The Lyon’s Laird: The Lyon’s Den Connected World

After the “unfortunate accident” several years before that leaves Evangeline with a pronounced limp and a shredded reputation, she resigns herself to the idea of living out her years in her parent’s home. Her mother, Olivia Prescott, has other ideas for her almost 30 year-old daughter. She arranges a card game at Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s gambling house and picks only the most elite men to play in the high stakes card game. Camren MacLean and his friend Gideon end up being the last two in the game. Gideon wins a prestigious house in London, while Camren must wed Evangeline or lose his property in London. Evangeline’s cousin Prudence does her jealous best to usurp things between Evangeline and Camren. It is up to Camren to decide which of the women to trust — his fiancée, or her scheming cousin? 

“The Lyon’s Laird” is a delightful original story with over-the-top characters that are racier than the norm for a historical tale. Evangeline has sown her wild oats, while Camren is a young Laird who stands by his word. The characters are well-drawn including the least of the characters, Martha the cook and the bookstore owner, Jarod. The writing is muddied in several spots when extra words are added in sentences. This happens often enough to be a distraction. The world is well-developed, drawing the reader into the story, feeling the emotions of the characters as they happen. Plenty of ups and downs in this period piece keep the reader guessing what will happen next!

Belinda Wilson