THE SCOTTISH WITCH by Cathy Maxwell

The Chattan Curse Series, Book Two

Avon Books

October 30^th, 2012

978-0-06-207023-4

Historical Romance/Paranormal

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

A curse is placed on all the Chattan men that if they fall in love, he will have his heart struck down with fire from above. Harry Chattan is fighting for his family and a way to break the curse that has destroyed his family for over two hundred years. When he spies Portia Maclean, he finds himself bewitched by her beauty. But Portia is determined to not fall for Harry’s charms but she can’t help herself for falling for him. But danger looms as Harry tries to keep his heart away from the woman who has grown on him. But secrets surround Portia and once they come out, will Harry find a way to forgive the beauty and fall for the woman that has become so important to him in such a short time?

I loved meeting Harry Chattan in The Lyon’s Bride and couldn’t wait to see his story. Ms. Maxwell delivers one wild ride from start to finish. Though I have to caution you that this book leaves the ending pretty open and readers may not enjoy that aspect of it. But otherwise, I felt THE SCOTTISH WITCH was pure fun from start to finish. The author does a good job in creating some wonderful characters that you can’t help but enjoy even as you flipped the pages quickly to see what happens next for them. The writing is a delight as it is pure Cathy Maxwell that I have grown to know and love and honestly, the story was a fun filled romp in the Scottish highlands that left me eager for book three. If you want a story that has an ending all tied up and in a bow, this isn’t it. The ending leaves open for the next book and gives you a few questions to ponder but I found it all good fun and look forward to reading the final book in the series.

Meet Harry Chattan. He is a man on a mission. For over two hundred years a curse has plagued his family, particularly the Chattan Men, and he is determined to find a way to end it so his family can live in peace, fall in love without anything coming back at them and raise their families. What he finds is a mysterious beauty that just knocks any and all defenses Harry has in place. Portia is strong willed, determined to save her family and if she has to deceive Harry to do it, she will. She just never anticipated falling in love with the man or finding herself hoping to help him and his family out of a curse that caused such havoc on his family. I really love Harry and Portia together. They struck sparks the minute they stepped onto the pages together and I was rooting for them to have a happy for now ending. Ms. Maxwell does a great job in showing that the road to love is not all hearts and flowers but can be a bit bumpy as well. The characters are well written, wonderfully intriguing and I was enthralled with the entire book on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

If you enjoyed the first book, Lyon’s Bride, you will definitely enjoy THE SCOTTISH WITCH. I can’t wait to see how this author ends her interesting triology and hope that the Chattan men I have met in the first two books find they broken the curse and can live their lives to the fullest. If you like fast paced storylines, a diverse cast of characters and a romance that has hints of the paranormal in it, then you might enjoy The Chattan Curse trilogy by Cathy Maxwell. I do recommend reading the first book, Lyon’s Bride, first in order to understand the curse part as well as meet the Chattan males eager to end the curse.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

LYON’S BRIDE by Cathy Maxwell

The Chattan Curse Series, Book One

Avon Books

April 24^th, 2012

978-0-06-207022-7

Historical Romance

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

 

He is Lord Lyon-proud, determined and under a curse. He needs a bride and a marriage of connivance is a perfect fit especially if he can break the curse forever. He just never anticipates meeting Thea Martin again. Beautiful, headstrong and society’s most popular matchmaker, Lyon charges her to find him his perfect bride. These two find that love blooms even as these two dance around their growing feelings. Can Lord Lyon stop from falling in love with this vibrant woman even as Thea finds herself falling in love all over again for Lyon? Two people perfect for one another yet all that is standing between them is a curse and a stubborn heart.

I really have enjoyed Cathy Maxwell’s past books and this introduction into her new series is fun, intriguing and a perfect afternoon read on a lazy Sunday. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect of this story and the premise of the series. Ms. Maxwell delivers a twist in the historical romance genre that leaves you eager for more. Well written, story flowed nicely and some wonderful romantic sex scenes. The one thing that had me grimacing was our heroine, Thea. She came off, at first, as annoying and she was difficult to enjoy until midway through the book. Then she became a bit better rounded and enjoyable in my opinion. The secondary characters are well written and kept the story flowing smoothly for the most part.

LYON’S BRIDE is a fast paced storyline that gives the reader a bit of the supernatural with their historical romance and keeps you on the edge of your seat, eagerly flipping the pages to see what happens next. The author does an admirable job in setting up the trilogy/series and I thought the ending was quite well written though it did make me want to race to get book two, The Scottish Witch, as it wasn’t the ending I anticipated when I first started the book. But overall, it works and I was eager for more. There were a few slow parts in the book that had me wishing it would pick up some speed but overall, it worked out nicely. Ms. Maxwell is a talented writer that always delivers an engaging story to enjoy. I can’t wait to see where the next book goes and hope it is just as good.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE by Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon Books
Date published: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-207022-7
Historical Romance
Paperback
Obtained via publisher
Reviewed by Lynne


Lady Thea Martin, the disinherited sister of the duke of Duruset, is struggling to raise her two young boys and give them the life they deserve. Her reputation as a brilliant matchmaker has reached various levels of society, and soon she is invited to help find the perfect match for a former childhood friend, Neal Chattan, Lord Lyon, who disappeared without a word to her years before but is now asking for something almost impossible to find. A bride he cannot love.

Lord Lyon is proud, determined...and cursed. Because of this, it is necessary to find a bride he cannot fall in love with, or else he will die. He is hoping to break the curse that has plagued his family for generations.

Thea, in a valiant effort to help him, soon finds herself caught up in her feelings for the man...and he for her. But both know they cannot give into their affection for one another. Still, as time goes on, they begin to wonder if there is hope, knowing their love is worth saving. And Lyon, despite the possibly unfortunate consequences, soon realizes that he shares a love with Thea that is well worth dying for.

LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE by Cathy Maxwell is a delightful read. Fast-paced, it kept me turning pages, although I have never read any of the other books in this series. I greatly enjoyed this story. It is well-written, heartwarming, and very entertaining.

The two young boys in LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE added great appeal to this wonderful romance between Lyon and Thea. The fact that Lyon desires the boys for his own, as well as the beautiful Thea whom he had grown close to in their younger years, adds some spice to this story.

Maxwell has a great knack for writing, pacing, and plotting. This story is creative, and I much enjoyed it as it quickly took hold of me and pulled me in, pleasantly drawing me along with each page. I easily grew to like the main characters, Lyon and Thea, as well as Christopher and Jonathan. The affection between the characters was extremely heartwarming.

The minor characters were believable and likeable as well. I especially liked reading about Lyon’s brother and sister, Harry and Margaret. Also plagued by the curse, Maxwell did a splendid job of sharing how much it brought suffering to their lives as well.

My favorite part is when Thea invited all of Lyon’s hopefuls to a gathering at a friend’s home. Mirabel, Lady Palmer, is a light-hearted, great addition to the characters. And I loved the interaction of all the hopeful brides, as they schemed and planned ways to win Lord Lyon for themselves. Maxwell did this in ways that held my interest. The many conflicts prevalent in LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE are a lot of fun to read about.

LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE by Cathy Maxwell is a pleasant read, fast-paced, and exciting in many ways. If one wants to kick back for an afternoon and just lose oneself for a few hours, I believe LYON’S BRIDE: THE CHATTAN CURSE will satisfy immensely.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

YOU AND NO OTHER by Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon
Date published: September 1, 1996
ISBN 978-0380787166
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Gina
Obtained via Publisher


Relatively comfortable with her widowhood, Lady Caroline Pearson has arranged her life just so.She has a home that she enjoys, lives with her aunt and has her teaching position. Despite the constraints of her times and expectations of those around her she is contented with her life. When her brother-in-law Freddie shows up to tell her he has gambled away her home her world begins to fall apart. Not one to be daunted for long, however, Caroline approaches James Ferrington, the man who won her home in a card game and asks that he return the deed to her home to her.

Handsome, wealthy beyond any man’s expectations and relatively new to town, James has done quite well avoiding the debutants and their mothers. He plans to marry—and has accepted that he needs to do so to further his business interests. A marriage of convenience is of no consequence to him until he meets Caroline. He quickly decides she will make the perfect mistress however Caroline is having none of it. She wants her deed back but she will not compromise herself to do so.

Meanwhile her aunt Minerva is determined to help her as are Minerva’s dear friends. What Minerva doesn’t know is that a long ago grudge could cost Caroline and James any happiness they might find with each other.

Not long ago I received one of Cathy Maxwell’s books for review. It looked interesting and me, being me, I like to read everything an author writes in the order it was written. With that in mind I looked up Ms. Maxwell’s earlier books and picked up YOU AND NO OTHER. Boy, am I glad I did! YOU AND NO OTHER is a wonderful, well told story with some twists and turns I just did not see coming. As the story unfolded and some of the past mysteries were revealed I began to wonder if Caroline and James would have their happily ever after. Society and events dog them at every turn and in a heart wrenching moment James knows there is nothing left for him to do but to lose the love of his life.

Minerva and her friends are fabulous secondary characters. They are some of the best ones I’ve read. Ms. Maxwell writes multi-dimensional characters, almost all you would want to know. Those that you wouldn’t want to meet are the bad guys in the tale and they are the kind you love to hate. It is going to take me a bit to read through all Ms. Maxwell’s books to her more recent ones but given how much I enjoyed YOU AND NO OTHER it is going to be an enjoyable journey.

If you haven’t tried a Maxwell book you don’t know what you are missing.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THE MARRIAGE RING Scandals & Seductions Series book 3 by Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon Books
Date published: February 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-177192-7
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained via publisher


Three words that do not describe Grace MacEachin are dainty, gentile and well-bred. Grace is determined to find justice and revenge against the Lynsted family for they tore her life apart years ago. Richard Lynsted is determined to stop the woman he thinks is blackmailing his father. Grace thinks Richard is stuffy, insufferable and Richard thinks she is plain aggravating. When Richard agrees to hear Grace’s story and they travel to Scotland to find out what happened from her father, what they think would be a simple trip turns into something so much more.

THE MARRIAGE RING is something of a surprise to me as I haven’t read a really interesting historical romance in a bit. Ms. Maxwell pens a story so surprising and intriguing that it kept me up well past my bedtime just so I could see what would happen next for Richard and Grace.

Meet Grace MacEachin, a woman who is determined to find the truth about what destroyed her life years before. Seeking justice and a little bit of revenge she goes after the Lynsted family. Richard Lynsted is determined to stop the woman he feels is out to ruin his father and after meeting her, agrees to hear her side of the story. He thinks she is lying and she thinks he is a jerk but Richard agrees to travel to hear what her father has to say and both find themselves learning that sometimes first appearances are not all as it seems. Danger, mystery and love happen along the way that will surprise even Grace and Richard. These two are so amazing together. I have to admit I fell for Richard after the first chapter. He was a complete opposite to what I have read in a historical romance. He wasn’t a rake nor adventurer but upright, moral and stuffy. Grace is a woman who made it on her own after her father’s scandal and the darling of the stage. Two complete opposites yet both are perfect for the other. Ms. Maxwell created two wonderful characters the readers can get behind and root for. I loved these two together and found myself eager to see what would happen next with them.

THE MARRIAGE RING is a wonderfully entertaining story that will keep the reader glued to the pages and eager for more at the end. I haven’t read the others in the series but am looking forward to checking them out in the future. If you enjoy a highly addictive historical romance, then grab THE MARRIAGE RING. It will be one adventure you will not want to stop reading.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

FOUR DUKES & A DEVIL by Cathy Maxwell, Elaine Fox, Jeaniene Frost, Sophia Nash & Tracy Anne Warren

Publisher: Avon
Date published: June 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-178736-2
Historical/Paranormal/Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Obtained via: Publisher
Reviewed by Dawn




FOUR DUKES & a DEVIL is five short stories that will have you believing in love all over again as these five couples find themselves snared in love’s crosshairs.

First up was THE IRISH DUKE by Cathy Maxwell which tells the tale of a spinster woman determined to ruin any Irish Duke’s chances of catching a bride…except she never imagines getting snared herself.

First off, I have to admit this story did not endear me at all to the characters. The main heroine, Susan, came off as whiny, childish and annoying to me. I wasn’t sure why this character didn’t do it for me-maybe it might have been the mood I was in or something. The writing was ok, nothing popped out for me to get excited about nor did the storyline capture my attention. It was just an ok story and had me skimming pages to get to the next one.

Next up was THE DUKE WHO CAME FOR DINNER by Elaine Fox. This is about a woman who is determined to get away and let herself finally come out of her shell. Add in a dog named Duke, a ghost who is a matchmaker and Mr. Right to the mix and you have the makings of one wild romance.

This was definitely one of my favorites in the anthology. A contemporary romance, Ms. Fox delivers a story that will leave you smiling when the last page is read. You have humor, romance and wit sprinkled throughout the story and this is an author who keeps you highly entertained from start to finish. I highly enjoyed this one.

Up next was DEVIL TO PAY by Jeaniene Frost. Elise is a vampire who is determined to be alone and lives by herself, with no contact with the outside world. When she rescues a man who is trying to kill himself, she finds herself drawn into the world once again as she tries to help Blake deal with the demon inside him.

I have to admit, I had to read this anthology just for this author. Ms. Frost is a wonderful storyteller and you really get into the characters of each of her books. This story is a fast paced wonder as Elise finds herself living again as she helps Blake try to deal with his problem, namely the demon living inside him. Elise is a wonder. She comes out of her shell to take care of Blake and that endeared me to her. A strong female character, she called to me and I was rooting for her to finally see happiness with Blake in the end. Overall, it was a nice adventure and a treat to read.

Next up was Sophia Nash’s CATCH OF THE CENTURY. This tells the tale of the ton’s latest eligible bachelor finding love with a feisty vixen who snares his heart even as she drives him to the brink of madness.

This was a minor character from one of this author’s series and though I haven’t read that series, this was an ok read as well. At times I wanted to shake Victoria, the heroine but she does grow on you eventually. The chemistry between John and Victoria was a bit predictable and had characters popping up from previous series that had me scratching my head in confusion for a bit. Overall, it was just an ok story and felt it could have needed a little more growth to completely keep my attention.

Finally, the last story was Tracy Anne Warren’s CHARMED BY HER SMILE. India Byron is determined to escape a suitor who is besotted with her. When London’s most scandalous rake steals a kiss, she begins to fall for the older man even as the suitor becomes more enamored with India. Can India and Quentin find a way to be true to their hearts in the end?

This final story was a bit better than the other historical/regency romances. I found the writing to be tight, storyline moving smoothly and though a bit predictable, an enjoyable romance. The hero is a bit older than the heroine and it was a nice aspect of the storyline. The heroine, India, was at times feisty yet innocent as she fell for Quentin, Duke of Weybridge. Both characters were well rounded and well written; another gem in this anthology.

FOUR DUKES & A DEVIL had a few lovely stories to enjoy but also a few misses as well. A few of the stories were really good and had me racing to check out the author’s backlist while a few others were flat to me. You will enjoy this if you enjoy historical/Regency romances. This was a sweet and tasty anthology to whittle the hours away while out on the hammock this spring.



THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

A SEDUCTION AT CHRISTMAS by Cathy Maxwell

Publisher: Avon
Publishing Date: November 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-135098-6
Regency Romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Pam



Dominic Lynsted, Duke of Holburn, known as Nick, has spent a long time avoiding virginal young ladies after an Oracle’s prophesy. When his usual bad behavior puts him in danger, with killers seemingly wherever he goes, he also finds he has a tempting young woman needing his care. He’s also on the hunt for Andre, the Spanish friend who’d taken his ring and abandoned him in Athens, now all he wants is revenge.
Fiona Lachlan has been trying to earn a living since the death of her parents, and being abandoned by her brother. When she meets the Duke of Holburn, her life is turned into even more trouble than she was prepared for with a fight for her’s and the Duke’s life. She had expected to marry well but lost that dream to a life of misery and hunger. When they are confronted by armed men, thoughts of love and happy ever after are far from either of their minds.

The romance becomes a little bogged down and over the top, gushy love scenes which drags the reader out of the story. This reviewer found it was distracting in many places, as it spoilt the good plot with intimate moments popping in and out when their minds should have been on other things. The characters were interesting and most of the dialogue was good, but the conflict between the hero and heroine lacked any bite. As the reader learns early in the book, Fiona had been raped by a group of soldiers, it seemed inappropriate that she accepted Nick’s advances so easily. She’s also likely to do almost anything but have sex to fill her stomach.
The plot was well thought out with the mother from hell and her latest beau, nasty uncles, an Oracles strange warning and the reappearance of Andre, Nick’s arch enemy. It was a strange romp with so many would be assassins to choose from, it became quite confusing.