Review: Interesting Scots-English Romance suffering from poor editing
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2014
This was my first by Holthaus and it was apparent early on that this is part of a series as other characters were mentioned who were not main characters in this story (Rory and Annella, for example, though they made an appearance toward the end). So I do not recommend reading this as a stand alone. The fact that the author rarely described what a character looked like also contributed to my wondering who some of them were.Set in 1298, beginning in Carlisle, England, this is the story of Jacqueline Renold, an Englishwoman betrothed to Lord Wessex, a man chosen by her brother. Jacqueline loves James, who asked for her hand, but her brother sent him away. Meanwhile, Ewan MacKinnon comes to Carlisle to free some Scots who are prisoners. When the Scots enter the castle yard, Jacqueline's wedding to Wessex is disrupted. In the fracas, Jacqueline, who feels sorry for the Scots prisoners, helps to free them. When her brother and betrothed learn of her actions, they brand her a traitor and Jacqueline flees for her life.Jacqueline immediately forgets all about James when she meets Ewan. Though separated by a series of events, including the Battle of Falkirk (kudos to the author for including that bit of history), Jacqueline and Ewan strive to be together.I have to agree with other reviewers who noted that the grammar, poor word usage and errors distracted from what could have been an otherwise entertaining read. These issues were replete throughout the book. The story is short and the plot a bit thin. I also found the characterization a bit vague at times. For those who loved the first, it may help to read the books in order. I may have missed much not doing so.NOTE: Since posting this review, I have heard from the author that she has retained a new editor who is re-editing her books to eliminate the errors and issues noted by myself and other readers. So note that my review pertains to the earlier version.