Ransom - Julie Garwood

Ransom by Julie Garwood
Series: Highland Lairds #2
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Year: 1999
Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

In the dark days after the death of Richard the Lionhearted, lives and lands would fall into upheaval at the hands of a power-hungry British ruler and his violent minions. One victim of the scourge is innocent Gillian, who is a mere child when the cruel and ambitious Baron Alford slaughters her father and tears her family apart. Alford, determined to recover a jeweled box for the despotic King John, is furious when the precious treasure slips through his fingers—only to be lost for more than a decade.

Now a beautiful young woman, Gillian finds the key to resolving her past in handsome Scottish chieftains Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan. With the cunning and courage of the daring Scotsmen, and with the friendship of a new ally, Bridgid KirkConnell, Gillian at last fights the unscrupulous Baron Alford, laying claim to her home, her family, and her father's reputation. But in the presence of the mighty warrors, Gillian and Bridgid discover that desire can be a weapon of conquest, betrayal can slay trust in a heartbeat, and the greatest risk of all is to surrender to unexpected love.

Kelly made my entire year recently when she asked me to give her some historical romance recommendations. It might not seem that way since I talk about mostly YA novels on here, but I love a good historical romance. I started reading them at the tender, innocent age of 12, and I haven't looked back since! (There will be more on this in another post.) I quickly shot her an email listing all the titles that I had fallen in love with, and she started with the same novel I started with, The Secret by Julie Garwood.

After finishing Iain & Judith's story, she was immediately ready to jump into reading the next in the series - Ransom. It had been a while since I'd read it, and I was talked into reading it with her. After all, this is seriously one of my all-time favorite historical romances, with a hero and a heroine that I could totally root for. True enough, revisiting this story and these characters was utterly delightful! Since I read this way before I ever started this blog, and because I mention it very often when I'm asked about historical romances, I wanted to share a few thoughts after my reread!

WHEN I First Read

I discovered my mom's historical romance collection when I was around 12. (To be fair, she really hadn't hidden it very well - it was just on the top shelf!) I was an insanely curious kid and the type of reader that devoured stories like nobody's business, so I took two books from the shelf - The Secret and Ransom. Little did I know it would start a lifelong love for a good historical romance!

WHAT I Remember

Gillian is a brave English lady, given an impossible task by the man who murdered her father, Baron Alford. Brodick is a Highland laird, who Gillian encounters when she rescues a young boy from the baron. There's a ton of romantic tension, combined with the dramatic backdrop of Gillian's quest.

WHY I Wanted To Re-read

When Kelly gushed about The Secret, I found myself craving an encounter with my favorite Scottish lairds - Iain, Ramsey and Brodick. I knew she was about to read Ransom, and I couldn't resist the urge to read along with her. It's seriously one of the most romantic, exciting tales! I was so excited to be cracking open an old favorite.

HOW I Felt After Re-reading

I still loved Ransom as much as I did the first time I read it! Even though I knew the twists and turns of the plot, that didn't stop me from feeling all the emotions this tale inspires so deeply. I am still as in love with Brodick as I ever was. But I was surprised to find that I loved Gillian even more! She's such a great heroine - brave, smart and sassy - and I love her. Also, it amuses me how funny I found a bunch of the circumstances in Ransom. I didn't remember the humor, but it certainly was a welcome surprise when I encountered it!

WOULD I Re-read Again

HELL TO THE YES. There's no doubt in my mind that Brodick & Gillian's story is one I would happily revisit over and over. I don't think I could ever get sick of the romance, the suspense, the intrigue; I especially don't think I would ever get sick of swooning over Brodick. I actually think people interested in exploring the historical romance genre would like this story a lot, so consider this my official endorsement for Ransom.