REVIEW: To Love A Highlander by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

To Love A Highlander by Sue-Ellen Welfonder: Sue-Ellen Welfonder is an author who is well-known for her Highland based romances. To Love A Highlander is a great addition to her collection and the first book of her Scandalous Scots series. It is a quirky and cheerful book, entertainingly written and sweetly dedicated to a kitten who had a sad fate, but lives on in this book.

Set in the late 1300s this is the story of Sorley the Hawk, a royal court bastard who has worked his way up in the ranks of service to the king. Although now in his late twenties, when he was fourteen he happened to dance with Mirabelle MacLaren, the daughter of the Highland Lord. Although the dance didn’t end well, Sorley never forgot her. Thirteen years later Mirabelle suddenly reappears in his life—indeed, in his bedroom—to ask him to ruin her. Mirabelle needs Sorley to ruin her because her father is seriously considering betrothing her to an unsavory man, Sir John Sinclair. Sorley and Sir John have an unpleasant history between them and truly hate each other, so Mirabelle assumes that if Sorley ruins her, then Sir John will not want to marry her.

As it turn out, when Mirabelle danced with him those many years ago, she fell in love and never forgot him. For Sorley, it was the same, although he masked his fascination with bitterness. And although Sorley is deeply attracted to her, for the most part he gentlemanly holds himself back from her, both in consideration of her innocence and her higher social stature. When they finally kiss it is full of triumph on his part, and wonder on hers:

He kissed her deeply, pure masculine triumph whipping through him when she pushed her hands up between them, digging her fingers into the front of his cloak as she clung to him, her body melting into his, capitulating.

Sorley is a member of the Fenris Guard, a secret brotherhood that is loyal to the king, so there is a subplot about his work keeping Scotland safe from traitors and English sympathizers, and there is another subplot about Sorley’s biological father Archibald MacNab and Archibald’s life. Yet another thread running through the book concerns “the pink lady,” a sad but romantic ghost who haunts Stirling Castle.

Sorley and Mirabelle are great characters, although the overwhelming arc in this book is more Sorley’s than Mirabelle’s. Sorley is the character who has to grow, to decide that he is worthy, that he wants to take his chance on love with Mirabelle, and to grow past petty childhood embarrassments. Mirabelle is simply in love, and wants Sorley, if not to love her forever to at least be her lover. It’s an added bonus that by loving Sorley, she can avoid marriage to Sir John.

If I have a criticism of this book, it is that it feels very introductory, which makes sense since this is the first book of a new series. You briefly make the acquaintance of many characters: Sorley’s fellow court bastards and comrades, Alex Stewart the King’s brother and his mistress, the highlander Grim Macintosh and his wife, the pink lady ghost, William Wyldes the innkeeper and Maili his resourceful and lusty employee. As a reader, it’s obviously that there is more to all these characters than are present in this book, but only the three main characters, Sorley, Mirabelle and Sir John, have a real and full presence. There is also a minor continuity error where time seems to move from summer to autumn very quickly, but this doesn’t affect the overall story in any significant way.

I did enjoy this book. It is an excellent escapist read, especially for those who are lovers of brawny men in kilts, sweeping highland romance, and kittens. I also found it refreshing in that the sexual language was tastefully subdued and less graphic than what is the current fashion, although there is no lack in amorous activities. It was also unexpectedly amusing, which added to its quirky charm. Finally, To Love A Highlander also has one of the best threats I have read recently in a novel:

”Release Lady Mirabelle and the kitten or I’ll run you through, skewering your belly, pinching out your life.”

Book Info:

Published April 29th 2014 by Forever

A TEMPTING PROPOSITION

As one of the bastards born to the Stirling court, Sorley the Hawk has never known his mother or father. It’s a burning quest he has devoted himself to uncovering at any cost. But as a roguish warrior who serves at the pleasure of the King, his prowess-both on the battlefield and in his bedchamber-is legendary. So when a flame-haired Highland lass sneaks into his quarters with a tantalizing proposition, he can’t resist taking her up on her offer . . .

AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE

Lady Mirabelle MacLaren will do anything to keep from marrying her odious suitor, even sully her own good name. And who better to despoil her than his sworn enemy, the one they call “Hawk?” As they set about the enjoyable task of ruining her reputation, Hawk and Mirabelle soon learn that rebellion never tasted so sweet.