Lyon's Bride

The Chattan Curse #1

by Cathy Maxwell

"When a Chattan male falls in love, strike his heart with fire from above..."

They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined— and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying— and having a son—without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever.

Enter beautiful Thea Martin—a duke's headstrong, errant daughter and society's most brilliant matchmaker. Years ago, she and Lyon were inseparable, until he disappeared from her life without a word. Now she is charged with finding Lyon's bride—a woman he cannot love for a man Thea could love too well.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Regency, Magic

372 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 24, 2012

About the author

CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, "Why do people fall in love?" It remains for her the mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.

Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell.com and she'd love for you to swing by.)

Reviews

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyon’s Bride is the first book in Cathy Maxwell’s historical romance series, The Chattan Curse. These books center around a curse cast upon Charles Chattan in 1632 when he broke the handfast to Scottish lass, Rose Macnachtan, to return to England and marry a Sassenach. Rose was so in love with Charles that she believed he’d return to her, and even kept watch for him on his wedding day. When Charlie didn’t return, so great was her grief that Rose ended her life. And thus, so great was her mother’s grief, that she placed a curse on all Chattan males:

Watchers of the threshold, Watchers of the gate,
open hell and seal Chattan’s Fate.
When a Chattan male falls in love,
strike his heart with fire from Above.
Crush his heart, destroy his line;
Only then will justice be mine.”

The curse has held true through the generations, and death has, without fail, found each male of the line who falls in love. The curse is well known within the family, and no matter what they've tried, it has not been broken. This brings us now to London, 1814, and the story of Neal Chattan and Thea Martin.

They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined-- and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying-- and having a son--without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever.

Enter beautiful Thea Martin--a duke's headstrong, errant daughter and society's most brilliant matchmaker. Years ago, she and Lyon were inseparable, until he disappeared from her life without a word. Now she is charged with finding Lyon's bride--a woman he cannot love for a man Thea could love too well.

This is my first taste of Cathy Maxwell's writing, and I quite enjoyed it! This world she's created is definitely intriguing, and Lyon's Bride is sweet, it's poignant, it's sexy, and nicely sets the stage for the stories to come!

Up next is Harry's story. He'll travel to Scotland in hopes that the witch who cursed his family so long ago is still alive and willing to set his family free. After meeting him in this first book, I have to say, I'm thrilled that I have his story in my hot little hands and can dive right in!

3.5 stars

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh... just meh...

[Lisa Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Man-oh-man! As much as I love Rosalyn Landor narrating, even she can’t do anything about a major – yes major – cliffhanger. I don’t mind little ones in a series, especially if they are to set up the next character in the series. (Actually, I’ve just gotten used to them.) However, nothing is really resolved in this one. If I wanted to run that risk, I could read Urban Fantasy, or even some PNR.

By the way, when I was listening to this last night the story changed to the brother. I thought, okay... good stopping place; I’ll listen to the rest of the story tomorrow. Well, the rest of the story was about seven minutes longer! Eep! The end. Or should I say, "To Be Continued." I am so unhappy about it, I don’t know if I'll even continue with the series.

[Karen Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but I don't like how the Author ended the book in order to force you to read the other books in the series.

[Luana ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very mediocre. I liked the main characters and her children but the story itself was very so so. And I didn't like the fact that you need to read the next book to understand if the things were solved or not in this one. And from what I could see, you probably need to read all three books to finally see if the curse was broken or not.

I personally don't like that unless I am reading fantasy.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thea Martin, after struggling for years to make by after losing her husband, has managed a almost profitable business as a matchmaker, saving her earnings for her son's schooling. Then she is informed that Lord Lyon is looking for her for her matchmaking abilities because he desperately needs a wife. Once, many years ago Thea and Neal were close friends as children, but then Neal one day just abandoned Thea, and they hadn't seen each other since; until now. Neal, needs a wife, one he could never love or care for, just one to tolerate and someone to give him children. His family suffers from a curse, where all the men will die if they fall in love, so he is determined to make sure he never does so. However upon seeing Thea again, he is overwhelmed with feelings of desire for her. Only as Thea finds suitable matches for him, his only thoughts are for her and before he knows it he knows he is in love with her, only, will he be able to make the right decision, Marry her and risking dying but having a chance of a few months of love and warmth in his life, or marrying someone else and live a lonely and desolate life?
Lyon's Bride is the first installment in Cathy Maxwell most recent series: The Chattan Curse. Lyon's Bride, we see the start of this amazingly fun and exciting story, about three siblings, and in Lyon's Bride Maxwell starts with Neal, who would make any woman sucuumb to his charms. He is sexy, intelligent, and willing to fight for those he loves, who could resist? Then we have the heroine Thea, who doesn't believe in the unseen like some old curse, she just believes its superstition in the beginning, and it was amusing to watch Neal convince her otherwise. I also loved the interaction between Neal and Thea's two sons, it was tearjerking at times. The whole story overall was very emotionally provoking, it had elements through the whole story, that would bring a tear to one's eye, and then a sparkle of laughter in another moment. It definitely was full of passioin, witty humor, exciting plot that keeps the reader entertained to say the least. Overall a very well written story that engages the reader at every turn!!!! Loved Every Moment!!!

[SOS Aloha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortune and love favor the brave. - Ovid

Lord Lyon amassed a fortune. He even lent some of it to Prinny. But he is not brave enough to love – he fears a century’s old curse:

When a Chattan male falls in love,
strike his heart with fire from Above.

Yet Lyon desires children and his solicitor recommends the matchmaking services of Mrs. Martin. Lyon does not realize until he meets the widowed Mrs. Martin that she is his childhood friend. He abandoned her when his father revealed the curse. Lyon asks Thea to find him a bride that he will not like but will give him children. This kicks off the adult relationship between Lyon and Thea – a business partnership that succumbs to passion, love, and hope. Along the way, their growing attraction has a pinball effect on others who must also find courage to face their own fates.

Maxwell is known for delving into relationships and she is in top form with LYON’S BRIDE. Maxwell delivers the whole package – families and friends who work through their fears to find happiness within their lives. I am a slow reader yet I read LYON’S BRIDE in two days – it is a compelling story that quickly drew me into the characters’ strengths and struggles. Maxwell’s writing flows from chapter to chapter as she reminds readers why we read romance – that love can conquer all. Maxwell treats us to a unique twist of the HEA, one that you will have to read for yourself!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Thea is a widow who is working as a matchmaker. Lyon comes to her to find a bride for him - one that would be a suitable mother for his children but that he is in no danger of loving. His family has been suffering under a curse for a long time and he doesn't want to take a chance. He and Thea had been friends as teenagers until he began to care for her and his father took him away to protect them both. Now they find that their youthful feelings are growing. Thea doesn't believe in curses and has come to love him very much. Lyon knows he cares but refuses to admit it. When circumstances force them to marry, they start a wonderful life together. Then the dreams start and Lyon's health starts to suffer. I really liked Thea and the love she felt for her sons. I also liked the way she didn't want to let the curse define their lives. Lyon finally admitted that he cared for Thea and decided to go for the love for as long as possible. I also loved how good he was with Thea's sons and how much they liked him showed what a good person he really was. In the end, they and Lyon's brother and sister decided to take measures to find out more about the curse in hopes of breaking it, which is where the next book will begin. I really liked both of Lyon's siblings also. In both you can see the tortured effect of the curse, and want to root for them to receive their own happy ending.

[Booklover, Indianapolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(June) I know I've read CM before and I'm sure I've liked her stuff well enough - she is, to me, one of those middle-of-the-road historical authors - can't imagine she's anyone's favorite, but usually her stuff is good, sometimes great (although when I read the titles and descriptions of many of her books, none stand out, many I can't really remember at all!). This book was ok, but it was so very bland (if someone wanted to try romance and started here, I don't think they'd ever continue). Good concept - witch curses males of a family to die if they fall in love - and 200 years later, the curse is still working. Neal hires a matchmaker to help him find a woman to marry - he wants her to be someone he can't like so he does not fall in love - but expects her to be a good mother, warm to their children. Well, if she's a good, warm mother, isn't there a chance he'll fall in love with her? If she's not a good person enough for him to love, then why would he want her raising his kids? He hires a matchmaker, Thea, a widow, who turns out he knew (and almost started loving) many years ago. She plans a house party to introduce him to potential brides - but there are no other men there, so it's more of a desperation bride auction. There is really no significant interaction between Neal (who is referred to as Lord Lyon - but no mention is ever made of his title - although once Thea is referred to as his Countess, so I think he's an Earl?) and Thea - one or two conversations, and they both decide that they've always been in love w/one another for all the years they didn't see each other. A few longing glances, some internal musings about each other, and one compromising situation later, they are married, much to the delight of her two boys (how old are they - never says) and the dismay of his two sibs, who hope that if they all remain single and childless the curse will break. Well, of course it will - if they are the last of their line, when they die the curse will die. Sister Margaret is annoying, brother Harry is a tortured soul who will star in the next book, but he is more interesting than Neal who is really quite milquetoast. When Thea decides, somewhat out of the blue, she must leave him which will cause him to hate her which will save him from dying, I rolled my eyes so hard they hurt! I mean, come on - they are all over each other, and then he starts having "I'm dying" symptoms, so she thinks "I'll leave and he'll hate me." Yeah, sure it'll happen that way - he'd not understand why you left, he'd never hate you, and he'll find you and your boys, etc. Dumb. Add to that the most PG boring love scenes. Meh, just not a winner. That said, I will read the next one and see what happens when Harry goes on a witch hunt!

[Zel Polev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It resembled a book I read before and was worried I had read this one already and just forgot. However, this one was much better. Although the premise of the heroine matchmaker and the titled hero was the same, it veered off into different path in the second half. I thought this book was good. Their story was interesting and the characters weren't dumb either. There is one glaring exception though, which is when she ran away. I thought it was falling too easily into romance novel cliches and I begged that it would not leave a bad taste in my mouth. All in all, I liked it. I thought the hero and heroine had a level head on their shoulders. I liked that the heroine defended herself and the hero's plight was a bit charming. His paternal instincts were kicking, which is a nice reverse I guess. It wasn't the desire to father an heir, it was about having children to love. I thought the children were adorable. The Chattan family were also charming in their own right. They are messed up but they are quite normal, as much as their circumstances allow.

The story revolves around the Chattan curse. They must not fall in love because once they do, they die. It started with Charles, who handfasted a Scottish lass but left her for a wealthy English girl. The scottish girl killed herself and her mother cursed the family thereafter. Lyon's father is the first to father more than one children because he deliberately married a hateful bride. He didn't try to get close to her. When he did marry for love, he died soon after. Lyon wanted his own children but heeded the curse well. He was also looking for a bride he won't fall in love with. He hired Thea, who was a well known matchmaker. She assembled a group of girls for him to choose from. It was a matchmaking hell with the families and the girls acting very rudely, because they were just horrible people. However, Lyon ended up being married to Thea to save her from ruin. They were caught in a compromising position after Thea tried to stop a scheme to entrap Lyon. She was being painted in a bad light with all of the guest calling her a slut while being courteous to Lyon. Lyon improvised with a surprise engagement, which they were just celebrating. The guests were disapproving but they couldn't really gainsay him. They marry. At this point, she started dreaming of the witch. She started believing when Lyon's step mother came and she had the same dream. Thea concocted a plan of making Lyon hate her by leaving. She succeeded in being hated, only by her kids. She tricked them into coming with her and they left the comfort of the Lyon's house to live in a cottage. Lyon found her anyway and they went back home together. She didn't really need to be talked into it. She went pretty easy, making her decision to leave pretty useless. When Lyon started showing signs of dying, she thought about fighting. She enlisted Harry to track down the witch who cursed them, and thus the bait for the next book is set. If I didn't have the next book, I would have been pissed by this ending.

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of the book goes a little slow but it really becomes a very interesting story. Lion is the descendent of a man who betrayed a lady he had promised to marry causing her to commit suicide. The mom of the lady was a healer and used a ancient book of cures to put a curse on the man and all his descendants. They would die if they would fall in love.
Saying like this it sounds cheesy, but in the book it's well construed and works.
Well, Lion lost his father to the curse and several other relatives so he believes it and decides to have a loveless marriage, but his plans are put on check once he meets again his childhood friend Thea.
Should he go forward with his marriage plans? Is it worth to die for love?
It's a nice ode to love and to it's importance in anyone's life.
Important to note that this book is not a stand alone, as it ends up in a cliff hanger. Luckily the two other books of the series are already published, so you don't have to wait a year to see how it ends.
My first book from this Author... I liked it a lot.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2014

B for content and an A for narration.

Lyon’s Bride and The Scottish Witch are Books One and Two respectively in Cathy Maxwell’s Chattan Curse trilogy which tells the stories of three siblings – Neal, Harry, and Margaret Chattan – whose family was put under a powerful curse almost two hundred years previously.

Each book (including Book Three, The Devil's Heart) opens with a prologue telling the story of the curse from a different viewpoint. We learn how, in 1632, a young Scottish girl was cruelly jilted by her lover, Charles Chattan, and killed herself as a result. Over the girl’s funeral pyre, her mother, the witch Fenella Macnachtan, curses Chattan and all his decendants before consigning herself to the flames.

When a Chattan male falls in love,
strike his heart with fire from Above.
Crush his heart, destroy his line;
Only then will justice be mine.

Skipping forward to 1814, in Lyon’s Bride we meet Mrs. Thea Martin, a widow and mother of two boys who, although a duke’s daughter, was ostracised from her family when she eloped with a man of whom they did not approve. In straightened circumstances, she manages to make a living as a matchmaker and has earned herself a name for being able to find even the most difficult clients a suitable husband or wife.

Thea is by nature independent and somewhat stubborn, but she loves her two sons fiercely and, having been unhappy in her marriage, has concentrated all her efforts on their happiness, believing her time for romance has passed. Even though she arranges matches for a living and continues to believe in love, she is convinced it is not for her and has erected barriers around her heart to protect herself from feeling deeply and being hurt again.

Her most recent success in finding a wife for a very unlikely gentleman leads to her being offered an even more unusual commission. Neal Chattan, Lord Lyon, needs a bride, but his requirements are very specific – he wants a wife he can never love.

Thea is appalled. And it’s not just because the idea of making such a match goes against her principles; she and Lyon spent an idyllic summer together when they were in their teens, and knowing he’s a kind, decent man, Thea believes he deserves better. But he is adamant. He wants a family and children he can love (his own childhood having been, for reasons we discover later, rather empty and loveless) but because of the curse, doesn’t want to marry a woman with whom he might fall in love. He believes that if he can marry without it, he might have a chance of breaking the spell and his children will be able to live unencumbered.

Thea is naturally, and understandably, dismissive of the curse and at first refuses to undertake the commission. But circumstances conspire to make her acceptance a necessity and she reverses her decision, hoping that perhaps she will be able to turn Neal from his seeming desire for a miserable marriage.

It quickly becomes apparent that Neal and Thea share a deep and intimate connection, something which they both fight for different reasons. Her marriage to an unstable man has left her unwilling to trust any man with her heart again. And Neal, determined on making a loveless match and knowing how close he had come to falling in love all those years ago, knows he cannot afford to fall now and ruin his plans for breaking the curse. While there were a couple of plot points I took issue with, I liked the direction of the story overall, as Neal goes from fearing love to embracing it, deciding to live his life rather than live in fear.

Lyon’s Bride also sets the scene for the events of the next two books in the trilogy, as we are introduced to Harry and Margaret. Both are desperate to stop Neal from pursuing his plan and want to keep to the pact they all made years ago – that none of them would marry and have children, meaning the curse would die with them. But their pleas cannot shake Neal’s desire for a family of his own and his belief that he may have found a way to circumvent the curse.
This is actually a shorter than average audio at around eight hours listening, but it works well as an introduction to the trilogy. I liked the “second chance” romance between Neal and Thea, and the way in which Ms. Maxwell gave real depth to their relationship. I could certainly believe that they shared a connection at a deep emotional level.

On the whole, the characterisation was very good throughout, although I felt that Thea was more clearly defined than Neal who, while being kind and charming, was a little bland. That said though, Rosalyn Landor did a good job with her characterisation of him, putting a warmth and humour into his voice that added to his attractiveness and gave him a vibrancy I didn’t feel was always there on the page. She also did a good job distinguishing Neal from Harry by giving Harry’s voice a more clipped quality and a harsher edge which made it sound darker than Neal’s generally softer tones.
Thea’s two young sons, Jonathan and Christopher, are well fleshed-out, too, real characters in their own right rather than convenient cyphers to show us how good a mother Thea is or what a great father Neal is going to make. They’re inquisitive, charming young lads, and I especially liked the way that Jonathan (the eldest) is beginning to regard it as his duty to protect his mother. Ms. Landor is able to voice children appropriately and convincingly without making them sound too high-pitched or squeaky. She also makes the boys sound quite distinct, so there is never any question as to which of them is speaking.

Unusually for series books, Lyon’s Bride and The Scottish Witch (book two) have cliffhanger endings, so if one wants to find out what happens to Neal and Thea, it’s necessary to listen to Harry’s story in the next book. However, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to have heard Lyon’s Bride before embarking upon The Scottish Witch, as there’s enough information given in the latter to enable the listener to work out what’s going on.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade B-

Reviewed for Speaking of Audiobooks column at All About Romance 5/14/12 :http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8220

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

A family cursed long ago, it’s believed a Chattan male will die if he finds his true love. The present Earl of Lyon, Neal Chattan is looking for a wife – not for love but for the children he desires. A widowed childhood friend who is now a matchmaker, Thea Martin, agrees to help Neal find an “unlikeable but acceptable” woman to marry. Thrown into close proximity, old hurts and new misunderstandings cause instant friction and the two have a difficult time focusing on the wife hunt.

The first third of Lyon’s Bride is full of wonderful details, character development, and conversations that Rosalyn Landor only enhances further with her talented narration. She’s at her best here - her voice is well modulated and clear while her narration is unhurried without being slow. While some listeners have remarked in the past that her male voices can sound too gruff or old, that is not a problem in this book. Her male characters sound strong and are easily differentiated. The sound quality is excellent with smooth editing and clear chapter and scene break

While the writing is strong and the character development is excellent, Lyon’s Bride is not an action-driven book. Maxwell often interrupts scenes with the internal thoughts of a character. Thankfully, the listener has no problems following the interruption since Ms. Landor clearly distinguishes the dialogue portions from the internal musings.

Thea is a strong woman making the best of a situation caused in part by her own poor choices. Her stubbornness, which Ms. Landor captures well in her narration, is the source of much conflict in the book. While I admired her, it took me a while to warm up to Thea.

From the beginning, Neal is the more likeable of the two and Ms. Landor succeeds in capturing his strength of character. The secondary characters are well developed, especially Neal’s brother and sister, who I expect will each get a book since the issue of the curse is not resolved in Lyon’s Bride.

Other than the gothic-esque plot line involving the witch’s curse, Lyon’s Bride is a fairly predictable story of a nobleman falling in love with a woman who is beneath him. That gothic twist tilts this story off its axis, creating an uneasy marriage of paranormal and…well…normal, that didn’t work for me. Thea and Neal are just too English - too solid, practical, and sensible. Perhaps the curse story line will prove more effective in The Scottish Witch: The Chattan Curse which stars Neal’s angst-ridden brother, Harry. Even with my reservations about Lyon’s Bride, my interest is peaked enough for me to find out what happens next.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thea Martin and Neal Chattan, Lord Lyon have a past together. As teens, they were heading toward a true love. Then Neal was warned by his father that any such relationship will only end in tragedy. Neal tore himself away from Thea, Neal set himself against marriage and Thea married for what she thought was love. They had parted ways, thinking to never reconnect until one fateful day when they found themselves together in a solicitor's office. Their feelings for each other had not waned and were quickly reignited.

LYON'S BRIDE by Cathy Maxwell is a good read. Is it a great read? I don't think so but it's the beginning of what appears to be a very intriguing series. Having already read the second book in this series which I will review on Monday, I can tell you without a doubt that this one, LYON'S BRIDE, is a must read if you wish to have an understanding of what is happening in the second book.

As a second chance romance, LYON'S BRIDE works very well. More importantly, it lends itself very well to setting the stage for what's to come in the next two books. This is definitely a trilogy that must be read in order to both understand the current story and the fight to end the curse that's been laid upon the Chattan family. By reading this story first, you learn some of the tale of the unfortunate suicide of Rose, the daughter of Fenella - the witch who cursed the Chattans.

Cathy Maxwell has set the stage for a mystery that will carry us through to the end of the third book and hopefully provide us with a Happily Ever After for Neal and Thea and Neal's siblings, Harry and Margaret. For if the curse is not ended, Neal will surely die followed by Harry and Margaret, if they fall in love as well. I found Neal a bit stuffy at first, but thankfully, Thea brings out the best in him and you can't help but pray that the curse will be lifted. Harry, Neal's brother, is the charmer and thankfully, the hero of book two. Whereas all three siblings had decided never to fall in love, so that hopefully the curse would end with them, you know that just isn't going to happen in romance novels.

I have to recommend LYON'S BRIDE by Cathy Maxwell not because it's a really wonderful romance, it was a good read, but rather because if you wish to enjoy what comes next, you definitely need to read this one. This is definitely a continuous series and we won't see any real HEAs until the series concludes.

**Print copy of Lyon's Bride provided by publisher to me for private reading without expectation of review but this is an honest and unscripted review.

[Angela Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Feathers
This review also posted at Under the Covers Book Blogt

This is the first installment of the Chattan Curse series by Cathy Maxwell, and I must say, what a marvelous start! This book is *sigh* inducing and oh, so romantic. A great story of second chances and true love conquering all .

Neal Chattan aka Lord Lyon and his family are cursed. The Chattan Curse is to punish and prevent any of them from falling in love. For generations, his ancestors have been attempting to avoid or stop the curse only to wind up with the same fate, death. Lyon's brother and sister have made a pact that the curse will end with them, not continuing with their blood line. But Lyon has other plans.

Widowed with two young sons, Thea Martin has become the town’s successful match maker. Lord Lyon requested for her services but with specific requirements. Although Thea was against them, Thea accepts the job as her financial status has gone to a dwindle. The problem is Thea and Neal shared a past that will complicate their business arrangements.

I love second chances at love. Ms. Maxwell has given this couple a chance at a well deserved happiness despite their life struggles.

The world building was great and Ms Maxwell's writing flowed. The character buildup was also good even for the secondary characters. Thea was a great heroine, a kick ass single mom who knew her priorities. And Neal the honorable hero who makes the right decision in the end. I love that their romance was done in good timing and being acquainted in the past, their love only needed to grow. Some parts of this book were totally cliche but every bit as heart warming.

With that, I leave you with a quote:

"No woman had ever completely over powered him with desire. She was quicksilver and light. She was the stars, the moon, the sun. In this moment, she owned his entire being."

* Review copy provided by publisher

[Dianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can easily see that this is a trilogy and I can even understand that we won't know if the "curse" has been lifted until the last sibling has found love; but really. The at least could have been some sort of definitive HEA in THIS book.

This honestly has to be one of the slowest moving, mind-numbingly boring books I have ever read.

A curse has been cast over the Chattan family, and as you can expect they all vow never to fall in love since once they do, they soon die.

There are 3 siblings in this branch of the family and they feel it is up to them to kill off the name. So one has become a cold fish who looks into hiring a 'matchmaker' to find him someone who is also a cold fish, someone that he will never fall in love with. This would be the sibling that this particular book revolves around. Unfortunately for Neal his matchmaker is someone that he was falling in love with many years ago. Thea now has two sons and is cut from society because of marriage she engaged in long ago. The children are an interesting and humanizing touch.


The other brother has become an addict so that should make for a properly horrible story to read, and the remaining sibling is a female. I couldn't quite get a hold on her, but she seems quite odd to me. I do not look forward to reading her story either.

It was so difficult for me to lose myself in this story, I couldn't even begin to be able to put myself in any of their shoes. The dialogue was stilted and unbelievable for the most part, the narrative wasn't as smooth as I've come to expect from authors of this ilk. The premise of a cursed family is an old and trite one and I can only hope that the story will get more interesting with the next two books.

[Once · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old friendship is rekindled when the present Earl of Lyon is forced to engage the help of a match maker to find him a wife that he will not be able to fall in love, and she turns out to be his childhood friend. The curse bestowed upon his family has prevented them to fall in love, unless they pay the consequences with their life. This is the reason given by Neal to explain to Thea when she tries to talk him out of this loveless marriage. He is determined and she is skeptic about the whole curse idea, but agrees to help him out. Once the misunderstanding of their estranged friendship is cleared out, the realization of strong feelings arise and the consequences are put in the back burner until it makes its presence known.

The cast of characters is great an Thea's sons gives the light hearted and fun touch to the arrangement. The romance is gradual following the premise of the honorable attributes that they share. Once they finally realize that they can't escape their feelings for each other, the fight to overturn the curse begins. The ending sets the beginning of the sequels using the not so impeccable characters of Neal's brother and the secret behind his sister when they engage in the fight to release the curse's hold and peaking your curiosity for what's to come. Loved the way it flowed and kept you turning pages unstop.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ARC

It was a pretty clean copy for an ARC so the problem isn't with the grammar or the type setting. My issue was that there were a lot of things glossed over. Important things. It made the story, while interesting, seem very rushed.

I wanted to know more about Neal and Thea's friendship, more about how they fell in love, more interactions between them other than the house party. I didn't feel an attraction between them until that house party so it seemed very ... stilted to have them suddenly...well, I'll let you read it for yourself.

Also, how Thea suddenly went from Scully to Mulder in her belief about the curse. I like her spirit but she did play the typical heroine in distress at one point and it just seemed out of character. I get that love makes you do stupid things but it still seems out of her character.

Will I read the next one? Probably. It's a good premise even if the execution wasn't all that spectacular.

[Kati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is one of my favorite historicals this year. A wonderful new series from Cathy Maxwell that all Maxwellians will enjoy. A centuries old curse, a woman who believes that a person makes their own choices, a man hellbent on pushing that woman away because Fate has other things in store for him, a second chance at love and a ready made family of his own, wrapped in laugh out loud antics, heartbreaking moments, a mother's love for her sons and a happily ever after you want to root for. Review pending...

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am normally not much of a romance reader, but I was given this and The Scottish Witch, and I read both books in two nights...i couldn't put them down! They were terrific...entertaining with enjoyable characters that you could identify with (or wanted to!) and just enough realistic "fun" to make this historical romance very enjoyable.

I just am disappointed that I have to wait for the third book to come out...fortunately it's supposed to be in May!

[Oriane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Déçue, déçue, déçue ... Déjà par le résumé qui omet soigneusement "quelques détails" (genre l'héroïne est "veuve" (et encore j'ai des gros doutes quant à certaines formulations) avec enfants), puis par l'histoire qui est juste attendue de chez attendue et enfin par cette pseudo fin qui est loin d'entre être une en mode "lisez le(s) tome(s) suivant(s) pour savoir si le héros va survivre à son amour et vaincre la malédiction" ...

[dumbells · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just too annoying for a heroine.
I mean first she doesn't believe the curse, and she is just so close minded about it all. And the when it turns out "oh my god, the curse might be real" she turns all knowing and expert on it. She just "knows" they "together" can beat it.
Wish there was a bit more... just more to the characters.

[Nonieღserenity2bliss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the simplicity in the author's writing and story extremely charming. It's a really good read on lazy days and when you need to take your mind off things. I highly recommend this if you're looking for something sweet, simple, and satisfying.

[Trenchologist · Rating 3 out of 5]

September Readathon

A to-be-continued cliffhanger for the bigger conflict, and that's annoying 1) on its own in a romance, even series titles and 2) in that I didn't like it well enough to track down the next two in the trio.

The curse aspect is intriguing. Too bad I'll probably never know how it winds up aside from the fact that it's a romance, it'll be resolved as HEA for everyone.

This book is as long as it is because there's a lot of filler. The set up, the would-be matchmaking, the house party full of eligible and awful young ladies. All of it came to nothing, as the leads pretty much knew immediately on their first meeting they were smitten and hang the rest. And the thing is, Maxwell didn't even bother with adding conflict or tension to their being together during the house party or anything else. They weren't even obstacles, just simply speed bumps to slow things down a bit.

The hero is steadfast and guarded and gooorgeousssssss. The heroine is smart and knows the ways of things but isn't jaded. They're fine together, but that's as much because we're told they are rather than shown they are. They didn't have to fall in love, they just WERE in love, from the moment they clapped eyes on one another (once, and then again).

My petty personal complaint is the heroine and hero are set up as fated, as once-and-always in love since childhood, then the heroine feels jilted and runs off with a lesser man and winds up married with two kids. My own subjective wants as well as my critical take on that is they don't quite reconcile. I wanted a heroine who couldn't settle for anything else and was at last reunited with this hero. Who then had to fight himself trying to deny her and couldn't. So close to a book that would have made me swoon, lol.

Mirabel--the older widow friend of the heroine--was my favorite character. She deserved a love match to be made, maybe the most of any of them.

[Jocelynereadsromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the start of the Chattan Curse trilogy, and this series is definitely best read in order (I accidentally read book 2 first, but still was able to follow along). Maxwell has introduced us to a trio of siblings whose family has been affected by a curse, which keeps the Chattan males from falling in love out of fear of death.

This is Neil, Lord Lyon's, love story. He is the eldest of the siblings and he is on a mission to find a woman to marry (one that he will not be tempted to fall in love with). Thea is a widow with two boys and a newly established match maker who is enlisted by Neil in his search. Neil and Thea knew each other as children/young teens, their friendship was one that had the true foundation of love and because of this Neil was sent away by his father in fear of the curse taking hold.

This is a sweet and lovely second chance romance between two people who still have a strong foundation of friendship that lends them to forgiveness and a deep love that is ready to embrace them. It was fun to watch their feelings continue to grow during a match making house party. I loved how Thea's jealousy and good wishes for Neil create moments where she has to rescue him from scheming debutants. Neil and Thea are so draw to each other that their love kind of comes upon them in a soft and quiet way, but it was sweet the way it slowly embraced them.

Neil is a man who longs for children and he was such a delight to watch as he embraced Thea's children and how he treated them with kindness and respect and as if they were his own. Thea's children with their innocents and wide eyed curiosity and their unconditional love of what help the Chattan siblings learn what is the most important thing in this world and in life.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong start, but kinda (sappy and) weak ending as the book dragged on into an unexpected series cliffhanger.

I liked Thea and Neal both as characters. Thea is steady, hard-working, loving & loyal. Neal is strong, noble, loving and kind. And I loved his relationship with Thea's two boys.
I would have liked to see Thea and Neal fall in love a bit more (at the house party). I know that they had an off-page history (where they essentially already loved each other) but the second they get married, their romance sadly stops developing.
(I did not like the part when Thea knew the second she got pregnant. And I mean the second conception occurred. It was super weird.)
Also, I did not like that the characters had a tendency to talk to each other in short paragraphs, which was annoying.
I did like the curse a lot, and I like Neal as the hero/romantic gentleman. So, I think I would have been able to ignore the book's annoying parts a bit better had I liked the audiobook (read by Rosalyn Landor), but I sadly did not.
I don't think I'll continue with the rest of the series in audio if it's more of the same.

[Ms M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curse vs Love

The Chatan Curse Trilogy and this book 1, story of Lord Lyon, the eldest of 3 siblings with the heroine, Thea, single mom with 2 adorable little boys.

Thea, the matchmaker, hired by Lyon to match him with someone but without love, affection, so the curse won't work.

The curse, a couple hundred years ago, in Scotland, the beginning, Charles Chatan, broken his promised to Rose Macnachtan daughter of late father Laird Macnachtan and a witch blood mother., Fenella. She killed herself out of broken heart. Fenella, cast a revenge spell on Charles Chatan and the rest of his line would never have a happy ending they need to feel the pain same as Charles did to her daughter and her family. So whenever a Chattan male falls in love, he will soon be dead.

Book 2, second son, Harry, takes a journey to Scotland, to find the curse and help his brother and his new family to beat the odd so the curse won't work to his brother and he will not die because of Lynn's love to Thea.

Book 3, story of their sister, Margaret

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would you dare to fall in love if it cursed you to die? Neal votes no and hires matchmaker Thea (who turns out to be his childhood crush) to find him a wife he can never love. Thea hates this idea, but she has been recently robbed of the money she had been putting aside to send her oldest son to school, and the money he's offering is obscene and will solve all her problems.
Neal's family has been cursed for 200 years, and since this story kind of ends on a cliff hanger I'm not going to spoil anything else.
I loved the dynamic between these 2, Thea's anger because he just disappeared one day without a word to her when they were young, the way Neal adores her even though he doesn't want to and the way he loves her sons from her previous marriage. But I adored the way it was her sons that brought Neal's family back to life.
So far I am in love with this series :)

[Romance Novels List · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a historical romance novel enthusiast, I've explored my fair share of family-based series and found that maintaining a fresh storyline in each book can be challenging. This series, however, excels in its seamless progression from one book to the next. What I appreciated most was the absence of a typical "happily ever after" ending, offering a more genuine conclusion. Each book acts as a stepping stone for the next, focusing on individual characters while contributing to an overarching narrative of the curse placed on the family, resulting in a captivating and distinct series.

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[QPP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cliffhanger alert! You'll need the next book in the series to have a satisfying read.

I wanted to give this book a solid 4 stars, but just couldn't. The story ends with one of the secondary characters running off to save the day & his brother's life, one of the main characters. So, within this book, we have no idea what happened to our stalwart main character without reading the next book in the series!

Of course, if this literary tactic repeats in the next book, you'll have to read the 3rd book in the series to know what happened to brother who ran off to save the day.

Grrr.... Make sure you are able to get all 3 books in the series before you start the 1st!