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Border Trilogy I #2
Border Fire
Bold and brazen Rabbie Redcloak was known all along the Scottish-English border, but few were aware of his true identity -- Sir Quinton Scott, heir apparent to the most powerful Scottish lord. Captured by Sir Hugh Graham, Quin calmly awaited the hangman's noose. But his rescue came with the impetuous Janet Graham who ventured to the castle's dungeon. Lured by Quin's seductive charm, Janet plotted his daring escape. Fearing for the safety of his rescuer if he left her behind, Quin had no choice but to take the silver-blonde beauty with him, risking his very life -- and his heart.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2000
47 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Scott
172 books381 followersAmanda Scott, USA Today Bestselling Author and winner of Romance Writers of America’s RITA/Golden Medallion (LORD ABBERLEY'S NEMESIS) and Romantic Times’ Awards for Best Regency Author and Best Sensual Regency (RAVENWOOD'S LADY), Lifetime Achievement (2007) and Best Scottish Historical (BORDER MOONLIGHT, 2008), began writing on a dare from her husband. She has sold every manuscript she has written.
Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.
As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.
Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.
The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.
Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.
Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.
As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.
Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.
The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.
Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 8, 2022
I actually give this book a 2.5. At some points, I almost stopped reading it due to overlong descriptions but there were some good scenes. I liked Quin for the most part. Janet was mainly annoying although the escape scene was really good.
Janet's brother was the most complex character in the book. One minute he's abusive to Janet, and the next he's helping a pregnant woman deliver her baby.
Janet is forced to marry Quin when she helps him escape her brother. A tumultuous relationship ensues since Janet is headstrong and opinionated (not acceptable back then) and sometimes, incredibly stupid. But she's efficient and competent for the most part.
Quin didn't want to marry, but is also forced. (They ended up spending the night together during his escape.) He finds Janet's independent spirit hard to handle.
There's a lot of border strife. I liked the secondary characters.
Janet's brother was the most complex character in the book. One minute he's abusive to Janet, and the next he's helping a pregnant woman deliver her baby.
Janet is forced to marry Quin when she helps him escape her brother. A tumultuous relationship ensues since Janet is headstrong and opinionated (not acceptable back then) and sometimes, incredibly stupid. But she's efficient and competent for the most part.
Quin didn't want to marry, but is also forced. (They ended up spending the night together during his escape.) He finds Janet's independent spirit hard to handle.
There's a lot of border strife. I liked the secondary characters.
May 11, 2022
I am not quite sure how well i did like it in the end. It's a Highlander romance but without emphasis on romance. I loved the setting and the meet cute but the characters were mediocre. I however did like the whole border war theme and that she based the story on actual scottish ballads. I liked Amanda's writing style and will look into another one of her books.
October 7, 2025
Delightful!
This is a delightful read! I generally prefer a good Highland romance, but these border shenanigans are enthralling; the author knows her subject well and conveys it as well to the reader. Janet and Quinton are quite the pair, and their romance is a true pleasure.
This is a delightful read! I generally prefer a good Highland romance, but these border shenanigans are enthralling; the author knows her subject well and conveys it as well to the reader. Janet and Quinton are quite the pair, and their romance is a true pleasure.
February 16, 2017
Predictable.
January 8, 2018
Honestly, the heroine was incredibly annoying. I really didn't like her from very beginning of the book.
February 7, 2012
Rating: 2-1/2 to 3 stars. The author did a good job of weaving in Scottish dialect and description of the setting. Quin was okay as a character- not bad, not great. Good. After finishing the book I'm still not clear on why Sir Quin donned the cloak and became Rabbie Redcloak, other than to steal back, again, what had been stolen by his people. That plot point seemed a stretch to me.
Janet was good - I liked her more in the beginning, and I appreciated that her brother was tough but believeable. I liked his and Janet's last conversation.
I did think it a stretch that they'd let Quin go - if they really knew the truth. Or that part wasn't clear enough for me, anyway. Hugh and Strope were going to re-arrest him yet they just let him go. That watered down the climax so that it wasn't very climactic at all.
But I liked some of the background characters, such as Hob and Meggie's son.
Janet was good - I liked her more in the beginning, and I appreciated that her brother was tough but believeable. I liked his and Janet's last conversation.
I did think it a stretch that they'd let Quin go - if they really knew the truth. Or that part wasn't clear enough for me, anyway. Hugh and Strope were going to re-arrest him yet they just let him go. That watered down the climax so that it wasn't very climactic at all.
But I liked some of the background characters, such as Hob and Meggie's son.
November 3, 2011
Unless you are an avid fan of Scott, do not put yourself through the torture of reading this vile book. The Old English and Irish language was enough alone to leave me wondering what the heck I was reading along with the lame idea that because the character is kidnapped by the opposition, she feels the need to marry against her brother's wishes. Boring!
May 10, 2014
Very good. I liked the part where Sir Hugh had to retreat to the stable so he could get his work done.
August 6, 2015
"Border Fire" - written by Amanda Scott and published in 2000 by Zebra. An anemic romance.
November 21, 2013
UNREADABLY TERRIBLE
WRITTEN IN DIALECT
WRITTEN IN DIALECT
did-not-finish
June 6, 2017DNF @ pg 50 because zzzz boring.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews