Carried Away
Time is ticking for Georgina Bayard and life as she knows it is slowly winding to a halt.  Appropriate enough for the heiress of the famous Bayard clock dynasty, but Georgina is determined to stay the hand of fate and take control of her own fortune.  With no time at all before the bank is to foreclose on everything she owns, she has decided that her only hope of saving her home, and with it her heritage, is to marry into wealth, even if it means wheedling a proposal out of the short, balding John Cabot.  Eachann McLachlan is a man used to taking what he wants.  Devilishly handsome and powerfully built, he comes to the conclusion that it's Georgina he wants after a chance encounter has her mistaking him for a delivery man while she orders him to get to work.  After overhearing her talking to herself about wanting to get married, Eachann whisks her off to his Highland Castle on a remote island off the coast of Maine, set on making her his bride.  And just for good measure he includes a serenely beautiful Amy Emerson as a gift to his older brother, Cullum.  The brides are less than ecstatic.  As a matter of fact, Georgina causes such a ruckus, Cullum is certain the shrieking hoyden will bring the entire household down around their ears before the fog lifts enough to see them back to the mainland.  Still, he is haunted by the pain and loneliness he sees in the eyes of the other young lass.  Content with his resolve to remain unmarried, Cullum fights his attraction to Amy and her gentle ways.  By the time the fog finally dissipates enough to see their way clearly, Amy and Georgina have spent two full weeks on the MacLachlan island, and each has grudgingly gained a new respect for the men that occupy the land.  Amy watches as Georgina struggles with the man she calls, MacOaf, yet she also sees her risk her life to save Eachlann's precocious six-year old daughter.  The child and her brother appear forlorn having lost their mother in an accident as they grapple for their father's attention.  Amy also feels the tenderness that Cullum shows her and her lonely heart is hungry for the feel of his soothing touch.  Upon leaving the island, both women are lost in thought, knowing that the brief time they've spent with the MacLachlan's has forever changed them.  Georgina and Amy try to ignore the sense of loss threatening to overwhelm them as their hearts cry out for the matchless love they leave behind.  Few books I've read have been as satisfying as this one!  With a stitch of laughter and a hint of tears, Jill Barnett confidently presents simultaneous love stories that weave together seamlessly, resulting in one beautiful, multi-faceted tapestry of words.  Charming and uproariously funny!     Jill Barnett writes straight from the heart. It's impossible not to get Carried Away with this book!Lori Wright  --Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc.  All rights reserved--FromLiterary Times