To Cage a Whirlwind

by Jane Donnelly

Morag was a sort of hostage, buying time for her brother to pay back swindled money. But Morag truly remained for the undeniably attractive laird himself. But trying to make him love her would be impossible...and what point was there in trying when there was Rosalie?

Genres: Harlequin Romance

255 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Jane Donnelly began earning her living as a writer as a teenage reporter. When she married the editor of the newspaper she freelanced for women's mags for a while. After she was widowed she and her 5 year old daughter moved to Lancashire. She turned to writing fiction to make a living while still caring for her daughter, she sold her first Mills & Boon romance novel as a hard-up singleparent in 1965. She wrote over 60 romance novels for Mills & Boon until 2000. Now she lives in a roses-round-the door cottage near Stratford-upon-Avon, with four dogs and assorted rescued animals. Besides writing she enjoys travelling, swimming, walking and the company of friends.

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading Jane Donnelly can be quite exhausting for me, particularly her neurotic heroines obsessed with the cruel, aloof hero and all the torturous OW action. I know she loves her twist endings where she asks the reader to buy her b.s. that all the cruelties and OW dangling by the hero were proof of his undying, devoted love, but I just wasn't buying it. I like JD and have enjoyed many of her novels but this one just wasn't my cuppa.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman ends up working off the debts of her brother by acting as companion to two elderly women. Her brother was embezzling from the hero. Hero offers to keep her brother out of jail as long as 1) brother works off the debt, 2) she comes to his Scottish keep and helps take care of his aging grandmother and aunt.

I loved the history of the island, and the descriptions of the Scottish countryside. I liked that the author wrote a heroine that wasn't TSTL and that this really was a business arrangement. The sparks between H/h were pretty intense and there was the "big misunderstanding" that added spice to the story. The heroine had some unrealistic expectations, but since they were mostly kept in her head, it worked for me. After all, when you love someone you can't hope that things will get better. There was a delicious OW and even an OM that added even more fun.

I enjoy this author's work. I get romance, strong alpha males, heroines that make the right choices (or at least balanced ones) and a few hours of fun.

[Iris]

I'm about to start a re-read. But these Frank Kalan covers where the couples are in the midst of an all-caps NATURE are so beautiful.

[Megzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morag left London after loosing her job and finding her artist boyfriend in bed with another woman. She agreed to become the companion to Callum's grand mother and her twin sister for the winter months to keep her brother from going to jail, as he worked to pay off the sum of money he embezzled. That required going back to where she was born, the Scottish island and the place she lost her dad to the sea.

The book has all the right elements, intriguing plot, engaging banter, likable primary and interesting secondary characters, arresting Scottish setting, and some misunderstandings on both parts. I enjoyed reading a story with a strong female character who had some previous sexual experience, and two old ladies who lived through 60 years of semi scandalous lifestyle.

[DamsonDreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong female character in Morag, who was really put through the angst and jealousy mill by Callum. Honestly there were some very relatable dagger to the heart moments in this. I love the way JD sort of subverts the fairytale and puts in a little grit. They sleep together halfway through (I admire her sexually active h's and lack of virginity bs - don't get me wrong, I do like a virginal awakening but it's so refreshing when there's no nonsense just get on with it sex in an older HP as well). Her jealousy of the OW Rosalie, who is not the sweet innocent angel everyone thinks, was also relatable. I could have cried for her at the New Year's Ball. I think we've all had nights like that. Loved the huge great danes Jekyll and Hyde and the daft racy twin grandmas. Morag's ex, Kevin the faithless painter, also put in an appearance on the Scottish isle. There wasn't quite enough H/h time so it really felt like getting glimpses only. Quite suspenseful, quite drawn out, crammed with extra characters, well written overall.

[Prac Agrl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely disliked the heroine. I couldn’t find a single redeeming quality in her. Both she and her brother were careless about the fact that her brother was freeloading off the hero. She had no clarity about her life, career, or even her romantic choices—it felt like she just wanted to keep her options open.
Instead of being honest about her ex-boyfriend with the hero’s family, she chose to keep the ex hanging around—because what if the hero didn’t fall for her, right? Meanwhile, she’s kissing and cuddling with the ex, only to sulk when the hero doesn’t respond to her. Completely ridiculous.
The hero wasn’t much better either. I never really saw genuine love from him, though at least he was still a step up compared to the heroine.

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the story takes place in a castle on a remote Scotish Island. Hero is the owner. Heroine is a free-spirit who grew up on the island, but has worked all kinds of jobs in England for her keep. When her brother is caught swindling the hero, she agrees to be a companion to his grandmother and aunt as part of her brother's penance.

The story was galloping along until the H/h have sex in an empty tower and then have a big misunderstanding the next day. Christmas and New Year's guests arrive including the heroine's ex (a portrait painter) and the hero's intended bride.

From there the story got tedious as the heroine ate her heart out and we are treated to scene after scene with the OW and OM.

I had to skim to finish it.

[RomLibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Morag was a sort of hostage, buying time for her brother to pay back swindled money. But Morag truly remained for the undeniably attractive laird himself. But trying to make him love her would be impossible...and what point was there in trying when there was Rosalie?