Fia MacLean is a playwright who knows her destiny lies in London, not Scotland, presenting her plays to the Queen of England. That is precisely where she is sneaking off to in the middle of the night when she meets Thomas Wentworth. She accidentally pushed him out the window he was trying to sneak into. When Fia discovers Thomas is returning to London that very night, she persuades Thomas to take her with him. Afraid that her cousin and guardian, Laird Duncan MacLean, may marry her off soon, Fia is desperate to get away and claim her destiny. Luck isn't with her though, and both she and Thomas are captured while in a compromising position.

Thomas Wentworth, the Earl of Rotherwood, is a spy known for his luck, which seems to have failed him in his latest mission. Not only has he saddled himself with an unwanted travel companion, no matter how comely, but by coming to her rescue, he has signed his fate. Discovered in a compromising position, Thomas not only loses the missive he was supposed to obtain for his mission but he's also forced to do the gentlemanly thing. Once married, Thomas vows to get an annulment when they reach London, but the more time he spends with his beautiful wife, the harder he's finding it to fight the attraction. Will he give into his wife, or hold steadfast until he gets the annulment he thinks he desires?

Fia is the kind of heroine you can't help but like. She's a quick-witted, saucy Scottish lass with a flair for getting into trouble. The connection between her and Thomas is instantaneous. Thomas is a cautious person with trust issues. You feel him wanting to give into his desire for Fia but then holding back because he's afraid of the eventual betrayal he is sure will follow. Their constant banter keeps you flipping the pages. If that weren't enough, the secondary characters in this book steal the story. Thomas's best friend Robert and Fia's cousin Duncan are intriguing men who will captivate you. Though neither has a story out yet, I'm hoping that Ms. Hawkins will go back at some point and write about them. They are just so fascinating and I want to know more about them. Also in the mix is the espionage subplot which brings with it a hint of danger.

Previously published as One Lucky Lord under the pseudonym Kim Bennett, Karen Hawkins has re-written this book and renamed it MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE. Though the story is a prequel to the MacLean saga and the soon to be published Hearst series, I found that, aside from a few mentions of the amulet and how Duncan came into possession of it, the story doesn't focus on the MacLean curse. We're not given any clear indication as to why Duncan stole the amulet or what happens to him and the woman he took it from after he takes it. In some ways, the story leaves a lot of loose threads. Having only read one book from the MacLean saga so far (I will rectify that soon), I don't know whether those threads are tied up in that series or if we'll learn more as the Hearst series starts up. Even without the strong connection though, this story was delightful. Once I started, I didn't want to put the book down. If you're not already a fan of Karen Hawkins, you will be after reading this book.

Book Summary

Meeting the lovely Fia MacLean is all it takes to turn English Earl Thomas Wentworth's espionage mission in Scotland upside down. Caught flirting in the woods with the seductive and infuriating lass, Thomas is held captive in the MacLean castle. His escape attempt only makes things worse, and having been found in a compromising position with the lady, Thomas is left with no choice but to marry Fia.

Thomas is having a hard time concentrating on his mission when just one glance from Fia makes him burn with desier. But Fia's sharp tongue and biting wit aren't her only advantages--she is in possession of an ancient amulet. Fia's cousin, Douglas MacLean, stole it from the White Witch and gave it to Fia for safekeeping. When she sets off for London, the amulet falls into the hands of Queen Elizabeth--leaving Fia to focus on her new husband, and the MacLean curse to develop.

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