Lyon’s Bride by Cathy Maxwell
The Chattan Curse, Book 1
Avon
Historical with Paranormal Elements
ISBN: 978-0062070227
Reviewed by Shayna




Neal Chattan, Lord Lyon, knows his family is cursed.  In the seventeenth century his ancestor broke the heart of a powerful witch’s daughter and the entire Chattan line was cursed as a result.  When a Chattan male falls in love, he dies.  Now Neal and his siblings, Harry and Margaret, are the last of the Chattan line and Neal is determined to take a bride.  His one condition?  He cannot fall in love with the woman he will marry.  That proves to be more than a bit of a problem for Neal, as his matchmaker, Thea Martin, is the one woman who could capture his heart…and doom him to die.

Cathy Maxwell kicks off her Chattan Curse series with a bang!  Lyon’s Bride features two childhood friends who are clearly meant to be together.  What’s keeping them apart is no small obstacle.  The curse on Neal’s family is all too real, adding an element of danger and, yes, sadness to Lyon’s Bride, for as soon as the love story really gets going Neal starts feeling the effects of the curse.

Lyon’s Bride is an engaging story, mostly because Neal, Thea, and Thea’s sons are all endearing characters.  It’s easy to be invested in the story when you like the principal players.  Of course, Lyon’s Bride ends with the expected cliffhanger that ensures you’ll want to pick up the next two Chattan Curse books, The Scottish Witch and The Devil’s Heart.  I finished Lyon’s Bride a well-satisfied reader and I’m looking forward to seeing the curse broken because the Chattan siblings deserve to live happily ever after with their loved ones.