A KISS OF FATE, by Mary Jo Putney

1737: England and Scotland were not comfortable places to be: Bonnie Prince Charlie was planning an invasion, the French threatened, the Hanoverian King George II was sincere but too Germanic, the heir to the throne a wastrel. Enter the Duncan, Laird of the Macraes, who sees lovely, recently-widowed Gwyneth Owens and falls instantly, catastrophically, in love. Gwynn, on the other hand, still mourns the loss of her aged husband, and wishes no alliance, legitimate or otherwise. But Duncan Macrae is not only a powerful landowner, but a Guardian, a worker of magic known as Lord of Thunder, able to influence weather. Too much, in fact: if Duncan isn't happy, thunder crashes and winds roar. Gwynne, also of Guardian stock but without talents, is not amused, but she is very attracted. The Guardian Council sees Duncan's attraction, asks Gwynne to marry him. Almost overnight, Gwynne is a wife and msitress of an enormous Scottish estate. And war, in the person of Charles Stewart, embroils both her people and her husband. Lovers of history with a romantic, magical twist will enjoy Gwynne's coming of age and the irresistible attraction between these two vibrant characters. It's a 5, particularly for romance junkies. It's a 2.5 on the sex scale, warm and steamy but not smokin hot.

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