Emma Davis
***Awesome Prizewinning Book*** This is an excellent story. I have not enjoyed reading a book as much as I have this one in a long while. I loved the banter between the main characters Katie and Evan. I really admire Katie. She is easy to relate to and to identify with. She is brave and risks the unknown for her clan and herself. She can run a keep; keep the books and she is a healer to her people. Most importantly she is a mother figure for her ten-year-old brother Gavin. Evan can be obtuse most of the time but not on purpose. He is the Laird of his clan and is used to the privilege of giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed. He is a good man, fair and just; good to his people and when it comes to children, he knows what to do. He got on extremely well with Gavin who really needed a man's influence in his life. Katie was not use to sharing the burden of her responsibilities with another and she and Evan clashed quite a bit. Funny, but Evan could be a dunderhead sometimes. He had a problem emotionally relating to Katie and this frustrated her to no end. It seemed that Evan made decisions that affected Katie, Gavin and her people without asking for her input. Then there was a very dark reason that made the final decision to move her clan from one location to another and it involved her little brother Gavin. As she feared the specter haunting her came to visit her. She had already confessed all to Evan and he took measures to protect Katie and Gavin. An excellent book. A must read. Do not pass this up. You will not be disappointed.
Lori Dykes
Scottish Lowlands, 1818 A determined Mistress Katie Stirling is determined to claim her inheritance, the MacDuff castle in Fife. It was land stolen from her family that should have been passed down through her mother, Aileen MacDuff Stirling and she needed to bring her people there. Of course they have a wheel break just as they are in sight of the castle but luckily two large men ride up and she hopes they can help. He was introduced to her as Laird Evan MacNeil of Argyll. "He was ruggedly handsome. A strong chin, full lips, green eyes the color of the Scottish hills, and a well trimmed beard of dark red. His hair hung to his shoulders in waves, giving him a look of warriors past. Any moment, she expected him to bellow and brandish his broadsword around." But what she was to find out was Evan had just claimed the McDuff castle in an inheritance, and thus the adventure begins! I loved these two strong characters and was so entertained until the end. I always enjoy this author's stories and am looking forward to the next one. I have to add the cover is beautiful! I read this through NetGallery and the wonderful Publisher!
Elodie “Lulu is reading” Romance
Will she find the new home she longed at the end of this journey ... What a fun and fast read this book was, the pages and words flew by, I didn’t saw the time pass. While it is a novel on the short side, it has everything to enjoy. From the fiery lass and the managing laird clashing wills at every turn, to the many animals and kids wreaking havoc in their wake. And while I think Katie was a bit unrealistic to embark in such a journey without having any insurance of what will await her at the end of it, I also understood the reasons behind a run into the unknown, it looked better than the outcome waiting her at home. Still, very reckless as it was not only she and her brother she took along her trip to a new place. Yet she did what she had to, as she did for years because of her absentee and irresponsible father. At such a young age, she became manager of her family lands, mother to her brother, healer of her people. What a burden for her young shoulders. Thus she does not take well to be ordered by a laird determined to not accept her request. Evan is head of his lands, so everything must going the way he wants and expects, but Katie’s arrival turns his stay at his new estate in a game of patience and disorder. He came here on a mission, and the course of it is very much altered when a feisty lass arrives with a silly demand that he surrenders his new estate to her. Yet this fiery girl, no, woman, full of spunk arises his interest. Could there be more to expect than banters and clash of wills? Outside the dark topic behind Katie’s true reason of escape, this is a light and full of fun read, with only the issue of two tempers crossing daggers. I loved too the tiny snippets of daily life and customs from this time in this area. 4.5 stars I was granted an advance copy by the publisher and author. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.