Tag: Anna Campbell

The Laird’s Willful Lass by Anna Campbell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

The Laird's Willful Lass (The Lairds Most Likely, #1)The Laird’s Willful Lass by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Lairds Most Likely, #1

Release Date: July 31, 2018

The book opens with a young Fergus MacKinnon meeting Hamish and his cousin Diarmid on the moors late at night, the younger boys are lost and Fergus leads them to safety. They have an amusing discussion of what they consider the perfect wife and Hamish and Diarmid don’t agree with Fergus, who believes that a quiet, obedient, sweet woman is the ideal wife…

Fifteen years later, Fergus comes across the scene of a carriage accident and see a stunning woman trapped inside. He rescues her and her father, bemused by the woman who doesn’t do as she is told and seems to think that she can help. He takes them to his castle, her father’s leg is broken and she learns that he will be required to stay for at least a month.

Marina Lucchetti is an artist, she is 1/2 Italian and 1/2 English, but has been raised in Italy. She has worked hard to earn recognition for her art and is very independent and self sufficient – she doesn’t like this man telling her what to do or what is best for her or her father – she was commissioned to paint Scottish landscapes for a client and she is dead set on going to Skye. When Fergus informs her that her father will not be able to go and tells her she should stay at Achnasheen and paint – she bristles – she doesn’t care how handsome the man is, he is not her keeper and will not dictate where she goes!

But she does admit that she can’t go alone and she doesn’t want to leave her father alone, she grudgingly agrees to wait to see if the landscapes will be acceptable. But if they are not, she is leaving.

Fergus and Marina are both strong, independent, stubborn people and they clash quite a bit at the beginning, but they are both reasonable and Marina does see the merits of Fergus’ suggestions. Things are going well and she realizes that she likes him, but her art must come first and to be successful, her reputation must remain pristine. When Fergus suggests they become lovers, she is opposed, she has too much to lose. But when she has a brush with death, she reconsiders and they embark on a temporary affair.

As the weeks pass, they grow closer and neither is looking forward to saying goodbye – but Marina’s life is in Italy and Fergus is tied to Scotland – can there be a HEA?

I really loved this story – It was a straight up love story, no villains, no complicated plot to follow, just a boy and girl falling in love and learning that love is worth any sacrifice. Sigh… Marina and Fergus are wonderful characters, both strong and used to being in charge, watching them learn to compromise was both amusing and poignant. The love scenes in this book were steamy without being overly graphic, the very few secondary characters are great and added to the story without competing for attention, the banter between Fergus and Marina is very entertaining and the ending is sigh worthy. If you are looking for a really good love story without a lot of complications and side stories – this is the book for you!! I am happy to recommend this book and look forward to Hamish and Diarmid’s stories!!

Lord Garson’s Bride by Anna Campbell

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Lord Garson’s Bride (Dashing Widows, #7)Lord Garson’s Bride by Anna Campbell
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Dashing Widows, #7

Release Date: February 28, 2018

I cannot imagine how hard this book was to write, because it was hard to read!

Hugh Rutherford, Baron Garson has decided it is time to marry and he has the perfect bride in mind, his childhood friend Lady Jane Norris. Jane has spent the last ten years caring for her father and the estate, now that her father has passed and her cousin has inherited, she is trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life. Needless to say, Jane is more than a little surprised when Hugh comes and proposes a marriage of convenience.

Hugh was the heartbroken betrothed of Morwenna Nash from the previous book, Catching Captain Nash. Morwenna was the love of Hugh’s life and he is convinced that he will never love another. He wants a family and needs an heir, so he proposes marriage to Jane, he likes her and believes that they can have a good life together, as long as she understands that he can never love her. With limited options, Jane decides to accept Hugh’s offer, but from the start, Morwenna is a like a ghost between them.

Hugh and Jane marry and get to know each other as adults, Hugh is delighted with Jane and is a bit surprised by the desire he feels for her, he is very sweet to her and doesn’t press her, he takes his time and seduces her, one kiss at a time. Jane can’t seem to get past his love for Morwenna and begins to obsess about her. When Hugh suggests they go to London, she is nervous and dreads meeting his friends as they are close to Morwenna. I thought this was really well done and very realistic, Jane is insecure and shy and feels like everyone will view her as Hugh’s second choice. But she is surprised to find herself welcomed by his friends and soon starts to blossom.

But Jane does what she promised she wouldn’t, she falls in love with her husband and is heartbroken when he makes it clear that he cannot and will not return that love. Jane will have to decide if she can live with the man she loves knowing he loves another. And Hugh will have to decide if he is willing to fight to keep his wife by his side or let her go and try and find happiness elsewhere.

This was not a light, fluffy read, it is filled with angst, unrequited love, longing and heartache. But it is tempered by an incredible heroine, a lot of steamy love scenes, cameos from previous characters, a hero who is a little slow on the uptake, a really, really good groveling scene and a epilogue that brought me to tears! It is well written, but personally it was a little bit too “angsty” and I think this would have been better as a novella. But it was a very engrossing read and I found myself incredibly invested in the outcome, it is the seventh book in the series and could be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading Charming Sir Charles and Catching Captain Nash first to get a little more background on Hugh and his “love” Morwenna Nash.