CAPTURED BY A LAIRD (THE DOUGLAS LEGACY Book 1)

This is the first time I write a review. Ever. I loved this book so much, I had to write one. I have read everything Margaret has ever written; and in my opinion, this is her best work so far! With this book, she took me on an emotional journey that had me laughing, crying (yes, crying! I haven't cried while reading a novel since I was a teenager!), and wishing for the painful demise of a few nasty villains. When she began writing it, I was skeptical that I would love another series as much as her RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS, but those doubts are completely gone. Now I'm certain I will love this series even more. For anyone who loves romance, especially highland romance, this is a MUST READ! Deane Mushlit

I have always enjoyed reading about Scotland and their tangle families one thing I am certain i love this time in life where woman's opinions are value and divorced is an option this book reminds me of how far we have come from. the book itself was very entertaining and well written I love happy ending it encourage me to continue reading more of your books thank you so much.

I want a refund! Boring, repetative, h is a whiny shrew that got on my nerves. H and h are described in one way but come out the opposite. And the sex part with Patrick, really? First and last book from this author. Very inconsistent, impossible to connect with. So frustrating because it could have been such a fun read.

Lobed it but way to short. More of these books could ne combined somehow so as not to bee such an expense. Especially when there are so many bools in the series! And if audible is available, I feel it should be no charge. And not added the book price. On the other hand, i enjoyed it immensely! A good read that I'd recommend to anyone!

This is the story of a Laired who avenges his family, married for power, falls in love & sacrifices everything to protect the ones he loves. This has many ups and downs, a lot of violence and a HEA, strong emotions and multiple misunderstandings. Worth reading.

Love story or (sex story) let me count the ways! h was abused meek and mild for 10 years of a bad marriage, then when she had a good marriage she turned into a shrew that berated her new husband in front of his men and just berated him on everything he did. They had monotonous/never ending sex throughout the book but during the days no love, no closeness, no trust, zip! Also H was a GR8 warrior with experienced warriors, but the castle they won and supposedly protected was like grand central station.Under that kind of management it could have easily been taken! The h was grating and just down right irritating!

This is the first book I have read by Margaret Mallory. I started reading it actually thinking that I could always delete it if it sucked, lol. Nope I really enjoyed the story. I will be reading the next book.

Excellent! Another great beginning to a Mallory series. Loved the main characters. Loved the secondary ones also. This was hard to put down. I read in one day and then hated for it to end. Cannot wait till next in series. It's going to be a long anxious wait after reading the short summary at the end of this book.

Wish I could give this more stars, had high hopes. Slow to start but did pick up. Several places needed to be edited. The wrong name was put in the conversation and I had to stop and read again to make sure of who was having the conversation. I believe this is my first time reading this author.

Such an excellent book. One of those books you look and look for, hope to find but never can ... until this one. I'm glad I purchased this book and will be buying more of her books as well for they're very well written, wonderful character development and great description of, well, everything!!! LoL

The characters are so strong, including the myriads of supporting cast.
you'd appreciate the strength of Laird Hume, and adore his sensitive side for the heroine, and his brothers. you imagine the harshness that war brought upon the families. and you love the happy endings.

The "evil" conqueror versus the proud, but mistreated, lady is the starting point for this fast-paced romance which is a delight to read. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot, and, especially, that the two girls were given such an eminent role. Read and enjoy!

A woman is finally free from her husband's abuse by his death. A Scottish Laird claims her castle and forces marriage to solidify his claim. Sacrificing himself he saves the woman he loves and her two daughters. RECOMMENDED READ!

Mallory does great Scottish romances, the characters are well defined. The hero is heroic but human the heroine great, the romance is romantic. I've read all of her books and can't wait for the rest of this series.y

Only giving it three stars because I like the lead lady a bit stronger. I haven't made it to the end of a book in a long time so that's a good thing. Authors need to make the WHOLE book interesting instead of just the first half.

Margaret Mallory delivers excellent Scottish romance once more. No spoilers here. If you love Scotland as much as I do, you run for romances based in Scotland. Margaret Mallory writes excellent romances. I highly recommend her novels.

Margaret Mallory delivers excellent Scottish romance once more. No spoilers here. If you love Scotland as much as I do, you run for romances based in Scotland. Margaret Mallory writes excellent romances. I highly recommend her novels.

From start to finish this book kept my attention. It gave accounts of the politics & border wars that according to history, seems very accurate & great romance. I look forward to reading all of Margaret 's books!

I just do not like romance books where the heroine falls in love way before the hero. In this case she is desperately in love by 60%. But the hero takes his time. Though very attracted to her from the beginning, and even protective, his thoughts about her are of: lust, and how his marriage to her, would be so advantageious to him and his family, and his absolute determination not to fall in love like his father did, with his second wife. Even when the heroine professes her love for him, he does not think of himself as in love, and of course he does not say anything back to her. It is only toward the end of the story, that he tells the heroine that he is sorry that he has not told her before that he loves her. Really????? Where did that thought of him loving her comes from? The reader is certainly not privy to his thought-process as to how he arrived at that conclusion. I felt cheated with the way he finally declared and/or discovered his feelings.

And lastly, in historical romance books I like for the hero to be older. Though his age in this story would not have deter me from giving this book 5 stars, except for what I mentioned on the top paragraph.

I just do not like romance books where the heroine falls in love way before the hero. In this case she is desperately in love by 60%. But the hero takes his time. Though very attracted to her from the beginning, and even protective, his thoughts about her are of: lust, and how his marriage to her, would be so advantageious to him and his family, and his absolute determination not to fall in love like his father did, with his second wife. Even when the heroine professes her love for him, he does not think of himself as in love, and of course he does not say anything back to her. It is only toward the end of the story, that he tells the heroine that he is sorry that he has not told her before that he loves her. Really????? Where did that thought of him loving her comes from? The reader is certainly not privy to his thought-process as to how he arrived at that conclusion. I felt cheated with the way he finally declared and/or discovered his feelings.

And lastly, in historical romance books I like for the hero to be older. Though his age in this story would not have deter me from giving this book 5 stars, except for what I mentioned on the top paragraph.

Another great highland romance from Margaret Mallory! There is plenty of passion, humor, adventure and emotional layering to make this a wonderful read! Set in the 16th century, it's the story of Alison Douglas, captured along with her daughters and castle by the Beast of Wedderburn. The Beast, David Hume, wastes no time after her husband dies, to lay siege to the castle in order to exact revenge for the deaths of his father and uncle.

Mallory's writing is always tight and the story moves forward with perfect pacing. Alison and David are so appealing and their chemistry together is obvious from the start, though they both might wish it hadn't been. He is the typical laird acting on instincts of loyalty, honor, and a longing to be loved. Alison is a seemingly fragile beauty but she hides a steely determination to reclaim a strength she used to own before years of an abusive marriage cowed her to her husband's demands. The side characters (David's two brothers, Alison's daughters and other family members as well as clans people) are drawn so well and add color to the story, but for me the relationship between Alison and David is the central part of this story. This is the first in a new series. Can't wait to see what comes next!

I have truly been enjoying this series. Different culture but in many ways historically informative. The author makes the characters come alive. Also makes you want the saga to continue. Easy reading.

I have yet to read a book by this author that I did not enjoy. Wonderful love story. David is a great hero and Allison was the perfect heroine. I hope their story continues perhaps with Sybil or Robbie.

I have read all of Ms Mallory's books. You can not go wrong with any of her books as far as I'm concerned, they have adventure, intrigue, humor, romance, fighting, you name it. Always waiting impatiently for her next release.

I had to skip over many boring pages - no chemistry between Alison and david - and too much else going on in the story that didn't even have anything to do with the "Romance" - don't waste your time or money on this one

I found myself taking breaks with this read. The story begins with the reader finding out that Allison was given at the age of 13 to a man 30 years older than her by her family for gain with little concern for her well being. As if that is not bad enough the man spends the next 10 years degrading her and using her for his pleasure. I had great respect for how brave she was for all she endured and even at the age of 23 put her daughters first. When she finally gains her freedom upon his death the fear than is clear that with her daughters the heiress of the land and castle she will be an open target. The book took on a dark edge to it at times. I'll admit this is the first book for me where the h is so young and while I had such admiration for the h I could not say the same for David.

His dark tale begins as he discovers his fathers decapitated head put on display to mock what the man stood for. David swears revenge and sets his sights on our h and her lands. As the book unfolds my hate for him grew I was not a fan how cruel he was to Allison. He was so gentle with her little girls but because he forces the wedding he does not trust her. you get his POV as well as Allison and his thoughts are constantly fighting his building feelings for her but time and time again they are masked with words he says and secrets he keeps from her. On more than one occasion he brings her close to tears and doesn't even flinch. He swears his protection and is patient at consummating their wedding. He says to himself he will let her in and trust her if she will give herself completely because by her doing so will show him her loyalty to him but as soon as she pours her heart at his feet and surrenders he once again makes her feel like dirt. The author doesn't cut her any slack imo and I felt she wrote in a way that leads the reader to feel sorry for David.

I didn't he treated Allison with no respect and when she actually said as much he once again played tyrant toward her which was little different from what she dealt with before. He demanded everyone to show her respect but he himself did not. Even at the end it is Allison who has to seek him out even before she needs his help she feels she needs to go to him to prevent him from turning to his mistress. Now I will say he clearly has no interest in his ex mistress but the fact that he leaves his wife and goes back to his old keep to drink and feel sorry for himself was too much. Allison deserved a real man not just one who bragged how he would give her pleasure beyond her imagination but be so hard and unfeeling toward her emotionally. I found it unattractive how he would worry that she had feelings toward her ex husband and how angry he'd get at the thought of any other man touching her but because the author made such a point to show how David kept pushing her away and keep her out and show no weakness toward her was almost like getting degraded all over again. She had dealt with so much from husband #1 I really didn't understand why the author didn't think she deserved more. For all these reasons the romance dwindled for me because a side character Brian showed more heart and devotion in my eyes for a woman he loved than the main couple themselves and I resented the author inability to show the depth of emotion. So much stubbornness and need to keep her in check instead of telling her his true feelings. When he finally quits denying another problem has now occured and needs to be dealt with and I just didn't care anymore I just wanted it over with. This is a 2 and 1/2 star rating because I loved the h and her daughters but less than 3 because all the men in Allison's life were disappointments including her brothers.

I have been waiting for MM to write again and I am not disappointed! This book has such a great first encounter that it alone may be worth the stars. The situation is delightfully complicated and of course gets more so before resolving. I await the stories of the other sisters with delighted anticipation.

This is my first book by Margaret Mallory and it won't be my last. This is such an entertaining story. David was hellbent on revenge but end up finding true love. I loved how David immediately took the role of stepfather to Alison daughters. All the characters were great and I loved David's younger brothers. Alison did frustrate me at times with her decisions. David and Alison faced some challenges in their marriage but find a HEA at the end.

After a tumultuous ten year marriage to a much older man her family bound her to when she was only thirteen, the lady Alison Douglas is finally free from the ties that bound her in her unhappy matrimony. She has two beautiful daughters for doing her time with the Blackadder and now she prays she never has to marry again. So over her dead husband in fact that she burns the bed that belonged to the deceased Laird slept in.

David Hume and his family have been through devastation. His father and brother are executed and his step-mother has been taken hostage. David has now become the new Laird of Wedderburn and he is needs to have his step-mother freed, so her young sons can have their mother back and he wants to exact revenge on the Blackadders, by taking their castle and the widow, Lady Alison. Since taking over his lands and Hume Castle, David has gained quite the reputation for himself as the Beast of Wedderburn, a reputation for which he welcomes if it gains him the fear and all he covets.

Lady Alison is having trouble with her people. They show her no respect since their Laird showed none for her when he was alive, and Alison is at a loss with how to deal with them. When she asks her Douglas brothers for help, they quickly push her needs aside to take care of their own lives, leaving her people on the verge of starvation since her lands are being raided consistently by the Beast of Wedderburn.

After laying siege and capturing Blackadder Castle, the Beast forces the Lady Alison to marry him to use her as a tool to gain all he wants, but when he sees the beauty, he is out of sorts and in for much more than he bargains for. If he thinks that Alison is going to be a meek bride, he has no idea what he is in for. Alison vows she will never be mistreated again, but this leads to quite a few misunderstandings between Alison and her new husband. She yearns for his trust, but when she makes a serious miscalculation when dealing with her family, she causes a rift that may never be able to be repaired between she and David.

At each turn their sad pasts create a bitterness within them the each attempts to heal in the other, but with outside forces hoping to destroy all they attempt to gain, it will take a miracle and no less for David and Alison to come to terms with what has them at odds.

CAPTURED BY A LAIRD the first book in the Douglas Legacy series by the very talented Margaret Mallory is such a captivating read that I could not put it down once I began reading, David Hume's loss and Lady Alison's, so different, but such that it brings them both together. After making many mistakes in their new relationship, Alison tries to do all she can to tame David, but not so much that he loses all pride in himself. David's attempts to awaken the naive Alison while he cements his relationship to her, her daughters and his newly acquired people is a journey worth taking while reading each page of this touching tale. Revenge is what he seeks, but what the Laird of Wedderburn finds is so much more worthy in the end. I highly recommend this exhilarating story and I wait patiently (not) for the next installment of The Douglas Legacy by Margaret Mallory.

Alison is relieved to finally be a widow after suffering for years with a marriage that had been a daily nightmare starting when she was wed at the age of 13, so she is dismayed when David takes the castle and she finds herself forced into another marriage. Both of these characters had so little first-hand experience with healthy relationships between men and women, that their problems with communication and misunderstanding each other’s feelings and motivations became really frustrating. Had they been more open with each other, they could have helped each other with the trials they were facing, but instead it just made everything harder. I really liked both characters. Alison still seemed really naive, despite all she’d been through, but she had a good heart. David was a complex and rich character, and though he was stoic and reluctant to talk about things, his feelings came through loud and clear through his actions from the beginning and I couldn’t help but love him. Great story and I look forward to reading about the other Douglas sisters. Sybil is up next in Claimed by a Highlander. Hope to see it out soon!

I listened to this on Audible via their new romance package. The story was saved by the narrator because otherwise I doubt I'd have found parts to enjoy. The premise is one I like very much - the H captures the h's castle and forces her to wed him. The h is recently widowed, her late husband was old and dreadful. The relationship is established in sex (rolling my eyes) and otherwise there was conflict over all sorts of things. The h has two young daughters and the H is very good to them. I couldn't cope with the unlikely situation that the h would be able to persuade the H from executing some prisoners or from withholding punishment due to be given to his brother. I must also say that I found the h to be annoying.

This novel was 2015 National Readers' Choice Award Winner, Best Historical Romance.
The Douglas Legacy is about the Douglas sisters. Each sister is a beautiful and valuable tool in their family's unpleasant fight to control the Scottish Crown. Powerful enemies threaten them all, and each Douglas maiden will have to deal with them on their own.
Captured by a Laird is the story of Lady Alison Douglas & David Hume, new laird of Wedderburn.
David Hume, the new laird of Wedderburn, is disturbed by his father's violent death. He sets out to make a name for himself that is feared through all the lands, so that his family won't be harmed again. His father's weakness was played on by a treacherous ally, whom is now dead and beyond his reach. So David devises a plan to take over the castle of the man who brought down his father and the man's young widow. The only problem is, once David sees the dark-haired widow defending her little daughters, he knows the frail looking beauty is the one person who could bring him to his knees.
Lady Alison Douglas is looking forward to a long widowhood. She was wed at 13 to a man who tried daily to break her strength and courage. She feels released from his control once he is gone, and shows it a bit by burning their marriage bed. When the fearsome warrior known as the Beast of Wedderburn storms the gates to her castle, she finds herself once again at a stranger's mercy. And she is once again forced to wed.
Alison can't figure out why the dark warrior arouses such a burning desire and an unwanted yearning in her heart. After all, she is only a pawn to serve his retribution.
Destruction and peril hang over the lives of Alison and David. They must learn to trust each other, which is hard for both of them. But they must because only love can save them both.
I enjoyed the story of Alison and David. It is a passionate, romantic, intriguing, and very powerful tale. It is the first in The Douglas Legacy series. It is the first book of Margaret Mallory's that I have read, and I will be sure to read more from her.

Alison Blackadder nee Douglas is a recent widow relishing her freedom and looking forward to controlling her and her daughter’s lives. Alison should certainly know that isn’t likely if the men in her family have their way or even the other border lords. While others wait for an opportune moment David Hume makes his own. David lays siege to Blackadder castle and weds Alison, taking control of her and her heiress daughters and their property. This is the first step in his revenge against those who betrayed his father and uncle. There is much David didn’t plan for though, Alison being the main wrinkle in his scheme.

Alison and David’s story is set against the backdrop of Mary Tudor’s estrangement from Archie Douglas, Alison’s eldest brother, and the struggle over control of the young Prince James.

CAPTURED BY A LAIRD opens with Alison’s burning Blackadder’s bed, a surefire way to snag my attention.

Alison is petite, lovely, and quite the spitfire. In classic fashion after being freed from an abusive marriage by Blackadder’s death she wants to control everything and has trouble trusting and believing. There were times I felt she wasn’t being realistic in her expectations. Women were commodities, pawns used for gain. Despite wanting to pinch Alison once or twice I quite liked her.

David Hume was driven to avenge the betrayal and death of his father and uncle. He’s had the care and upbringing of his young (step) brothers, Will and Robbie, on his shoulders. David has been positioning himself and his family to regain their losses and honor his father’s last request. He’s honorable, loyal, and respectful of women. Add those qualities to his good looks and they total a droolworthy hero. However, in typical male fashion, doesn’t understand women that well. His unexpected feelings for Alison have him over his head in uncharted territory.

Alison’s daughters and David’s brothers are well developed and delightful. They add a lightness in addition to causing quite a bit of trouble.

Alison’s in-laws, the Blackadders, are a nasty villainous lot who’d as soon stab you in the back as look at you. David won’t have Alison, her daughters, or the Blackadder castle and lands for long if they’ve anything to do with it. I have to confess that every time I read their name it brought to mind the British historical comedy starring Rowan Atkinson.

CAPTURED BY A LAIRD has the complex characters, rich Scottish history - setting, intrigue, and heat guaranteed to make a historical romance lover’s heart beat faster and the pages fly. Added bonus for history fans, Alison and David did exist. Happy reading y’all!
Reviewed for Miss Ivy's Book Nook

Bravo to Margaret Mallory on Captured by a Laird. She wove a wonderful story of historical facts and those left to her imagination.

Captured by a Laird (The Douglas Legacy, #1) by Margaret MalloryCaptured by a Laird was full of history, love, angst, and the maturing of two people destined to be together. Both had experiences in life that made them feel less than the people they would become, they were able to grow towards each other and fall in love amidst family strife, war, uncertain allegiances and past hurts.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance and history.

I purchased this on Audible and mostly listened to it while in the car, gym, or at home crocheting. I really enjoyed the story and all of it's characters. I loved David and really enjoyed Allison and her daughters. My only complaint is the narrator. It just sounded odd when he attempted to do female voices. Other than that, it was great. I will be purchasing the second book either on on Audible or on my Kindle.

I didn't actually read this book, but I did listen to it. I can't recall the last time I was silenced by such intense and raw emotions that this book delivered dead on. One minute I was giggling and the next I was gobsmacked. If you haven't read any of Ms. Mallory's books yet, I cannot stress enough that she's a must read author for her highlanders. If you're a fan of Julie Garwood's highlanders, I promise you, you will not be disappointed with this authors books. I'd like to give this book 100 stars, but we'll settle for 5/5 stars

I wouldn't usually read a book like this one, but my prejudices were entirely unfair! I was awed to find that the story did have some historical basis. I must admit the author's grasp of the time is extremely good as far as I can tell. And the narration is damn gripping. This book is an extremely fun afternoon read full of steam, pursuit and fights and is surprisingly touching. The tender familial relationships between Alison and David and their siblings moved me deeply. I liked the fact that Alison's sense of mercy was always rewarded. Bravo! I will definitely read all the rest of Ms. Mallory's books.

Excellent book! I loved watching both David and Allie change in their relationships. They both had preconceptions about the other that they needed to work through. The people and events in their lives forced them together, but their growing love and trust of each other kept them together. Margaret Mallory is a terrific storyteller. I can’t wait for the next book!

I won this book from the author at a Facebook party.

Based on some true events of 1500s (with a bit of the authors imagination), this historical romance novel has it all from daring Scottish lairds and their clans to betrayals, revenges, and... love, and things the characters do for love. Great book!
But, to my taste, I'd have more historical battles and facts, and leave some of the sex scenes behind.

I just love this author so I went into the book with high hopes and she didn’t disappoint! Lots of action and adventure! At first, I wasn’t fond of the meek Alison but she strengthened and became a woman you could really cheer for! So yeah, buy the book! You’ll be happy you did :)

Memorable characters and an exciting but dangerous story. I especially loved David's character. This author includes as much real history as she can in her historical fiction. I really want to read everything I can by Margaret Mallory!

“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!

My full review is posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Please check it out there!

I absolutely love reading any book by this author. Ms. Mallory's books are an auto buy for me, as she is one of the few historical authors I read. You will fall in love with David and his family. Just realize that once you start this book you are not going to want to put it down. So grab a cup of tea, sit back and fall in love with David Hume and Lady Allison as they treat to a wonderful story of historical importance!

My rating for this book would be 4.7 stars so I rounded up. I love the story and moreso loved how the author kept the story historically correct. I think that's where some of the readers may have strayed. It was a violent time and the events depicted in this book, although cruel by our modern standards, did happen.

That aside, the love story was a good one. I think the ending could have happened sooner which is why I downgraded to 4.7 stars. I began to wonder if the two would ever get their HEA. I also think Alison's way of thinking all along was believable, she lived a hard life and at first I think David didn't help matters. I wanted to see her soar with happiness and when I thought she achieved it, something else happened. I became frustrated thinking....enough already. But, HEAs come much easier nowadays than they did then so that was in the back of my mind.

The book is steady-paced, filled with history and passion, lovable characters, and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Have I ever mentioned I LOVE historical romances--and particularly when they have handsome Scottish Lords and even stronger Scottish lasses?

David Hume storms the castle bent on revenge! He is going to force the lady to marry him. She has finally been freed from a horrible husband and has her 2 little daughters to protect--as well as all in the castle--no help is coming from anywhere!!
She surrenders---or does she? Not without a fight!! Meanwhile her two little daughters have captured David's heart--and he swears to protect them.

Will these two ever learn to trust and love each other? You will have to read this book to find out--it is a tumultuous road!!

You know I will be reading the other books in this series--really a great read!

If you like danger, fighting and unbelievably impossible forged love matches then this is the book for you. It's full of adventure and intriguing events that have great detail and the spunky characters will keep you glued from the start to the end.

This is the first book I have read by Margaret Mallory. I started reading it actually thinking that I could always delete it if it sucked, lol. Nope I really enjoyed the story. I will be reading the next book.

This is a new author for me and I loved the book. I can't wait for the next book in the series. It truly had everything a Highland Romance story should have, Love, excitement, tension, sex and much more. The only thing I was curious about was the bed situation (I don't want to do any spoilers) in the beginning of the book. I have read that in another book I think by Kathryn LeVeque. At first I thought maybe I had read this book before but it turned out to be a different story after the first chapter or so. I highly recommend this story. My favorite author is Kathryn LeVeque but Margaret Mallory is one to watch for and is on my favorite author list now.

A captivating love story! Be prepared to be swept into a world of intrigue, betrayal , war, and passion. A story so powerful that you won't be able to put It down . Can't wait for her second book in this series .

4.5 stars: Just reread this book and remembered why I loved it, but also what bothered me about it. While I love Margaret Mallory’s writing and the chemistry of her characters, I did not love the number of times children’s lives were put in peril in this particular story. I read romance for the escapism aspect and every time a child was threatened with harm or even death took me right out of the story. That said, I did enjoy the “Brady Bunch” aspect of mixing the two families. Not my favorite Mallory book, but it will not keep me from reading her others. The next book in this series, Claimed by the Highlander, is excellent.

This was my first book from this author and I was very impressed she has a wonderful writing style, and a way of making the characters come to life. David and Alison's love story was not an insta romance but the back stories to both was interesting and made you understand the decisions and actions they took.