Betting the Scot
Jennifer Trethewey
C. 2018
Entangled
Historical Romance
3.99 eBook
20.99 Print
About
the Book
Declan Sinclair is a Highlander who
believes his dreams never lie. When he spots Caya at a public house, he knows
instantly she is the woman in his dreams—his future wife. Though her brother
had promised never to gamble again, he engages Declan in a card game—and the
prize is the lovely Caya.
Caya Pendarvis has no time for
childish things like dreams or fairy-tales or love. She’s the sacrificial lamb
on her way to the far north of Scotland to wed a wealthy merchant in exchange
for settling her brother’s gambling debts.
Winning at cards is one of the many
things Declan Sinclair does well. Unfortunately, the ability to court a woman—a
talent he lacks—is the only skill he desperately needs to win Caya’s heart.
My
Review
Trethewey’s Balforss house books are
a delight to those who adore hunky historical bawdy but fun and fairly clean
romance. I know, I needed to hide the cover from my hubs, too. There’s just no
comparison. As mentioned in the description, it’s a family saga of stand-alones,
tied by setting and characters.
Who doesn’t love a guy who buys a
bathtub for a wife he has only dreamed about? I admit I fell for Declan in the
first book, his sweetness and cluelessness, but braver than brave and
true-hearted beyond belief.
At a time period where women, even
those who’ve reached the great age of twenty-five and orphaned but under the “care”
of a destructive sibling, Caya is at the bottom of the well of opportunity. She
seems pretty resigned to her fate, the truth of which is only hinted at through
her naiveté. The horror of it comes at a terrible price and sets up the next
story beautifully, which makes me yearn to read it. In the meantime, first
sight of an eager and yummy dark-haired Scot who keeps staring at Caya with a
too-familiar ogle makes her look back. And again. And so begins a truly epic
love affair, pirates and all.
Held at bay by wise Uncle John, Caya
and Declan weather issues such as unbearable longing, accusations of witchcraft,
and a quasi-amorous vicar contending for Caya’s hand. While it might have detracted
from the romance, I would have been interested to see more of the effects of
the gossiping nearby villagers after Caya performs a heroic task.
Nevertheless, the Sinclairs are a
lovely family and a few hours in the Highlands with men of virtue and their dynamic
lasses is truly a delight.
About
the author:
Trethewey claims to have fallen in
love with the Highlands and all things Scottish: the people, their language,
cuisine, customs, idioms, humor, history, intense sense of pride, and, most of
all, the land--the perfect setting for sweeping romantic tales of love, strife,
and glory. As they say, Scotland is pure dead brilliant! She’s an actress,
former co-artistic director of a professional theater company, and she and her
husband operate an improv comedy club. They live in the Midwest.
