Scottish Brides [Mass Market Paperback]

Christina Dodd (Author), Stephanie Laurens (Author), Karen Ranney (Author), Julia Quinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

A land of legend and wild beauty - of clans, lairds, honour, and passion - Scotland forever stirs the soul of romance. Now, in one incomparable volume, four of Avon Romance′s bestselling authors present stirring tales of hearts won and weddings to be, featuring a quartet of unforgettable heroines about to discover the rapture of love in a world as untamed as the men they will one day marry

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christina Dodd's novels have been translated into ten languages, won Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart and RITA^® Awards, and have been called the year's best by Library Journal. Dodd is a regular on the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and New York Times bestseller lists. Christina loves to hear from fans.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Avon (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380804514
• ISBN-13: 978-0380804511
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Laurens, Stephanie
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Anthologies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Historical Read That Evokes the Grandeur of Scotland, October 20, 2003

By 

Trisha A. Howell "Howell Canyon Press author" (Los Angeles, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scottish Brides (Mass Market Paperback)

Scottish Brides, an anthology featuring mostly Regency era novellas that take place in Scotland, is a fun read though not spectacular.

Under The Kilt, by Christina Dodd, does a good job of painting two likeable and lusty characters in just 62 pages. Handsome amateur historian Hadden returns to the crumbling castle of Andra MacNachtan, the last of Clan MacNachtan, to again confront the beauty who stole his heart. He ostensibly wants to interview her about the clan's marriage kilt, but the encounter takes a surprise turn that proud and independent Andra never anticipated. This is an enjoyable romp with lots of fire between two absorbing characters.

Rose In Bloom, by Stephanie Laurens, has well-developed main characters and an interesting story, but it fails to satisfy. With Laurens' work I can never quite get into the characters. They somehow come off as an excuse to display as much eroticism as possible rather than seeming real and letting the eroticism grow out of who they are. This novella presents us with Duncan, a young perfectionist earl who's worked very hard the past ten years in the investment world to enable his gorgeous ancestral home to once again prosper. Now he's hosting a Midsummer party to court his visiting prospective bride. But he doesn't count on the presence of Rose, his companion and nemesis from his younger days, who now drives him wild with desire and who, like Duncan, is about to make a loveless match. Laurens emphasizes the fireworks between them.

As usual, Julia Quinn is superb in Gretna Greene, a spirited tale about Margaret Pennypacker, an English woman who rushes to Gretna Greene to prevent her brother from eloping, and a burly Scot, Angus Greene, who saves her from disaster. These warm, sympathetic and fun-loving characters are a joy to watch as they fall in love.

Finally, Karen Ranney creates a beautiful and adventuresome tale in The Glenlyon Bride, a Cinderella-like story that dazzles the reader. More than any of the other stories, this one captures the beauty and the magic that is Scotland. Nearly penniless Lachlan, laird of the Sinclairs, reluctantly agrees to a loveless match with a wealthy English harpy in order to save his clan. But when he meets the woman he nicknames Ealasaid and assumes is his bride-to-be on the grounds of her estate, he is pleasantly surprised at her refreshing wildness and goodness. Together they embark on a series of delightful adventures that culminate in their falling in love and consummating their union. But Ealasaid is actually the proud Scottish-born servant to the harpy, and she thinks Lachlan is a mere castle rustler who works for the laird she knows her venomous mistress will marry. When the truth comes out, a fun twist allows the couple to overcome not only the situation that is tearing them apart but also to solve Lachlan's financial dilemma.

Scottish Brides is an enjoyable read for lovers of Scotland and of historical romance.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful - A Joy to Read, June 22, 2000

By 

Cat Lover - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Scottish Brides (Mass Market Paperback)

I can't understand why anyone would not instantly fall in love with the four stories in this book. It's the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Each story was beautiful -- full of emotion, love and exciting endings. I hope these authors make another short story book. I will be first in line to get it.

I used to prefer long novels to short stories, but this book has convinced me of the pleasure of a good short story. Get it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful anthology!, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Scottish Brides (Mass Market Paperback)

Anthologies are usually a mixed bag, but this is good.

Christina Dodd's "Under The Kilt" is sexy, sensuous, and funny. It works despite its short length and is a worthy story of Hadden Fairchild.

Stephanie Laurens' "Rose In Bloom" is sexy and funny, but its slow pace and stereotypical heroine hampers my enjoyment somewhat. Still, a good read.

Julia Quinn's "Gretna Greene" is a light, humourous story that works despite its sometimes too-modern language. It has me laughing out loud here and there.

Karen Ranney's "Bride of Glenlyon" is my favorite - it's poignant and lovely despite its short length. It's a lovely story of moonlight courtship that had me smiling and sighing at the thought of how wonderful love can be.

This is a wonderful book. Enjoy!