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Isles/Templars #1
Highland Princess
Lady Mairi Macdonald, daughter of the Lord of the Isles, and blessed in ways other women of her time never even dream of, is the kingdom's most sought-after bride. But no man has touched her heart, least of all the prince everyone expects her to wed. Then Lachlan "The Wily" Maclean, a Highland warrior with a network of spies that keeps him the most well-informed man in the kingdom, joins the Court of the Isles. He passionately wants Mairi, and although she scorns his impudent ways, she gasps at his touch...Accustomed to fighting for what he wants, Lachlan forms a daring plan to win her, only to ignite the jealousy of a powerful, implacable enemy who expects to win not only Mairi but the entire Kingdom of the Isles.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
28 people are currently reading
579 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Scott
172 books381 followersAmanda Scott, USA Today Bestselling Author and winner of Romance Writers of America’s RITA/Golden Medallion (LORD ABBERLEY'S NEMESIS) and Romantic Times’ Awards for Best Regency Author and Best Sensual Regency (RAVENWOOD'S LADY), Lifetime Achievement (2007) and Best Scottish Historical (BORDER MOONLIGHT, 2008), began writing on a dare from her husband. She has sold every manuscript she has written.
Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.
As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.
Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.
The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.
Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.
Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.
As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.
Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.
The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.
Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 11, 2012
First book from this author. Great story. I'm trying to venture off from my usual (vamp romance) and came across this one. It was a great read. The author includes a map in the front of the book, which I found to be quite helpful. She also has a small glossary (too small, imo).
The characters were amazing!
Mairi has had to live in a sexist world, but she has made the best of it and, thanks in no small part to her father (whom I must admit, I simply adored by the end of the book) she has learned to follow politics and other "discouraged" subjects without sharing them with small minded people. I would like to say men, but there are plenty of women in the story (including her sister and mother) who believed in a very particular definition of the roles of women. I thought they added believability to the story overall. Because, though there seem to be strong women scattered throughout history who did not adhere to their 'traditional' roles, it seems as though most women were not only fine with it, but they thought it best. Mairi is very bright, strong willed and clever.
Lachlan is an excellent counterpart. Not close minded at all. Willing to listen, eager to converse with her wits and quite taken by her entire person. Not just smitten by her beauty, but he really enjoys sparring with her verbally as well as just listening to opinions. Again, very realistically, he did often slip into the more traditional roles of trying to be the protector, but I liked that she frequently surprised him with her cleverness and made him reevaluate his thought process. At first, I found his dismissiveness as aggravating as Mairi did, until I realized he really couldn't help it.
The author based her story on plenty of facts and tons of research and it is obvious throughout her tale. I found myself quite lost in midst of the story time and again until I finished.
The end was fairly predictable, without being too obvious. And I really enjoyed that she let several characters shine in the end, not just the main one or two.
Overall, very well written, quite enjoyable. I'm already collecting the rest of the series and can't wait to read them all.
The characters were amazing!
Mairi has had to live in a sexist world, but she has made the best of it and, thanks in no small part to her father (whom I must admit, I simply adored by the end of the book) she has learned to follow politics and other "discouraged" subjects without sharing them with small minded people. I would like to say men, but there are plenty of women in the story (including her sister and mother) who believed in a very particular definition of the roles of women. I thought they added believability to the story overall. Because, though there seem to be strong women scattered throughout history who did not adhere to their 'traditional' roles, it seems as though most women were not only fine with it, but they thought it best. Mairi is very bright, strong willed and clever.
Lachlan is an excellent counterpart. Not close minded at all. Willing to listen, eager to converse with her wits and quite taken by her entire person. Not just smitten by her beauty, but he really enjoys sparring with her verbally as well as just listening to opinions. Again, very realistically, he did often slip into the more traditional roles of trying to be the protector, but I liked that she frequently surprised him with her cleverness and made him reevaluate his thought process. At first, I found his dismissiveness as aggravating as Mairi did, until I realized he really couldn't help it.
The author based her story on plenty of facts and tons of research and it is obvious throughout her tale. I found myself quite lost in midst of the story time and again until I finished.
The end was fairly predictable, without being too obvious. And I really enjoyed that she let several characters shine in the end, not just the main one or two.
Overall, very well written, quite enjoyable. I'm already collecting the rest of the series and can't wait to read them all.
August 30, 2022
Ich durfte bereits ein Rezensionsexemplar lesen!
Lady Mairi ist nicht nur die wunderschöne Tochter des Lord of the Isles in Schottland, sondern sie hat auch ihre eigene Meinung und ihre eigenen Ideen.
Sie soll heiraten, um das politische Gleichgewicht wieder herzustellen!
Doch dann lernt sie den Highlandkrieger Lachlan kennen und beide kommen sich näher! Doch ihr Vater ist von einer Heirat der beiden nicht begeistert! Und ein weiterer Kandidat will Mairi unbedingt selbst haben und schreckt vor nichts zurück!
Können Mairi und Lachlan trotz allem Gegenwind ihre Liebe verteidigen?
Ein wunderschöner Liebesroman, der uns ins mittelalterliche Schottland mit all seinen schönen und unschönen Seiten entführt! Hat mir viele romantische Lesestunden beschert! Meine absolute Leseempfehlung!
Lady Mairi ist nicht nur die wunderschöne Tochter des Lord of the Isles in Schottland, sondern sie hat auch ihre eigene Meinung und ihre eigenen Ideen.
Sie soll heiraten, um das politische Gleichgewicht wieder herzustellen!
Doch dann lernt sie den Highlandkrieger Lachlan kennen und beide kommen sich näher! Doch ihr Vater ist von einer Heirat der beiden nicht begeistert! Und ein weiterer Kandidat will Mairi unbedingt selbst haben und schreckt vor nichts zurück!
Können Mairi und Lachlan trotz allem Gegenwind ihre Liebe verteidigen?
Ein wunderschöner Liebesroman, der uns ins mittelalterliche Schottland mit all seinen schönen und unschönen Seiten entführt! Hat mir viele romantische Lesestunden beschert! Meine absolute Leseempfehlung!
February 18, 2008
Lachlan falls in love with the Princess Mairi, but her father is firmly against the match.
Good story, well-written.
Good story, well-written.
June 4, 2010
This book when you first look at it looks like your usual sex/love story but, its unpredictable and a good read. I recommend it.
October 10, 2011
Enjoyed this romantic novel very much!
August 21, 2012
I adore Amanda Scott's stories, ready to be transformed to medieval Scotland!
March 6, 2013
Lots of history here. Happily, I enjoy reading about the history of Scotland. ;)
October 30, 2022
3,5 ⭐
Das Buch ist für mich eine leichte Kost für zwischendurch, man kann es lesen ohne groß nachdenken zu müssen - perfekt wenn man krank im Bett liegt. Es beinhaltet eine Mischung aus Romantik & Erotik, ebenso wie eine leichte Spannung durch Mord und Intrige mit etwas schottischer Geschichte als Hintergrund. In der deutschen Übersetzung sind einige Rechtschreibfehler vorhanden. Ich freue mich auf die folgenden Teile und genieße einfach die seichte Unterhaltung.
Das Buch ist für mich eine leichte Kost für zwischendurch, man kann es lesen ohne groß nachdenken zu müssen - perfekt wenn man krank im Bett liegt. Es beinhaltet eine Mischung aus Romantik & Erotik, ebenso wie eine leichte Spannung durch Mord und Intrige mit etwas schottischer Geschichte als Hintergrund. In der deutschen Übersetzung sind einige Rechtschreibfehler vorhanden. Ich freue mich auf die folgenden Teile und genieße einfach die seichte Unterhaltung.
April 17, 2025
What Amanda Scott books always get right are great settings and good set ups to the story with historical facts.
But this might be my last book of hers I read for a while. I always love picking up any books about highlanders but it’s equally as hard to find historical ones with appropriate storylines. While this one isn’t cheesy, it’s like reading thru thick mud in the beginning. So much to go thru. The history, which I love reading about, doesn’t come alive on the pages here.
But this might be my last book of hers I read for a while. I always love picking up any books about highlanders but it’s equally as hard to find historical ones with appropriate storylines. While this one isn’t cheesy, it’s like reading thru thick mud in the beginning. So much to go thru. The history, which I love reading about, doesn’t come alive on the pages here.
July 20, 2025
I like a lot of variety. I usually read quick, light-hearted stories, but this you have to take your time with. There's a good romance, but lots of political and geographic world building. I read it for the researched view of Scottish history which gives it so much more significance. Really enjoyed it and look forward to the next book.
December 6, 2024
This was a reread for me - I think I read it in 07-08? Anyway, I enjoyed this but forgot how in the weeds this author gets with the setting and politics of the day. Still a fun romp around the islands of Scotland and will probably read the next book:) 🗡️🏴💋♥️🤩💪🔥
December 27, 2024
Scottish love story
Fun story to read. Enjoyed the strong will and determination of the daughter becoming the lady of the castle in a time when women were not permitted to have an opinion of their own.
Fun story to read. Enjoyed the strong will and determination of the daughter becoming the lady of the castle in a time when women were not permitted to have an opinion of their own.
January 4, 2018
It took...
A little bit to get unto the story but once I did I had a hard time putting it down. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
A little bit to get unto the story but once I did I had a hard time putting it down. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
October 27, 2018
I couldn't finish this one. That doesn't happen very often.
March 26, 2019
I didn't really like it. The history behind the story was interesting tho.
October 17, 2025
I love a good historical romance with some mystery thrown in. It did feel like a lot was slowly going on and that was fine. At the end it seemed like it was hurried and finished.
September 16, 2013
Lachlan Lubaneach is a council member for the Lord of the Isles MacDonald. And Mari is MacDonald's daughter and she is being forced to marry her cousin whom she doesn't love. But when a chance encounter with Lachlan at her father's council meeting sparks embers she is forced to look at her future more closley. The council is debating a man accused of murder whom Mari is fond of she is forced to step in to save his life. It turns out that the man is inocent of the crime because he wasn't their at the time. So MacDonald lets him go and Mari and Lachlan are better accuanted. Mari starts falling in love with Lachlan and questions her fathers decision of whom she should marry. So Lachlan tells her " to ask her father if it would be ok for him to be one of her suitors". But he says no matter what she is getting married to her cousin Alisdair. But Mari and Lachlan take matters into their hands and experience a night of passion. Then they are to leave for another strong hold to hold a hunt that her father has had for several years. There they learn to trust each other, until one night Mari hears a conversation between Lachlan and his brother Hector about her. Mari gets mad over what she hears and tries to stay away from him. Until things get dicy between Lachlan and MacDonald's high steward Nial Mackinnon. After the hunt Nial sets a trap for Lachlan which he falls for and ends up killing Nial at least thats what he thinks at the time. And when Lachlan leaves that place to catch up with MacDonalds boat to convince him of his innocence and to also let him mary Mari, MacDonald agrees. But when Mari hears the good news she is vexed whith him and pushes him out of the boat he is in. After that Mari gets kidnapped and Lachlan gets captured after that. They end up getting saved after all the revelations of an earlier incident. From there they head home where they get married and head to Mari's new home.
Epoloug
Lachlan comes back with news from the Roman Kirk that they are married in the church way and that their children will be saved from being bastards.
Epoloug
Lachlan comes back with news from the Roman Kirk that they are married in the church way and that their children will be saved from being bastards.
January 20, 2010
I don't know what was wrong with this story, I really wanted to like it. Maybe I wasn't in the mood ~ try again later. :s
September 21, 2011
I don't normally read romances, but I needed to read one for a book challenge. Unfortunately this one was pretty predictable. It appears to be a series but I won't be reading any more of them.
July 11, 2014
Boring. Nothing much happened.
January 29, 2014
WTF. Highland Princess? More like, Highland b*tch. =__=
January 8, 2019
Questo è il primo volume della serie Isole dei Templari scritta da Amanda Scott, composta in totale da sei libri (che trovate menzionati in fondo), tutti già pubblicati in Italia: quindi, se decidete di iniziarla, potete essere sicure di arrivare fino alla fine senza dover aspettare.
Siamo nel XIV Secolo, nelle meravigliose terre delle Highlands scozzesi, nel periodo storico dove Sua Grazia MacDonald, Signore delle Isole e Re delle Ebridi, governa le sue terre e la sua gente.
Sua figlia, la principessa Mairi delle Isole, è una donna intelligente, sicura di sé, generosa, intraprendente e coraggiosa. Tutte qualità non ben apprezzate nelle donne dell’epoca, il cui unico ruolo era obbedire all’uomo, sposare colui che il padre sceglieva per loro, fare figli e provvedere alla casa.
Mairi si ritroverà suo malgrado coinvolta in intrighi e complotti per la conquista del potere politico e delle ricchezze del regno, ma non sarà sola a lottare contro nemici invisibili, perché accanto a lei ci saranno i fratelli Lubanach: Lachlan lo scaltro ed Hector il feroce.
Lachlan Lubanach, uomo affascinante e futuro capo del Clan dei Gillean, è uno stratega, disposto a tutto pur di raggiungere i propri obiettivi. Appena incontra Mairi, nonostante sia già promessa in matrimonio a un altro uomo, Lachlan decide che dovrà essere sua e solo sua. Non sarà facile contrastare le leggi di Sua Grazia, ma “se si vuole qualcosa di valore, bisogna essere pronti a compiere passi pericolosi”.
Accanto a lui, il fratello gemello Hector sarà un infaticabile alleato, sempre pronto a proteggerlo e guardargli le spalle.
Il racconto ci porta lontano, in un paesaggio spettacolare di fiordi, mare e castelli in pietra, dove il tempo si misura (quando si misura) in suoni di campane e le navi solcano il mare sospinte dai remi e dal vento.
L’autrice ha romanzato quella che in realtà è la storia di uomini realmente esistiti e questo, secondo me, rende più affascinante sia i personaggi sia gli eventi che vengono descritti (il paesaggio ritratto nella foto è realmente il luogo dove un tempo sorgeva il castello del Re MacDonald).
Mairi è una ragazza di cui ho apprezzato il coraggio, perché in un periodo storico dove a una donna non era permesso nemmeno parlare per prima se non veniva “invitata” a farlo da un uomo, ha il coraggio di fare ciò che ritiene giusto, anche se questo va contro le regole. Certamente le è d’aiuto avere un padre che, nonostante sia il Re, è in grado di essere al tempo stesso un uomo saggio e giusto, senza per questo dover rinunciare a governare il Paese come ritiene sia meglio. La aiuta, inoltre, avere un uomo intrigante e accattivante come Lachlan, che le fa battere il cuore come mai nessun altro prima.
L’affiatamento tra i due fratelli Lubanach è molto bello, senza contare la piacevole ironia che Hector riesce a tirare fuori anche nei momenti in cui Lachlan è in evidente difficoltà. Non sempre le azioni di Lachlan sembrano portare a conquistare la bellissima principessa: a un certo punto al lettore, e non solo a lui, sorge il dubbio che per lui il desiderio di potere e ricchezza per il suo Clan sia più importante di qualsiasi cosa, anche della sua amata, che forse non è altro che un mezzo per raggiungere i suoi scopi.
Mi sarebbe piaciuto leggere un po’ più di passione e sensualità nella storia d’amore tra i protagonisti, ma il libro si legge piacevolmente, a parte l’iniziale difficoltà di districarsi tra i numerosi e difficili nomi scozzesi, che sembrano assomigliarsi tutti, e ci lascia la curiosità di continuare con il secondo volume, dove ritroveremo il simpatico e temuto Hector il feroce.
Siamo nel XIV Secolo, nelle meravigliose terre delle Highlands scozzesi, nel periodo storico dove Sua Grazia MacDonald, Signore delle Isole e Re delle Ebridi, governa le sue terre e la sua gente.
Sua figlia, la principessa Mairi delle Isole, è una donna intelligente, sicura di sé, generosa, intraprendente e coraggiosa. Tutte qualità non ben apprezzate nelle donne dell’epoca, il cui unico ruolo era obbedire all’uomo, sposare colui che il padre sceglieva per loro, fare figli e provvedere alla casa.
Mairi si ritroverà suo malgrado coinvolta in intrighi e complotti per la conquista del potere politico e delle ricchezze del regno, ma non sarà sola a lottare contro nemici invisibili, perché accanto a lei ci saranno i fratelli Lubanach: Lachlan lo scaltro ed Hector il feroce.
Lachlan Lubanach, uomo affascinante e futuro capo del Clan dei Gillean, è uno stratega, disposto a tutto pur di raggiungere i propri obiettivi. Appena incontra Mairi, nonostante sia già promessa in matrimonio a un altro uomo, Lachlan decide che dovrà essere sua e solo sua. Non sarà facile contrastare le leggi di Sua Grazia, ma “se si vuole qualcosa di valore, bisogna essere pronti a compiere passi pericolosi”.
Accanto a lui, il fratello gemello Hector sarà un infaticabile alleato, sempre pronto a proteggerlo e guardargli le spalle.
Il racconto ci porta lontano, in un paesaggio spettacolare di fiordi, mare e castelli in pietra, dove il tempo si misura (quando si misura) in suoni di campane e le navi solcano il mare sospinte dai remi e dal vento.
L’autrice ha romanzato quella che in realtà è la storia di uomini realmente esistiti e questo, secondo me, rende più affascinante sia i personaggi sia gli eventi che vengono descritti (il paesaggio ritratto nella foto è realmente il luogo dove un tempo sorgeva il castello del Re MacDonald).
Mairi è una ragazza di cui ho apprezzato il coraggio, perché in un periodo storico dove a una donna non era permesso nemmeno parlare per prima se non veniva “invitata” a farlo da un uomo, ha il coraggio di fare ciò che ritiene giusto, anche se questo va contro le regole. Certamente le è d’aiuto avere un padre che, nonostante sia il Re, è in grado di essere al tempo stesso un uomo saggio e giusto, senza per questo dover rinunciare a governare il Paese come ritiene sia meglio. La aiuta, inoltre, avere un uomo intrigante e accattivante come Lachlan, che le fa battere il cuore come mai nessun altro prima.
L’affiatamento tra i due fratelli Lubanach è molto bello, senza contare la piacevole ironia che Hector riesce a tirare fuori anche nei momenti in cui Lachlan è in evidente difficoltà. Non sempre le azioni di Lachlan sembrano portare a conquistare la bellissima principessa: a un certo punto al lettore, e non solo a lui, sorge il dubbio che per lui il desiderio di potere e ricchezza per il suo Clan sia più importante di qualsiasi cosa, anche della sua amata, che forse non è altro che un mezzo per raggiungere i suoi scopi.
Mi sarebbe piaciuto leggere un po’ più di passione e sensualità nella storia d’amore tra i protagonisti, ma il libro si legge piacevolmente, a parte l’iniziale difficoltà di districarsi tra i numerosi e difficili nomi scozzesi, che sembrano assomigliarsi tutti, e ci lascia la curiosità di continuare con il secondo volume, dove ritroveremo il simpatico e temuto Hector il feroce.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews