BORDER MOONLIGHT - Amanda Scott
Grand Central's Forever
ISBN: 0-446-54135-4
January 2009
Historical Romance

The Scottish Borders, 1391

The border between the Scots and English is at relative peace these days, two years into the negotiated ten-year truce. Yet Simon Murray is still under pressure to declare himself for once side or the other once and for all. Simon's father and grandfather, Lairds of the Murrays of Elishaw, carefully kept their clan neutral; his father even chose a wife from the powerful Percy family of England. Yet Simon has long been a follower of the ambitious Earl of Fife, who holds the position as Governor of the Realm under his brother, the ineffectual High King of the Scots, Robert III. Lately, Simon has become somewhat disillusioned by Fife's ruthlessness. Simon hasn't always been the best of brothers, but he at least refused to give his very young sister Rosalie in marriage to one of Fife's other followers. He's also grown into his responsibilities to Elishaw and its people after inheriting from his father.

Lady Sybilla Cavers enjoys the life she's made for herself through her own independent streak and her indomitable strength of will. Three times she steadfastly refused to wed the men chosen by her father; the first time, she was fourteen and standing at the altar expected to marry an old man. The next year, the bridegroom was young and good-looking enough, but too cold and arrogant for Sybilla. After the third time, her father gave up. At nineteen, Sybilla serves Princess Isabel, the king's sister, at Sweethope Hill House. Sybilla was left behind to recover from an illness when the princess and her other ladies left on a visit. Once well and longing for freedom, Sybilla rides out alone this April day. Nearing the River Tweed, she sees a child struggling in the rapid current and risks her own life to save him. She has hold of the child when she slips from her horse and both are swept down stream. Luckily, Simon Murray and a party of men are out investigating raids on his people when he sees the two strugglers. In short: Simon saves Sybilla and the young lad who turns out to be a girl who calls herself Kit. Others among his men save another youngster from drowning, and Simon carries them all to his home at Elishaw.

Upon awakening from her ordeal, Sybilla recognizes Simon as the arrogant young man who swore to make her pay one day for her humiliating refusal at the altar. Oh, my! You may wonder if Simon redeems himself in this new novel. I'd have to say that he certainly does, especially after meeting Sybilla once again. You could say he's met his match...and so finally has she.

BORDER MOONLIGHT carries on the exciting tale of passion, intrigue, betrayal, and love that began with BORDER WEDDING and continued with BORDER LASS. If you've read these earlier books, you are surely captivated by now by Ms. Scott's informative as well as entertaining storytelling and by the Borderlands and the mix of real and fictional characters who populate her storyworld. Don't miss these tales of fascinating men and women and the precarious times they live in.

Jane Bowers