The Black Knave

Scottish Trilogy #1

by Patricia Potter

After the massacre at Culloden, the new marquis of Braemoor, Rory Forbes, takes a Jacobite bride in a marriage of convenience. And though Rory relishes neither the role of lord nor spouse, he uses both to conceal a dangerous game that no one -- especially his infuriating, fascinating new wife -- can know about... — Highland lass Bethia MacDonell initially despises her dissolute "husband," Rory. A political pawn, she plays at marriage while plotting to escape Braemoor and free her imprisoned brother. Only one person can help her...

Named for the playing card he leaves behind, the Black Knave smuggles Jacobites out of Scotland, eluding the English at every turn. But Bethia is determined to find him. Even as she grows closer to the enigmatic Rory, Bethia keeps her plans secret, never suspecting that her hero is nearer than she thinks...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Scotland, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience

412 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5. No doubt about it, Patricia Potter knows how to spin a complex and entertaining tale weaving historical details with wonderful fictional characters. The hero is a foppish, dandified Scottish marquis whose hedonistic front masks his secret identity as the Scottish highlander folk-hero, the Black Knave, who (with a little help from his friends) thwarts the efforts of the English king and his ruthless brother to exterminate all Jacobite rebels. To maintain cover, he is forced to follow the king's order to marry the spirited Bethia, who remains unashamedly loyal to the Jacobite cause despite the danger this poses to her safety. Rory's plans to maintain his aloofness and womanising reputation are severely challenged each time they butt heads while her keen intellect and determined resolve to free her little brother from English's captivity put him at increasing risk of being caught. Meanwhile, Bethia's initial repulsion towards her forced-upon husband gradually turn to intrigue as she discovers the man behind the wigs, the outlandish outfits and the affectations.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for Rory. 4 for the history. 3 for the heroine. 2 for the totally irritatingly daft plot. Oh, and 1 star for the 100 extra pages that didn’t need to be there. Sigh.

[Diletta Nicastro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il libro mi è piaciuto molto.
Sono rimasta contenta dal modo in cui è stato trattato l’argomento della battaglia di Culloden e delle sue conseguenze. L’approfondimento storico non è molto rimarcato e vive solo come sottofondo, ma è molto comprensibile per chi conosce come sono andati i fatti. Viene, inoltre, trattato il tema delle Clearencess e dell’impossibilità di vivere a fondo la propria cultura scozzese.
Ma quello che ancora mi è piaciuto di più è l’idea di amore che ti lascia dentro. Un sentimento forte ed intenso che va al di là delle apparenze, che aiuta a diventare un uomo o una donna migliore, che guida l’essere umano a ricercare la verità. Non è solo una pillola edulcorata che viene data ai lettori, è una speranza ed un impegno da prendere giorno dopo giorno, per costruire un futuro migliore, per guarire l’anima da passati che hanno lasciato cicatrici molto profonde…
Spesso si dà all’amore un’immagine non veritiera a mio avviso. L’amore è un impegno costante, un sorriso a cui rispondere, una vita da curare e far crescere. E se si risponde all’amore con l’amore, senza egoismi, senza paure, allora perché dovrebbe finire? Perché si dovrebbe abbandonare questa consapevolezza? Quando finisce un amore è perché non c’è stato impegno, non c’è stata una costruzione comune… Ecco, questo libro, così poco importante, così poco letteratura, insegna questo. L’amore esiste. Ma esiste solo se ci credi e se combatti per esso, se impegni te stesso per questo sentimento… E se tutti si rendessero conto di questa verità, allora il mondo sarebbe migliore e più felice…

[sandy forguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rory and Betgua

Wonderful read and well written. Great characters who both have issues with trust and being loved. Rory went against what happened at McClendon and the after matching killing innocence, so he became a robin hood so to speak of saving g lives. be this and Rory were made for each and came to love each other deeply. Would highly recommend this series.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but...

Way too repetitive. This book could have cut 100 pages and would have still been the exact same story. This author lengthened this novel by just repeating the conflict between the hero and heroine over and over. My other complaint the heroine didn’t “meet” the black nave until 75% of the book was over. Way too far into the book. Just ended up being ridiculous.

[catechism · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've learned to grit my teeth and deal with "och aye lassie I dinna ken ye whatever" in dialogue but this loses a star for putting it in the narrative, too. Otherwise the story and characters were fine, if low on the angst for my tastes.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

There had always been bad blood between Rory Forbes and his father for Rory was not the laird's son but he was forced to acknowledge Rory as his because of pride. Matters come to head at Culloden Moor (after the clear defeat of Prince Charles' valiant army of Scots) when the Forbeses and all clans loyal to the King were ordered by the Duke of Cumberland (that earned him the moniker The Butcher) to annihilate all Jacobites... even women and children. Rory had enough and walked out off the bloody moor until he rescued some Jacobite women and children from English soldiers carrying out the Duke's orders and thus started his secret identity as the Black Knave ~ hero to the fleeing (usually to France) Jacobites. Pitting Scots against Scots that defined a bloody and significant event of Scottish history had brought the worst and the best in all of the Scots as a people. Amid such turmoil, the story of a weak, foppish and despised as a coward (because of the events at Culloden) Marquis and his arranged marriage to a Jacobite ward of the King is the subject of this work. As to why a Jacobite ergo Catholic, an enemy and one who should have been dead would be allowed to live and ordered to marry a Protestant and have children with him was also a mystery to be answered here.

[C J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely Scottish romantic adventure full of charming likeable characters! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ of 5

[Marilyn Kavanaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tale of a Scottish Scarlet Pimpernel

with plenty of post-Culloden intrigue in an attempt to evade some of the cruelty of King George II’s son, “Butcher” Cumberland.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

I really enjoyed the many varied facets of the main character. Truly a book you don't want to put down!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scarlet Pimpernel set in post-Culloden Scotland. It fits very well. I liked it

[Sharon Vandenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read.

It has a good plot, intriguing and the ability for you to get lost in it. Can’t wait to read the next in5he trilogy.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rory ❤️Bethia

[Teri Heyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Knave is an entertaining read. I always enjoy Patricia Potter's books.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[CeeDragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story.

[Kazia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the general story, which was what kept me reading through the many, many unnecessary paragraphs. Multiple times I had thought, why did I yet again read what Bethia thinks of Rory; I understood her sentiments the first twenty times. In short, it was, consequently, unnecessarily long.

Also, Bethia in the ending was annoying. "'I will go with you,' she said stubbornly." "She did not want to leave [Dougal, her brother]. But she would. For the Black Knave." I don't think it was for the Black Knave at all. Rory needs to go back to Braemoor to pretend that he is outraged by Bethia's absence. Instead of one person going to Braemoor and then travelling back to the coast, he has to take Bethia just because she wants to come (like a petulant child). Instead of having to find one fresh horse, Rory has to find two. And Bethia is weak and very likely slowing Rory down. To quote her thoughts, "she would be happy to never to see a horse again, much less a saddle" and "only Rory's presence kept her going." Rory mentioned, "'I should no' have brought you, lass.'" She replies, "indignantly," "'I can keep up with you." Sure.

Rory (and Bethia) does avoid capture by the English by pretending that Bethia is the escaped Dougal, but I believe that Rory could have skirted the English soldiers some other way. Therefore, her coming along was just an excuse to put the two main characters together, which I guess serves the book's purpose, but, nonetheless, I thought it was annoying.

During the ride to the beach: "It was a miracle he had not ridden her to death. She had gone through hell because of him, because he'd not been able to contain his lust." First, again, she wanted to come and threatened if he left her behind. Second, they are both experiencing the same kind of hell. If she cannot ride for that hard and for that long, well ... sucks for her. She could have very easily not gone with him in the first place. Third, their moment together was consensual; it was her fault as much as his.

I detest characters who think that by just "being there" that they are being helpful.

[Sunni · Rating 4 out of 5]

By accident I picked-up this novel, and I ended up being so glad that I did. I have now added Ms. Potter to my list of favorite authors.

Ms. Potter weaves an intricate tale showing the difficulty of upholding love, honor, and courage during a time of war, she displays the effects of trying times in a post-war era, and of unexpected love. She shows that love, honor and courage come in all different shapes and sizes and that some of the worlds most beautiful people and things are concealed in the least likely wrappers.

Truly a wonderful tale that will tug at the heart strings.

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the fact that the central character was a Scottish Scarlet Pimpernel. He rescued Jacobites from the English just as Baroness Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel rescued French aristocrats from the Jacobins.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great fun book. It is nice to pick up a book and just escape into it. Rory was a great character that followed his conscience.

[Andrea]

A good fun and predictable romance. A nice light read.

[Susan Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful hero and heroine. Intrigue, romance, everything you want in a (hmmm "an"?) historical romance.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. I hated this book. Boring. Boring. BORING.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scotland was hellish for Jacobite families after the battle of Culloden Moor. The Duke of Cumberland ordered his soldiers to slaughter every man, woman and child whose family had fought against the English crown. It was awful and it really happened in history.


This story begins as the battle is ending. Rory Forbes had answered his father's call to arms and fought against the Jacobites. The battle was over in moments but instead of taking prisoners, Cumberland ordered that they kill everyone. Rory walked away while his father and brother yelled at him.


Rory pretends to be a flamboyant philanderer who likes to drink and gamble. His father and brother died in the weeks following Culloden Moor which left him as the unexpected marquis and lord of his clan. He ignores his responsibility and let's his cousin run everything.


He has a secret life. He is the Black Knave who helps Jacobites by getting them out of the country.


But Cumberland has ordered that he marry a daughter of a Jacobite. He can't figure out why Cumberland or the king would care what happens to a Jacobite but knows his reputation as doing anything for money and being biddable is why he was chosen but a wife will make it hard to live his secret life.


The Black Knave's adventures were what made this book. The romance was weak and intimate scenes were ruined by too much introspection. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I hate when authors have characters go on and on with their inner thoughts, especially when they repeat these thoughts over and over. It annoys me so I just start skipping over paragraphs.


It was a good story and I'm getting ready to read the second book in the trilogy.