| Gwendolyn is
sentenced to die at the stake as a witch in 13th century Scotland, but that's just where
the story starts. Condemned by false
accusations and spurned by her clan, Gwendolyn is rescued from the pyre by Mad MacDunn, a
laird at the end of his rope and in search of a witch, his last chance to cure his dying
son. Alex MacDunn watched
his wife die and nearly lost his mind in doing so. Now
his son is ill and there seems no hope for him. His
last chance is to rescue the witch, hoping she can cast a spell that will save his son’s
life and MacDunn’s last tie to sanity.
The character studies
in this book are outstanding. I cried at the
injustice of Gwendolyn's treatment and I cheered when the MacDunn's defended her. The strength of this book is in the strength of
Gwendolyn's character. She overcomes
prejudice and finds acceptance through an innocent child.
The one weakness that I found in this story was in the intimacy between MacDunn and
Gwendolyn. While the sexual tension is very
taut, MacDunn’s attraction to Gwendolyn only manifests itself through fits of anger
directed toward her, and her response to his advances was very casual. In spite of that, I hated to put this book down
and would easily have read it in one sitting if I had the opportunity. It was captivating and interesting and I would
highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance.
Reviewed by Karla
Brandenburg for The Road to Romance
September 30, 2003 |
