THE CHASE

Author: Lynsay Sands ISBN: 0843953241 12/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: LEISURE
Time Period: Medieval

It wasn't her first choice, for Seonaid Dunbar had, like her brother, been trained as a Scottish warrior at her father's knee; but fleeing to an abbey was clearly preferable to whacking on Blake Sherwell with her sword—which she’d happily do before wedding the man. No, she’d not walk weakly to the slaughter, dutifully pledge troth to anyone the English court called“Angel.” Fair hair and eyes as blue as the heavens hardly proved a man’s worth. And there were many ways to elude a devilish suitor, even one that King Henry ordered her to wed. No, the next Countess of Sherwell was not sitting at home in her castle as Blake thought: embroidering, peacefully waiting for him to arrive. She was fleeing to a new stronghold and readying her defenses. Swords adn sleeping drafts, claymores and kisses. This battle would require all weapons—if he ever caught her. And the chase was about to begin.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Lynsay Sands has a few books under her belt, but this is the first I have heard of her. I'm wondering why not, and wishing I had. I thought this book was fantastic. I feel like I have been missing out on something here.

Not only is the book a medieval, my favorite, it also contains some of my favorite elements for a medieval.

A strong heroine, Seonaid Dunbar was raised as a warrior. Her mother died when she was young, leaving her only to know mostly a man's influence. Seonaid is skilled in combat and can hold her own. She is cunning and clever, has a cutting sense of humor, and probably more pride than is good for a Lady.

A hero to match the heroine, Blake Sherwell is handsome and is every lady's dream at court. He also has a huge, but justified, ego. Blake isn't prepared in the least for the paces Seonaid puts him through. But, being as prideful as she is, rises to the occasion and discovers there is something to be said for a woman who is a challenge.

There are plenty of interesting secondary characters that enrich the story. This is a big thing to me, since I usually don't care for books where the world seems to revolve only around the two main characters. These characters weren't just 'walk-on' parts that are mentioned once or twice and disappear. They were strongly involved in the story, yet didn't detract from the main point of the relationship between Seonaid and Blake.

The pace was just right. There was always something happening, but not so much that you couldn't keep up, or that it seemed ridiculous. While some of the situations may have been a bit predictable, Ms. Sands was able to make them her own. One example is a battle scene involving nude combatants that had me smiling. It may sound like an unlikely event, but the author was able to turn it into quite a feasible one.

I look forward to catching up on some of Lynsay Sands' previous releases. I hope they are the page turner that THE CHASE is. I have feeling they more than likely are.

Sue Cloud