Lord of the Isles    by Amanda Scott Order:  USA  Can Warner, 2005 (2005) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton Interestingly enough, Amanda Scott's Lord of the Isles is based loosely on actual characters from Scottish history in the late 1300's. The story centers on Lord Macleod's two oldest daughters - Christina and Mariota - and the man who will come between them, Hector Reganoch, Lord of Lochbuie. Christina, the eldest, has been considered the Lady of the clan since the death of her mother. Now eighteen years old, she is very responsible and takes good care of her father and her sisters. With the help of her aunt, Lady Euphemia, Christina does a good job of running the household. Her sister, Mariota, is seventeen years old and stunningly beautiful. Mariota has no problems attracting men, but because Christina is the eldest and their father is superstitious, he has ordained that Christina must wed first. When Lord Hector Reaganoch shows up seeking shelter from a thunderstorm, he meets and falls for the fair Mariota. But when he asks for her hand in marriage, Lord Macleod refuses. When Hector insists on marrying Mariota, Macleod tricks him, and drugs him before the ceremony. Hector is the only one unaware that he is marrying the wrong sister. When he wakes up the next morning, he realizes what has happened and threatens to annul the marriage. However, Christina confirms that they did spend their wedding night as husband and wife. Though Hector still yearns for Mariota, the more he gets to know her, the less he likes the beautiful maiden. She's no longer just a pretty face, but a pretty face with a very irritating personality. He also finds he is falling in love with his wife. But Christina, who has been in love with him since she first laid eyes on him that rainy night, believes he still wants Mariota. Though I had a hard time getting into the book at first, it grew on me. What is most enjoyable is not the actual romance between Christina and Hector, but the entire setup in which Mariota thinks she will eventually claim Hector for her own husband, after she told her father she had no interest in him. Only Christina's marriage to Hector made Mariota look twice at him. Fans of historical fiction will love Lord of the Isles, and I am looking forward to reading more by Amanda Scott. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews