~~SUMMARY~~
A LADY'S MISSION . . . Known for her beauty and boldness, Abigail MacGregor must preserve her clan's dangerous secret: that her mother is the true heir to the English Crown. If the wrong people find out, it will mean war for her beloved Scotland. To keep peace, she embarks for London, unprepared for the treachery that awaits-especially from her wickedly handsome escort. He is the enemy, but his slow, sensuous kisses entice her beyond reason . . .
A WARRIOR'S TEMPTATION General Daniel Marlow, loyal knight and the kingdom's most desirable hero, would rather be on the battlefield than transporting a spoiled Highland lass. But Abby MacGregor is unlike any woman he's ever met, in a ballroom or in his bedroom. Captivated by her daring spirit and seduced by her lovely innocence, Daniel must choose between betraying his queen or giving up the woman who would steal his country-and his traitorous heart.
~~EXCERPT~~
“Aye, ye did say that,” she murmured. “Well,
since we’re both awake, we might as well spend the night together again.”
The innocence in her voice struck him in the
guts. She wanted nothing more from him than someone to be with outside in the
night.
He, on the other hand, was not innocent at all.
Her choice of words sent a little spark of heat to his groin. The way she
turned on the pads of her feet and ended up pressed against his side and tucked
neatly under his shoulder tilted him on his axis a little.
“I’m cold,” she whispered, her teeth chattering.
He put up no fight when she lifted his arm
around her shoulder, then covered them both with her plaid. The desire to
protect her overwhelmed him and sent tremors through his muscles. He knew
little of her. Was she an innocent daughter of a Jacobite chief, or part of
some secret scheme Anne was devising.
Hell. Anne didn’t devise schemes.
“I wasn’t certain if you were ever going to
speak to me again,” he said, when what he should have said was, You should
go sleep somewhere, lady, and not on me.
“I was verra’ angry with ye. But I’ve forgiven
ye.” He heard the smile in her voice and made a mental note of how well it
pleased him that she was no longer angry. He would decide what to do about his
unwanted concerns for her tomorrow. Right now, he only wanted to sit with her
just like this, with her beneath his arm and pressed snuggly into his side.
Warmth swept over him like fine wine until he felt drunk on it.
How was it that she fit so neatly into him, now
and earlier when she slept in his lap, like she belonged there, close to him?
Close to his heart.
Hell, it scared him, and after fighting for over
a decade, not much scared him anymore.
“D’ye have a wife, General Marlow?” Came her
sweet voice against his chest.
“No, lady.”
“Are ye betrothed?”
“I am not.”
“Is there a lass somewhere who has yer heart?”
“No.”
“Well,” she laughed softly, “are all the ladies
in England fools?”
“They’re the opposite,” he told her. “They’re
wise to set their interests in another direction.”
She shook her head then tilted her face up to
his. In the filtered light of the moon, he could make her out enough to fall
victim to the alluring curves of her mouth, her soft, sweet breath against his
chin. “Nae, they are fools not to try to win yer affections.”
He knew every reason there was to stop what he
was thinking, what he was feeling, and what he was about to do. But reason was
a puny opponent compared to desire.
Slipping one hand behind her nape and the other
to her throat, he tilted her chin another half-inch then covered her mouth with
his. The instant after he did it, he regretted it, but then she coiled her arms
around his neck and drew him closer, and he couldn’t stop. He never wanted to.
She didn’t resist him, in fact, she melted in his arms. She groaned softly when
he drew his tongue across the seam of her mouth. She bit
his lip and ignited his blood to liquid fire. He swept his tongue in and out of
her, holding her close to him while they kissed, wanting nothing more from her
than what she gave him now. Making love to her could be dangerous if Charlotte
found out. He’d have to make sure she didn’t find out, at least until he had
proof of other crimes and could arrest her. If she hurt Abigail before that
he’d hang her himself.
He wondered, as he held her in his arms and
kissed her long into the night, how he could be so content with one he was
supposed to hate.
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~~NANCYK'S REVIEW~~
The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor by Paula QuinnMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Scandalous Secret of Abigail is set in the time of the early 1700's Scottish highlands and English court of Queen Anne. I am certainly no expert on early 1700's British history but this novel seems well researched. Yet Ms. Quinn didn't let the history get in the way of a romantic adventure.
Our hero is Queen Anne's top military general and one of her close personal advisors. He is sent to the isle of Skye to bring our heroine to Queen Anne's court. As our heroine is a Jacobite, one of the opposition, her new status as handmaiden is an important peacekeeping effort. As in any good romance, huge political and personal obstacles stand in our couple's way.
I liked that our hero was strong enough to fight for her, both her family to prove he could keep her safe on the long journey to England, but also to fight assassins along the way. But also our heroine is strong in her own right, strong enough to win our hero's heart, mind and honour.
I felt our author did a fine job of making the politics of the time personal and believable.
I liked the fact that our hero had a high powered career in the military, if you will. Our heroine has the potential of an equally high powered career in the family clan back home in the Highlands.
This is a longer format historical romance, third in the MacGregors: Highland Heirs series by Paula Quinn.
I liked this book a lot and I want to go back and read the previous books in this series. I look forward to the next in this series as well. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for a complimentary copy, as well as the excerpt and release week materials.
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