Apr
The Sweetest Sin by Mary Reed McCall
Review by: Andrea Whitney
Book: The Sweetest Sin
Author: Mary Reed McCall
Author website: www.maryreedmccall.com
Publisher: Avon
Release date: June 2004
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Okay, first let me get this out of the way…
This is my first Mary Reed McCall book.
There, I said it. And yeah, I know…where the heck have I been?!?! I mean, I met her in person at the RWA book signing in Atlanta last July, plus I’ve had several people (mainly Irene 
) recommending her books to me. So why is this my first?
I have no freakin’ idea!!!
But, at least I have finally discovered her books and this will certainly not be my last. I already have Beyond Temptation and Sinful Pleasures in my TBR pile just waiting for The Templar’s Seduction to be released so that I can read them all together. And boy, I can’t wait! In the meantime, I’m going to order her other in-print backlist and search frantically for her OOP as well.
If you haven’t already figured it out, I loved this book. The Sweetest Sin is about two people who overcome great odds (and a great feud) to be together.
Aileana MacDonell has spent most of her life paying for her sister’s sins by remaining locked in her tower chamber as guardian of the sacred amulet, the Ealach, that protects her clan. Duncan MacRae has spent the last 13 years imprisoned in the English Tower after Aileana’s sister ordered a raid on his castle on his wedding day, slayed his beloved bride and stole the precious Ealach…all because he spurned her. After he escapes, Duncan raids Dulhmeny Castle, the MacDonell stronghold, to gain back the Ealach. He then encounters the beautiful Aileana, who takes the amulet and bravely jumps off a cliff to get away from him. She survives the fall and hides it where it can’t be found. Duncan eventually captures the fair Aileana and demands back the Ealach, but she refuses to tell him where she hid it. Duncan is enraged, so to get even with her, he threatens to take her brother and have him murdered for the part he played in the horrible raid 13 years before. To spare her brother’s life, Aileana offers herself to Duncan as his wife. Duncan agrees, but doesn’t want her as his wife; he wants her as his leman. She agrees, but soon discovers that he doesn’t want her as leman in truth, but seeks only to humiliate her in order to get her to confess to the whereabouts of the Ealach. However, Aileana soon holds her own by befriending his clan and eventually working her way into his heart.
Aileana is a proud, stubborn and clever heroine. She does things to Duncan throughout the first half of the book that had me laughing out loud. (I love the part about the wee mousies…classic!!)
Duncan is a strong, noble, tortured hero that overcomes his past grief to take a chance on love again. And what a love it is.
These two characters complimented each other perfectly.
Even the villains, who are thought to be dead, are strong characters that play key roles. It was really nice to read from their POV as well. It made the story more real for me. And you can almost–almost–sympathize with their plight.
And the epilogue…was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Lacey hit the nail on the head when she said that MRM writes with clarity. So true. Her voice is pure and smooth; her knowledge of the era is obvious and will surely keep me coming back for more. The Sweetest Sin is going directly to my keeper shelf.
Thanks MRM for a fantastic read!!
Good Morning all!
Great review Andrea! I haven’t read this book yet, but you sounded like you enjoyed it so much—you’ve made me think I need to get to Duncan and Aileana’s story very soon.
Oh Mary, that was REALLY a heartrendingly sad prologue—poor, poor Mairi! And poor Duncan—how terrible to have his wife die in his arms on their wedding day. Is this story about magic and witches—is it a paranormal? Looks like you wrote another great villain/villainess—cuz that Morgana seems like a real meanie! And if you don’t mind my asking…How do you pronounce Aileana’s name?
Andrea wrote: She does things to Duncan throughout the first half of the book that had me laughing out loud. (I love the part about the wee mousies…classic!!)
Aw, I want to know about the “wee mousies”!
With all that sadness in the prologue, I’m glad Andrea said there were some humorous parts—I need to laugh or grin occasionally while reading, too much sadness wears on me. But these characters sound very engaging, so I’m not worried. Aileana from Andrea’s description (and the excerpt) sounds like a very appealing heroine—proud, brave and a little stubborn combined with an innocence or ingenuousness due to being locked away from people for so long—I like her already. And Duncan completely won my sympathy in the prologue. That was a very compelling excerpt Mary.
Btw ~ Andrea, you should always listen to me—it’ll save you so much time—at least that’s what I tell my husband!
April 18th, 2007 at 4:28 amThanks Irene! (((hugs))) I wouldn’t consider this book a paranormal at all. It may have some “magic” insinuations and Aileana and Morgana can envision the amulet, but that’s it.
Yes, the prologue is sad, but also riveting. It really makes you want to read more. And I did feel sorry for poor Mairi.
Another part I loved was the ending. It is very action-packed. Kept me on the edge of my seat.
Loved this book!
Now I can’t wait to read “behind the scenes”.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:38 amOh, and Irene…I will listen to you from now on.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:39 amAndrea, thank you for such a glowing review! I’m honored and delighted that you enjoyed this book (especially considering that, even though I revised it “later” in my career, it’s my earliest work currently in publication).
Irene - you’re a sweetheart as always, and I hope you end up having a chance to read this one. It’s got my most “alpha”-in-the-old-school-sense hero to date. My other heroes are tough but tend to be a little more willing to communicate with the women they love (and they recognize they’re in love more easily). Duncan has a much tougher time getting in touch with his softer side, LOL. Some people (read: a few of the editors and agents who rejected this mss. in its first incarnation) considered him too hard and maybe even bordering on cruel with how he treated Aileana…pronounced A-lee-anna, with the accent on “anna”. I never saw that myself, but everyone’s interpretation is different. I think you’ll like Duncan, though. He’s a quintessential “tortured” hero, in every sense of the word (moreso than Damien, even, from Sinful Pleasures!*g*).
Ok, now to the “Behind the scenes”…
I started writing this book in late 1994, believe it or not. I finished writing it sometime in 1996 (I didn’t keep any specific records, so I can’t remember exactly…I do know I had already moved onto writing Secret Vows by 1997, because I remember vividly brainstorming the title for SV when I was pushing my oldest daughter - then two-years-old- on the swing, LOL).
I wrote it as a result of a one-page workshop my writing chapter (Central New York Romance Writers) had one month. the premise was something like, “She has something he wants. He will do anything in his power to get it.” Everyone who wanted to participate had to write a ONE PAGE scene or set up of a scene - whether historical, contemp., paranormal…whatever - using this premise. What came out of me was the bit on the field when Duncan has returned after 13 years of hell in the English dungeons to wage vengeful war on Aileana’s family and take back the Ealach amulet they’d “stolen” from him on the day they ed Mairi and betrayed his clan. It ended with Alieana throwing herself from the cliff, with the Ealach clutched in her hand and the sun catching its opalescence with shimmering light, just before she vanishes under the pounding waves below. *G*
So that led to me creating the rest of the story - the whys, hows, and resolutions. I wrote this one in the hopes of it being more marketable. It was my second-ever manuscript, and I’d been disappointed by the rejections of my first manuscript - because all of the respondants had commented on liking my writing style but finding my setting/time period unmarketable (it was a book set in 18th century Russia and England…written before I knew ANYTHING about marketable settings).
I checked through my “rejection” file last night. The Sweetest Sin (which carried the original title BENEATH A HIGHLAND MIST - long before the Karen Marie Moning book came out with a nearly identical title that almost gave me a heart attack when I saw it, LOL - and then later HIGHLAND MAGIC) received at least 10 rejections from agents and editors that I could determine specifically (meaning those that actually named it in the rejection letter…there were a few of those “Dear author” rejection in my file as well, and I can’t determine if they were for my first mansucript or TSS).
And yes, it was rejected by Avon. Twice. *G* (though neither time by my current editor).
As to how I managed to sell it later, then, having had it rejected all around when I was first submitting it?
Well, here’s my theory. Firstly, I was submitting this book originally back in 1996-1997. When I pulled it out again, it was late 2002. A significant amount of time had passed, and what had been deemed “too harsh” back in the mid-to-late 90’s was not as jarring to the market by then. Scottish-set historicals were still popular as well.
Secondly, I’d proven I could do the work required to bring a manuscript up to , because I’d already written, revised, and seen published three other books with my publisher by that point. There was no doubt that I would be willing to go through the revision process and sharpen certain elements, while toning down others. I wasn;t an unknown, possibly “prima-dona” type author who would refuse to make changes to her beloved masterpiece. *G*
Thirdly, it was a *finished manuscript* - which was like a gift at the time, since I was proposing my Templar Knights series at that point, and when there was some discussion about the possibility of releasing all the Templar books in quick succession (later nixed higher up because medievals don’t have the sales numbers in general to warrant that kind of push/escalated release schedule) I needed some extra time to try to write the Templar manuscripts more quickly…and the use of this already completed work as a “filler” book in between The Crimson Lady and the first Templar book (Beyond Temptation) would buy me at least nine months of writing time.
As it stood, it just allowed me to slow down a little (since the escalated release schedule didn’t come about) - but that was a very good thing, else I might not have been able to hang in as long as I did with the book-a-year schedule (which seems to be a rule of thumb in romance, in general, to have a hope of continuing to grow and maybe have readers remember who you are, LOL, between books). So it all worked out in the end.
And I will say the revision process - first by my agent, and then my editor - did help to polish this book and make it saleable. I truly didn’t change anything major, though, about the manuscript from its first vesion (all the characterizations, scenes, etc remained the same..there was a little shifting of motivation emphasis, and some smoothing out of prose, perhaps, but that’s it. It’s amazing how a few years of writing will help you hone your craft enough to make one’s use and abilities with the subtleties and nuances of language noticecably different - and improved, I hope!).
So that’s the “behind the scenes” story for this book! If I think I anything else interesting to add, I certainly will in a separate comment. And of course if any of you have questions or comments you’d like me to address, I’ll do my best. I’ll be checking in here again later.
And thanks again to Andrea for such a lovely review. I’m thrilled that I may have found a new fan in you!
–MRM
April 18th, 2007 at 7:46 amGood morning, Mary
Andrea, that was awesome! I’m also scrambling to get Mary’s backlist.
Btw ~ Andrea, you should always listen to me—it’ll save you so much time—at least that’s what I tell my husband!
Irene ~ I’m a quick learner *G* I’ll drink coffee later…while I’m away from the computer and not reading your posts. HAHAHA!!! *Pats herself on back*
That said you took the words right out of my mouth when you asked MRM how to pronounce Aileana’s name. Like you, I want to read this one now! lol.
*Isabel scribbles furiously* This has to be my favorite premise-a hero exacting revenge on the heroine’s family only to find himself falling in love with her. Oh I LOVE IT!
“She has something he wants. He will do anything in his power to get it.”
April 18th, 2007 at 8:15 amMary ~ I’ve been using a similar line while plotting my WIP. Amazing how The Sweetest Sin came out of this exercise. Another thing that is, once again, asserted in your comments is that everything happens for a reason, at the right time and for the right reason. I know I said this on an earlier comment this week, but I bring this up again because I find it it’s important to tell myself that things will work out. When the pressure is on and I have no more nails to chew, it’ll work out. Thank, Mary, your post just recharged my batteries.
Mary, I have to add that I loved the POV that you wrote the epilogue from.
To avoid possible spoilers, I won’t say anymore than it was a perfect ending to a fantastic story. 
April 18th, 2007 at 8:58 amI started this book because I thought it was assigned to me. I read the dedication, which is how I knew the book was a previously unpublished & rejected ms. I read the prologue and the first chapter because I was having a nice long soak in the tub. And then I had to put it down because, uh, I had to read TMW on a time crunch.
All that means I can say I was really surprised by the prologue, too! I was confused about Morgana, thinking wow, this is a really cruel heroine, and then surprised when Aileana jumped off the cliff. This all happens early on in what would be the partial (first three chapters), so I was interested in its rejection/submission story. Thanks for sharing in such detail. I like reading your take on the process as well as the fact of what happened. Plus, I think we’d all like to believe that our early books have a chance at publication. I know I don’t want Jonathan to live in a drawer for the rest of my life!
Again, I say, awesome week!
April 18th, 2007 at 9:12 amLacey wrote: “All that means I can say I was really surprised by the prologue, too! I was confused about Morgana, thinking wow, this is a really cruel heroine, and then surprised when Aileana jumped off the cliff. This all happens early on in what would be the partial (first three chapters), so I was interested in its rejection/submission story. Thanks for sharing in such detail.”
Wow - Lacey I can’t believe I never even considered that anyone might pick up this book and think Morgana was the heroine, based upon reading the Prologue. It never crossed my mind…but looking back at it from the perspective you’ve shared, I can see where she *is* the first woman Duncan talks to in the book…and in many romance novels that first male/female interaction is the hero and heroine. Hmmmm….I shall have to ruminate on this further, LOL.
As for Aileana’s jumping from the cliff - yeah, it’s definitely dramatic (melodramatic, perhaps? *G*) What can I say…early on I tended more toward pulling out all the stops, even if the result was sometimes a little over-the-top. Morgana is an over-the-top villainess, too - but she’s the only female villain I’ve ever written (and she was only my second villain, period), so I think I was having some fun making her baaaaaaad. Colin wasn’t far behind.
As any of you who have read a few of my works now can probably tell, I have a real thing for sibling relationship and/or rivalries. I love, love, love to explore the dynamics of brothers in particular (or cousins, or brothers-in-arms….I tend to have at least one good male friend for each of my heroes) but also sisters (it’s a negative relationship in TSS and in The Maiden Warrior, with Gwynne and her half-sibling…but in Secret Vows, Gray’s whole backstory revolves around the love he felt for his twin sister and guilt over her death, and Catherine’s children are fraternal twins). Heck, the whole Templar series revolves around brothers (Damien and Alex) and brothers-in-arms (Richard and John, along with Damien and Alex).
Fun stuff!
Andrea said: “Mary, I have to add that I loved the POV that you wrote the epilogue from. To avoid possible spoilers, I won’t say anymore than it was a perfect ending to a fantastic story”
Thanks, Andrea! I had a lot of fun writing it. The Epilogue is actually one of the few scenes I added just before publication of this book. In its original version, there was no Epilogue at all (and I have no clue why - I’ve ALWAYS written Prologues and Epilogues for all my books, because I love them in the books I read for pleasure). My editor wasn’t too sure about me adding that “new” POV at the very end of the story, but she decided it was fitting from a plot and emotional perspective, and therefore covers what most readers want to see in an Epilogue.
Isabel said: “I know I said this on an earlier comment this week, but I bring this up again because I find it it’s important to tell myself that things will work out. When the pressure is on and I have no more nails to chew, it’ll work out. Thank, Mary, your post just recharged my batteries.”
I’m so glad, Isabel! That’s exactly what I’m hoping my visits here to R.I. will do for you guys this week and next. I’m happy that it seems to be working out so well already!
I’ll stop back later…
–MRM
April 18th, 2007 at 11:56 amOh - I forgot to mention about Duncan (in what turned out to be a bit of sweet, poetic justice, considering some of the comments about him I’d received in my rejection letters years earlier)….
He won Romantic Times “Best Historical Hero of 2004″ Award. *G*.
–MRM
April 18th, 2007 at 2:42 pmMRM wrote: He won Romantic Times “Best Historical Hero of 2004? Award.
After reading TSS, this doesn’t surprise me. Underneath that rough exterior, Duncan has a heart of gold. *le sigh*
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Mary, I also wanted to say that I enjoyed “The Author’s Note” at the end. Reading it answered several questions that I had.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:47 pmThanks for the explanations, Mary! Sorry if I’m starting to sound like a broken record. I only know so many ways to grovel at one’s feet…
April 18th, 2007 at 4:12 pmI have read the first two in the Templar Knights and am eagerly awaiting Alex’s story I absolutley loved the first two I was lucky enough to win a cover flat from A Templars Seduction and it is beautiful. Now I will be trying very hard to collect all of Mary’s books the reviews are fantastic I can’t wait to read them all.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:13 pmWell done everyone and thanks for the great reviews.
Have Fun
Helen
Andrea said: “Mary, I also wanted to say that I enjoyed “The Author’s Note” at the end. Reading it answered several questions that I had.”
Oh, good! I love writing the Author’s Notes (though sometimes I forget to put stuff in there that I’d intended to when writing the book, but then didn’t add to my notes and so forgot.
With The Sweetest Sin it was the little story about how I ended up being mailed the booklet about Eilean Donan Castle from an actual MacRae clan representative - a lovely letter written by Marigold MacRae and sent from Nairnside House, Inverness Scotland! What a thrill that was, I can tell you. Although Duncan was fictional, he was based on the actual MacRaes who were constables of the castle for several hundred years. So it was like getting a letter from one of his “descendents”, LOL.
Lacey said: “Thanks for the explanations, Mary! Sorry if I’m starting to sound like a broken record. I only know so many ways to grovel at one’s feet…”
Oh, goodness, Lacey - no groveling necessary, LOL. I’m glad to be here and feel I should be prostrating myself to all you wonderful ladies at R.I., for so graciously spotlighting my books this week. Trying to give you some of the benefits of my experience and insights is the least I can do, believe me. (I remember how glad I was to talk with and hear the experiences of the published authors I knew, in the days when I was pursuing publication myself, so I’m happy to return the favor from this end now. I had some wonderful mentoring from Maggie Shayne, Cara Summers, Gayle Callen, Teresa Medeiros and several others as I travelled my path to publication. It’s all good - and it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to be able to share my enthusiasm for writing with people who really “get” it. So thank YOU!)
Helen said: “I have read the first two in the Templar Knights and am eagerly awaiting Alex’s story I absolutley loved the first two I was lucky enough to win a cover flat from A Templars Seduction and it is beautiful. Now I will be trying very hard to collect all of Mary’s books the reviews are fantastic I can’t wait to read them all.
Well done everyone and thanks for the great reviews.”
It’s so nice to see you stop by Helen. And thanks for the kind comments about my books, too!
–MRM
April 18th, 2007 at 7:21 pmHelen, thanks for stopping by and for you comments.
Hope you enjoy the rest of review week.
Mary ~ Thank you for all your support. I must say that when I first started reading romance some fourteen years ago I could have never - in a billion years lol - imagine having a conversation with one of my favorite authors. And here you are
April 19th, 2007 at 7:55 amAndrea!I loved this review! I am going to copy you and read all three books at the same time, too. I love that ther heroine is smart, and holds her own. Those are my favorite kinds of heroines. I also love it when a hero falls in love- when he is determined not to- or if he has something else in mind & love surprises him!
Mary- this is so much fun!!
April 19th, 2007 at 8:32 am…. ooo I also just noticed ” the best historical hero ” award…..~!! delicious!!!!
April 19th, 2007 at 9:42 amMary wrote: “Irene - you’re a sweetheart as always, and I hope you end up having a chance to read this one. It’s got my most “alpha”-in-the-old-school-sense hero to date. My other heroes are tough but tend to be a little more willing to communicate with the women they love (and they recognize they’re in love more easily). Duncan has a much tougher time getting in touch with his softer side, LOL. Some people (read: a few of the editors and agents who rejected this mss. in its first incarnation) considered him too hard and maybe even bordering on cruel with how he treated Aileana…”
Mary - you’ve definitely piqued my interest in reading this book. I’m very curious now about Duncan’s alpha tendencies and finding out why those editors and agents thought he was “too hard” and how his treatment of Aileana was “bordering on cruel.” Sounds verra interesting! Since Andrea read the book, I’m also curious about whether she would agree or disagree with this opinion of Duncan’s character. Mary, I can’t imagine one your heroes being THAT cruel to the heroine.
Isabel wrote: “She has something he wants. He will do anything in his power to get it.”
Mary ~ I’ve been using a similar line while plotting my WIP. Amazing how The Sweetest Sin came out of this exercise.
I agree with Isabel—you wrote a whole book based on one sentence???—that’s amazing! All the more reason I must read this book.
Lacey wrote: “All that means I can say I was really surprised by the prologue, too! I was confused about Morgana, thinking wow, this is a really cruel heroine…”
This is an interesting notion too—could a really cruel/evil heroine work in a romance novel??? I don’t know if a cruel heroine would work for me, but I do think women readers in general, are harder on the heroine (from book reviews/discussions I’ve read online) of a story and expect her to be a more sympathetic/compassionate/likable character. I wonder if this is because women accept/expect men to act like jerks sometimes, but when the heroine/woman acts like that we don’t like it because it reflects badly on our sex. And we know WE would NEVER act like a jerk.
Also, whether a male or female character—how cruel, is too cruel to be redeemed, but especially cruelness/nastiness in a heroine? Cold a murderous heroine like Morgana ever be realistically or believably redeemed to make a convincing HEA. I think I’d have a hard time swallowing that.
And Mary, I too love the “authors note” at the end of your books—they give the reader a little historical insight into the medieval time period by pointing out actual events and real people from that time, and where you got some of your ideas from.
Mary wrote: “Oh, goodness, Lacey - no groveling necessary, LOL.”
It may not be necessary, but a couple of groveling or fawning fans/readers unashamedly offering praise and tribute in admiration of an authors books, and writing skills—never hurt anybody.
You know you love it!
Said Irene—who thinks MRM is awesome!
April 19th, 2007 at 10:04 amAnd I personally NEVER get tired of reading…Irene - you’re a sweetheart as always!
April 19th, 2007 at 10:09 amIrene said: Mary - you’ve definitely piqued my interest in reading this book. I’m very curious now about Duncan’s alpha tendencies and finding out why those editors and agents thought he was “too hard” and how his treatment of Aileana was “bordering on cruel.” Sounds verra interesting! Since Andrea read the book, I’m also curious about whether she would agree or disagree with this opinion of Duncan’s character. Mary, I can’t imagine one your heroes being THAT cruel to the heroine.
Irene, Duncan is an alpha hero, but I’ve read heroes that are more alpha that he is. I wouldn’t call him brutal…he didn’t rape Aileana or hit her or anything. There is a part, right after he captures her, where he humiliates her (and gets an eyefull) in a glen. I consider Duncan a strong (he survived 13 years of daily torture), proud and loyal alpha hero. Personally, I loved him.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:26 pm