Sandy M’s review of What Happens in Scotland by Jennifer McQuiston
Historical Romance published by Avon 26 Feb 13
What a lovely breath of fresh air Jennifer McQuiston is to the historical romance genre. I enjoyed every word of this book. The hero is a braw Scotsman and the heroine a feisty English lass, both trying to remember what the hell happened to them during a night of revelry, undeniable attraction and…marriage?
Georgette wakes up in bed with a stranger – a wickedly handsome stranger who beckons her back to bed. Instead she clobbers him with a chamber pot and flees. She remembers nothing of the night before, only bits and pieces of the time she spent with her cousin, a man she used to be to close to as a child. But now the man is acting nothing like the person she knew before, but she’s here at his invitation now that she’s out of mourning. One husband has been enough, so now determined to find this new, undwanted husband of hers, Georgette follows clues around town to get her man and some answers.
In the meantime, James McKenzie is angry when he discovers his money bag missing, blaming his beautiful new wife for the loss. His memory of the night before isn’t as all-consuming as Georgette’s, and he’s now searching for his prized horse as well as his wife and money. This is all he needs after working so hard to prove to the townsfolk he takes his place as the town attorney seriously and has left his misspent past behind him. Being a third son of an earl who doesn’t care one whit about him hasn’t been the easiest thing to overcome. So putting an end to this foolishness quickly is best for all involved.
It’s such fun following these two around, trying to find those lost memories. We discover all those mysterious clues as they do. Georgette picks up various animals, a prostitute, and not a lot of evidence that will lead her to James. Meanwhile, James and his brother, the heir, pick their way through the village to catch up with his lady criminal, but every time he turns around he has new injuries that he refuses to let slow him down. Thus, his friend the veterinarian is busy patching him up throughout the day. James and Georgette miss each other, one step apart the whole time. I kept thinking of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors the longer they try to find each other.
When they finally do come face to face, things aren’t solved immediately. There’s still plenty of mystery to be had, and they have to continue their search, just together this time. As they make headway into remembering their lost night, the simmering attraction that has been there all along slowly grows. This story takes places over the space of only a day, and they both struggle with that, how can they be so attracted to one another, let alone perhaps love each other, in so short a time. The fact that Georgette doesn’t want another husband, she wants the independence her station and money now give her, James is the one to recognize and acknowledge his feelings first, which I really like. They each have their own fears to face – Georgette and a new life, James and his father – even once they come to terms with their relationship.
Though James and Georgette don’t meet face to face until halfway through the book, which I normally don’t like in romance, this book is so fun and entertaining, I don’t mind one bit in this instance because we get enough of them separately chapter to chapter, learn about their lives, watch them get through one of those days we all experience now and again. Yes, it’s all quick, but the story doesn’t suffer at all. I love these characters. They make me laugh and show me a love worth working for. I look forward to more of Ms. McQuiston’s books.
Grade: A
Summary:
She woke up married…
And then she ran.
When recent widow Georgette Thorold wakes up in a Scottish inn with a wedding ring on her finger and lacking all memory of how she came to be there, she does what any well-bred lady with a modicum of sense and a distrust of marriage would do: she panics, clocks the wickedly handsome stranger in her bed over the head with a chamber pot, and runs.
James McKenzie, Esquire has either spent the evening protecting a very naïve, and—dare he say it—very drunk young lady from the advances of every disreputable character in the town of Moraig, or he has gone and married a pretty, scheming thief. Not that his own head is entirely clear on the matter, but when the woman in question repays his kindness with a knock on the head, the bill for her room, and the theft of his purse, an embarrassed James is determined to track her down and show her she picked the wrong solicitor to swindle.
As Georgette sets out to discover exactly what happened during her forgotten night, she uncovers a man that seems far more a hero than a rake. But when they finally meet, instead of sweeping her into his arms and kissing her senseless, he serves her with a summons, claiming she is a thief. Now the fight is on, and the only question is was it a night worth remembering? Or a mistake they would both rather forget?
Read an excerpt.
