I have a weakness for historical stories set in Scotland, but I often end up dissatisfied; when I find one that’s good, it’s a pleasant surprise. With its Victorian time frame and Scottish setting, interesting premise, and dash of paranormal, Elizabeth Thornton’s A Bewitching Bride unfortunately falls firmly into the average category for this reader.

Kate Cameron has a secret, one that she fears will endanger her so it’s kept tightly guarded – or so she thought. As those around her with knowledge of her secret die mysteriously, she knows it’s linked to her past, her ability, and her dreams. Luckily she doesn’t have to deal with her fears and the threat alone after a near stranger enters the picture and helps her whether she likes it or not.

Gavin Hepburn’s visions of a woman in distress bring him to a wedding in Scotland where he sees Kate and feels as though she’s the one threatened. These thoughts are confirmed when he rescues her from danger and discovers that a mutual friend is murdered. Gavin makes it his personal responsibility to keep Kate safe, regardless of the steps he must take to do so.

With the help of friends and a loyal dog, Gavin and Kate both elude and track a killer whose motives aren’t clear. To remain in close proximity without causing too much scandal, the two agree to a temporary engagement. Gavin uses this as an excuse to not only stay close to Kate and get to know her, but also to discover the secrets of her past. It doesn’t take him long to figure out there is more between the two of them than intrigue.

Sadly, the plot and characters were dull. It certainly wasn’t a bad read, but more of a book I simply wanted to finish in order to move on to something else. Both characters are just of the ho-hum variety. Kate’s gifts are rather uninteresting and never play a large role in the plot. Also, there is so much push and pull between the hero and the headstrong heroine that the tension between the two became slightly annoying before the end of the story. Gavin’s character was inconsistent and filled the role of the obligatory fake rake. At times he attempted to be controlling or protective, but most efforts met with failure. However, I did find him quite a bit more interesting than the heroine. On the other hand, the secondary characters added humor and depth to the story, but weren’t enough to make up for the main characters.

Although the premise is intriguing, the action of the story never picked up any steam and fell flat. The characters were often involved in situations and compromising positions that seemed completely inappropriate for the Victorian setting.

I didn’t find the adventurous, Scottish setting I so long for in A Bewitching Bride, but I’ll keep reading and waiting for one to turn up.