Enraptured: Secrets of the Loch Trilogy
Candace Camp’s Enraptured, set in 1807, is the final book in the Secrets of the Loch series, and she hooks you with archeology as well as her characters. Unmarried, stubborn, intelligent, and educated archeologist Lady Violet Thornhill is determined to assume her late uncle’s position at Duncally, a Highland dig. She only hopes to survive long enough to get there. When Coll Munro, the estate manager of Duncally, rescues Violet’s carriage from a bunch of would-be highwaymen, the only payment he wants is a kiss. That kiss, and the memory of it, inspires him to watch over the wee Sassenach archeologist as she determinedly unearths the remains of an ancient civilization on the property. A series of mysterious clues in an old book have Coll and Violet working together to uncover the whereabouts of a treasure left by his grandmother, endangering them both.
This historical romance/mystery ties into the early 19th-century British interest in antiquities and archeology, sparked by John Frere in the late 18th century. The plight of women in the sciences, and the budding interest in the ancient world, are unusual themes for a romance, but Camp gives the story heart and soul. An interesting and fun read.
