Karen Hawkins 'How To Abduct A Highland Lord'

Fiona MacLean's family feud with the Kincaid's has just been reopened after years of peace between them. When she comes across Black Jack Kincaid face down in the mud she has her man drag him unconscious to the alter so they can marry and prevent more violence from breaking out. The priest baulks at marrying an unconscious man until Fiona tells him she's in the family way. And so their marriage is off to a terrific start.

These two have a bit of history of course, and the first few scenes between them in the carriage to London are witty and entertaining. The two characters very soon fall into a loving stupor that seems to dull their wits entirely. They go shopping together, with no irony, and take a bath afterwards and talk about how there's nothing left in the city to buy. Did she finally hook up with her ne're-do-well lover or his gay brother. (Not that in reality I wouldn't rather marry a gay man over most romance heros, but these are fantasies after all.) I really almost entirely lost interest in these two. Did the author think that the plot was going to keep me going all the way to the end?

This book is well written, the sex is fine, secondary characters are almost engaging, and the characters are occasionally funny but not often enough.

Historical Romance 2007: 2 of 5 plaids.