Twelfth Knight’s Bride by E. Elizabeth Watson – a Review

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Description:
Lady Aileana Grant just wants to help her starving clan at Christmastide. So she pilfers some vegetables from the bastard Laird James MacDonald—the Devil, they call him. When the Devil shows up and demands marriage as recompense for the thievery, Aileana can’t believe it when her brother agrees. Even if she’s able to negotiate a severance on Twelfth Night, that’s still two weeks to put up with the laird in enemy territory. She’s counting down the days, even if James isn’t quite the disgusting cretin she’d imagined.

James needs to marry an enemy bride in order to inherit his fortune. Cursed restrictions. He’d been unable to look away from Aileana’s untamed beauty ever since she squared off with him. He might as well handfast with the infernal lass. He’d get his money and perhaps some peace among the clans. He has a fortnight to win the heart of the lady with the voice of an angel despite her sharp tongue.

Twelfth Night is merry and bright as Aileana and James realize a true connection between them. But when Aileana discovers the reason the Devil forced her into marriage, how can she ever believe he truly wants her?

Review;

I really enjoyed Twelfth Knight’s Bride by E. Elizabeth Watson.  I forgot how much I love being transported back into the Scottish Highlands and this story didn’t disappoint.  I couldn’t help but love both Lady Aileana and Laird James.  The two characters are just expertly written and pair well together.  As the story begins it’s very easy to want to side with Aileana and Clan Grant, but once we get to see and hear more of James and his Clan’s side of things you can’t help but want to root for both sides.  I found myself wanting for Aileana and James to be the catalyst for the bad blood between the two clans to end. 

At first it seemed hopeless, but as the 2 spend more time together and listen to stories that affected both clans, they come to realize that this war between them has nothing to do with them anymore, and just maybe it can finally end. The slow progression to falling in love with each other was fun, flirty and steamy at times between Aileana and James. I liked that Ms. Watson took her time with these two and didn’t rush things, especially since Aileana wanted nothing to do with James in the first place. She only agreed to marriage to keep her Clan safe from Clan MacDonald, but the more time she spent with James and got to see another side of him she comes to realize he isn’t the ‘devil’ after all but someone who was done wrong by as well.  His gentle side towards Aileana, the children at Castle Tioram, the wild life is just to darned sweet and enduring. 

One scene I particularly liked was when James brings back all that was stolen from Clan Grant and Aileana’s brother realizes that James is in fact in love with his sister.  The jabs that Laird Seamus tosses at James are quite amusing and we catch a glimmer of a truce beginning between the feuding Lairds.  However, my favourite scene would have to be when Aileana finally realizes that she is in fact in love with James and that he’s really in love with her, and the money in his inheritance means nothing to him because what he truly wants is her.  Yes the romantic in me was swooning a bit over this one.  I would have to say Ms. Watson has a winner on her hands with this one.  If you love being transported back in time to the Scottish Highlands and some sexy Highlanders, then this one’s for you. 

Until next time, happy reading!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher