Bertrice Small’s THE BORDER LORD AND THE LADY – Captivating and Unique!

Once I got past the realization that Bertrice Small historical romances are very different than others, the things that at first distracted (long narratives, repeated scenes told through different characters’ eyes, and “head hopping” from one character’s perspective to another in rapid succession) became a rich background for a captivating story. Then, too, one has to love the historical part of historical romance as Small gives you a lot of what was going on at the time, including the food they ate. Finally, her stories do not all have one hero and one heroine who live happily ever after. The Border Lord and the Lady is just such a book. Oh, there is a happy ending, don't get me wrong, but it won’t be what you expect. Nevertheless, it is very realistic for the time (15th century) and the place (the border between Scotland and England). And it's a wonderful story.

Lady Cicely Bowen was the much-loved daughter of her widowed father, the Earl of Leighton. But when he remarries, his new wife is so jealous that the earl has to send Cicely away to foster at court to ensure her safety. There, living in Queen Joan’s household, she becomes a lady and the best friend of the king's cousin, Lady Joan Beaufort. When her cousin marries the young James Stewart, King of Scots, Cicely follows her to Scotland. There Cicely expects to have her choice of husbands, as promised by her father and agreed to by King James. But one of the border lords, Ian Douglas, laird of Glengorm, is smitten with her and decides she is the only one for him. Tired of fighting her other suitors for access to her, he engages in a bit of bride stealing, practically a tradition in Scotland.

To say this is the love story of Cicely and Ian is only part of the story. This tale goes on for several years and much happens in the lives of all those in Scotland who are a part of Cicely's life. I won’t spoil it for you but I will say I was a bit shocked when certain events happened. But I did recognize it as reality and got over it very quickly as the story continued to intrigue me. I highly recommend this one.

Also, I recommend reading Small’s Betrayed with or before this romance. It is the story of Fiona Hay, introduced in The Border Lord and The Lady, and it’s a worthy read.

Here’s the Border Chronicles series:

A Dangerous Love
The Border Lord's Bride
The Captive Heart
The Border Lord and the Lady
The Border Vixen
Bond of Passion