Caught by the Scot

Karen Hawkins has done it again. In the first book of her new Made to Marry series, she brings her trademark humor to the page but also adds a serious note. You’ll not be disappointed if you pick this one up for an enjoyable read. A plus, it’s already available in audio, Conner Douglas and his brothers, Declan and Jack, are bound by the terms of his sister Anna’s will to wed. His brother-in-law, Lachlan Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, informs them she must be a woman of good standing. He tells them the nuptials take place before three months have expired. Conner wagers a hundred pounds with his brothers Jack and Declan he knows the perfect candidate to wed. Theodora Cumberbatch-Snowe is biddable, passable in looks, and even of disposition. However, when he reaches her manor, he discovers she’s eloped with apparently esteemed squire Lancelot Fox. He makes a rash decision to follow her accompanied by first mate and butler Ferguson and Coxswain MacLeish. They almost flip their coach on what they feel is their logical journey. What saddens Thea is she’s been in love with Conner Douglas since she was fourteen. His profligate ways put her off from catching his attention. He catches up with her at a wayside inn and finds her in a bedraggled condition. He cannot resist taking her in his arms and kissing her. He makes the mistake of blurting out a marriage proposal after telling her the conditions if his late sister’s will. She declines his clumsy invitation. As he’s pondering what to do, the squire returns from getting a repaired wheel. He’s totally unlike Conner’s perception of him. He’s a handsome, brawny, man. This puts a new light on the situation.

It dragged on but was still a good read. Would have liked more romance