Devil's Own

This zippy 17th-century Scottish romance, the sequel to 2010's Devil's Highlander, is hot, hot, hot. Ten-year-old Aidan MacAlpin was kidnapped by pirates; 17 years later, he escapes and returns to his family and Dunnottar Castle to plan revenge. To track his pearl-earringed quarry, Aidan has to learn to read, and who better to teach him than Elspeth Josephina Farquharson, a spunky, bookish milkmaid whose wastrel father is plotting to marry her off for profit? As they turn from studying the Book of Common Prayer to reading racy Shakespearean sonnets, Elspeth's heart soars and Aidan's sporran chafes through a cleverly protracted mating ritual that leads to a breathtaking climax. Wolff's appealing young lovers vanquish both ungodly villainy and their inner insecurities as they hurtle toward consummation. (Mar.)