Blood of Roses

This sequel to The Pride of Lions is as much saga as romance, in that Catherine Ashbrooke and Alexander Cameron are already in love and married when this vivid retelling of Bonnie Prince Charles Stuart's bid for the British throne opens. Nevertheless, there's plenty to keep one's interest--sexy lovemaking whenever Catherine and Alex can circumvent the separations imposed on them by the Jacobite rebellion; a moving, all-consuming sub-romance between a loyal servant woman and a burly Scotsman; a mystery concerning Catherine's parentage; and terrific Scottish flavor conveyed through landscape, speech, and colorful historical figures. Detailed descriptions of politics and troop movements, concluding with the Battle of Culloden, give this long, well-written narrative the flavor of an historical novel. The story ends with a confrontation that's both dramatic and surprising.