Gizemli Gelin

McBride Family #3

by Samantha James

Leydi Maura O'Donnell ölüm döşeğindeki babasına bir söz verir: İki yüz yıl önce ünlü bir korsan tarafından çalınıncaya dek aileye bolluk getirmiş, sihirli bir Kelt emaneti olan Işık Çemberi'ni eve geri getirecektir. Bu eşsiz hazine artık korsan soyundan gelen Gleneden Dükü'nün elindedir ve Maura onu geri almayı aklına koymuştur. Alec McBride ise kandırıldığının farkındadır. Leydi Maura baştan çıkarıcı tavırlarıyla onu oyuna getirmiş ve evliliğe zorlamıştır. Ama yaptıklarının bedelini ödeyecektir. Alec onu kendine âşık edecek, büyüleyecek ve dize getirecektir... ta ki genç kadın, Gleneden Dükü'yle hiç karşılaşmamış olmayı dileyinceye dek.

İntikam oyununa kendilerini kaptıran Alec ve Maura kalplerinde olup biteni fark edemezler. Evlilikleri sahte olsa da engel olamadıkları bir gerçek vardır: Birbirlerine duydukları tutkulu aşk.

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.

Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.

In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!

Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."

The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."

That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.

Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...

To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.

Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...

Reviews

[Verity · Rating 2 out of 5]

My coding instructor often drummed onto my head before our @$$-numbing online exams : always go w/ your 1st instinct, don’t 2nd guess your choice. Alas, my poor memory didn’t retain her sage advice. For some unfathomable reason I decided to go w/ this book instead of the other ones I’ve initially picked for my MBC. Lessons learned : don’t be wishy-washy, be a completist reader. I picked this on a whim, it fits the MBC / Irish theme. Emerald-eyed Irish chick, Irish setting, a bit of ‘green’ on the book spine, mention of St. Patrick : all checked. To my eternal regret, this was such a freakin’ waste of my precious time & green trees. The mystery was so lame.

The prologue w/ the dubious tale of the “Circle of Light” shoulda raised a red flag. I was surprised it didn’t open w/ : "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away….." Usually in HPlandia, the most prevalent theme is “Revenge” : your daddy / bro did me wrong, I’ll do U, now strip & think of England. Here’s the opposite. Hero gets shackled & marched into a costly matrimony ‘cuz his ancestor did a v. bad, bad thing : he stole the ‘Circle of Light’. Now @ this point, my juvenile mind had a visual image of 1 of my fav Game Cube games, Paper Mario : The thousand-year door, where Mario earns a crystal star (thru’ defeating numerous enemies on his quest to rescue pretty-in-pink Princess Peach) & the circle of light seeps out as he steps onto the pedestal in front of TTYD Hehehee… Anyhoo, I digress. Insipid H/H, uninspired plot, amateurish writing & WTF moments, all added up to self-flogging for choosing a book w/ a bizarre premise. I thought the fraudulent heroine belongs in the slammer for a lotta things that she does to the poor hero. Plus she has the audacity to bitch-slap the hero (not even a love-slap, mind U) when he’s obviously the injured party. She’s the epitome of ‘the light is on but there’s noone home’. The hero’s a bit slow on the uptake ‘cuz he doesn’t even realize that his wine had been tampered w/, until page 244. The book is inundated w/ inexplicable exclamation points, to add dwamatic flavors, U know, like in those movies where the jovial characters exclaim in eyebrows-meet-hairline tone : “Sacre bleu ! Invasion ! Intruder !” I also didn’t think their terms of endearment (he calls her “Irish” / she calls him “Scotsman”) were endearing @ all ‘cuz they went on ‘till the end, even on the Dear Scotsman letter from Maura. Yeah, sexy as a holey moldy Swiss cheese. To pour vinegar onto hero’s sore open wounds, heroine admits she plunders his silver from several rooms ‘cuz he’s a Duke w/ a forgiving nature & a bottomless coffer. A con artist after my own heart. The conflict is v. weak, all centred around her perpetual lying & thieving. She searches every nook & cranny of his domain to unearth the ancient relic to no avail. The biggest crime she committed : she thought he wouldn’t suspect her post-marriage virginal status ‘cuz back then, hymen restoration’s the norm.

SJ has never been my sentimental fav, but I’ve liked some of her books. She has written more decent books than this crapola. Dunno why there were so many exclamation points crammed in here & lotsa wasted blank spaces, she prolly got paid by the #. Repetitive phrases & dry banter were overabundant. Hours of my life I could never get back. Oh well, good thing it’s a library freebie. My punishment for being a shameless freeloader =^2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maura froze.
Her heart thundered.
Her pulse lurched.
Together they stood.
Face-to-face.
Toe-to-toe.
Pirate-to-pirate.
He didn’t want her to leave.
Ever.
He wanted a marriage.
A true marriage this time.
For all the right reasons.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maura wants to steal an enchanted Celtic relic from Alec but he steals her heart instead. Loving characters and passionate love scenes. Adorable epilogue!

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bride of a Wicked Scotsman" is the story of Maura and Alec.

Our heroine is Lady Maura O'Donnell, who makes promise to her father on his deathbed to retrieve the Circle of Light, an enchanted Celtic relic. Ever since it was stolen centuries ago, their land and people have suffered a curse. Travelling to Scotland in disguise, she manages to trick Alec McBride into marriage after an elaborate ploy. What begins as a revenge saga turns into so much more as feelings get involved, and both realize that love is the biggest magic of all.

Likable MCs, strong plot and seductive sex scenes. I really enjoyed the fast paced book and the epilogue!

Safe
4/5

[Esra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kitabı hiç sevmedim.
Seri historical kategorisinden çıkmış, fantastiğe doğru yol almış bu kitapla. Ayrıca bu seferki çevirmenin farklı olduğu da son derece netti.
Maura'dan nefret ettim.
Saçma bir neden yüzünden saçma sapan bir plan yapıp bildiğin sahtekarlığın dibine vuruyor.
Yani nedenlerini en başından söyledin de adam seni dinlemedi mi? Ne gerek var onca yalan dolana.
Alec'e de sinir oldum. Gitti kadına aşık oldu. Gerçi kitapta aşk maşk hissetmiyorsunuz ama işte anladınız siz ne demek istediğimi!
Ayrıca ikinci kitapta neredeyse takıntılı bir şekilde fantastik romanlar okuyan o adama ne oldu? Yazarın kim olduğunu öğrenince ilgisi mi geçti???
Her neyse! Bu 2 yıldızı da sırf Alec'in hatırına veriyorum.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my mind lately, so I decided I should review it.
I really enjoyed this book. The idea is that Lady Maura's father dies and begs her to reclaim the family's glory by finding a certain artifact that brought them wealth and prosperity. several generations ago, it was stolen by the pirate the Black Scotsman. And one of his descendants is now being dubbed the Black Scotsman, so Maura concocts this scheme to get herself compromised, then wed, search his estates and make of with her family heirloom.
She dressed as a pirate for a costume ball, brazened her way into the ball, (fabulously done!) and meets with him. He sees her and beelines straight for her. She flirts, gets him upstairs, drugs him, undresses, and pretends to compromise herself. Her "uncle" finds her in there the next day, naked supposedly deflowered...of course they were married.
The way they fell in love was so sweet-not one of those books where you have no clue as to why our h/h love each other...this had love, lust, trust issues, great sex scenes, and some very emotional moments.
Lady Maura carries a bit of Ireland in a pouch at her waist-some dirt from her home. Alec at one point thinks she must have something very valuable in there, and he dumps it...at this point Maura just breaks down-it was so sad, and I think I may have shed a few tears for her.
Eventually he found out she was still a virgin and he was so angry at her tricking him...he'd already fallen in love, and then this.
The ending was cute, and of course a bit hokey with the artifact bringing her lands back their green colors and crops and luck o' the Irish.
But it was sweet, and cute, I've re-read it a few times.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha James penned a winner for me with "Bride of a Wicked Scotsman". This is her final book starring members of the McBride family and this time we learn more about the eldest brother Alec.

Long ago there was a proud Irish family, the McDonoughs, and they lived on a prosperous estate; partly thanks to a magical relic called the Circle of Light. Then one day a pirate called the Black Scotsman sailed in and stole the Circle of Light and ever since, the McDonough lands have languished and the family has all but died out...with the sole exception of Lady Maura. She promised her father, on his deathbed, that she would find and return the magical artifact to their lands in Ireland...this is her story.

Alec, Duke of Gleneden, is NOT superstitious. He IS, however, very handsome and quite sought after by both mothers and maidens of the ton both in England and Scotland. But he's wise enough to avoid the traps laid for him...until Maura. Their attraction is immediate, but when she tricks him into marriage his anger is fierce; until he comes to know Maura and realizes his desire for her is more than lust. But will he believe in magic and relics?

The story is so much better than I described above. Maura becomes torn between her people and her love and Alec must learn to look beyond the facts. Two people who turn out to be just right for each other, yet still willing to sacrifice for the greater good. I like that neither of them were stupid, malicious, or mercenary. Their relationship began with a bang (hah hah), but afterward they dropped back and the growth of their love was well-paced and realistic--each coming to know and love the other for the small things that make up an individual.

The sensual attraction between the hero and heroine was electric from the first; and kept growing throughout the story. The love scenes were HOT, but still within an NC-17ish rating. The story didn't make me cry. It did provide several laughs, many sighs, and a tense moment or two. Samantha James' books are a pleasure to read and I found "Bride of a Wicked Scotsman" no exception.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s such a shame that Alec’s story is less appealing when I was so intrigued by him after reading the first book in the series. This book would have been perfect had it not been infused with the supernatural brouhaha. It became laughably bad when the circle entered the conversation. What a waste when it could have been so good. Sigh…

2.5 stars.

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

" IF YOU DIG A GRAVE FOR OTHERS, YOU MIGHT FALL INTO IT YOURSELF"

Kata bijak dari uncle Murdoch untuk maura yang bermaksud menjebak Alec McBride , Duke of Glenadale dalam perkawinan pura-pura yang bertujuan hanya mencari dan menemukan kembali artefak Circle of light yang di curi dari nenel moyang nya oleh bajak laut, The Black Scotsman, nenek moyang Alec. [image error]

Koisah di mulai dengan mitos tentang Circle of Light di Irlandia, yang di curi oleh bajak laut, The Black Scotsman. Sampai anak cucu, klan Maura merasa berada di bawah kutukan dan kessuraman karena tidak berhasil mempertahan kan dan merebut kembali artefak itu.

Sampai pada hari kematian ayah nya sang Earl, maura diminta berjanji untuk menyelamatkan Irlandia, dengan menemukan kembali Circle yang di bawa ke tanah Scotlandia.
Berhasil mendapat kan undangan ke pesta topeng yang di hadiri Alec McBride, maura merayu Alec yang langsung naksir berat dengan bajak laut perempuan cantik ini. [image error]

Berhasil di goda, sampai di bawa kekamar... *cough* [image error] , Maura merayu Alec habis2an..hingga Alec terbangun pagi hari nya telanjang , di ranjang dengan perempuan Irlandia yang bahkan dia tidak tahu namanya.... [image error]

Menuduh Alec sudah mencemari Maura, Murdoch memaksa mereka segera menikah untuk menyelamatkan "reputasi" Maura yang sudah tercoreng.
Walau merasa kesal dan merasa terjebak (serta tidak ingat apa2 mengenai malam dimana dia "menodai" Maura)...Alec secara gentleman menikahi maura terburu2 dan membawa Maura segera ke Scotland.

Tidak ingin menyukai Maura, begitupun Maura yg tidak ingin menyukai Alec, mereka berjuang keras melawan rasa tertarik yg sudah ada sejak awal bertemu...Alec cukup sabar untuk menikmati malam pengantinnnya. Dan maura cukup keras hati mempertahankan untuk tidak tidur dengan Alec.... [image error]

Hm, ternyata Maura masih Virgin..Alec baru mengetahui setelah beberapa lama, setelah pengakuan Maura mengenai niatannya mengambil kembali Circle of Light dari Scotlandia (yang di kuasai Alec)....
Pengakuan Maura ini, akan kah membuat Alec marah dan terhina? Akan kah perkawinan mereka bisa di pertahan kan?
Atau...benarkan sebelum nya memang ada pernikahan antara mereka di Irlandia? [image error]

Buku ke 3 dari Trilogi McBride yang asik di baca, penggambaran karakternya jelas, menarik, peristiwa dan tempat sangat mudah buat di bayangkan , mengingat pola penggambaran yang jelas dan Samantha james meramu nya dalam cerita yang ringan, namun cukup seksi buat di baca berulang2.....Recommended buat yang tidak terlalu suka cerita yang terlalu banyak konflik...

Sekali lagi, setelah Aidan, keluarga McBride membuktikan kesetiaan tanpa batas dan cinta tanpa syarat yang memukau. Love it ! [image error]

[Sandy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first thought just a chapter or so into this book was that it’s going way too slow, even for me. But I’m happy to say that it picked up with the appearance of the hero and I ended up really enjoying this story. It is a theme we’ve read a lot of over the years, hero is tricked into marriage, though usually it’s not the heroine. In this case it is and her reasons are different enough to keep things interesting. And I liked these two characters together, even when things weren’t going that well for them.

Maura makes a deathbed promise to her father to bring home the Circle of Light, an enchanted relic that held her family’s prosperity in its own mystical way. A man known as the Black Scotsman stole the Circle from the family generations before and their lives and property have never been the same, dwindling down to near nothing. There is a current Black Scotsman about and Maura puts her plan in motion to gain entry to the man’s home for her search for the Circle to make her family prosperous once again.

What she doesn’t expect is the unexplained and instant attraction she has to Alec McBride, Duke of Gleneden. Their banter and sensual teasing is exciting and leads her right where she needs to be to trap the man, making him think he’s bedded her and then conveniently having her pseudo-Uncle Murdoch discover them in a most compromising position, thus demanding Alec marry her. Things couldn’t have gone any better.

Alec is furious and confused at the sudden turn of events in his life. He can’t even remember what happened between himself and Maura and now he’s being forced into marriage to save her reputation, this from a man who prides himself on his restraint and level-headedness. But he does his duty and immediately takes his bride to Scotland, where he’s determined to exact his pound of flesh. Alec finds he can’t do what he plans, however, because he wants this woman as he’s wanted no other, no matter what she’s done. His revenge turns into seduction, but he could never have guessed the full extent of his bride’s deceit.

Even though this is the third book in a series, I felt I didn’t really miss anything by not having read the first two. This story is fully self-contained; if someone from a previous book shows up, it didn’t matter a bit. Though Maura takes her courage a bit far and goes full steam ahead with her plan, she isn’t without guilt when it comes to Alec and her feelings for him, and Alec pushes her to the limit when it comes to their attraction and finally their love for each other. I liked how the author continued to use their nicknames for one another, Scotsman and Irish, throughout the book even after their initial meeting when those names are decided on between them. They’re used in different ways to reflect particular moments and it’s done very well.

This is my first book by Ms. James and I look forward to more. In fact, I just came across my copy of The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell in the TBR pile and pulled it out. Simon is mentioned only once in Bride, but I’m curious now to read about him. I hope he’s just as engaging as Alec.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com

[Romance Novel TV · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Andrea Williamson for Romance Novel TV
Publisher: Avon
3.5 stars

Centuries ago, an ancient Celtic relic, The Circle of Light, resided within the church on McDonough land. As long as the people worshipped and protected it, the Circle brought fortune and good luck to everyone there. And then one night a greedy pirate, the Black Scotsman, stole the ethereal artifact for his own, placing a terrible curse upon both families…

Despite the degradation of Castle McDonough and its surrounding lands, Lady Maura O’Donnell, only child of the earl, loves her home nestled in the northernmost tip of Ireland. When her father suddenly becomes ill, he elicits a deathbed promise from her to do whatever it takes to retrieve the Circle of Light back from the Duke of Gleneden, Alec McBride, a descendant of the Black Scotsman. She manages to obtain an invitation, albeit dishonestly, to a nearby house party honoring the duke. She flirts outrageously and accompanies the duke to his room where she executes a plan to drug him and to be found in his bed the next morning, thus causing their nuptials and helping her to get closer to Gleneden Hall and her family’s precious artifact. But the longer it takes for Maura to find the Circle, the harder is it to keep the truth from Alec. And the harder it is for her to resist his wicked charms.

I’m a big fan of Samantha James’s books, and it pains me to admit that this one wasn’t one of my favorites. And Alec is the reason why. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him; I did. But when I read a romance, I like to fall in love with the hero. With Alec, I just didn’t feel like I knew him well enough to fall in love. He was more of an acquaintance than a friend, if that makes sense. Plus, he seemed different from the Alec we met in the previous two books in the series, The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell and The Seduction of an Unknown Lady. I don’t know why, but I simply didn’t feel a connection with him.

On the flip side, I really liked Maura. She was a strong, vibrant heroine that lit up every page she was in. I admired her dedication and determination to recover the Circle for the sake of her people. Their lands were dried up and famine was widespread and she was willing to do anything, even sacrifice herself, to get it back. That took courage and a lot of heart. I also liked the myth and legend surrounding the Circle of Light. It was a neat concept and made for an interesting plot.

Fans of Samantha James will relish this last entry in her McBride Family series, though you won’t see any of the previous characters. While Bride of a Wicked Scotsman may not be my favorite (The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell holds that honor), I did enjoy the story and this series and will certainly pick up Ms. James’s next book.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ohhhhh what happened!?

This is in the same series as The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell but it seems as if the books are from two entirely different worlds... and not in a good way.

I felt like the beginning was fabulous. It had a lot of potential... then things just puttered out. Maura's arrival and adjustment at Gleneden was dragged out. There should have been more focus on the curse or something other than ... "Oh! I can't fall in love with the bloody Black Scotsman!"

Speaking of the "Scotsman" .... I had such high hopes for Alec. I wanted to love him. I did. I felt like his personality wasn't developed that much. He fell flat. He also fell in love with Maura out of nowhere.

I just felt like this book was written in a rush and all of the things on the HEA checklist were fufilled. It just had an empty feel to it.

[Ann Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desperation drives Lady Maura O’Donnell into the arms of her greatest enemy in search of the Circle of Light. The treasured Celtic relic was her family’s talisman and the hope of the people, unfortunately lost long ago to the hands of a ruthless pirate. Maura will risk anything to get the Circle back - even wedding the duke himself!

It isn’t long before the Duke of Glenenden suspects he’s been tricked into a hasty marriage. Fortunately, his anger at being roped and shackled by Lady Maura is slowly supplanted by an even stronger emotion. Yet, his lady wife remains a puzzle to him. How can the seductress and the demure mistress be one and the same woman? What power is it that drives their destinies and will either of them find the strength to avoid a terrible tragedy?

[Jill Twigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The banter between "Irish" and "Scotsman" was fun to read. The passion Maura felt towards her goal of finding the "Circle of Light," to restore to her clan was admiring. Nothing was going to stop her. I wasn't sure if it was just going to be a myth or if she would actually find it. And heart stopping moment when you just knew Alec was going to figure her all out, was almost stressful, but exhilarating at the same time. I was laughing as he was figuring it out, because that's what I do when I'm nervous. I didn't realize this was the third in a series. And after reading someone else give their review saying it wasn't as good, I can't wait to read the others. However, there was a scene that was a bit much for me, but not enough to drop the rating.

[Songül · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historicalromance okuma duygusundan daha çok mistik , gizemli bir fantastik kitap gibi geldi bana , şöyle ki ; kadın kahramanımızın ailesine ait değerli mistik özelliği olan Işık Çemberi Kara İskoç tabiri ile anılan bir korsan Tarafından yağmalanıp çalınır ve nesiller geçtikçe çemberi bulma arayışları içerisinde çemberin laneti iki aileninde kaderini şekillendirir , zaten hikayede bundan sonra başlar . Aslında kurgu ve hikayeyi ben beğendim fakat yazardan mı çeviriden mi tam olarak bilmesemde bir zayıflık vardı. Ben aldığım ve okuduğum için pişman olmadım ama almış ve ümidinizi yükseklerde tuttuysanız bu kitap için bunu karşılayamayabilir diyeceğim :)

[Emanuellen Trizi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, all the magic! I was pretty skeptical, like Alec, throughout the book. Actually, I though that the Circle of light was the wedding ring that he gave to Maura, because he said it was in his family for over 200 years.
The final scene misted my eyes, so cute and full of love. The epilogue was superb, with a funny touch.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I loved the characters, the personalities, imagination and creativity, the emotions, ups and downs, and the definite HEA. A good read that keeps you on your toes, mentally, and reading for more. Enjoy!

[MasterSal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm I don't remember reading this and don't remember why I gave it 2 stars. Time for a re-read?

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มสาม หรือเล่มสุดท้ายในชุดไตรภาคเรื่องราวของสามพี่น้องตระกูลแม็คไบร์ด ที่เล่มนี้เล่าถึงเรื่องราวของอเล็ค แม็คไบร์ดพี่ชายคนโต และยังเป็นดยุคแห่งเกลนเดนอีกด้วย (สำหรับคนที่สนใจ แม็กซ์สับเละหนังสือสองเล่มแรกในชุดแล้วที่บลอกนี้ค่ะ)

เรื่องนี้ตั้งต้นดูน่าสนใจดีนะคะ เล่าถึงเลดี้มัวร่า โอดอนเนลผู้ที่บิดาได้สั่งเสียก่อนตายให้เธอออกตามหาสมบัติล้ำค่าของตระกูล ที่ถูกขโมยไปเมื่อสองร้อยกว่าปีก่��น เบาะแสเดียวที่เขาทิ้งไว้ให้ก็คือ การบอกว่าอเล็ค แม็คไบร์ดซึ่งเป็นดยุคชาวสก๊อตที่เดินทางมาเที่ยวไอร์แลนด์อันเป็นบ้านเกิด ของเธอมีส่วนรู้เห็น นั่นเพราะอเล็คเป็นลูกหลานของโจรสลัดที่ปล้นสมบัติชิ้นนี้ไป

สมบัติชิ้นนี้เป็นเครื่องลางนำโชคดีมาให้กับตระกูลโอดอนเนล ซึ่งเมื่อสูญเสียไปแล้ว ความเจริญรุ่งเรือง ความมั่งคั่งก็เดินจากไปจากตระกูล ทำให้มัวร่าที่แม้จะเป็นลูกสาวของเอิร์ล แต่ก็มีความเป็นอยู่ไม่ต่างไปจากสาวชาวบ้านทั่วไป แต่เมื่อให้คำมั่นกับบิดาที่จะตามหาสมบัติของตระกูลกลับมา เธอก็ยินดีที่จะแลกทุกอย่าง แม้กระทั่งการหลอกลวงดยุคหนุ่มให้แต่งงานกับเธอ

นั่นเพราะมัวร่ามองไม่เห็นทางอื่นที่จะให้อเล็คพาเธอกลับไปสก๊อตแลนด์บ้าน เกิดของเขาด้วย เธอแน่ใจว่าสมบัติประจำตระกูลจะต้องถูกซ่อนอยู่ที่บ้านของอเล็ค และการหลอกให้เขาเชื่อว่า เขาได้ล่วงเกินเธอ จนกระทั่งยอมแต่งงานกัน จึงเป็นทางเดียวที่เธอจะแทรกตัวเข้าไปในชีวิตของเขาได้

แต่การใช้ชีวิตร่วมกับอเล็คโดยไม่ตกหลุมรักเขาก็ไม่ใช่เรื่องง่าย เพราะอเล็คไม่มีอะไรเหมือนกับบรรพบุรุษผู้เป็นโจรสลัดของเขา อเล็คเป็นสุภาพบุรุษและหล่อเหลา แถมยังเอาใจใส่ต่อ "ภรรยา" คนนี้ของเขาเป็นอย่างดี แต่มัวร่าก็รู้ว่า การแต่งงานระหว่างทั้งคู่เป็นเพียงเรื่องจอมปลอม และเธอจะต้องกลับไปไอร์แลนด์ในที่สุด ดังนั้นเธอจึงไม่ยอมปล่อยใจให้รักเขา

แต่นี่คือหนังสือโรแมนซ์ ดังนั้นแม็กซ์จึงคิดว่า พวกเราน่าจะรู้ถึงจุดจบของเรื่องกันดีนะคะ

อย่างที่บอกไปแล้วนะคะ แม็กซ์ไม่ได้คาดหวังอะไรจากการอ่านเล่มนี้ ซึ่งเป็นข้อดีค่ะ เพราะถ้าคาดแม็กซ์คงต้องเขวี้ยงหนังสือทิ้งขยะไปแล้วล่ะ หลายจุดในเรื่องไร้เหตุผลอย่างรุนแรง เราเข้าใจนะคะว่า คนแต่งตั้งใจจะใช้แง่มุมของพารานอมอลหน่อย ๆ กับสมบัติประจำตระกูลของมัวร่า แต่ขอโทษนะ การให้นางเอกของเรื่องซึ่งความจะเป็นหญิงสาวที่ฉลาดและมีปัญญา ทำทุกอย่างด้วยความรู้สึก เธอแน่ใจว่า สมบัติของตระกูลจะต้องถูกซ่อนเอาไว้ที่บ้านของอเล็ค เพราะเธอสัมผัสบางอย่างได้จากอากาศ เธอมั่นใจว่า อเล็คเป็นลูกหลานของโจรสลัดที่ขโมยสมบัติประจำตระกูลไป เพราะเธออ่านชื่อของเขาจากหนังสือพิมพ์แล้วก็รู้สึกแน่ใจ มันดูทำให้สติปัญญาของนางเอกถดถอยลงไปน่ะค่ะ เพราะในแง่มุมอื่นของเรื่อง มัวร่าก็ไม่ได้มีสัมผัสพิเศษอะไรทั้งสิ้น

แล้วการออกตามหาสมบัติประจำตระกูลชนิดทุ่มสุดตัวนี่ีอีก แม้ว่าท้ายสุดมันเป็นการกระทำที่ถูกต้อง เมื่อสมบัติคืนมา ตระกูลโอดอนเนลก็เจริญรุ่งเรืองอีกครั้ง แต่ในยุคที่วางพล็อตเรื่องนี้ไว้ก็น่าจะราว ๆ ยุคปฏิวัติอุตสาหกรรม ยุคที่มนุษย์พัฒนาวิทยาศาสตร์จนเจริญสูงสุด การได้เห็นนางเอกงมงายจนไร้เหตุผล (แม้ว่ามันจะเป็นความเชื่อที่ถูกต้องก็ตาม) เราจึงรู้สึกเหยียด ๆ นางเอกคนนี้สักหน่อย เพราะตลอดทั้งเรื่องเราก็ไม่เห็นเหตุการณ์อะไรที่จะสนับสนุนความเป็นพารานอ มอลส่วนอื่นในเรื่องเลย

แม็กซืรู้สึกว่าตัวเองมีปัญหากับนางเอกของซาแมนธา เจมส์เกือบทุกเรื่องเลยนะคะ แต่สำหรับพระเอก เราค่อนข้างโอเคกับอเล็ค แต่นั่นก็ไม่อาจบอกอะไรได้มากหรอกนะคะ เพราะเราก็รู้สึกนิดหน่อยว่า ผู้ชายที่ฉลาดไม่น่ามาเอาผู้หญิงอย่างมัวร่า เขาน่าจะได้ใครที่ดีกว่านี้นะ

แต่อย่างที่บอกนะคะ เราหยิบมาโดยที่ไม่คาดหวัง ดังนั้นเมื่อเราไมไ่ด้อะไรจากการอ่านเล่มนี้เลย (แม้กระทั่งความสนุก) แม็กซ์ก็ไม่ได้รู้สึกหงุดหงิดอะไร แต่คงไม่ได้คาดหวังหรอกนะคะว่าแม็กซ์จะให้คะแนนสูง

ต้องขอโทษสำหรับแฟน ๆ ของซาแมนธา เจมส์ (ที่เรารู้ว่ามีเยอะเหมือนกันในเมืองไทย) แต่เราไม่ถูกทางกับงานของเธอจริง ๆ ค่ะ คะแนนที่ 43

[Nurhayat Turna · Rating 5 out of 5]

İşin içinde aşk varsa ben her kitabı ayıla bayıla okur severim diyordum. Ama anladım ki en esaslı aşk kurguları tarihi aşk romanlarında geçiyor. Tabi türe aşık biri olarak bunu rahatlıkla dile getirmemi o döneme olan sevgime de bağlayabiliriz, historical diyince bende biraz ipler kopuyor. 🤭🤭

Gizemli Gelin, McBride ailesi serisinin son kitabı. Bu sefer en büyük erkek kardeşi olan Alec hakkında daha fazla şeyi öğreniyoruz kitapta.

Gleneden Dükü Alec, bekar kızları olan annelerin gözde damat adaylarından biri. Çok yakışıklı olan kahramanımız hem İngiltere hem de İskoçya'da annelerin göz hapsinde, evlilik çağında olan olan leydilerin ise radarındadır. Ama Alec, onun için kurulan tuzaklardan kaçınacak kadar da akıllıdır... Yani, Maura'ya kadar diyelim biz buna. 🤭🤭

Eskiden, çok çok eskiden huzur içinde yaşarlarken değer verdikleri kıymetli kemerini bir korsan çalmış. Aileye bolluk getiren bu kemerin özelliği ise sihriymiş. Buna inanan kahramanımız Maura da ölüm döşeğindeki babasına bir söz veriyor. Ne pahasına olursa olsun o kemeri bulacak, İrlanda'ya getirip yerine koyacaktır. Korsan soyundan gelen kişinin kim olduğu hakkında fazla fikir yürütmeye gerek yok tabi, ipuçları onu Alec'e götürüyor. Sihir belki de kemerde değil aşık olacağı bu adamdadır, kim bilir. 😏

Aralarındaki çekim, öyle iyiydi ki okuduğum kitaplardan en zirveye oturan karakterlerdi diyebilirim. Alec'in siniri, evliliğe kandırılması içten içe öfkesi; Maura'yı tanıyana ve ona olan arzusunun şehvetten daha fazlası olduğunu keşfedene kadar olan kısıma ba-yıl-dım! Emin olun ki benim anlattığımdan kat kat iyiydi hikaye ve spoiler olmasın diye dilimi ısırıyor elimi tutuyorum yazmamak için.

Tarihi aşk romanlarında genelde kadın karakter ailesi ve aşkı ya da halkı ve aşkı arasında kalır; bu kitapta da Maura, halkıyla sevgisi arasında kalıyor, şaşmaz yani bu durum. Heyacan katılacak faktörü bu, işin raconu yani 🤭 Yine kadın karakter bir şeylerin farkına varıp gerçeklerin ötesine bakmayı öğrenmelidir. Birbirleri için haklı oldukları yanları ortaya çıkarmaları, birbirlerinin iyiliklerini düşünmeleri ve de birbirleri için fedakarlık yapmaları gerekir. Ve sonunda tabi ki aşk kazanır. Mutlu son! 😍

Alec ve Maura arasındaki duyusal çekim ilk andan itibaren harlanan duygulari gözlerim kalp şekilde takip ettim. Yaşanan aşk sahneleri için de *öhhöm* güzeldi. Her aşk romanında olağan şeylerdi ☺ Hikayeyi çok sevdim, birkaç gülme, pek çok iç çekme ve bir iki gergin an ile finale geldim. Samantha James'in kitaplarını okumak çok zevkli ve bir o kadar keyifli. Yayınevinin kapak konusundaki tercihini sevdiğimi söyleyebilirim. Zira orjinal kapak benim pek hoşuma gitmiyor, bizim kapak bence daha hoş duruyor.

Ben kitaba bayıldım, sizin de seveceğinizi düşünüyorum. En azından historical türü seviyorsanız yazarı mutlaka okumalısınız.
ŞİDDETLE ÖNERİMDİR.

[Fae · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this one!

there are books where there is deception without guiltiness which i dislike, and there are books where there is deception with guiltiness. i am glad Maura actually had the conscience to feel guilty after tricking Alec. that makes her a better heroine in my eyes. if she didn't felt guilty, i would have given this book a much lower rating.

i liked the chemistry between Maura and Alec and the cute times where they just banter and tease one another. they were very interesting people and i liked reading their conversations as it's just so heartwarming and cute.

Samantha James' books are usually a huge hit with me because i like her short and sweet writing style without much complications in plot or characters. the mystery in this book did not take up the majority of the writing but only in the last 3 chapters or so which i am glad for as it allowed for them to bond and have sexy times (which was hot).

there were humor and slight angst in this which I liked.

As much as i enjoyed this book, i felt the author could have allowed the characters to have more in-depth into their characters in terms of any possible trauma or tragedy which could allow them to have deeper bonding.

[♡PıNaR DeğiRmeNci ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samantha james
Gizemli gelin
Alec sandığım kadar varmış
Ama çok çok aşk his ve böyle insanı etkileyecek sayfalar yoktu bana kalırsa
Güzeldi ama ben hala ilk kitabın daha iyi olduğunu düşünüyorum nedendir bilinmez duyguların daha iyi işlendiği kitap o olmuş seride
Bu kitapta kara İskoç lakabı ile Alec İrlandalı
İkisinin bir oyunla evlenmesi ve kızımızin bir laneti sona erdirme düşüncesi
Ki kitabı okudukça hem kızıyor hem sevmiyorsunuz Lordu okumak daha keyifliydi ama kızın düşüncelerinde yazılmış kitap
Velhasıl😁😁 oyun kızımızın tam isteği gibi devam ediyor fakat oğlumuzun yakışıklı olmasını etkileyici olmasını hesaba katmadığı için birazcık değişime uğruyor tabi
En şaşırdığım olay ise neyse okuyun öyle basit şey gelecek ki eh bu muydu diyeceksiniz😈

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maura is charged with retrieving a relic stolen by a Scottish pirate from her family 200 years ago by her father on his deathbed. Now she needs to trick Alec the Duke of Gleneden into allowing her to search his property and she thinks the easiest way to do this is by marrying him(sort of) so she drugs him and forces him into a marriage, then spends all her time fending him off rather than searching for the Circle of Light.
While usually an entire relationship based on a lie wouldn't work for me somehow this one I just couldn't put down. Maura is witty and clever, Alec is angry but mostly at himself and he does his best not to take it out on Maura even though he's not certain she's really an innocent victim in this whole charade.
This was a really fun easy read and now I must hunt down more of this author's backlist.

[S Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
I know many people will enjoy this book. I have read several Samantha James HRs recently. She is new to me, and so far I have been thoroughly entertained by all her books.
However, this particular story was not for me. I found it difficult to suspend belief and be enthralled by the story. In the beginning the FMC, although she was acting, still did not blend with who she really was. I wasn’t convinced her true self could have carried out the deception at the house party. Their reactions and the treatment of the marriage also did not make sense and her expectations made even less sense. Maybe if the beginning were reworked, this would have been a four star, because the latter half of the story was more in keeping with the HR’s I prefer.

[Joycee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow...it certainly took me long enough. In fits and spurts.

At any rate, the Circle of Light lent the tale a Nora-Roberts-esque feel ... but the evolution of the relationship nevertheless was enjoyable to follow. I’m glad there was no villain ... well, except maybe the ancestral Black Scotsman who’d stolen the Circle from the Irish way back when.

Alec was headstrong and dominant, but not overbearing or arrogant. Maura was likewise headstrong but not shrewish.

Perhaps I ought read the rest of the series. If I can find it...

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished the series with the story of Alec the Duke, and Maura, an Irish daughter of an Earl. Maura believes her family is cursed, The Circle Of light that her family pledged to protect was stolen 200 years before by a pirate, The black Scotsman, and her lands had been cursed ever since. When she hears Alec, known as The Black Scotsman, she sets out to trap him. The story unfolds slowly, as she of course does not tell him the truth. There is eventually a happy ending. Unfortunately we don't see the other family members so this could be read as a stand alone.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book got pushed to the back of the shelf and I forgot I was reading it. Finished it.

[Monique Takens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Alles voor een ring - Candlelight Historische roman 926 .
Bedrog , leugens en een verhaal wat daar tot bijna tot het eind aan toe om draait .. gatsie .

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Marika · Rating 1 out of 5]

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[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters plot and sex scenes.