Taming the Heiress [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Susan King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2004

Beautiful Meg MacNeill never thought of herself as an heiress, let alone one of the richest, most eligible women in Scotland. Her humble upbringing in the Western Isles, and her secret child - born of a magical night and a mysterious man - make her role in glittering Edinburgh society seem unlikely, even dangerous . . . especially when she comes face-to-face with her devastatingly attractive enemy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Evocative prose and an alluring setting fail to offset the awkward plotting in King's newest Scottish romance (after The Sword Maiden). In 1850, Meg MacNeill and aristocrat Dougal Stewart meet on a storm-swept rock, where Meg's superstitious family sends her to win the heart of a magical kelpie. According to legend, the kelpie will appear disguised as a man. Instead, she finds and seduces Dougal, believing him to be the kelpie. Afterward, however, Dougal's friends fetch him in a manner that convinces Meg she was tricked. Seven years later, she has secretly borne a son and unexpectedly inherited a vast fortune and a title, but she has never forgiven the man who deceived her. She's also fighting (and losing) a legal battle against an engineer who intends to build a lighthouse on the same prominent rock. When Meg meets Dougal again and realizes he's the engineer, she disguises the fact that she is the baroness who has been trying to thwart his construction plans. The plot contrivances pile up as Meg continues to conceal both her identity and the fact that they have a son, while fending off a villain intent on blackmailing her into marriage. Though the story falls short in conflict and credibility, King's smooth prose and dynamic characterizations will please her fans.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* According to Scottish legend, the kelpie of Sgeir Caran is a magical sea creature who comes looking for his bride on the sea rock. If he discovers a young woman waiting for him there, he grants good fortune to his beloved as well as the Isle of Caransay and all its people. The night Meg waits alone on the rugged rock, as local tradition demands, she finds a man as handsome as the gods themselves, and as tradition also mandates, they make wild, passionate love, and then he disappears. Seven years later, Dougal is trying to build a lighthouse on Sgeir Caran, where he was washed ashore that memorable stormy night, but the mysterious Baroness of Strathlin is blocking his efforts. He's rediscovered Meg, but little does he know that the barefoot beauty is actually the baroness and that the fair-haired boy she seems so fond of is really his son. Once again, King, author of The Stone Maiden and The Swan Maiden (2000) and The Sword Maiden (2001), has spun an exquisite and magical Highland romance. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 447 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1 edition (October 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587247062
• ISBN-13: 978-1587247064
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,768,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The PERFECT Historical Romance, July 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Taming the Heiress (Paperback)

Meg was beautiful and defiant, Dougal was strong and dashing, Iain was sweet and innocent, Sir Erik was dastardly and plotting...all combining to make the PERFECT historical romance read. This is the best read of the summer! It made me dream of going to the beach to find my own kelpie/silkie.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truly excellent romance, July 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Taming the Heiress (Paperback)

I could not wait for this trilogy to come out, and I am not disappointed!!! TAMING THE HEIRESS is a wonderful story!! It's full of charm and romance, passionate and charming, with great touches of humor, mixing Celtic legends with a nineteenth century setting. I loved it, as I have loved all of Ms. King's other books, which are medievals. Once again she treats us to her warm poetic writing style, and she draws us into a wonderful world where the characters are so real you wish they were your own family. Great start for a great Victorian trilogy! If you love Scotland and nineteenth century romances, or if you love Sootland for its legends and its magic--you will love this story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a fairy tale for adults!, July 3, 2003

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taming the Heiress (Paperback)

Buying into the myth that dominates her tiny town, Meg MacNeill gives herself body and heart, to a "selkie" who washes up on the shore, hoping her sacrifice will assure her village's blessing. She never expects to fall in love, or to have her lover disappear into the night.

Seven years later, she is a wealthy heiress, bent again on saving her town. Then, her "selkie" comes face to face with her, this time all too human. Dougal Stewart has not entered her life to bless her town this time, but threatening its way of life. Both have been haunted by that night, and what's more, there was a fruit of their passion. Knowing the full truth will either bind them or drive them apart as they weave through a maze of blackmail and deceptions.

***** This fairy tale for adults has the magic of love in every chapter. Destiny proves a strong force as the hero and heroine prove themselves worthy of the titles, facing challenges with grit and courage. *****