The romance between a Scottish warrior and an English lady can always make for intriguing storytelling. There is just so much possibility for external and internal conflict and at times the history can overwhelm the characters, if they’re not that well delineated. Unfortunately, this is what happens with the hero and heroine in Seize the Dawn, which is the first in a new series.

The first time Eleanor of Clarin and Brendan Graham meet, it’s on the battlefield at Falkirk in 1298. Shocked to see a female, Brendan loses his wits long enough to get clobbered by Eleanor. The second time they meet is no less eventful – this time, Brendan is taking over the ship Eleanor is taking to France, to meet her elderly fiancé. She is not particularly eager to marry the Count de Lacville but he is a better alternative than any of the men her cousins have suggested, and as heiress of her lands, it is her duty to wed, and the Count is, at least, an honorable man. Eleanor’s English fury is well met by Brendan’s Scots pride, they each have suffered at the hands of their enemy, and are unwilling to forget. The fact that Sir William Wallace himself is aboard Brendan’s ship doesn’t help matters, as Eleanor learns that she is to be used in Brendan’s dealings with the French King.

Known as Santa Lenora for her courage in facing the “barbarian Scots” that attacked her lands, Eleanor is already a legend for having been in the middle of the fighting. Her character proved to be a little problematic, since on top of being nearly a saint to her people, she is beautiful, brave, kind, daring, skilled in swordfighting, etc. Too much suspension of belief is required, and not solely in relation to her overabundance of abilities. When Eleanor is not plotting to escape, which she does repeatedly in the space of a few pages, she goes from hating Brendan and everything he stands for to asking him to make love to her, with little transition between one feeling and the other. As many love scenes as there are throughout the book, sexual compatibility on its own doesn’t seem a guarantee that their life together will be a harmonious one.

Danger is not limited to the highly volatile situation between the English and Scots (not to mention between the Scots themselves), but there are many intrigues on the home front as well. Even after Eleanor goes through with her marriage to the elderly Count de Lacville and goes home to Clarin, there is no feeling of security. The source of the threat is made quite obvious to the reader from the moment that character is introduced, which makes Eleanor appear naïve. When the Count dies, Eleanor is accused of having poisoned him, and she is to be tried for his murder, although there is little real justice to be expected considering the treachery that is behind it all.

There is plenty of history throughout this book, which may pull the reader out of the story, particularly since William Wallace plays such a large part in the story and he is such a larger-than-life character. He is so very charismatic and vital that he nearly overshadows Brendan. Then too, some plot devices are used more than once, such as Eleanor’s repeated escape attempts, using lovemaking to deter a character from their plans, etc. Wallace and these plot devices point up the fact that neither Eleanor nor Brendan is a particularly memorable character on their own. Seize the Dawn wasn’t a great read, but there was promise, and I might give another book by Ms. Drake a try.