August 04, 2004
 Scandal's Bride is the third novel in the Stephanie Laurens's immensely successful Bar Cynster Series. Richard Cynster is the illegitimate son of the Duke of St. Ives, fondly known as Scandal. He heads off to Scotland to collect an inheritance left him, only to find that full inheritance to the family will go to charity if he does not wed the beautiful but very independant Lady Catriona Hennessy. Unable to resist his attraction to the woman, nor to see the whole family turned out as paupers, the two marry.
Lady Catriona is no ordinary Scottish miss, but a Lady of the old religions. She oversees the physical and spiritual livelihood of a small vale in the lowlands of Scotland. She cannot submit to anyone, certainly not her powerfully arrogant husband. Richard and Catriona must find a way to live together in harmony, respecting each other's will, pride, and responsibilities.
This novel is unlike many of the other Cynster series, for from the very start, Richard accepts that he must yield to the Lady on almost all matters. The story revolves much around how Catriona comes to see his worth and how he can support her and her people, instead of threaten them. It is easy to sympathize with Richard's frustration at wanting to help Catriona with her work as the Lady of the Vale. As often happens in a Cynster novel, there comes a time when other Cynsters descend upon the household, keeping us up-to-date on how happy the previously married Cynsters have become and how wary the unmarried ones are of their ultimate fate. A truly enjoyable Cynster tale - one of Laurens' best!
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