In the Arms of a Highlander

A forced marriage drives Sinclair’s steamy ninth McTiernay Brothers romance (after How to Marry a Highlander), set in the picturesque 14th-century Scottish Lowlands. Swoon-worthy warrior Brodie Dunstan has returned to serve as a guard at Laird Colin McTiernay’s Lochlen Castle after being abruptly dismissed as presumptive heir to Highland chief Mahon Donovan, and he’s chafing at the loss of status. When he stumbles upon a drenched Shinae Mayboill, a former nun turned deadly spy who’s escaped an English raid to bring crucial anti-English information to Lochlen, Brodie rescues her from the rain, bringing her to a convenient hut to dry out. When Laurel, the clan chieftain’s vigilant wife, discovers them in this compromising position—both stripped of their wet clothes—she demands that they be married immediately. From there, episodes of superheated marital bliss alternate with political intrigue and scenes of arrogant men learning to value their commonsensical women. Sinclair’s Scotland is as lusciously portrayed here as the characters’ swirling kilts and throwaway kirtles. It’s a fun and frisky time. (Feb.)