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The Laird (2014)

by Grace Burrowes(Favorite Author)
3.96 of 5 Votes: 4
ISBN
1402295022 (ISBN13: 9781402295027)
languge
English
genre
publisher
Sourcebooks Casablanca
series
Captive Hearts
review 1: This is Michael's tale and it was, admittedly, harder to read than the others in this series.From the beginning, there was this darkness that lingered over Brenna. The more I read, the more my heart wept for her. It wasn't over the way Michael abandoned her so soon after marrying her. It was the secrets she kept, the depravity of a man she should have been able to trust while her husband was off to war, and the loneliness she felt because of the burdens she carried.I love strong fictional women, especially those who are strong in spirit. They cannot be broken, will not kowtow to anyone, will not hide in the shadows to save face. Brenna is that kind of woman. She stood strong no matter how much the her misdeeds weighed on her. She carried on and gave being laird by proxy he... morer everything.Michael couldn't have chosen a better woman to be his wife. After years campaigning abroad, he returns to his wife, clan, and castle to find a lot has changed. Families that were there have left. Brenna's grown in a beautiful but secretive woman. The villagers despise his wife. His Uncle Angus and Brenna no longer get along. Ten years away was ten years too long.They say patience is a virtue and that good things come to those who wait. Michael's willingness to exhibit those two things toward Brenna paid off. He gained her trust, her love, and access to one of the secrets she kept. The other secret... That's what made this story hard to read. The depravity of mankind toward those weaker, smaller, and younger is an important part of Brenna's history and is the basis of the discord between her and Angus. It was heartbreaking when Michael discovered it. The anger, hurt, and disgust he felt was so intense I could feel it through my ereader. And each time I thought of it, of him discovering it, my heart broke again.But you know what? It was worth it. Everything I felt while reading this book was worth experiencing. A definite recommendation for anyone looking for a historical Regency romance with amazing characters, mystery, intrigue, and (of course) an awesome happy ending.***Received from NetGalley for an honest review***
review 2: With much appreciation for the Author's Note that warns readers of the disturbing nature of the dominant theme in The Laird, that's not this story's weakness. Its weakness lies in the fact that all of the featured characters act with mystifying ignorance and short-sightedness: Michael suddenly loses his talent for observation after nearly ten years of soldiering. It's as if he's a completely different character from the one established in the first two Captive Hearts titles. Brenna does absolutely nothing to protect a vulnerable child whose youth and circumstances practically place a bull's-eye on her forehead to mark her as easy prey for the known predator in their midst. Instead of banding together to expel the predator, an entire community treats the predator's words as gospel and shuns the innocent while the wronged parties are simply abandoned. There is a feeling of essential accuracy in the portrayal of the insidiousness of a predator with a familiar face and some redeeming traits.The tender courtship and profound emotional intimacy between Michael and Brenna make The Laird worth reading, but it's the weakest of the three Captive Hearts titles. less
Reviews (see all)
Bryjytj12
Solid 3.5 stars. Interesting plot, great characters, but this book dragged at times.
shadow_girl2012
My least favorite of the series, but still an excellent read.
annie
Michael and Brenna's story.
Alcina
2.85
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