Scotland, in a time of feuding, fighting, and the occasional romance in between. Highlander Bryce MacPherson has sworn by his father's last breath to uphold the agreement in his hands to ensure peace between the clans. For ages the MacPherson's have feuded with the MacKenzie's. Generations have been killed on both sides until no one even knows when the fighting started or why. It has fallen on Bryce's shoulders to ensure peace between the families and save the men and boys dieing on both sides. But just how far will Bryce actually go to uphold a promise?

Kidnapped on her wedding day, by an enemy she was born to loath and fear, Akira MacKenzie only has her wits and her God to guide her. Akira must use everything she can to hold her heart safe from Bryce MacPherson, a man she's supposed to hate, but is so easy to love. Is this the path that God has chosen for her? Is this the man she has waited for all her life? The one who will grant peace for her family? Could Bryce be the one who will build a lifetime of love that Akira so desperately desires? It seems that there are traitors in their midst...murderers who will stop at nothing to keep the feud alive and Bryce and Akira apart. Can Akira find the strength within herself, and the trust in God's hand, to lead her to the right decision for the clan, as well as the right decision for herself?

Hudson Taylor has captured the true essence of the genre in this historical romance novel, truly this is a strongly religious book. I found the story lines and the characters well developed, yet I had some trouble relating to Akira's character. This was the only downfall, in my opinion. Akira was almost constantly either praying, speaking of God, or reflecting on what God wanted from her. Even within the genre the religions aspect of this book was very strong. Akira never really seemed to stand on her own two feet, but rather it seemed that she acted according to what she felt God wanted. For me it took away from her strength as a character. I wanted to see her make her own decisions based on her feelings, not decisions based on what God may or may not have wanted, much earlier in the story. Overall, I felt that Highland Blessings was a delightful debut novel. The story had all the elements to keep me reading: action, mayhem, intrigue, and of course the magic of love.