When a Scot Ties the Knot

Castles Ever After

By: Tessa Dare

Narrated by: Carmen Rose

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: She invented a sweetheart.

A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter...and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.

Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep - handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He's wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters...and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.

©2015 Eve Ortega (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Cute Story, But......

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Doubtful. The theme of the story was charming: a shy debutante fearing her first London season and how she avoids it . Not interesting in marriage; wanting only to draw her pencil drawings Maddie devised a plan to stay at home. She created a love match with a Scottish Captain away at war. The beginning was delightful, the letters to the imaginary Captain were comical, but it soon lost it's humor and the story started going downhill after a real Captain MacKinzie appeared on the scene . The story didn't seem to have continuity and the very detailed sex scenes were 'thrown in' to take up space. I found the personalities of Maddie and the Captain inconsistent with the story as it progressed. It was poorly written in my estimation.

What did you like best about this story?

The beginning when Maddie invents her betrothed and the letters she wrote to her imaginary Captain. The narrator was also enjoyable to listen to. She did the Scottish accents especially well.

Have you listened to any of Carmen Rose’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't remember hearing her before.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

I didn't find the book romantic. The sex scenes were too detailed and seemed to be thrown in, rather than romantically led up to. I found the sex scene that took place when Maddie had just dressed to go to a conference where she was to be honored for her illustrations especially repulsive and out of place. But I found most of them thus.

Any additional comments?

I would have liked the book if the body of the story was as convincing and enjoyable as the beginning; if the author had better considered the personalities she created in her main characters while writing her story. It's hard to describe, but it's like the rhythm of the story was off. Throwing in the sex scenes the way she did just made the story more disjointed.

Wonderful!!

I listen to a lot of historical romances, but seldom do I enjoy one as much as this. Although it is a romance and has a little steamy passion, it also has laugh out loud humor throughout the book. The main characters are likeable and funny. Madeline makes up an imaginary fiancée and writes letters so her family won't press her to marry. But what she doesn't know is that those letters actually make it into the hands of a real Scottish Captain. He comes to look for her after the war is over and that's when the real fun begins. Miss Rose does a great narration and her Scottish brogue is beautiful. If you like a love story with witty dialogue and passion and humor, I highly recommend this book.

An unexpected pleasure

The Shy Madeline gets panic attacks in crowds and so to avoid her debut into society she makes up a her engagement and romance to a Scottish Captain named Logan MacKenzie who supposedly has to leave to go to defend his country in a war right after they meet and fall in love. To keep up the deception she posts letters to him and also writes correspondence back to herself. After a few years of being able to keep her father and stepmother happy about the impending marriage, she realizes she can not keep up the scheme and announces to everyone that he has died at war. She is left a castle in Scotland by her godfather which she takes advantage of to escape the Ton and moves there with her aunt. Years later she has an unexpected visitor ready to cash in on the promise of marriage. Captain Logan MacKenzie, back from the war demands marriage and through it wishes to gain what he believes should have been his to begin with. The castle. The letters containing her admission to lies is what he uses to force her hand into marriage.

This book was refreshing and sweet and put a smile on my face every night before I fell sleep as I listened to a few chapters. This story is a mood lifting romance with very very little drama. Great for those who wish to just read something sweet to escape their day to day life.

If you want to be surprised by laughter and a really great story listen to this book

This was my first book by Tessa Dare and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of it. Great story line, witty, romantic, and I don't remember them when I have laughed so much. And I must say, Carmen Rose made it even better with her excellent narration!

Dare and Rose are a good combination

Carmen Rose is a good narrator. I love her Scottish brogue. I always enjoy Tessa Dare's stories, her heroes and heroines aren't the run of the mill beautiful nobility, but more like real people.
This was a good series, worth a credit.

What a delight and lobsters too!!!

Laughed so much while listening to this book. I walked while listening and was worried someone would see me and wonder if I was crazy. Witty bander between hero and heroine was delightful. Tessa Dare is one of my favorite romance writers and this is in my top 5 of all time best romance books I've read/listened to. Narrator was wonderful.

Brilliant!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrator did such an awesome job. I couldn't put it down!
The storyline is full of humour and at times I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of him and his men. I highly recommend.

Absolutely delightful

I enjoyed every second of this clever, delightful book. The characters are quirky and fun, I think it is one of Tessa Dare's best.

Just okay for me. Bad male voice on the narration.

Well this was just okay for me. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I liked the heroine she was kind of nerdy. But she just seemed to be too insecure. The hero was just okay nothing fantastic nothing wonderful just kind of whatever.... The chemistry was just okay. There were a couple of hot and steamy. very nicely written sex scenes, so there is that.

I feel like the story was just kind of dull. Not much of plot just sort of MEH...

There was a lot of dialogue and I did enjoy that.

As for the narration. Well let me just say I will never ever listen to Carmen Rose do a male scottish highland accent again. I was not good at all. NOT. AT. ALL.

He sounded so feminine and the accent was atrocious. Oh and I had to speed up the narration to 1.25 as she read really slow. But at the 1.25 speed it was better. She did the female voices just fine and her reading voice sped up is good.

I enjoyed the two previous books much more than this one, I also enjoyed Carmen Rose's narration much more too. But there were no scottish hero's in either of those.

I think the story suffered some from the narration. I wish I would have read the book instead. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more? Still a bit dull. but maybe not as bad if not listening to it. Sigh.. I guess I will never know. Oh well.

Narrator is incredibly good

Best female narrator of male voices around and her Scottish burr is amazing. To die for. Story isn’t my favorite of the series. Least favorite. Repartee is not up to Dare’s normal standard but it is charming and fun as all her book are.

Not amused

Short and a bit recreated version of Outlander. Basically rip off. Nothing unexpected. If somebody wants a background noise while doing smth the book is good for that.

Awful pronunciation of Gaelic words

can Scots Gaelic really be so different from Irish? To pronounce Bealtaine (May) 'Belltayne' is ridiculous; 'a chroí' (my heart / my love) does not end with 'a', which was how Carmen said it throughout. She said 'cairde' (friend) as 'carriage' and 'baile' (town / village) as bally. It jarred all the way through the story and shows a complete absence of research.

A bit drawn out

Story was a bit drawn out but I got there in the end, great narration