This was my first time reading Paula Quinn. She is a very enjoyable author. I think she was masterfully able to keep different elements of the story in play at the same time and keep them all interesting. One element is the romance between Amelia Bell and Edmund McGregor. Edmund is determined to stop the signing of the Act of Union between Scotland and England. Edmund, along with his clan believe that this treaty will strip them of their rights and their identities as Scotsman. Edmund and his clan come up with an idea on how to stop the signing. He decides that he will kidnap the niece of the Duke of Queensberry who is a big advocate of this union. Amelia is promised to the Chancellor of Scotland. Everyone knows that it is not a love match but an advantageous political step for her father.
The night of her betrothal dinner she meets Edmund and she falls in love with him immediately. She knows that she is promised to the Chancellor and that her parents are depending on her to fulfill their dreams but she finds Edmund attractive and irresistible at the same time. While they share a kiss he covers her mouth with a cloth and kidnaps her. Obviously this changes her feelings a little bit towards his trustworthiness. Edmund for his part begins to regret his decision once he meets Amelia and also begins to fall in love with her but he also feels responsible for his duty to his clan and his home Scotland. Although Edmund is raised in Scotland and adopted at the age of 4 by his clan he is really from England.
In the midst of this romance lies the tension between England and Scotland. I personally found that more interesting than the romance between Edmund and Amelia. Although I liked both Amelia and Edmund I found them to be boring… I know they are caught in the middle of this big conflict but they basically make googly eyes at each other throughout most of the story. I personally was more interested in Saran and Lucan’s romantic story more. I loved that they were complete opposites. Sarah is Amelia’s best friend but their friendship is banned by Amelia’s mom since Sarah is a servant. Sarah and Amelia are completely different. While Amelia is a devoted and virginal Sarah is adventurous and very experienced with the opposite sex. Sarah is also naturally drawn to the wrong men. Lucan, Edmund’s cousin, is definitely the right type of man. He is a knight in shining armor sans the shining armor with a kilt. I loved seeing them fall in love and Lucan’s unwavering patience with Sarah. Although they were secondary characters I liked them best.
If you’re looking sweet romances, intriguing history and sexy men in quilts you won’t go wrong. Amelia and Edmund have many obstacles standing in their way, both of them are torn between their devotion to their country, family and to each other. I loved learning about Scotland and its history and the fast pace adventures along the way made this a great read!
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