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Book Review of Betrayed

Betrayed
Betrayed
Author: Bertrice Small
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 3389 more book reviews


From Literary Times
Left orphaned at a young age and in charge of her four younger sisters, Fiona Hay has struggled to do everything possible to take care of them. This was not always easy, living in an isolated ben in Scotland, with only two family retainers to help out. Fiona gets one sister married off and two more are ready to do so tomorrow. Only one problem . . . they have no dowry. What does the head of the family do? Simple, Fiona steals eight heads of cattle from the neighboring Gordon clan to use as the sisters' dowries. Black Angus Gordon, chieftain laird of Clan Gordon, tracks the wily thief to the Ben of the Hay. He is astounded to find a household of women, one of whom is obviously the thief. Not able to hang Fiona Hay as a thief, yet unwilling to lose face in front of his clansmen, Angus accepts Fiona's outrageous proposal to take her as his mistress in payment. Both young lovers are strong willed and stubborn about confessing their feelings for each other. Circumstances and politics combine to cruelly come between the two, effectively setting a hard course for the two to follow. Set against the glorious backdrop of Scotland and filled with the rich history of the reign of James I of Scotland, Betrayed is a typical Bertrice Small story. Though Ms. Small is known for her accuracy to historic detail, and Betrayed is no exception, there were a couple of things I personally had a hard time getting past. First, the fact that Fiona becomes Angus Gordon's mistress at the tender age of fifteen was a turn off. Second, I so despised James I as a character and for what he does to the hero/heroine, I was completely distracted from enjoying the story. Though well written, I will warn that this is not a warm and fuzzy romance. Those that do not like reading about a heroine who is forced into a relationship with a man other than her true love may be as unhappy as I was with this plot device, and the story will be ruined. Bertrice Small, the queen of erotic romance, continues her tradition of stormy and steamy tales. Betrayed plunges the reader into the rich and colorful history of Scotland, and provides readers with an emotional punch not soon to be forgotten! Ms. Small again gives the public an emotionally charged and erotic story of woe and triumph! Gloria Lower -- Copyright © 1998 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved