"A beatiful tale of love in the Highlands"
Ian MacGregor is the laird of his clan in the Scottish
Highlands. He returns to the keep in the Lowlands where he
spent many of his young and carefree years. He is shrouded
in mysteries surrounding the deaths of some of those
closest to him. He has returned to claim his bride,
Margaret Kincaid, to whom he has been betrothed since his
childhood. But it is Margaret's younger sister, Sabrina,
who catches his eye...and his heart. When Margaret suddenly
disappears, he eagerly accepts Sabrina as a replacement
bride. Sabrina grudgingly agrees to wed Ian, knowing she is bound
to do as her father wishes. But she vows to never love Ian,
swearing she has given her heart to another man. She has
her doubts about Ian, having heard disturbing rumors about
his past, and whisperings that he may have had a hand in
Margaret's presumed death. Despite her belief that Ian
betrayed her many years ago, she can't help but be drawn to
him. Her spirited nature tells her to ignore all she has
heard and to put her faith and trust in Ian. Ms. James weaves a passionate tale of love found, amid some
of the most turbulent years of Medieval Scotland. For it is
a time of great political upheaval as Robert the Bruce
fights to gain his throne. Ian and Sabrina are caught in
the middle of it all, on opposite sides of the political
game, though their hearts are bound in the greatest battle
of all...for A PROMISE GIVEN and a binding love. Ms. James has created a lively cast of characters. The
antics of Ian and Sabrina alone make for an exciting
read. Both Ian and Sabrina are very strong yet imperfect
people, with faults and fears aplenty for each, making them
all appear all the more realistic. Add in the colorful cast
of secondary characters and the story comes alive. All are
memorable and only add, never detract, from the story.
However, the secondary characters are not so well developed
or dimensional as the hero and heroine. Many of the
characters' behavior and emotions are never fully
explained. Why do they feel the love and/or animosity held
for Ian and Sabrina? Many of these explanations are
lacking, which at times has a tendency to stall the story. In spite of the not always fully developed characters, this
is a pleasurable read. Plenty of action and suspense, well
tempered by the romance of the era and the characters, can
be found throughout. Ms. James has a way with words, using
wonderful imagery to paint the landscape. One almost feels
a part of the story, planted right in the middle of the
beautiful but treacherous Scottish Highlands. A PROMISE GIVEN is a promise kept for this reviewer to be
on the lookout for more books by this author.
Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted August 23, 2001
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