Lady Marianne is miserable. Not only has she been moved from the convent in Normandy where she grew up, and brought by her brother to cold, dreary Scotland, but Nicholas has informed her that she is to marry an elderly Scot. Given land by the Scottish king for services rendered, Nicholas needs allies -- and his nearest neighbor, Hamish Mac Glogan, is very rich and related to the king. Marianne, however, does not meekly agree to the marriage; she plans to run away.

Clan Mac Taran cattle has been stolen, and Seamus, chieftain of the clan and thane of Lochbarr, has ridden with his men to the Norman's stronghold to confront him. Cattle tracks lead toward Sir Nicholas's land, so the livestock is probably there. The Norman isn't too welcoming and is visibly angry when his sister invites the Scots to spend the night. Seamus's hot-headed eldest son, Adair, slips out of the sleeping area during the night to search for the plans for the castle, which Nicholas seems to be rebuilding into a fortress, and instead finds Marianne trying to run away. He inadvertently foils her attempt, yet she doesn't mind the heated kiss that Adair gives her.

Chivalrous to a fault, Adair senses that Marianne does not want to marry Hamish, and later returns to her brother's keep to try to rescue her. Awakened in her bed by the gloriously handsome Adair, Marianne refuses to admit that she's unhappy, but when her brother tries to break down her door, she impulsively leaps out of her window after Adair leaves, knowing that if she stays, her brother will assume that she and Adair have been lovers. Fighting off Nicholas's men, Adair manages to get them both away from the keep and back to Lochbarr and relative safety. But how have their actions affected Marianne's reputation? Will the residents of Lochbarr welcome a Norman?

BRIDE OF LOCHBARR is a beautifully told love story. The relationship between Marianne and Adair is sizzling hot from their first meeting, with electricity that sparks brightly throughout the tale. At times verbally stinging each other in their struggle to come to terms with their actions, Marianne and Adair somehow know they have more in common than not. There is interference by some secondary characters making it more difficult for the couple to deal with their differences, while others at Lochbarr truly want happiness for the pair. Marianne is utterly feminine, yet emotionally strong and decisive. While Adair is noted for his "strike first, ask questions later" approach to life, he is honorable and totally in love with Marianne.

There is nothing about BRIDE OF LOCHBARR that I didn't like! It's a well-written, character-driven story that I didn't want to end. Ms. Moore peppered the dialogue with some Gaelic words, giving it a realistic Scottish feel. The steamy, sexy scenes between Marianne and Adair will have readers reaching for their fans, but these scenes are both tasteful and appropriate to the story.

I highly recommend BRIDE OF LOCHBARR! It's a delectable read, and a great book to launch Harlequin's new HQN line.

-- Jani Brooks, Romance Reviews Today