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Cameron Sisters #5

In the Highlander's Bed

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Highland warrior Gordon Lachlan has spent his life fiercely battling the English. Now, to claim victory for his clan, he must retrieve the legendary Sword of the MacKenna from the hands of his mortal enemies. His to kidnap Constance Cameron from her remote boarding school and force her wellborn relatives to surrender the sword as her ransom. But Lachlan is surprised that the woman he's snatched from her bed is no malleable miss. Constance longs for adventure. She's tantalized by Lachlan and his passionate cause . . . and tempted enough by his seductive ways to wonder what it would be like to find herself in the Highlander's bed . . .

366 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 29, 2008

49 people are currently reading
833 people want to read

About the author

Cathy Maxwell

72 books2,204 followers
CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, "Why do people fall in love?" It remains for her the mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.

Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell.com and she'd love for you to swing by.)

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5 stars
371 (25%)
4 stars
490 (33%)
3 stars
466 (31%)
2 stars
100 (6%)
1 star
34 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession.
1,224 reviews3,696 followers
June 16, 2017
This book and the first one are tied as my favorite of the series. This book was funny, sweet and had some action too. I liked the hero, but I loved the heroine. She was brave, sassy, and outspoken. I loved how much she fought back when the hero kidnapped her. She wasn't going to be an easy captive. I also really liked the hero's sister and I seen she gets a book so I will be hunting it down to read soon. Overall a good read!
649 reviews
July 5, 2008
This book marks the end of Unofficial Scottish Smut Novel Month.

Although I generally like Cathy Maxwell's books, this one didn't really do it for me. I just hate it when heroines fight the hero right up until they RUN, not walk, into bed with them. And I swear that plucky heroines are only abducted when they are ovulating, thus conveniently leading to options-limiting pregnancies from a mere two days of conjugal visits. Seriously, you'd think people have the same fertility rate as rabbits.

I didn't realize this was one of a series of three; I'd already read one of the others, and didn't think that much of it either. My bad.
Profile Image for Maria.
471 reviews38 followers
February 12, 2025
Don’t let the title and cover deceive you, this is as spicy as salt.
Profile Image for Kate.
40 reviews21 followers
August 19, 2011
Although it has a decent plot and there are a few twists that caught me by surprise, overall this book was just okay.

I definitely preferred the first half to the last. The beginning is full of action and lively debates, and the characters are given a strong foundation, but the further I read into the book, the less I liked it. Too much of the dialogue does nothing but repeat the rest of the text, or vice versa. The descriptions that were once vivid and intriguing become dry and flat.

The characters deteriorated as the plot wore on, too. Take the main character, for example. I liked Constance's stubborn spirit and sense of adventure during the kidnapping and soon after, but once she and Lachlan admit their feelings for one another, she stops asserting herself as an individual and appears wholly dependent on Lachlan. Her attitude becomes almost hesitant, like she's trying to win everyone's approval, and later when things go wrong she shuts herself in her room and cries for days. The Constance I met at the beginning of the book would have found a new purpose, put her energy and passion into something new, rather than throw herself a pity party.

I finished the book because I did want to see how things would work out in the end, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hilary.
2,311 reviews50 followers
December 21, 2009
1808. An American (heiress) attending a Scots finishing school is kidnapped by a rebel without a sword (but he plans to trade her for one). She joins the cause, re-organizes his life, his campaign, and then (of course) goes to bed with him. I was drawn in by the cover (I should have known better). >sigh<
Profile Image for Sunshine.
382 reviews24 followers
April 14, 2020
Be warned!!!

This is going to be an overall review of the series, which
why I added a spoiler tag. I binge read this series in a
matter of days and I can honestly tell you that it's an
okay series, but definitely not great. It has a lot of issues
with characterization.

Review:
My problem with this whole series might be a very personal
one. I read books 3 and 5 when I was a lot younger and
they left quite an impression. As an adult, I finally
got around to buying the rest of the series and
after reading it with great anticipation, I was
sourly disappointed. Literally, all the main characters
in the books were featured in the subsequent story
and they demonstrated selfish, disgusting, and stupid
characterization, that it made me despise them,
as a result, their own story too.

Isabel and Michael from book 1 were featured
in book 2 and they acted like the worst kind of
assholes, especially Isabel. When Alex and Miranda
are finally ready to be together, she bodily stops
Miranda from running to Alex. Then she proceeds
to forcibly tell Miranda that she cannot fulfill
her hearts desire because she owes Michale and Isabel.
Owes them what?? This was all done with the knowledge
that Miranda and Alex loved one another and hypocrite
Isabel is standing in their way. All while holding her
own child as a sign of her love for Michael, so why can't
the other couple be happy too. It made me so angry
that she was willing to sacrifice the love of a couple to
keep her material world intact. So obviously, this ruined
my enjoyment of book 1 after seeing what a selfish
bitch Isabel really was.

Book 2: Miranda and Alex
This is the most annoying couple in the entire
series. Miranda acted like a total tool the entire
book and her sacrifice was nothing but a selfish
excuse for not wanting to be with a "half-breed."
I hated that almost everyone in the story was
willing to sacrifice this two people for the sake of
their interest. Isabel and Michael for their empire,
Charlotte and Constance for their comfort. It was
difficult to root for Miranda when she was the
definition for, you made your bed now you have
to lie in it. I mean, she accepted the dukes proposal
then she wanted out, that's not how it works sweetie.

Book 3: Phillip and Charlotte
Charlotte is one of my least favorite females in
the series because she so elitist and judgemental
in the other books. In this book she was actually
okay.

Book 4: Justin and Francesca
The main couple was not that bad, the only
thing is that they fell in love with each other way
too quickly. I mean, Justin was madly in love with
Moira a couple of months ago and just like
that he's declaring his love to Francesca after two days.
I will say that Francesca's father and his new
bride made me so freaking angry. The only
saving grace is that her father is stuck in miserable
marriage with a tantrum prone woman child.

Book 5: Gordon and Constance
This book I actually really liked. All the characters
were interesting, the setting was nice, and the
good set up for the spinoff series had me hooked
to read more. The only part of the book I hated was
when all the Cameron sisters get together.
This is were Charlotte shows her typical judgemental
face and is willing to marry Constance to a drunkard
asshole just to stop tongues from waging. I hated
that she was so happy her sister was going to marry
a duke, especially because she was the one who
was always pushing them to do so.

Overall, I will say this series was just okay and I
probably will not read it again. I hated the main
characters of certain books too much for it to
become a favorite. I hated the fact that the main
characters were very selfish and annoying when
featured in the other books. It definitely made me
hate their storylines. However, I am looking
forward to reading the spinoff series, hopefully
it doesn't disappoint like this one.


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Damla.
131 reviews6 followers
September 4, 2025
Çok sıkıcı . Bitsin diye okudum.
Profile Image for WhiskeyintheJar.
1,523 reviews696 followers
October 12, 2010
The beginning of this story had me very excited. Stories that start with a Scotsman intent on kidnapping always make me smile. I like how Gordon plans on simply walking into the girls academy and asking Constance for a dance, then wooing her away so he can take her. A bold highlander is an ingenious way to start a story.
Maxwell has written two wonderful characters. Constance is a strong woman character, albeit misguided in her thinking that she can travel to America on her own but her desire to return home is understood. Gordon is positively enthralling. Maxwell has given him layers upon layers that I couldn't wait to read about.
When they arrived at Gordon's camp it was clearly shown how important Gordon was to his people, even though the reader is given the feeling Gordon himself knows deep down he is fighting a losing battle. The added character of Fiona, Gordon's sister, adds another layer to Gordon. His feelings on her capture by the English and her present withdrawal from him show him to be a deep caring individual. Also, the tent and spartan furnishings where he lives is a great insight into his character. Gordon is truly a man and so far one of the best lead male characters I have read in a long time.
I absolutely love when authors put protective and companion dogs in books. Gordon's "Tad" is a great character unto himself. I like all the emotions and "looks" he gives.
I liked how Maxwell finally gives the reader reasons why her two lead characters were attracted to each other, something that lacked in her previous books. As Gordon and Constance spend more time together they witness acts and personality traits by the other which endure them to each other.
When Gordon and his sister Fiona finally have their talk to straighten things out and she admits she was raped by the English I felt myself tearing up. Maxwell did a tremendous job here portraying the emotions felt by both Fiona and Gordon; she also had me wishing I had an older brother.
A little more than halfway through the book Gordon seemed to disappear a bit. Maxwell wrote Constance to such a compelling figure that her story took over and Gordon was in the background a bit to much.
The ending of the book was a disappoint to me and I can't exactly explain why. I think the characters lost some of the shine they had in the beginning. The epilogue of the book was unnecessary also. It had nothing to do with Gordon and Fiona and leaves the reader completely hanging as to what happens to Gordon's sister Fiona. ( I went and looked up Cathy Maxwell books and found she has written Fiona's story and it is titled "A Seduction at Christmas") The book started off strong but Maxwell seemed to give up on her characters towards the end leaving me completely dissatisfied.

B
Profile Image for ies.
1,553 reviews24 followers
April 6, 2018
Gw suka deh karakter Constance dan Gordon ahahaha... kali ini beneran 4 bintang, lagi-lagi temanya bukan Cuma sekedar menyadari perasaan satu sama lain, bahkan pas Constance bilang “I Love You” si mas Gordon jg langsung jawab “I Love You too” tapi apa cinta saja sudah cukup? Tentu saja tidak.. Gordon Lachlan punya visi menegakkan keadilan buat rakyat Scotlandia dan tidak ada tempat untuk Constance di sana dan secinta-cintanya tetep Gordon harus melakukan yg terbaik buat Constance, karena die penjahat di mata pemerintah Inggris kan..

Gw sampai baca sejarah Highland Clearance buahahaha… dank arena gw gak baca buku 3 (cekakak) gw kelewat si pas Laird MacKenna kabur ke Italy dan bawa duit semua klan, termasuk duit nya Gordon yg akan dipake buat memerdekakan diri.. sedih deh, anak2 pada kelaparan gitu dan sekarang Gordon berambisi menyatukan seluruh klan di Scotlandia untuk melawan Inggris, dan die membutuhkan Pendang MacKenna, pedang yg bisa menyatukan seluruh klan dan pedang itu ada ditangan Justin Maddox pas ending buku 2 kan..


HEA kok.. Gordon balik ehehehee… gimana ya baca sendiri, ah ya The Duke of Holburn ini ntar sama Fiona deh.. ada bukunya sendiri, ntar gw baca LOL
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books613 followers
July 29, 2012
The beginning was exciting, and started off with a bang. It has some great witty banter, but I'm unimpressed with the storyline. The heroine is an American frontierswoman in a Scottish finishing school (circa 1808), who is kidnapped for ransom from her wealthy duke brother-in-law. (he's trying to ransom Constance for a sword that he needs to rally his clan). The story is good, but not great.

I just didn't like the hero after he actually kidnapped Constance. Oh there was fun in the banter, and little digs back and forth. But it got old. It was repetative.

"Och I'm a big braw Scotsman who needs me sword."

"Oh I don't belong, here, I'm an American, not a proper English miss. Gimme my moccasins so I can be myself."

Overall I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
Profile Image for Heather .
1,193 reviews18 followers
May 10, 2013
I honestly likedthebook. The main character Constance was so spirited and was such a delight to read. Gordon starts out kidnapping Constance, who is trying to run away that same night. He wants to ransom her for the Sword od MacKenna in order to rally the support of his Scottish troops to battle with England. Constance isnt the most docile prisoner and is constantly keeping Gordon on his toes.

They fall in love despite trying to avoid it but close contact and attraction leads to more. Their personalities match and clash to create a wonderful story. Well worth the read for a little historical romance.
Profile Image for Burçak Sultan.
569 reviews85 followers
September 20, 2011
Gece başladım hemen bitti ama sevmedim ben ya konu güzel başladı ama kız kampa geldikten sonra iyice saçmaladılar :P Bi de çook kafam karıştı keşke sırayla yayınlasalardı kitapları, kız neden eniştesini sevmiyo? gibi böyle geçmişe dönelik şeyler var ama biz bilmiyoruz.. Seri sırayla çıkmadığı sürece okumayın bunu :P Hele sonu... adama o kadar savaşçı havası verdiler bence tavuk gibi kaçtı, yakıştıramadım :S
Profile Image for kris.
1,073 reviews225 followers
May 22, 2014
Constance is AMERICAN. Gordon is SCOTTISH. He kidnaps her while she's trying to escape and they FALL IN LOVE DESPITE THE MONSTROUS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM.

This was an easy, engaging read that was ultimately disappointing and sloppy. Basically, I wanted to know what happened! But it wasn't great!!

Also: was put off by some of the handling of Fiona's storyline.
Profile Image for Claudia.
95 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2020
Yet another book I couldn’t finish. This was a gift from my boyfriend bc he knows how much I loved Outlander, but it just didn’t do it for me. It was a solid effort in his part though. S/o to Nick.
Profile Image for Jo Reads Romance.
945 reviews66 followers
January 10, 2021


Fun and adventurous romance
4 stars

After failing in his mission to retrieve the legendary Sword of McKenna from the English, Highland warrior Gordon Lachlan decides to strike personally at those who hold the sword - by kidnapping Constance Cameron from her boarding school and demanding the sword from her relatives in return for her release.

Constance is fed up with being stuck away in a boarding school and decides to run away and make a life for herself in her American homeland. But before she can escape the school, she is kidnapped by a roguish, but very handsome, Scottish rebel.

Neither are what the other expected and as passions run high, the pair realise they may have to fight for something more precious than freedom.

This was the concluding book in a series about the Cameron Sisters (after Temptation of a Proper Governess, The Price of Indiscretion, In the Bed of a Duke and Bedding the Heiress) although it does set up another book after this one so I suppose the series is a continuous one. There is a plot line that flows throughout the books so I wouldn't suggest you read this book without having read the others first.

Constance is fiery and independent without ever coming across as a stereotype while Gordon is a fantastically tortured hero - torn between his need for freedom and his desire for love. The pair were well matched and I liked the banter between them throughout the book. I am also a fan of this kind of plot line and so I enjoyed the romance between the pair too.

Despite enjoying the book, I did have a few problems with it that stopped it from getting the full 5 stars. Firstly, the underlying plot of the Scottish cause and the Sword of McKenna seemed to fade as the book went on and although the romance was satisfactorily ended, the 'sword' plot was not and I felt slightly disappointed that nothing came of the so called rebellion. Gordon was so passionate for his cause at the beginning and then gave up his fight without much thought at the end of the book. There were also factual errors that really irked after a while such as when they left Edinburgh and travelled east yet somehow managed to end up in the Highlands!

As I mentioned before, I did actually enjoy the book even with the faults. It was exciting, romantic, a real page-turner and very well written. I would recommend this book to fans of Cathy Maxwell and those who enjoy a fun romantic adventure. 4 stars.


Profile Image for Aşkın Karataş.
75 reviews5 followers
July 6, 2023
Maalesef kitap konusu ve karakterleri beni pek heyecanlandırmadı. Ama yazarın dili çok akıcı o yüzden kolay okudum.
▫��
Bu bir seriymiş diğer karakterler çok daha canlıydı keşke sırasıyla basılsaymış ne yazık ki Pegasus'un zamanında aldığı bu güzelim seriler şimdi hep çöp oldu devam etmediği için.
❤️
İskoç savaşçı Gordon ailesinin, klanının ve ülkesinin intikamı için işgalci İngilizler ile savaşmaktadır. Fakat daha çok adamı yanına çekmesi için efsanevi McKenna kılıcına ihtiyacı vardır. Bir plan yaparak kılıcı elinde bulunduran İngiliz Dükünün baldızı Constance'ı kaçırmaya karar verir. Constance hiç tahmin ettiği gibi bir İngiliz Leydisi çıkmayınca başına bela aldığını fark eder fakat artık her şey için çok geçtir.
❤️
"Bu sadece bir birleşme değildi," diye fısıldadı. "Bu bir mucizeydi. Gerçek ve mükemmel bir mucize." Gordon onu görebilmek için başını kaldırdı. "Bunun bedelini ödeyeceğiz..." diye söze başladı.

Constance onu susturabilmek için burnunun ucunu öptü.
"Bedeli her ne olursa olsun, buna değer."
❤️
Profile Image for Golden Time.
410 reviews15 followers
October 13, 2017
Among all Cathy Maxwell books I read since yesterday this is the only book that I actually finish and miraculously without having any thought of murdering the hero or heroine.... For some reason this author's other books got me so irritated and totally out of my wit.

Anyways I like this book for the fact that the hero and heroine are both lovely I could have give it 4 or maybe 5 stars if only not for an almost sad ending..almost.... it's sad because Gordon and Constance had to go away from their family.. Gordon having price over his head but at least they would go to the place Constance loves so much and they will be at peace...

I like the other characters too and I am just so excited for Fiona's book.... I am not sure about Grace's book tho maybe I'll just pass on that and read Andres book.. Andres the lover or almost a lover of the stupid heroine of book 2 of Cathy Maxwell's Scandal something series that which I don't really want to remember....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Holly.
1,368 reviews34 followers
October 26, 2022
Somehow I managed to pickup the last book in a series of 5 without reading any of the previous books. I think it worked fine as a stand-alone story even though Constance’s entire family comes into the picture toward the end. None of the characters or the romance really stood out to me. It was a very average story even with the trope of kidnapping turned love within a few days.

The one disappointment for me was the end of the book, which I presume is also the end the series. Two characters travel to America with no epilogue that completes their story. And two other characters disappear and nobody knows what happens to them. It wasn’t a very satisfying ending, so I’m glad I didn’t read the earlier books now that I know how the series ends.
Profile Image for Alison.
1,856 reviews17 followers
January 11, 2022
3.5 stars
I really liked this book most of the way. I was even considering 5 stars.
It had an old school Scottish historical romance vibe that I adore.
That was, until Constance was turned over to her family. After that (approx. 70%), the family took precedence and Gordon was not on the page until the very end. It detracted immensely from Constance and Gordon’s love story. And the epilogue did not end up including them either- bummer. 😔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anna.
99 reviews4 followers
October 21, 2021
This is my second time rereading it. And I think I came to the same conclusion - Good start to a plot, but didn’t love the way it ended. I think it could have been executed differently. May reread the rest of the series, since it’s been ages. I do enjoy acathy Maxwell’s books. Constance wasn’t my favorite character.
Profile Image for Heather.
950 reviews7 followers
April 5, 2023
Good

Constance is trying to run away back to America but is scooped up by Gordon. Kidnapped and off to Scotland she is to be used to be bartered for a sword . Gordon only 2anting justice for his clan tries to keep his head on his shoulder but Miss Cameron is more then he expected. Good book
3,334 reviews42 followers
Read
September 3, 2025
This looks to be the conclusion to the Cameron Sisters series, although it feels like there's room for Grace and Fiona's stories to emerge.
It was pretty clear from the get-go that this would be the next pairing, and it is satisfying... I would be curious to know how the two get on in their next chapter, but I don't expect that book to be written.
Always a fun read.
347 reviews
January 18, 2018
Period piece. I haven't read one in a while. Good read. Friction between a clan in Scotland and the oppressive English monarchy. Despite the book's cover, not very racy. Some sex, not a lot. While a pleasant read it was easy to put down.
Profile Image for Katrina Alexander.
Author 3 books113 followers
November 19, 2025
I felt like the pacing was off and the story dragged in parts. The characters were underdeveloped; they slept together, so suddenly they were in love. I have read several other Cathy Maxwell books, but this book didn't meet the same standards. It wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Myshel.
55 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2020
Really enjoyed this book, looking forward to reading more from Cathy
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