A Dangerous Love (Border Chronicles) [Mass Market Paperback]

Bertrice Small (Author)

Book Description

Series: Border Chronicles | Publication Date: October 3, 2006

Adair Radcliffe is only a child when her family perishes in the War of the Roses, so her real father, the womanizing King Edward IV, takes her in, honoring his promise to her mother. Once Adair turns sixteen, the king marries her off without her knowledge - and to her later outrage - in a wedding by proxy. But when tragedy leaves her a widow twice over, Adair realizes that her already tenuous social position has sunk even lower. Now, all she can do is hope that the Scottish laird to whom she is sold will have mercy on her. But little does master or servant suspect that love knows no rank.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The prolific Small (Forbidden Pleasures; The Last Heiress) launches a stylish new historical romance with this action-packed erotic tale set in the English and Scottish borderlands just before and during the Tudor period. Small's never-say-die heroine is the beautiful and stubborn Adair Radcliffe, the countess of Stanton—and the bastard daughter of Edward IV. Orphaned at six during the War of the Roses, Lady Adair is taken in by King Edward and raised in the royal nursery. At 16, she flees to her family's estate to avoid a planned marriage. Undeterred, the king marries her by proxy to a 14-year-old. Adair refuses to accept him, and he is killed later by Scottish raiders, freeing her to wed handsome neighbor Andrew Lynbridge. That union ends when Andrew is killed during a dynastic struggle. The new king brands Adair a traitor and strips her of her title and property. Much worse is in store, as Scottish raiders capture and sell her into slavery. She and Conal Bruce, her new master and a local lord, fall in love and wed, and Adair looks to the future in her Scottish home. Small again delivers what her fans have come to expect—a strong heroine and steamy romance—in what promises to be a popular series. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

After Lancastrians murder her parents, young Adair Radcliffe and her nurse seek the protection of King Edward IV, Adair's biological father. Ten years later Adair returns to her ancestral home of Stanton Hall hoping to avoid the marriage the king has arranged for her. Instead, Adair finds herself first wed in name only to Llywelyn FitzTudor, and then later married again by her own choice to Andrew Lynbridge. When Andrew is killed fighting for King Richard III, England's new King Henry VII takes both Adair's title and estate away. Adair returns to Stanton to rebuild her life but is soon taken captive by the Scots, who sell her to Conal Bruce, the laird of Cleit. Conal thinks he has finally found a new housekeeper and mistress, never expecting that Adair will settle for nothing less than wife. With its proud, stubborn, beautiful heroine and richly detailed plot packed with history, adventure, and sexy, passionate romance, A Dangerous Love is classic Small. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 407 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451219783
• ISBN-13: 978-0451219787
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bertrice Small is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 34 novels in print. She lives in the oldest English-speaking town in New York state. Her website is bertricesmall.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars action-packed erotic historical romance, October 4, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dangerous Love (Border Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

Her mother Lady Jane Radcliff and adopted father the Earl of Stanton die during the War of the Roses so six years old Adair is raised by her biological father, King Edward IV. When she is sixteen years old her royal sire demands she wed a fourteen years old by-blow as part of a political alliance with the Tudors; she refuses, flees the court, but King Edward IV marries her to the teen Llywelyn FitzTudor anyway by proxy. Scottish raiders kill her new husband so she quickly weds her neighbor Andrew Lynbridge to avoid another royal entanglement only he dies during the latest round of royal fighting.

She is branded a traitor and stripped of her title Countess Radcliff and her property. Scottish raiders abduct Adair and sell her into slavery to Lord Conal Bruce of Cleit. He purchased her to warm his bed and keep his house, but once she cleans up he realizes she is a beauty; once he tastes her spirit he realizes she is courageous. Soon they fall in love, but what is a future between a Laird and a slave?

Readers will root for the intrepid outspoken Adair as she faces royal condemnation, abduction by border raiders, and deaths of loved ones and spouses but she refuses to surrender her core values and freedom for the convenience of security. Her actions bring to life late fifteenth century England during the War of the Roses and the subsequent intrigue between rival houses claiming the monarchy. Bertrice Small fans will enjoy this action-packed erotic historical romance that brings to life the transition between Plantagenet and Tudor.

Harriet Klausner

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to what Ms. Small can do., October 21, 2006

By 

Danielle Amundsen "Danielle" (Dreamland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Dangerous Love (Border Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have done it again! I swore I would not buy any more of Ms. Small books but I did anyway. I became a fan of her books with wonderful stories as the Skye O'Malley books, Love Wild and Fair, and The Kadin. Those books were wonderful. I could lose myself in the wonderful descriptions of the locales and the well thought out characters.

It seems that now Ms. Small has gone the way of too many writers--they must write a book every year, whether it's good or bad. It seems that she sketches out a plot and then rushes through the story to get the book out. The only time she takes her time is in the sex scenes. And since I think those scenes are boring, they do nothing to make me like the book better.

If, like me, you are looking for the "old" Bertrice Small, this is not it. Reread the books you enjoyed and hope that one day she will take the time to actually write a book instead of retreading the same old, same old.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I rarely give a low review....., December 31, 2010

By 

Miss M (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dangerous Love (Border Chronicles) (Kindle Edition)

I rarely give a low review because, as a romance writer myself and fan of historical romance for over 25 years, I truly enjoy 99% of the stories I read....even if it's only because I appreciate the effort and work that goes into creating one. This one got a 2 star review because there were just too many instances where I was either rolling my eyes, skimming past events, or getting annoyed with the characters/author for something.

My first issue....Ms. Small uses completely inappropriate times to provide back story and inner dialogue. Right away I had issues with this only a few pages into the book. The Lancasterians are coming and the Earl and Countess must save their small daughter from certain death, knowing that they too will die defending their home. As you can imagine....a very frightening time...and yet the Earl has time to pause and tell a horrific story about his Grandfather....even the Countess has the sense to say "This is not an appropriate story for her ears."...but keep in mind this is going on all the while they are trying to get their 6 year old daughter safely out of the house. So in your last moments with your precious child, knowing you will never see her again, you waste time telling a back story about your grandfather??? Really?!? This happens throughout the book....during a really stressful or important moment...someone pauses to tell a story or engage in awkward conversation or engage in an inner dialogue...it is disruptive to the story because all I think as the reader is "hurry up and finish this before XYZ happens..." It's almost like watching a horror film where someone is being chased by the psychotic killer and pauses to grab their purse or tie their shoes...with something more important going on why would they do that? Well, welcome to this story.

I have read other comments about the "Honey love" thing and I have to agree....every time it was said I rolled my eyes....it just sounded so skanky...almost like a cheap pick up line from a sleaze at a bar....and that is not how I felt about the hero at all. I liked Conal, but the whole "Honey Love" thing put a big strain on my feelings for him...if my husband who I adore and am passionately in love with called me "honey love" during an intimate moment I'd probably laugh in his face....it just sounds so 70's porn dialogue.

I do commend the author for all the history....I personally enjoy it...just not quite so much. I don't want to take half the book to meet the main character, and I feel Ms. Small could have toned it down a bit. I've read other authors who incorporated a large amount of history in their stories, but it wasn't noticed because of how artfully it was woven into the story.

Please do not let my review of this book turn you off from the author! I have read other Beatrice Small novels and really enjoyed them, so I would urge you to do a search and check out another one before spending your money on this one. If a friend is loaning you their copy of A Dangerous Love or your local library has it then give this a try...I have learned often enough that I have enjoyed many 3 star books where obviously others did not, so I am never afraid to give a book a chance...unless it's going to cost me more than $5 to check it out. Happy book searching!! :)