Purple prose and a small number of historical inaccuracies mar this steamy romance, Welfonder's second book (after Devil in a Kilt) set in 14th-century Scotland. The plot centers on the revenge of the Clan MacInnes on Donall the Bold, laird of the Clan MacLean. The MacInnes believe that Donall and his brother, Ian, are responsible for the death of Lileas MacInnes, Ian's wife and the sister of the clan's unlikely laird, Lady Isolde. In their rage, the MacInnes capture and imprison Donall, who has come to return Lileas's body to them. Although the men of the clan desire bloody revenge, Isolde believes that peace can be forged by cementing the two clans with a child, and she uses all manner of seductive charms and potions to entice Donall into her bed. The result is a series of imaginative love scenes so spicy and over-the-top that readers will be hard-pressed to believe that Isolde is inexperienced. Predictably, love springs from hot sex, and readers who are willing to trudge through the many pages of bedroom banter will be duly rewarded when the identity of Lileas's murderer is finally unmasked, ensuring a happy-ending for all. (Apr.)
