I wouldn’t have minded seeing a bit more of her, although not at the cost of seeing less of Sin, who is admittedly a more interesting and complex character. I liked her, however, and believed that she could teach Sin to love. She is determined to the point of single-mindedness, and while I wanted her to succeed, I felt like she might more believably have gotten a bit discouraged from time to time. The only thing I could ask for is to see a little more of the life he regrets.Ĭallie is a likable character, although perhaps not as well-realized as Sin, because most of the emphasis is on him. He’s tortured, but not torturous to read. He’s a well-realized hero, whose regrets, for a refreshing change are based on reality rather than fantasy, and his lack of hope is more than believable. Born In Sin refers to both his very humble beginnings, and the life from which he needs to be reborn. The hero and heroine are sympathetic characters, particularly Sin, for whom the book is named. She can, however, fear what will surely befall the Sassenach Lord when he accompanies her home to her rebellious clansmen. She may be afraid of her reaction to him, but she can’t bring herself to fear her husband-to-be.

But Callie sees how Sin treats Jamie, and knows that a demon would never care for a child like he does. Human caring is beyond his experience, and the land that rejected him could never again be his home.Ĭallie MacNeely is trying to escape Henry’s court with her young brother Jamie when her perfect plan is foiled by a tall, dark and handsome knight who just happens to look like the devil incarnate – and the knights who have waylaid her seem to believe him to be just that. But getting married and returning to Scotland are at the top of Sin’s Never To Do list. He’s been commanded to wed a Scottish clanswoman named Caledonia MacNeely, now the king’s hostage, return to the land that was once his home to catch a dangerous Scottish raider, and to make peace. He’s sent men to their deaths unquestioningly, at the order of his king, but he cannot abide by Henry’s latest edict. Rejected by both parents, and referred to by the Pope himself as Satan’s Most Favorite Spawn, he’s rumored to be a demon or worse. He’s been an assassin for the Saracens who bought him as a child, and now serves King Henry II in the same capacity. Lord Sin, with his improbable (but well-explained) name and well-earned reputation for murder and mayhem is, at first glance, more than daunting. If there were a little more to it, it could have made the jump to DIK without much effort, but as it stands, it’s still a truly enjoyable read. Kinley MacGregor’s latest offering, Born In Sin, is a redemption story, and quite a good one, as it happens.

Born in Sin by Kinley MacGregor