Never Seduce a Scot

Montgomerys and Armstrongs, Book 1

By: Maya Banks

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Romance, 2013

Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her "touched." Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn't speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty -unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions. Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

©2012 Maya Banks (P)2012 Tantor

Loved it!

This is such a great book. I absolutely loved Eveline and Graeme. Such a great couple. Hard to believe Graeme figured out she was deaf in a week and her family did not figure it out in three years...but sometimes those closest don't see the obvious. Kirsten Potter is OK as narrator...not great but OK.

Great story

Made me laugh and made me cry story o hope and forgiveness and of course love ❣️

What just Happened???

This was my first historic romance novel! I am hooked! This was a heartwarming love story. I couldn't put it down! I'm glad there's another in the series

Awesome Scottish Historical romance!!!

I loved this book! Eveline and Graeme are a great couple. I loved them together and the story was really good with a real bang up ending! Just awesome. :D

Eveline grew up normal but 3 years before the start of the book she took a fall from her horse. She suffered head trauma as well as exposure to the elements that cause her to take sick and suffer a bad fever that took a while to clear up. When she awoke she was deaf and had trouble adapting to it. People thought she was daft after the injury and fever but once she started realizing more of what was going on she saw that her being seen as "daft" got her out of a promise of marriage to an evil man that she feared greatly. She eventually learned to read lips but didn't speak because she didn't want the marriage threat to come back if it was found out she wasn't daft. Because of this she let the deception go on until one day the King decides he needs to forge an alliance.

The King wanted these 2 clans (the 2 largest clans of his supporters) to forge an alliance and stop a feud that had been going on for 5 generations. He decides to decree a marriage between Eveline and Graeme (even knowing of her injury and supposed daftness) in an effort to stop the feud. Graeme isn't happy about this at first because he has to marry the daughter of his enemy and also (from what everyone thinks) she's daft and can't be a true wife. And as luck would have it (for Eveline), Graeme is totally sweet for a Scottish warrior and clan leader. He decides not to cheat on her even when he doesn't think she can be a true wife and when they meet, he is gentle with her and never takes out any frustrations out on her.

Because it's a decreed marriage and neither clan is comfortable with the other the marriage takes place quickly and Graeme takes her back to his clan's lands. Graeme is very sweet with Eveline from the start but he's not sure how to handle her and wants to get to better judge her faculties before he takes things very far. He figured out early that she's not stupid but he doesn't understand the reasons for her sometimes odd behavior. Eventually he figures out her lack of hearing is the issue and eventually she begins to feel out how to speak again with his help. Once Graeme realizes Eveline isn't daft he wastes no time in consummating the marriage since this whole time he's been fighting his attraction to her. She felt the attraction too and so she was also very willing to make their marriage a true one.

Unfortunately, while Graeme and Eveline were finding each other the rest of his clan (except his siblings) were finding ways to make Eveline miserable while she tried hard to fit in. Graeme tries to shield her from this but that proves impossible to do. Things come to a head with betrayal that puts Eveline in danger and almost plunges both clans in to war. The ending of the book was a major KAPOW! Homerun...out of the park... Seriously!

I am not someone who reads a lot of historical romances (although I have read a few) but this one has convinced me to get the next in the series as well as try some of the other historicals from Maya.

I would highly recommend this book. It's awesome and a wonderful story with a wonderful hero (I totally want a Graeme of my own). 2 thumbs way up! :D

The narrator did a great job too. :)

My new favorite

This has to be the best book I have ever read; the very definition of romance. I don't have time to write more because I just bought another Maya Banks book and I can't wait to get started.

Different!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If they enjoyed the same books yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Never Seduce a Scot?

When we are told what is "wrong" with her. Loved the way her husband kept her near. Snuggled her in his lap.

Which character – as performed by Kirsten Potter – was your favorite?

All. She is a great narrator.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Kirsten Potter takes this to a whole other level!

Maya Banks is well known for her erotica books, but her Highland books are right up there on my list. This was a reread (first time listening) for me because it has been years and I was in the mood for some Scottish Lairds. This was a good book with a strong and just hero, but really Eveline stole the show. She was smart, strong and proud as she struggled to overcome her past and make a home for herself in an enemy clan. This wasn't a book that kept me on the edge of my seat, but I did become invested in the characters and I caught myself sitting at home listening to this just so I could hear more about them.

I read Never Seduce a Scot way back when I first came across Maya Banks (way before I got into audiobooks) and I absolutely loved it, it was my first foray into Historical Romance. I decided to give it a listen after seeing it recommended in a couple different facebook groups and I am so freaking glad I did. Kirsten Potter did an amazing job narrating! She is a new to me narrator but after the first few minutes I added her name to my list of go to narrators! I feel like a lot of highland audios are hit or miss because it’s a tough accent and world to narrate but I loved her Scottish accents for all the characters, and she did an amazing job with Eveline’s struggles!

really great story

(Graeme & Eveline): TRIGGERS: bullying, abuse, assault. I totally enjoyed this. Two rival clans are forced to form a sort of peace treaty by order of the king. To do this, the Montgomery's must give their only daughter to the current Laird of the Armstrong clan. The only problem is that their daughter, Eveline is known to be daft or slow. She had an accident that caused brain fever. Now she doesn't speak and she's deaf. The Armstrong's see this as a punishment because they believe she will not be able to give an heir. This story is a love story but really turns out to be a story of strength. The strength of a woman who does what she needs to in order to survive. Eveline is young, beautiful and brilliant. While still innocent in some ways she's also faced a lot of challenges. Those challenges don't stop once married. Graeme is a typical alpha male who learns very quickly that his wife is stronger than everyone thinks. He quickly falls for her and tries to protect her but not everyone accepts her because of her name. It's a really great book with some really good plot twists. Can't wait to read the next book.

One of my favorites

This is one of my favorite highlander books. I listen to it about once a year. The narration is great and the story is original.

Wow!

What a terrific story. I was totally enthralled from beginning to end. The narration was amazing! This book is one of my absolute top favorites and I can't wait to continue to the next book!