Never Seduce a Scot: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs (Montgomerys and Armstrongs, #1)

by Maya Banks

Maya Banks, the New York Times bestselling author of romance and romantic suspense has captivated readers with her steamy Scottish historical novels, perfect for fans of Julie Garwood. Never Seduce a Scot features a remarkable woman whose rare gift teaches a gruff Scottish warrior how to listen with his heart.
 
Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.
 
Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

• ISBN10: 0345533232
• ISBN13: 9780345533234
• Publish Date: 25 September 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 416
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780345533234

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

They thought her daft but she outsmarted them all...

This was a re-read of a favourite historical highland romance. Never Seduce a Scot tells a tale of surprising love between a couple whose families are sworn enemies. The King had demanded that a truce be struck between the feuding clans and stipulated that the Montgomery Laird marry the Armstrong Laird's daughter. Wonderful idea from a king wanting peace but with a bride thought to be daft, there is no happiness to be found for either family.

5 star reads for me are mainly determined by the feelings I get and this one had me feeling heaps. I was devastated for Eveline and the troubles and heartache she faced from her condition. She lived a lonely life with the Armstrong's and decided to not hide behind the daftness when she moved. These changes were not easy and were made harder because of the clan's hatred of her family. There were times I was blubbering like a baby at the hatred and mistreatment she faced. Her determination to be accepted was amazing. She tried to smile through it all, you just can't help but love her.

Graeme is the Laird of the Montgomery's and he takes the job very seriously. When he was shackled to a daft woman, he resigned himself to a marriage in name only. His feelings of guilt when he starts to feel lust for his wife were almost humorous. Graeme is a very controlled man who keeps his feelings close to his chest. When his clan treats Eveline badly that control slips and his displeasure is KNOWN. One of my favourite parts to the story was when we see his frustration in wanting everyone to love and accept her like he has.

This story has everything I love about historical highland romance. We have a big strong Laird who loves with his whole heart along with a strong and determined heroine. There was no unnecessary angst between the couple, most of the conflict was on the outside. There was a great connection between Graeme and Eveline and enough steamy bits to give me what I like without being OTT. All of the characters play an integral part to keep the story flowing and make you want to know more about them. Even though this was a re-read it was like I was reading it for the first time again. I was sucked in, devoured it and wanted to go back for more.

Thanks my lovelies for picking this as our book of the month.

This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/

[Amanda]

I've been having trouble getting myself to read lately. Not that the books I've read have been bad--just that I haven't made time to read and it's been easy to set books down and forget to pick them back up.

Except when it's a Maya Banks book.

I don't know what it is about her highlander books, but I can't get enough of them. They slice through any reading slump as if the damned thing didn't even exist to begin with. It took me an afternoon to read this when the last book I read took me a month.

Maya Banks writes the ultimate pleasure reading book.

I get all twisted up and my reaction invariably goes something like this: "HOLY FUCK MAYA BANKS WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? *FLAILS THE FUCK OUT*"

And then Kelly laughs at me.

But the emotional upheaval and love story are worth it every single time. The tension and stakes were high in this book: an arranged marriage to unite two feuding clans, a heroine who is deaf and hiding it from the world, an evil villain. And a hero who falls under the spell of his bride. (It works for me EVERY. TIME.)

I loved Eveline--her circumstances are unique and it was a new and interesting stumbling block for her and Graeme to overcome. Also? I think it's awesome that Maya Banks's inspiration for Eveline and her deafness was her own husband.

Whenever you need to fall into a pleasure book, a Maya Banks book is a good one to spend an afternoon with.

[nitzan_schwarz]

YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG

I've told you guys this before - while I have reached a point of strongly disliking all of Banks contemporary novels (minus perhaps that one KBI novel), I have yet to find one of her historicals lacking. And Never Seduce a Scot is one of her best works to date.

When I read this for the first time in 2012, and the second time a year later, I had no point of comparison with Banks's "bad books" (which, by the way, are hugely popular. I seem to be the one defective on that front). Looking at it now, I am more impressed with this novel than ever. Especially as I see in my original review words such as "outstanding--as always", when that's no longer the case.

I don't know what it is about historicals, but they bring the best in Banks. They make her beautifully paint the world and setting these characters are in, they make her convince us this couple is perfect for one another, they make her detail the whens and hows and whys of their love by showing us the process.

This book. THIS BOOK, you guys. It made me cry just by having a heroine that is so relatable and adorable that her hurts and insecurities make it impossible not to feel for her. Banks makes it near impossible to separate Eveline from myself.

Eveline simply made me happy. Her mannerism and the way she treated love interest and fellow MC Graeme got me grinning like mad. She is just the sweetest, kindest of souls, but she isn't weak or meek. Au contraire - her disability showed the vast inner strength of this character because of all she had to overcome and the way she never gave up. I loved reading of a disabled character, but I doubly loved reading about this disabled character.

Banks does this character justice by fitting the POV to her disability when we were looking through her eyes, even though the book is written in third person. We never knew what the people around Eveline said unless she knew. It was such a nice and meaningful touch to the whole package.

As for her partner in life, Graeme is the kind of historical highlander that makes me think it won't be all that bad to live in the middle ages and have one of my own. He is a warrior to his bones, but also a caretaker at heart. And the way he treats Eveline, even though she has been forced on him and he has no knowledge of her disability is just heartwarming - this is how man should treat women, even nowadays (ahemTrumpahem). Not to mention it was very hard to hold a smile back when he was overwhelmed by his lady love... either because of her cuteness, or her strength.

These two together is magic. I've always loved the trope of marriage-before-love, because there is something so compelling about the idea of fate conspiring to bring two people together because they are simply destined for one another. And Never Seduce a Scot does this trope down to perfection, with how they are around each other, how they support each other, and how they grow to love each other.

Around these dashing leads we get a glimpse of the rest of the Montgomerys and Armstrongs, who'll all have their own story eventually (if the publishing business gets its shit together). All of them sound promising and make one excited for future ventures, which is great in a series of standalones like this.

I highly recommend giving Banks's historicals a shot, even if you're like me and don't like her contemporaries!


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Original Review
To read this review and more, go to my blog Drugs Called Books

I've long known that Maya Banks is a master of writing, so it came to me as no surprise that this book was absolutely fantastic! I could feel every character, the plot was engaging and interesting, the writing outstanding--as always--and I was left with the widest grin on my face at the end - despite the fact I nearly cried on more than one occasion in this book.

I've always rather liked the whole theme of love-after-marriage. There is something rather compelling about a couple of people brought together by... well, for lack of better terms; fate and destiny. It's like God himself intervened and made sure these two people got together - whether they want to at first or not.
And Never Seduce a Scot has exactly this theme and a couple perfect for each other.

Eveline is the heroine of the story, and she's one unique character. First of all - she's extremely adorable. Every time she smiled cutely and then patted Graeme's cheek I grinned like mad (Still am!). Then there is the fact that she's... well, deaf. As in - she can't hear. It was so unique and amazing to read about such a person, more so because Eveline's condition is based on Banks's husband's hearing condition.
Aside for that, Eveline is just the sweetest, kindest soul out there, but she wasn't weak or meek. She knew what she wanted and she went for it with all her strength.

Graeme... Well, yum. Do tell me where I can find highlanders like this. He's this kind warrior and I loved him and his tenderness toward Eveline, from the beginning - even when he thought she was daft. He's a male worthy of love, and so I love him. He's the kind of guy I don't mind for myself.

Aside for these leading two, we get a glimpses of the rest of the Montgomerys and Armstrongs, who'll be the heroes of the next books in the series; Eveline's two brothers and Gaerme's three siblings. So you can look forward for at lease another 5 books in this series! More so if Banks decides to venture to their kids, too *joy*

One of the things most amazing about Banks's writing, is how in-tune she makes you be with the characters. You can absolutely feel them, and for them.
I nearly cried more than once in this book--not because the scenes were overly sad, but because Eveline was sad, and I felt what she felt 100%. There was a very thin line between me and Eveline while I was reading. It was hard to tell who was crying; me or her. And I love being abducted like that by a character. It's one of the best feelings out there.
And when Graeme was overwhelmed by her; her cuteness, her strength, I had to smile because I felt it too.

Also about Banks's writing, I loved how she made the speech fit Eveline - when the point of view was hers (third person, but we switched from reading from Eveline's POV and Graemes) we never knew what people around her said unless she knew what they said. It was a nice touch to emphasize her disability, and make you so much more there.

Oh, and I am totally awesome! *happy dance*

Disclosure: I never read the synopsis of the book. Still haven't, even though it's displayed in that pretty purple box above. Thing is, I have past experience with Maya Banks's historical romances. I met her in her MacCabe Trilogy, so I had much faith that I'll love this book. I wasn't wrong.
But, I'm just trying to tell you that I had no idea what the story was about, really, and yet I totally called a few of the things here! Such as, the moment they talked about disability's, I thought that she probably doesn't speak; not because she can't, but because of something else. Something emotional. I was mostly right!
Then, when I learned of the true nature of her disability, that she's deaf, but she does hear some... vibrations, sometimes, I was like Hmmm. She's going to be able to hear him. and I was right--again! I'm so proud of myself! Hence the cyber-man happy dance, by the way :P

In conclusion - if you haven't read any books from Maya Banks, do so now. And, like, read this! Especially if you enjoy a good historical romance, because this is it.
~sigh~ I love this author soooo much!