On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.
A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to … devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter . . . and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.
Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He’s wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters . . . and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.
more
The original premise in When a Scot Ties the Knot blew me away. Love the heroine and her hero and the supporting characters too. Re-read it when I need a good book to cleanse the palate.
A very pleasant romance. It was well-paced and interesting. =)
My first Tessa Dare and my first historical romance, but I think I might be REALLY into her now!
Here, have a drawing of a snail.
Reader, I snorted out loud. This was my first Tessa Dare book and she is awesome. This is a great one to start with if she’s new to you.
Everything a romance should have — kilts, castles, misunderstandings — as well as some you might not have encountered before, like a fictional love who turns out to be real, a captain who will do anything for the men who served under him in the army, and subplots that hinge on the mating or not-mating of lobsters. Yes, lobsters.
I don’t usually read historical romance novels, but tried this one by Tessa Dare from a recommendation by another reader. The story was engaging from the first page. It was funny, the characters personalities and foibles were psychologically very real, it built to very steamy, and the story moved at a fast clip. I’ll read more of her and the other author recommendations.
What happens when a debutante invents a suitor to escape her come-out? She even writes letters to her mythical man and when push comes to shove, she has no choice but to tell the world the man who has claimed her heart dies in battle. Except those letters didn’t disappear into the mist. They were delivered to a man with the name she invented.
When Logan receives the rambling letters, he initially disregards them, but as the woman writing them bares her soul and apologies to her fictitious suitor, he finds he wants to be the man she hopes to meet and rises to the occasion – until she kills him off unexpectedly. Two can play at that game! She has a home and money, and his soldiers need a home and money. He decides to “rise from the dead” and claim the woman who callously killed him off in her little fantasy.
A Scot war hero, an introverted debutante and a made-up engagement that turns real. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This was great fun, with an unlikely premise and a lot of humor
4.5 stars
When a Scot ties the Knot was such a cute and fun book. I loved both Logan and Maddie. I thought they had a great connection and the sexy factor was very high. The only thing that kept this book from being a five star read was they took way too long to finally get together. I got they both had issues and for the most part the push/pull didn’t bug me. I just wanted more smexy time. I kinda wish there were books for Logan’s men as I found them sexy too. But really who can blame a girl I mean men in kilts enough said!!
Lies, lies and more lies compound this farce that is endearing, funny, charming and will lift your spirits.
Anyone who has ever told a lie and had it backfire will enjoy reading how far Maddie dug her hole and how she resolves her dilemma. This was a most unusual story line. It was cute, the hero larger than life as only a Highlander can be; the heroine a mixture of naiveté sprinkled with spunk as only a spinster can who gets caught in a decade of lies. Anyone who suffers a social phobia, social anxiety disorder or panic attacks, will relate to Maddie’s aversion to being in society, social settings and large crowds.
Madeline Eloise Gracechurch [Maddie] was 16, her father newly married, and his new wife, Maddie refused to call her step-mother, was looking forward to helping Maddie with her first season in London. She had been sent to Brighton while they were on their honeymoon.
When they returned and Maddie faced the unthinkable first season, inspiration struck and she informed her family she already was betrothed to army Captain Logan MacKenzie, whom she’d met while at Brighton. Thus Maddie continued the lie as she wrote nonsense letters to the fictitious lover. They are a hoot. You cannot be betrothed and not write letters.
Years later, Maddie learned her godfather the Earl of Lynforth had bequeathed her a castle in the Scottish Highlands in honor of her betrothed who was a Scottish Highlander. Maddie, after five years, wrote a final letter to her beloved Captain Logan MacKenzie telling him she was sorry but he had to die. She mourned him in black for the appropriate time period and then wore half-mourning gray from then on. It was easier on the wardrobe and she liked gray. Maddie and her Aunt Thea moved to Lannair Castle and made it into a home. She was happy.
After a decade Maddie, who is now an illustrator of scientific journals and books, receives a caller at the castle that will change her life. A very REAL Captain Logan MacKenzie dressed in full kilted military uniform and in possession of all her letters along with a small troupe of soldiers, wounded in body, heart and soul, displaced by the war. His intent, marry Maddie, occupy the castle and the land, thus giving his men a place to live and retire. I’ll not spoil the fun of their getting to know each other and you know the end result…or do you? Enjoy.
All time favourite!
I loved the book! Great story!