Duty compels her to turn her back on marriage. Fate drives him to protect her come what may. Then love takes a hand in this battle of yearning hearts, stubborn wills, and a match too powerful to deny. #1New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to rugged Scotland with a dramatic tale of passionate desire and unwavering devotion.
Restless and impatient, Marcus Cynster waits for Fate to come calling. He knows his destiny lies in the lands surrounding his family home, but what will his future be and with whom will he share it?
Of one fact he feels certain: his fated bride will not be Niniver Carrick. His elusive neighbor attracts him mightily, yet he feels compelled to protect her—even from himself. Fickle Fate, he’s sure, would never be so kind as to decree that Niniver should be his. The best he can do for them both is to avoid her.
Niniver has vowed to return her clan to prosperity. The epitome of fragile femininity, her delicate and ethereal exterior cloaks a stubborn will and an unflinching devotion to the people in her care. She accepts that she cannot risk marrying and losing her grip on the clan’s reins to an inevitably controlling husband. Unfortunately, many local men see her as their opportunity.
Soon, she’s forced to seek help to get rid of her unwelcome suitors. Powerful and dangerous, Marcus Cynster is perfect for the task. Suppressing her wariness over tangling with a gentleman who so excites her passions, she appeals to him for assistance with her peculiar problem.
Although at first he resists, Marcus discovers that, contrary to his expectations, his fated role is to stand by Niniver’s side and, ultimately, to claim her hand. Yet in order to convince her to be his bride, they must plunge headlong into a journey full of challenges, unforeseen dangers, passion, and yearning, until Niniver grasps the essential truth—that she is indeed a match for Marcus Cynster.

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: This book will count towards my “Holiday 2015 Bookish Bingo” reading challenge, marking off the “Romance” square, since (duh) it is a historical romance novel. I have been waiting and waiting to read this one and even though I bought it months ago I’m just getting around to it. My schedule from August through November was really just packed full of ARC reviews so I didn’t have time to read this one until now. Obviously I very much enjoy the Cynster series, and after being introduced to Niniver and hearing a little more about Marcus in the last book The Tempting of Thomas Carrick (about Marcus’s sister and Niniver’s cousin) I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Niniver’s father was murdered in the last book and after a series of unfortunate (but fast-moving) events she is left in charge of the Carrick Clan.
Fast forward to a year later, and Niniver is encountering a problem that she can’t handle on her own. Remembering Marcus’s vow to help her should she ever need it, she traipses on over to his house and persuades him to assist her in her situation. In order to do that Marcus basically has to pretend to be her boyfriend. Marcus originally doesn’t think that this is a good idea because he knows that they are attracted to each other and he doesn’t want to be tempted but once he realizes that the Lady might be making something happen, he decides to go along with the plan.
Overall I thought this book was ok. I honestly had some trouble with the plot line now that I’m looking back on it. The whole thing seems just a little far-fetched to me I guess. I still enjoyed it and I am excited to read more in the series but the plot just didn’t pull me in this time.

The bottom line: I would recommend this book, especially if you like historical romance. I would probable preface that with saying that some of the other books in the series I enjoyed more than this one, but I love the Cynster series and I am excited that it is continuing with the Next Generation.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page