The Warrior Laird

Maguire’s trilogy launch highlights clan warfare in 18th-century Scotland. Dugan MacMillan, the MacMillan laird, needs a way to pay the rents on his land before the duke of Argyll evicts him and the members of his clan. Gold from a failed uprising is rumored to be hidden in the highlands, and Dugan goes in search of it. Along the way he meets Maura Duncanson, whose father is forcing her to marry the aging Baron Kildary. Dugan decides to hold Maura for ransom from Kildary and promptly becomes enamored of her beauty and immeasurable resolve in the face of adversity. He must decide whether love is worth the risk of letting Maura accompany him on his treasure hunt. Maguire (Seducing the Governess) makes smooth, fast-paced writing look effortless, and the story is peppered with satisfying romantic interludes but somewhat marred by a lack of character depth and development. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management. (Aug.)