The Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and  Connie Brockway
Historical Romance
December 28, 2012
Avon

Reviewed by May 

When Laird Taran Ferguson’s nephews refuse to wed and secure his birthright, he takes matters into his own hands, raiding a ball and kidnapping four likely brides—a bonny lass, an heiress with a slight reputation problem, a rich English beauty, and a maiden without a name or a fortune. But which one is ready to fall in love with the Scottish lord? Add a very angry duke, a decrepit castle, and a fierce Highland storm that is holding all of Taran’s “guests” captive to the mix, and readers will find themselves transported to a world of temptation, passion, and new and unexpected love.

The Lady Most Willing is a novel in three parts, and yet it was a very cohesive read and a seamless one for a collaboration effort as well. One by one, we watch as the men of the house fall in love with one of the ladies, and before long proposals are being made and happily ever after has a strong start.

She’d known Marilla for every one of her twenty-one years, and there was no way she was the least bit distressed. She’d been trapped in a carriage with a duke, only to be deposited at the feet of two other titled gentlemen?

Please. This was Marilla’s wildest dream come true, and then inflicted upon the rest of them. Catriona looked over at Marilla’s oldest sister, Fiona, but whatever she was thinking, it was well hidden behind her spectacles.

Right off the bat this book reminded me of the classic film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers where young ladies are taken and held (due to snow) and find their true loves in the men who brought them there. In no way do I mean to say that this book was copying that story, there were just some elements that made me think of it in all the best ways and had me grinning and flipping pages as fast as I could. I loved the premise of the hijacked carriage and forced houseguests being stuck in the old Scottish castle with the Laird and his nephews. The unexpected kidnapped duke and local girl were a nice twist as well. This story was quite simply an incredibly fun one to read.

“The window,” he gasped. “The- the ivy?”

“Do you really believe that I would be stupid enough to invite a lover to enter my bedroom by horticultural means?”

In the past, I have read this trio’s collaborative works and always found them to be uneven, that one story was clearly the winner and that writing styles were very easy to pinpoint who wrote what. In this book, it felt more like the trio had gotten together and really combined their creative genius to create a single story that was seamless and flowed beautifully. It sparkled, delighted, and most importantly totally entertained me.

She was known throughout Scotland as a reckless fornicator.

I loved all three couples and their stories within the main story. Each was interesting, funny, and all had me rooting for the couple but also weaving bits about the other characters in so that the story had a great flow to it.

My only negative note about this book, is that it is very much an insta-love kind of story. The entire thing takes place in less than a week, and obviously it’s hard to buy that in such a short time all of these people went from strangers to engaged. This normally would annoy me greatly, however here it did not bother me in the least! The writing style was such that it was more of a light tale of love where you suspend believability for a bit and just enjoy the ride. It was not a serious and deep story that takes a lot more time and interactions to find true love.

I recommend this one strongly if you’re looking for a really fun winter read that will make you smile.

Grade: A-

Recent Reviews:
Book Binge – 3.75/5
All About Romance – B
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