Much Ado About Marriage

Sassy, beautiful Fia MacLean wants nothing more than to leave Scotland for London and present her plays to Queen Elizabeth. However, the very night she attempts to run away from Duart Castle and her overprotective cousin, Laird Duncan MacLean, she knocks Thomas Wentworth, an English earl on a spy mission, right off a window ledge, and the two begin a journey toward love. Though some elements will be confusing for new readers, anyone can appreciate the espionage subplot and the delightful banter between spitfire Fia and quick-tongued Thomas. Colorful secondary characters, especially Thomas's bombastic best friend, add humor and charm. An open ending may strike some readers as weak, but others will be moved to seek out Hawkins's MacLean Curse and Hurst Amulet series, to which this is a prequel. (Sept.)