This is a Regency era romance from one of my very favorite authors. Some of it takes place in Scotland, which I quite liked. It begins as 17-year-old Elizabeth Cameron, Countess of Havenhurst, an heiress in her own right and a blonde beauty, is in her first season and makes some errors of judgment which, while demonstrating her independence and courage, set her back in the ton's eyes. Caught in the arms of the handsome rake, Ian Thornton, who isn’t even a peer, she is ruined. To his credit, Ian, a known gambler, wants to marry her, but Elizabeth is too afraid of the perils of gambling that have made her family poor, and so she rejects his offer.
Cast out of society, Elizabeth valiantly holds onto the family estate, Havenhurst, using her ingenuity to sell off assets to keep them afloat and provide for the loyal servants—for two long years. But in an effort to reduce his costs, her uncle decides to marry her off, to any of her former suitors who will take her. Three men are willing to consider her. Though Ian is among them, his acceptance was sent by mistake.
By now, Ian is a very wealthy man, with estates, ships and a prosperous business. Though few know it, he is also heir to the Duke of Stanhope, his grandfather. But Ian is also skeptical of Elizabeth, seeing her as conniving, based on what he’s been told. Thus, he treats her cruelly when she suddenly shows up at his hunting cottage in Scotland.
This is such a good story. McNaught’s characters are well drawn and her writing excellent. She captures the period perfectly. And she does a superb job of demonstrating the conflict between Elizabeth and Ian. The dialog is witty and very funny at times; the characters are interesting; and the sexual tension simmers.
There are a few twists and turns that add to the story. While they may be improbable, they did not detract from the wonderful ending. A good read and I highly recommend it.
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