The MacGregor's Lady (MacGregor Series, 3)
The MacGregor's Lady (MacGregor Series, 3) book cover

The MacGregor's Lady (MacGregor Series, 3)

Mass Market Paperback – February 4, 2014

by
Price
$7.99
Publisher
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1402268724
Dimensions
4.19 x 1.04 x 6.88 inches
Weight
7.2 ounces

Description

From Booklist As Burrowes continues her MacGregor series (Once Upon a Tartan, 2013), Hannah Cooper’s Boston family sends her across the sea to London to make a good match—or else. Her tyrannical stepfather has trapped her family under his unpleasant rule. Yet rather than think of escape, Hannah wants only to get her inheritance and return to save her loved ones. Asher MacGregor, the new earl of Balfour, is not interested in debutantes but takes paying his debt seriously in the form of showing the Boston heiress the proper way to do things in London. They soon realize that they are the only match for each other, but they cannot figure out how to take care of their familial responsibilities. As usual, Burrowes brings strong conflict and emotion to a very appealing cast. Her secondary characters are as colorful as the hero and heroine, and readers will enjoy revisiting beloved characters, including the Windhams. And Asher’s background and mixed-race heritage bring interesting facets to the time period and to this excellent series. --Amy Alessio "A powerful and moving romance... A deeply engrossing, well-written, not-to-be-missed novel! 4 ½ Stars, Top Pick! " ― RT Book Reviews "Burrowes has a knack for giving fresh twists to genre tropes and developing them in unexpected and delightful directions. This novel is a perfect example of her consistently excellent writing, deep and layered stories, and intelligent and compassionate characters. " ― Publishers Weekly "Burrowes brings strong conflict and emotion to a very appealing cast. Her secondary characters are as colorful as the hero and heroine..." ― Booklist "[An] engaging, deliciously sensual, superbly written romance by one of the genre’s rising historical stars." ― Library Journal "Grace Burrowes has a remarkable ability to bring the environment to life. The scents and sounds, even the feel and look of the soot from the foul smelling coal seem real. However, her special talent for developing strong, memorable characters is the very best part of her novels." ― Long and Short Reviews "Both Asher and Hannah are well - rounded, and I found them to be some of the most likable characters I've read about in a historical romance." ― Fresh Fiction "Once again Ms. Burrowes gives us a new couple to care for, while bringing in characters that we grew to love from previous books. " ― First Page to the Last "A great conclusion to the MacGregor Trilogy. The whole series has me laughing out loud at the characters antics and this story was no different" ― Historical Romance Lover "Grace Burrowes is a born writer and I have yet to read a book by her that did not include a strong sense of time and place... [This] is another in a long string of winners by this author who does not seem to be slowing down one bit in her creative output." ― All About Romance "Torture. Torment. Delicious despair. Those words pretty much sum up The MacGregor’s Lady... Reading this book is ultimately a rewarding, if cathartic, experience." ― Heroes & Heartbreakers "You'll be cheating yourself, if you don't read this book. It's one of the best historical romances I have read in a long time... Grace Burrowes is a tremendous talent in this genre." ― Debbie’s Book Bag "Burrowes, a bestselling author, has done an outstanding job of taking the plot to a thrilling end. It will not only amuse readers, but might make a movie producer request a script. Highly recommended." ― Historical Novels Review "This story has just the right amount of adventure, passion and lovely description to whisk me away from the every day mundane" ― Bitten By Love Reviews "I love romances in which independent characters come together in the name of love. I enjoyed it even more in The MacGregor's Lady as both are so set against getting married, yet fate has decided differently." ― Bookloons "A feast of characters, decisively written and a pleasure to read!" ― Eyes.2c Reviews "Grace's writing has a the gift of drawing you into the setting and falling in love with the characters. " ― Under the Boardwalk "I loved the tenderness and the heart of the story. The characters were amazing." ― Royal Reviews "Epic and beautiful... Burrowes is truly one of the best historical authors I’ve read." ― Romancing the Book "A fast paced tale of sacrifice, secrets, passion, deception, lies, misunderstandings, and love." ― My Book Addiction Reviews "Absolutely enchanting. " ― Romance Junkies New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’ bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Eve's Indiscretion. Her Regency romances and Scotland-set Victorian romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Once Upon a Tartan have both won RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Two of her MacGregor heroes have won KISS awards. Grace is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • What if the steps they take to avoid marriage…
  • The last thing Asher MacGregor, newly titled Earl of Balfour, wants is a society wife, though he has agreed to squire Boston heiress Hannah Cooper about the London ballrooms. When he's met that obligation, he'll return to the Highlands, and resume the myriad responsibilities awaiting him there.
  • …Lead instead to impossible love?
  • At her step-father's insistence, Hannah Cooper must endure a London season, though she has no intention of surrendering her inheritance to a fortune hunter. When she's done her duty, she'll return to Boston and the siblings who depend upon her for their safety... or will she? The taciturn Scottish earl suits her purposes admirably―until genuine liking and unexpected passion bring Asher and Hannah close. For if the Scottish earl and the American heiress fall in love, an ocean of differences threatens to keep them apart.
  • The MacGregor Series
  • The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (Book 1)
  • Mary Fran and Matthew (Novella)
  • Once Upon a Tartan (Book 2)
  • The MacGregor's Lady (Book 3)
  • What a Lady Needs for Christmas (Book 4)
  • "Burrowes' powerful and complex characters will enthrall you." ―
  • RT Book Reviews

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(250)
★★★★
25%
(208)
★★★
15%
(125)
★★
7%
(58)
★
23%
(191)

Most Helpful Reviews

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oh no GRACE...WHERE HAVE YOU GONE.

This book could have been so much more. The Prodigal Son returns home, to the Scottish Highlands, assuming his title by birthright, after being presumed dead in the Canadian wilderness. What a great premise for a new Grace Burrowes story. Just the family drama alone was going to be worth the anticipation for the release of this book. However, the book does not live up to the premise, nor the series, or for that matter any other novels written by this very talented author.

The motivation for the hero's return is never really explained. The American heiress, the heroine, is to be introduced into London Society by the returned, Asher MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour. Balfour, is coerced by a distant relation to see that Hannah, is successfully launched. Yet, the uncle has other plans and hopes to muddle up things by seeing the two compromised. But why? The uncle's relationship to Asher or Hannah, is never explained, nor his motivation.

Usually anything by this author can be read in a day or less. Her novels well developed and the characters a joy to read. This was difficult to finish. In fact, I would suggest just skipping it and enjoying another novel altogether.

I suppose the author knew that the story line was struggling , because half way in the Duke and Duchess of Moreland come to the rescue. As much as I enjoyed all of the Wyndam Family series, their appearance just seemed to exposed how weak the story was, as written. Further emphasized, by bringing the entire MacGregor Clan to London to chaperone. It just felt as though the author was filling up pages.

Perhaps it is the fault of the publisher's desire to see Ms. Burrowes churn out a novel every two months. Let's hope that the next series does not fall short.
8 people found this helpful
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I loved this! Its one of her Best yet!!

Asher MacGregor is the new Earl of Balfour and as such is supposed to marry and provide heirs for the title. He has a very interesting personal history and marrying a society lady is not to his liking.
Hannah Cooper's step father has control of her fortune that she inherited from her very wealthy father. He has been trying to marry her off to a pliable man so he can continue to control the money. If she is still unwed at 26, control of the money reverts to her. As a last hard effort her step father calls in a debt owed to him and sends Hannah to England to be presented to the aristocracy by none other than Asher MacGregor. Her step father has no intention of turning her fortune over to anyone and as long as Hannah is under 26 he can stipulate that in the betrothal agreements.
For two people who have no intentions of marrying they sure do fall in love. What a wonderful love story. Its very well written, the main characters are wonderful, as are the MacGregor's from previous books! I love all of Grace's books, but this one will be one of my favorites! Its excellent.
6 people found this helpful
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A bland, stereotypical offering.

Asher MacGregor has come back from the dead, i.e., from the wilds of Canada. At the behest of his uncle and to take up his rightful place as Lord of Balfour. As part of his re-entry into English society, also at the behest of his uncle, he is to tasked to be host and escort to Boston heiress, Hannah Cooper, for the London Season. But Hannah is no wall flower excited to flirt and dance; she is determined to thwart all, especially her meddling step-father, her self-absorbed aunt who is acting as her chaperone, and if she's not careful, her own heart.

I was really excited to get my grubby hands on it…and, well. While this wasn't a bad book, per se, it was not Ms. Burrowes' best either. The writing skills were still there and she can survive just on that and the historical references were spot on. BUT. It was just…so boring, from beginning to end and a slow read. Listless, uninteresting characters, whose romance was not only rather forced but not as romantic as Burrowes has done in other books. I could not generate any feeling for either Hannah or Asher, and they didn't really 'mesh' together. The plot was lacking in excitement and it dragged a lot. There were also a few typos, such as on pg 46, top of the page in which the author mistakenly refers to Asher as 'Archer'. Most of Burrowes' books are very insular, set within the confines of a house or land area, so a jaunt through London Season should have been interesting but it was, instead, tedious.

For me, the lack of solid characterization was the problem, which is surprising, as Burrowes excels at this. As a result, their love story just didn't carry me away at all and it read like every other romance novel I've read and wasn't much impressed with. Burrowes stuck with the typical romance ploys that she usually is good at avoiding but…I don't know. I didn't like this one.
3 people found this helpful
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The MacGregor's Lady by Grace Burrowes

Grace Burrowes wraps up her Scottish Victorian MacGregor trilogy with the final book, The MacGregor's Lady. Burrowes' fans have fallen in love with her lilting style and delightful prose. Burrowes has a knack for the historical side of her romances, as well as, the emotional side. With impeccable research and well developed characters, The MacGregor's Lady is sure to be hit with fans of historical romance and lovers of all things Scottish.

What I liked:

Any Grace Burrowes book you read will always have an authentic setting, a group of characters that are captivating and a story line that will keep the reader fully engaged. Her books have historical background and her research is obvious. They say to write what you know, well Grace Burrowes knows a lot about the Old Country and those who lived the history she writes about and the gives each book an edge that most historical romances don't have.

The MacGregor's Lady is definitely my favorite of this series and perhaps one of my all time favorites from this author. The were a lot of things about this particular hero and heroine that really stood out and made this book so enjoyable. Both Hannah and Asher have pasts that are getting in the way of their future. Commitment and duty to family and to clan on Asher's part and a ruthless step-father who threatens everything Hannah lives for on hers. Unfortunately, their obligations lie on opposite sides of a very big Ocean. I think Burrowes did a fantastic job with both the research for this novel and the characterizations of these two lead roles. I loved everything about them.

Asher is the epitome of a brooding hero when readers first meet him. He has been on the Canadian frontier for a very long time and re-orienting himself to family and home is difficult, especially when he is wrangled into providing escort for Hannah and her aunt as she looks for a husband in London. But he soon learns that her intentions are far different from what they seem. Asher is an enigma. He is this character who has been away for far too long. He has a traumatic past and it takes him awhile to open up about it. I loved everything about this character. He was so well written and interesting. Burrowes has done a masterful job with him. A caring and loving man who only wants to help his lady with her troubles.

Hannah is at times too stubborn for her own good. She has a plan and nothing or no one is going to stand in her way of achieving it. But she is unwilling to see that her plan won't work. Her dodged determination is a good quality but when the answer is starring her in the face she still doesn't want to accept it. I loved her for a lot of reasons. Her love for her family most of all, but she could be a little blind. I also like the fact that once she got over the fact that she was attracted to the dashing laird, she went for it. Even though an ocean of obligations stood in their way she wanted to experience what being loved by someone like him would be like.

Together these two were simply amazing and Burrowes weaves love and history together like a beautiful tapestry. I love the way she balances her writing and gives readers all the emotional and physical connections between characters that make a good romance, great. And this one is great! I loved the sneak appearance from the Windhams and the other characters from the previous books in the series. It deepened the idea of family and where the line blurs between compassion and obligation, an underlying theme of this book. It was literally, just a fantastic book.

What I didn't like:

It took Hannah awhile to get over being stubborn and letting Asher help her. She loved him and he loved her, they belonged together. It just took her a really long time to figure out that love could surmount any of problem, even an ocean.

Bottom Line:

You'll be cheating yourself, if you don't read this book. It's one of the best historical romances I have read in a long time and this review cannot begin to reflect that. Grace Burrowes is a tremendous talent in this genre and readers who have gotten the opportunity to read her books are truly blessed. Enough said!
2 people found this helpful
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Have read all her books

I will agree with other reviews that some of Grace Burrow's books do drag on for ever, however this was not one of them. I don't feel that Hannah was a whiner, but was very torn between her duty to her family and love she had for Asher. The wonderful thing with this author's books is the importance she places on families. I like that she brings back family members from previous books. This was a great love story an am sorry it is the last of the MacGregor series.
1 people found this helpful
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Awesome story - well written, character driven

Grace Burrowes has written another winner with The MacGregor's Lady. The story pulled me in and didn't let go until the final page was turned. Ms. Burrowes has an elegance to her prose that puts her in the top-tier of romance authors. If you like character driven novels with depth and a well-paced story line, you will love this book. Buy it now and prepare to put your feet up and lose yourself in the world that comes to life between the pages....Enjoy!
1 people found this helpful
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Four Stars

Lovely read. Grace Burrowes is one of my favorites!!
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Beautiful

I was hesitant to read this book as I thought it sounded depressing after reading a few reviews. I'm so glad I picked it up. I have not (in a very long time) read a book that made me feel as much emotion as I have while reading this book. I've giggled and I've definatly cried. This book was so sweet and so painful at the same time. The reasons this couple could not be together seemed too great to overcome and their enduring strength made it a powerful book. This is so well written I have an ache in my chest. It was so insightful, inspiring, beautiful, and bittersweet. I feel like I won't be able to pick up a book this good for a long time because I have the miserable feeling of a book hangover. I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. I love the characters because of their rawness and their honesty. I hope you read this book someday and love it as much as I do.
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Five Stars

good
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I love all the Grace Burrowes books that I have read ...

I love all the Grace Burrowes books that I have read and I am planning on reading everyone one of her books if possible!

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