Isabel, appointed as lady-in-waiting to Edward’s queen, Eleanor, is soon immersed in a world of privilege and peril where she attracts the notice of two men — Henry de Boyer, an English knight, and Rory MacGannon, a Highland warrior and outlaw. Isabel and Rachel are soon reunited in Berwick, but as the enmity between Scotland and England reaches its violent peak, each woman must decide where her loyalty — and her destiny — lies.

Isabel de Burke and Rachel de Anjou have defied convention by remaining close friends from childhood through adulthood. When Rachel and her family were expelled from London, Isabel was heartbroken for Rachel and her family. Though she soon begins her new position as a lady-in-waiting for the Queen, Rachel is never far from her mind.

After leaving in the middle of the night, Rachel and her family relocate to a town just north of the England border. Though they lost almost everything they had, her family is optimistic that they can survive whatever is thrown their way. When the “child” Queen of Scotland dies on the way to claim her throne, Scotland and England are both thrown into turmoil. With King Edward of England claiming he has a distant connection to Scotland and therefore should be the interim ruler, Rachel’s family wonders if it will effect the new life they have worked so very hard to create.

Cousins Rory MacGannon and Kieran MacDonald are as close as brothers. Both Rory and Kieran, along with their respective families, will do anything to keep Scotland out of Edward’s hands–even if it means being outlawed. Rory is outlawed, though the reason for it is unjust. Rory soon finds himself trying to distant himself from his family to avoid bringing danger to their door, but they will not allow it.

I would not call this book a historical romance. Historical Fiction would be more apt. Though there were elements of romance, it seemed almost thrown in as an afterthought. When I read On a Highland Shore, the romance was intense. Though there was very little sex, the romance was there. In Rivals for the Crown, it really wasn’t.

This book was rich in history. I actually could feel the despair of all the different characters introduced. The plight of Rachel and her family was especially poignant. No matter what happened to this family, they persevered. Rachel’s mom was a rock. She continually told her family that if Edward came to Berwick, they would leave just as they left London. They would survive again.

I really did enjoy this book when I put my expectations aside. I probably wouldn’t have read it if I knew it was technically Historical Fiction, but I’m glad I did.

4 out of 5.

Book description:

1263: On Scotland’s western shore, the village of Somerstrath prepares for the joyous wedding of Margaret MacDonald, the laird’s daughter. But a dark storm of bloodshed and betrayal is closing in, as a merciless band of Vikings roams the seas. Margaret is determined to hold her clan together and to locate her abducted younger brother. Can she trust the noblemen from King Alexander’s court, who insist that only by adhering to a betrothal conceived for political gain will she find safety? Or should she trust an imposing half-Irish, half-Norse warrior? Gannon MacMagnus alone offers her hope of reuniting her family and vanquishing the barbarous Norsemen. In whom should Margaret entrust the fate of the rugged, magnificent land she calls home?

Because of my recent obsession with historicals (thank you, Jo Goodman), it didn’t take much for me to buy this book after reading this post by the lovely Pamela Clare. I am so glad I did b/c this is one of the best books that I read this year.

Lady Margaret MacDonald has grown up knowing that she was to one day marry her childhood friend, Lachlan Ross. Believing that she’s going to have a wonderful marriage, to say she was shocked after finding him in bed with another woman is somewhat of an understatement. Furious at the betrayal, Margaret beseeches her father to break the betrothal contract. She is heartbroken when he tells her that she will either marry Lachlan or join the order. Giving her a few weeks to think it over, Margaret’s father sends her and two of her siblings off to check on some of their tenants.

What happened next was absolutely horrific. What made it even worse is that Givens did such a fantastic (or not, depending on how you look at it) job of giving the reader a sense of Margaret’s family. She had several younger siblings who were quite adorable, a mother that was pregnant, a father who loved her yet was firm in his duty to Scotland. When Margaret, her older brother, and younger sister return home, they find carnage. There’s no other way to really describe it. Everyone was dead. No one was spared in what they learn was a vicious Viking attack. Women and children alike were slain. Some children were actually taken by the Vikings, including Margaret’s eight year old brother. Men were unable to protect their families. It was chilling.

With the assistance of Gannon MacGannon and his powerful uncle, the Laird of Ulster, Margaret and her remaining siblings are taken to safety. It is there that Margaret and Gannon give into their powerful attraction. Knowing that it’s forbidden, they find themselves unable to stay away from each other. Knowing that Margaret still must marry Lachlan, Gannon still can’t stay away from her.

The romance really added to the story rather than the other way around. This book is about a woman who lost everything in the worst way imaginable. This book is about good defeating evil and that love can really help heal anything. The love story of Gannon and Margaret is not one I will soon forget. The way they got there is something that makes it even more powerful.

I have another author whose backlist I must hunt down.

5 out of 5.