The Lady and the Laird

This is an amazing story! Lily and Edan are meant to be together. They were friends as children and an arranged marriage can be in the cards.
What could be better than an arranged marriage between old friends?
Not a thing, according to Lily Munro. Lily returns to Glen Carin, her childhood home in the Highlands of Scotland, determined to arrange a marriage with Laird Edan Cameron. A marriage to Edan will enable Lily to save her sister from a dangerous situation. Besides, Lily’s rather adored Edan since she was young and a wee bit wild.
But the laird believes nothing could be worse than an arranged marriage to Lilith Munro. He would not wish Lilith, the shameless lass who ceaselessly tormented him when they were children, on any man.
Sandra Madden has written an amazing book. I have not read any books by this author but I will be interested in reading more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

The Lady and the Laird offers an easy and entertaining read. Set in the Scottish Highlands during the Regency Era, a young lady turns to her braw childhood crush to save her and her sister from the machinations of their unscrupulous mother.

Scotland was Lily’s home until her father died. Her mother was English sold their Scottish home when her husband died. Lily wants to save her sister from an arranged marriage to a terrible man. After Lily and her sister attend a funeral, she will go to Scotland to propose an arranged marriage to the owner of her old home. Edan Cameron remembered Lily as a child. He needs a woman who can work alongside of him. Lily tries to show him she is that woman. Edan tests her by giving a gala to plan as well as teaching his brother’s manners. She will do it. Will it be enough.

This was a good read. I couldn’t put it down.

This was an ok read the character's were sweet. I do need to point out though I would expected someone who writes books of this era to know a laird/viscount would not be called your grace as Lilith does twice. This is my honest review which I received this book in exchange for.

I enjoy historical romances, and this one set in Scotland was a very enjoyable read. The author weaves a story in the beautiful Highlands, centered around family duty and an arranged marriage between two spirited people. Edan and Lillith have known each other since childhood, so there are a lot of simmering emotions between them. The story moves quickly, as does their romance and a wonderful HEA. Enjoyed it very much!

Thank you to NetGalley, The Wild Rose Press, and Sandra Madden for the DRC!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is my first time reading something from this author. Lily and Charlotte are two sisters who have run away from London, and their widowed mother, to escape the mother's plans to wed Charlotte to an aristocrat three times her age. It sounds like their mother wants to maintain her extravagant lifestyle by marrying her daughters off to the richest buyer. Lily has a plan to protect her sister, by running off with her to their old home, in Scotland, now owned by her childhood friend, Edan Cameron.

Edan and his brothers have returned to Scotland after fighting in the Napoleonic wars, to find their lands and resources depleted and needing a lot of work and investment to get them solvent again. His brother had run into the sisters in London, and passed on the word that Edan was looking for a marriage of convenience, to find himself a hardworking wife who would help him rebuild his lands and farms, and give him heirs. Lily knew him from her childhood, growing up at Glen Carin, and last saw him almost 10 years prior, and is hoping that she could convince him to take her in a marriage of convenience, and save her sister from having to wed their mother's chosen bridegroom.

Edan however, is fixated on Lily being the same as she was as a girl, a mischievous, reckless, annoying hoydenish hellion, and does not see her as an appropriate wife. Since she refuses to leave, he sets up a couple of challenges for her; namely to teach his brothers and him some society manners and charms, to help them find good wives, and to organize a ceilidh in 10 days. Lily agrees to this, to prove to Edan she would make a good wife, and to give her sister and her time before returning to London.

Edan spends a lot of time thinking of Lily as she was 10 years prior, and I don't know how much of this was his self trying to use that as an excuse to reject her when he feels an undeniable attraction to her now. After all, how many adults truly are defined by how they were at the age of roughly 10? He also has a few other hang ups that were implied, but not really fleshed out fully, such as what sounds like a darkness that carried over from being in the war, and also a history of abuse from his father and witnessing what sounds like an abusive and neglectful relationship between his father and mother. Lily sounds like a much lighter person, and it is implied he is also fearful of tainting her with his perceived darkness too, as he thinks he may be like his father. However, as he comes to accept that she would be the wife he wants in his life, Lily, contrary to her original wishes, decides she does not want to marry him, because when he tells her he accepts her proposal for a marriage of convenience, she decides she does not want him without love, and makes plans to sacrifice herself to wedding the man her mother chooses, to save her sister.

This was an OK story, but the tension and reasons behind them, between Edan and Lily did not seem believable to me. Charlotte came across as a spoiled little girl, and quite an annoying character, considering how she refused to leave her room for days, despite being Edan's guest, and not helping her sister even when asked to. The Scottish-English history and tension was an interesting element, and how it applied to the two sisters as well, as they were half Scottish/half English, and their mother definitely had a prejudice against Scots/Scotland (why did she marry a Scot then?!?). Their mother was definitely a black widow type character and it did not feel she deserved any devotion or care from them, or their future spouses.

It was a quick and OK read, but I did not not feel drawn in and engaged by the story line as I did not find some of the plot authentic and believable enough.

2.5 stars out of 5

A thoroughly wonderful romance that is perfect for any adult collection. I was completely invested in it from start to finish, and can see it circulating well!

Lilith Munro returns to her childhood home in Scotland in the Highlands called Glen Carin with the intent to ask the current laird to agree to an arranged marriage, Edan Cameron is looking for a hard-working, Highlander lass to marry, so Lily is too English in looks and demeanour and his memories of her from childhood are her following him around aren't all pleasant. Besides that, he isn't looking for love and he fears he's like his father and unable to love. The marriage would help Lily to save her sister from a marriage their English mother is arranging to a much older man who is rumoured to have killed his other wives..

The plot has a couple good twists that aren't expected and I did root for the couple as a reader, but there are some glaring errors which need work since it takes you out of the headspace of the story - the Cameron brothers are said to wear kilts which was outlawed after the defeat of the Scottish at Culloden in 1745. Lily refers to Edan as "Your Grace", something only appropriate for a Duke, when Edan is only a laird/viscount.

I just reviewed The Lady and the Laird by Sandra Madden. #TheLadyandtheLaird #NetGalley