Guest Review: The Border Lord and the Lady by Bertrice Small

At the Scot’s court, Cicely finds herself pursued by two men: elegant Andrew Gordon, the lair of Braemor, and Ian Douglas, the laird of Glengorm, a rougn-spoken border lord. When Ian kidnaps Cicely just as Andrew is about to propose to her, the royal court is sent into an uproar. The queen demands the return of her friend and the Gordons threaten to set the border aflame, even as Ian Douglas attempts to win Cicely’s love. But the border lord is difficult to tame, and the lady’s heart is even harder to claim.

This is a wonderful historical romance—and I do mean “historical”–in that Bertrice Small has done outstanding research on the culture and times which forms the backdrop of this intriguing love story. But don’t let that put you off: this story is so skillfully told that the historical context never interferes with the telling of the complicated loves of Lady Cicely. The heroine is quite unusual for her time: a young woman of great personal honesty and integrity, a true friend to Lady Joan Beaufort, a woman who knows her own mind and is not afraid to stand up for herself even in a culture that looks upon women, especially women with large dowries, as brood mares and chattel for sealing political alliances. Cicely’s father has wrested a promise from King James I that Cicely will not be forced to marry anyone with whom she has not formed an emotional attachment. Therein lies the conflict that moves throughout this saga of Lady Cicely’s romantic life. When Ian Douglas “bridenaps” Lady Cicely, the fireworks start and they don’t let up soon. Weave into that kind of clash of strong personalities the marvelous sexual tension that the author handles so well, and you have a story that keeps you riveted and which really never lets up.

I am especially delighted to have read this book. I am a lover of history in almost any form, and I truly delight in a historical romance that is well-written and well-researched. Add to that the fact that this story is linked to my favorite novel of all time – Kathryn by Anya Seton – in that Lady Joan Beaufort is the granddaughter of Kathryn Synford & John of Lancaster—the main characters in Kathryn, and I am hooked! Great novels are only truly great if they contain strong characters that are well-developed and which “live” in the imagination of the reader as the story progresses. Add to that a story that is built around a conflict that is believable and sustainable throughout the book. Ms Small has managed both beautifully.

This is a book for those who really love to “sink their teeth” into a story that is meaty and complicated, full of fun and tension, involving politics that always has everyone a bit edgey, knowing that their future safety is always just a little in jeopardy. Anyone who has ever dealt with the Scots knows that those ancient clans were ever at each others’ throat, raiding one another’s territories, led by hot-headed lairds that were constantly looking for ways to expand their power and holdings. It’s all right here in this book as the undercurrent of a story that sizzles all on its own. If you want to meet some powerful personalities, watch the unfolding of relationships against a backdrop of the raw beauty of the Scottish borderlands, eavesdrop on athletic bedsport as Lady Cicely is introduced to the joys of the marriage bed, then you have picked up the right book. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

This book is available from NAL. You can buy it here or here in e-format.