September 8, 2020
I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
https://www.elisabraden.com/
A Marriage Made in Scotland is the ninth book in Elisa Braden’s Rescued from Ruin series. On the first few pages of this story I ran into some stumbling blocks. In this case it was the, “this-doesn’t-make-sense” stumbling block. I appreciate being drawn into a story from the very beginning, but it should be in a good way, not a “scratch you head way.” So, why did I scratch my head in the first few chapters?
Remember Eugenia Huxley? If you’ve read any of the books from this series, you should be familiar with the Huxley family. They are a charming, loving, supportive family. She is part of that family, the vibrant part. Here’s the deal. When this story begins, we find Eugenia working at a milliner’s shop. Yes, she is earning a living. Why is she earning a living? What could have possibly happened that would cause her loving family to boot her out? There was a scandal. But wait a minute! She’s still living with her family. They are still speaking to her. They are not shunning her. She eats at the same table that they do. They are still supportive of her. So why is she working at a hat shop? Because she doesn’t want to cause more scandal. Well, that didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Thank goodness Phineas Brand, Lord Holstoke was the hero of the book. At least his part of the story made sense.
Remember Phineas? He was the really nice guy from Confessions of a Dangerous Lord. He played a suitor of Maureen Huxley, Eugenia’s older sister. And, he got the shaft when Maureen chose a bonehead hero, Henry, over him. If you’ve read that book, you may be aware that Phineas has a few other problems to live with, his mother happened to be a maniacal killer. He is not the most widely accepted fellow in society at this point, plus someone is trying to blame him for some other murders. Lucky for him, or not, he has peppy Eugenia there to help him.
Yes, Eugenia is there to save our hero. Phineas, on the other hand wishes she would not help him. Eugenia and Phineas are complete opposites. He’s cold, she’s vibrant. He’s calculating, she’s spontaneous. He’s stiff, she bends so fast one cannot keep up with her. He tries very hard to maintain a distance from her, but he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame, or a fly to a web. Both characters are extreme, but I found myself liking their interaction. I just wish the author had decided whether she was going to write a romance, or a romantic suspense.
A huge amount of space was occupied with a killer, a mystery, and solving that mystery. It was a bit of a distraction. I read romance novels, a lot of romance novels. I am comfortable with the romance novel. Occasionally I will journey down paranormal lane, or once in a great while I will pick up a mystery. I am the one choosing what genre I read. When I read a story which is supposed to be a romance, half of the story should not be dedicated to solving a crime. That’s what romantic suspense is for.
Overall, this was a readable story. I was disappointed that more of the narrative wasn’t dedicated to our hero and heroine. If you are following the series, then read this story, just be aware that at least half of the book involves a mystery.
Remember Eugenia Huxley? If you’ve read any of the books from this series, you should be familiar with the Huxley family. They are a charming, loving, supportive family. She is part of that family, the vibrant part. Here’s the deal. When this story begins, we find Eugenia working at a milliner’s shop. Yes, she is earning a living. Why is she earning a living? What could have possibly happened that would cause her loving family to boot her out? There was a scandal. But wait a minute! She’s still living with her family. They are still speaking to her. They are not shunning her. She eats at the same table that they do. They are still supportive of her. So why is she working at a hat shop? Because she doesn’t want to cause more scandal. Well, that didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Thank goodness Phineas Brand, Lord Holstoke was the hero of the book. At least his part of the story made sense.
Remember Phineas? He was the really nice guy from Confessions of a Dangerous Lord. He played a suitor of Maureen Huxley, Eugenia’s older sister. And, he got the shaft when Maureen chose a bonehead hero, Henry, over him. If you’ve read that book, you may be aware that Phineas has a few other problems to live with, his mother happened to be a maniacal killer. He is not the most widely accepted fellow in society at this point, plus someone is trying to blame him for some other murders. Lucky for him, or not, he has peppy Eugenia there to help him.
Yes, Eugenia is there to save our hero. Phineas, on the other hand wishes she would not help him. Eugenia and Phineas are complete opposites. He’s cold, she’s vibrant. He’s calculating, she’s spontaneous. He’s stiff, she bends so fast one cannot keep up with her. He tries very hard to maintain a distance from her, but he is drawn to her like a moth to a flame, or a fly to a web. Both characters are extreme, but I found myself liking their interaction. I just wish the author had decided whether she was going to write a romance, or a romantic suspense.
A huge amount of space was occupied with a killer, a mystery, and solving that mystery. It was a bit of a distraction. I read romance novels, a lot of romance novels. I am comfortable with the romance novel. Occasionally I will journey down paranormal lane, or once in a great while I will pick up a mystery. I am the one choosing what genre I read. When I read a story which is supposed to be a romance, half of the story should not be dedicated to solving a crime. That’s what romantic suspense is for.
Overall, this was a readable story. I was disappointed that more of the narrative wasn’t dedicated to our hero and heroine. If you are following the series, then read this story, just be aware that at least half of the book involves a mystery.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Spunky
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