When reading books connected in a series, I’ve noticed a problem with consistency for a lot of authors. One of the books will be wonderful, another merely okay, and another, disappointing. I have not read On Bended Knee, the book connected to this one, but from the review of it, it sounds like it was much better than the book I just finished.

Broc Ceannfhionn lost his entire clan to the English at a very young age. He was raised by a neighboring clan and therein developed close friends and ties. At the beginning of this book, Broc is very young and vowing revenge on the English. But somehow (it is not explained) Broc seems to vacilate from wanting revenge to not bothering to think about it. In this book he goes from hating the English on one page to falling in love with an English woman a scant few pages later, with no transition in between.

Elizabet and her half-brother, John, are traveling to Scotland to live with an unknown cousin. Elizabet’s mother was a trollop, and her father a baron. Since Elizabet’s father has remarried, his new wife wants nothing to do with any illegitimate offspring. For her part, Elizabet has serious concerns over her future because she knows nothing about Piers, her father’s relative who will be her new guardian. Elizabet’s day goes from bad to worse when she loses her dog, Harpy, and then runs across an overbearing Scotsman (Broc) who has possession of said dog. In the resulting confusion, a battle takes place, Elizabet’s life is threatened, her brother John is injured, and she is spirited away by Broc for her own safety.

The initial meeting between Broc and Elizabet can be summed up like this:

Broc: “English vixen!”
Elizabet: “Ungrateful behemoth!”
Broc: “Beautiful little shrew!”
Elizabet: “Scoundrel!”
Broc: “Foolish wench!”
Elizabet: “Churlish man!”
Broc: “Silly woman!”
Elizabet: “Crude man!”
Broc: “Ungrateful wench!”
Elizabet: “Scots barbarian!”
Broc: “Saucy wench!”

After this highly intellectual and emotionally connecting conversation, Broc and Elizabet spend a few days in each other’s company in an old hut and fall in love. See conversation above. Broc, however, has flat out lied to Elizabet about a matter which will affect her life deeply. He agonizes over it at least, but does not tell her until it is much too late. She, of course, wants nothing to do with him after that, yet in the best tradition of the TSTL heroine puts herself right in the path of danger, so he must come to her rescue.

Broc’s friends, the characters from the previous book, appear much more interesting than Broc and Elizabet, who spend their all their time together in bed or in scintillating conversation. See above. Elizabet has brief fears over ending up like her mother, but then decides to go ahead and sleep with Broc anyway. Broc’s character is more developed than Elizabet, who mainly stays in the cabin agonizing over what to tell her brother, while she sews a nice frock for Broc.

Those of you who were waiting for Broc’s story in this series may be doomed to disappointment. I know I was and my reaction to Lion’s Heart can be summed up in one word. GRRR! From the looks of Lori-Anne’s review, I would recommend re-reading On Bended Knee.