LitConnect Blog Tour + Giveaway + Excerpt: When a Laird Takes a Lady by Rowan Keats

When a Laird Takes a Lady

by Rowan Keats

Genre: Historical, Scottish Romance

Elements/Tags: medieval, 13th Century

Publisher: Signet Eclipse

Publishing Date: May 6, 2014

Series: Claimed by the Highlander, #2

Format: Print and Ebook

Words: 368 Pages

Back Cover:

In the Highlands of Scotland, honor and loyalty are worth more than life itself. But when a haunted woman meets a wronged warrior, love will prove more powerful than anything they have ever known.

Isabail Grant has had to be strong all her life. Over the years, she has lost everyone close to her, and now she’s seeking justice for her brother’s murder. But en route to Edinburgh to petition the king, she is kidnapped by a fierce warrior—and is shocked to find herself irresistibly drawn to her captor.

Aiden MacCurran is an outlaw. The laird of a small clan, he’s been falsely accused of killing the king’s courier and stealing the Crown’s property—and the key to clearing his name and redeeming his clan lies in Isabail’s memories. But Aiden and Isabail must first weather deceit and treachery before they can find the truth and claim the love that’s growing between them....

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18679302-when-a-laird-takes-a-lady?ac=1

Buy Links:

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Meet Author Rowan Keats:

Rowan Keats pens historical adventures involving hot Highland heroes and the women they claim. Both TAMING A WILD SCOT and WHEN A LAIRD TAKES A LADY have earned 4 1/2 star reviews from RT Book Reviews, which labelled her "a rising star of medieval romance."

When not writing, Rowan can frequently be found in a dark movie theater indulging in a large bag of popcorn, or watching the sunrise with a mug of steaming coffee wrapped in her hands. She lives in Central Canada with a goofy black lab, a very talkative cat, and a daughter whose own creative talents awe and inspire her every day.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter  ~ Goodreads 

I love Scottish heroes. They maybe a little rough around the edges, but they fight for what they believe in...and that usually involves the heroine. Any Scottish warrior is worthy of a sigh, but a Scottish laird—especially a medieval one—can truly make your heart pound. What makes a Scottish laird so interesting?

He looks good, even when he also looks frightening...

Excerpt

When Isabail woke, the bothy was still dark. The howl of the winter storm had quieted but she had no sense how long she had been unconscious. Her last memory—the fierce face of the MacCurran swooping down upon her—was still vivid enough to make her heart pound, and she wondered if she'd taken a beating. Biting her lip in anticipation of pain, she shifted in her pallet. To her relief, there was almost none. Her hip was sore from lying in the dirt floor—the blankets beneath her couldn’t compare to the feather stuffed mattress she was accustomed to—but save for that, she felt perfectly fine.

Isabail looked around.

The fire was merrily blazing, having recently received a fresh log, and she lifted her head to find the person who had fed it. Her heart stumbled. Aiden MacCurran sat on the other side of the flames, sleeves rolled up, carefully tending to his sword. He seemed unaware of her, so she watched him for a moment.

Unlike his two henchman, the MacCurran chief’s chin was clean-shaven, and his hair appeared to have been recently washed. Not a typical Highlander, then, despite the warring nature of his clan. His forearms rippled with sinews as he worked, the hairs on his arms golden in the firelight. Isabail was woman enough to admit she found him attractive—from a distance. Broad shoulders and tapered hips were attractive in a man, no matter who that man might be. But it was also strangely comforting to watch him hone his sword—his hands were strong and sure as they worked, displaying a level of care and control over his weapon that belied the bestiality of his large fists.

“There’s more beef, if you’ve a hunger,” he said quietly.

Isabel swallowed dryly and sat up. “I’ve more a need for something to wet my mouth.”

He pointed to the door of the hut. “Fetch some snow.”

Isabail flushed. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Of course she could eat some snow. She scrambled to her feet and headed for the door.

“I’ve beat a good path to the woodpile,” he added. “If you must see to your needs, it’ll provide a measure of privacy.”

Her flush deepened, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why. A visit to the privy was a common enough event, and he was hardly giving the delicate topic excessive attention. But just the knowledge that he'd thought about her needs made her cheeks hot. Isabail escaped quickly.

Outside the bothy, the snowfall had ceased, but the sky was still sullen with cloud. The sun was little more than a smudge of brightness above the trees, but a pair of crossbills flitting through the branches thought it was well worth chirping about. For the briefest of moments, the notion of fleeing took hold, but she couldn’t leave without Muirne. Besides, where would she go?

Nay, as much as he frightened her, the MacCurran was her best hope of survival.

She ate her fill of cold wet snow, completed her ablutions, and returned to the cozy warmth of the hut. MacCurran had not moved—he was still polishing the fine steel of his blade with a purposeful attention to detail. For some reason, that eased Isabail’s tremulous thoughts. Surely a man capable of such focus could keep his temper under tight rein?

Giveaway Details:

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