The
Border Chronicles Series, Book Six
Signet
Eclipse
May 7th,
2013
978-0-451-23631-9
Historical
Romance
Mass
Market Paperback
Reviewed
by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained
by Publisher
Angus
Ferguson, Earl of Duin, is handsome, rich and is determined to have this piece
of land abutting his. The catch-Marry the oldest daughter of the laird of Rath,
Annabella Baird. With nothing to lose, Angus agrees and expects a demure,
obedient woman. What he gets in Annabella is so much more than he bargains for.
Annabella always knew she was not the beauty her younger sisters were but
grateful to find herself wed to an Earl, she finds herself falling in love with
Angus even as they get to know one another after the marriage ceremony. But
even as these two fall in love, forces are at work that will divide Scotland
and if the Earl and his countess are not careful, their lives will be forfeit in
the coming future.
Bertrice
Small is the queen of historical romance and a master storyteller though with
her Border Chronicles series, I found a few hits as well as a few misses with
the stories told. In her final book in the series, we meet Mary, Queen of
Scotland, the battle between Catholics and Protestant faith and more within the
pages of BOND OF PASSION. The one complaint I had, overall, was the
constant plain vs. beauty theme that kept cropping up. Yes, Annabella is plain
in face but her beauty comes from being pure of heart. She was the perfect fit
for the Earl of Duin who is considered quite handsome. Ms. Small has a way of
making history come alive in her historical romance books and I loved reading
about Mary, Queen of Scotland and the formidable Queen Elizabeth I, her cousin
who is a strong monarch in England.
The historical references weave themselves within the storyline seamlessly and
the mystery over who will help Mary regain her throne deepens with each twist
and turn of the story. The characters are intriguing and I loved how Annabella
was quiet yet strong, a heroine with a spine forged of tempered steel.
As
a long time love for this author’s stories, her strength is in creating strong
characters who, fairly brim with life and step out of the pages and into your
living room. BOND OF PASSION has those in spades. Yes, there was no
heroine gets kidnapped, sold into slavery or other such twist but a nice slow
build up of a story that details the plots around Mary’s rise as well as her
downfall, the attempts to bring her back onto the throne and more all
seamlessly weaving a spell around you as you flip the pages. With each bated
breath, I wondered if the Earl and his Countess would be able to ride off into
the sunset to have their own happily ever after or was it all for naught. Ms.
Small is a talented storyteller who delighted this reviewer with a story that
may not be full of pirates or harems or any other items Ms. Small is known for
but a story that leaves you, nonetheless, satisfied when you close that last
page. Sometimes a reader just needs a simple story that you can enjoy and leave
with a smile on your face. I look forward to revisiting the books of Ms. Small
in the future and look forward to seeing where else this author will take her
beloved readers next.
This
is an objective review and not an endorsement
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