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Adventures of a Scottish Heiress
She was determined to marry for love, never expecting that her adventures would lead her to a lifetime of passion.
The Runaway Heiress
Like many a Regency miss, Lyssa Harrell longs for love, but knows her duty lies in marriage. Still, when her father promises her hand to a dissolute but well-connected lord, she does the unthinkable ... she flees to Scotland. Not to Gretna Green, but to her family -- and to the castle where her mother once had been so happy. In this romantic land she will discover her heart's desire.
A Man Seeking His Fortune
But she doesn't count on Ian Campion. The ruggedly handsome man has his fetch the runaway daughter home! Ian has a price on his head and a dire need for the reward Lyssa's father offers. Tracking Lyssa down is easy enough, convincing her to return is difficult ... and not seducing her is impossible.
And Their Scandalous Adventures
Soon, Lyssa is on the adventure of a lifetime. She has to sleep in the great outdoors, and flee from mysterious attempts on her life. She knows she's ruined in the eyes of society, but she is willing to face true ruin -- and risk everything for the unimaginable passion she finds in Ian's strong arms. And when they return to civilization, the two must confront the most perilous adventure of all ... admitting their unanticipated love.
The Runaway Heiress
Like many a Regency miss, Lyssa Harrell longs for love, but knows her duty lies in marriage. Still, when her father promises her hand to a dissolute but well-connected lord, she does the unthinkable ... she flees to Scotland. Not to Gretna Green, but to her family -- and to the castle where her mother once had been so happy. In this romantic land she will discover her heart's desire.
A Man Seeking His Fortune
But she doesn't count on Ian Campion. The ruggedly handsome man has his fetch the runaway daughter home! Ian has a price on his head and a dire need for the reward Lyssa's father offers. Tracking Lyssa down is easy enough, convincing her to return is difficult ... and not seducing her is impossible.
And Their Scandalous Adventures
Soon, Lyssa is on the adventure of a lifetime. She has to sleep in the great outdoors, and flee from mysterious attempts on her life. She knows she's ruined in the eyes of society, but she is willing to face true ruin -- and risk everything for the unimaginable passion she finds in Ian's strong arms. And when they return to civilization, the two must confront the most perilous adventure of all ... admitting their unanticipated love.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2003
89 people are currently reading
686 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Maxwell
71 books2,192 followersCATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, "Why do people fall in love?" It remains for her the mystery of life and the secret to happiness.
She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.
Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell.com and she'd love for you to swing by.)
She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.
Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell.com and she'd love for you to swing by.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 24, 2012
It took me a little while to get into the story. I thought this author wrote a very romantic and sweet novel. For some reason, I just couldn't pick up the momentum of the book. The main characters were strong and the romance played very well. It was just that there were several "red herrings" that were thrown in that kind of hampered the story. The "Scooby Doo" ending kind of left me thinking "OK". I think the story played very well until the end. The ending felt slightly tacked-on and rushed.
I did like this author Cathy Maxwell; she crafted a good romantic story and I am looking forward to reading her other novels.
I did like this author Cathy Maxwell; she crafted a good romantic story and I am looking forward to reading her other novels.
March 13, 2018
I bought this a while back,& was sort of in the mood for a Scottish book,& the synopsis sounded good, so I was excited to read it.
When a whore leans out of the window and calls to him by name, I was thinking here we go again, and right at the beginning of the book. A feather could have knocked me down when Ian ignored her, 'as he always did.' And said 'he didn't consort with whores.' Of course the next sentence 'there was no time in his life for women or other pleasurable pursuits--not while he had a family to support' made me think he'd do it if he didn't have a family to support.
This sounded like something else: 'there were things he'd had to do to earn money he'd rather not have his family know.' "My service didn't come cheap and I'll not do anything illegal." It should have been explained. Was he hired to kill people?
His sister Fiona has the gift of sight, which is all too common in Scottish books for some reason.
This sounded modern. "My daughter is a bit of a blue stocking, except, of course, she prefers novels with, well, you know, with romance."
The tarrot card reading was ridiculous & made no sense: "you must use your powers. You must take hold of the moment and find strength."
"Lust will give you strength."
"Use your woman-power to make him your protector."
It made it sound like through the power of sex, she could make him her protector. It sounded really sappy & ridiculous.
The scene snippet at the beginning of the book was him finding her & I thought it sounded so blasé. He just appears out of the woods. Reading it, it's even worse. She's with the gypsies & he just shows up at camp. We didn't get to hear of his journey to find her. He says "I'm from your father" which is a really weird wording for your father sent me.
I didn't appreciate that the gypsies were all swindlers & the "mom" used to own a bawdy house. I wonder how Ian knew that if he said he didn't consort with whores.
I've never in my life seen such calm when being shot at. A bullet narrowly misses her head, they all stand debating who it was aimed at and by whom. There's no shock, terror. I find it hard to believe someone 'a bit naive' and who you 'have to treat with kid gloves' wouldn't be scared. She actually says "Yes, but the shot was aimed at me."
He thinks it's men her dad sent to kill the men who kidnapped her. Why would they do that, when her dad agreed to any retribution Ian wanted?
There's another shot 'definitely marked for Miss Harrell.' And she goes "see? He's shooting at me!"
Of course he dives in the wagon after her & lands in between her legs with a hand on her breast. I love forced chemistry.
When Ian shoots someone in the head, that is when Lyssa screams, but not before when she was being shot at.
The dialogue is weird: "you aren't like any of the other men in my father's employ."
"He hired me special."
His last name bugs me, Campion. It makes me wanna say Champion.
All the feelings were annoying. In the wagon, they were pressed close, intimately. All this talk of intimate. He used her name, intimately. He was touching her, intimately.
She goes from saying her dad wouldn't kill her to maybe you're right, he's forgotten about her since the baby. That's a huge accusation to throw out so casually.& just because he's preoccupied with the baby doesn't mean he wants you dead.
This was odd to say: 'I smell of Trade." Idk why it was capitalized,& how you can smell of a profession.
'She was ashamed of herself for not using it earlier, because she of all people knew what it was like to be treated as if she didn't matter.
Still, he was only an Irishman...'
That is not ok to say,& I'm surprised people looked so unfavorably on the Irish.
Of course there's a drunken spectacle at the inn,& Ian has to show how manly& amazing he is.& by the time Lyssa runs down there, the fight is completely over, she doesn't notice that all the bad guys have left,& that it's only the old innkeeper, his young son and Ian there. No, she just charges out like an idiot and knocks the innkeeper out with a pottery jar on the head. I was embarrassed of her.
The very worn out plot where he wakes up curled around her with his hand on her breast that is in so many novels. Does this actually happen in real life? Does anyone wake up like this?
She says she saw nothing but his butt and chest in the lake, but then knows what she felt in her backside was his obvious arousal. And that at the lake 'she instinctively understood exactly what had been poking into her backside.' In these romance books, idk how innocent girls know about this. And if you didn't see his junk, then how do you know what it is?
She finds him the most handsome man she'd ever met. Again, why does the man have to be the most handsome,& why the woman the most beautiful? It isn't realistic.
The authors refers to horses as cattle, twice. Cattle are cows. I figured she meant chattel.
He said she wasn't knowledgeable in the ways of men, and she thought she was but she was no practiced flirt. She def doesn't think she's a flirt.
They come across a farmer who of course is entranced by Lyssa, even as he mentions his wife. He knows Ian considers him a threat, although why you'd consider a stranger who you'll never see again as a threat is beyond me. Especially considering he's married.
Mr. Anderson was a disgusting character, putting his hand on her thigh,& when she asks about his wife he said she's the very best and puts his hand back on her leg. I was infuriated that Ian let it go on so long, long enough for Anderson to kiss her on the mouth before he intervened.
There wasn't room enough for Lyssa to even slide over on the wagon seat but all of a sudden Ian fits in between them, with her only half sitting on his leg. How was there initially not enough room for her and Anderson, but now there's room for two big, grown men,& half your butt on the seat?
In a romance bk they have to fit like a puzzle: she feels very comfortable sitting close to him on the wagon, and her shoulder fit beneath his very well.
His wife comes out, pregnant with their fifth kid. "Angus, I'm glad you are home," the woman said w/o acknowledging the kiss.' How can you acknowledge it? Saying thanks for the kiss? And is that supposed to show us why he cheats? Because his wife doesn't 'acknowledge' his kiss??
The names James Potter is uncanny! I instantly think of Harry Potter.
Anderson's wife says "angus has a habit of, um, moving around at night. You will want to lock the door.' She knows she means he cheats on her. How awful. This poor woman.
I couldn't effing believe this: She hears a couple off in the night, and it's Ian with the widow. She'd removed his jacket and was pulling his shirt from his waist. They were kissing& he had his hand on her breast.
She wonders if he wasn't drunk because he wasn't acting himself,& was frowning. Aw well that makes it ok. As long as he's frowning while making out w/ someone else, then it's ok!
Another woman shows up,& he ends up with his arm around both, kissing both of them.
As if it wasn't enough, the freaking widow somehow follows them home,& appears at lyssa's door, looking for Ian. She hears whispered voices and soft sighs and a feminine laugh turning into a gasp of surprise. I thought this freaking author was actually going to have Ian have sex with another woman.
'Yes, earlier in the evening he'd been kissing any willing woman...but the one he wanted, the one he'd tried not to think about was right here beside him.' Just earlier on the page he said Lyssa had a strong sense of self& more pride than was prudent, things they had in common. Apparently not.
I don't tolerate kissing/sex with other ppl after the MC's meet. That's cheating to me.
The part where she asked for a kiss was so random. She's talking about her mom and then all of a sudden asks if he'll kiss her. It blows my mind you'd want to kiss him the very night he was kissing two other women. And actually brings up that he must know how to kiss, with the reaction he got from the widow.
'In the vague, dreamy recesses of her mind, she had her arms around Ian, her thigh wrapped around his--
She sat up, shocked into wakefulness. She had no idea where such vivid, erotic images sprang from,& remembered his refusing her kiss last night.'
Hm, perhaps from him and the widow, which was the very image you saw that night?
She snoops through his knapsack,& finds a crucifix,& it's funny the deal she's making about him being catholic, wondering if her dad knew he hired a catholic.
There was suddenly a surprise when he said there was a price on his head for treason.
He tells her his secrets& she says he was offering in his own tight-lipped, cautious way, the possibility of something more between them. He wasn't doing that at all, he was putting her off.
Of course her cousin has to find Ian attractive, because every woman finds him attractive & every man finds Lyssa attractive. This is also a common occurrence of romance bks. Her cousin calls her "coz" which sounds very modern,& says that Lyssa hasn't introduced her companion. Ian introduced himself from the get go.
The expression 'nothing more, nothing less' was used too much.
She's bustier than Anice, her waist thinner, and thinks she probably looks better than Anice does. Wow, that was a put down.
She finds Anice standing in her room, staring at the tarot card of the Knight of Swords. She asks so the card holds your future,& she says my fate, there is a difference. What is the difference?
Fielder and his gang are at her family's castle, saying it wasn't hard to figure out once they knew she was headed for Scotland. It isn't explained how they found out she was going to Scotland. They say 'her ladyship' knew her connection to Scotland.
Her cousin Ramsay asks why would Lyssa side with them against her father, and she says for the money, because everyone's excuse was money there. But she wouldn't get the money, her cousin Ramsay was trying to get it. That doesn't even make any sense.
Its amazing what they consider an insult: "I don't dine with scum," Lyssa replied succinctly, her manner as polite and pleasant as a dehutante's but speaking words her father would understand. She wasn't her father's daughter without a reason.'
'She'd have one shot, no more, no less.' That expression doesn't even make sense there, just say you have one shot.
When she's locked in her room,& told not to try anything and she smiles a response I thought she was planning to escape through the window. But she goes to sit at the desk and lays her head on her arms, saying "please, mama, help me." There wasn't an answer, because her mom is dead, and she 'did the only thing she could do. She wept.' That is not the only thing you could do. You could be escaping. It isn't until later that night when she's awoken mysteriously that she thinks of the window. She's guided by the scent of roses& thinks it's her mom.
In romance books it's all about appearance. She quickly braids her hair and ties it off, but 'her curls sprung out this way and that, but she didn't care.' Who cares what your hair looks like when you're escaping?
Even more ridiculous than her mom guiding her to Ian was him calling her in his mind.
'Their lips fit together perfectly. Everything about them fit together perfectly.' This kind of drivel is what ruins romance books. It's so cliche, sappy,& overdone.
'Ian had kissed more than his share of women, but none was as sweet and tempting as this one.' I hate hearing of their past, and how are we to believe out of hordes of women she's the most tempting?
Their first kiss was in the stable after she rescues him,& again on the horse when they should be riding away.
Of course Fielder& them show up because apparently the route they took was the only possible route to take.
The 'fight' was messy and unrealistic,& in the end, disappointing. Ramsay ends up shooting Fielder for shooting his horse. Then Ramsay goes to fight Ian, sees Lyssa running away because she hadn't done so before when Ian told her, so Ian has to tell her again, right in front of Ramsay. Ramsay takes off after her, Ian gets on Fielder's horse, jumps on Ramsay and they both go rolling away. Ian goes to punch him...only to see Ramsay has broken his neck. So there's really no fight.
He calls her cailin, which is Irish for girl. It goes from being italicized to capitalized and not in italics, like it's a name.
'The male part of him, the one wags swore had more power over men's heads than their hearts and brains did.' What are wags?
They're having sex in this shepherd's building: 'Here was the meaning of life. Her reason for being.'
'The life force moved from him and into her--and she was complete. Whole. One.
He eased down on her with a satisfied sound of his own fulfillment--a lover's highest praise.'
That is so sappy I can't even take it! &how would she know a lover's highest praise?
'Her answer was to reach down and boldly brush the length of it.' I didn't like how she kept referring to his junk as 'it.'
I don't appreciate things being brought up or even hinted at after they make love. His salve recipe came from a Portuguese woman all the men went to in the army before any military quack. She asks how he wheedled it out if her, her mind going to obvious conclusions. He says he saved her son from a bullet,& I was surprised it wasn't something else.. She shifts her gaze away from him and says "so, I'm not the first life you've saved" which is bizarre & like you're jealous.
He says "I think I've loved you ever since you crashed that ironstone pitcher across the innkeeper's head.' Which means he kissed 2 women after loving her.
"That is, if you'll have me."
"Oh, Ian, such a stupid question." Just answer it.
He says "it's not, Lyssa, I have nothing--" and she cuts him off saying "you have me. You'll always have me" which was sweet but on the next page when he says "I have nothin to offer right now" and corrects with "you have me" but it's annoying here because it sounds like she's saying he needs nothing else but her.
They have an impromptu vow exchange, which was odd because you need a priest for that, but also kinda cute when she says is this our church then and he says are we not before god?
At one point she said she didn't care about her stepmom trying to kill her, or something,& now says "I'm happy to remove myself from her sphere but what happens if some day in the future--his life could be in danger" & it sounds so ridiculous. She makes it sound ordinary that her stepmom is trying to kill her,& is all I'll just step out of the way!
It's so annoying she asks her dad to come alone& he brings Parker & his wife, Grossett & his mom.
She tells her father "I've met the Davidsons. I understand why you would wish to never see them again." She didn't even mention they're all murderers, she made it sound like they're all snobby or boors.
When asked who'd want to murder her she says her stepmother. Her stepmom says I would not hurt you! And Lyssa says I don't accuse you lightly. She heard the truth from Fielder's mouth. She's accused her from the start!
So Grosset's mom did it. I was truly surprised. She said she couldn't let him betray his heritage for money. Grossly says Lyssa was their only way out, because he can't pay her gambling debts any longer. And his mom says the clubs still accept her vouchers, but doors would be shut if he married Lyssa. I found this ironic because she's the one in debt from gambling.
This line from Harrel was funny: "you care for her money, and that would have been acceptable, my lord, since I covet your title."
It's ridiculous that Grossett says "look at her. She's been had" as if you can see that kind of thing, like it's written on her forehead.
She used this expression twice: there was a fathers steel behind his voice.
"This man could be the father of the babe I might already be carrying."
He's def the father. You mean he's the father of the baby you might be carrying.
"I love her." "I'm certain you do."
Just the page before he accused him of trying to get her money and of acting.
It wasn't right Ian didn't take the money due to him, saying harrel would twist it to his benefit.
It really wasn't right when Harrell mentioned his nephew Liam and said he'd do what he must to protect his family.
Things seem to be testy with the Irish then. And sad to hear.
"More money than your poor Irish brain could ever have thought possible."
He says he can live with her hating him but he can't live with her married to Ian. He asks because I'm Irish, and he says because you don't have enough and never will.
I couldn't believe it when Ian left and Lyssa stayed in the carriage and left with her dad and stepmom. And says "I won't forget him, father" as if accepting the whole thing!
Ian had to leave London, and he sailed to Maryland. She asks if he paid him well, and then says he earned it. Thank you, papa. I wondered wth she was thanking him for. He was due money anyway& he wouldn't be leaving if it wasn't for her father.
I hate when authors act like they're really going to be separated: 'someday she'd feel complete again. But right now, it was as if she'd lost half her soul, half her conscience, half her reason for being.'
I couldn't believe it when Ian said he did sail on the tide, but forgot something he cared about. He was actually going to leave without her?
On the boat that will carry them to the ship and his sisters, he hands her the card of the Knight of Swords. And it hit me that she never told him what it was, that it represented him. Also lust never came into the picture until the journey home. It's like she forgot all about the reading.
It also hit me how it doesn't make sense that they're all leaving. Why not stay??
'He knew that someday he would make his peace with the church. He must. He had to give his son tradition.' I feel like their should be an explanation here. What was going on with Catholics then? Could they not practice? Is that why Ian isn't religious?
The epilogue covers the birth of their baby. It was odd she asked what would he give her for such a fine baby,& he says your weight in gold. Why would you ask to get something for having a baby? And the theme weight in gold, from him being paid to capture her was off to come up then.
Props to the author for not having Ian suddenly come into money through a long-lost duke for a dad or grandpa. That is seriously annoying. I'm glad she chose him even though he's poor.
Some things were modern: mumbo jumbo, shagged, sweetie, dick, thought he was god's gift to women, and smoochy.
There were lil typos& major ones idk how you miss:
'He'd always been a easy dupe for idealism.'
'There was a trace of bitterness her voice.'
'He was left to prepare hiself.'
'Her expressive widened.'
'Now what the devil as he supposed to do?'
'He smiled against his skin.'
'She still choose Ian.'
'Placed her hand on her arm.'
She asks what is the allure of the Irish hero,& then I realized I was giped out of a Scottish romance. He was Irish, she was raised in London. Despite them going to Scotland, this wasn't the Scottish hero heroine romance I thought.
I like that in her acknowledgements she said she had a fine reading list for her research & would post it on her website.
This wasn't original. It would have been much better w/o all the cliche, dramatic, sappy, overdone things. I found the female MC to be dramatic w/Ian at first, her temper constantly flaring. I find it exhausting when an MC is so emotional like that. Ian kissing those two women cast a huge blemish on this bk & I didn't like him after that. I was pretty engrossed in this, though. I'd read more from this author.
2.5 stars.
When a whore leans out of the window and calls to him by name, I was thinking here we go again, and right at the beginning of the book. A feather could have knocked me down when Ian ignored her, 'as he always did.' And said 'he didn't consort with whores.' Of course the next sentence 'there was no time in his life for women or other pleasurable pursuits--not while he had a family to support' made me think he'd do it if he didn't have a family to support.
This sounded like something else: 'there were things he'd had to do to earn money he'd rather not have his family know.' "My service didn't come cheap and I'll not do anything illegal." It should have been explained. Was he hired to kill people?
His sister Fiona has the gift of sight, which is all too common in Scottish books for some reason.
This sounded modern. "My daughter is a bit of a blue stocking, except, of course, she prefers novels with, well, you know, with romance."
The tarrot card reading was ridiculous & made no sense: "you must use your powers. You must take hold of the moment and find strength."
"Lust will give you strength."
"Use your woman-power to make him your protector."
It made it sound like through the power of sex, she could make him her protector. It sounded really sappy & ridiculous.
The scene snippet at the beginning of the book was him finding her & I thought it sounded so blasé. He just appears out of the woods. Reading it, it's even worse. She's with the gypsies & he just shows up at camp. We didn't get to hear of his journey to find her. He says "I'm from your father" which is a really weird wording for your father sent me.
I didn't appreciate that the gypsies were all swindlers & the "mom" used to own a bawdy house. I wonder how Ian knew that if he said he didn't consort with whores.
I've never in my life seen such calm when being shot at. A bullet narrowly misses her head, they all stand debating who it was aimed at and by whom. There's no shock, terror. I find it hard to believe someone 'a bit naive' and who you 'have to treat with kid gloves' wouldn't be scared. She actually says "Yes, but the shot was aimed at me."
He thinks it's men her dad sent to kill the men who kidnapped her. Why would they do that, when her dad agreed to any retribution Ian wanted?
There's another shot 'definitely marked for Miss Harrell.' And she goes "see? He's shooting at me!"
Of course he dives in the wagon after her & lands in between her legs with a hand on her breast. I love forced chemistry.
When Ian shoots someone in the head, that is when Lyssa screams, but not before when she was being shot at.
The dialogue is weird: "you aren't like any of the other men in my father's employ."
"He hired me special."
His last name bugs me, Campion. It makes me wanna say Champion.
All the feelings were annoying. In the wagon, they were pressed close, intimately. All this talk of intimate. He used her name, intimately. He was touching her, intimately.
She goes from saying her dad wouldn't kill her to maybe you're right, he's forgotten about her since the baby. That's a huge accusation to throw out so casually.& just because he's preoccupied with the baby doesn't mean he wants you dead.
This was odd to say: 'I smell of Trade." Idk why it was capitalized,& how you can smell of a profession.
'She was ashamed of herself for not using it earlier, because she of all people knew what it was like to be treated as if she didn't matter.
Still, he was only an Irishman...'
That is not ok to say,& I'm surprised people looked so unfavorably on the Irish.
Of course there's a drunken spectacle at the inn,& Ian has to show how manly& amazing he is.& by the time Lyssa runs down there, the fight is completely over, she doesn't notice that all the bad guys have left,& that it's only the old innkeeper, his young son and Ian there. No, she just charges out like an idiot and knocks the innkeeper out with a pottery jar on the head. I was embarrassed of her.
The very worn out plot where he wakes up curled around her with his hand on her breast that is in so many novels. Does this actually happen in real life? Does anyone wake up like this?
She says she saw nothing but his butt and chest in the lake, but then knows what she felt in her backside was his obvious arousal. And that at the lake 'she instinctively understood exactly what had been poking into her backside.' In these romance books, idk how innocent girls know about this. And if you didn't see his junk, then how do you know what it is?
She finds him the most handsome man she'd ever met. Again, why does the man have to be the most handsome,& why the woman the most beautiful? It isn't realistic.
The authors refers to horses as cattle, twice. Cattle are cows. I figured she meant chattel.
He said she wasn't knowledgeable in the ways of men, and she thought she was but she was no practiced flirt. She def doesn't think she's a flirt.
They come across a farmer who of course is entranced by Lyssa, even as he mentions his wife. He knows Ian considers him a threat, although why you'd consider a stranger who you'll never see again as a threat is beyond me. Especially considering he's married.
Mr. Anderson was a disgusting character, putting his hand on her thigh,& when she asks about his wife he said she's the very best and puts his hand back on her leg. I was infuriated that Ian let it go on so long, long enough for Anderson to kiss her on the mouth before he intervened.
There wasn't room enough for Lyssa to even slide over on the wagon seat but all of a sudden Ian fits in between them, with her only half sitting on his leg. How was there initially not enough room for her and Anderson, but now there's room for two big, grown men,& half your butt on the seat?
In a romance bk they have to fit like a puzzle: she feels very comfortable sitting close to him on the wagon, and her shoulder fit beneath his very well.
His wife comes out, pregnant with their fifth kid. "Angus, I'm glad you are home," the woman said w/o acknowledging the kiss.' How can you acknowledge it? Saying thanks for the kiss? And is that supposed to show us why he cheats? Because his wife doesn't 'acknowledge' his kiss??
The names James Potter is uncanny! I instantly think of Harry Potter.
Anderson's wife says "angus has a habit of, um, moving around at night. You will want to lock the door.' She knows she means he cheats on her. How awful. This poor woman.
I couldn't effing believe this: She hears a couple off in the night, and it's Ian with the widow. She'd removed his jacket and was pulling his shirt from his waist. They were kissing& he had his hand on her breast.
She wonders if he wasn't drunk because he wasn't acting himself,& was frowning. Aw well that makes it ok. As long as he's frowning while making out w/ someone else, then it's ok!
Another woman shows up,& he ends up with his arm around both, kissing both of them.
As if it wasn't enough, the freaking widow somehow follows them home,& appears at lyssa's door, looking for Ian. She hears whispered voices and soft sighs and a feminine laugh turning into a gasp of surprise. I thought this freaking author was actually going to have Ian have sex with another woman.
'Yes, earlier in the evening he'd been kissing any willing woman...but the one he wanted, the one he'd tried not to think about was right here beside him.' Just earlier on the page he said Lyssa had a strong sense of self& more pride than was prudent, things they had in common. Apparently not.
I don't tolerate kissing/sex with other ppl after the MC's meet. That's cheating to me.
The part where she asked for a kiss was so random. She's talking about her mom and then all of a sudden asks if he'll kiss her. It blows my mind you'd want to kiss him the very night he was kissing two other women. And actually brings up that he must know how to kiss, with the reaction he got from the widow.
'In the vague, dreamy recesses of her mind, she had her arms around Ian, her thigh wrapped around his--
She sat up, shocked into wakefulness. She had no idea where such vivid, erotic images sprang from,& remembered his refusing her kiss last night.'
Hm, perhaps from him and the widow, which was the very image you saw that night?
She snoops through his knapsack,& finds a crucifix,& it's funny the deal she's making about him being catholic, wondering if her dad knew he hired a catholic.
There was suddenly a surprise when he said there was a price on his head for treason.
He tells her his secrets& she says he was offering in his own tight-lipped, cautious way, the possibility of something more between them. He wasn't doing that at all, he was putting her off.
Of course her cousin has to find Ian attractive, because every woman finds him attractive & every man finds Lyssa attractive. This is also a common occurrence of romance bks. Her cousin calls her "coz" which sounds very modern,& says that Lyssa hasn't introduced her companion. Ian introduced himself from the get go.
The expression 'nothing more, nothing less' was used too much.
She's bustier than Anice, her waist thinner, and thinks she probably looks better than Anice does. Wow, that was a put down.
She finds Anice standing in her room, staring at the tarot card of the Knight of Swords. She asks so the card holds your future,& she says my fate, there is a difference. What is the difference?
Fielder and his gang are at her family's castle, saying it wasn't hard to figure out once they knew she was headed for Scotland. It isn't explained how they found out she was going to Scotland. They say 'her ladyship' knew her connection to Scotland.
Her cousin Ramsay asks why would Lyssa side with them against her father, and she says for the money, because everyone's excuse was money there. But she wouldn't get the money, her cousin Ramsay was trying to get it. That doesn't even make any sense.
Its amazing what they consider an insult: "I don't dine with scum," Lyssa replied succinctly, her manner as polite and pleasant as a dehutante's but speaking words her father would understand. She wasn't her father's daughter without a reason.'
'She'd have one shot, no more, no less.' That expression doesn't even make sense there, just say you have one shot.
When she's locked in her room,& told not to try anything and she smiles a response I thought she was planning to escape through the window. But she goes to sit at the desk and lays her head on her arms, saying "please, mama, help me." There wasn't an answer, because her mom is dead, and she 'did the only thing she could do. She wept.' That is not the only thing you could do. You could be escaping. It isn't until later that night when she's awoken mysteriously that she thinks of the window. She's guided by the scent of roses& thinks it's her mom.
In romance books it's all about appearance. She quickly braids her hair and ties it off, but 'her curls sprung out this way and that, but she didn't care.' Who cares what your hair looks like when you're escaping?
Even more ridiculous than her mom guiding her to Ian was him calling her in his mind.
'Their lips fit together perfectly. Everything about them fit together perfectly.' This kind of drivel is what ruins romance books. It's so cliche, sappy,& overdone.
'Ian had kissed more than his share of women, but none was as sweet and tempting as this one.' I hate hearing of their past, and how are we to believe out of hordes of women she's the most tempting?
Their first kiss was in the stable after she rescues him,& again on the horse when they should be riding away.
Of course Fielder& them show up because apparently the route they took was the only possible route to take.
The 'fight' was messy and unrealistic,& in the end, disappointing. Ramsay ends up shooting Fielder for shooting his horse. Then Ramsay goes to fight Ian, sees Lyssa running away because she hadn't done so before when Ian told her, so Ian has to tell her again, right in front of Ramsay. Ramsay takes off after her, Ian gets on Fielder's horse, jumps on Ramsay and they both go rolling away. Ian goes to punch him...only to see Ramsay has broken his neck. So there's really no fight.
He calls her cailin, which is Irish for girl. It goes from being italicized to capitalized and not in italics, like it's a name.
'The male part of him, the one wags swore had more power over men's heads than their hearts and brains did.' What are wags?
They're having sex in this shepherd's building: 'Here was the meaning of life. Her reason for being.'
'The life force moved from him and into her--and she was complete. Whole. One.
He eased down on her with a satisfied sound of his own fulfillment--a lover's highest praise.'
That is so sappy I can't even take it! &how would she know a lover's highest praise?
'Her answer was to reach down and boldly brush the length of it.' I didn't like how she kept referring to his junk as 'it.'
I don't appreciate things being brought up or even hinted at after they make love. His salve recipe came from a Portuguese woman all the men went to in the army before any military quack. She asks how he wheedled it out if her, her mind going to obvious conclusions. He says he saved her son from a bullet,& I was surprised it wasn't something else.. She shifts her gaze away from him and says "so, I'm not the first life you've saved" which is bizarre & like you're jealous.
He says "I think I've loved you ever since you crashed that ironstone pitcher across the innkeeper's head.' Which means he kissed 2 women after loving her.
"That is, if you'll have me."
"Oh, Ian, such a stupid question." Just answer it.
He says "it's not, Lyssa, I have nothing--" and she cuts him off saying "you have me. You'll always have me" which was sweet but on the next page when he says "I have nothin to offer right now" and corrects with "you have me" but it's annoying here because it sounds like she's saying he needs nothing else but her.
They have an impromptu vow exchange, which was odd because you need a priest for that, but also kinda cute when she says is this our church then and he says are we not before god?
At one point she said she didn't care about her stepmom trying to kill her, or something,& now says "I'm happy to remove myself from her sphere but what happens if some day in the future--his life could be in danger" & it sounds so ridiculous. She makes it sound ordinary that her stepmom is trying to kill her,& is all I'll just step out of the way!
It's so annoying she asks her dad to come alone& he brings Parker & his wife, Grossett & his mom.
She tells her father "I've met the Davidsons. I understand why you would wish to never see them again." She didn't even mention they're all murderers, she made it sound like they're all snobby or boors.
When asked who'd want to murder her she says her stepmother. Her stepmom says I would not hurt you! And Lyssa says I don't accuse you lightly. She heard the truth from Fielder's mouth. She's accused her from the start!
So Grosset's mom did it. I was truly surprised. She said she couldn't let him betray his heritage for money. Grossly says Lyssa was their only way out, because he can't pay her gambling debts any longer. And his mom says the clubs still accept her vouchers, but doors would be shut if he married Lyssa. I found this ironic because she's the one in debt from gambling.
This line from Harrel was funny: "you care for her money, and that would have been acceptable, my lord, since I covet your title."
It's ridiculous that Grossett says "look at her. She's been had" as if you can see that kind of thing, like it's written on her forehead.
She used this expression twice: there was a fathers steel behind his voice.
"This man could be the father of the babe I might already be carrying."
He's def the father. You mean he's the father of the baby you might be carrying.
"I love her." "I'm certain you do."
Just the page before he accused him of trying to get her money and of acting.
It wasn't right Ian didn't take the money due to him, saying harrel would twist it to his benefit.
It really wasn't right when Harrell mentioned his nephew Liam and said he'd do what he must to protect his family.
Things seem to be testy with the Irish then. And sad to hear.
"More money than your poor Irish brain could ever have thought possible."
He says he can live with her hating him but he can't live with her married to Ian. He asks because I'm Irish, and he says because you don't have enough and never will.
I couldn't believe it when Ian left and Lyssa stayed in the carriage and left with her dad and stepmom. And says "I won't forget him, father" as if accepting the whole thing!
Ian had to leave London, and he sailed to Maryland. She asks if he paid him well, and then says he earned it. Thank you, papa. I wondered wth she was thanking him for. He was due money anyway& he wouldn't be leaving if it wasn't for her father.
I hate when authors act like they're really going to be separated: 'someday she'd feel complete again. But right now, it was as if she'd lost half her soul, half her conscience, half her reason for being.'
I couldn't believe it when Ian said he did sail on the tide, but forgot something he cared about. He was actually going to leave without her?
On the boat that will carry them to the ship and his sisters, he hands her the card of the Knight of Swords. And it hit me that she never told him what it was, that it represented him. Also lust never came into the picture until the journey home. It's like she forgot all about the reading.
It also hit me how it doesn't make sense that they're all leaving. Why not stay??
'He knew that someday he would make his peace with the church. He must. He had to give his son tradition.' I feel like their should be an explanation here. What was going on with Catholics then? Could they not practice? Is that why Ian isn't religious?
The epilogue covers the birth of their baby. It was odd she asked what would he give her for such a fine baby,& he says your weight in gold. Why would you ask to get something for having a baby? And the theme weight in gold, from him being paid to capture her was off to come up then.
Props to the author for not having Ian suddenly come into money through a long-lost duke for a dad or grandpa. That is seriously annoying. I'm glad she chose him even though he's poor.
Some things were modern: mumbo jumbo, shagged, sweetie, dick, thought he was god's gift to women, and smoochy.
There were lil typos& major ones idk how you miss:
'He'd always been a easy dupe for idealism.'
'There was a trace of bitterness her voice.'
'He was left to prepare hiself.'
'Her expressive widened.'
'Now what the devil as he supposed to do?'
'He smiled against his skin.'
'She still choose Ian.'
'Placed her hand on her arm.'
She asks what is the allure of the Irish hero,& then I realized I was giped out of a Scottish romance. He was Irish, she was raised in London. Despite them going to Scotland, this wasn't the Scottish hero heroine romance I thought.
I like that in her acknowledgements she said she had a fine reading list for her research & would post it on her website.
This wasn't original. It would have been much better w/o all the cliche, dramatic, sappy, overdone things. I found the female MC to be dramatic w/Ian at first, her temper constantly flaring. I find it exhausting when an MC is so emotional like that. Ian kissing those two women cast a huge blemish on this bk & I didn't like him after that. I was pretty engrossed in this, though. I'd read more from this author.
2.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2019
#14 - 2019 RC
Genre: Historical Romance
Genre: Historical Romance
July 29, 2023
3.5/5 stars
September 13, 2017
I read this a long time ago but organizing/moving my books and found I never rated it. I love Scottish romance so this was a great read for me!
August 18, 2022
Closer to a 3.5.
The beginning was a bit slow, but the second half kept a good pace. I didn’t like how easily the perpetrators were discovered.
Loved how the hero fought for the heroine.
The beginning was a bit slow, but the second half kept a good pace. I didn’t like how easily the perpetrators were discovered.
Loved how the hero fought for the heroine.
February 11, 2024
I literally read this book in a day-- it was a perfect read for a day at a cabin on the lake. I don't find myself saying this much and meaning it in a good way but Lyssa (the heroine) irked me and the romance seemed quick (but also not). What I mean is, as a character, Lyssa constantly used the excuse of her having experienced life with her father before he truly made his fortune and so she understands a less luxurious life. The reality is, for the majority of her life she had everything she wanted, some gossipy women who snubbed her at luxurious events and balls for her background in trade doesn't mean she knows anything about having less or being seen as less. The girl was irked that a woman did not provide a blanket and so she decided she didn't want to stay there (because it was so rude and not good enough for her), all the while not even considering the family was making an effort for them in their need while being busy with a full house of family. She also refused a full meal bought for her because she's not fond of lamb and expected a luxurious tea in a small middle of no wear inn. While this may sound like behavior that would immediately make the character unlikable (which is typical for me), but it wasn't the case for me; in fact, the way Lyssa was handled in the book made her very real. Any young woman would probably be as snobby as she behaved and be a little unaware of how she comes off-- she irked me, yes, but she also learned and accepted that she was being a snob. I loved the confrontation between Lyssa and Ian when he straight out tells her she is acting like a snob and he doesn't attack her, but very adamantly and reasonably explains and breaks down just what Lyssa does, showing her and making her understand.
Ian and Lyssa seemed perfectly matched-- each bringing something to the relationship that allows them to learn and get to know each other before falling into a relationship.
The plot itself was always going, which I appreciate; however, the murder plot while initially interesting does fall a little flat in the end. I am also left a little confused by Lyssa's father's behavior in insisting Lyssa marry a title and plans to force the issue considering his own background. While he eventually came to terms with Lyssa and Ian (obviously) it took a shocking amount of effort.
Ian and Lyssa seemed perfectly matched-- each bringing something to the relationship that allows them to learn and get to know each other before falling into a relationship.
The plot itself was always going, which I appreciate; however, the murder plot while initially interesting does fall a little flat in the end. I am also left a little confused by Lyssa's father's behavior in insisting Lyssa marry a title and plans to force the issue considering his own background. While he eventually came to terms with Lyssa and Ian (obviously) it took a shocking amount of effort.
November 15, 2020
Lyssa is a runaway heiress who flees to Scotland after her father promises her hand to a man of his choosing, a dissolute lord she wants nothing to do with. After her mother passed away, Lyssa has longed to visit her mother’s family in Scotland and feel that connection to her again. So that is where she is setting off to when Ian Campion catches up to her. Ian, a ruggedly handsome Irishman, is in dire need of money when he got hired to track Lyssa down and bring her home to London to her father. But things get complicated when upon finding her, they end up getting attacked by another group of men that seem to be out for Lyssa. While being shot at, Ian & Lyssa are left with no choice but to take off together on a cross-country adventure through Scotland to her mother’s family. They are hoping to avoid the attackers who are patrolling the way back to London and of course things/feelings start to make things complicated while they are on this journey together.
This one I really loved the premise and it was a nice change to have an Irish hero, I haven’t read many historical romances with one and it was fun to have something different. This was a slower meandering-adventure story, kind of reminded me of The Secret by Julie Garwood for some reason...similar style of writing and storytelling. The romance was a bit light for me and not even in a slow-burn kind of way cause there wasn’t a whole lot of angst, just like no real moments between them and no kissing/action until 80% in. I did enjoy this one but not a new fav...added bonus that stepback and cover are just so gorgeous and fun.
This one I really loved the premise and it was a nice change to have an Irish hero, I haven’t read many historical romances with one and it was fun to have something different. This was a slower meandering-adventure story, kind of reminded me of The Secret by Julie Garwood for some reason...similar style of writing and storytelling. The romance was a bit light for me and not even in a slow-burn kind of way cause there wasn’t a whole lot of angst, just like no real moments between them and no kissing/action until 80% in. I did enjoy this one but not a new fav...added bonus that stepback and cover are just so gorgeous and fun.
Read
March 9, 2016I can't stand her. The heroine has mettle enough to walk with blisters and not complain but when they reach an inn she complains about everything. One of my least favorite set-ups is of a lady being told to stay where they are, for their protection, and of course they don't. A woman thinking she can use brawn instead of brains has neither. I've just finished reading how she comes out of the inn with a pottery pitcher thinking to come to the hero's aid (who is fighting several men at one time). He's already finished the fight and is helping the innkeeper get to his feet. So of course she hits the innkeeper over the head with the pitcher. Too Stupid. Period. I don't want to read/listen to these two bicker while they journey to their destination. He's a nice guy and doesn't deserve an arranged marriage (by author) to this dimwit.
Many will disagree with me, after all it is Cathy Maxwell holding the writing implement, but I don't read because I need more stress in my life.
I also thought it interesting that his description of her (full breasts, tiny waist, and long legs) brought to mind a Barbie doll.
Many will disagree with me, after all it is Cathy Maxwell holding the writing implement, but I don't read because I need more stress in my life.
I also thought it interesting that his description of her (full breasts, tiny waist, and long legs) brought to mind a Barbie doll.
March 30, 2018
It wasn't so bad at the beginning, but towards the end they threw in murder and psycho family members and evil plots and slapdash elopements, all of which came out of freaking nowhere and the train quickly derailed in Crazytown. Wasn't sure whether to give it a 2 or a 3, but I generally reread 3s and since this went straight to the give away pile, I decided it was a two. Cathy Maxwell seems to be pretty hit or miss for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2012
BIG SPOILER !!!!
kira2 begini ceritanya....lyssa harrell, seorang heiress kabur dari rumah gara2 mau di nikahin sama seorang lord yang gak keren, sombong, gak cakep, pendek, rambutnya menipis (terus cela2 :p) demi supaya si lyssa ini masuk ke kalangan bangsawan...
soalnya walo heiress tapi dia bukan bangsawan....dan bokapnya seperti bokap2 lainnya zaman dulu, mau anaknya jadi lady....seperti si bokap yang kawin lagi sama seorg countess juga (bokapnya kaya banget sih)
nah lyssa ( duh kayak nama musuh gw di kampus dulu..sebell !!)...mau nya nikah dengan cinta..terinspirasi dengan pernikahan orang tua nya dulu dimana si alm nyokap itu lady di scotland sementara bokapnya bukan apa2..mereka kabur dan menempuh hidup baru..si bokap sukses jadi pengusaha...
bokapnya lyssa kira dia di culik...maka di sewalah Ian Campion..seorang bounty hunter dan petarung street fighter buat mencari lyssa...
ian aslinya dulu bangsawan dan kaya...sayangnya dulu terlibat dengan kelompok radikal yang mau membebaskan irlandia dari inggris makanya dia di cap pemberontak...
ian pergi ke inggris dengan membawa seorang kakak perempuan dan anaknya...trus adik pere,puan dan 2 anaknya juga..
after suami mereka meninggal dalam perang (gara2 si ian), ian mengurus mereka..dan dia sangat butuh uang buat membawa keluarganya ke tanah [engharapan ( baca :amerika)
and then...ian berhasil mengejar jejak lyssa.....tapi ;yssa nya gak mau di bawa pulang dan sebelum di bawa pulang pun ada segerombolan orang yang nembakin mereka dengan tujuan membunuh lyssa......
so bukannya menuju arah pulang ke london, akhirnya ian setuju membawa lyssa ke scotland..
lyssa pengen bertemu dengan keluarga alm ibu nya disana.....
sepanjang perjalanan...si ian sangat2 dingin ke lyssa krn dikira nya lyssa gadis manja...so ian dan lyssa sering berantem....
lyssa ini gadis yg amat cantikm berambut merah dan sangat bersemangat....
lama2 ian pun suka tapi dia gak mau ambil tindakan apa2 krn lyssa itu heiress...dan siapalah dia berani merayu anak majikannya....bakal di kuliti sama bokapnya lyssa...
lyssa juga tertarik sama ian....soalnya ian tuh OMG ganteng banget...tinggi besar dan setiap ce yang liat bakal lemah dengkul dan melemparkan diri ke ian...
ian yang frustasi dan lama gak sama ce...pas mereka tinggal semalam di desa apa gitu....dirayu2 sama janda murahan disana dan perempuan2 disana....
mungkin karena dia pikir dia gak bakalan bisa sama lyssa jadi dia menerima ajakan 2 perempuan buat kissu2 gitu....trus diliat si lyssa....
( co tuh ya....susah banget sih nahan nafsu)
lyssa kecewa...(lagian emang mereka gak pernah ngapa2 in kok...si ian kan masih dingin2 ama dia...lyssa nya juga gak cintya ian..tapi namanya ce...cemburu laaaah :p)
dia pergi dan masuk ke kamar plus kunci pintu...
di kejar ian tapi lyssa nya gak mau buka pintu...
gak lama kemuadian si lyssa denger suara2 aneh gitu (depan kamar lyssa semacam istal)
penasaraaan...dia kira si ian ama si janda itu....mereka lagi guling2 naked si jerami (iiiih.....)
lyssa marah...eh gak tau nya itu bukan ian..melainkan tuan rumah mereka yang lagi guling2 an sama si gatel itu (padahal bini nya lagi hamil anak ke 5)
mereka gak mau lama2 disana..besoknya mereka pergi diam2 menuju skotland....si lyssa ,asih judes2 gitu deh....
si ian juga walo dia kissu2 sama ce2 itu tapi dalam hati nya dia sadar kalo mereka cuma sebagai pengganti lyssa..but again dia gak mau ambil tindakan karena dia gak mau lyssa tau kalo dia punya perasaan ke lyssa...gak mungkin lah ce kaya sama co miskin....
trus sampe lah mereka di kastil keluarga alm ibu lyssa di scotland....
disambut oleh seorang wanita cantik berwajah mirip lyssa yang ngaku kalo dia adalah sepupu lyssa...
si ce luat ian matanya melotot....cakep banget kali ya si ian sampe semua ce langsung jadi gahar ngeliat dia :p (gw bayangin hugh jackman aja...my idol :p)
kastilnya sepi....ian punya perasaan gak enak apalagi setelah dikenalin sama ramsay, sepupunya lyssa yang mewarisi kastil tersebut...
ramsay ngasih lyssa lukisan foto alm ibu lyssa supaya lyssa mau tinggal disana..padahal ian udah bilangin kalo kayaknya ada something weird gitu....
lyssa nya oon banget....saking senangnya dia gak dengar apa kata ian....
malemnya ian di datangi oleh 3 org suruhan ramsay....dibawa ke istal dan di pukulin trus diikat,....ramsay punya tujuan tertentu ke lyssa....
lyssa yang mau cari ian di kamar nya gak nemuin ian akhirnya curiga juga ....
ternyata ramsay mau memaksa lyssa menikah dengan dia lalu lyssa akan di bunuh dan harta lyssa akan jatuh ketangannya dan aduknya yang bitchy....
lalu ada juga mr. fiedler....org yang selama ini mengejar lyssa dan mau membunuh lyssa atas suruhan seseorang ( siapa hayooo ? :D)
lyssa menolak jadinya dia dikurung...
tapi lyssa bisa kabur dari teras kamar nya....dia mau cari ian dan nemuin ian ada di istal dalam kondisi terikat dan banyak pukulan....
ian seneng banget liat lyssa datamg...dia biulang "aku tau kau akan datang mencariku" ....
rupaya selama di kurung si ian banyak mikir ..dan ambil kesimpulan kalo idup cuma sekali...sebodo sama bokapnya lyssa pokoknya dia mau sama lyssa dan bakal cari jalan supaya mereka bisa bersama....
lyssa kaget pas membuka ikatan si ian, ian langsung kissu2 dia....(kaget tapi seneng...soalnya dia juga udah merasa kalo dia cinta ama ian)
so kaburlah mereka dengan mencuri kuda kesayangan ramsay yang menang lomba....
di kejar ramsay dan mr.fiedler...
si fiedler malah menembak kuda kesayangan si ramsay itu...ramsay nya bete...so, si fielder dia tembak mati (syukurin).
trus pas fiedlir mau bunuh ian, eh dia jatuh dari kuda, kepalanya kepentok apa gitu...langsung is dead (syukurin juga ).
so bebaslah ian dan lyssa dari kejaran penjahat...tinggal ian harus bawa lyssa ke rumah bokapnya....
tapi sebelumnya biasa deh....hujan turun dengan derasnya...mereka mesti cari tempat berteduh (eheeem :p)
trus saking dua2 nya udah nafsuan...buka baju krn kehujanan eh malah merembet ke yang lain2...kissu2...dan malah making love disana.....
lumayan hot walo gak banyak di gambarin nya.....
pokoknya abis gitu mereka berjanji kalo mereka gak bakal pisah.....trus lanjut lagi uhuk2 nya.....gak sadar kali di luar ujan udah berenti apa belom :p)
akhirnyaaaa...mereka berhasil pulang ke london.....
bokapnya lyssa happy banget....tapi gak jadi happy pas lyssa bilang dia gak mau merit sama si lord jelek dan maunya merit sama ian....
si lord jelek datang bawa ibunya yang lebih jelek dan jahat :p
si ibu gak setuju si lord kawin sama si lyssa karena si lyssa bukan bangsawan dan menjatuhkan nama keluarga dia kalo si lord kawin sama org yang gak punya gelar...
padahal si lord juga kan mau kawin ama lyssa demi dapat uangnya dan buat bayarin utang judi ibu nya (ibu2 kurang ajar dan gak tau diri !!!)
sampe akhirnya ketauan kalo ibu si lord yang membayar orang buat membunuh lyssa.....
lyssa bilang ke bokapnya kalo dia tetep mau sama ian dan mereka udah uhuk2....
si lord tetep mau kawin sama lyssa katanya (demi duit) tapi bokapnya lyssa menolak...mana mau dia menyerahkan anak kesayangannya ke org yang keluarganya mau membunuh lyssa...so pernikahan DIBATALIN !!
tapi bukan berarti bokap lyssa setuju lyssa sama ian.....
bokap lyssa memeras ian....katanya kalo ian gak ambil uangnya dan segera pergi, keluarga ian akan menderita dan lagi ian kan memang di cari2 di inggris....
dengan terpaksa ian pergi meninggalkan lyssa....
lyssa yg sedih juga ngerti pasti ian terpaksa ninggalin dia karena bokapnya mengancam keluarga ian....
beberapa hari kemudian...lysssa yang termenung2 di kamarnya dikagetkan dengan kedatangan ian (liwat jendela)...
ian ngajak lyssa pergi ke amerika saat itu juga.....soalnya ian udah berhasil ngungsiin keluarga nya duluan dan rencananya ian dan lyssa bakal naik ship yang besok pagi....
rupanya kepergok sama ibu tiri dan bokap lyssa.....
bokapnya ngamuk tapi di tenagin sama ibu tiri nya....
dan dijelasin kalo mau lyssa bahagia mesti di relain dia pergi dengan org yang di cintai nya....
lagipula si bokap kan juga bakal punya anak lagi krn si ibu tiri lagi mengandung....
so dengan berat hati akhirnya si bokap kasih lyssa pergi.....
HAPPY ENDING !! ^^
my opinion :
sebenernya ide cerita bagus, ceritanya juga ,mengalir lancar..plus eng nya gampang...
tapi kenapa gw kasih 3 bintang ? buat ukuran romance HR kenapa uhuk2 nya dikiiiiit ????? kenapaaaaaa ????? (geje :p)
kalo di buku lain udah ada adegan uhuk2 maksimal di separo buku (sekitar halaman 200)...yamng ini ada nya di halaman 300 dan udah mau abis...pembaca kecewaaaaa (gw yg kecewa :p)
kira2 begini ceritanya....lyssa harrell, seorang heiress kabur dari rumah gara2 mau di nikahin sama seorang lord yang gak keren, sombong, gak cakep, pendek, rambutnya menipis (terus cela2 :p) demi supaya si lyssa ini masuk ke kalangan bangsawan...
soalnya walo heiress tapi dia bukan bangsawan....dan bokapnya seperti bokap2 lainnya zaman dulu, mau anaknya jadi lady....seperti si bokap yang kawin lagi sama seorg countess juga (bokapnya kaya banget sih)
nah lyssa ( duh kayak nama musuh gw di kampus dulu..sebell !!)...mau nya nikah dengan cinta..terinspirasi dengan pernikahan orang tua nya dulu dimana si alm nyokap itu lady di scotland sementara bokapnya bukan apa2..mereka kabur dan menempuh hidup baru..si bokap sukses jadi pengusaha...
bokapnya lyssa kira dia di culik...maka di sewalah Ian Campion..seorang bounty hunter dan petarung street fighter buat mencari lyssa...
ian aslinya dulu bangsawan dan kaya...sayangnya dulu terlibat dengan kelompok radikal yang mau membebaskan irlandia dari inggris makanya dia di cap pemberontak...
ian pergi ke inggris dengan membawa seorang kakak perempuan dan anaknya...trus adik pere,puan dan 2 anaknya juga..
after suami mereka meninggal dalam perang (gara2 si ian), ian mengurus mereka..dan dia sangat butuh uang buat membawa keluarganya ke tanah [engharapan ( baca :amerika)
and then...ian berhasil mengejar jejak lyssa.....tapi ;yssa nya gak mau di bawa pulang dan sebelum di bawa pulang pun ada segerombolan orang yang nembakin mereka dengan tujuan membunuh lyssa......
so bukannya menuju arah pulang ke london, akhirnya ian setuju membawa lyssa ke scotland..
lyssa pengen bertemu dengan keluarga alm ibu nya disana.....
sepanjang perjalanan...si ian sangat2 dingin ke lyssa krn dikira nya lyssa gadis manja...so ian dan lyssa sering berantem....
lyssa ini gadis yg amat cantikm berambut merah dan sangat bersemangat....
lama2 ian pun suka tapi dia gak mau ambil tindakan apa2 krn lyssa itu heiress...dan siapalah dia berani merayu anak majikannya....bakal di kuliti sama bokapnya lyssa...
lyssa juga tertarik sama ian....soalnya ian tuh OMG ganteng banget...tinggi besar dan setiap ce yang liat bakal lemah dengkul dan melemparkan diri ke ian...
ian yang frustasi dan lama gak sama ce...pas mereka tinggal semalam di desa apa gitu....dirayu2 sama janda murahan disana dan perempuan2 disana....
mungkin karena dia pikir dia gak bakalan bisa sama lyssa jadi dia menerima ajakan 2 perempuan buat kissu2 gitu....trus diliat si lyssa....
( co tuh ya....susah banget sih nahan nafsu)
lyssa kecewa...(lagian emang mereka gak pernah ngapa2 in kok...si ian kan masih dingin2 ama dia...lyssa nya juga gak cintya ian..tapi namanya ce...cemburu laaaah :p)
dia pergi dan masuk ke kamar plus kunci pintu...
di kejar ian tapi lyssa nya gak mau buka pintu...
gak lama kemuadian si lyssa denger suara2 aneh gitu (depan kamar lyssa semacam istal)
penasaraaan...dia kira si ian ama si janda itu....mereka lagi guling2 naked si jerami (iiiih.....)
lyssa marah...eh gak tau nya itu bukan ian..melainkan tuan rumah mereka yang lagi guling2 an sama si gatel itu (padahal bini nya lagi hamil anak ke 5)
mereka gak mau lama2 disana..besoknya mereka pergi diam2 menuju skotland....si lyssa ,asih judes2 gitu deh....
si ian juga walo dia kissu2 sama ce2 itu tapi dalam hati nya dia sadar kalo mereka cuma sebagai pengganti lyssa..but again dia gak mau ambil tindakan karena dia gak mau lyssa tau kalo dia punya perasaan ke lyssa...gak mungkin lah ce kaya sama co miskin....
trus sampe lah mereka di kastil keluarga alm ibu lyssa di scotland....
disambut oleh seorang wanita cantik berwajah mirip lyssa yang ngaku kalo dia adalah sepupu lyssa...
si ce luat ian matanya melotot....cakep banget kali ya si ian sampe semua ce langsung jadi gahar ngeliat dia :p (gw bayangin hugh jackman aja...my idol :p)
kastilnya sepi....ian punya perasaan gak enak apalagi setelah dikenalin sama ramsay, sepupunya lyssa yang mewarisi kastil tersebut...
ramsay ngasih lyssa lukisan foto alm ibu lyssa supaya lyssa mau tinggal disana..padahal ian udah bilangin kalo kayaknya ada something weird gitu....
lyssa nya oon banget....saking senangnya dia gak dengar apa kata ian....
malemnya ian di datangi oleh 3 org suruhan ramsay....dibawa ke istal dan di pukulin trus diikat,....ramsay punya tujuan tertentu ke lyssa....
lyssa yang mau cari ian di kamar nya gak nemuin ian akhirnya curiga juga ....
ternyata ramsay mau memaksa lyssa menikah dengan dia lalu lyssa akan di bunuh dan harta lyssa akan jatuh ketangannya dan aduknya yang bitchy....
lalu ada juga mr. fiedler....org yang selama ini mengejar lyssa dan mau membunuh lyssa atas suruhan seseorang ( siapa hayooo ? :D)
lyssa menolak jadinya dia dikurung...
tapi lyssa bisa kabur dari teras kamar nya....dia mau cari ian dan nemuin ian ada di istal dalam kondisi terikat dan banyak pukulan....
ian seneng banget liat lyssa datamg...dia biulang "aku tau kau akan datang mencariku" ....
rupaya selama di kurung si ian banyak mikir ..dan ambil kesimpulan kalo idup cuma sekali...sebodo sama bokapnya lyssa pokoknya dia mau sama lyssa dan bakal cari jalan supaya mereka bisa bersama....
lyssa kaget pas membuka ikatan si ian, ian langsung kissu2 dia....(kaget tapi seneng...soalnya dia juga udah merasa kalo dia cinta ama ian)
so kaburlah mereka dengan mencuri kuda kesayangan ramsay yang menang lomba....
di kejar ramsay dan mr.fiedler...
si fiedler malah menembak kuda kesayangan si ramsay itu...ramsay nya bete...so, si fielder dia tembak mati (syukurin).
trus pas fiedlir mau bunuh ian, eh dia jatuh dari kuda, kepalanya kepentok apa gitu...langsung is dead (syukurin juga ).
so bebaslah ian dan lyssa dari kejaran penjahat...tinggal ian harus bawa lyssa ke rumah bokapnya....
tapi sebelumnya biasa deh....hujan turun dengan derasnya...mereka mesti cari tempat berteduh (eheeem :p)
trus saking dua2 nya udah nafsuan...buka baju krn kehujanan eh malah merembet ke yang lain2...kissu2...dan malah making love disana.....
lumayan hot walo gak banyak di gambarin nya.....
pokoknya abis gitu mereka berjanji kalo mereka gak bakal pisah.....trus lanjut lagi uhuk2 nya.....gak sadar kali di luar ujan udah berenti apa belom :p)
akhirnyaaaa...mereka berhasil pulang ke london.....
bokapnya lyssa happy banget....tapi gak jadi happy pas lyssa bilang dia gak mau merit sama si lord jelek dan maunya merit sama ian....
si lord jelek datang bawa ibunya yang lebih jelek dan jahat :p
si ibu gak setuju si lord kawin sama si lyssa karena si lyssa bukan bangsawan dan menjatuhkan nama keluarga dia kalo si lord kawin sama org yang gak punya gelar...
padahal si lord juga kan mau kawin ama lyssa demi dapat uangnya dan buat bayarin utang judi ibu nya (ibu2 kurang ajar dan gak tau diri !!!)
sampe akhirnya ketauan kalo ibu si lord yang membayar orang buat membunuh lyssa.....
lyssa bilang ke bokapnya kalo dia tetep mau sama ian dan mereka udah uhuk2....
si lord tetep mau kawin sama lyssa katanya (demi duit) tapi bokapnya lyssa menolak...mana mau dia menyerahkan anak kesayangannya ke org yang keluarganya mau membunuh lyssa...so pernikahan DIBATALIN !!
tapi bukan berarti bokap lyssa setuju lyssa sama ian.....
bokap lyssa memeras ian....katanya kalo ian gak ambil uangnya dan segera pergi, keluarga ian akan menderita dan lagi ian kan memang di cari2 di inggris....
dengan terpaksa ian pergi meninggalkan lyssa....
lyssa yg sedih juga ngerti pasti ian terpaksa ninggalin dia karena bokapnya mengancam keluarga ian....
beberapa hari kemudian...lysssa yang termenung2 di kamarnya dikagetkan dengan kedatangan ian (liwat jendela)...
ian ngajak lyssa pergi ke amerika saat itu juga.....soalnya ian udah berhasil ngungsiin keluarga nya duluan dan rencananya ian dan lyssa bakal naik ship yang besok pagi....
rupanya kepergok sama ibu tiri dan bokap lyssa.....
bokapnya ngamuk tapi di tenagin sama ibu tiri nya....
dan dijelasin kalo mau lyssa bahagia mesti di relain dia pergi dengan org yang di cintai nya....
lagipula si bokap kan juga bakal punya anak lagi krn si ibu tiri lagi mengandung....
so dengan berat hati akhirnya si bokap kasih lyssa pergi.....
HAPPY ENDING !! ^^
my opinion :
sebenernya ide cerita bagus, ceritanya juga ,mengalir lancar..plus eng nya gampang...
tapi kenapa gw kasih 3 bintang ? buat ukuran romance HR kenapa uhuk2 nya dikiiiiit ????? kenapaaaaaa ????? (geje :p)
kalo di buku lain udah ada adegan uhuk2 maksimal di separo buku (sekitar halaman 200)...yamng ini ada nya di halaman 300 dan udah mau abis...pembaca kecewaaaaa (gw yg kecewa :p)
May 19, 2024
Lyssa Harrell
Ian Campion
Lyssa is running away to Scotland to where her mother’s family live to avoid marriage to a Vicount her Father has promised her hand. Ian is hired by her Father to find Lyssa and bring her home. Ian catches up to Lyssa only to find out someone wants her dead. The two of them head on to Scotland and then will return to London. Along the way both Ian and Lyssa get a chance to review their lives and change for the better. I liked both Ian and Lyssa. Ian is very patient and caring with Lyssa. Lyssa is very head strong but Ian finds he likes this about her as she comes to his rescue even when he has told her to stay put. I really liked this book, it moved fast and kept you interested. I would definitely read more books by this author.
Ian Campion
Lyssa is running away to Scotland to where her mother’s family live to avoid marriage to a Vicount her Father has promised her hand. Ian is hired by her Father to find Lyssa and bring her home. Ian catches up to Lyssa only to find out someone wants her dead. The two of them head on to Scotland and then will return to London. Along the way both Ian and Lyssa get a chance to review their lives and change for the better. I liked both Ian and Lyssa. Ian is very patient and caring with Lyssa. Lyssa is very head strong but Ian finds he likes this about her as she comes to his rescue even when he has told her to stay put. I really liked this book, it moved fast and kept you interested. I would definitely read more books by this author.
August 4, 2018
Lyssa Harrell is missing from her home, father and betrothed. Dunmore Harrell "the richest man in London" hires Ian Campion to find her. Ian has a "past" and 2 sisters and their children to support.
Lyssa has no intention of going back to marry the man her father has picked for her and her destination is Amleth Hall, her late mother's Scottish home. Adventures, good and bad, ensue before that destination is reached.
This is the first book I've read by Cathy Maxwell. I wasn't disappointed. She did extensive research on Scotland and the action moved right along. Very enjoyable.
Lyssa has no intention of going back to marry the man her father has picked for her and her destination is Amleth Hall, her late mother's Scottish home. Adventures, good and bad, ensue before that destination is reached.
This is the first book I've read by Cathy Maxwell. I wasn't disappointed. She did extensive research on Scotland and the action moved right along. Very enjoyable.
November 10, 2021
Are we just gonna ignore that this guy let her get sexually assaulted in front of him and didn't do anything?
Also give me a break that he fought like 10 guys and won, first of all cut out the toxic masculinity shit, there doesn't need to be any fights in the first place.
ALSO wtf he kisses 2 women at once and she just forgets about it?
Such a sexist book I couldn't even finish it. Worst book I've read in a while. Don't bother.
Also give me a break that he fought like 10 guys and won, first of all cut out the toxic masculinity shit, there doesn't need to be any fights in the first place.
ALSO wtf he kisses 2 women at once and she just forgets about it?
Such a sexist book I couldn't even finish it. Worst book I've read in a while. Don't bother.
March 16, 2022
Something between 3.25 ~ 3.5 starts. I know 3 stars it's not usually seen as good ranting, but I thing it is
I liked the book. The second part was way better, but I was a little bored in the first chapters. However I really want to read more from Cathy Maxwell, which is a good thing since I own most of her books.
I also really liked the fact the hero was Irish. Don't really read a lot of Irish historical, but now I really want it.
I liked the book. The second part was way better, but I was a little bored in the first chapters. However I really want to read more from Cathy Maxwell, which is a good thing since I own most of her books.
I also really liked the fact the hero was Irish. Don't really read a lot of Irish historical, but now I really want it.
June 23, 2017
Sometimes life leads you in one direction and you jump at that chance because you believe it is the right direction only to find it isn't, some of that direction may lead to some good things but all in all the direction is wrong and could get you wedded and then killed for what you can give them... Learn more by reading the book
May 26, 2020
It’s been a rough week and I need a fun adventure. This was certainly it! A fun twist on a typical Highland romance, the heroine is Scottish, but has never been to Scotland, and the hero is Irish! Lots of fun twists and turns. The resolution dragged a bit for me, but over all, a very enjoyable read.
July 16, 2024
Abandoned on page 138 in the middle of Chapter 8. I just can't countenance the insufferable Lyssa Harrell. She is a spoiled, rude, clueless, and churlish little girl who is very hard to champion. And I generally love a bookish feminist!
I get that she's meant to grow as a character as she falls in love with Ian, but I can't hang on that long.
DNF.
I get that she's meant to grow as a character as she falls in love with Ian, but I can't hang on that long.
DNF.
April 7, 2025
Been a while since I read one of the classic kiltfuckers--Brawny Mercenary With Conscience and Runaway Independent Daughter He's Sent To Rescue/Kidnap fall in love. Listen, you have to remove your brain from your body when you read these. Are you reading because you want to be mad or because you want to practice a lil escapism? It's fine.
April 10, 2025
It was a great adventures story but I do have some complaints. First I kept wondering where the romance was. Not until about page 260 is where the romance just all of sudden starts to bloom and the one part that got me was when the heroine saw Ian the hero kiss not one but two women like what the f. I probably wouldn’t read it again.
November 12, 2023
Well I spent the night reading this… it has all my love. mystery, romance, freedom of religion and the Irish revolution. but seriously it was classic fun. reminded me of the leap year movie but historical honestly.
November 2, 2024
Predictable characters, The two main protagonists are a bit immature who grow up quickly and find love mostly due to the under bad situations n which they find themselves, mostly directive blithe stupidity of th young heiress.
January 25, 2021
interesting action but predictable.
February 9, 2021
Not bad.
Read
April 9, 2022We love a lil sprinkling of Christianity in with the erotica <33
April 29, 2022
This was cute, I just expected more. The heroine was a bit to whinny for me though. And the hero tended to be an ass for majority of the book.
August 13, 2022
I enjoyed reading.
January 10, 2024
Couldn't make it past the first chapter. Something about the trite, offensive portrayal of people living in poverty gave me the ick. Not for me.
January 31, 2024
Barely made it thru. Naive and self-centered main female character. Unexplained work/etc of the guy. Just not believable connection and the murder threat was weird. Do not recommend.
September 18, 2024
Tbh, I couldn’t tell you what this was about or their names lol. I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe it was me and not the book necessarily.
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