Review: Treasured – Candace Camp

Love is in the cards for a young Scottish heiress in the first book of a delicious new trilogy of historical romances, Secrets of the Loch, from New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp.

A family legend of hidden treasure mingles with the mist over the shores of Loch Baille . . . But it’s not the cache of gold dating back to Culloden that Jack Kensington claims when he arrives in the Highlands; it’s the house he won in a London card game from a luckless Scotsman.

Stunned to learn that her wastrel brother wagered their family estate, Isobel Rose must find a way to save her home and the people she loves . . . even if it means accepting a loveless marriage. Or perhaps not so loveless? Isobel unlocks the secrets of desire in the arms of the mysterious and handsome Englishman, but a series of “accidents” makes her fear that she will soon be a widow instead of a wife.

As their hunt for lost riches turns into the search for a killer, Isobel fights her attraction to the man who stole her birthright . . . but can Jack convince Isobel that he can provide a home for her heart, and a love to treasure?

Series: Secrets of the Loch #1
Release Date: June 17th 2014
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Michelle
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

4.5 Cocktails

Isobel Rose is the long suffering sister of Andrew Rose and caretaker of their aunt Elizabeth.  Isobel also oversees the running of the Rose family estate, Baillannan.  That is until Jack Kensington shows up.  Andrew is the titled owner of Baillannan and lost the estate to Jack in a wager.  This is how Treasured by Candace Camp opens.  The drama, suspense, romance, and betrayal continue throughout the book.

The characters were very well written.  I enjoyed reading about every character…even those that were not so nice.  I absolutely loved the romance between Isobel and Jack.  Isobel displayed the right amount of resistance just before she gave in to Jack’s seduction.  Jack was the sort of protective hero that every woman yearns to have in her life.  He was gentle from the start, and I loved that the author gave a peek into his thought processes.  Anyone that has ever fallen for someone of the opposite sex can easily understand the sort of conversation you have with yourself when you feel yourself falling.  Some of it was laugh out loud funny and other parts just made my eyes mist up.  The passion between them was blazing hot.  The author has a real talent for writing love scenes.  I had to take off my glasses because the heat coming from the pages steamed them up.  I literally cried when Jack finally got to his breaking point and told Isobel that he needed her.  That was so precious to me.  I fell in love with him all over again.

The element of suspense kept me guessing until the end.  Everyone I thought was trying to kill Jack ended up being false.  The author stirred the pot by having a surprise house guest show up that added to the list of “who coulda done it”.  A real family affair was uncovered, and the list of suspects continued to grow.  I was nearly biting my nails by the time the culprit was revealed.

The author did an excellent job of writing the storyline and the characters.  I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.  I hope the next one is Meg’s story.