Series:
Accidental Brides (Book 2)
Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly
disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage hired to
take a housekeeper to Scotland.
The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife,
especially a love match -- but when Caelan sees his new housekeeper, he changes
his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect
arrangement.
To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once…and
again…yet again.
When her true identity is revealed, and they're forced to
marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge.
He finally has Clara's hand -- but how will he ever win
her heart?
Fun book about two people who are very different than
their peers. I enjoyed the story's premise and the two main characters'
interactions.
Caelan is a widower whose wife died two years ago. He's
not interested in remarrying and prefers simply to be left alone to write his
books about whisky and fishing. His family and the villagers believe that he is
lost in grief over his wife's death. Most of his staff are gone, and his castle
is a filthy mess. He doesn't care. However, his sister insists that he needs a
new housekeeper and sends to England for one, as no one locally will touch the
place.
Clara is a young lady whose fourth Season comes to a disastrous
end. A beautiful and curvy young woman, she unfortunately drew the attention of
the (married) Prince Regent. Matters come to a head when a drunk Prince makes a
spectacle of himself and her, ending with him groping her and ripping her dress
in full view of a ballroom full of people. I thought her reaction was great,
but it didn't go over well with the Prince. Clara's mother, who is far more
concerned with appearances than her daughter's feelings, banishes her to stay
with a distant relative in Scotland.
However, Clara isn't about to roll over and accept her
mother's plans for her. At a coaching inn, she bails out of her carriage and
jumps into one taking a housekeeper to Scotland. She looks at it as an
adventure despite having no experience. Her arrival at Castle CaerLaven is an
eye-opener, as she stumbles on Caelan while he is fishing (kiltless) in the
loch. The encounter is highly amusing and sets the tone for the book.
While Clara attempts to pass herself off as the new
housekeeper, no one believes her. That doesn't slow her down, and I enjoyed
seeing her put everyone to work - including Caelan. I loved the cleaning scenes
and seeing Clara steamroll over his reluctance.
I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Caelan
made no secret about his desire not to remarry. Clara is off men, thanks to her
recent experiences. However, there is no doubt about the sparks that fly
between them. After spending lots of time together cleaning and getting to know
each other, Caelan realizes he wouldn't mind marrying again as long as Clara is
the bride. Clara fights her feelings for Caelan because, like everyone else,
she believes he's still in love with his late wife. She won't risk her heart on
someone who can't love her back.
I got frustrated with Caelan's refusal to talk about his
wife and the truth of their relationship, which allowed the misunderstanding to
go on way too long. Caelan keeps proposing, and Clara keeps turning him down
until an unexpected twist forces them to marry. The misunderstandings continue
until a crisis forces them to face that which keeps them apart. I liked the
ending and have high hopes for a happy future for them.
The secondary characters provided additional humor to the
book. From Caelan's sister, Fiona, who ignores his protests to hire a
housekeeper and has a matchmaking glint in her eye, to Elspeth, the maid, and
Cobbledick, the driver, each one provides lighthearted moments and occasional
serious advice. But my favorite was Fiona's son, Alfie, and his pet chicken,
Wilhelmina. Alfie is adorable, and his unfiltered comments are fun.
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