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> As chieftain of the Clan MacInnes, Lady Isolde will do anything to protect her people -- including sacrifice herself to the enemy. Donall the Bold, laird of the hated MacLeans, lies locked in her dungeon awaiting execution. But rather than slay him, Isolde comes up with a daring plan to forge a lasting peace between their clans. Though Donall curses his beautiful captor, only a madman would refuse to savor the pleasures beneath that tantalizing aura of dignity and grace. But Isolde offers a mere covenant ... and Donall craves nothing less than total conquest. Vowing to steal her heart and take his freedom, the renowned warrior instead will find himself in a different kind of prison -- one made of sweet, decadent passion, and one he may never wish to escape. ** ### From Publishers Weekly Purple prose and a small number of historical inaccuracies mar this steamy romance, Welfonder's second book (after Devil in a Kilt) set in 14th-century Scotland. The plot centers on the revenge of the Clan MacInnes on Donall the Bold, laird of the Clan MacLean. The MacInnes believe that Donall and his brother, Ian, are responsible for the death of Lileas MacInnes, Ian's wife and the sister of the clan's unlikely laird, Lady Isolde. In their rage, the MacInnes capture and imprison Donall, who has come to return Lileas's body to them. Although the men of the clan desire bloody revenge, Isolde believes that peace can be forged by cementing the two clans with a child, and she uses all manner of seductive charms and potions to entice Donall into her bed. The result is a series of imaginative love scenes so spicy and over-the-top that readers will be hard-pressed to believe that Isolde is inexperienced. Predictably, love springs from hot sex, and readers who are willing to trudge through the many pages of bedroom banter will be duly rewarded when the identity of Lileas's murderer is finally unmasked, ensuring a happy-ending for all. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. ### From Booklist When two men come to Dunmuir Castle bearing the body of her murdered sister, Lady Isolde wants revenge, as does every other member of her clan. They want to torture Donall the Bold, laird of the hated MacLean clan, in the most painful, drawn-out method possible, but Isolde also wants to seduce him in order to conceive a child who will bind their clans together, thus ensuring an alliance. Donall isn't happy with either plan. As chieftan, Isolde gets her way, although her kinsman manage to inflict quite a bit of pain on Donall when she doesn't have him chained up in her chambers. At some point, the couple's relationship shifts until neither is sure who's seducing whom or which one of them is actually the prisoner. A loyal dog and a surprise villain round out the cast of Welfonder's steamy medieval tale. Readers who prefer more sensual historical romances, such as those by Jo Beverley, Kinley MacGregor, and Robin Shone, will nonetheless enjoy this book, too. *Shelley Mosley* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved*