Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 94)
Bound by scandal, rescued by love.
When Alasdair "Dare" Drummond, Viscount
Strathburn and Lord Lyon, head of Scottish heraldry, arrives in London on royal
business, he encounters the one Scotswoman he tried to forget. Beautiful,
spirited Hannah Gordon is a gifted artist now engaged to another. But when Dare
uncovers a threat to her, his protective instincts—and long-hidden
love—surface.
In London, Hannah hoped for independence and artistic
success, not heartbreak. Abandoned by her fiancé and burdened with his debts,
she works as a heraldry artist under the cruel eye of Sir Frederic Dove, who
loathes Scots and resents the girl's talents. Scheming with his notorious
cousin, Mrs. Dove-Lyon, he traps Hannah in a scandalous marriage contract to
ruin her—and blackmails Lord Lyon as the unexpected groom.
Reluctantly wed, Dare and Hannah navigate deceit,
secrets, and the past even as the bond between them grows more powerful.
Yet love alone won't be enough to free them, if they can't
unravel a treacherous web of lies before it's too late.
Sweet story with a hint of heat and a bit of suspense. Dare,
Viscount Strathburn, has been appointed the new Lord Lyon, head of Scottish
heraldry. It is his responsibility to verify tartans, coats of arms, and other
bits of Scottish culture and history. With the new King preparing for his
coronation, it is up to the British and Scottish heraldry offices to design new
coats of arms for him. On a trip to London to consult with his British
counterpart, Dare encounters the daughter of a friend.
Hannah traveled to London with her fiancé, a man her
father didn't approve of, but she was convinced he loved her. Unfortunately, he
quickly abandoned her, leaving only his debts behind. A talented artist, she
took a job at the heraldry office to earn the money to repay the debts. The man
who claimed the debt also works at the heraldry office and takes every opportunity
to threaten Hannah with debtor's prison. Sir Frederic is a vile man who loathes
Scots and resents Hannah's talents when compared to his son's.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Dare and
Hannah develop. Dare was surprised to encounter Hannah at the heraldry office. He's
known her for several years and immediately senses that something is wrong. His
protective instincts kick in. He has been drawn to her for a long time, but is
a bit shy and reticent. Before he could work up the courage to say anything,
she was engaged to someone else. Now that she is free, he hopes to make his
case.
But before that can happen, the devious Sir Frederic
drugs both Hannah and Dare. He convinces his cousin, Mrs. Dove-Lyon, to
contract a marriage for her. Using Dare's honor against him, he blackmails Dare
into being the groom. I liked the honest conversation between Dare and Hannah
as they discussed the ramifications of Sir Frederic's threats and their
marriage. I liked the respect that Hannah and Dare had for each other,
personally and professionally. It took them a little time to realize that their
growing feelings were love, not just attraction. I enjoyed their journey back
to Edinburgh as they got to know each other a little better.
However, their return to Scotland did not completely
remove them from danger. Sir Frederic followed them with more havoc in mind. The
final confrontation was intense, featuring unexpected revelations and a
satisfying ending. I liked the epilogue, especially the bit about Hannah's
artwork.
I didn't care for the portrayal of Mrs. Dove-Lyon in this
book. I thought she had more honor than to go along with Sir Frederic's plans
for Hannah and Dare, but she carried through with it. She suspected Hannah
hadn't signed the contract willingly, but she held to it anyway.
I enjoyed the background information on the designs of
the coats of arms and what went into creating them.
No comments:
Post a Comment