In the short space of the day, she had gone from being the beautiful and prospective bride of Laird Monroe of Scotland traveling under the strong protection of King John to being accused of being a harlot by a vindictive woman she had never met before and a monk. Before Gabrielle could even ponder that situation, the galloping hooves of the most feared man in the Scottish highlands, Laid Colm MacHugh, and his brawny clansmen, surrounded her and her small troupe of guards and forced them to ride at a fast pace for two hours until they arrived on Buchanan land.

Furious at his gall, but, with few options, Lady Gabrielle finally agreed to go with him to his ancestral home, but vowed under her breath, she would get away from this ruggedly handsome, but brute of a highlander at the first opportunity she had. While she knew that Brodick Buchanan was an ally of the infamous MacHughs, she was still in shock that he had turned down her pleas for help, especially as she was distantly related to his wife and wanted to find out why. How could it have come to this?

You too will want to find out how things got so tangled as you immerse yourself in this gripping medieval highland tale. Julie Garwood had created an unusual historical romance, part suspense, part romance, filled with intriguing and unusual characters that together create a believable and colourful tapestry of the times. Linking the story with her previous modern story in Shadow Dance, Garwood effectively recreates the moods and concerns of the English barons as well as the passions and customs of clans and their feuds in Scotland. Interspersed through the story are lots of humourous interplays and double entendres, especially between Gabrielle and the strong hearted, but not as quick with words Colm as they gradually discover their feelings for each other. The repartee between Colm and Gabrielle's guards is almost as fun and bound to bring a quick laugh as you enjoy this fast paced read.

While I quite enjoyed this unusual historical romance, I did find some of the writing uneven in tone with brilliant spots then other sections that seemed more slapped together as if done in a rush and with no thought for getting the right tone. For example, Gabrielle proves to be a highly skilled archer, yet she never tries to find the time to practice as her guards do which is strange. A totally missed opportunity for a great scene! Nonetheless, it is still a fun and satisfying read for a winter's night!

Book Summary