I found LESSONS IN LOVING A LARID, Michelle Marcos' latest romance novel, refreshingly new and stunning in its intensity. This one begins as no romance never ever has before. Marcos' beginning is true to the time and gives readers a very real glimpse of what life was like for a child of Scotland as its people fought each other for land, for honor, for title, or just simply for war. The book never did slow down its pace and I just kept turning the page for that something more where I could be okay putting it down!

Shona Slayter, once a MacAsian, and her sister Willow have spent most of their lives as indentured servants. After watching the brutal murders of most of their family, the kidnapping of their brother, and the ultimate demise of their clan the girls were forced to do anything to survive. But that survival was not always easy. Now Shona is counting down the days until she is free and can look for the brother that she just knows is out there waiting to be found. Unfortunately before her birthday the new Laird of Ballencrieff thinks that his very much past due rents needs to be paid in full and it seems that Shona and her sister are going to be forced to cover the debts of the family they work for.

Conall MacEwan has just recently lost his wife. Now he is raising his son on his own, on an Estate he has never known, where it seems the tenants have more than the Laird and nothing has been set to rights for a very very long time. Forced to collect back payments to ensure the sanctity of his own, Conall did not expect to be questioned, nor did he expect to find that this hostility is coming from feisty young woman indentured to his tenants. Intrigued and more than a little attracted Conall accepts payment in the form of the girl and her sister who will be working off the debt owed to him.

Determined to gain her freedom no matter the cost Shona sets out to seduce the Laird. Unfortunately sometimes it seems that her tongue gets in the way of her plans. Confident, head strong, and brazen Shona stands up for those she considers hers, she stands up for those she doesn't, and finds herself standing up to the one man who can grant her the freedom she so desires. Can Shona keep her temper in check long enough to win the heart of the Laird?

These two characters were both independent people who you almost knew would never fully get along. The sparks that flew with each argument make them more determined to stay away from the other. Yet it seems as if that is the one thing that never happened. Conall and Shona are just drawn to each other like moths to flame. Their romance is very entertaining to watch. As much as Shona wants her freedom she soon finds that she wants Conall more. Will the Laird take a chance on love and claim her as his own?

Book Summary

A DEFIANT APPRENTICE

Thrust into indentured servitude as a child, Shona Slayter is counting the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she gains her precious freedom. Unfortunately, the new laird of the estate has other plans—and he’s determined to keep her bound to him. The only way for Shona to be free of her bonds is to marry the man who holds the key. But seducing a handsome laird is not what she was trained for, and the more she tries to win his heart, the more she loses hers.

A HARD MASTER

With a young son to raise and a crumbling Scottish estate to manage, Conall has enough to worry about without the brazen, beautiful Shona challenging him at every turn. But their heated spats are starting to turn into real sparks…and soon the Scottish hills are ablaze with their forbidden attraction. Yet no matter what Shona is willing to do to buy her freedom, Conall has no intention of letting her go...

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