This Scot of Mine Review

Title: This Scot of Mine

Author: Sophie Jordan

Rating: 2 Stars 

Lady Clara is desperate to escape a horrible engagement. So desperate that she claims to be pregnant with another man's child thus ensuring her that her engagement will be called off but it also leaves her as a ruined woman. Without any future marriage prospects, Clara prepares herself for her fate as a governess to her brother's children and a life of solitude.

Laird Hunt MacLarin believes that he is cursed. Both his father and grandfather died before the birth of their first child. He has vowed not to produce an heir so that he can avoid the curse. When he meets Clara, he's instantly drawn to her and her stubborn nature. When he learns that she is pregnant with another man's child, he sees it as the perfect solution to his family's curse. He will claim the child as his heir, he will avoid death and Clara will not be a "ruined woman" any longer.

There's only one problem to the Laird's plan: Clara isn't actually pregnant.

I was hoping to like this book more. I love a good scandal and I love a good highlander romance. I was enjoying this book up until the part when Clara and Hunt agree to get married.

*** Spoilers ***

Clara's brother tells her to marry the laird without revealing the truth. He's convinced that he loves her (he does, of course) and that he will forgive her for making up a fake pregnancy. This would be fine except Clara does not reveal the truth until after they couple are married.

She allows Hunt to marry her and to make love to her. he even finishes inside of her. Can you see where this is going? All of this happens while he believes that she is already pregnant and she does not stop to correct him. After their wedding night, he realizes that something is not right and Clara comes clean about her secret.

I don't understand the author's choice to have Clara's secret be revealed in this way. They started their marriage off with dishonesty which creates mistrust. I was hoping that Clara would reveal the truth to him before they were married. Was there really no other way to break the curse before Clara got pregnant with Hunt's children?

***

The way Clara's fake pregnancy was revealed to Hunt was very off putting to me. It ruined the end of the book and the romance for me, and this is unfortunate because I was enjoying the romance up until this part. What started as a pleasant read just did not hit home for me in the end.

So far, I've been reading average books this month. I've given one book four stars (The Black Tides of Heaven), two books three stars and two books two stars including this book. Hopefully this two star trend does not continue for the entire month.