The Laird of Blackloch
Amy Rose Bennett
Scottish Historical Romance
Revenge might be sweet, but love is far sweeter…
Following the Battle of Culloden, Alexander MacIvor returns to his ancestral home, Blackloch Castle, only to find the Earl of Tay, the chief of a rival clan, has laid waste to everything he holds dear. Alex seems doomed to live the life of a fugitive Jacobite…until a stroke of luck allows him to escape the Highlands and begin again. Years later, styling himself as a wealthy Englishman, Alex reclaims his forfeited estate, becoming the new Laird of Blackloch. But it’s not nearly enough to quell his thirst for vengeance. Hell-bent on destroying Lord Tay, he single-mindedly sets about driving his nemesis to bankruptcy. When Alex learns Tay intends to wed the English heiress, Miss Sarah Lambert, he devises a devious plan: kidnap Sarah and ransom her to hasten Tay’s ruin.
Abducted and whisked away into the wild Highlands by a wicked rogue she knows only as Alexander Black, Sarah Lambert refuses to be a pawn in the man’s diabolical schemes. Even though she discovers her fiancé, Lord Tay, is faithless and not the man she thought he was, she determines that somehow, some way, she will regain her freedom. If only she could unlock the secrets of her darkly handsome, enigmatic captor…
Living in such close quarters, Alex and the spirited Sarah soon find that even the best laid plans can go awry when passion flares and perhaps even love sparks. When the shadows of the past begin to gather, will this Jacobite rogue and English rose find their way forward together…or will the threatening darkness destroy them both?
Uncaged Review: Jacobite Baron and Laird of Rannoch, Alexander “Alex” Evan MacIvor, witnessed the Earl of Tay, Malcom Campbell, kill his family and torch Blackloch Castle, his beloved home. Alexander decided from then on to retaliate against Malcolm. Eleven years later Alex, now known as Alexande Price, while at a ball, spies Malcolm’s beauteous betrothed, Miss Sarah Lambert. Alex shows Sarah how despicable Malcolm really is by proving how unfaithful he is to her and, lastly, ends up kidnapping her too. Alex takes Sarah to a ruined tower, promising to never hurt her, but if Malcolm gives him the ransom money, then he will let her go. Alex never anticipates how smart Sarah is and that she will do anything to escape him. Of course, Alex never expected to fall for Sarah either and love might just ruin his plan of revenge on Malcolm, or it might kill him too.
It is hard to write a love story when the main character is driven by vengeance. So, everything the main protagonist does seems out of spite or to hurt the heroine. Sure, Alexander isn’t a totally bad guy and does have some caring aspects, but it’s just hard to see him showing some compassion and feeling towards Sarah. Occasionally, the story did drag a little bit, especially how angry Sarah got with Alex, but luckily it did move past that. There are quite a few tropes in the book, yet I didn’t find them overwhelming either. I did wish Malcolm, with everything that he did to Alex, would be killed horribly or maybe suffer more, but maybe since Alex was bent on retribution. Well, so was I because I wanted that for Alex too. I still enjoyed the story and did like Ms. Amy Bennett’s story-telling and would happily read another from her. Reviewed by Rosylnn Ernst
4 Stars
