Jove, Oct 2002, 6.99, 320 pp.
ISBN: 0515133884
In 1327 the war between the Scottish and English monarchy heats up and impacts everyone in both lands. Robert Campbell knows how deadly the fight is becoming, having lost family members to his dangerous foes. Still he successfully captures Mairi, the child-fiancee to a powerful rival. In addition to his young prisoner, Robert also incarcerates Mairi's guardian, her widowed aunt by marriage Judith Lindsay.
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Robert quickly finds Judith an exciting, intelligent, and brave person protecting her charge like a lioness would with a cub. He knows he should feel contempt for her, but instead is gentle towards both of his prisoners. As Robert and Judith fall in love and war creeps closer, one must wonder if their feelings are simply the Stockholm Effect that will end if she returns home.
Though this era is most likely one of the five most written periods in romance novels, fans will enjoy and admire THE LAIRD for its clever blending of numerous historical tidbits and people within a cross-starred lovers' story line. The characters bring to life the early fourteenth century as a background to Robert and Judith growing need for one another. The support cast augments the plot by providing the reader with deep insight into the protagonists and a microscopic look back at a bygone era. Though structured like many other fourteenth century novels, Juliana Garnett furnishes a jewel of a book that will gratify historical romance readers immensely.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner