The Bridegroom Wore Plaid

Burrowes (Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight) shifts from Regency England to Victorian Scotland with this delightful series kickoff. Highlander Ian MacGregor, the impoverished earl of Balfour, is resigned to marrying an English heiress, Eugenia Daniels, for the sake of his clan. In truth, he’d rather spend time with Augusta Merrick, Eugenia’s spinster cousin and chaperone. Augusta tries to help Ian court her reluctant cousin, but their mutual attraction keeps getting in the way. Hopes for a happy ending are complicated by secrets that put Augusta’s life in danger, requiring the cooperation of both extended families to set things right. Historical details enrich Burrowes’s intimate and erotic story, but the real stars are her vibrant characters and her masterful ear for dialogue. Burrowes is superb at creating connections that feel honest and real, and the side romances for Ian’s siblings, treated with the same tenderness and care as her central pair, makes this tale even sweeter. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency. (Dec.)