Series Name: Castles Ever After, # 3
Maddie squirmed out from under him. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I know this is supposed to be physical. Impersonal. It’s only that I keep thinking of lobsters.”
He flipped onto his back and lay there, blinking at the ceiling. “Until just now, I would have said there was nothing remaining that could surprise me in bed. I was wrong.”
When a Scot Ties the Knot is a swoonastic and quirky historical romance that reminds me why I love historical romances too much.
On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shyly pretty and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.
A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter … and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.
Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He’s wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters… and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.
This is my first Tessa Dare book, and I cannot believe I had waited this long to read her any of her books. The ladies in our book club, speak highly of Tessa’s books and when we choose one of her books for our book club, I knew it was time to dive into the worlds Tessa has created. In typical Ronny fashion, I started with the third book in the series, mainly because I’m a sucker for a historical romance that has a broody Highlander in it. I started reading this book on a rainy morning in New York City and read the entire thing in one day. There is something about Tessa’s writing that just draws you in. This book (and the ones that I have read after this one) are so easy to love and enjoy. It’s hard to explain what makes her storytelling so enjoyable. I think the bottom line is Tessa knows what makes an historical romance exceptional and she makes her books have those qualities in them every single time.
I loved the plot for this book. Maddie (who is an absolute delight) has pretended to be engaged to Captain Logan MacKenzie and has been writing letters to her made up fiancé for years. She has been doing this because she is dreadfully shy and the thought of having to attend balls makes her have a panic attack. But what Maddie, doesn’t know is that Logan does exist and he has been getting and reading all of her letters. Maddie gets quite the shock when her long lost Captain shows up at her castle door and demands to make their engagement and marriage real. It’s such a fun and outlandish plot and I love it. There isn’t a whole heck of a lot of action in this book, but don’t be fooled, the story isn’t slow or boring. And this is because Maddie and many of the characters in this book are delightfully quirky. All interactions in this book are fabulous and are so entertaining. Tessa injects just the right amount of humour to make sure her story has this lightness to it that just draws you in and makes you smile.
I adored Maddie with every fibre of my being. She is just such a likable character. I loved her passion for her job, which is drawing animals and insects for other people. Logan believes that Maddie is just a typical upper class woman who only thinks about her own well-being and is a spoiled rich girl. I loved watching Logan realize that even though he may know Maddie through her letters, there are still plenty of things that he doesn’t know about her. And all those assumptions that he has are wrong. Maddie may be a bit quirky but she is smart and kind hearted and knows what she wants to do with her life. She is driven and I loved how she amazes those around her with her drawings.
Logan is that typical broody Highlander hero. He has no intention of ever falling in love and is only using Maddie for her land and money. But any romance bookworm knows that Maddie is going to shatter every single one of those walls and every single plan Logan has. She is going to bring this gruff man to his knees. Logan is also dealing with some inner demons that often follow those who have fought in a war. He feels responsible to those men he fought alongside and is determined to make sure they are able to start a new life in the Highlands.
The romance in this book was delicious. It’s this delightful combination of fake-engagement, marriage of convenience, one-bed, grumpy/sunshine and alpha male. I loved every moment between Logan and Maddie. These two really don’t know what to make of each other. They are constantly befuddling and riling each other up. I really enjoy it when the two MCs keep each other on their toes. Even though they both don’t know what to make of each other, the chemistry and lusty attraction just leaps from the pages right from that first encounter. Tessa knows how to build up that heat between her characters and you find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting for Logan and Maddie to finally give in and act upon those lusty thoughts.
When a Scot Ties the Knot is a un-put-downable historical romance and the perfect read for anyone looking to escape the world for the afternoon.
