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Medieval Misadventures #2
Bride of the Isle
"Get out, Ye bloodthirsty half-breed"--Since the infamous Battle of Falkirk, Cristiane MacDhiubh had these words and worse hurled at her in the village streets. Half Scot, half English, she could claim no place as home--until the Lord of Bitterlee, as gallant a knight as any could dream, came in search of a bride. Marriage had been naught but sadness for Adam Sutton, yet duty demanded he wed again. Cristiane MacDhiubh, as fey and wild as his own island fiefdom, might rouse his forgetten passions. But brave of heart though she might be, could Cristiane ever heal his sorrowing soul?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Margo Maguire
63 books146 followersAs a nice, sane break from the drama and fast pace of working as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit, Margo Maguire returned to college to study history, and fell in love. Writing about the historical characters she encountered in her classes was a good way to unwind from a crazy day in the unit. She soon started creating her own fictional characters and putting them into historical settings.
Margo is the author of twenty historical romance novels. Her books have been published in numerous languages, and have even come out in Japan as manga—animated books. She is the mother of three grown children and lives with her scientist husband in southern Michigan.
Margo is the author of twenty historical romance novels. Her books have been published in numerous languages, and have even come out in Japan as manga—animated books. She is the mother of three grown children and lives with her scientist husband in southern Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 22, 2016
This is a perfectly ok book for someone who wants a story to pass 2 hours. I went through this book very quickly because it is a solid story without complications. By that I mean, the story has everything it needs to be a good read but I did not have any emotional responses while reading the story.
This book has an English widower Adam Sutton and a "wild" Scotswoman Cristiane MacDhiubh. The book followed them from Cristiane's hometown to Adam's hold on the Isle of Bitterlee where Cristiane built a relationship Adam's daughter. That is basically the entire story and I have no complaints about the writing.
But I had a few qualms about the characters and the pace. Adam kept thinking how unsuitable Cristiane was because she was not sophisticated enough. That annoyed me a lot. He was attracted to her but she was just not fancy enough for him. This "conflict" held up well into 2/3 of the book. And this had a negative impact on the pace. It just dragged because we keep reading about Adam's reluctance to become closer to Cristiane. And nothing happened between them except a few stolen glances and one brief kiss. They did not really have any pull between them, just 1 man wanting to tup a woman who he believed was not good enough to be his wife and 1 woman who was attracted to said man and was rather desperate for his touch.
This book has an English widower Adam Sutton and a "wild" Scotswoman Cristiane MacDhiubh. The book followed them from Cristiane's hometown to Adam's hold on the Isle of Bitterlee where Cristiane built a relationship Adam's daughter. That is basically the entire story and I have no complaints about the writing.
But I had a few qualms about the characters and the pace. Adam kept thinking how unsuitable Cristiane was because she was not sophisticated enough. That annoyed me a lot. He was attracted to her but she was just not fancy enough for him. This "conflict" held up well into 2/3 of the book. And this had a negative impact on the pace. It just dragged because we keep reading about Adam's reluctance to become closer to Cristiane. And nothing happened between them except a few stolen glances and one brief kiss. They did not really have any pull between them, just 1 man wanting to tup a woman who he believed was not good enough to be his wife and 1 woman who was attracted to said man and was rather desperate for his touch.
August 14, 2019
This was a nice story, I read a comment indicating the racism in this book, white against white and agree wholeheartedly.
Racism has been around since the beginning of mankind, Cro-magnon man hated the Neanderthals because they were different..lol, and it will remain until the end of mankind.
It took her saving someone for people to see that she is human. No one asked to be born into this world the way they are, we all need to start looking at each other as people, and understand that racism is EVERYWHERE, not just focused on one race against another, but within races as well.
Racism has been around since the beginning of mankind, Cro-magnon man hated the Neanderthals because they were different..lol, and it will remain until the end of mankind.
It took her saving someone for people to see that she is human. No one asked to be born into this world the way they are, we all need to start looking at each other as people, and understand that racism is EVERYWHERE, not just focused on one race against another, but within races as well.
January 21, 2014
I find it interesting that, at one point, English/Scottish relations were at the same level of prejudice as more modern day examples. I wonder if humans will ever get over themselves?
May 18, 2021
This historical romance dragged at many places as it was very repetitive, with regard to the main characters‘ description of their feelings and thoughts.
It was mainly about a heroine, who because of her half-scot and half-English origins had a very low self-esteem and a very high inferiority complex.
I did not like the hero particularly, because of his very poor judgment with regard to the heroine: he formed his opinion of her based only on her looks. On the one hand he lusted after her (because of her hot looks), on the other hand he thought her barbaric and uneducated (because her clothing was of inferior quality and she had no shoes when they first met).
The end felt rushed
It was mainly about a heroine, who because of her half-scot and half-English origins had a very low self-esteem and a very high inferiority complex.
I did not like the hero particularly, because of his very poor judgment with regard to the heroine: he formed his opinion of her based only on her looks. On the one hand he lusted after her (because of her hot looks), on the other hand he thought her barbaric and uneducated (because her clothing was of inferior quality and she had no shoes when they first met).
The end felt rushed
March 2, 2024
I liked the writing, it was really fitting for the setting but not so hard to read that I couldn't comprehend it. Adam and cristianes relationship is super cute but I wish there was more plot to the book then just monologs of how much they love the other 😭
May 17, 2020
It was a good quick read. An enjoyable few hours.
November 28, 2022
Mijn eerste stationsromannetje. En ook mijn laatste.
Ergens wel een leuk tijdverdrijf. Als je niet weet wat er nog te lezen valt.
Ergens wel een leuk tijdverdrijf. Als je niet weet wat er nog te lezen valt.
September 21, 2014
I absolutely loved this story! I can't say enough good things about it. Written in the year 1300, the story takes place during the time of William Wallace, the Scottish commoner who led the rebellion against English rule. Consequently, it was a time of bitter hatred between the people of those two countries. Nicely written, with three dimensional characters, the story that unfolds is positively riveting!
Our heroine, Cristiane, is the half Scottish/half English daughter of a minor Lowland Scottish Laird. When her father is killed during a skirmish, Cristiane and her English mother are left without protection, and quickly descend into poverty. Lady Elizabeth realized that there could be no future in Scotland for her half-English daughter, as she (as well as Elizabeth) was barely tolerated by the members of her clan. As a result, Lady Elizabeth swiftly made plans for her Cristiane's future. One aspect of the plan was a possible marriage between Cristian and the hero, Adam Sutton, Earl of Bitterlee, and barring that a future home for Cristy with Elizabeth's brother, the Earl of York.
Adam is a wonderful hero. He's honorable, kind, caring, and dependable. After enduring an unhappy marriage for five years, Adam was widowed and left with a young daughter, who has all but withdrawn from the world. Although he's not happy about the prospect, Adam realizes that he needs to remarry in order to produce an heir, and to give Margaret a much-needed mother. To that end, he agrees to the plan, set in place by his close friend and seneschal, Sir Charles, to have Cristiane and Lady Elizabeth brought to his home, on the Isle of Bitterlee, in order to assess whether or not Cristiane would make him a proper wife. Unfortunatley, before Adam can arrive to escort the ladies, Lady Elizabeth dies, and Cristiane's life descends into worst straits.
When Adam first lays eyes on Cristiane, not only is she dressed in clothing more suitable to a peasant, she is also in her barefeet. Although he is attracted to Cristiane's obvious beauty, Adam quickly judges her to be a bloodthirsty, wild, uneducated Scot, wholly unsuitable for the role of his countess. Nonetheless, being an honorable gentleman, Adam is resolved to seeing Cristiane safely delivered to her her uncle. To that end, he takes her to Bitterlee in order to arrange a proper escort to take her to York.
Despite his resolution to see Cristiane on her way to York as soon as possible, and his belief that she would not make him an acceptable wife, Adam's attraction for Cristiane intensifies, as the two travel together to Bitterlee. Nevertheless, Adam is unswerving in his decision not to dishonor Cristiane. I really loved that about Adam. He is always protective of Cristiane, always respectful of her and her feelings, and is committed to treating her as is her due as a lady--despite her less than lady-like appearance.
Once Cristiane and Adam reach the Isle, the story continues to unfold at a nice quick pace to the HEA. In spite of his reservations about Cristiane's suitability to be his countess, Adam's feelings for her continue to grow and eventually develop into love. Very soon Adam comes to the realization that Cristy is the perfect partner for him, a fact that is only enhanced by the quick bond she establishes with his daughter, Margaret. A bit of tension is added to the plot by way of Adam's embittered uncle, who takes every opportunity undermine Cristy's confidence and demean her. The relationship between Adam and Cristiane, although it progresses quickly, seemed very natural, and I was completely convinced of their love for each other.
I really loved this book and without hesitation recommend it as a worthwhile read. I definitely plan on reading others books by this author in the near future. FYI, this is not a clean romance, although there is no sex until after marriage. A fact I absolutely loved! Furthermore, although descriptive, the love scene is not overly graphic and does include the use of any crude language...it can be easily skipped. Happy reading!
Our heroine, Cristiane, is the half Scottish/half English daughter of a minor Lowland Scottish Laird. When her father is killed during a skirmish, Cristiane and her English mother are left without protection, and quickly descend into poverty. Lady Elizabeth realized that there could be no future in Scotland for her half-English daughter, as she (as well as Elizabeth) was barely tolerated by the members of her clan. As a result, Lady Elizabeth swiftly made plans for her Cristiane's future. One aspect of the plan was a possible marriage between Cristian and the hero, Adam Sutton, Earl of Bitterlee, and barring that a future home for Cristy with Elizabeth's brother, the Earl of York.
Adam is a wonderful hero. He's honorable, kind, caring, and dependable. After enduring an unhappy marriage for five years, Adam was widowed and left with a young daughter, who has all but withdrawn from the world. Although he's not happy about the prospect, Adam realizes that he needs to remarry in order to produce an heir, and to give Margaret a much-needed mother. To that end, he agrees to the plan, set in place by his close friend and seneschal, Sir Charles, to have Cristiane and Lady Elizabeth brought to his home, on the Isle of Bitterlee, in order to assess whether or not Cristiane would make him a proper wife. Unfortunatley, before Adam can arrive to escort the ladies, Lady Elizabeth dies, and Cristiane's life descends into worst straits.
When Adam first lays eyes on Cristiane, not only is she dressed in clothing more suitable to a peasant, she is also in her barefeet. Although he is attracted to Cristiane's obvious beauty, Adam quickly judges her to be a bloodthirsty, wild, uneducated Scot, wholly unsuitable for the role of his countess. Nonetheless, being an honorable gentleman, Adam is resolved to seeing Cristiane safely delivered to her her uncle. To that end, he takes her to Bitterlee in order to arrange a proper escort to take her to York.
Despite his resolution to see Cristiane on her way to York as soon as possible, and his belief that she would not make him an acceptable wife, Adam's attraction for Cristiane intensifies, as the two travel together to Bitterlee. Nevertheless, Adam is unswerving in his decision not to dishonor Cristiane. I really loved that about Adam. He is always protective of Cristiane, always respectful of her and her feelings, and is committed to treating her as is her due as a lady--despite her less than lady-like appearance.
Once Cristiane and Adam reach the Isle, the story continues to unfold at a nice quick pace to the HEA. In spite of his reservations about Cristiane's suitability to be his countess, Adam's feelings for her continue to grow and eventually develop into love. Very soon Adam comes to the realization that Cristy is the perfect partner for him, a fact that is only enhanced by the quick bond she establishes with his daughter, Margaret. A bit of tension is added to the plot by way of Adam's embittered uncle, who takes every opportunity undermine Cristy's confidence and demean her. The relationship between Adam and Cristiane, although it progresses quickly, seemed very natural, and I was completely convinced of their love for each other.
I really loved this book and without hesitation recommend it as a worthwhile read. I definitely plan on reading others books by this author in the near future. FYI, this is not a clean romance, although there is no sex until after marriage. A fact I absolutely loved! Furthermore, although descriptive, the love scene is not overly graphic and does include the use of any crude language...it can be easily skipped. Happy reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2013
There was just something different about this book from the normal historical romances. It caught and kept my attention all the way through. I really liked the characters and their relationships. Much better than many books of this kind I have read!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews