July is American Patriotic month on Historical Romance Review when I share romances set in America’s past from the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. I’m especially fond of stories set in the time before America’s Independence, so I’m beginning with one of those.
Ride Out The Storm begins in 1762 as Alex and Cameron, just wed, are traveling back to his ancestral hall, Glen Aucht. Young Cameron is feeling unprepared to assume the role as his lady. Worse, when they arrive, the English redcoats have taken over and Alex has been recalled to service. A surly English colonel has taken over the estate, perpetuating all sorts of crimes on the people and the servants (a very worthy cast of secondary characters), who have resorted to stealth to protect their young mistress.
Cameron’s origins hide a secret. She has a twin brother she has not seen since she was eight. She learns he has left Scotland for the New World. Alex and his errant bride are separated as she defies him and leaves the Highlands for the wilderness of the New World near Ft. Detroit on the St. Lawrence River. Alex will serve as a British scout, hoping to regain his lands in Scotland while Cameron is on the run, searching for her brother.
The plot is intricate, the characters well developed and the story intriguing with some exciting, if not disturbing, action scenes. The pace is a bit slower that your typical romance, especially in the beginning, but it picks up to move along at a good clip. I loved Cameron’s free spirit and her courage and Alex’s persistence in claiming his bride, though during their separation, he was not faithful.
Malcolm captures the frustration and anger of the Scots and the Indians at the cruel treatment they receive from the English in America. The story has a very satisfying feel and is obviously based on much research into the history of the period. I recommend it!
Note: Ride Out The Storm is the continuation of the love story of Sir Alex Sinclair and Cameron, the wild Scottish lass he was forced to marry in The Taming. While you can read this as a stand alone, I recommend you begin with book 1. It was a very worthy post Culloden story of a proud Scot and his young Scottish bride. Both are great reads!
The Cameron trilogy:
The Taming
Ride Out the Storm
The Daughters of Cameron
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