Pretender's Game (Hearts of Rebellion Series, Book 1)

Jacobite James MacLonan has spent the years since Culloden in exile, fighting in France, wandering the continent and dreaming of his home in Scotland that he thought he would never see again. Now he has been granted a pardon, but the terms rankle. Not only must he honor an oath to King George and steer clear of the Pretender to the throne, he must also marry within four months of his return. And marry Englishwoman with strong family ties to the Whigs, at that! Despite his fierce longing for the Highlands, he is not sure he can fulfill this last stipulation of his pardon until he meets Theadora Tilton. Daughter of the commander of the English garrison in Edinburgh, Thea fits all of the government's requirements for James's bride, but best of all, she sparks his interest and fires his blood like no other woman ever has, and she returns his interest. But are their political, ideological and cultural differences too great to overcome, or can love truly conquer all? This book does an excellent job of capturing the prejudices and venomous hatred between the English and the Scots, and to a much lesser extent between Highlanders and Lowlanders. It is also a fascinating study of the development of a marriage forged for political reasons and how trust is both built and destroyed. However, given the degree of emotional estrangement early on in the marriage, the heat in the bedroom of the newlyweds doesn't seem authentic. While some conflict can explode into heat, daily fighting over a period of time does not foster sustained sexual tension, but rather promotes estrangement--but this is a romance novel, after all! The plot of this book is entertaining, with some surprising elements. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and finished it in just an afternoon. I am looking forward to continuing on with the next. Installment in this series.

Good read