cover image Reiver's Woman

Reiver's Woman

Catherine Creel. Ivy Books, $5.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-449-18282-6

The English-Scottish border was historically a rather testy area, and it was certainly so during the reign of Elizabeth I and James VI when ""reivers,"" armed raiders, plundered the marches. This is the backdrop when Lady Analise Howard is married against her will to Scottish reiver laird Ronan Armstrong. Despite fierce mutual lust right from the start, Lady Analise argues, fights and withholds sex each time rugged, virile Ronan tries to make love. This isn't erotic tension, it's narrative tedium and the heroine who says ""no, no, no"" but means ""yes, yes, yes"" is outdated and distasteful. Poor Analise is also adverbally challenged, she blushes ""fierily,"" rests ""pliantly,"" muses ""irefully"" and, to top things off, she sits there with ""her mouth falling open in startlement."" Startlement? Creel's (Wildsong) latest is dull, silly and drags on far too long. (Sept.)