I think this may have been the final book in the series. Keeping that in mind, I savored the book as I read it and said goodbye to the characters of whom I came to love. I know, it sounds crazy that I get so involved in the storylines and characters but I love reading and when an author can make entrench me so deeply into their world that I start caring for the characters, well…that is just some darn good writing!

I have to say though, that I was not liking Aidan MacLerie at the beginning of this book. He was the typical eldest son of nobility back then. He was a womanizer who did what he wanted and just expected women to drop at his feet so he could use them and then walk away when he got bored. He didn’t think of the trouble he caused for the poor women he used.

Aidan is the eldest son of Connor and Jocelyn MacLerie, the main characters of the very first book in the series. Connor is the powerful clan chief of the MacLeries and expects Aidan to follow in his footsteps which Aidan is perfectly capable of doing. Aidan is educated and a strong warrior who takes his responsibilities serious but he takes time to play hard also. He loves women and they love him. His parents have delayed marriage plans for him because his mom wanted to give him time to get the womanizing out of his system but now it is time to find a suitable wife for him who will bring connections and wealth to the clan.

Catriona MacKenzie has had a hard life. Her father was a cruel man who married her off to a likeminded man who made her lose her child when he beat her while she was pregnant. Her husband died so her father took her to the village and tried to sell her as a whore but she fought back. That is when Gowan MacLerie, a guardsman for the MacLerie clan, found her and rescued her by marrying her. She was told she would never have children again and Gowan had a grown son already so he never expected children from her. It was a marriage of respect but not love or passion. Gowan stopped coming to Catriona’s bed years ago after it was clear to him she did not like it.

When Aidan sees Catriona fetching water in the village, he is determined to have her even though he sees that she is wearing a kerchief over her hair which means she is a married woman. He flirts with her but she does not flirt back. He sends her husband away a long trip to train younger warriors so he can seduce Catriona while he is gone but his seduction doesn’t work. Catriona slams into Aidan while hurrying through the village in a rainstorm on her way to her friend’s cottage one day. He steals a kiss from her and she slaps him then runs to her friend’s cottage. Unfortunately, some one saw the kiss and the rumors spread like wildfire around the castle and village and now people think the worst of Catriona.

Catriona’s step-son sends for his father to come home and punish Catriona. The villagers are all shunning her except for her friend, Muireall, who believes her. The baker has no room for her bread, the butcher can only sell her the worst cut of meat and the miller won’t grind her flour for her. Things get worse when Gowan dies while on his way home and her step-son kicks her out of her their cottage. Now, she is sleeping on the dirt floor of her friend’s cottage. People in her village are spitting at her and men are leering lecherously at her. She doesn’t know what to do. One man has offered marriage because his children need a mom and another has offered her to take care of his ailing wife but when he touches her inappropriately, she knows that the offer is for more than just taking care of his wife. Life looks pretty bleak.

Meanwhile, Aidan is living life as he always has. His parents have talked to him about the rumors and he admits to trying to seduce her but tells them it didn’t work. They go ahead with marriage plans for him and find three potential wives for him.

When Gowan dies, Aidan feels guilty. Catriona doesn’t know it was he who sent Gowan away in the first place. He buys a large cottage and offers it to Catriona. He sends his cousin Ciara to broker the deal with Catriona. Ciara tells her that no matter what, she owns the cottage and will receive an annual widow’s stipend for Gowan’s service to the clan but she also tells her that Aidan wants Catriona for his leman. A leman is a nobleman’s mistress. After thinking about it, Catriona agrees.
Aidan and Catriona start falling in love with each other but Aidan’s father would never agree to marriage between them and he Aidan needs heirs which Catriona could not provide. When Aidan’s potential betrothed women start arriving, Catriona realizes that their time together will soon end because she would never be able to share him with another woman. She decides to enlist the help of Ciara to find another village to live in but before she leaves, she discovers she is a few months pregnant. She was told she could never have children yet here she is pregnant. She thinks she should tell Aidan before she leaves so that he knows about the baby but before she does, her step-son tells her the truth about Aidan sending Gowan away so he could seduce her. She decides to leave without telling him about the baby.

Now that Catriona is gone, Aidan has to choose one of the women to become his wife or risk losing his family, his position and his wealth to find Catriona. His father has told him that he would no longer be his heir if he chooses Catriona.

It was nice to see Aidan grow up during the book and take some responsibility for the trouble he caused. He could have just let Catriona fend for herself like a lot of spoiled noblemen would do just because they think they are entitled to it but he did offer her a place to live. I thought it was sad that she could only be his leman because of his position and her low birth which is why he shouldn’t have chased her in the first place…not to mention she was married.

What really irked me the most was how easily the villagers turned on someone . When Catriona was accused of cheating on her husband, they all turned on her but the very next day, after she agreed to be Aidan’s leman, they treated her like royalty. To me, a leman is just a nobleman’s prostitute but for some reason, the villagers saw the position as something respectable. I didn’t get it.

So, that was the last book of the series that I know about now I will once again be looking for another series. I’m not sure if I’ll be looking for a Highlander series or a paranormal series. I have two books in my queue that just came in while reading this series that I have been waiting for from other series that I need to read. They are the next books in ongoing series from two of my favorite authors. I’m going to read those and then look for a new series.

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Very good book that kept me hooked all the way to the end. Aidan is heir to the laird, young, handsome and an excellent warrior. He is also well known for his pursuit of the ladies and when he sees Catriona, he immediately wants her. She's married, but he isn't going to let that stop him.

Cat hasn't had an easy life. She was married first to a cruel and abusive man who beat her so badly she lost the baby she carried and was told she'd not be able to have more children. When her husband died, her equally awful father, calling her useless, tried to sell her as a whore. When she fought back, a passing soldier came to her rescue and bought her, marrying her himself. Grateful, Cat does what she can to make his life more pleasant. They may not love each other, but she is loyal to him, which is why she is horrified by Aidan's pursuit of her. She makes it clear to him that she will not give in to him, though she cannot deny that she is attracted to him.

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to make any difference to Aidan. He makes arrangements for her husband to be away so that he has more opportunity to pursue her. By the time he finally understands that she is serious about her refusal, it is too late. People have noticed his attentions, and his reputation is such that all assume that she has been unfaithful. When her husband dies while he is away, Cat is left with nothing, evicted from her home and shunned by everyone.

It's at this point where Aidan starts to redeem himself. He realizes that it is is fault that Cat is in such dire straits. The only way he can protect her is to set her up as his mistress, providing her with a place to live and the means to support herself. He also feels guilty about his actions and reasons for sending her husband away. I liked the fact that, though she must be looked on as his mistress for her protection, he isn't going to force a relationship on her. He makes it clear that if anything is going to happen between them, it will be by her choice.

At the same time all of this is going on, Aidan's father has told him that it is time for him to marry. And that means finding a woman of good birth, dowry, and connections that will be good for the clan. Aidan knows that this is the way it must be, but it doesn't make him happy. He still plans to keep Cat, even after he marries.

Aidan and Cat begin to build a relationship. She has admitted her attraction to him, but her past experiences have not been pleasant ones. I liked Aidan's patience and gentleness as he exposed her to the pleasure that could be had. They slowly begin to get to know each other, but underneath it all is the knowledge that this is all they can ever have. For awhile, Cat believes that it will be enough for her, but soon realizes that she has fallen in love with him. She also knows that she could never be happy as the mistress of a married man. Though it will break her heart to do so, she knows she will have to leave once he has married. When it comes to her attention that he had purposely sent her husband away in order to seduce her, she feels betrayed. That scene had me in tears as she dealt with that blow, realizing more than ever that she has no place in his life. There's something else that adds to her need to get away, and there's only one person that can help her do it.

Aidan is horrified as it finally hits him what he has done. He tries to explain to her, but she wants nothing to do with him. His father sends him off for a few days, and when he comes back, Cat is gone. His father refuses to tell him where she has gone, and insists that it is time for Aidan to select a bride. In spite of the fact that Aidan's father loves his wife, he appears to have absolutely no sympathy for Aidan's misery. I loved seeing Aidan realize just how much he cares for Cat, and his efforts to find her were great. I loved the scene where Aidan finally told his parents who he was going to marry. The resulting furor was intense but my respect for Aidan went through the roof.

Aidan continued to mature as he faced the difficult task of finding Cat and then convincing her of his love. She had her own moments of facing up to her mistakes and wishing for a chance to make things right. I wondered how things were going to get resolved, and then Aidan's mother got involved. I had to laugh at her methods because they were certainly effective, even on a hard headed man like her husband. I loved seeing husband and son fall to her superior strategy. I enjoyed the ending as it touched on events from the two previous books.

I've only read three of the most recent books, but will add the others in the series to my wish list of books for the future. I especially want to read the story of Aidan's parents. ( )

A woman who is convinced that she's barren is married to an older man after he rescues her from her father trying to sell her when the Laird's son comes across her and he falls in lust and determines to bed her. She doesn't want to but after her husband dies they start a relationship. It's interesting and the complications make both of them, particularly the laird's son, Aidan, grow.

It's not a bad read. Better than others, but it wasn't very fixed in time. ( )