Scandal in Scotland by Karen Hawkins

From Simon and Schuster:

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins spins an unforgettable tale of a captivating beauty with a secret, a dashing sea captain on a treacherous mission—and the priceless artifact that seals their destiny. 

A DESPERATE BEAUTY 

Despite fame and countless admirers, actress Marcail Beauchamp has never forgotten William Hurst, the audacious seafarer she once loved . . . and lost. Now, forced by a mysterious blackmailer who threatens her family, she must steal an ancient onyx box from the one man she's vowed never to see again. 

A BOLD ADVENTURER 

To save his brother from a ruthless abductor, William must deliver the artifact as ransom. He's stunned when Marcail, more lovely than ever, suddenly appears on his ship. But when she drugs him and steals the box, his fury knows no bounds. 

THE TREASURE EVERYONE WANTS 

William pursues Marcail, but too late: she has already delivered the box. The estranged lovers realize they must work together—both to regain the artifact that could mean life or death to his family and to destroy the mysterious blackmailer's power over her family. Thus begins a high-stakes quest through the reaches of Scotland, a quest that stirs up long-forgotten memories and an unquenchable passion. . . . 

This is #2 in the Hurst Amulet series. And before you *gasp* and wonder if I did it again and read in the middle... AHA! I did NOT! :D My review of  One Night in Scotland proves that I read #1 in the series... first! O.o So, now that you have calmed down or sat back up from fainting... let me review the rest of this book... ;)

I did have fun with this historical romance. William is another of the Hurst brothers and the amulet is finally safely in William's hands ready to be sent back to Egypt to free their brother (the story starts in the first novel and is best to read it first). He meets an old flame who broke his heart and she steals the amulet to satisfy a blackmailer. We soon find that Marcail is not the brazen horrible beauty she seems to be, but also someone who is desperately trying to save her family from ruin and left William for the same reasons. The box is stolen before the truth comes out, but William is still willing to find out who her blackmailer is as well as gaining the stolen item back.

Of course I'm not going to spoil how these turns of event play out *evil laugh* but I will say that the Hurst amulet itself has yet to reveal all it's secrets. And while I did like Marcail in the end, I still can't say I fully identified with her either. I did enjoy William's part and wouldn't mind adding a handsome captain  like him to my man harem. *sigh*

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I would suggest reading the first book first *gasp* so you can get the total grasp of what the amulet means. The next book involves the brother, Robert, and I think that one is going to be a wild ride. Especially when it seems his intended is a thief and con artist.

I was given this ebook from the publisher and no compensation for my review was given.