from within, who have made deals with outsiders that would destroy her and her clan. Fraser still loves Claire and knows that serpents inside her clan have plotted her demise. He would die to keep her alive and his chance has finally occurred; he rescues her from abductors who now pursue them with an urgency to kill.
This well written mid eighteenth century Scottish romance is clearly aimed at fans of the sub-genre who will fully appreciate the authenticity including the vernacular that makes the period so alive in the capable hands of Elaine Hoffman. The story line takes its time to set the background of the era and enable the audience to know the key players, but once done moves into ultra speed. Claire is a wonderful besieged heroine who feels with evidence and encouragement by her uncle and aunt that her beloved more than failed her when her sire was killed. Fraser seizes his second chance to prove his love and loyalty to his spouse, but must risk his life to do so. This is must reading for readers of tense Highland dramas with fabulous casting, who will look forward to the siblings' tales.
Harriet Klausner
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