Thursday

One Night with the Laird by Nicola Cornick

January 9, 2014

Och!
http://nicolacornick.co.uk/

One Night with the Laird is the second book in the Scottish Brides series and the first book byNicola Cornick I've ever read. I have asked this many times: do you ever wonder why you've never read an author before? I do. Nicola Cornick has been around forever... well, not forever, but for a long time and I've just never read any of her books. Maybe it's the covers? They look kind of tame, or at least this one does. Maybe it's her name? Nah.  Maybe, I've read a review and never been interested? I don't remember. I suspect in the end it is the cover, which is probably a really good article for someone other than myself to write. 

What is it about those covers that make us pick up and buy - buy - buy? I know I've picked up some pretty cheesy naked-chested covers and been pretty happy with the inside of the book. If I have to say anything about this particular cover, it reminds me of something from the inspirational genre, which I don't read. However, from the very first chapter I soon became aware that any thoughts of this being a kiss/traditional/inspirational were soon squished. This book starts off with a big bang. A big one-night-stand-sweaty-tryst-bang between two anonymous people. It's anonymous because they are wearing masks, and it's probably a good thing they don't recognize each other. You see, they do know each other.  Not only do they know each other, they despise each other. Loathing is too weak a word for what these two feel for each other. They bicker, they spar. They just do not have anything good to say about each other. Well, that is about to change - sort of.

Imagine their chagrin when they figure out that the hot sex that neither one of them can forget was with someone they hate. So begins the rather humorous story of Mairi and Jack. Not only are they befuddled by their one-night-stand, they are also forced together for a house party where they must attend a christening. Oh, yeah - someone is trying to kidnap Mairi, so we have a little mystery thrown in, and Jack is forced to protect the woman he loathes/lusts after, while Maira is forced to accept his protection. The chemistry between these two really works. Mairi is a very lonely woman, a very loyal woman, and at times a bit of a stick. However, she has a secret, which is why someone is out to kidnap her.


Jack is a charmer. A really hot charmer, sensuality simply oozing out of his manly pores. Pass the fan please. This book is pretty steamy, which leads me to my next question. What's the deal with all the bondage?


Lately, it seems I can't read any book without tripping over a scene in which the heroine must prove she trusts the hero by allowing him to hog-tie her to a bedpost. Since this has happened so much since the release of the overrated Shades of Whatever, I can only assume it is the new gimmick. I can just hear an editor shouting "Did you add the rope/bed scene?" In most cases, this extra little titillating scene does not add anything beneficial to the story, and this is true in the case of One Night with a Laird. For me, the bedpost scene was a waste of valuable space. There wasn't any reason for it being there. I am starting to find the plethora of bondage scenes in books monotonous. It seems to me that the time spent in tying those knots could have been better employed in expanding the rather brutally abrupt ending.


Now, let's talk about the villain. I knew right away who it was. What was interesting for me and a little surprising was the reason for the villainy. I didn't see that coming. There was one other thing in this book I didn't see coming at all, but I'm not going to tell you what that is - I'll let you be surprised.


Overall, this was a pleasant read, with a hot, hot hero and a silly tie-me-up-I-trust-you scene.
 
Time/Place: Scotland 1815
Sensuality: Hot!!

2 comments:

Tracy said...

I've only read a few of Cornick's books but I've liked what I've read so far. I read the first book in this series and really liked it. I missed this release so I'll have to go seek it out. :)

I thought it was just me that was feeling inundated by bondage. Holy cow it's everywhere and I'm not even that big of a fan. At all. Ok, I'm not really a fan at all but I deal. :)

SidneyKay said...

Tracy: Whenever anyone starts looking at cravats, curtain tie-backs or bell ropes, I start becoming nervous. Not a big fan of any kind of restraints.