Book: A Laird and A Gentleman
By Gerri Russell
Series: All the Kings Men, #4
Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook of
1.Tartan Book Reviews
2. Purple Tulip Book Reviews
3. Celtic World of Historical Book Reviews
4.Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Overall Rating: 5 Stars and 5 Kilts
Notes: In true history it was a zealous, fanatical time in Scotland during the rabid witch hunts and trials under King James VI of Scotland. He was the most notorious royal witch hunter in true history. The year 1590 witnessed the largest and most high-profile witch trials in Scottish history. No fewer than 70 suspects were rounded up in North Berwick, on suspicion of raising a storm to destroy King James’s fleet as he conveyed his new bride, Anne of Denmark, across the North Sea. Convinced the tempest that had almost cost his life had been summoned by witchcraft, James was intent upon bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Most of the suspects soon confessed – under torture – to concocting a host of bizarre and gruesome spells and rituals in order to whip up the storm. These included binding the severed genitalia and limbs of a dead man to the legs of a cat, then tossing the bundle into the waves, whereupon “there did arise such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not been seen”. On another occasion, Satan himself was said to have appeared to the witches and “promised to raise a mist, and cast the king into England, for which purpose he threw into the sea a thing like a foot-ball”. King James was so appalled when he heard such tales that he decided to personally superintend the interrogations.
North Berwick, Scotland
August, 1592
In this book it was a horrible time in Scotland during the popular witch hunts trials under King James VI of Scotland, but even worse for Mariam Swindon, whose father John Swindon, is the King’s witch pricker. Condemning mostly innocent women and some men of witchcraft. Just to blame innocent people of events they had absolutely nothing to do with. Many would confess to do anything just to stop the unbearable, excruciating, painful, torture! Unfortunately that would only cause their ultimate death by being burned by the stake.
John Swindon had been abusing his own daughter all her life to keep her so called magic at bay. It is hard to hide your special gifts when your own father is the Kings witch pricker, causing so much death and destruction of innocent souls. Now for her own protection the King has ordered Mariam as the ward of Laird Cameron Sinclair. He is one of the King’s elite warriors who is well known for his superb fighting skills on the battlefield. As Mariam’s life is in danger by the relatives of the people her father has tortured and put to death. Cameron realizes her father is wicked and cruel, knows a big part is of her fear is of her father, this brutal witch pricker! He feels Mariam’s life doesn’t have a chance unless she is away from her father. He is sworn to guard and safeguard her as his ward, yet lately he is developing feelings that a guardian should not feel for his ward!
It is even worse for Mariam Swindon, whose father John Swinton is the King’s witch pricker! The black hearted John Swinton accuses mostly innocent woman and some men of witchcraft, just to blame people of events they had nothing to do with. He pricks their flesh with his painful torture device his excruciating needle that any would confess to anything just to stop the the torture. Unfortunately that would only cause their ultimate death by being burned by the stake. Yet Mariam was so afraid of her own father, as he had been abusing his own daughter all her life, to keep her so-called darkness at bay. It was hard for Mariam to hide her special gifts when her own father is the King’s witch pricker! He is causing so much death and destruction of innocent souls. Marium knew if she protected any of these innocent people like her guardian’s friend and fellow brother-in-arms, Lachlan Douglas who was m8being accused of witchcraft, while at her guardians Laird Cameron Sinclair’s home at Ravenscraig castle. She was being forced to lie or suffer by her father’s own againizing needle herself, in the end she uses her special gifts and to save Lachlan. Of course no one will know she was Lachlan’s savior. Now she fears her guardian will send her away! It has been the best year of her life being the ward of Laird Cameron Sinclair. As not having to worry about beatings and physical abuse every day. Though she fears she has her father’s darkness-she has her dead mother’s goodness too. A woman she suspects might have been murdered by her own father’s hand!
Cameron is the first person to see her as a good person even though she is scared she might have darkness and be something evil. She tries so hard to hide her gifts. Yet there are many that are afraid of her gifts like the way animals respond to her. Plus many spies are reporting to her father too and some that want to murder Mariam. This is to get revenge against her witchpricker father for the damage he has done to their families! Not realizing he has no nurturing feelings for his own daughter. Yet now some unnatural disasters have occurred and the villagers are blaming Mariam and feel burning her is their best option for saving themselves! Naturally this is when Cameron is away bringing her father back to the King, after he had attacked Mariam in his own castle. A place the King’s pricker was forbidden to go to!
Mariam is very attracted to her guardian but feels he might want to punish her for not defending his friend verbally or send her back to her abusive father. The shell necklace she has is the only thing of her mother she has, yet it breaks which shatters Marium’s heart. Yet there is a message inside the broken pieces claiming to show Marium her destiny in a matter of days.
Cameron is the first person to see her as a good person even though she is scared she might have her father’s darkness and be something evil. She tries so hard to hide her gifts. Yet there are many that are afraid of her gifts like the way animals respond to her. Plus many spies are reporting to her father too, some that want to murder Mariam as this might be the villagers perfect opportunity! Not realizing John has no nurturing feelings for his own daughter as her death will only bring this disturbed man joy. Yet now a pandemic is happening, including some unnatural disasters have occurred and the villagers are blaming Mariam, they feel burning her is their best option for saving themselves! Naturally this is when Cameron is away bring her father back to the King, after he had attacked Mariam in his own castle. A place the Kings pricker was forbidden to go to. Will Cameron act on his feelings or send Marium away? When he realizes his beloved might be murdered or something even worse what till this man in kilted armor do? Read and find out in this fourth and powerful book in the best selling All The King’s Men series by Gerri Russell.
Gerri Russell has been a favorite author of mine for a very long time and each one of her historical books have been a shelf keeper. She is an incredible author that I can’t recommend enough. I love how she puts true history in her wonderful fictional romances. It is done with so much passion and flare with absolute brilliance. I love this strong forgiving warrior and this magical young woman who had a lot of self esteem issues and confidence issues due to be living in an abusive father/daughter relationship. This story absolutely touched my heart. I have loved every book in this wonderful series. Me being a Scottish history geek, I know a lot of this history about King James VI with his obsession about witches and in this horrible time in North Berwick. This was Mary Queen of Scots only heir with her second husband, Lord Darnley.
Again Gerri Russell blows me away with another book I could not put down from start to finish. It has all the elements Scottish historical romance readers like myself love. My absolute favorite ingredient of factual history and a fictional romance. I love it includes real people from Scottish history like King James VI with his sick obsession with witchcraft. It is heartbreaking since this is real and did happen in history where real people are being tortured and burned for witchcraft which was very prominent during his reign as King. He even wrote a book on his reflections and how to deal with witchcraft in 1591 called Daemonologie. So again Ms. Russell knocks another book out of the park! As this book is absolutely phenomenal.
You can read this as a stand alone book or in book order. I recommend you read each one as I have loved them all.
All the King’s Men Series by Gerri Russell
1)Seven Nights with a Scot
2)Romancing the Laird
3)A Temptress in Tartan
4)A Laird and a Gentleman
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy from the publisher. I voluntarily agreed to read, review and blog an advance copy of this book. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my own.
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