Judith’s review of Tempted By A Warrior by Amanda Scott
Before her marriage, it was whispered that Lady Fiona Jardine was a young woman no man could control. Now the rumors are more threatening. Her cruel and womanizing husband has vanished into the battle-scared Scottish Borderlands without a trace, and everyone thinks Fiona is to blame.
Sir Richard Seyton, Laird of Kirkhill and a powerful knight and baron, is honor bound to be Fiona’s guardian until her husband is found. Kirkhill strives to keep her safe while her enemies plot to prevent her from every being the mistress of the Jardine lands. But can he protect her from the desire that ignites at their slightest touch? For with suspicion mounting and tensions along the borders rising, surrendering to their passion could cost Kirkhill and Fiona their very lives.
Amanda Scott has been called the “Mistress of the Scottish romance” and this third novel in a series does her the credit due to an expert in her field and one who knows her way around a word processor. Set in the conflicted and dangerous 14th century, rife with wars and skirmishes between the clans and the northern English lords, Fiona knows that her life is probably not going to get any easier. Having eloped with Will Jardine as a silly and gullible 15 year old when she fell for his flirting eyes and sexy good looks, she has endured the most difficult two years of her life. Her husband is a cruel, unkind, self-centered, spoiled and thoughtless man, whose irresponsible behavior to Fiona as well as to their servants and tenants is blessed, even encouraged by his dying father. Now Will has disappeared and Fiona is in the last trimester of her first pregnancy. At 17 years of age she has aged, but her spirit is still sassy, rebellious, bitter, and wary after the brutality she has endured and the dicey future she knows may be her destiny.
Richard Seyton has been brought to her home. He is Will’s cousin and a laird in his own right. He has been given the guardianship of all Jardine holdings at the death of Will’s father, made guardian of her baby, especially if it is a boy, and made trustee of Fiona which means that now someone else holds the power of life and death over her. She is bright, mouthy and beautiful, but her youth gets her in trouble on a regular basis. Lord Kirkhill, however, is a man of honor, integrity, and responsible to his promises as he comes to take over the Jardine properties and the lives of all its people. He must solve the mystery of Will’s disappearance, try to make the Jardine holdings prosperous once again in spite of possible war and invasion, and deal with his growing attraction to Fiona.
Like most historicals set in this time period, it is impossible to tell any story without taking into account the messy politics of the times. The clans are always jockeying for power and land, and the Clan Douglas is no different. Add in the aggression of the northern English lords and their greed for land and power, and you have a political kettle of “stew” that is always set at “simmer.” Will’s cruelty has separated Fiona from her family and her support system – even back then abusers were predictable in their systematic dismantling of outside influences. This is not an uncomplicated novel. The plot is well thought out, the characters are well developed, and the reader has an opportunity to come to “know” Fiona and her family, those who care for her and her baby, and those who seem to want to do her harm. The story flows well and is not one of those that seems to have “dead spots” – places where there seems to be so much “fluff” that doesn’t add to the story, that I just zone out and start reading a word here or there and flipping pages. That is not the case here.
If you love the Scottish-based romances and you appreciate Amanda Scott and her great writing, then you will love this book. As a person with a great deal of Celtic ancestry of various kinds, I truly appreciate the passion and color of this mysterious people. Scott has brought it all to life in a marvelous novel.
I give a rating of 4.75 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place
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