Action: ♠♠♠ / Emotion: ♣♣♣.♣ / Romance: ♥♥♥ / Sensuous: ♦♦♦♦ / Suspense: ♠♠♠.♠
Action: 3 / Emotion: 3.75 / Romance: 3 / Sensuous: 4 / Suspense: 3.5 / Historical Flavor: 3 // Humor: 2 / Tears: 0
Keir McQuade, the third son of Erik McQuade, has become the new laird of Clan McQuade. (The chain of events which resulted in this event is detailed in book two, In The Warrior's Bed.) Keir is nothing like his warring, greedy, selfish father and makes plans to go to court to swear fealty to James Stuart (the Scots king who now resides on the English throne). Keir is determined to return honor to the name of McQuade.
Mary Wine opens the book by delivering a poignant scene in which Gwen, Keir's mistress, moves her belongings from Red Stone Castle because Keir must now find himself a woman worthy of being the laird's wife and she knows that Keir does not love her (as she loves him). The weight of being responsible for the clan weighs heavy on Keir's shoulders as he watches Gwen walk out of his life.
Helena Knyvett has been trained since she was a girl to control her every action, to keep a smooth expression and present the perfect picture of a blue-blooded gentlewoman that reflects positively on the powerful family of the Earl of Kenton. Helena was sent to London to live with her brother to fulfill her duties of making a match that would increase the family's coffers and lands.
Helena's brother, Edmund Charles Knyvett is the evil villain featured in Bedding The Enemy. He is the perfect picture of a aristocrat who believes he must be fawned over and allowed to treat others with callousness, and heavy-handedness without any repercussions simply because he is blue-blooded and will soon hold the title, Earl of Kenton. Edmund is a master at playing the games, adding to the whispers and concocting devious schemes that abound at court. Edmund has been controlling all of Helena's actions for the past year. Helena has learned to make sure no emotion crosses her face to keep Edmund from witnessing his infliction of misery on her life.
Edmund's latest plan is to replace Queen Anne's maid of honor, Raelin McKorey, with Helena so that Helena can feed him inside information. Helena, however, befriends the outspoken, strong-willed, "seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time" Raelin. (Raelin made several memorable appearances in book two.) Another young maid of honor, Catriona McAlister, joins Helena and Raelin in friendship and shared girlishness.
Farrell McQuade (Keir's second in command) is not any more happy to be in the crowded city of London than Keir. Although Farrell's role is not well-developed, he is always protecting the new laird's back as he pursues bringing peace and honor to the clan.
On his first night at the king's hall, Keir is immediately attracted to the tall, modest woman. Helena is suddenly very aware of the huge Scot across the crowd. Helena likes that the Scot stands tall, like a man instead of the dandy pose all the courtiers have perfected. Edmund notices the Scot's interest and lets him know that he will not be tainting the Knyvett blood with his common-ness. Helena admired Keir's fearlessness when he stated his intentions to court her. Keir did not appear afraid of her brother, unlike the courtiers who bowed and scraped before Edmund.
Helena fights Edmund when he attacks Raelin in his efforts to sully her name (to lose her position of maid of honor). When the royal guards arrive and start condemning Raelin, Keir boldly steps forward and accuses Edmund of dishonorable behavior -- beating up on women. All the participants are brought before the king, where Helena determines to hold on to the one thing that Edmund can't control -- her honor. Helena knows she will pay a high price for speaking truly of Edmund's evil intentions.
Keir was relieved that he got an audience with the king so soon after arriving in London. James noticed that Keir was not cut from the same cloth as his father and suggested he stay at court and court the girl.
Raelin set into motion a chain of events that resulted in Keir's marriage to Helena. Raelin approached Keir to tell him that Helena was under her brother's control and had not been back to court for days. Keir rescued Helena from the attic where Edmund had locked her away. Instead of pounding Edmund into the ground, Keir sat down to gamble with Edmund and the rotten, tattered Lord Philip Ronchford -- whereupon, Keir won Helena. With the aid of the king, Keir was able to circumvent Edmund's machinations to prevent Helena's marriage to the Scot by attempting to sell her to Lord Ronchford.
Although Helena desires Keir, she does not want to be owned by any man. She does not trust that Keir will treat her kindly once he gets her back to his lands in Scotland, and fights falling in love. Keir, however, finally understands what Gwen was talking about and confesses his love of Helena. As Bedding The Enemy, is published under Brava Books (mildly erotic), the love scenes between Keir and Helena are frequent and graphically revealing.
Bedding The Enemy is an enjoyable read. The book is packed with {1} gorgeous, hunky Scots (who outshine English pretty-boys); {2} a huge, muscled, determined, generous hero; {3} an honorable, mistreated heroine (who comes to the hero's rescue after he rescues her; {4} hot, steamy, graphically-vivid, numerous love scenes; {5} interesting supporting characters; {6} plenty of action to speed the story along; {7} copious amounts of suspense concerning Keir and Helena's ability to overcome Edmund's plots and schemes to find their happily ever after.
Having read all three books of The McJames Clan Trilogy back to back, noticed several recurring features in all three books. Those likenesses included: {1} An all-evil villain who wreaks havoc on the heroine of the novel. {2} Lots of graphic sexuality that features the use of modernist terms to describe female anatomy. {3} Similar means of determining the awareness and attraction between the hero and heroine: {a} heroine discovers men have their own unique, tantalizing smell; {b} the heroine "blushes for" the hero; {c} the heroine's body reacts to the hero in her thoughts and in his proximity; {d} heroine is teased for undressing the hero with her eyes.
Caveat: Being an fan of books which feature more {1} action and adventure; {2} suspense; and {3} the resolution of deeper emotional angst, find that The McJames Clan Trilogy books, while enjoyable, will not find their way on my "to be re-read" list.
--Vonda M. Reid (Monday; March 28, 2011 : 1:31 p.m.)
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Books In The Series: "The McJames Clan Trilogy"
| # | Date | Book Title | Hero | Heroine |
| 01. | 06-2009 | In Bed With A Stranger | Brodick McJames, Earl of Alcaon | Anne Copper |
| 02. | 02-2010 | In The Warrior's Bed | Cullen McJames, Laird Lampart | Bronwyn McQuade |
| 03. | 08-2010 | Bedding The Enemy | Keir McQuade, Baron Hurst | Helena Knyvett |
Books Similar to "Bedding The Enemy"
| Site | Author | Title | Series |
| 01.ff | McCarty, Monica | The Hawk | 02. The Highland Guards Series {4... |
| 02.ff | Johnson, Sophia | Risk Everything | 03. The Blackthorn Trilogy {3} |
| db | {none listed} |
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Bedding The Enemy Quotations:
10 . . . to think against your place was to question the will of God.
123 . . . She felt crushed beneath the weight of so many hands pushing her toward what they wanted.
156 . . . It was an instant response and one that she could not control even after getting what she'd desired.
160 . . . That didn't stop her from wanting it. . . . She wanted her gallant knight; wanted a childhood fantasy so badly that it hurt.
182 . . . She wanted to resist thinking that way. . . . But emotions were fickle things that didn't listen to logic.
187 . . . She was speaking without thinking again. . . . Keir was the only man who swept her common sense aside simply by being near her. It was as irritating as it was exciting. . . .
253 . . . Men did not make sense. Their humor was incomprehensible. . . .
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Mary Wine
♥ Website / Blog
♠ Fantastic Fiction
♣ FictionDB
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Bedding The Enemy Reviews:
| Rated | Posted | Site | Notes, Comments, Etc. |
| 4.5 | 08-....-2010 | Affaire de Coeur | cannot find on website any more |
| 4.80 average | {5 reviews} | Amazon | as of: April 15, 2011 |
| 4.0 | 09-14-2010 | Coffee Time Romance | |
| 3.75 average | {6 reviews} | Good Reads | as of: April 15, 2011 |
| 5.0 | 08-01-2010 | Romance Junkies | also posted on Amazon, Good Reads |
| 4.0 | 06-19-2010 | RT {Romantic Times} Book Review | |
| 4.0 | {1 review} | Shelfari | as of: April 15, 2011 (my review) |
| 3.75 | 04-15-2011 | Wolf Bear Does Books | short version posted on Amazon, Good Reads, Shelfari |
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♥ Disclaimer: I purchased this book.
♥ Very Subjective Rating
♥ Willing to share Cheat Sheet
♦ in whole or in part
♦ WordPerfect or PDF
♣ Will add your Bedding The Enemy review link to table, just ask
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