Series: Brunson Clan (Book 3)
Tormented by her innocence
As leader of his clan, Black Rob Brunson has earned every dark syllable
of his name. But, having taken hostage his enemy's daughter in a fierce
act of rebellion, he is tormented by feelings of guilt and torn apart
with the growing need to protect her-and seduce her!
Stella Storwick feels Rob's disdain from the first. Then slowly she
starts to see behind his eyes to a man in turmoil. Something he has no
words for, something that can only be captured in a heart-wrenching
kiss....
My favorite of the trilogy. Rob is the leader of his clan and must do what is best for them. When he comes across Stella Storwick, a member of his clan's mortal enemies, he seizes the moment and seizes her. His clan has already taken her father hostage and he finds that neither one is being searched for by their relations. Now he has to decide what to do with her.
I really liked both Rob and Stella. Both of them have found themselves isolated by the expectations others have of them. Rob has been trained by his father to take over the clan, but never felt as though his father thought he was ready. When his father died unexpectedly Rob felt unprepared for the responsibility. Added to these problems were the demands from the Scottish king that Rob provide men for his war and the results of Rob's refusal (see Return of the Border Warrior and Captive of the Border Lord). Now he finds that he is attracted to the daughter of his enemy and can't do anything about it. I really enjoyed seeing the way that being with Stella filled something in his soul that he hadn't realized was missing. I also loved seeing the way that she confused him and often made him rethink his attitude about something. The last chapters showed him finally come into his own.
I really liked Stella. All her life she had been treated like someone too good to be exposed to other people, leaving her feeling lonely and isolated. When she found herself a captive of the Brunsons she didn't know what to expect. What she got was being treated like an ordinary person and she loved it. I loved seeing her experience things like cooking and washing. I also loved the way she took care of Wat, showing one of the facets of her personality that had never been given a chance before. I also really liked the way that she wanted to find her place in the world. One of the things that I enjoyed most about her was the way she came up with the perfect solution for their problems half a book before Rob and the others did.
Series:
Brunson Clan (Book 2)
TO MARRY HIM WILL BE TO BETRAY HER FAMILY
Bessie, the selfless sister of the powerful but stubborn Brunson clan,
has sacrificed herself for her family's honor and is at the mercy of the
court of King James. Ill-suited to court life, she must confront their
mortal enemy, Lord Thomas Carwell, dressed in nothing but borrowed
finery and pride.
Underneath the relentless gaze of her captor, she's enticed not only by
him but also by the opulence of a world far removed from her own. When
the furious king demands her brother's head, Carwell is the only one to
whom she can turn. But she must pay the ultimate price for his
protection....
Good book with plenty of intrigue. Thomas has been sent by the king to bring Bessie's brother John to court as hostage for the clan's behavior. John had made the king angry (see Return of the Border Warrior) but refuses to betray his own honor. To save her brother, Bessie volunteers to go in his place. They in turn make Thomas responsible for her safety. Once there Bessie has to learn to navigate a way of life far outside anything she has experienced before.
I liked Bessie. In the first book she was mostly in the background so I didn't get much of a feel for her. In this one the family stubbornness is very evident in her. She is determined to be the one to go. Once she is there she realizes that nothing is as it appears on the surface and finds herself depending on Thomas to show her the way. And though she had sworn to find proof of his treachery against her family what she found instead was a growing passion. I liked her combination of naivete and confidence. She didn't understand the things that went on at court but she was well aware of who she was and she wasn't going to be any less than what she expected of herself. I also liked the way that she decided to fight for Thomas and herself while trying to stay true to her roots.
Thomas was a little harder to know. Because of his position as Warden he had to be able to deal with Scots and English. He had grown up learning the art of compromise and how to read shifting loyalties and emotions. There are some things he has done in the service of the king that haven't turned out the way they were intended and that creates even more problems. As he tries to do his job and still protect the Brunsons he finds out that the only way he can protect Bessie is to marry her. He had sworn never to marry again after the disaster of his first marriage, but felt he had no choice. He was also trying to fight his attraction and growing feelings for her and losing that battle. When things come to a head Thomas has to make a choice between his king and his bride.
Series:
Brunson Clan (Book 1)
Word in the Royal Court has spread that the wild
Scottish borders are too unruly. Upon the King's command, John Brunson
must return home…
Once part of a powerful border clan, John has not set eyes on the
Brunson stone tower in years. With failure never an option, he must
persuade his family to honor the king's call for peace.
To succeed, John knows winning over Cate Gilnock, the daughter of an
allied family, holds the key. But this intriguing beauty is beyond the
powers of flattery and seduction. Instead, the painful vulnerability
hidden behind her spirited eyes calls out to John as he is inexorably
drawn back into the warrior Brunson clan….
I have mixed feelings about this book. By the end I really liked it, but I felt like the first half dragged a bit, making it hard for me to get really involved. John had been sent away from him home at age twelve to be a companion to the boy king. Now he has been sent by the king to bring Brunson men to fight in the king's war against a traitor. He arrives to find his father dead and his brother as the new laird. No one is interested in having anything to do with his mission and he still feels like an outsider among his own people. He is rather naive I think about how effective the king's word would be in keeping the peace. He also discovers that the key to his success may be in convincing Cate that it is in the clan's best interest to cooperate with the king. He doesn't remember what Border people are like and thinks that a few kisses and cuddles will turn Cate from her purpose and is surprised when it doesn't. He also senses that there is more to her than appears on the surface. Cate's father was killed and she was assaulted two years previously. Since then she has lived for revenge and kept everyone at a distance. She doesn't understand why she is so drawn to John when she fears all men. She wants to trust her feelings and the things he tells her but trust is a hard thing for her now. I did like the growth that both characters showed. John changed from someone who wanted to hurry up and complete his mission and return to court to someone who had reconnected with his roots and was more interested in the welfare of his people. He also showed incredible kindness and patience with Cate and showing her how good it could be between them. He also was able to confront his feelings of rejection from being sent away. Cate was able to confront her fears with John's help and learn that she could move on from the past and have a brighter future. I liked the way that it was shown as a process and not a sudden healing. I did like the way that people's motivations were portrayed in a realistic way. The politics of the time were also shown well without beating the reader over the head with it. I'm looking forward to the next one.
