To Love a Highlander

TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER by Sue-Ellen Welfonder is an exciting Medie

TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER by Sue-Ellen Welfonder is an exciting Medieval Historical Romance set in 1386 - 1399 Scotland. #1 in "A Scandalous Scots" novel, and what a beginning!

"A Tempting proposition and an unquenchable desire" leads to Lady Mirabelle MacLaren and Sorley the Hawk, aka, the Hawk on a merry journey through Scotland.

Once upon a time, the year 1286, in faraway, Medieval Scotland, Stirling Castle, to be exact, one dashing, young highlander, Archibald MacNab, of the Clan MacNab, impregnated one of the King's four favorite mistresses. Thus banishing and disgracing, Archibald, from court. The King, having impregnated, the other three mistresses, himself, thus leaving four bastard children. Who actually, thrived and lived at the royal court of Stirling Castle. All four, became a part of the Royal guards. Hope we learn of the four and their connection in later tales.

Oh, but a King or the Gods have a long memory, and thus exacts revenge years later. You see, years later, a band of clanless, greedy, dark hearted, men, attack Duncreag, the MacNab stronghold, on a rumored treasure. Archie's wife and sons vanished that day. Thus begins our story....

Ah, back to the review,got off track there for a moment....

TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER, is fast paced and passion filled. Lady Mirabelle MacLaren, proposition's Sorley, a court bastard. Sorley, on his own quest to uncover the truth about his parents, has always suspected his father to be a highlander. Lady Mirabelle, is not what he expected her to be. You see, he has meet her years prior to this encounter. Now she is determined to foul a plan from a lecherous and odious suitor, Sir John Sinclair. She wishes Sorley, to despoil her reputation, who better than his enemy, Sorley. Sir John demises Sorley.

Together, they face danger, passion, mystery,secrets, a bit of suspense, lots of passion, did I mention passion and romance.

If you have never read one of Ms. Welfonder's tales, I would highly recommend doing so now. She is a wonderful storyteller, who draws the reader into her stories and holds them in awe. Her characters are believable, and realistic, she interweaves history with fiction seamlessly and without effort, it seems. I love her tales of Highlanders, Scotland, and romance. She makes the reader feel as if they are in Medieval Scotland, themselves.

What a wonderful tale of romance and danger. I look forward to the next installment in the SCANDALOUS SCOTS series. Well done, indeed!!! I loved this tale of romance and intrigue. A must read for sure!! Received for an honest review from the publisher.

RATING: 4.5

HEAT RATING: MILD

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

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A sweet and lovely historical romance, To Love a Highlander was

A sweet and lovely historical romance, To Love a Highlander was a wonderful read. I really liked this book. It was sweet, emotional, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Mirabelle was a lovely heroine. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to fight for it. She was kind-hearted and a truly likable character. I wish we had seen a greater scope of her, because we only really saw her character in relation to Sorley. But, overall, I thought she was great.

Sorley was amazing. In the first chapter, we see who he was as a young boy. As a bastard at court, he was treated with contempt and humiliated more than once. His story is really where the emotional depth was and it was well portrayed. I felt for him as the boy with a point to prove and the man who had found his place but still wondered if there was another for him. I really liked how it was done because I truly sympathized with him. On the surface, he seemed formidable (and he was), but he was also very sweet and kinder than he wanted anyone to know. I thought he was wonderful and I adored him.

The romance was lovely. Mirabelle and Sorley were great together. There was some sensuousness in this book, but it was a mostly sweet romance and I thought it was well done.

The plot was good. I wasn't totally hooked, because there wasn't much actual conflict in the book. It was mostly Mirabelle and Sorley circling each other and taking each other's measure. However, I was still kept interested the entire way through and, when a new conflict about Sorley's father was introduced, I was drawn in. I enjoyed the story and the ending was very sweet.

To Love a Highlander was a lovely historical romance. I really liked this book. It was a sweet, truly enjoyable read. Romance lovers, this is a book worth checking out.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Duncreag Castle Long ago, Archibald MacNab was driven from co

Duncreag Castle

Long ago, Archibald MacNab was driven from court never to return. He sired four baseborn sons with four of the King's mistresses. He knows they are somewhere in Scotland but was never allowed to see them or know them. Someone is determined to bring them into his life.

Sterling Castle - Summer - 1386

Sorley, the Hawk, is 14. He's in the Great Hall and has just been turned down for a dance with a knight's daughter because she deemed him unworthy being base-born as he is. Mirabelle MacLaren sees this and walks up to him asking him for a dance. He is thinking she is the most beautiful girl he's ever seen and soon finds Mirabelle shunning him when a woman and one of her father's guards approach telling her to end the dance and leave. She fears the guard will hurt Sorley if she doesn't shun him so she leaves. He swears that day never to trust Mirabelle's schemes again. She knows this day that she will never forget him. So starts their story.

He feels the Highlands calling him. He's always felt his father was a Highland Chieftain that didn't want a bastard son. His mother died when he was young and no one ever spoke who his father was. He knows in his heart that he will one day head for the hills and find his place in this world.

Sterling Castle - Summer 1399

Sorley is now 27. He awakes to find Mirabelle in his chamber. She's there to proposition him. She wants him to ruin her so she doesn't have to marry an older man who is determined to take her to wife. He refuses and even feels offended when she offers to pay him. He learns the man that wants Mirabelle is John Sinclair, one of Sorley's greatest enemies and he finally agrees to compromise her in front of everyone in the hall one night knowing that once John thinks she's been ruined that he will leave off with wanting her.

I really enjoyed reading as I watched these two accept the fact that they have loved each other for years. There were obstacles along the way, some dangerous, that they both grabbed by the horns and overcame. Sorley had my heart melting when it came to a kitten named Little Heart. Only a real man would do what he did and I was falling in love with him myself along the way, always with this huge grin on my face.

There is Rosalind, the Pink Lady, who is a ghost and her story itself broke my heart. Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch and his mistress, Lady Mariota de Athyn, walked their way right into my reader heart as well. What a couple, these two, not to be messed with and God forbid you made an enemy of them for you will surely wish you never had. The Fenris Guards and the story behind them. Roag, Caelen, and Andrew, men that Sorley grew up with who have stories of their own I'd love to hear. William the inn owner. Maili, one of Sorley's closest friends. All these people warmed my heart along the way and gave greatly to the story.

Grim MacIntosh.... my heart just bursts with love for this man. He comes down from Duncreag Castle on a mission and as soon as he walks into the inn looking for Sorley, he has the women falling all over themselves. There also comes a time where he is needed with his battle ax and just the sight of him in my mind as I read the instance had me sitting here in awe of the man. My favorite two lines in the book were about Grim. The first is when Sorley is talking to one of his best friends, Maili, and she's telling him that Grim had been asking about him. She was describing him as this fierce looking warrior and this is Sorley's thought to that.....

"He also bit his tongue rather than tell Maili he didn't care if the man had the Norse God's lightning bolts shooting out his arse".

Sue-Ellen never fails to have me howling in laughter with some of the responses and lines her characters have or say. They are unique and hilarious! The next line helps describe how Maili was going on and on about Grim....

"Have done, lass!" Sorley scowled at her. "There's more to a man than his burr."
Maili sighed dreamily. "Say you."
"I do. I'll also say I'm surprised you aren't in a hurry to race back to the Red Lion. If this Grim is such a paragon" ---- Sorley didn't hide his annoyance ---- "I'd think you'd be eager to return to his bed. Sakes, you look close to needing to fan your face each time you speak of him."

Now if you've read anything about Grim, we all know how deeply he loves his lady wife, Breena, and that he would never be anything but true to her. I'm here to tell you that I, myself, have to fan myself when Grim comes on the scene. Needless to say, he stands with Sorley to right wrongs. Sorley finds himself with several wrongs righted in this story and each and every one lead him to realize all these years he has been a worthy man. Mirabelle has spunk and knows how to use it. I say that smiling. I love her strength and the way that her and Sorley compliment the other with their strengths.

Again, I was taken in with Scotland and it's beauty, for I can see it in my mind as I read Sue-Ellen's words. The people, the land, castles, and inn....the food, the clothing, the battles, all of it imprinted clearly within. One of my greatest loves about her writing is the way she describes things so clearly and it comes from her love of the place, the times, and the people. This is one book that you won't want to put down until you've finished. I am so excited to continue this series following these Scandalous Scots!

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A secret brotherhood 6 stars Sue-Ellen Welfonder is really a sto

A secret brotherhood 6 stars
Sue-Ellen Welfonder is really a storyteller that gets me hooked the moment I start to read her books. I absolutely loved her first book TO LOVE A HIGHLANDER in this new series Scandalous Scots. I adored her novella Once Upon a Highland Christmas, an introduction, which I found so captivating. She has done it again! It’s the story of Sorley, the Hawk and Lady Mirabelle MacLaren. I liked her secondary characters Roag, the Bear, Caelen, the Fox and Andrew, the Addar. The story starts in the Highlands, where a charismatic highlander has four bastards sons with the King’s personal mistresses, what will the king do to punish him? These four young men will become agents of the crown, Fenris guards in a secret brotherhood, as the King’s best warriors. Sorley, first met Mirabelle during a humiliating moment at the court, where he will never forget her. Thirteen years passes, Mirabelle, decides that she doesn’t want to marry someone her father is proposing to her, so she organizes a plan, will it work in her favor? They meet again, and she has for him a very special request that he cannot believe he just heard. Will he say yes or no? I remained captivated until the end, it was a fantastic tale filled with tenderness, adventure, intrigue and magic. Just follow Soarly and Mirabelle’s journey, you won’t be disappointed! I love the setting! The anticipation was well developed! I highly recommend this book and looking forward to read her next book To Desire a Highlander, which will be Roag’s story. If you are a fan of Scottish stories, go and grab this book! I will definitely be reading more books written by Sue-Ellen Welfonder.

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