WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT – Tessa Dare
Castles Ever After
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-234902-6
September 2015
Historical Romance

Scotland – 1817

Madeline Gracechurch should be pursuing a husband, but instead she has managed to avoid her London Season by fabricating a story about a Scotsman she met while on a retreat. He's gone off to war, according to the tale, and Maddie sends him long letters about her father and his new wife, and her abhorrence of appearing in public. Painfully shy, the thought of floating from one ball to another gives Maddie palpitations. Besides, she'd much rather be sketching everything under the sun. She is a very talented artist, and that is where her heart lies. Well there and with the fictional Captain Logan MacKenzie. After several years, she realizes she must end the lie, so she conveniently kills him off in the war. And now she is a grieving lover.

When she inherits Lannair Castle in the Highlands, Maddie and her eccentric Aunt Thea move there. Maddie can sketch to her heart's content, and she's caught the eyes of others who admire her work. But one day everything comes crashing to a halt when the real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep. Yes, there was a real man receiving her letters, and he's come to claim his betrothed.

Logan MacKenzie has brought his ragtag group of soldiers with him back to the Highlands with a promise to them that he will take care of them. Most have war wounds, or have lost their families, and Logan strongly feels that he owes these men a future. He has kept the thought of Madeline Gracechurch throughout the war, and now he's going to help his men by marrying her.

Logan knows all about Maddie. She revealed much of herself in her letters that she believed were being tossed out by the government when they couldn't find the recipient. Now she is facing reality, and a determined, handsome Scot. While his plan isn't really about her, but his men, he realizes right away that he has his work cut out for him.

WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT is a delightfully told story with two equally resilient lead characters. While Maddy is shy, she is no fool, and even though she's been put on the spot, she's not going down without a fight. Logan's honor is at stake, and his soldiers have suffered for and with him. There are plenty of heated discussions, and Aunt Thea provides some comic relief. This is a fun, entertaining tale with a satisfying, if surprising, ending.

Jani Brooks