Swept off Her Feet

Browne (The Finishing Touches) put her passion for traditional Scottish dance to the test in a charming tale of a woman caught between the romance of bygone eras and the demands of the present. Obsessed with%E2%80%94"addicted to"%E2%80%94all things past, socially inept antiques appraiser Evie Nicholson is delighted when her more sophisticated sister Alice arranges for her to visit the Scottish castle Kettlesheer in search of salable artifacts to finance its increasingly expensive upkeep. Escorted to Scotland by Alice's gentlemanly boyfriend, Fraser Graham, Evie is soon dealing with the eccentric Duncan McAndrew and his attractive son Robert, the uncomfortable heir to Kettlesheer ("It's ruined at least three ancestors," he says). Catriona Learmont, the mother of Robert's would-be fianc%C3%A9e, prepares the traditional Valentine's Day ball, which will feature traditional whirling Scottish reels. Intrigued by the castle's history, attracted to both Fraser and Robert, and swept into the merriment of Scottish dancing, Evie's interest in Kettlesheer and the McAndrew family grows increasingly personal. Browne's clever modern-day Cinderella story balances a sharp eye for the ridiculous with a genuine affection for the foibles of tradition to tell the delightful story of a woman finding passion%E2%80%94and freedom%E2%80%94on the dance floor. (Mar.)