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The Seers of Grampian #1
The Runaway McBride
James Burnett is a widower who's given up hope of finding someone to share his life with. He did, however, once have a lover he later dubbed Faithless McBride. For eight years, he'd suppressed thoughts of Faith McBride's abandonment with whiskey and women. That is, until visions of her imminent death started to haunt him. Only James can save her from a killer; but can Faith trust the one man who destroyed her faith in love?
310 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 3, 2009
7 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Thornton
61 books155 followersMary Forrest George, née Baxter was born and educated in Aberdeen, Scotland, where she taught school for a number of years before establishing her own nursery school, St. Swithin Street Nursery School, an institution that is still going strong today.
She and her husband then emigrated to Canada with their three young sons. She taught kindergarten and Grade One for a number of years in Winnipeg, Manitoba, before becoming lay minister at a Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg.
As part of her continuing education, she enrolled in evening classes at the University of Winnipeg to study Classical Greek. Five years later, having completed an Honor's thesis on Women in Euripides, she received her B.A. (Classics Gold Medalist).
After reading her first romance, a Regency by Georgette Heyer, she was captivated by the genre. Hereafter, writing became her hobby. In 1987, her first book, a small Regency entitled, Bluestocking Bride, was published by Zebra books.
She is the author of twenty-four historical romances, and two novellas. She has been nominated for and received many awards including the Romantic Times Trophy Award for the best New Historical Regency Author and Best Historical Regency. Seven of her novels have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America Rita awards, Scarlet Angel, Strangers at Dawn, Princess Charming and The Perfect Princess, Shady Lady, The Marriage Trap, and The Bachelor Trap. Her books appear regularly on national best-selling lists and have been translated into many languages.
Elizabeth's hobbies include reading (particularly mystery and suspense novels, biography, and history), and traveling to do research for her novels. She is also an avid Harry Potter enthusiast.
She and her husband then emigrated to Canada with their three young sons. She taught kindergarten and Grade One for a number of years in Winnipeg, Manitoba, before becoming lay minister at a Presbyterian Church in Winnipeg.
As part of her continuing education, she enrolled in evening classes at the University of Winnipeg to study Classical Greek. Five years later, having completed an Honor's thesis on Women in Euripides, she received her B.A. (Classics Gold Medalist).
After reading her first romance, a Regency by Georgette Heyer, she was captivated by the genre. Hereafter, writing became her hobby. In 1987, her first book, a small Regency entitled, Bluestocking Bride, was published by Zebra books.
She is the author of twenty-four historical romances, and two novellas. She has been nominated for and received many awards including the Romantic Times Trophy Award for the best New Historical Regency Author and Best Historical Regency. Seven of her novels have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America Rita awards, Scarlet Angel, Strangers at Dawn, Princess Charming and The Perfect Princess, Shady Lady, The Marriage Trap, and The Bachelor Trap. Her books appear regularly on national best-selling lists and have been translated into many languages.
Elizabeth's hobbies include reading (particularly mystery and suspense novels, biography, and history), and traveling to do research for her novels. She is also an avid Harry Potter enthusiast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Want to read
December 27, 2012I am unable to rate this book because I have tried several times to read it and can't get into it. I don't know why, as I have read several by this author and really like her.
February 15, 2016
suka, ide ceritanya tidak umum, paling tidak sejauh buku-buku HR yang saya baca (ah tapi mungkin ada miripnya Amanda Quick).
apakah ini buku karangan terakhir penulisnya sebelum meninggal? berarti gak bakalan Ada buku keduanya ya? Cari-cari di Goodreads tidak ketemu
apakah ini buku karangan terakhir penulisnya sebelum meninggal? berarti gak bakalan Ada buku keduanya ya? Cari-cari di Goodreads tidak ketemu
July 29, 2025
When the heroine left him for another man, the hero turned to marriage for money and drink. Now, with his bitch of a wife dead and lost in the liquor, the hero is bombarded with visions of danger. He sees the threat the heroine is unaware of and despite the pain and bitterness over how they parted, he is determined to protect her. Showing up at the school where she teaches, he knows their reunion is bound to be tense and unwelcome but he refuses to turn away to leave her to her fate.
The heroine doesn't understand why he left her for another woman, the only reason could be for the money, but she imagined this big and strong man to have more integrity than that. Sure the heroine is not wealthy, when they met she was a paid companion, but she thought he loved her.....she turned out to be wrong. 3 months after returning to Scotland to handle business, she received word of his marriage. Never mind. She's determined to live her life and now that she's on the trail of finding more about her mother, she's hell bent on changing herself into a worldly creature. Always the reserved and quiet type, she wants to be more like the woman her mother was- adventurous and desired. When the man she loved and lost returns to her like rising from the dead, she is torn between the feelings she never got over and the fear that he'll hurt her again. She wants him to just go away but when she is attacked and very nearly killed for her Mother journal, she's intelligent enough to realize that she needs him. While she works on de-coding the journal, the heroine battles the unresolved love she has for the hero, he the same. Old miscommunications and misunderstandings torn them apart 8 years ago and now, they have a chance to start over again.
Their adventure into the world of villains willing to kill to keep their secrets secret is forcing the hero and heroine to rely upon each other and in the process of rediscovering their love, realize that the love never really left.
I'd give characterization a 4 star but the storyline was a definite 2. I was little to no way interested in the overall plotline of murder and secrets. Who did it sort of books are not my scene and I thought this mystery wasn't all that inventive or compelling. However, I did rather enjoy the characters as they developed and as they interacted with each other. We'll start with the hero. Scottish, rich and willing to protect a woman who broke his heart all those years ago, he was a alpha male with caveman tendencies matched well with his soft heart. He could be demanding and arrogant but he was also extremely in love with the heroine despite their past. His psychic gift was enhanced when it came to her and it allowed him a very strong bond to the woman. He was also able to, over the course of the novel, grow as a man. He saw the error of his ways in presuming to know the heroine and he was also able to repair the damage done to his relationship with his step brother. I liked the hero as a man. The heroine was a nice balance of independent and smart. She could determine when she could take care of the situation herself and when she needed the hero to help her. I liked her vulnerability and the fact that she too could see the error of her ways and strive to change them. Together they made a nice pairing and it's a shame their adventure wasn't more compelling. Regardless, 3 stars seems fair.
The heroine doesn't understand why he left her for another woman, the only reason could be for the money, but she imagined this big and strong man to have more integrity than that. Sure the heroine is not wealthy, when they met she was a paid companion, but she thought he loved her.....she turned out to be wrong. 3 months after returning to Scotland to handle business, she received word of his marriage. Never mind. She's determined to live her life and now that she's on the trail of finding more about her mother, she's hell bent on changing herself into a worldly creature. Always the reserved and quiet type, she wants to be more like the woman her mother was- adventurous and desired. When the man she loved and lost returns to her like rising from the dead, she is torn between the feelings she never got over and the fear that he'll hurt her again. She wants him to just go away but when she is attacked and very nearly killed for her Mother journal, she's intelligent enough to realize that she needs him. While she works on de-coding the journal, the heroine battles the unresolved love she has for the hero, he the same. Old miscommunications and misunderstandings torn them apart 8 years ago and now, they have a chance to start over again.
Their adventure into the world of villains willing to kill to keep their secrets secret is forcing the hero and heroine to rely upon each other and in the process of rediscovering their love, realize that the love never really left.
I'd give characterization a 4 star but the storyline was a definite 2. I was little to no way interested in the overall plotline of murder and secrets. Who did it sort of books are not my scene and I thought this mystery wasn't all that inventive or compelling. However, I did rather enjoy the characters as they developed and as they interacted with each other. We'll start with the hero. Scottish, rich and willing to protect a woman who broke his heart all those years ago, he was a alpha male with caveman tendencies matched well with his soft heart. He could be demanding and arrogant but he was also extremely in love with the heroine despite their past. His psychic gift was enhanced when it came to her and it allowed him a very strong bond to the woman. He was also able to, over the course of the novel, grow as a man. He saw the error of his ways in presuming to know the heroine and he was also able to repair the damage done to his relationship with his step brother. I liked the hero as a man. The heroine was a nice balance of independent and smart. She could determine when she could take care of the situation herself and when she needed the hero to help her. I liked her vulnerability and the fact that she too could see the error of her ways and strive to change them. Together they made a nice pairing and it's a shame their adventure wasn't more compelling. Regardless, 3 stars seems fair.
September 9, 2009
James Burnett has psychic powers, and decides he'd better start using them to 'save his bride', who just happens to be the same woman who disappeared from his life without a word 8 years ago. Faith sees it differently - he was courting another while he was engaged to her. But then Faith discovers a photograph of her mother and wants to learn more about the mother she never knew - now she's being stalked, her room is searched, and an attempt is made on her life. Now she needs James, and they both have a chance to find out what happened all those years ago.
I've been a fan of E. Thornton's romantic-suspense historicals for years. This was not on a par with her earlier works, IMO, but the mystery is well-told; every time I thought I had it figured out, I discovered that I was on the right track, but had no idea where the road led.
I've been a fan of E. Thornton's romantic-suspense historicals for years. This was not on a par with her earlier works, IMO, but the mystery is well-told; every time I thought I had it figured out, I discovered that I was on the right track, but had no idea where the road led.
February 19, 2017
I'm officially adding this one to the DNF shelf. I just couldn't get through it. The pacing was slow, and the plot line boring. For a book that begins with an element of the supernatural, it certainly doesn't maintain that element. The characters were both insufferable, with James being frustratingly cold and Faith being cringingly naive. He needs to get over himself and his sexist views, and she needs to grow a bit of a spine. I couldn't suffer through more of their self-loathing/fawning.
Do not recommend.
Will not continue the series.
Do not recommend.
Will not continue the series.
April 21, 2023
O carte cu o copertă fermecătoare desigur că.Dar cu o poveste aș spune eu dezastruoasă.Care mie personal nu mi-a placut. A fost și prea lungită.
Nu am rezonat deloc cu personajul feminin(Faith) care a făcut niște alegeri și acțiuni care nu și-au găsit rostul acolo. Personajul masculin(James Burnett) foarte profitor și un crai desăvârșit,nu s-a comportat ca un bărbat adevărat,după părerea mea.
Însuși ideea cărții a fost bună doar că nu este dezvoltată cum ar trebui.
Nu am rezonat deloc cu personajul feminin(Faith) care a făcut niște alegeri și acțiuni care nu și-au găsit rostul acolo. Personajul masculin(James Burnett) foarte profitor și un crai desăvârșit,nu s-a comportat ca un bărbat adevărat,după părerea mea.
Însuși ideea cărții a fost bună doar că nu este dezvoltată cum ar trebui.
October 20, 2024
Good story, but a lot to comprehend at the beginning. Also felt that a time or two a character suddenly believed differently, then suddenly changed back like it never happened. It was odd, and not whole fully realistic, which broke my immersion of the book.
September 1, 2018
Good mystery. The romance never really materialized. Their first time was a wham, bam, sorry mam. I'd like to read the next in the series, though.
July 19, 2019
Karakter James di buku ini benar-benar menggemaskan. Bukan jenis menggemaskan yang minta dicium atau dipeluk, tapi minta dijitak. Sebagai seorang pengusaha James memang sangat handal, tapi dalam menghadapi seorang wanita, beuh dia sangat bodoh sehingga membuat aku kesal 😪
James yang memiliki kekuatan supranatural, tentu saja menjadi nilai plus tersendiri bagiku. Aku selalu merasa sebuah buku akan lebih menarik apabila tokoh utamanya memiliki kemampuan khusus. Jadi, buku ini tidak hanya menawarkan romansa saja, tapi juga fantasy.
Konflik yang terjadi antara James dan Faith benar-benar membuat penasaran. Soalnya mereka berdua merasa sama-sama dikhianati. Nah, lho ada apa ini sebenarnya?
Lalu aku juga dibuat penasaran dengan orang yang ingin mencelakakan Faith. Siapa dan apa alasannya? Jadi, sebelum semua rasa penasaranku terbayarkan, aku tidak bisa berhenti membaca buku ini.
RATING: 3.2 🌟
James yang memiliki kekuatan supranatural, tentu saja menjadi nilai plus tersendiri bagiku. Aku selalu merasa sebuah buku akan lebih menarik apabila tokoh utamanya memiliki kemampuan khusus. Jadi, buku ini tidak hanya menawarkan romansa saja, tapi juga fantasy.
Konflik yang terjadi antara James dan Faith benar-benar membuat penasaran. Soalnya mereka berdua merasa sama-sama dikhianati. Nah, lho ada apa ini sebenarnya?
Lalu aku juga dibuat penasaran dengan orang yang ingin mencelakakan Faith. Siapa dan apa alasannya? Jadi, sebelum semua rasa penasaranku terbayarkan, aku tidak bisa berhenti membaca buku ini.
RATING: 3.2 🌟
March 7, 2009
Angi of Night Owl Romance
4.25 / 5 Hearts
© Night Owl Romance 2007-2009
Online at: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nighto...
Faith McBride is a teacher at a progressive all girls school. It’s progressive because it prepares girls in 1885 England to go on to University and then onto careers. James Burnett is the heir to Drumore Castle in Scotland. Faith and James had been engaged 8 years prior but due to the machinations of another and a lack of communication Faith thought she was being used and lied to, so simply disappeared from James’ life. She disappeared and became a teacher.
Trouble starts when James’ grandmother passes away and passes on a special gift, the gift of second sight. When James starts having dreams of Faith in mortal danger he knows he must find her. He eventually tracks her down and the adventure begins. Faith is on a quest to find out what really happened to her mother, who supposedly passed away when Faith was very young, but evidence arises indicating that may not be the case. And a mystery surrounds her mother’s actual death and her mother’s diary.
I thoroughly enjoyed this work by Ms. Thornton. The characters are faced with the challenges so many face when we don’t get all the facts from the correct parties. The plot moves well and keeps you guessing to the very end just what the mystery is all about. And who would resort to murder and why. The subjects of love and obsession and the differences between them are a very fine line. Ms Thornton also puts forth the question of just what IS a parents role in life? Should they be expected to give up everything for their children or can they still have their own dreams and can there be a balance between the two? These are questions that were just starting to be asked in 1885 and are still being asked to this day.
I highly recommend this work and can promise you’ll be intrigued from first page to last.
4.25 / 5 Hearts
© Night Owl Romance 2007-2009
Online at: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nighto...
Faith McBride is a teacher at a progressive all girls school. It’s progressive because it prepares girls in 1885 England to go on to University and then onto careers. James Burnett is the heir to Drumore Castle in Scotland. Faith and James had been engaged 8 years prior but due to the machinations of another and a lack of communication Faith thought she was being used and lied to, so simply disappeared from James’ life. She disappeared and became a teacher.
Trouble starts when James’ grandmother passes away and passes on a special gift, the gift of second sight. When James starts having dreams of Faith in mortal danger he knows he must find her. He eventually tracks her down and the adventure begins. Faith is on a quest to find out what really happened to her mother, who supposedly passed away when Faith was very young, but evidence arises indicating that may not be the case. And a mystery surrounds her mother’s actual death and her mother’s diary.
I thoroughly enjoyed this work by Ms. Thornton. The characters are faced with the challenges so many face when we don’t get all the facts from the correct parties. The plot moves well and keeps you guessing to the very end just what the mystery is all about. And who would resort to murder and why. The subjects of love and obsession and the differences between them are a very fine line. Ms Thornton also puts forth the question of just what IS a parents role in life? Should they be expected to give up everything for their children or can they still have their own dreams and can there be a balance between the two? These are questions that were just starting to be asked in 1885 and are still being asked to this day.
I highly recommend this work and can promise you’ll be intrigued from first page to last.
June 8, 2012
This was a story about two people who fell in love and through circumstances, lies and misunderstandings they were separated. Both thought the other had left them, so both were bitter, angry and hurt for 8 years. They were reunited when the hero, James, has a premonition about the heroine, Faith. Her life is in danger and it is up to him to save her.
I was really intrigued by this story because I like the love stories where there are misunderstandings and the two characters are torn apart only to be reunited later. The part that I look forward to the most in these kinds of stories is obviously when everything is revealed and they both realize that time was wasted because one or both characters was under the wrong impression. But I was kind of disappointed with this one. It wasn't as monumental as I was hoping for. In fact it didn't really change much. They were both still angry and hurt by the past and when everything finally came to light, it didn't really change much.
The love story in this book seemed to take a back seat to the mystery. Which was fine, it was a good book. I really enjoyed the mystery to it, I personally like the romance part of books the most though. I did like the bit of paranormal aspect that was added to this story though. I loved that James could reach out to Faith through their thoughts and talk to her. That was cool.
I am interested to read the rest of the series. I just wish that James' brother Roderick had his own book. I loved the mischievous side of his personality. But after a little research I found out this was Elizabeth Thornton's last series, she passed away in 2010. :( The series is about James and his cousin's getting the seer gift after their grandmother died and Roderick was only a half brother and didn't have the genes since they came from James maternal grandmother, so he wouldn't get his own book, but I still wished he did.
I was really intrigued by this story because I like the love stories where there are misunderstandings and the two characters are torn apart only to be reunited later. The part that I look forward to the most in these kinds of stories is obviously when everything is revealed and they both realize that time was wasted because one or both characters was under the wrong impression. But I was kind of disappointed with this one. It wasn't as monumental as I was hoping for. In fact it didn't really change much. They were both still angry and hurt by the past and when everything finally came to light, it didn't really change much.
The love story in this book seemed to take a back seat to the mystery. Which was fine, it was a good book. I really enjoyed the mystery to it, I personally like the romance part of books the most though. I did like the bit of paranormal aspect that was added to this story though. I loved that James could reach out to Faith through their thoughts and talk to her. That was cool.
I am interested to read the rest of the series. I just wish that James' brother Roderick had his own book. I loved the mischievous side of his personality. But after a little research I found out this was Elizabeth Thornton's last series, she passed away in 2010. :( The series is about James and his cousin's getting the seer gift after their grandmother died and Roderick was only a half brother and didn't have the genes since they came from James maternal grandmother, so he wouldn't get his own book, but I still wished he did.
May 6, 2018
This makes me wish that I knew more (any) Gaelic and Scottish/Irish culture.
The supernatural of the seeing was well developed and not over-the-top. It didn't solve problems by itself which I liked, but it did add to the story.
The main characters were well developed. The bouncing emotions within the characters helped draw the reader in emotionally.
There was enough falsities and just enough information mixed with the tension being drawn out so that you were drawn into the drama despite knowing one of the people involved. You wanted to see the happy conclusion.
The family of Burnett's was a nice collection of characters and interesting to see the family dynamics of step- and half-relations that are common today in a time when it wasn't as openly discussed that way.
I wasn't blown away but it was a decent read. The opening wasn't that enthralling but it gave an interesting way of introducing the hero with the heroine introduced only in passing, rather than as an actual character until the following chapter.
The supernatural of the seeing was well developed and not over-the-top. It didn't solve problems by itself which I liked, but it did add to the story.
The main characters were well developed. The bouncing emotions within the characters helped draw the reader in emotionally.
There was enough falsities and just enough information mixed with the tension being drawn out so that you were drawn into the drama despite knowing one of the people involved. You wanted to see the happy conclusion.
The family of Burnett's was a nice collection of characters and interesting to see the family dynamics of step- and half-relations that are common today in a time when it wasn't as openly discussed that way.
I wasn't blown away but it was a decent read. The opening wasn't that enthralling but it gave an interesting way of introducing the hero with the heroine introduced only in passing, rather than as an actual character until the following chapter.
January 9, 2014
I only read this for professional purposes (a friend is translating it and I'm helping her, also being a professional translator). It's a predictable piece of romance, with a not-too-bad plot with a perfectly bad ending (I mean, really, much ado about nothing). The sex scenes are really boring, I would have tried to enjoy the book if it weren't for them. I pity my friend who's translating it because she needs to dissect all aspects of it. Predictable heroine who swoons over every look from her beau and a rather weird male lead with supernatural powers. Twilight fans would love it, I guess, because the hero can get into people's heads and make them do whatever he wants. And they only need to wait a hundred pages for sex, not three and a half volumes.
March 16, 2009
I have been distracted from reading lately and it has taken me a long time to get through books when normally I finish them in a day or so. This book, however, I read in less than a day. It was interesting and different. The plot held my attention and really had a great mystery going throughout it. I am lucky to have found this book as it is the first in a series that Elizabeth Thornton is beginning. A lot of the time, I pick up a book that is in the middle of a series. (I wish more books were labeled as part of a series). I enjoyed the paranormal elements in the book and felt that this book was similar in vein to Amanda Quick book's. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
June 5, 2012
Un pò deludente...forse è stato un pò noioso il modo in cui è stato trattato il rapporto tra i due.
Nonostante siano due personaggi che sembravano promettere bene, la loro storia (per me) non è stata sviluppata come si doveva.
I problemi iniziali non sono stati risolti, ma solo accantonati...e in tutto il libro questa cosa mi ha disturbato. Continuavo ad aspettarmi che si chiarissero, invece dopo un paio di litigate le cose continuavano a rimanere le stesse.
Bella la parte del diario da decodificare e del particolare collegmento tra i due...
Spero in qualcosa di meglio quando tratterà la storia di Alex.
Nonostante siano due personaggi che sembravano promettere bene, la loro storia (per me) non è stata sviluppata come si doveva.
I problemi iniziali non sono stati risolti, ma solo accantonati...e in tutto il libro questa cosa mi ha disturbato. Continuavo ad aspettarmi che si chiarissero, invece dopo un paio di litigate le cose continuavano a rimanere le stesse.
Bella la parte del diario da decodificare e del particolare collegmento tra i due...
Spero in qualcosa di meglio quando tratterà la storia di Alex.
March 30, 2020
Review posted also on Crazy Beautiful
I really liked this book. I was ecpecting the typical historical romance, but was treated to a few surprises. There is a very decent mystery, that kept me on my toes throughout the tale and then there is a small paranormal aspect involved with the tale.
I literally flew through te book in 2 days tops and enjoyed every page of it.
I really liked this book. I was ecpecting the typical historical romance, but was treated to a few surprises. There is a very decent mystery, that kept me on my toes throughout the tale and then there is a small paranormal aspect involved with the tale.
I literally flew through te book in 2 days tops and enjoyed every page of it.
February 8, 2009
I really liked this book. I was ecpecting the typical historical romance, but was treated to a few surprises. First of all there is a very decent mystery, that kept me on my toes throughout the tale. Then there is a small paranormal aspect involved with the tale. I am hoping this is the beginning of a series, I would love to read more about the characters that were featured in this tale.
I flew through it in one night and really enjoyed every page!
I flew through it in one night and really enjoyed every page!
October 21, 2010
The first in a trilogy that, sadly, was Elizabeth Thornton's last. She passed away in July of 2010 and will be sorely missed by fans of historical romance.
This was a pleasant read but nothing out of the ordinary for Ms. Thornton. Still, it helped while away time spent suffering with a bad cold.
This was a pleasant read but nothing out of the ordinary for Ms. Thornton. Still, it helped while away time spent suffering with a bad cold.
March 28, 2011
This is my first book by this author.Had just the right amount of romance,loved the story line.This is a mystery novel as well as a romance.The hero and heroine are both strong and complex characters.I will be reading more by this author.
October 11, 2011
Resolution of their issue from 8 years ago dragged on so long that I never really engaged in the story and eventually skimmed just to finish so my rating is 2.5* James has premonition that his once spurned love Faith is in danger.
May 8, 2009
Sam picked out 2 romance novels for me for my bday, and this was one of them. :)
April 11, 2009
This book had a good story line....enjoyed the mystery.
July 18, 2010
Neither the hero nor the heroine is without faults, which they must mend or overlook in order to achieve their HEA. I enjoyed the mystery/suspense/paranormal elements.
June 19, 2011
First book I have read by Elizabeth Thornton. Will be finding more books of her's next trip to the library.
December 16, 2012
Always a solid writer.
May 30, 2014
It was ok. I didn't get much how the random fights they make with each other makes sense.
December 19, 2014
A solid 3. Too much mumbo jumbo for me to give it a 4.
January 22, 2016
I just couldn't finish this book. Nothing caught me to keep me going.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews