In the contemporary romance, THE PERFECT BARGAIN by Jessa McAdams, the
heroine runs away to Scotland partly to get away from some of the chaos in her
life but also partly because she was seduced by the romance of Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER. Although I’m a
proud romance geek, I hadn’t read OUTLANDER or been interested in
Highlander-themed historical romances much at all. I think the first one I
enjoyed was SOME LIKE IT
WILD by Teresa
Medeiros. The hero in SOME LIKE IT WILD turned my
head with his combination of charm and strength. Being a fan of paranormal
romance, I naturally gravitated toward Melissa Mayhue’s Daughters of the Glen
series and Karen Marie
Moning’s Highlander series
with their tales of magic, time travel, tricky fae, and of course super-hot
Highlanders. The blend of contemporary and historical settings and magic made me
a fan. I remember thinking, in particular, of how THIRTY NIGHTS WITH A HIGHLAND
HUSBAND by Melissa
Mayhue had one of the best resolutions for a time travel romance that I’ve
ever read. Thus a new reading obsession was born.
Go to any historical romance fan group and THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN
MACKENZIE will keep popping up in discussions as a fan favorite. Jennifer Ashley has said
that Ian has Asperger's Syndrome, and that is what made some people think he was
crazy. While many readers sympathize with him for the things he suffered, I also
think he is such a fan favorite because of who he is rather than just for
everything he’s had to go through. Jennifer Ashley writes complex, amazingly
sexy, perceptive, and often surprisingly sweet heroes – Ian Mackenzie is no
exception. Ian is enigmatic to a delicious degree and the focus he has and
lengths he’ll go to in order to protect his family and keep loved ones together
makes readers sigh. In a series that is eight books and counting, each one is
unique, captivating, and has the familiar characters get more interesting as the
series progresses. In THE
STOLEN MACKENZIE BRIDE, Malcolm Mackenzie is a Highlander as a
knight-errant. THE STOLEN
MACKENZIE BRIDE provides a charm-personified hero to root for, an electric
romance and a story that fully immerses the reader in Scottish history. A
Jennifer Ashley hero – whether it’s a wild Highlander or a modern-day shape
shifter – exemplifies the kind of strong, sexy, and sweet hero I crave.
The New York Times bestselling author of Rules for a Proper Governess
returns with an engrossing tale that promises to delight lovers of
Outlander.
1745, Scotland: The youngest son of the scandalous
Mackenzie family, Malcolm is considered too wild to tame until he meets a woman
who is too unattainable to resist.
Lady Mary Lennox is English, her father
highly loyal to the king, and promised to another Englishman. But despite it
being forbidden to speak to Malcolm, Lady Mary is fascinated by the Scotsman,
and stolen moments together lead to a passion greater than she’d ever dreamed of
finding.
When fighting breaks out between the Highlanders and the King's
army, their plans to elope are thwarted, and it will take all of Malcolm’s
daring as a Scottish warrior to survive the battle and steal a wife out from
under the noses of the English.
While the majority of Jennifer Ashley’s Mackenzie series takes
place in the Victorian era, Terry Spear’s Highlanders series
takes place during the Middle Ages at the time of Henry I’s reign. Although this
is not my favorite time period, Terry Spear’s storytelling and sexy good guy
heroes make it worthwhile. While Spear’s series follows the adventures of the
MacNeill family and friends, I feel as though each book can be enjoyed as a
standalone story. Each book pulls you in and takes you along the journey –
whether it’s performing a rescue mission, taking bad guys down, or some other
noble task. Each book in this “Highlanders” series tells an equally absorbing
variation on the classic “hero’s quest” theme. Even though her Highlanders are
all brawny warriors, they all have a heart of gold and the classic good guy
charm that typifies a Terry Spear hero.
THE DEVIL WEARS KILTS is
the first book I ever read by Suzanne Enoch. Ranulf
MacLawry, Marquis of Glengask has the kind of strength and power of a Devil
Cynster, but with a wonderful Scottish charm and heat. THE DEVIL WEARS KILTS got
me hooked on Suzanne Enoch’s Scandalous
Highlanders series. I love the romance, the humor, and the great
contrast between the London ballrooms and the freedom of the Highlands. Like
with the Highlands romances by Jennifer Ashley and Terry Spear, Suzanne Enoch
creates heroines who are all very different but who are all strong in their own
way, and a match for any of their Highlander hotties. Also like my other
favorite authors, family plays an important role in Suzanne Enoch’s stories –
both as sources of support and as a positive thing, but also as a source of
conflict and a breeding ground for villains. The feeling of excitement in the
Scandalous
Highlanders series and the danger and mystery prove an irresistible
mix. I love checking in with Ranulf and all his siblings in each installment to
see what mischief they’ve gotten involved in.
CAN A CLASH OF WILLS
Nineteenth-century,
Scotland:
When a mad lass in trousers shoots at him, Munro "Bear"
MacLawry isn't sure what impresses him more-the girl's sure aim or her
irresistibly tempting curves. Catriona MacColl has fled to the Highlands with
her half-sister to escape an unwanted wedding, and wants no part of him, nor any
man. But he can't abandon the flame-haired, sharp-tongued wildcat now that he's
discovered her-not when she fits so perfectly in his arms...
LEAD TO A
LOVE FOR ALL TIME?
Munro has more than earned his nickname-he's a
well-muscled, well-favored mountain of a man with an engaging bad-boy grin and a
string of well-satisfied lasses behind him. Bringing Catriona food, blankets,
candles, everything she needs to survive a winter in an abandoned abbey, Munro
is an unexpected gift in her reckless bid for freedom-and an unexpected
complication. Clan MacDonald has plans for her, and they don't include her
falling for a MacLawry. But this man makes her feel like a woman-and he may be
her one chance to live a life about which she's only dared dream...in Some
Like It Scot by New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch.
Each of the authors I’ve mentioned has stories with elements that would make for
a great story no matter the setting – complex yet likable characters, hot love
scenes, and imaginative storytelling. However, each author also tells a story
that is made immeasurably richer when set against a lush and romantic Scottish
backdrop. Additionally, Scottish history plays such a large part in the
motivation of the characters. If you’ve never read a Highlander-themed romance
before, have no idea what a bannock is, and don’t speak Gaelic, Highlander
romances are still worth checking out.
Favorite Highlander historical romances:
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