Book Review
Oct. 6th, 2022 01:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariA Scot in the Dark
Sarah MacLean
Lillian Hargrove has lived a lonely life as the ward of a distant duchy. In her early 20s, she meets an unscrupulous artist who woos her and then uses her as the model for a scandalous painting. Shortly before the painting's unveiling and Lily's subsequent ruin, Alec Stuart, who has recently inherited the duchy to which Lily's wardship is attached, arrives from Scotland to attempt to avert the impending scandal and save Lily from ruin. Lily and Alec initially start out in conflict over how to deal with the scandal, but they gradually start working together and, naturally, fall deeply in love.
I loved this novel. MacLean is terrific at witty banter, and I love they natural way she transitions her characters from trading barbs to trading truths and feelings. I also liked the way both Lily and Alec harbored insecurities and aspects of their pasts that held them back from feeling that they could be with each other, and how they worked through that both separately and together (although perhaps it didn't need to take so long). Lily is a great heroine - I love how she is able to figure out what she wants and then go for it, as well as how she moves beyond feeling shame over her scandal. Alec is swoon-worthy in his determination to do right by Lily and how that becomes utter devotion.
Sarah MacLean
Lillian Hargrove has lived a lonely life as the ward of a distant duchy. In her early 20s, she meets an unscrupulous artist who woos her and then uses her as the model for a scandalous painting. Shortly before the painting's unveiling and Lily's subsequent ruin, Alec Stuart, who has recently inherited the duchy to which Lily's wardship is attached, arrives from Scotland to attempt to avert the impending scandal and save Lily from ruin. Lily and Alec initially start out in conflict over how to deal with the scandal, but they gradually start working together and, naturally, fall deeply in love.
I loved this novel. MacLean is terrific at witty banter, and I love they natural way she transitions her characters from trading barbs to trading truths and feelings. I also liked the way both Lily and Alec harbored insecurities and aspects of their pasts that held them back from feeling that they could be with each other, and how they worked through that both separately and together (although perhaps it didn't need to take so long). Lily is a great heroine - I love how she is able to figure out what she wants and then go for it, as well as how she moves beyond feeling shame over her scandal. Alec is swoon-worthy in his determination to do right by Lily and how that becomes utter devotion.
