Review: Very good romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 27, 2013
BORDERLAND BEAUTY is the second book in The Borderland Legacy series by Ms. Holt, and I bought it hot on the heels of having finished the first book (Borderland Bride) because I adored the author's style and I couldn't wait to find out if I would receive the book through formal review channels before leaping into the next chapter of her saga.That said, my expectations were met on some levels, and not quite met on others. I've learned not to take on sequels with the anticipation of the first; BORDERLAND BEAUTY was a very good romance on its own merits.Lord Dominic of Thornewall is in need of a bride and an heir, and for all his playboy charms he has yet to find the woman who can hold his heart. The only lass who he thinks might have went on and married his brother, but there are no hard feelings there since she and his brother are so clearly in love and happy.Then Dominic receives a missive that he is actually contracted in marriage to another girl (Lucy Montgomery) whom he has met once or twice through the years, in an agreement forged between their parents when they were naught but babes. This is quite a shock to our Lord Dominic, and he enlists his brother's aid to stand by him while he meets this mysterious woman.However, the father of the bride-to-be specifically does not want to contract her into marriage if her heart isn't in it, so he doesn't tell her about the agreement in hopes she will fall in love on her own terms. This proves harder than anticipated, as she has sworn off Dominic. A cruel remark from his seventeen-year-old boyhood self branded her sense of self and apparently sealed her fate as a woman no one would ever want. She also knows his reputation as a rake and forbids herself from falling over his charms.Unfortunately for the both of them, their minds and their bodies do not agree with one another and despite all efforts otherwise, they fall in lust, and then as the relationship blossoms into love, they only have the outside world (Lucy's father has forbidden any pre-wedding romance or will have no compunction in killing Dominic, and there is a gang of ruthless reivers [cattle raiders and hooligans that attack the borderlands, raping and pillaging] who wage war on them) and their own struggles with their pasts standing in their way.But when Dominic is kidnapped and held for ransom, Lucy must make the ultimate sacrifice to save him. Will her strategy work, or will their end be like Romeo and Juliet, dying in each other's arms?A word of caution to readers who usually shirk anything remotely connected to "light bondage" - there is a scene that runs a couple pages (starting with the statement "Prove it") wherein Lord Dominic overcomes Lucy's trust issues by insisting she follow his explicit orders, even when she has moments that she is discomfited, and he ties her lightly to the bed and takes full control.Due to personal preference, had I known this book had such a scene, I would have skipped the novel. But the love story was developed well, and I enjoyed the blossoming of their relationship on the whole, so I would still recommend it. The adventure of the times they live in, and the spunk and heart of Lucy, and the tenderness and fierceness of Lord Dominic's character as he juggles his duties as a lord, his desire and his good intentions towards her virtue, all while struggling to understand this one-of-a-kind lassie, makes for a very entertaining read.Note of caution: This story has a trust-building scene which may make some people who dislike anything relating to "domination" uncomfortable, but the rest of the story was worth it.I look forward to the next book in the series.Reviewed by JCCelestefor TheRomanceReviews.com