4.5 Wine Glass #Audio #Review for Captured by a Laird by Margaret Mallory

Title: CAPTURED BY A LAIRD
Series: The Douglas Legacy, Book 1
Author: Margaret Mallory
Narrator: Derek Perkins
Format: Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hours and 51 minutes
Published: 16 December 2014 (Margaret Mallory)
ISBN: ASIN: B00QMQDWU6
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Amazon
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Wine Glasses

THE DOUGLAS LEGACY

The Douglas sisters, beauties all, are valuable pawns in their family's bitter struggle to control the Scottish Crown. But when powerful enemies threaten, each Douglas lass will find she must face them alone.

CAPTURED BY A LAIRD

Haunted by his father's violent death, David Hume, the new laird of Wedderburn, sets out to make his name so feared that no one will dare harm his family again. The treacherous ally who played on his father's weakness is dead and beyond David's vengeance, but his castle and young widow are ripe for the taking. The moment David lays eyes on the dark-haired beauty defending her wee daughters, however, he knows this frail-looking lass is the one person who could bring him to his knees.

Wed at thirteen to a man who tried daily to break her spirit, Lady Alison Douglas is looking forward to a long widowhood. But when the fearsome warrior known as the Beast of Wedderburn storms her gates, she finds herself, once again, forced to wed a stranger. Alison is only a pawn to serve his vengeance, so why does this dark warrior arouse such fiery passion and an unwelcome longing in her heart?

With death and danger looming, these two wounded souls must learn to trust each other...for only love can save them. 

Linda's Thoughts:

“Burning her husband's bed was a mistake. Alison could see that now.” 

Captured by a Laird by Margaret Mallory is the first book in her Douglas Legacy series and a highly emotional, fast-paced Scottish romance. It is very well-written with vivid imagery that transports the reader into the story with engaging characters and intriguing historical details. David Hume, nicknamed the Beast of Wedderburn, and recently widowed Lady Alison Douglas are the featured hero and heroine. They had both been cruelly wronged by fate and learning to trust again would not be easy.

At the young age of thirteen, Lady Alison Douglas became Alison Blackadder. Blackadder was a middle aged man who mistreated her and dishonored her by publicly flouting his mistress to their clan. He allowed his staff to treat Alison just as poorly as he did. When she gave him daughters instead of sons, he mocked her. When he passed away and she was finally free of him, Alison was eager to remain unencumbered. However, that left her an easy target for lairds intent on adding to their lands because her brothers – Archie and George – did not treasure her and left her unprotected. When Blackadder castle was assaulted and stormed by the Beast of Wedderburn and his forces, she and the castle easily tumbled into David Hume’s hands.

In a time when treachery prevailed in politics, David boldly and courageously sought justice and vengeance after his father and uncle were cruelly betrayed resulting with their heads being displayed on pikes. David vowed to fulfill his father’s dying wish to free his father’s wife who had been wrongly imprisoned and to help raise his two younger brothers. A benefit of becoming one of the most feared men in Scotland meant that his clan would be safeguarded by his reputation. Now, if David could take Blackadder castle and marry the widow there, he would veritably be one of the most powerful men in Scotland.

David and Alison were likable and genuine characters. David was truly a hero. He was patient, caring, strong, protective and kind. Alison was raised as nobility, but after years of emotional and physical abuse, she needed to find herself. She certainly had spunk! It took courage to burn the laird’s bed and make a display of tossing the charred pieces out the window into the castle’s courtyard below!  Her two beautiful daughters have been her salvation when she didn’t think she could continue. Can Alison learn to trust the man who stormed her castle? Can David follow tradition while learning that loving the right person does not make you weak? You need to dive into Captured by a Laird to find out!

I enjoyed listing to David's and Alison's story! Derek Perkins’ performance excelled! He is easy to understand and differentiates between the characters. Both his male and female voices sound authentic. I love his Scottish accents! This story is highly emotional and his voice expressed that emotion perfectly. I experienced a myriad of emotions listening to him… I gasped, swooned, got teary-eyed, worried and elated. His narration added exponentially to my enjoyment of the story.


Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from Captured by a Laird:

“David started up the wheeled stairs to the upper floors with his sword at the ready. He expected to encounter Blackadder warriors, protecting the lady of the castle. But there were none on the stairs and none guarding the door on the first floor.

Damn it. She must have escaped. He gritted his teeth as he envisioned the lady’s guards leading her through the tunnel.

He was about to open the chamber door to make sure it was empty when Brian, one of his best men, came down the stairs.

“Laird, I checked all the chambers while ye were in the hall,” he said.

David’s jaw ached from clenching it.

“There’s one door on the floor just above us that wouldn’t open with the latch,” Brian said. “Shall I break it down?”

David waved him aside and pulled the ax from his belt as he raced up the stairs.

“Open it!” he shouted and pounded on the door.

He did not wait. She could be escaping through a secret door this very moment. Three hard whacks with his ax, and the door split. He kicked it until it swung open, then stepped through.

At his first sight of the woman, his feet became fixed to the floor. He felt strange, and his vision was distorted, as if as if he had swallowed a magical potion that narrowed his sight. He could see nothing in the room but her.

She was extraordinarily lovely, with violet eyes, pale skin, and shining black hair. But there was something about her, something beyond her beauty, that held him captive. She was young, much younger than he expected, and her features and form were delicate, in marked contrast to the violent emotion in her eyes.

David knew to the depths of his soul that a brute like him should not be the man to claim this fragile flower, even while the word mine beat in his head like a drum. He had no notion of how long he stood staring at her before he became aware that she held a sword. It was longer still before he noticed the two wee lasses peeking out from behind her like frightened kittens.

Anger boiled up in his chest. Every Blackadder man in the castle who could still draw breath should have been here, standing between him and their lady. Instead, she faced him alone with a sword she could barely lift with both hands.

It was a brave, but ridiculous gesture.

There was no defense against him.” 
--- 

“I was a possession he had a right to use, a woman with no feelings that mattered.” Wedderburn still did not speak. “I don’t want to feel like that again,” she said in a whisper. 

Wedderburn’s eyes were dark with a violent emotion, but his hands were gentle as he held her face. “You’ll never be just any woman to me,” he said. “I want to know you, Alison Douglas.” 
---

 “You’re my wife,” he said, “and ye don’t have to like it.”

This is the second book I’ve read by Margaret Mallory. I originally fell in love with her storytelling with The Gift. Captured by a Laird is teeming with passion, suspense, political corruption and danger. I highly recommend Captured by a Laird to anyone who enjoys heartbreaking and breathtaking Scottish historical romances! I can’t wait to listen to Claimed by a Highlander soon!



Suggested Reading Order: 
Captured by a Laird (Book #1)
Claimed by a Highlander (Book #2)