Customer Reviews

Beware a Scot's Revenge (Wheeler Romance)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sir Lachlan Ross steals his enemy's daughter, but has his heart stolen in return in this fun and satisfying "road trip" romance. Lachlan has tried for years to collect an old (and large) family debt from the Earl of Duncannon, but the earl denies he owes the money. Times are hard in the Scottish Highlands, and Lachlan's clan - of which he is laird - desperately needs the money to survive. To compensate, Lachlan dons the guise of the "Scottish Scourge" and robs the earl's wealthy friends. Duncannon guesses the Scourge's identity and sends men to rough him up as a warning. Things get out of hand, however, and Lachlan is severely wounded - and almost dies. The earl is told that Lachlan does die, but instead he secretly recuperates and plans his revenge.

Six months later and still healing, a determined Lachlan kidnaps the earl's daughter Venetia to hold for ransom. Lachlan and Venetia knew each other as children, but she moved to London and he has not set eyes on her in sixteen years. He assumes she will be a selfish, snooty, simpering and spoiled society miss, but Lachlan is in for a rude awakening. The beautiful Venetia is smart and tough and generous and resourceful - and quite irresistible to her suddenly conflicted captor.

I like road trip romances like this where the couple start out sniping and snarling, but grow ever fonder of each other as the miles pass. In this instance, there is a lot of underlying fondness at the outset, and it's fun to watch as it works its way to the surface. Lachlan and Venetia are extremely likeable leads. Though there is a natural friction between abductor and abductee, there is no silly game-playing between the two. Their frank dialogue and refreshingly honest attraction - often augmented with humor - are probably the best parts of the book. "Beware of a Scot's Revenge" is classic Sabrina Jeffries - funny, sexy and sweet. The author is clearly back on track a la her excellent "Royal Brotherhood" series after a few mediocre entries in between. I have always liked Ms. Jeffries and when she is on - as she is here - the result is truly satisfying.

There are still a few romance writers that I still enjoy these days, who can turn out a novel that goes a bit farther than a lot of billing and cooing in various historical costumes and settings. One of the more critical aspects for me is to have a heroine and hero who actually matter -- I'm not talking about social status or any of that fluff, but rather that they have distinct characters and motivations to them. Otherwise, a novel will just fall flat and be very forgettable.

Lady Venetia Campbell is the only child of the Earl of Duncannon. While she was born in Scotland, she has only dim memories of the place, and has spent most of her life in London. And despite several offers of marriage, she has refused them all -- she wants to marry someone that will care for her herself, not the wealth that she can provide. When the opportunity comes to visit Edinburgh during the festivities for the visit of King George IV, Venetia eagerly takes the opportunity to go.

But little does she know that she's about to become a pawn for revenge. There are rumors that the Scottish Scourge is dead, but others claim that the notorious highwayman is still about. When Venetia meets a strapping, handsome Highlander in his regimentals at a masked ball, she can hardly resist the charm that he seems to have. That will quickly change when he has the audacity to kidnap her.

Soon enough she finds out that her abductor is a friend of her childhood -- Sir Lachlan Ross -- and he has quite a quarrel with her father, the earl. Enough to where he demands a hefty ransom for her return. What he didn't count on was that Venetia would be enticing and spirited, and more than a match for him.

How all of this comes to a resolution is what keeps this a page turner. The romance between Lachlan and Venetia is one of equals, and the heroine gives just as good as she gets, with enough fire between them to set a forest ablaze. There are plenty of complications to move the story along, with several dark family secrets, real reasons for the hero to have his plot for revenge, and plenty of actual detail for the reader to think about, and give the story a believable base.

In fact, it's the extra details that Sabrina Jeffries brings to the story that sold it to me. In 1822, King George IV made a visit to Scotland, where the events were organized by none other than Sir Walter Scott (the former Prince Regent was very fond of his novels), and the wearing of tartan and what customs we think of as Scottish today were introduced. The visit was wildly popular. Sadly, however, the custom of Scottish landlords evicting the tenant farmers from their lands to introduce sheep farming was also wildly popular -- the devastating results of this can still be seen in Scotland today, and how it came to be that so many people in the United States and Canada have Scottish ancestry. Another interesting subplot involves the art of distilling whiskey. Most of this is covered in the author's afterword.

This was a fun read, perfect for light reading and a pair of lovers that have both charm and plenty of spirit to them. An excerpt from Jeffries' next novel is provided as well. In any case, this one is going to be kept, always a positive factor for me.

Four stars overall. Recommended.

Another great book by Sabrina Jeffries. In my opinion, this is the best in the School for Heiresses series, and a top favorite among all of her books. (Yes, I have read them all.) The Scotish Scourge kidnaps his enemy's daugther, but very little goes as planned. The story takes us on a fun romp through Scotland, (a welcome relief from the stuffy London ball rooms), and introduces us to a great hero/heroine pair, plus a handful of secondary characters. If I had more time I'd write a more detailed review, but let me quickly say that any S.J. fan (or those who simply like steamy, fun romances) will not be disappointed.

I've loved just about everything Sabrina Jeffries has written and this definitely didn't disappoint! After reading the back cover description, I had my doubts. After all, there are a zillion family feud kidnapping stories out there. However, Ms. Jeffries' latest brings fun, interesting characters, good dialogue and originality to this tried-and-true plotline. Snippets of letters between Mrs. Harris and 'Cousin Michael' at the beginning of each chapter are entertaining and I can't wait for their book to come out!

I wasn't nuts about 'Only a Duke Will Do' but I'm glad I kept on with the series. The 'School for Heiresses' anthology was good, and this latest installment is definitely my favorite of the series so far. Doesn't quite surpass my favorite Sabrina Jeffries, 'One Night with a Prince' (Royal Brotherhood book 3), but definitely a good read.

What a excellent treat - I couldn't put it down - even read by candle light when the power went out!!! Venetia travels to Scotland only to kidnapped by The Scottist Scourge. Both characters were strong and funny. Great love story but more important a great plot!

Check out the whole School for Heiresses series; Never Seduce a Scoundrel (1) ,Only a Duke Will Do (2) , School for Heiresses anthology came early 2007, Beware a Scot's Revenge (3), Once a Rake, Always a Rake (4 - due out March 2008), Book 5 due out fall 2008 and finally, in 2009, Charlotte Harris and Cousin Michael will get a book of their own!!!

Here's what's great about Sabrina Jeffries: she makes even the most cliched premise (and really, there's little more cliched in romance novels than the "I kidnapped you, now I love you" trope) seem fresh and fun. In this novel, we meet Lachlan, a proud and honorable Scot out for revenge against the man he feels led to the ruination of his beloved land and clan. The problem? That man is also the father of our heroine, Venetia, a young woman Lachlan knew and liked when both were children. Despite his fond memories of Venetia, Lachlan plans to kidnap her in order to force her father to pay him the money Lachlan believes he stole from him. Lachlan also plans to call the man out, which essentially means Venetia's father will die at Lachlan's hand.

As Venetia and Lachlan travel to Lachlan's home in the Highlands, they tempt fate by indulging their mutual attraction. Before long, Venetia is talking marriage, and the two butt heads over whether Lachlan's affections are sincere (they are) and how he should handle Venetia's father (Lachlan's pride demands that he follow through on his initial plan; Venetia doesn't wish for any more bloodshed).

The central conflict in this novel is very strong, in that both Venetia and Lachlan have a point. Lachlan has every right to avenge his enemy, while Venetia can't get over the fact that her future husband should not be the one to kill the father she loves, no matter what the circumstances. The best scenes-- besides the sexy love scenes, of course--are those in which the two leads debate and negotiate the limits of Lachlan's vengeance.

As always, Sabrina Jeffries proves herself to be a master at weaving history, Scottish slang, and naughty ballad lyrics into the fast-moving plot. Venetia is also immensely appealing and clever, while Lachlan is both stoic and wonderfully romantic when the mood strikes him. There's never a dull moment, either. If you're a Sabrina Jeffries fan who has been disappointed in this new series so far, don't worry: this novel should renew your love of this great writer.

I've read and enjoyed other books in this series and saw the good reviews for this one, so I bought it and read it. Maybe I was expecting too much, but the plot and characters seemed all too predictable. I'm also getting tired of all the precipitate sex, especially for the period. How about the characters getting to know and like one another first? Maybe some of these authors should reread Georgette Heyer'; she really develops her characters.

Maybe it's a little of my own Scottish blood, but I'm a sucker for Scots! This is one of my favorite of the School for Heiresses series; it even touches upon some of the characters in the previous books (but this book can be read independently). Venetia Campbell is kidnapped upon her visit to Scotland by her childhood neightbor, Lachlan Ross, as he attempts to demand the repayment of an outstanding family loan from her father. The story involves their journey to the Scottish Highlands, and the conflicting relationship of Venetia and Lachlan. There are some great historical accounts of the painful economical strife of the Scottish highlands that we learn through Venetia's eyes (she was raised in London). While their eventual romantic relationship can be predicted, there are some unseen plot twists nonetheless. Overall an enjoyable read with a solid story with sensual touches that keeps the pages turning!

Jeffries latest in her School for Heiresses series is simply a nice read overall. If you have a weakness for Scottish heroes, than Lachlan is the man for you. Our hero is truly a nice guy who wants what is right for his clan and his mother. He also has a bit of a crush for his childhood English lady, Venetia. (I keep thinking of Venetian blinds whenever I read her name!) Venetia is that typical spunky yet spirited heroine but she and Lachlan have an ongoing contest of wills that will have you chuckling. She tries to drive him crazy as he kidnaps her from her father who Lachlan thinks did him wrong. At some point I was waiting for him to take her back because Venetia gave him more headaches then he already had.
This book has everything from revenge to a road romance and some mysteries that are not truly solved till the very end. The love story is passionate and has Jeffries's trademark wit. Her characterizations are a gem. The overall interactions between Lachlan and Venetia are quite adorable.
There are some clichés, but never less this story is a winner. There are no real horrible villains that make you cringe and as the reader goes along for the ride, you hope for a happily ever after for all.
Kudos to this author for another wonderful historical romance.

Katiebabs

Only a Duke Will Do (The School for Heiresses)
Never Seduce a Scoundrel (The School for Heiresses)
The School for Heiresses

1822 England and Scotland

BEWARE A SCOT'S REVENGE is a terrific story! The best so far in THE SCHOOL FOR HEIRESS SERIES!

Very Enjoyable!