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Highlander kidnaps his rival’s spirited English bride Emmaline Marlowe is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor’s prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abducts her in one strong swoop. Though he is Hepburn’s sworn enemy, Emma’s mysterious captor is everything her bridegroom is not—handsome, virile, dangerous . . . and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a fiery, defiant beauty whose irresistible charms will tempt him at every turn. But he cannot allow either one of them to forget he is her enemy and she his pawn in the deadly Highland feud between the clans. So why does he still want her so badly for himself? Stealing his enemy’s bride was simple, but can he claim her innocence without losing his heart?
From Eloisa James's "READING ROMANCE" column on The Barnes & Noble Review
A flurry of rice and orange blossoms seems the presumptive end of every romance novel. Yet, in fact, very few marriages appear in my eighteen romances, and I'd venture to say that my reluctance on that score is shared by other romance authors. The problem is that marriage at a book's conclusion is a cop-out, at least in this particular genre. A writer who resorts to frothy veils in her last pages, turning her characters into a visual from Bride Magazine, is phoning it in. If marriage does appear in a romance, it needs to be there for a reason bigger than public vows and white dresses. In the four novels I am writing about this month, nuptials appear for different reasons, but in each the event is crucial to the plot rather than the relationship.
Teresa Medeiros's The Devil Wears Plaid starts out in a church. Emmaline Marlowe is on the brink of marrying a much older man, the laird of the Hepburn clan, in order to gain the money her father needs to avoid debtor's prison. As she is about to pledge herself to honor and obey her toothless fiancé, the door bursts open, and a man on a towering black horse rides straight into the church. Jamie Sinclair snatches Emma from the altar, and gallops off into the Scottish wilderness. While a reader might think that the next marriage scene will surely unite Jamie and Emma, the end of the book finds Emma back in that church, pledged once again to the same elderly laird, though this time Jamie interrupts sans horse. For Medeiros, wedding ceremonies are opportunities for inventiveness, and the first two nuptials are disastrous, if hilarious. When Emma stands before the altar for the third time, the vows are far more romantic due to the contrast with what came before.
Madeleine Wickham's The Wedding Girl also depicts an interrupted nuptial. Melissa Grace Havill is about to become Mrs. Simon Pinnacle in a dreamy, lavish wedding ceremony. Simon is the perfect groom: handsome, rich, and kind. But Milly has forgotten one little thing, a tiny detail -- her husband. That would be Allan, the man she married years ago so that he could apply for a visa. Her romantic wedding crashes around her ears when Simon leaves her in disgust, appalled by her false vows and her lies to him. Along with a divorce, Milly learns that lavish "society" weddings are as shallow as champagne. To most people, she decides, "the word 'wedding' meant happiness and celebration." But for her? The celebration is less important than the man to whom she actually speaks the vows. And when Milly finally marries, the church is echoing and empty, the flowers are nowhere to be seen, but the vows are spoken from the heart.
Lynn Michaels's Mother of the Bride begins with the same flurry of social anxiety about wedding details. Three women are about to marry, none of whom is the heroine, Cydney Parrish. Cydney's niece Bebe (whom she raised) has declared her intention to wed the rather moronic, if cheerful, Aldo. Cydney's sister Gwen is marrying a Russian prince in her fifth such ceremony, and Cydney's mother is to be married in a candlelight ceremony at Christmas time. Cydney, meanwhile, has never even been asked to go steady -- which might be because the man of her dreams is a famous author, Angus Munroe, whom she's never met. That changes once Angus -- Aldo's uncle -- shows up, determined to derail the marriage. As Cydney desperately tries to arrange decorations worthy of Vogue (for which Gwen will photograph the marriage), and a wedding cake worthy of Bebe, the happy couples proceed to wangle and fall apart, while Cydney and Gus engage in a hot, secret affair. The marriage that ends this book stands in counterpoint to the betrothals that brought so much heartache. Cydney's wedding is about the heart, rather than glamorous pictures, and it is more joyous for being happily out of Vogue.
The marriage in Virginia Kantra's Immortal Sea occurs at the end of a romance that doesn't include a single disrupted engagement, nor a wrathful kidnapping. In fact, Kantra starts the novel in the farthest possible spot from a wedding: in a hot and wild one-night stand. Elizabeth Rodriguez is on a trip to Copenhagen before starting medical school when she finds "adventure personified in moonlight and black leather." In fact, Morgan is a member of the finfolk, a warden of the northern deep charged with protecting the sea, though Liz has no idea he's anything other than a leather-clad bad boy. The best sex of her life leads to the best gift: her son. But it isn't until Morgan happens on that boy, Zach, that he has any idea their one-night stand had consequences. The marriage that ends this book plays a role that all marriages do, from those that end Shakespeare plays, to those listed in the New York Times: it pulls together the community, bringing into view a new society crystallized around the hero and heroine. In Immortal Sea, Liz and Morgan's wedding depicts a society that binds together humans and merfolk. When Morgan silently vows to love Liz "until the seas run dry," marriage vows are reshaped to suit the new society Kantra has created.
In each of these novels, the marriage ceremony (or ceremonies) is no mere punctuation point to a happy union. The characters -- and thus the readers -- rethink the very idea of "'til death do us part." In each, white veils and bubbling champagne are far less important than the vows that will bind together warring clans -- whether the celebrants are the Scottish, merfolk, or high society.
GabriellaL
Posted September 15, 2010
Teresa Medeiros is one of my favorite romance authors, a writer who embraces the genre and gives readers everything they want when they wander into the romance aisle: a strong yet tender hero, a fiery and interesting heroine, a compelling setup, interesting secondary characters and great sex. Which is why I was so disappointed by her latest effort, "The Devil Wears Plaid." The book gave me a hint of all the things Medeiros does well, but I couldn't lose myself in the characters and scenarios like I usually do. The book felt rushed, as if Medeiros didn't have the time to fully invest herself in the characters or scenarios, either. I wonder if someone can expect quality when quantity seems to be the emphasis of both authors and publishers? I would much prefer to see fewer books from my favorite authors and for those books to represent the highest quality of their writing.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AAR
Posted October 8, 2010
THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID by Teresa Medieros is a wonderful historical romance set in Scotland. It is well written with details, depth, fast paced and a page turner. It has romance, sensuality, intrigue, adventure, retribution, betrayal,secrets,Highlanders, English bride, friendship, tragedy, full of passion, a feud between two rival Highland lairds, and family. The characters are enchanting, interesting, strong, determined and full of passion. The hero, Jamie, is handsome, dangerous, a Sinclair,and the grandson of a Hepburn.He is determined to find justice for the death of his parents by who he believes killed them, a Hepburn. He be lives he is illegitimate, been told the Hepburn's killed both of his parents, wants retribution and finds out all he thought was true was not. The heroine, Emma, is defiant, beautiful, although some think she is homely with her freckles, and dark skin, high spirited and determined to fulfill her family's obligation. She is betrothed to the old Hepburn laid but is kidnapped by Jamie Sinclair the day of the wedding for Ransom. What follows is an adventure, passion, finding what is truly important and fulfilling your dream of happiness. Emma learns the truth of Jamie's existence, by mistake, she shares it with Jamie and everything he thought was right and truth is proved to be a lie. This is a wonderful story of true love, passion, forgiveness, and finding happiness. I would highly recommend this book especially if you enjoy Scottish love stories, high octane adventure, passion and determination to make things right. This book was received for review from Good Reads and details can be found at Simon and Schuster and My Book Addiction and More
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ok, usually I love her bookds, but this one was just not good at all! I was very disappointed on the storyline. For me, it seemed like there was no chemistry at all between the hero and heroine. I wish she would have developed their relationship and characters a little deeper. I read this book front to back, but I have no clue what actually happened because it is a very dull book. Hopefully, her next one is better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is a fun historical romance. Light and fun and full of roguish romance. It starts out in the typical way. Man steals woman to make another suffer, man finds woman surprisingly attractive, woman finds man surprisingly attractive, both find themselves in each others arms and win over the bad man she was about to be married. Now, yes, I did just basically tell you the story, but that formula is as old as perhaps the castle under contention. :) What I liked about this story is that the woman has her own mind and finds strength within her capture. Even though she does rely on Jamie's physical prowess to keep her safe, her wits and inner strength keep her up to the challenge of a bunch of burly men and the highland wilderness. Yes, I liked Emma. She was a good match for Jamie. You don't always find that within these types of stories. I also loved Jamie although there were times I could hit him over the head for being so stubborn.
All in all I give this book 4 stars. It's a fun, light historical romance. If you love a roguish man in a kilt, sexy time in an abandoned church you will enjoy this book.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Having left gentle Lancaster for the harsh Highlands, Emmaline Marlowe's choices are simple. She either marries someone she does not want to or her father goes to debtor prison. Thus Emmaline is at the church about to wed the Hepburn clan laird, a man older than her father.
Stunning everyone at the church, Jamie Sinclair rides inside the holy edifice and grabs Emmaline before riding away with her. Jamie is not abducting Emmaline for altruistic reasons. Instead he and the Hepburn clan are enemies; he plans to use the chief's fiancée as an expendable discard in his scheme to avenge what they did to him. However, he quickly wonders who the captive is as the feisty Emmaline rejects being any man's throwaway though she must say I do to save her father.
The Devil Wears Plaid is an exciting Highlander historical romance starring the first of the "E" sisters and the rogue who abducted her. Emmaline proves energetic and courageous rather than the weak person her capturer anticipated. Although they fall in love (Stockholm syndrome aside), she knows her mission is to save her father (and the rest of the family) so she leaves. Although the premise has been used before many times; readers will appreciate Teresa Medeiros' skills to make her story line fresh, exuberant, and entertaining.
Harriet Klausner
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LadyScarlet
Posted December 15, 2012
Sure it starts with a kidnapping which is standard scottish fair but this one has some really fun moments...loved when she shoved him in the tub and almost shot him! The hero is strong but kind and the heroine is fiesty and stubborn.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AN INNOCENT WOMAN
Emmaline Marlow is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor's prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abducts her in one strong swoop. Though he is Hepburn's sworn enemy, Emma's mysterious captor is everything her bridegroom is not--handsome, virile, dangerous...and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.
A DANGEROUS MAN
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a fiery, defiant beauty whose irresistible charms will tempt him at every turn. But he cannot allow either one of them to forget he is her enemy and she his pawn in the deadly Highland feud between the clans. Stealing his enemy's bride was simple, but can he claim her innocence without losing his heart?
Emma makes the ultimate sacrifice for her family - to pay her father's debt, to save her sisters' future, and to ease her mother's worries - by marrying an eighty-year old Scotland clan leader who can solve all their problems, including overlooking Emma's tarnished past. On the day of her wedding, she gets snatched from the alter on horseback by an enemy clan leader and must now deal with sleeping under the stars on the Scottish moors, talking to brutish/vulgar Highlanders, and keeping secret her developing feelings for her sun-bronzed guard. When dark truths become known, can Emma's new life really be as simple as black & white and can the past be re-written through her freedom?
Teresa Medeiros is a favorite for me since she was the first author who got me into reading romance. I devoured all of her books before I even got into the rest of the romance wonderland of authors I'm in now, thus all her new historical romances are a true joy for me! But enough about that . . . on to the book . . . and this was for sure a fun read. I love the style of this book and how the characters really come to life without being overly dramatic since there is lots of climatic action and thrilling revelations going on throughout. Emma is easy to like with her adorable innocence and stubborn selflessness, while Jamie is a natural heart-throb who portrays a perfect balance of compassion and perseverance. Together they heat up the pages, while the side characters add well to the overall story without overpowering the main leads - always a good thing! This is a great book for Fall, something to curl up with on the couch with a throw and all afternoon to devour - enjoy!!!
Likes: Jealousy is always a thing of beauty in blooming relationships, it puts your feelings in the open - which is pretty evident in this book during Muira's cottage scenes. Fun! Fun!
Dislikes: Jamie's grandfather on his father's side is dark and desperate . . . almost gruesomely so! But the shocking secret from Jamie's grandfather on his mother's side is just too tragic for my taste!
Anonymous
Posted February 24, 2012
A really romantic and fun book,
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Posted January 23, 2012
incredible story...loved it !!
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Posted November 23, 2011
This was my first book read by Teresa Medeiros... I really enjoyed it. I thought it was an easy read, unable to put down kind of book. I liked the story line... enjoyed the characaters. It certainly makes me want to read more books by her.
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Posted October 9, 2011
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JRAE30
Posted September 30, 2011
LOVE TERESA'S STYLE OF WRITING. I LOVE THE SCOTTISH, ENGLISH THEME FOUND IN A LOT OF HER BOOKS. THIS ONE IS REALLY GOOD
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Posted May 20, 2011
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Overview
Passion sparks in USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Teresa Medeiros’s irresistibly tempting new romance after a sexy
Highlander kidnaps his rival’s spirited English bride Emmaline Marlowe is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor’s prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abducts her in one strong swoop. Though he is Hepburn’s sworn enemy, Emma’s mysterious ...