Scottish Laird Ian McKay needs a wife, an English wife. Not that he wants a wife, English or otherwise, but in order to fulfill the terms of a will he must do so, or lose his inheritance. He thus makes a list of qualities he deems his bride-to-be should have, including that she should not possess a great fortune, should be plain of face, and at least somewhat on the shelf. He figures that any such woman would expect little of him, which is important, because he plans on having to give very little in terms of compliments, attention or emotion. When he sees Lady Annabelle Hamilton, he is sure his search is over.

However, Annabelle is not so on the shelf that she doesn't have a list of her own, albeit a short one: she will not marry without love. Horrified when Ian discloses his requirements to her, she is determined to resist his suit, even though he attracts her like no other man.

It so happens that Annabelle is being wooed by another man at the same time, but this one wants nothing more than her fortune, which as it turns out is quite considerable in comparison with Ian's. In fact, her other suitor has no need for her to even remain alive after getting his hands on her money.

The questions then become: Is Ian smart enough to see Annabelle for the wonderful catch she is, above and beyond his wildest dreams let alone a ridiculous list…and will he realize it soon n enough to protect her from the madman out for her dowry? And will Annabelle take a chance, trusting that where the body goes, the heart will follow?

In Annabelle's Courtship, Ms. Monroe takes the familiar case of a man forced to marry or face losing everything, and imbues it with fresh life with the originality of her characters. Even the secondary’s hold their own, with intertwining stories of blackmail and deceit. Annabelle's determined path as a suffragette is inspiring, and Ian's easy acceptance of her cause is of course endearing.

In good conscience though I must say I found the "villain", who is after all a very significant protagonist, to be little more than cardboard. This is all the more surprising in contrast to the consummate ease with which this author is able to breathe life into her players. She accurately captures Annabelle's curiosity and latent sensuality, and her willingness to trust her husband with her body-a choice well made. Ms. Monroe just as easily shows us Ian's pain-filled past which led him to making such shallow assumptions about the woman he would wish to marry. In the end, Annabelle's Courtship is all about trust, and the wondrous events which come to pass when it is combined with love. Four Angels

Reviewed by: Lynn