REVIEW: Bride of a Scottish Warrior by Adrienne Basso

Bride of a Scottish Warrior by Adrienne Basso: Set in the 1314, during the late medieval period, ‘Bride of a Scottish Warrior’ is set in the interesting period after the Battle of Bannockburn, when the Scottish forces of Robert the Bruce defeated Edward the II of England. The books starts with Lady Grace Ferguson sitting at the side of her slowly and painfully dying husband Sir Alastair, chief of the Clan Ferguson. After successfully surviving the battle, Sir Alastair is severely attacked by a wild boar in a hunting accident. At the same time, Sir Ewan Gilroy is approaching the land that King Robert has awarded him for service during the war. The land is desolate, the keep burned and ruined, the peasants starving and downtrodden. However, Ewan is a fair man who offers protection and hard work, and he wins their allegiance.

Months later, after managing to survive a harsh winter, Ewan is heading south to find himself a noble and wealthy bride. He’s having a lot of trouble, however, because he was born a bastard, and no one wants to marry one of their women to bastard, no matter how well the king thinks of them. As a last resort he goes to the keep of his friend Sir Brian McKenna, and is pleased to find out that Brian’s widowed sister, Lady Grace, is in residence with him. Although he doesn’t want to force Grace into another marriage, Brian feels that Ewan and Grace would make a fine match, and encourages it. After some conversation, Ewan finds Grace fascinating, but she is highly reluctant to marry again, and instead wants to return to the nunnery where she was raised. Ewan can see that she is deeply troubled by a personal matter, but continues to court her, and they share some promising kisses.

Her heart nearly stopped as sensations filled her. Unfamiliar, yet exciting. A strange restlessness. The intoxicating taste of him, the sensual feel, the aching closeness. It was too much to comprehend, too much to understand. So she shut her mind to it and for a moment, a single, wicked, stolen moment, Grace allowed the experience to flow over her, engulf her.

Although Grace finds herself attracted to Ewan, and longing for a home and a family, she feels she must return to the abbey. In a last ditch effort to get them together, Brian suggests that Ewan and his men be the ones to escort Grace to the nunnery, and Ewan leaps at the chance to win Grace over. On the way, they discover more about each other, face danger, and learn about what they really desire out of life.

Their path to happily every after is not a walk in a lovely medieval forest. Grace has unpleasant stepchildren who are not pleased with her, and Evan has a harridan of a mother. Death, disease, and superstition stalk the middle ages, and exist in the book as a good balance to the happier, light-hearted moments. Grace and Evan are steady characters throughout, and the cast of supporting characters is very well done.

In general, I liked this book. It didn’t always hold my rapt attention from start to finish, but it was a pleasant read with a good story that had enough twists and turns to make it a little different. Medieval romances aren’t as common as 19th century ones, so if you enjoy romance in the middle ages, definitely put this one on your list.

Book Info:

Published July 1st 2014 by Zebra Books (first published January 1st 2014)

A union born of duty…

Newly knighted Sir Ewan Gilroy needs a dowry and a wife, in that order. Though the widowed Lady Grace plans to enter a convent, squandering so much lush beauty – and such a fortune – would surely be its own sin. Grace will not be easily wooed, despite her family’s urging and Ewan’s famed charm. She challenges him as no woman ever dared, proving his equal in spirit and in passions…

Forged by desire…

To atone for her past, Grace vows to never remarry – least of all a brash and reckless warrior. Yet whether defending her honor or stoking desires she hardly knew she possessed, Ewan is a man beyond compare. And as their fragile trust is threatened by treachery, Grace must decide whether to reach for the happiness within her grasp – and fight for the love of her bold Highlander…