This is by far my favorite book of the series so far, I have about two or three left to read, but to date this story out shined the rest. It didn't feel that way at first, it wasn't until I got to the end of the book that I could truly appreciate what I had read. What makes this story so remarkable is Gillyanne's cunning and adaptive nature. When she aquires the land between three fueding lords, she finds herself bombarded by the three men demanding she marry one of them. Being a woman with ideas and thoughts of her own regarding marriage, she turned them down and in doing so had to face their wrath. You will find yourself pleasantly amazed by the ways she manages to keep each suitor at bay without shedding any blood before finally giving up and choosing the best of the three. The rest I leave up to you to discover on your own, but I truly reccomend this addition to Hannah Howell's brilliant series. It was my favorite, and it could become yours.

This is my second time reading this book. Gillyanne Murray decides to go visit her dower lands that were given to her by her father's kinsmen. The small property is surrounded by three lairds who want the keep and land for their own. They find out that Gilly is unwed and promptly decide she must marry one of them. She will not give up her small keep without a battle but will not risk the lives of the people within the keep so she declares of battle of wits. The first laird and men who approach are doused with a foul smelling brew that sends them running back to their camp, shedding their clothes and jumping into the river. The second laird and men who approach are stunned by Gilly's singing (she has a magical voice). So stunned they don't notice that sleeping brew is wafting around them. After they pass out, her people strip the men of their clothes, weapons and horses. The third laird and men who approach are invited inside the keep to lunch. They refuse to eat thinking the food is poisoned until Gilly starts to eat first. However, Gilly has picked out the food that is not tainted with the sleeping brew and when they awake, they find themselves stripped of their clothes too. Eventually she must surrender and it's Connor MacEnroy who marries her and wins her heart in the end. A truly charming book.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't all that wild about this book. I thought it had potential, but just never came together for me. I liked Connor and thought Howell did a good job with him. Maybe what I really don't like is that Gillyanne (and all Howell's heroines) was so tiny. That was stressed over and over--how tiny she was, almost childlike. I think that sort of subconsciously icked me out. Now, romance novel heroines don't have to be Amazons, but I don't like getting a mental picture of a 12 year old. I think that is what kept happening and prevented me from liking this book very much. Come on, next time, have your heroine be at least as big as a 15 year old!!