As I started reading this book, I realized that I had no idea where it was set. The hero appeared to be Scottish, the heroine French; there were some British military types, and lots of mention of French place-names with which I was unfamiliar.
The penny dropped when the narrative begin to be about Indians, and I realized that we were in North America/Canada a few hundred years ago.
The Scottish aspect of the book did continue to confuse me at times. I discovered as I read that this was the second in a series, and no doubt the groundwork
had been laid much more clearly in the first book.
However a bunch of Scottish Rangers doing battle in Canada wasn't something I'd ever really considered before, and it took me quite a while to work out which side was which and who was doing what.
As the story unfolded, though, I began to enjoy it. Amelie Chauvenet is a young woman who has been raised in a convent after the death of her mother. She finds herself in a
fort under attack by the British, and her father is killed in the battle. She is asked to tend the wounds of a captured soldier, Morgan MacKinnon, whom she holds at least partly responsible for her father's death. Morgan is a worthy prize, one of the skilled Rangers and someone whom the Indian allies of the fighting French wish to dispatch with their own form of punishment.
For Amalie, working to heal a man so that he can be killed goes against the grain, especially as he doesn't conform to her initial ideas of him. He is patient, honorable and kind, and the patient/nurse effect duly takes place. MacKinnon is offered a way out of death
by joining the French side. His loyalty to his brother Rangers doesn't allow him
to take this option, but he pretends to go along with it so that he can survive. As MacKinnon is accepted into the French army, he
watches for his opportunity to escape while trying to keep Amalie away from danger.
Things might not work out quite as he hopes - there are people out to get him, and Amalie may not be willing to let him leave her.
The historical setting in this book is very good (once I'd worked out what was going on), and the detail the author provides
is convincing.
Both hero and heroine are strong, deep characters whose romance feels believable. Despite the plot of the book not being particularly deep, it never drags
- overall, this is a good read.