Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 71)
An arranged marriage, a desperate escape, and a
Highlander's hope—can love find a way to their hearts?
Laird Kerrigan Lindsay never thought he'd be hopeless
enough to save his clan by marrying a stranger for her money. But desperate
times call for desperate measures.
Thus, he finds himself at The Lyon's Den in London
prepared to meet the woman Mrs. Dove-Lyon, the owner of the Lyon's Den, has
arranged for him to marry.
Lady Christine Spencer is so determined not to marry the
man her greedy uncle has chosen for her that she climbs out her bedroom window
late at night and makes her way to The Lyon's Den to find a man she chooses for
herself, with help of the notorious Mrs. Dove-Lyon.
She needs to leave England as quickly as possible; he
needs the coin to save his clan as quickly as possible. What they never
expected to find was a forever love.
Short but sweet story of two desperate people brought
together by Mrs. Dove-Lyon. The story opens as Christine prepares to escape the
marriage her greedy uncle arranged for her by climbing out of her bedroom
window. She flees to the Lyon's Den, where she appeals to the widow for help. She
needs to marry and escape London as quickly as possible.
Laird Kerrigan Lindsay desperately needs a wealthy wife. Disease
decimated the flocks of sheep his clan relies on, and he needs the funds to rebuild
the flocks to save his people. There is no time to waste.
Kerrigan and Christine are practical people. When Mrs.
Dove-Lyon introduces them, a few moments of conversation convinces them they
will deal well with each other. As a bonus, there are already sparks of
attraction. The marriage happens quickly, followed by the requisite trip to the
lawyer to arrange their finances. I liked the lawyer, who was kind and
efficient, and arranged a a place for them to stay for a few days. Their time
is cut short when Christine's uncle tracks her down and attempts to force her
to return with him. I loved Kerrigan's protectiveness.
I enjoyed their journey to Scotland. Over those few days,
Kerrigan and Christine had the chance to get to know each other. The drawbacks
of their characters become evident as the reader discovers that Christine has
no idea what will be required of her when she takes over running his home. At
the same time, Kerrigan simply assumes that Christine received the typical
training of most young women. Both are in for a shock.
I loved how, despite having little idea of what to do,
Christine took charge right away, quickly earning the respect of Kerrigan's
clan members. Meanwhile, Kerrigan was oblivious to the difficulty he left her
with when he immediately left to acquire new sheep. Though he was somewhat apologetic
when he arrived home, I feel like he still didn't understand how difficult it
was for her. Fortunately, Christine was forgiving, and as they worked together,
their feelings for each other strengthened.
But Christine's uncle hasn't given up, and trouble comes
calling. The buildup to the climax kept me glued to the pages as I waited for
him to strike. I liked the twist that altered the outcome, though I thought Christine's
uncle got off too easily.
The epilogue was good and a nice wrap-up to the story.
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