Our dramatic story starts in 1441 in Scotland. Amid the
stenches of a busy city and port, we meet Hunter MacKintosh
and his companions, all knights returned from a sea voyage.
Politics are as uncertain as ever and Hunter decides to
keep moving, away from the King's seat in Edinburgh. THE
HIGHLANDER'S FOLLY mentions that Hunter is partly of fae
blood.
These men travel with destriers, prepared for jousting. But
they're not well off; fourth sons of minor barons, foster
sons of clan chiefs. A Romany camp attracts them but the
fae fortune teller has a surprise up her sleeve. Hunter
strides through her tent into the future, and when he sees a
slight, armoured lad being set on by a larger man with a
sword, naturally he jumps in to redress the balance. How
was he to know that this is an exhibition match? Or that
he 'saved' a young woman who was in no danger? To say she's
not pleased would be an understatement.
Meghan McGladrey from Minnesota is horrified to be dumped
in fifteenth century Scotland. She's a tough cookie
however; she rides and teaches martial arts and fencing.
Can she fit in here long enough to find a way to
return home? And why is she attracted to this big lummox,
Hunter?
I hadn't read the previous book, but the writing is finely
descriptive, and once Meghan arrived I found the tale
delightful. Her family has encountered time swaps before
and Hunter knows women who came to his era and stayed. This
lassie may speak strangely, but she can be useful to his
company. He's as good as betrothed though, so he'd better
not get too familiar with Meghan. Naturally this strange
girl is not welcomed by all in this superstitious land.
Amusingly, Hunter has been taught ASL. However, I'm always
surprised by what some time travel books leave out of the
picture. For a start, the Black Death is ravaging the
island at this period. Every author puts her own stamp on
timeslip stories, and in THE HIGHLANDER'S FOLLY we find that
some of the Scots have telepathic abilities like
truthseeing, which adds another dimension of interest. This
timeslip adult romance is tremendous fun so I will have to
hunt out more of Barbara Longley's books in the Loch
Moigh series.
A brave fifteenth-century Highlander fiercely devoted to
his
foster family, Hunter of clan MacKintosh can defeat any
man
in battle. Thanks to his fae gifts, he can read the
intent
of his opponents and guess their next moves. But when the
faerie Madame Giselle sends Hunter to the present day, he
stumbles into a staged battle and rescues a young
knight—only to discover that the knight is a woman, and
she’s anything but a damsel in distress.
Meghan McGladrey learned martial arts and sword fighting
from her father, a time-traveling Highlander himself. To
Hunter’s surprise, Meghan is as skilled as any knight.
When
both of them are pulled back to the fifteenth century,
Meghan becomes desperate to return to her time. Hunter,
who
is pledged to another, begins to fall for the beautiful,
brave warrior as they fight side by side against a common
enemy. Now, he must decide which matters more: his honor,
or
following his heart.
Exciting battles and intoxicating passion reunite in the
third Novel of Loch Moigh from award-winning author
Barbara
Longley.
Excerpt
Meghan shut her eyes tight in an effort to block out what
had just happened, but the image was as real with her
eyes closed as it was with them open—and the memory every
bit as terrifying.
I killed a man.
Her gut lurched. She sucked in huge gulps of air and
concentrated on breathing, on the feel of the wet ground
beneath her palms and knees. She focused on anything
other than the gruesome images flashing through her mind.
Strong hands lifted her to her feet. Alarm lit her nerves
on fire, and she tensed to fight. Her eyes flew open.
Hunter had her. All the fight left her with a whoosh of
air from her lungs.
“Are ye hurt, lass?” his voice came out a gruff rasp, and
he gripped her arms so tight he’d leave bruises. His
worry-filled gaze traveled over every inch of her.
“No.” She shook her head, and a tear slipped down her
cheek. Next thing she knew, she found herself crushed
against his broad chest, his strong arms banding around
her with such force that all the energy she had left was
squeezed right out of her. Good thing he held her up,
because she couldn’t have stood on her own to save her
life.
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