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Dark Deceiver
"Some things are stronger than a sense of honour, aren't they? Hunger, for example. Hunger for loving and the feel of a man. Let’s find out how hungry you are, shall we?"
The MacAllisters had been the enemies of the Struans for centuries. Dirk MacAllister had ruined her estate and her living, and now he was after her body and her soul. Well, Shona Struan would fight him, and fight him hard -- it was time for Dirk MacAllister to pay!
The MacAllisters had been the enemies of the Struans for centuries. Dirk MacAllister had ruined her estate and her living, and now he was after her body and her soul. Well, Shona Struan would fight him, and fight him hard -- it was time for Dirk MacAllister to pay!
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 25, 2019
The book starts with the 25 year old h Shona hearing that the H, Dirk, is back and that he is building some sort of resort on an island in a loch that the h’s and H’s families/clans historically have shared for grazing their sheep, even tho there is some sort of old animosity between the clans.
The h decides to confront him and in the first chapters we get to know that 5 years ago the h met the H and in the space of a few hours he has convinced her to come with him to the same island that is now in dispute. There they are trapped by a thunderstorm and pretty quickly the H starts seducing the h (I didn’t get the feeling of real insta love tho) don’t get me wrong, the h is with him all the way.
The h feels a little awkward in the car on the way home but the H says that since she might be pregnant he is going to ask her father for her hand in marriage. The h, tho already head over heels in love, is worried because of the feud between the families. They decide that he will come over the next morning so the h can break the news to her father first. Of course the father is upset (even if there were no feud it’s no wonder he is upset since his daughter is marrying someone she’s known for, what, 12 hours?)
Anyhoo when the H doesn't show up she calls his house and learns that he has skipped town.
Cut to present time again. Shona confronts the H at his home and some forceful kissing ensues. Dirk denies that there is something going on on “their” island. In fact he himself started the rumors to get the h to confront him (he has tried to contact her and wants to buy her estate. She is barely staying afloat) He asks her to marry him again. Shona thinks he just wants her estate. The H asks her to think on it. She feels that she has no choice if she doesn’t want to lose her home. She runs in to Dirk some weeks later and they have lunch together. He offers her a lone for 18 months, with no interest and if she can’t repay it and if the estate is still in trouble he has first dibs to by it. He explains that he only wants to make sure that it doesn't become a Disney like theme park. So if Shona can’t afford to live there he will buy it and she can manage it (sounds like a win/win deal to me!) they talk a bit about the proposal but is seems to be on the back burner. In the mids of the lunch an employee of Shonas comes and gets her. What fallows is the H and h hunting and punishing poachers. It is a funny bit but I felt it was to long and didn’t really have much to do with the plot.
The H goes away for some weeks and the h gets a phone call from her lawyer about a possible solution to her money problem. So she goes to Edinburgh and it turns out that the H’s company is making a whiskey and wants to use her estate name on the bottle. Which will be good advertisement for her tourist business. She likes the idea and the H talks her in to staying a couple of days in town. The spend the night together (after more misunderstandings and bickering) and the next day the H proposes again and tells her he loves her. She feels she can’t marry him since her fathers ghost always will be between them. We still don't know why Dirk disappeared 5 years ago. She goes back home.
Some may think Shona childish, and a suppose that some of her actions in the book comes of as such.
By this point I'm so over this book I skimmed the rest of it.
We find out the father chased the H out of town saying that he can come back 2 years from now because then he (the father) will be dead (he has a heart condition) But when Shona sees him at the funeral two years later she threatens him with a shotgun. So it takes three years more before he succeeds in seeing her again.
It takes the h’s housekeeper convincing Dirk to tell his side of the story and we have a boring HEA.
This was a waste of time for me. She loves him, He loves her and you get the feeling that they know it even if it isn’t said until the end of the book so what is the problem?
The insta love was not believable. What made him want her and sleep with her in one day? What was her motivation? The story was flat and one dimensional
I wanted more passion (both sexual and otherwise) in the story
End of rant. Phew
The h decides to confront him and in the first chapters we get to know that 5 years ago the h met the H and in the space of a few hours he has convinced her to come with him to the same island that is now in dispute. There they are trapped by a thunderstorm and pretty quickly the H starts seducing the h (I didn’t get the feeling of real insta love tho) don’t get me wrong, the h is with him all the way.
The h feels a little awkward in the car on the way home but the H says that since she might be pregnant he is going to ask her father for her hand in marriage. The h, tho already head over heels in love, is worried because of the feud between the families. They decide that he will come over the next morning so the h can break the news to her father first. Of course the father is upset (even if there were no feud it’s no wonder he is upset since his daughter is marrying someone she’s known for, what, 12 hours?)
Anyhoo when the H doesn't show up she calls his house and learns that he has skipped town.
Cut to present time again. Shona confronts the H at his home and some forceful kissing ensues. Dirk denies that there is something going on on “their” island. In fact he himself started the rumors to get the h to confront him (he has tried to contact her and wants to buy her estate. She is barely staying afloat) He asks her to marry him again. Shona thinks he just wants her estate. The H asks her to think on it. She feels that she has no choice if she doesn’t want to lose her home. She runs in to Dirk some weeks later and they have lunch together. He offers her a lone for 18 months, with no interest and if she can’t repay it and if the estate is still in trouble he has first dibs to by it. He explains that he only wants to make sure that it doesn't become a Disney like theme park. So if Shona can’t afford to live there he will buy it and she can manage it (sounds like a win/win deal to me!) they talk a bit about the proposal but is seems to be on the back burner. In the mids of the lunch an employee of Shonas comes and gets her. What fallows is the H and h hunting and punishing poachers. It is a funny bit but I felt it was to long and didn’t really have much to do with the plot.
The H goes away for some weeks and the h gets a phone call from her lawyer about a possible solution to her money problem. So she goes to Edinburgh and it turns out that the H’s company is making a whiskey and wants to use her estate name on the bottle. Which will be good advertisement for her tourist business. She likes the idea and the H talks her in to staying a couple of days in town. The spend the night together (after more misunderstandings and bickering) and the next day the H proposes again and tells her he loves her. She feels she can’t marry him since her fathers ghost always will be between them. We still don't know why Dirk disappeared 5 years ago. She goes back home.
Some may think Shona childish, and a suppose that some of her actions in the book comes of as such.
By this point I'm so over this book I skimmed the rest of it.
We find out the father chased the H out of town saying that he can come back 2 years from now because then he (the father) will be dead (he has a heart condition) But when Shona sees him at the funeral two years later she threatens him with a shotgun. So it takes three years more before he succeeds in seeing her again.
It takes the h’s housekeeper convincing Dirk to tell his side of the story and we have a boring HEA.
This was a waste of time for me. She loves him, He loves her and you get the feeling that they know it even if it isn’t said until the end of the book so what is the problem?
The insta love was not believable. What made him want her and sleep with her in one day? What was her motivation? The story was flat and one dimensional
I wanted more passion (both sexual and otherwise) in the story
End of rant. Phew
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
Alex Ryder certainly knew how to create angst and she always gets an extra star for her gorgeous descriptions of Bonny Scotland it really is a place I can't wait to go back and explore. I love the scenery she describes.
That aside we have a H and h who were done over super badly by her evil dad, god knows why he had such a grudge because these 2 had it bad for each other.
I liked the H. He wanted the h badly and fought the long fight for her he was in love from the start, there was no denying it. She was slightly bonkers and the bit with the poachers was just so OTT that it felt cheesy.
However, I still really liked this one its a shame there aren't more books by this author as I have enjoyed all of them so far.
That aside we have a H and h who were done over super badly by her evil dad, god knows why he had such a grudge because these 2 had it bad for each other.
I liked the H. He wanted the h badly and fought the long fight for her he was in love from the start, there was no denying it. She was slightly bonkers and the bit with the poachers was just so OTT that it felt cheesy.
However, I still really liked this one its a shame there aren't more books by this author as I have enjoyed all of them so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2021
2.5 ⭐️ I was looking forward to reading a story set in Scotland. (I blame it on Outlander) This love story didn’t quite match up to the emotional angst I want to get from my stories.
It’s a take on Romeo and Juliet without the lovers dying. Their “clans” have been warring for years. So we have the Macallisters(hero) and the Struans(heroine).
His dad is an alcoholic. Her dad is a mean cuss.(we actually do not find out the extent of his treachery until the end of the story) dirk and Shona
Heroine: Shona(25) when story opens. She had harbored a secret crush for her “enemy” since she was 15(along with the rest of the young ladies in town). However, due to their disagreeable daddies, they never really spoke to each other. Plus, the hero is 10 years older so he would have had enough morals to not give a 15 year old anything but a passing glance. It wasn’t until she was 20 that she gave both her heart and virginity to the hero.
Hero: Dirk(35) Was 30 when he noticed that the girl he never paid any attention to is now a fiery, beautiful Scot! They literally bump into each other and he asks her to lunch(the gossips were agog over this). They both agreed that the the grudge the families had against each other was outdated and dumb. He invites her along to go to the island where one of his boats ended up after a storm. While there, a crazy, mess of a storm crops up and they take refuge in a dilapidated Croft. Our h is soaked to the bone and the hero builds a fire. That is not going to get this h warm enough. He tells her to strip out of her clothing. The attraction that they had been feeling for the last 2 hours comes to a head.
Of course he is shocked and dismayed to find that she was a virgin. She believes he is going to do a wham, bam thank you mam routine, but instead he professes to love her and wants to marry her.(it’s been like 8 hours at the most). Now this scenario worked for Romeo and Juliet, but I wasn’t feeling it as much here. Anyhoo, the h says she will prep her father, and the hero will come by in the morning to ask for her hand in marriage.
She ends up having a huge row with her father over the impending visit. The next morning she waits for the hero to arrive.
He doesn’t show. In fact he packs his bags without a word, and doesn’t return until her dad passes away a couple of years later. The story opens 5 years later with a very pissed off 25 year old heroine, and an H who explains nothing about why he broke her heart except to say that it was an unavoidable trip. Our heroine confronts him about building on their “love” island, as that is shared land. He tells her that was a rumor he started to get her to come to him. At some point she loses her top and bra, and he proves to her that she is not immune to him. He also knows she is in financial trouble and is willing to help. In fact marriage would be a great option! Our h isn’t falling for that again.
Then the story throws them together to confront some poachers on the land. The hero defends the h’s honor against 5 men(so he does have courage, she thought he must be lacking it and that is why he didn't go to her father) The heroine takes the upper hand and teaches the poachers a lesson they will not forget.
After the poacher incident the h gets drunk and the hero carries her home. He has to leave for a few weeks. The next thing that happens is the h gets a call from her lawyer. She has an opportunity to get some money. She heads to Edinburgh. The hero shows up and wouldn’t you know it, he is behind the money thing. They get a hotel, have a row, then make up. He still doesn’t explain why he left her 5 years before, but does make disparaging remarks about her dad.
This is the 3rd person to make remarks about her dad, but she has her rose tinted lenses on and doesn’t see her dad for what he was. So she flees the hero and goes back home. Once there the housekeeper has more words about her dad. The hero walks in and is happy to see the housekeeper backing him up. Now we find out why the hero left the heroine.
Once the h gets the low down on things she still needs time to come to terms. The hero gives her a couple of days, they put some ghosts to rest, declare their vows of love again and decide they will build a new home on the land they both love. It is decided they have already decide their family will start with the birth of 2 sons followed by the birth of 2 daughters and then they will go from there.
I am not sure why this story didn’t work for me. There is no doubt that the Hero loved the h. He showed her over and over. Although not discussed, I am pretty sure he was celibate in the 5 years apart. She is everything he wants. She is feisty, beautiful, and well versed in country living. She doesn’t require baubles or discos but a pair of strong arms to hold her and a warm hearth. I really think he could have figured out a way to convince her that him leaving was a life or death situation, 5 years is way to long….
Then there is the heroine. She was so stupid when it came to her dad. He was not a good man or a good father. I get being hurt by the hero all those years ago, but lets move on. This man keeps doing things that would really only benefit you. Plus, you don’t even date, and within minutes of seeing the H again he has you stripped 1/2 way. This man is sexy, smart, and hard working. He has a much better repetition then her father could even aspire to . She missed so many clues.
The scene with the poachers? I guess so we could see that both the hero and heroine won’t back down from a fight, and they will have each other’s backs when times are tough. Overall, it was missing the heart and angst I like in my books. But Yeah to Scotland!!!!
It’s a take on Romeo and Juliet without the lovers dying. Their “clans” have been warring for years. So we have the Macallisters(hero) and the Struans(heroine).
His dad is an alcoholic. Her dad is a mean cuss.(we actually do not find out the extent of his treachery until the end of the story) dirk and Shona
Heroine: Shona(25) when story opens. She had harbored a secret crush for her “enemy” since she was 15(along with the rest of the young ladies in town). However, due to their disagreeable daddies, they never really spoke to each other. Plus, the hero is 10 years older so he would have had enough morals to not give a 15 year old anything but a passing glance. It wasn’t until she was 20 that she gave both her heart and virginity to the hero.
Hero: Dirk(35) Was 30 when he noticed that the girl he never paid any attention to is now a fiery, beautiful Scot! They literally bump into each other and he asks her to lunch(the gossips were agog over this). They both agreed that the the grudge the families had against each other was outdated and dumb. He invites her along to go to the island where one of his boats ended up after a storm. While there, a crazy, mess of a storm crops up and they take refuge in a dilapidated Croft. Our h is soaked to the bone and the hero builds a fire. That is not going to get this h warm enough. He tells her to strip out of her clothing. The attraction that they had been feeling for the last 2 hours comes to a head.
Of course he is shocked and dismayed to find that she was a virgin. She believes he is going to do a wham, bam thank you mam routine, but instead he professes to love her and wants to marry her.(it’s been like 8 hours at the most). Now this scenario worked for Romeo and Juliet, but I wasn’t feeling it as much here. Anyhoo, the h says she will prep her father, and the hero will come by in the morning to ask for her hand in marriage.
She ends up having a huge row with her father over the impending visit. The next morning she waits for the hero to arrive.
He doesn’t show. In fact he packs his bags without a word, and doesn’t return until her dad passes away a couple of years later. The story opens 5 years later with a very pissed off 25 year old heroine, and an H who explains nothing about why he broke her heart except to say that it was an unavoidable trip. Our heroine confronts him about building on their “love” island, as that is shared land. He tells her that was a rumor he started to get her to come to him. At some point she loses her top and bra, and he proves to her that she is not immune to him. He also knows she is in financial trouble and is willing to help. In fact marriage would be a great option! Our h isn’t falling for that again.
Then the story throws them together to confront some poachers on the land. The hero defends the h’s honor against 5 men(so he does have courage, she thought he must be lacking it and that is why he didn't go to her father) The heroine takes the upper hand and teaches the poachers a lesson they will not forget.
After the poacher incident the h gets drunk and the hero carries her home. He has to leave for a few weeks. The next thing that happens is the h gets a call from her lawyer. She has an opportunity to get some money. She heads to Edinburgh. The hero shows up and wouldn’t you know it, he is behind the money thing. They get a hotel, have a row, then make up. He still doesn’t explain why he left her 5 years before, but does make disparaging remarks about her dad.
This is the 3rd person to make remarks about her dad, but she has her rose tinted lenses on and doesn’t see her dad for what he was. So she flees the hero and goes back home. Once there the housekeeper has more words about her dad. The hero walks in and is happy to see the housekeeper backing him up. Now we find out why the hero left the heroine.
Once the h gets the low down on things she still needs time to come to terms. The hero gives her a couple of days, they put some ghosts to rest, declare their vows of love again and decide they will build a new home on the land they both love. It is decided they have already decide their family will start with the birth of 2 sons followed by the birth of 2 daughters and then they will go from there.
I am not sure why this story didn’t work for me. There is no doubt that the Hero loved the h. He showed her over and over. Although not discussed, I am pretty sure he was celibate in the 5 years apart. She is everything he wants. She is feisty, beautiful, and well versed in country living. She doesn’t require baubles or discos but a pair of strong arms to hold her and a warm hearth. I really think he could have figured out a way to convince her that him leaving was a life or death situation, 5 years is way to long….
Then there is the heroine. She was so stupid when it came to her dad. He was not a good man or a good father. I get being hurt by the hero all those years ago, but lets move on. This man keeps doing things that would really only benefit you. Plus, you don’t even date, and within minutes of seeing the H again he has you stripped 1/2 way. This man is sexy, smart, and hard working. He has a much better repetition then her father could even aspire to . She missed so many clues.
The scene with the poachers? I guess so we could see that both the hero and heroine won’t back down from a fight, and they will have each other’s backs when times are tough. Overall, it was missing the heart and angst I like in my books. But Yeah to Scotland!!!!
April 7, 2016
I liked that the hero knew he was in love with her and no matter what he wasn't going to let the world take her from him .... simple and sweet.... dealing with the poachers was a little silly
I liked the graveyard scene .....and it was a very nice HEA
I liked the graveyard scene .....and it was a very nice HEA
June 8, 2022
~ “If it’s any consolation to you, I can tell you that the last five years without you have been bleak and empty and not worth a damn.” ~
It’s a second chance story. He’s a man in love. He chases her and tries everything to get her to marry him.
But most of her income comes from shooting parties (hunting) and I just couldn’t get over the killing animals for fun or calling it a party.
Anyway, 3 stars because I do like a H who is open about his feelings for the h.
It’s a second chance story. He’s a man in love. He chases her and tries everything to get her to marry him.
But most of her income comes from shooting parties (hunting) and I just couldn’t get over the killing animals for fun or calling it a party.
Anyway, 3 stars because I do like a H who is open about his feelings for the h.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews