REVIEW: The Wrong Highlander by Lynsay Sands

In The Wrong Highlander (Highland Brides #7) by Lynsay Sands, Knowing her only hope to save her father’s life is to convince Rory Buchanan, a renowned healer in Scotland, to come to their aid, Lady Evina Maclean at last finds the Highlander. Or so she thinks. But when a scuffle ensues and she knocks the Buchanan on the head, bringing him back to her family’s castle technically without his approval, she won’t rest until he attends to her da. It’s only after things get hot and overheated between them later on that Evina learns the Highlander isn’t Rory, but his brother Conran. It should change things completely. But she might already be too far gone to send the handsome Scotsman away. Especially once Evina and her clansmen come under attack.

“So, ye knocked him senseless? And then what? Ye did no’ kidnap him, did ye?” Tildy asked with alarm.
“Nay!” Evina snapped, and then frowned guiltily as she admitted, “Well, aye, mayhap a little.”
“Mayhap ye kidnapped him a little?” Tildy asked with disbelief. “There’s no such thing as kidnapping someone a little, lass. Either ye kidnapped him, or ye did no’.”

Being kidnapped is a first for Conran, although sadly with his family’s history, he’s not a stranger to being placed in odd predicaments. It’s a good thing he’s paid attention to his brother Rory’s healing methods, though, as he strangely finds himself wanting to help the lass who knocked him unconscious. Although Conran will never admit to being kidnapped. What Highlander wants to own up to that? As he grows closer to Evina and her family, odd things begin happening, to the point that their lives are all threatened from an unknown assailant, with Evina being the main target. But Conran will protect her with his own life before seeing her come to any more harm.

‘Conran didn’t know whether to shake her for putting someone else’s well-being ahead of her own, or kiss her for being a woman who was strong and loyal and didn’t hesitate to protect the people she loved.’

The Wrong Highlander was a sweet and funny historical romance that had me chuckling in a way only Lynsay Sands can manage to do. Just when I thought I couldn’t like the Buchanan clan any more, Conran came along and melted my heart even further.

‘Evina had set out to fetch Rory Buchanan, a Highlander known for his healing, and ended up kidnapping and dragging him home instead. It made him the luckiest bastard in Scotland, if not the world.’

I usually have a blast reading anything Lynsay Sands writes, no matter the genre. But for some reason this Highlander series, particularly the Buchanan siblings, keeps me in stitches with their entertaining antics. Each book generally has a bit of a mystery, with a member of the clan or their love interest being threatened or blackmailed. In this case, the wrong man being kidnapped was the first big (hilarious) snafu and from there it was our heroine Evina’s life that seemed to be hanging in the balance with sneaky attacks against her and her clan.

Like with quite a few of Sands’ love matches, Conran and Evina didn’t start off on the right foot which led to bickering and some comical conversations–and situations. She was an independent, headstrong woman who could fight alongside the best of the men and who spoke her mind. But Evina had a very loving, almost maternal side to her that balanced out her sass. (lol) Conran was a great match for her as he was genuine and kind as well, but he was sharp as a whip and liked to be challenged a bit. Evina was definitely the lass for him in that regard.

The intrigue portion of the story was quite interesting and well done. Sands left a lot of wiggle room in letting us figure out who the attacker was and with how she parceled out the information. I did suspect several different characters over time before figuring it out. But I liked how it ended and how everyone–including the whole Buchanan clan–was involved in protecting Evina and her loved ones. It was a group effort that allowed us to play catch up with previous characters and to have a few laughs while the plot unraveled.

An engaging romance that started with a case of mistaken identity and ended with a HEA, The Wrong Highlander was a great addition to an already wonderful series.

Book Info:

Publication: January 29th 2019 | Avon | Highland Brides #7

A laird’s daughter kidnaps a Highlander—and loses her heart… in New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’ new historical romance…

Lady Evina Maclean has heard much about Rory Buchanan’s skill as a healer. What she hasn’t heard is how good the brawny Highlander looks bathing in a waterfall. But Evina can’t afford the distraction, for her ailing father urgently needs care. Only when she’s rendered Buchanan unconscious and dragged him back to her family’s castle does the truth emerge—it’s not Rory she’s kidnapped but his brother Conran.

Other ladies try to ensnare Conran with flattery. Evina hits him over the head with the hilt of her sword to save her kin—and Conran likes the spirited redhead all the more for it. He’s learned enough from his brother to heal Evina’s father, but there are other dangers swirling around the Maclean clan. And while the beautiful, independent lady has sworn not to marry, this wrong Highlander may be just the right man for her.