La heredera domada

Victorian Scotland Trilogy #1

by Susan King

Book by King, Susan

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Victorian

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

Susan King, née Longhi, is a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning author and a former art history lecturer. She holds a B.A. in art and an M.A. and most of a Ph.D. in art history, with postgraduate work in medieval studies. Her books are widely praised for historical detail and a lyrical writing style, and she has won multiple honors and awards for her novels written as Susan King, Sarah Gabriel, and Susan Fraser King. Susan visits Scotland as often as possible for research and relaxation, and lives in Maryland with her family.

Reviews

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Estrellitas. Me he llevado una muy grata sorpresa con éste libro. Son varios los que he leído de Susan King, pero hasta la fecha, creo que éste el que más, me ha convencido mucho más que sus novelas medievales.

"La heredera domada" es el primer libro de la trilogía Escocia victoriana de Susan King. En ella, la autora nos transporta a las Highlands de mediados del siglo XIX, donde las leyendas aún conviven con el progreso del hombre moderno.

Meg MacNeill es una joven de las islas Hébridas, donde lleva una idílica vida en su isla, Caransay. Criada por sus abuelos y bisabuela en las leyendas antiguas, una noche debe cumplir una tradición, ir sola a la isla Caran y pasar allí la noche con el kelpie que venga a ella, pues solo así su isla será dichosa en el futuro. Esa noche, Meg va sola a la isla, y se encuentra a su kelpie.

Dougal Stewart estaba de juerga con sus amigos una noche y bebió más de la cuenta, retó a uno de ellos nadar, y arrastrado por las olas, llega a un islote de las Hébridas, donde una bella ninfa lo salva y lo seduce.

Ahí es donde chocan la realidad y la ficción, pues al día siguiente cada uno vuelve por donde vino. Y después pasarán siete largos años hasta que vuelvan a verse.

Y mucho ha cambiado en esos años. Dougal es ahora ingeniero, y su trabajo es diseñar faros, para evitar naufragios cerca de la costa. Sus padres murieron en uno de esos naufragios, y su empeño es evitar mas muertes.

Por otro lado, la vida de Meg cambió mucho más. De presentarse como una pueblerina de las Hébridas, al poco tiempo de volver de su aventura con el kelpie, Meg descubre que su abuelo materno ha muerto, y le ha dejado la mayor herencia de Escocia; casas, tierras, empresas, el banco, y el título de baronesa Strathlin, puesto que en Escocia las mujeres pueden heredar títulos. De modo que Meg deberá dejar atrás su idílica vida, para ocuparse de su herencia.

Tras estos años, Meg y Dougal vuelven a encontrarse, primero por carta para retarse, pues Dougal ha conseguido el permiso y los fondos para construir un faro en el arrecife de la isla Caran, y Meg, como dueña de esas tierras, no consentirá que el progreso del hombre moderno acabe con la flora y fauna que ha pervivido allí desde el principio de los tiempos.

Por supuesto, todo cambiará cuando se vean de nuevo en Caransay; cuando la ninfa y el kelpie vuelvan a verse y descubran que lo suyo fue realidad. La atracción entre ellos es inmediata, y Meg no se atreve a decirle quién es en realidad, pues tiene muchos secretos que esconder.

Me ha gustado mucho este libro. Lo he visto distinto a otros, creo que es ese toque entre mito y realidad, entre la vida sencilla y corriente de isleños, y el progreso del mundo moderno. Y allí están Meg y Dougal, cada uno representando parte de su mundo, pero el suyo es choque al que ninguno puede resistirse.

La relación de ellos empieza muy bien, y cuando vuelven a encontrarse saltan chispas. Por un lado entiendes las reticencias de Meg en ocultar a Dougal sus secretos, pero a la vez, Meg es un mujer temerosa, que tiene una gran responsabilidad y mucho que perder si alguien descubre la verdad. Dougal es un hombre irresistible y me ha gustado mucho como quiere y trata a Meg.

En general me ha resultado un libro precioso, y me ha dejado con ganas de continuar la trilogía, donde los protagonistas son los amigos de Dougal.

[Ana María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leída hace mucho. Bien pero nada especial

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance interspersed with legends and myths makes this an enjoyable story. Mistaking the washed up Dougal Stewart for a kelpie sent to her as her legendary lover from the sea, Meg MacNeill is shamed and horrified to realize that he is in fact a mere mortal. Surprisingly, all the promises associated with the legend come about, putting Meg in a position where she has control over both a huge fortune and her beloved island. When Dougal returns to the island with a commission in hand to build a lighthouse on the black rocks where he and Meg first encountered each other, he discovers that she is elusive and keeps him at a distance. Apart from the descriptions of nature on the Hebridean island, there are also interesting references to inventions that had come about at that time. The love story between the main characters develops slowly, and despite smoke and mirrors, they do eventually manage to acknowledge their prior meeting and the resulting circumstances. The romance is generally well written and comes to a happy and successful conclusion. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable characters. Meg is an awesome force of nature and never backs down from a challenge. Loved her strength and her sense of right.

Dougal too had a sense of right and good about him. He fights the fight for progress to save others the grief he has been forced to deal with.

Together they are unpredictable and calming. A study of opposites as much as they are similar. They have excellent chemistry and I enjoyed reading their story. I'll definitely be continuing the series.

[Majo's Library. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Espero que este tipo de obras no me haga replantear la existecia de mi estante "Hot Highlanders" :/

[Arlenis Ralfsdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siguiendo con mi avalancha de libros románticos históricos, debo decir que este fue muy bueno para mi. Al leer la sinopsis sinceramente no me llamo mucho, sin embargo una vez lo empece, quise saber mas y mas. Definitivamente me atrapo. La historia es un poco bastante fantasiosa, sin embargo es hermosa. Y la forma en que los protagonistas encajan tan bien. Imposible no enamorarse de este hombre tan encantador y profundo. Y el pequeño Iain es todo un encanto. En un momento si quise golpear a la protagonista para que soltara todo de una vez, pero es de entender su situación, ella solo quería proteger a los suyos. Lo recomiendo.

[Frankiejohnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why it's not mentioned on Susan Kings page, but this is book 1 in her heiress,princess,countess series.

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story – Misleading Title

Although Meg MacNeill is a baroness and an heiress, she does not need 'taming' or controlling. Which is why Dougal Stewart does not make that mistake. He may argue his case and reason with her, as she does with him, but he seems to understand and respect her.

Aside from (for me) a misleading title, Taming the Heiress is a romantic and passionate story set in Victorian Scotland. Susan King is a good writer, and though a bit wordy in places, the overall story is well constructed and the characters are likable. The heroine, though raised among family who believe in mystical Celtic water creatures, is an intelligent and educated woman who has inherited a fortune and a barony from her maternal grandfather. The hero is a charming and handsome engineer who specializes in the construction of lighthouses, and he wants to erect one on her beloved island. The Scottish customs and points of history are well researched and deftly woven into the story to make it all the more believable. The happy ending is not only sweet and satisfying, it was one of my favorite parts of this interesting story.

Content 411: This book does not contain swearing, but there are some passionate kissing and mildly described sexually intimate scenes.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg MacNeill grew up a simple Island girl who loved her quiet life but inherited from her grandfather a title that she did not want. As a Baroness she tried to stay a recluse but at the same time used her money to help others. She has her secrets that she is trying to keep safe and she ends up running into trouble because of them.
Dougal Stewart is an engineer that builds light houses. One in particular is dear to him because his family drowned in that dangerous area along with many others. Meg as her titled self the Baroness is fighting the lighthouse because she wants to keep her island the way it is. They don’t realize it but they have met before and the story unfolds a lot from there.
I liked this book. Once I finally sat down to read it I did not want to put it down because I wanted to find out what happened. I liked the two main characters and liked to see that Mr. Frederick redeemed himself enough to not be the character that you love to hate. Both Meg and Dougal are stubborn but try to be good people and do good deeds. I read this book as a standalone but I see that it is in a series. I see that the next two books we have met the guys in this book and they might be interesting to read and see how it goes.
I got this book for free to review from ebook discovery in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own

[Muddy Floors · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taming the Heiress was a quick read. The story was easy to follow. The plot starts as both main characters meet and then lose track of one another. They end up meeting again by fate and as you read you eagerly want to know what comes up next in the story.
I grabbed Taming the Heiress off a shelf at the airport once I realized that I packed my books into my checked in bag (hate when that happens). The characters were a little flat in my opinion and like most romance novels, you find yourself guessing what the climax and conclusion of the book will be, only to be right. Which of course is disappointing, when novels are that predictable. It was an entertaining read though for the 3 hour flight. I did discover that this book is in a series, but it did not tempt me enough to read the others in the series.

Want to read more of my reviews? Go to my site:
muddyfloors.com

[Virginia Tican · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obfuscating legend and actual facts as to what happened to Meg and Dougal on that rock 7 years ago which I took with a grain of salt and stretching it to a semblance of credulity... I think it would be the outside of enough if the reader would even be expected to believe that Meg would rather marry a blackmailing self~serving banker rather than the father of her own child... plus they were already married 7 years ago according to the old Hebridean custom as the handfast had become the norm for the rest of Scotland... so the scandal and shame to Meg's standing as Baroness Strathlin would not ensue and the pressure by Sir Frederick would disappear... but then I stopped reading by Chapter 13 disgusted by Meg's annoying shilly~shallying. I might yet try to finish the book and give a more thorough review.

P.S. ~ I managed to muddle through and finish it and I am glad to know that I was right... I also changed my rating from 2 stars to 3.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so love that warm fuzzy feeling that you get at the ending and Taming the Heiress delivers. Of course, to get there, you fall in love with the characters, share their joys, and cringe at their struggles and peril along the way. This story whimsically blends real people balancing the realities of life while respecting their cultural legends of kelpies and such. Meg is a free spirit trying to make the best of everything handed to her. Dougal is a deeply determined man constantly taking risks. When the two interact, there is always fireworks.

This is my second novel by Susan King and I happily report having a new author to gobble up her works. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Water Horses and other dreams.
A young woman grew up in a simple life yet fate steps in and now she is grown and has become a rich heiress. That is Meg MacNeill life, but she also holds a deep secret about a magical night and what that brought into her life. Now like all good stories the past is going to meet the future. Dougal Stewart builds lighthouses and wants to build one on her island. What will Meg do now that Dougal is back in her life? This story set in Victorian Scotland blends the myths of the people into a story of the time. I liked the characters and their interactions. It was a romantic tale not steamy just a simple and beautiful journey to a very good ending. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Kathy Cohen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story revolving around a lighthouse construction on a dangerous reef in Scotland in the 1850s. The h/h meet when he is shipwrecked during a tremendous storm, and she is waiting to meet a kelpie to save her island. There is some fairy tale magic here. Both main characters are attractive and sympathetic. I wish the villain of the piece had received more punishment for his duplicity. I received this book for free from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meg and Dougal really do meet in a unique way that sets the stage for the rest of the story. I found the intrigue wrapped up in kelpie folklore to be a wonderful touch. It was easy to side with each of the characters as you experience their POV. A wonderful story with an unlikely hero in the end.

I received a free copy of this book from eBook Discovery and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was interesting and enjoyable, the conflict between hero and heroine could have been resolved much more easily, if they would only have talked to each other. And the villain wasn't entirely villainous. But I really did not like the title — it is both misleading and inaccurate, since the hero doesn't know the heroine is an heiress, and he doesn't really want to "tame" her, either (though the villain might).

[Anna Bornino-glusac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story revolving around the building of a lighthouse has well-developed characters with life-changing secrets that must be disclosed. The flavor of the Hebrides islands and their Celtic myths add romance to the relationship of Dougal and Meg. The characters and storyline of the book could be a little more concise.

[Solana☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

No le tenía mucha fe, pero la historia y el romance me sorprendieron para bien. Amé a Dougal Stewart! Por momentos me costó avanzar porque sentía un poco repetitiva la forma de escribir de la autora, pero en general es un libro bonito.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful tale filled with ancient Scottish folklore. Well written with great characters that lead to such a touching romance.

[Toyenlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting and enjoyable read. Meg and Dougal are likeable characters. "I received this book from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review".

[ShyAnn64 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful Meg MacNeill never thought of herself as an heiress, let alone one of the richest, most eligible women in Scotland. Her humble upbringing in the Western Isles, and her secret child - born of a magical night and a mysterious man - make her role in glittering Edinburgh society seem unlikely, even dangerous . . . especially when she comes face-to-face with her devastatingly attractive enemy.

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Sandra Patiño · Rating 5 out of 5]

La serie en general es muy bella (la leí en orden inverso) aunque confieso que los libros 2 y 3 me gustaron más. Lo mejor, esa mezcla entre lo mágico y lo humano, el romance profundo y las descripciones del entorno y sobre la construcción de faros en la época. Recomendada toda la serie.

[Vmontgzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia no me parecio mala pero me fastidian las novelas en que el es tan endemoniadamente guapo y ella parece un hada o algo asi y no se pueden resistir el uno frente al otro cada vez que se ven.
Pues ella terca sin querer enfrentarlo y para colmo la autora incluye demasiadas descripciones sobre la construccion del faro que me cansan un poco.
Cómo puede ser posible que la autora no haga mas que decir que Meg es tan inteligente y su conducta no haga mas que demostrar que no lo es, dice que no le gusta mentir y no hace otra cosa.
Tiene puntos a su favor como su amor por la naturaleza y que no quiere que se construya el faro por las tradiciones y los habitos de la fauna de la isla que pueda afectar y se puedan perder para siempre.
En fin combina leyendas celtas, con la realidad y lo unico rescatable es el protagonista masculino que me encanto, un hombre trabajador y comprensivo.

[Kathleen Ruggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep Sea Love

This book is about an engineer and a baroness who meet originally during a storm on the Island of Caronsay. Due to island legend Meg was sent out to meet her Kelpie King and in fact marry him so that the island would be safe for the next hundred years. If a child was born of that love good fortune would follow. Douglas knew nothing of these traditions and was actually washed ashore the rock due to a drunken bet. Due to a concussion he received he thought he had dreamed the entire encounter. Seven years later during a project Dougal was building they meet again. Good for mature readers.

[Lisle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why o why oh? Victorian. Hebrides. Kelpies. Ick. I am ashamed. Doctor's offices are no excuse. The only good thing is that it has inspired me to reread To the Lighthouse.

[Beleth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bastante mediocre :(

[Sec2000 · Rating 1 out of 5]

blah couldn't read

[Lynde Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet historical romance that I enjoyed. The architectural building of the lighthouse during historical times was intriguing to read and the legend of the kelpies was entertaining.

[Anne Yentsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good rainy afternoon read

The characters in this book lack depth, but the story is engaging and the ending is, of course, satisfying and happy.