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Victorian Scotland Trilogy #2
Waking the Princess
An antiquarian for the National Museum, Christina Blackburn has her reasons for disguising her smoldering beauty with a pair of prim spectacles and an icy facade. She posed for a painting that scandalized the Victorian art world --- and it nearly ruined her life. Ever since, she has vowed to suppress her passionate nature and keep her identity a secret. But when the museum sends her on a trip across Scotland, Christina finds herself face-to-face with the same notorious painting --- and its dangerously handsome owner. Sir Aedan Arthur MacBride knows the local legend about the sleeping maiden, of course, but refuses to believe in such a curse. Then he gazes upon this very real maiden's face, and he knows he is utterly doomed ...
324 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 2, 2003
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138 people want to read
About the author
Susan King
64 books110 followersSusan King, née Longhi, is a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning author and a former art history lecturer. She holds a B.A. in art and an M.A. and most of a Ph.D. in art history, with postgraduate work in medieval studies. Her books are widely praised for historical detail and a lyrical writing style, and she has won multiple honors and awards for her novels written as Susan King, Sarah Gabriel, and Susan Fraser King. Susan visits Scotland as often as possible for research and relaxation, and lives in Maryland with her family.
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August 3, 2017Leí por ahí que "es una novela que te va atrapando lentamente....como la leyenda celta......muy lentamente"
Debe ser así porque llegué al capítulo 5 (pg 85) y no hay caso... no me atrapó.
La voy a dejar en suspenso para seguir leyéndola en otro momento
Debe ser así porque llegué al capítulo 5 (pg 85) y no hay caso... no me atrapó.
La voy a dejar en suspenso para seguir leyéndola en otro momento
October 22, 2011
Not sure why it's not mentioned on Susan Kings page, but this is book 2 in her heiress,princess,countess series.
July 22, 2021
Christina Blackburn is a widow and she is an antiquarian with the National museum. Thanks to her job she is sent to Dundrennan to investigate a wall that was found during blasting for a road to see if it had any historical significance. She does not want to go there because of a painting that was painted of her when she was younger that was considered scandalous and is now owned by the Laird.
Sir Aedan MacBride is Laird of Dundrennan through tragedy and even though he is a scientific man he still believes that his family is cursed. There is a local legend of a sleeping beauty that ties into the family curse. So he is very adamant not to fall in love. He is also very determined to finish his road as fast as he can despite having Christina there. The rest of the book is an interesting tale of them discovering the history of his lands and family with a few twists and turns.
I enjoyed this book. It is the 2nd in the series but other than having some of the characters from the 1st book (which I enjoyed) there was nothing that I needed to know from the previous one to read this one. There was some pretty imagery written in here and has some really good tales in it. I enjoyed reading it.
I got this book for free to review from ebook discovery in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own
Sir Aedan MacBride is Laird of Dundrennan through tragedy and even though he is a scientific man he still believes that his family is cursed. There is a local legend of a sleeping beauty that ties into the family curse. So he is very adamant not to fall in love. He is also very determined to finish his road as fast as he can despite having Christina there. The rest of the book is an interesting tale of them discovering the history of his lands and family with a few twists and turns.
I enjoyed this book. It is the 2nd in the series but other than having some of the characters from the 1st book (which I enjoyed) there was nothing that I needed to know from the previous one to read this one. There was some pretty imagery written in here and has some really good tales in it. I enjoyed reading it.
I got this book for free to review from ebook discovery in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own
July 20, 2021
Legend come to Life with touch of magic
You jump into the 6th century legend of the sleeping princess from the prologue and then we see how this affects so many things at Aedan's home, Dundrennan. Christina arrives as a scholar to investigate an ancient stone wall found while Aedan, a road engineer, is building a road through his property in 1858. These two are inexplicably, magically drawn together from the start, but there is also a curse to any wife of the Laird if he loves her, therefore Aedan does his best to avoid her (and generally fails). The conflicts are many layered from exploring the ancient wall versus completing the road, past tragedies on both their parts, other romantic player, and the stringent requirements of Aedan's father's which put the entire property into jeopardy.
Aedan's loving revelations are beautifully reveled, but Christina's are more jolting back and forth almost disjointed, presumably to reflect her wild spirit versus the plodding conservatism she has adopted to protect herself. There is, of course, also a quite satisfying ending. I have received this book for free from eBook Discovery and this is my voluntary, honest review.
You jump into the 6th century legend of the sleeping princess from the prologue and then we see how this affects so many things at Aedan's home, Dundrennan. Christina arrives as a scholar to investigate an ancient stone wall found while Aedan, a road engineer, is building a road through his property in 1858. These two are inexplicably, magically drawn together from the start, but there is also a curse to any wife of the Laird if he loves her, therefore Aedan does his best to avoid her (and generally fails). The conflicts are many layered from exploring the ancient wall versus completing the road, past tragedies on both their parts, other romantic player, and the stringent requirements of Aedan's father's which put the entire property into jeopardy.
Aedan's loving revelations are beautifully reveled, but Christina's are more jolting back and forth almost disjointed, presumably to reflect her wild spirit versus the plodding conservatism she has adopted to protect herself. There is, of course, also a quite satisfying ending. I have received this book for free from eBook Discovery and this is my voluntary, honest review.
July 6, 2021
According to the curse on his family, it was dangerous for Sir Aedan MacBride, Laird of Dundrennan, to find true love. When Cristina Blackburn comes to his estate to investigate possible discoveries for the museum, Aedan finds himself longing for dreams and wishes that he thought were impossible. Legends are present all the time. Cristina has a definite purpose and Aedan fights to keep her safe from his passion and his sad fate. First story I read from this Scottish Lairds series and found interesting the folklore, the intriguing paintings and was keeping an eye on the digging. Cristina's interesting character had me thinking in how she is involved in a passionate relationship when she believed everything was lost for her. Strong, smart and passionate woman no matter that others didn't see her for real. Many and detailed descriptions, a slow pace, a troubled romance, and a Machiavellian villain that was lurking in the dark. I voluntarily reviewed this book that I received free from eBooks Discovery.
July 21, 2021
His princess may just break the curse.
Sir Aedan MacBride is a Scottish laird with several problems, but the worst is an ancient curse that keeps him from marrying for love.
Mrs. Christina Blackburn has spent most of her adult life studying the past. After the death of her husband and the ensuing scandal, Christina has vowed to never, ever fall in love again.
Susan King's talent is showcased in Waking the Princess. The characters are likable and well suited. The story is interestingly sweet with a touch of myth, some humor, a few twists, and lots of romance. The charming ending and epilogue are both smile worthy.
My only complaint, and the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is the excessive descriptions. I understand relevant information, but not mundane details. Still, this book is a good read.
Content 411: This book contains very little swearing, but there are a couple of mildly descriptive sexually intimate scenes.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Sir Aedan MacBride is a Scottish laird with several problems, but the worst is an ancient curse that keeps him from marrying for love.
Mrs. Christina Blackburn has spent most of her adult life studying the past. After the death of her husband and the ensuing scandal, Christina has vowed to never, ever fall in love again.
Susan King's talent is showcased in Waking the Princess. The characters are likable and well suited. The story is interestingly sweet with a touch of myth, some humor, a few twists, and lots of romance. The charming ending and epilogue are both smile worthy.
My only complaint, and the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is the excessive descriptions. I understand relevant information, but not mundane details. Still, this book is a good read.
Content 411: This book contains very little swearing, but there are a couple of mildly descriptive sexually intimate scenes.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
September 7, 2021
This is an interesting read.
"An antiquarian for the National Museum, Christina Blackburn has her reasons for disguising her smoldering beauty with a pair of prim spectacles and an icy facade. She posed for a painting that scandalized the Victorian art world --- and it nearly ruined her life. Ever since, she has vowed to suppress her passionate nature and keep her identity a secret. But when the museum sends her on a trip across Scotland, Christina finds herself face-to-face with the same notorious painting --- and its dangerously handsome owner. Sir Aedan Arthur MacBride knows the local legend about the sleeping maiden, of course, but refuses to believe in such a curse. Then he gazes upon this very real maiden's face, and he knows he is utterly doomed ..." "I received this book from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review".
"An antiquarian for the National Museum, Christina Blackburn has her reasons for disguising her smoldering beauty with a pair of prim spectacles and an icy facade. She posed for a painting that scandalized the Victorian art world --- and it nearly ruined her life. Ever since, she has vowed to suppress her passionate nature and keep her identity a secret. But when the museum sends her on a trip across Scotland, Christina finds herself face-to-face with the same notorious painting --- and its dangerously handsome owner. Sir Aedan Arthur MacBride knows the local legend about the sleeping maiden, of course, but refuses to believe in such a curse. Then he gazes upon this very real maiden's face, and he knows he is utterly doomed ..." "I received this book from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review".
July 11, 2021
His love came back to him.
This is a tale center around a painting and a fairytale. The paint is of a young maiden and for the widow of the artist it holds bad memories it was a painting that should never had been sold. The fairytale was about a Druid warrior and his lovely lady who is wasting away and he could not let her go. This was a magical story where the fairytale blended into the lives of the characters. I will admit right from the first introduction of the character I knew who the bad guy was but I was still completely engaged in the book. I loved the flow and detail in this work the author did a splendid job. I highly recommend this book. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and voluntarily chose to review it.
This is a tale center around a painting and a fairytale. The paint is of a young maiden and for the widow of the artist it holds bad memories it was a painting that should never had been sold. The fairytale was about a Druid warrior and his lovely lady who is wasting away and he could not let her go. This was a magical story where the fairytale blended into the lives of the characters. I will admit right from the first introduction of the character I knew who the bad guy was but I was still completely engaged in the book. I loved the flow and detail in this work the author did a splendid job. I highly recommend this book. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and voluntarily chose to review it.
July 14, 2021
I absolutely loved this wonderful book. The history within the pages immediately drew me in and didn’t let me go till the end. I didn’t want to stop reading for anything, I wanted to find out if Aedan succumbed to what he was fighting or not. I loved how Christina was able to know so much she was extremely bright. Watching Aedan and Christina getting to know each other and pulling for them to make it was awesome. It was great how I was able to get to know the side characters and feel a part of everyone’s lives.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed this book. I also bought it cause I loved it so much.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed this book. I also bought it cause I loved it so much.
February 15, 2017
Cómo me encanta esta novela, esta autora. Voy leyendo la serie al revés, pero no importa. Es maravilloso cómo los personajes se sienten tan reales, tan llenos de su personalidad peculiar, por eso me ha encantado tanto el protagonista, se sentía su fuerza, su humor, su belleza. La historia es preciosa e inserta los elementos mágicos de forma tan natural, con muchos detalles, que resulta bellamente creíble. ¡Me declaro admiradora total de esta autora!!! Ya estoy leyendo el libro 1 de la serie, lástima que son solo 3.
October 30, 2020
i really wanted this book to be more whimsical than it was but it was still really sweet and fun. it was definitely insta-love but that doesn't really bother me and it worked with the story. i really enjoyed the lyricism of the writing and all the folklore and poetry tied into the story. i also am a sucker for anything arthurian so all the arthurian discoveries and stories in this were so fun to read about. overall a fun goodwill find.
February 12, 2017
4.5/5. Great writing elevating this magical story of suppressed love interwoven with an ancient legend of the cursed briar princess awaiting rescue by her beloved.
October 4, 2020
A tale filled with folklore and legends. Thoroughly entertaining with wonderful characters and storyline.
September 9, 2015
Historical Romance
Great characters and flowing story line. I loved the poetry tying the generations together along with the clash of the current generation trying to move forward engineering wise, intellectually, medically, and archaeologically. Even including up to date design and painting techniques, MS. King kept the readers attention forward while searching for clues like the characters for King Arthur in Aedan's past. Everyone, the readers and the characters wanted to save Aedan and find him true love.
Great characters and flowing story line. I loved the poetry tying the generations together along with the clash of the current generation trying to move forward engineering wise, intellectually, medically, and archaeologically. Even including up to date design and painting techniques, MS. King kept the readers attention forward while searching for clues like the characters for King Arthur in Aedan's past. Everyone, the readers and the characters wanted to save Aedan and find him true love.
August 11, 2012
Christina Blackburn, an antiquarian for the National Museum has her reasons for disguising her beauty with a pair of glasses and an icy facade. She posed for a painting that scandalized the Victorian art community and it nearly ruined her life. Now she travels to Scotland for work and comes face-to-face with the notorious painting and its handsome owner.
This had a refreshingly different plot. A good story.
This had a refreshingly different plot. A good story.
March 10, 2016
This book was close to perfect for me. It's set in a historical period that fascinates me, Victorian, and a place that fascinates me, Scotland. It has a Pre-Raphelite artist, a bookish heroine who is also an artist's model, a mystery and poetry involving a Druid and King Arthur. It has a library that is created from the grand hall of a Scottish castle, soaring up stories and full of historical treasures. I want more stories just like this one! Thank you, Susan King.
May 20, 2012
This is the first book I have read by this author and I did not realise that this was book 2 in a series until after I had read the book.It reads wel as a stand alone book.
It is a delightful story set in Scotland with charming characters, a bit of mystery, intrigue and romance.
It is a delightful story set in Scotland with charming characters, a bit of mystery, intrigue and romance.
May 27, 2016
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September 8, 2021
What a beautiful story. The yearning Aedan and Christina feel for each other is so well written. And the poetry of the story and its setting....just fantastically done.
June 4, 2008
I liked this romance better than King's first novel. This kept me entertained which is enough.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews