WAITING FOR A SCOT LIKE YOU

The Union of the Rakes series ends with the exhilarating escapades of a widow and a soldier.

At 46, Beatrice Sloane, the Dowager Countess of Farris, wants to finally explore the joys and pleasures she missed out on during her marriage. She’s eager to attend a weeklong bacchanal where she can participate in “utter, filthy debauchery.” As a favor to a friend, Maj. Duncan McCameron is accompanying Lady Farris on the journey to make sure she arrives safely, and then he has plans to begin a new job. He’s been feeling adrift in peacetime and is hopeful a career focus will provide him with a sense of purpose. This jaunt is meant to serve as a short holiday for him, but Lady Farris’ spontaneity is antithetical to his need for routine and order. What was supposed to be a straightforward trip ends up involving carriage destruction, outdoor sleeping, an unlawful dance, and, most unexpectedly, fiery passion that turns into love. This adventure-story romance has a big heart and a madcap plot just like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Footloose, the 1980s films it drew inspiration from. The older heroine is refreshing, and her sexual journey is satisfying and oh-so-sensual. A secondary romance between two male characters is beautifully sweet. The more outlandish parts of the plot sometimes feel too silly, but the characters’ connections and emotions always feel grounded in truth.

This road trip is worth taking.