Setting: London, 19th century

Sensuality Rating: 7

A stranger in a strange land, Highlander Duncan MacTavish finds himself summoned to the bedside of his dying grandfather, Lord Neville Thackeray, whom he has never met. This is only the first in a series of unwelcome surprises for the brawny Scot, who was perfectly content to take over as laird of the clan MacTavish. Saddled with a fiancée he doesn't like, Ophelia, whose beauty is surpassed only by her waspish nature; far from the home and life he loves; and being pressured by the autocratic Marquis of Birmingdale to toe the line of English respectability, Duncan meets the Honorable Sabrina Lambert and finds her a breath of fresh air in the stifling atmosphere of the English house party.

Unfortunately, scandalous rumors taint Sabrina's family name, practically ensuring that she will never be able to secure an advantageous match. Duncan's only friend to help him endure the machinations of Ophelia and a seemingly endless parade of other eligible young women, Sabrina is adept at making him laugh. After all, she spent most of her life diffusing the tension between her battling maiden aunts, who reared her after her parents' tragic deaths. But Duncan slowly begins to realize that his feelings for Sabrina are more than "friendly." Duncan and Sabrina's complicated courtship is classic Lindsey! Fans of the author who wait with bated breath for each new offering won't be disappointed with The Heir. --Alison Trinkle


From School Library Journal
YA-Sabrina Lambert is popular due to her personality and wit, not her looks. Her friend, the beautiful yet heartless and spiteful Ophelia Reid, resents her own arranged engagement to Duncan MacTavish, a "barbaric" highlander. After she insults him at his own party, hoping to end their relationship in front of London's in-crowd, Duncan throws her out, making her the laughing stock of the town. He finds a true friend in Sabrina, who makes him laugh and feel completely at ease. A jealous Ophelia notices all of this and plans her revenge. The story line is satisfying: a nice girl with personality and intellect gets a chance at Prince Charming or "The Heir." Change the dress and time period, and this romance and its characters will hit home with many YAs who get passed over because they are not considered "beautiful."-Lisa Muir, Poe Middle School, Annandale, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
A Scottish heir is engaged to one woman but finds he loves another. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Duncan MacTavish was raised to believe that he would one day be laird of his grandfather's nineteenth-century highland clan. So when Sir Henry takes him to England to meet his other grandfather, the marquis, who is dying, he is surprised and upset to learn that the marquis expects him to assume his English title and responsibility. And that's not all; his English grandfather has also arranged for him to marry a woman he hasn't even met. Meanwhile, Ophelia Reid, the fiancee, is equally dismayed at this arrangement and has started nasty rumors about Duncan in the hope that her parents will break the agreement. This kind of behavior is typical of Ophelia, but Sabrina Lambert, a young country girl she is helping sponsor on her first trip to London, is appalled by her scheming and starts to distance herself from her benefactress. Then, when the betrothed couple finally meet, Ophelia insults him, and Duncan officially calls off the wedding. Naturally, he turns to sweet Sabrina for support, and she finds much to appreciate in him as well, but she knows that a family scandal precludes her marrying someone with such a lofty title. As with any romance, the fun is in seeing how obstacles to love are overcome and spiteful characters get their comeuppance, and the best-selling Lindsey achieves the requisite happy ending with wit and charm, leaving her readers wanting more, which, of course, is the secret to her success. Patty Engelmann


Book Description
The many wondrous gifts of Johanna Lindsey -- her fiery and endearing characters, her enthralling stories, her ingenious blending of Passion, wit, and emotion -- are all on glorious display in this unforgettable tale about an unwanted title and an unexpected love.Has anyone in London ever taken part in the coming-out season with less enthusiasm than Sabrina? Luckily, the most sought-after lady in the city has agreed to usher this young, lovely country girl through the perils and pitfalls of her all-important first season.Dashing highlander Duncan Mac Tavish is even less keen to be in London. Having recently learned he is the sole heirof an English marquis, Duncan is now required to assume his grandfather's title and estates -- and to marry Sabrina's ravishing, viper-tongued guide, who has been heard to make scathing statements in public about her "Scottish barbarian" groom-to-be.His unwanted betrothal, however, has brought Duncan into close proximity with the enchanting Sabrina -- a kindred spirit whose wit delights him ... and whose essence is the exquisite stuff of dreams. But duty, station, and a secret that dwells in the lady's past forbid Sabrina's and Duncan's desired union -- unless true love can somehow miraculously find a way.


About the Author
With more than 54 million copies of her books in print and translated into twelve languages, Johanna Lindsey is one of the world's most popular authors of historical romance. Every one of her previous thirty-six novels has been a national bestseller, with several reaching the #1 spot on the New York Times list. Ms. Lindsey lives in Hawaii with her family.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The grandson of a Scottish clan laird, Duncan MacTavish is shocked to learn that his other grandfather was an English marquis whose title and London estate he is now required to take on. Worse still, he's engaged to a stranger who has mocked him in public. But his bride-to-be, Ophelia, has been guiding a lovely and witty, if dreadfully inexperienced, country girl named Sabrina through the latter's all-important first coming-out season. The enchanting Sabrina enthralls Duncan much more than his own intended does, and she shares his passionate feelings as well. But duty and circumstance—plus a scandal in Sabrina's family's past—have made it impossible for her and the dashing highlander to be together...unless true love can somehow, miraculously, find a way.

SYNOPSIS

Johanna Lindsey has many gifts: the extraordinaryability to bring a woman's most cherisheddreams of romance to glorious life on the page;the talent to create characters with such flair andfire that they remain forever in memory andclose to the heart; and the genius to seamlesslyblend passion, wit, and emotion in uniquely richand original stories. Her gifts have madeJohanna one of the most beloved writers of romanticfiction in the world—and have made every one of her more than thirty novels a bestseller.

Has anyone in London ever takenpart in the coming-out season with less enthusiasmthan Sabrina? She is young, lovely, and possesses asparkling wit, yet she knows she is but a simpleorphaned country girl—whose grandfather justhappened to have been a nobleman—and thereforefeels dreadfully out of place. Luckily Ophelia, thedaughter of a family friend, has been chosen to usherSabrina through the perils and pitfalls of this all-important first season.What better guide than thisterribly sophisticated blond beauty who is themost sought-after lady in the city?

Even less keen to be in London isDuncan MacTavish. Having lived twenty-onedeliriously contented years in the Scottish Highlands,he has recently learned he is the sole heir of anEnglish Marquis and is now required to assume hisgrandfather's title and estates. Worse still, a betrothalhas already been arranged without his consentto the ravishing, viper-tongued Ophelia'who hasbeen heard to make scathing statements in public about her Scottish barbarian groom-to-be.

Bad circumstance, however, can sometimes have distinctly pleasurable advantages'especially whenhis unwanted intended's sudden desire to repentbrings thedashing highlander into close proximitywith the enchanting Sabrina. Now this is a womanfor whom Duncan would willingly abandon hisbeloved Scotland: a kindred spirit whose wit delightshim...and whose essence is the exquisite stuff ofdreams. But duty and station forbid Sabrina's andDuncan's desired union. And a ecret dwells in thelady's past, and it threatens their romance. Under such adverse conditions a match that should be,a passion that must be, cannot possibly be—unless true love can somehow, miraculously find a way.

FROM THE CRITICS

Cathy Sova - The Romance Reader

The Heir is the story of an arranged marriage that is desired by neither party. Sabrina Lambert has come to London for a Season, one scraped together by her maiden aunts. She￯﾿ﾽll be assisted by lovely Ophelia Reid, who is already the toast of society for her beauty and is enjoying a Season of her own. Ophelia has plans, however. Her parents have arranged a marriage for her with a future Marquis, Duncan MacTavish. He￯﾿ﾽs a Scotsman, a barbarian, no doubt. If Ophelia can manage to make him the laughingstock of London before he even arrives there, then perhaps her parents will be mortified and let her out of the engagement.

Sabrina is bemused by all these machinations, and soon finds out that Ophelia￯﾿ﾽs vicious tongue can spread gossip in all directions even over Sabrina, whose family history of suspicious deaths have led most to believe she￯﾿ﾽll soon take her own life. The fact that most of those deaths were rationally explained means nothing. When Sabrina￯﾿ﾽs sense of humor and sunny disposition garner her a few too many dance partners at her first party, Ophelia￯﾿ﾽs true nature rises to the fore. Soon all of London has heard about the scandal.

Duncan MacTavish is in a bind as well. His English mother and Scots father are both long dead, and he has just been told by his Scottish grandfather that he is the heir to an English title of Marquis. Duncan is outraged. Leave the Scottish estate and travel to bleak England, all to please a grandfather he￯﾿ﾽs never met? And marry an unknown English girl into the bargain? Never. The most he￯﾿ﾽll agree to is making a visit and looking over the crop of English misses. But he won￯﾿ﾽt marry to please his grandfathers.

When Ophelia and Duncan meet at his grandfather￯﾿ﾽs estate, neither is impressed. Ophelia insults Duncan, who declares he￯﾿ﾽll never marry such a woman. Sabrina, however, soon becomes good friends with Duncan. When Ophelia decides to reinstate the engagement rather than face Society￯﾿ﾽs scorn for being dumped, events are set in motion that will be difficult to stop.

The Heir contains some of what readers might call Classic Lindsey. The dialogue is witty, most of the characterizations are clear, and the settings are well-drawn without overwhelming the story. The ￯﾿ﾽfalling in love with a friend￯﾿ﾽ plot isn￯﾿ﾽt new, but here it works well, especially on the part of Sabrina. She￯﾿ﾽs easily the most engaging character in the book. Short, a bit plump, possessing remarkable eyes but little else in the way of traditional beauty, she￯﾿ﾽs well aware of her shortcomings and uses humor to cope. This approach wins her friends and admirers, though she￯﾿ﾽs unable to believe that men might find her attractive.

Duncan was much blander. Other than rail at his grandfathers for trying to arrange his life, we never find out much about what he does want. He￯﾿ﾽs handsome enough, and seems to be a nice guy, until a climactic point about two-thirds through when he does something so loutish that it left this reader￯﾿ﾽs mouth hanging open. I won￯﾿ﾽt reveal the plot point, except to say that his utter lack of regard or even thought for Sabrina￯﾿ﾽs welfare was inexcusable. That it helped set up Duncan￯﾿ﾽs and Ophelia￯﾿ﾽs re-engagement was contrived, weak plotting. From that point on, I didn￯﾿ﾽt care a hoot in Hades for Duncan. Marrying Ophelia would have been exactly what he deserved.

As for Ophelia, she￯﾿ﾽs a lead character too, for all the space that is devoted to her. A more self-centered and despicable character would be hard to find, and no doubt that￯﾿ﾽs exactly what she was intended to be. However, it says something about the book that her comeuppance was far more interesting than any romance developing between Sabrina or Duncan.

Ultimately, the romance in this romance novel misses the mark. Diehard Lindsey fans may not blink at paying $24.00 for The Heir, but my advice is to get it from the library. The story just doesn￯﾿ﾽt justify the price.

Kathe Robin - Romantic Times

Charming and very witty, with delightful dialogue, this comedy of manners is a light frothy tale that borrows from a traditional Regency plotline. Johanna Lindsey writes with joy and pleasure that is infectious and sure to make you smile.

People Magazine

Johanna Lindsey displays her usual talents for creating intriguing characters...an entertaining read.

New York Daily News

First rate romance.

Newport News Daily Press