Circle of Honor (The Scottish Crown Series, Book 1) [Paperback]

Carol Umberger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2002

Author Carol Umberger combines her love of history, romance, and God in a quartet of powerful stories set in 14th-century Scotland during the reign of Robert the Bruce, Scotland's great hero king.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Thou shall not bear false witness. But only a lie will save me!

GWENYTH PRAYED FOR DELIVERANCE, but God seemed very far away. She raised a trembling hand to her mouth and winced when her salty finger touched the split in her lip. Aye, God had finally deserted her for good. Last night, amid darkness and terror, someone had assaulted her. The windowless cell she’d been dragged to was pitch dark, but the man hadn’t needed any light to find and take what he came for.

False witness.

She lifted her gaze to the tall, clean-shaven man who stood on the other side of a table placed between them. Adam Mackintosh. How could it have been him? Even in her current state of confusion, she was certain her assailant wore a full beard, not the day-old stubble on Adam’s face. See how the sun had kissed his cheeks and chin with color. That was proof, wasn’t it?

And why would the gentle man who’d seen her safely to her pallet return later and accost her? She shoved the painful memories aside. Somehow, she must see this through.

Her gaze locked with Adam’s, and she marveled at his arrogant stance. Gone was the kindhearted man of yesternight. He seemed to dare her to go forward with this deceit. He could not know that the lie that would condemn him would deliver Gwenyth from further danger.

The priest, her judge, stared hard at her. "Gwenyth of Buchan, you must identify the man who wronged you."

Another lie, this name she’d given. If she revealed her proper name, she might very well leave here in chains. This Leod who’d captured her thought her to be a servant, for that was the story she and Daron had concocted to aid their escape. Now their web of deceit threatened to ensnare yet another soul. Was Adam an enemy, or a possible ally?

About the Author

CAROL UMBERGER won the 2001 Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America for her manuscript of Circle of Honor in the Best Short Historical category. A twelve-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Carol has been married to Tom Schwendtner for twenty years and has two sons. She resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Integrity Publishers (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591450055
• ISBN-13: 978-1591450054
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #553,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful love story, March 17, 2006

By 

Barbara Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Circle of Honor (The Scottish Crown Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Circle of Honor won the 2001 Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America. It's easy to understand why. This is a beautiful love story of two broken people who must learn to trust each other.

Adam Macintosh was there when Robert the Bruce killed Sir John Comyn and destroyed his family home. Sir John's men staged an ambush and Adam was seriously wounded and has gone home to Castle Moy to recuperate. His father,Angus Macintosh, is dying and has named his son as the next laird. Leod Macpherson, who wants to be chieftain of the Macintosh and Macphereson clans, claims a cripple like Adam isn't man enough to be laird.

Gwenyth Comyn, Sir John's daughter, vowed not to rest until her father's kilelr is dead. She has been taken captive and is a servant in Leod's keep. When she is brutally assaulted, she accuses Adam, and is given the choice of having him killed or forcing him into a sham, handfast marriage. She saves his life by choosing marriage, but can a knight of Robert the Bruce and the daughter of Sir John Comyn live in peace? Circle of Honor will grip the reader from the first page to the last.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for a beginning, November 9, 2002

By 

J. Peterson "jenpeterson" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Circle of Honor (The Scottish Crown Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Gwenyth is betrothed to Robert the Bruce's enemy, and seeks to be reunited with him when she is captured and raped. She is then forced to marry Adam Mackintosh rather than see him killed for the purported rape.

Adam is dealing with his own feelings of inadequacy and other problems of assuming the lairdship of the Mackintoshes when his father dies. The last thing he needs is a wife. THe only thing is---he doesn't know her true identity.

The pages that follow take the reader on a journey into the life of nobles in 1300s Scotland as it is battling for its independence from England.

I can't wait until the next book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound Love, September 3, 2003

By 

Spy Groove "Ravenna" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Circle of Honor (The Scottish Crown Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

I picked this one from a local bookstore and Thank God, This book is really FANTASTIC!!
Loyalty, honor and last but the most important thing, Love, amid the clashing force in Scotland against English invasion.

The story was opened with a tragedy that befell Gwenyth, the smallest daughter of Sir John Comyn, the traitor whom had been killed by Robert the Bruce (was a to-be King of Scotland).

Gwenyth, being shocked by the death of her father, planned a revenge to strike at Bruce with the Balliols which was declaring that the throne of Scotland should be belong to them. She was to be married with Edward Balliol to strenghten the power against Bruce.

Unfortunately, on the way to meet Edward, she was kidnapped by the gang leader of Clan Chattan, Leod, who had a cruel intention to overtake the chieftain of Chattan position from Adam Mackintosh, the rightful heir.

With his black intention, Leod tried to set Adam on risky position by assaulting Gwenyth (who was in disguise as a servant) on one gathering day in his laird. Gwenyth, receiving the horrible shock, was told to appoint Adam as her rapist while she knew it wasn't him. Somehow, she had to survive and rid of herself from the cursed Leod and at the same time, safe Adam's life. Would God also leave her now like when she had been praying for deliverance when she was assaulted?

Was Adam the answer to her prayer?

The battle between hope - faith in God and despair flowed though the story, of how a broken faith can be restored by loyalty, honor and a profound love.