Ransomhey, all five year olds talk practically nonstop about the most mundane things and then say all the things they shouldn't!

After all my praise, I must add one tiny complaint.The first few chapters are very hard to get through.I was completely confused as to what was going on with Gillian and Alec (why was he hanging off a cliff, why was Gillian chasing him, how did Gillian come to know about Alec being held prisoner, etc.).Maybe I missed a few hidden clues about what was happening, but it took me a few chapters for everything to make sense and at the time I was getting very frustrated.Perhaps Julie Garwood was attempting to try something different by plunging right into the action, but I feel she could have started at the beginning and the effect could have been the same if not better.This might also have prevented a few readers from giving up in the beginning.However, once everything clicks into place, this book is awesome.I loved it and stayed up till 2 in the morning reading.

*****Also, I shall be going back to read The Secret, which I have discovered is the prequel to this, centering on Iann and Judith, who are the parents of Alec and minor characters in Ransom.I look forward to it!

This story is set in England and Scotland between the years 1198 to 1215. It begins during the reign of King Richard the Lion-Hearted of England, and takes the reader into the reign of his younger brother King John.

Gillian and Christian are two innocent little English girls who lose their father and their ancestral home when Baron Alford, a friend of King John's,goes on a murderous rampage. He thinks their father is in possession of a treasure box filled with jewels.The jeweled box once belonged to the beautiful Arianna who was the lost love of King John. The sisters are separated; Christian is taken to Scotland, and Gillian remains in England with her Uncle Morgan and near her old home which is now ruled paced and exciting story. As an avid reader, it's a thrill to discover an author who you've somehow missed.Now, I'll go back and read her earlier books.

I loved this story.

If you have read the story "The Bride"Alec, Brodrick and Ramsey who are uniquely drawn into the story.They are all lairds of their own land now and it is interesting how JG shows that they are all still good friends even though they are very different and their "ruling" style is very different.

I don't want to say to much about this but there is romance, lots of laughter, courage, humor (if the little boy had said "You know what" once more I think everyone would have had to throttle him)and love woven in around the fierceness of the situation...

I have read the book (5+ stars) and also listened to the tape (the abridged one is about 3 stars, as it looses a lot of the depth to the story).

This was my second Garwood book and I loved it just as much as the first one (The Secret). This time Brodick Buchanon and Ramsey Sinclair from The Secret are the heroes with a brief appearance by Judith and Iain. In a plot to kidnap Ramsey's younger brother, Iain and Judith's son, Alec, is taken by mistake. Lucky for him, a young woman, Gillian,is also being held. Baron Alford believes she knows where a certain box belonging to King John is and he will stop at nothing to get it first. After beating Gillian and threatening her uncle's life, she is sent to find her sister. When Baron Alford killed her father when she was a child, she and her sister were given the box and sent into hiding. The two children were separated and Gillian never saw her again. If she didn't find the box and return it, Baron Alford threatened to torture and kill her uncle. Knowing that Alec's true identity would cause the baron to kill him, she escapes with him and hands him over to Brodick.Of course it was attraction at first sight and the fun begins here. There were many humorous parts and I loved seeing Gillian stand up to Brodick at every turn. There was a secondary romance between Ramsey and Bridgit that could have very easily been made into its own book. These two books have made me a big fan of Julie Garwood.

As a child innocent four year old Lady Gillian watches as her father is violently murdered by a ruthless English Baron. Now years later the same baron has called on her to find King John's missing box in Scotland andbring it back to him. She is told if she does not return with the box andher missing sister her beloved uncle will be killed. Gillian is able toescape, along with the kidnapped child of Laird Iain Maitland. In order tomake her way to Scotland, she calls for Laird Brodrick Bucannan, claimingto be his bride. Intrigued, Brodrick goes to her and she safely returnsIain's son Alec to him.

Brodrick has sworn never to trust the English,but when he first sees the fair Lady Gillian he is instantly smitten.Gillian is drawn to Brodrick in ways she cannot determine either and thetwo finally fall in love. Gillian is tricked into marrying the handsomeyoung Laird and the two leave to find Gillian's sister. Will Gillian bereunited with her sister? Will King John's box ever be found and will herfather's name ever be cleared?

Julie Garwood once again brings us back tobeautiful medeival Scotland, reuniting us with the wonderful charactersfrom The Secret. If you love Julie Garwood's medeival series, this book ishighly recommended. But one warning, plan on clearing your day since youwill undoubtedly be immersed in the story all day long.