Grace Burrowes begins a new historical romance series with a bang. In order to help his clan, Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour, must marry an heiress. Genie Daniels’s parents want a title for her. The match should be perfect, except it is Genie’s penniless cousin, Augusta, that Ian can’t resist.

The Bridegroom Wore Plaid is a thrilling story, full of intrigue, danger, love and heartache. There isn’t much of a mystery – readers are given the villain right away and his reasons are made obvious – but the way it plays out is still very thrilling and the ending is quite satisfying.

Ian is all you could want in a sexy Scottish hero. He’s loyal, dedicated to his family, hard working, and handsome. He’s willing to sacrifice his own happiness but he won’t make anyone else suffer if he can help it. Some may be uncomfortable that he’s trying to woo one girl while secretly seeing her cousin, especially because they believe it can lead nowhere, but there has been no agreement made to actually wed Genie. They are just supposed to be getting to know one another to see if they would suit. Ian is desperate for her money but he is too honorable to intentionally hurt her.

Augusta has had a hard life as the family’s poor relation, since the death of her family. Spending time with Ian, though, reminds her of the person she used to be and helps her grow into someone more. She’s smart, interesting, and pretty. She cares about those around her and only wants to see them happy.

There are a handful of secondary characters that add depth and interest to the story – Ian’s brothers (Con and Gil), their sister (Mary Fran), Genie, Genie’s sister (Hester), their aunt (Julia), Genie’s brother (Matthew) and Mary Fran’s fun-loving daughter (Fiona). The developing relationships among them don’t get a lot of detail but Mary Fran and Matthew have a novella coming soon, so there might also be ones in the works for the others. Regardless, they provide some added emotion to an already heartwarming story.

If you like a little suspense and heat in your historical romances, The Bridegroom Wore Plaid is a perfect choice.