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Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands #1
Just in Time for a Highlander
From RITA winner Gwyn Cready comes a Scottish time travel romance perfect for fans of Outlander
Modern day battle reenactor Duncan MacHarg thinks he has it made—until he lands in the middle of a real Highland battle and comes face to face with the clan's beautiful, spirited leader. Out of time and out of place, Duncan must use every skill he can muster to earn his position among the clansmen and in the heart of the devastatingly intriguing woman to whom he must pledge his oath.
Abby needs a hero and she needs him now. Duncan's a man with no measurable battle skills and a damnably distracting smile. But she sees in him a fighting spirit, and Abby will do whatever it takes to turn him into a Scots warrior herself—one demanding and intimate lesson at a time.
Modern day battle reenactor Duncan MacHarg thinks he has it made—until he lands in the middle of a real Highland battle and comes face to face with the clan's beautiful, spirited leader. Out of time and out of place, Duncan must use every skill he can muster to earn his position among the clansmen and in the heart of the devastatingly intriguing woman to whom he must pledge his oath.
Abby needs a hero and she needs him now. Duncan's a man with no measurable battle skills and a damnably distracting smile. But she sees in him a fighting spirit, and Abby will do whatever it takes to turn him into a Scots warrior herself—one demanding and intimate lesson at a time.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 3, 2015
93 people are currently reading
954 people want to read
About the author
Gwyn Cready
11 books143 followersGwyn Cready is a RITA Award-winning romance novelist. She's been called "the master of time travel romance." She lives in Pittsburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
did-not-finish
February 7, 2015Aww man! I really wanted to love this, but it didn’t work for me at all. I mean…I like highlanders and I love time travel, but I can’t say that I liked anything about this book by the time I gave up at 74%.
I knew after the first few chapters that my tastes were not meshing with the writing, but I forged on because I got this book as a review copy and I felt like it deserved my efforts. Sadly, it never got any better and the more bored I became. Seriously, I used this book as a sleep aid every night for two straight weeks. Okay, I know that sounds mean, but it is true.
So what didn’t work? My BIGGEST problem with the story was the H and h, Duncan and Abigail. Here is this seemingly intelligent guy who suddenly ends up several hundred years in the past and he’s ready to stay there forever and marry Abigail…after TWO DAYS!! Oh, and Abigail has been nothing but a skanky bitch to him the entire time!! Did I forget to mention that she’s sorta engaged to another man??!!
So obviously the romance wasn’t working for me, and neither was the plot. It was ALL over the place with so much going on that I didn’t care about and none of it felt important or even interesting. There was no urgency and the big conflicts revolved around building a canal…and Duncan trying to figure out how to get Abigail to marry him. Maybe it somehow all tied together in the end, but I couldn’t find the energy to keep reading.
Reviewed for The Blogger Girls
I knew after the first few chapters that my tastes were not meshing with the writing, but I forged on because I got this book as a review copy and I felt like it deserved my efforts. Sadly, it never got any better and the more bored I became. Seriously, I used this book as a sleep aid every night for two straight weeks. Okay, I know that sounds mean, but it is true.
So what didn’t work? My BIGGEST problem with the story was the H and h, Duncan and Abigail. Here is this seemingly intelligent guy who suddenly ends up several hundred years in the past and he’s ready to stay there forever and marry Abigail…after TWO DAYS!! Oh, and Abigail has been nothing but a skanky bitch to him the entire time!! Did I forget to mention that she’s sorta engaged to another man??!!
So obviously the romance wasn’t working for me, and neither was the plot. It was ALL over the place with so much going on that I didn’t care about and none of it felt important or even interesting. There was no urgency and the big conflicts revolved around building a canal…and Duncan trying to figure out how to get Abigail to marry him. Maybe it somehow all tied together in the end, but I couldn’t find the energy to keep reading.
Reviewed for The Blogger Girls
January 3, 2015
Be careful what or who you wish for, you may just get more than you bargained for! Time travel, a hot guy in a kilt and a young woman with the weight of her clan on her shoulders, add an ill-timed wish and the arrow of an enemy and POOF-one magical spell is cast! Just in Time for a Highlander by Gwyn Cready is a light-hearted romp through time as one Wall Street Warrior finds that pushing paper and re-enacting Scottish history is far less dangerous than the real thing as he is hauled back in time to18th century Scotland. You think women have it tough today in a man’s world, try being the chieftess of a clan of warriors, during a pivotal time in history as the English pursue victory over Scotland.
If only war and testosterone were all Abby Kerr had to deal with, there is so much more, like bad investments, embezzlement, an ailing father and an offer of marriage that promises to save her clan, financially. Enter Duncan, literally, as he pops into existence, handsome, strange and definitely not a seasoned warrior, but here is something magical between them. Is it possible that Duncan’s modern life holds the key to the past?
Sit back and forget everything else, forget what may or may not be under those kilts, enjoy a light read that uncovers a tale of unlikely love, secrets, deceit and that for once, the hot guy in the kilt is not a knuckle-dragging, overpowering sex god, but he actually has a brain! Kind of makes you want to cheer for brains, not brawn and a good stiff wind, strictly for kilt research, of course.
I received an ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 9781492601937
Genre: Adult Fantasy Historical Romance
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
If only war and testosterone were all Abby Kerr had to deal with, there is so much more, like bad investments, embezzlement, an ailing father and an offer of marriage that promises to save her clan, financially. Enter Duncan, literally, as he pops into existence, handsome, strange and definitely not a seasoned warrior, but here is something magical between them. Is it possible that Duncan’s modern life holds the key to the past?
Sit back and forget everything else, forget what may or may not be under those kilts, enjoy a light read that uncovers a tale of unlikely love, secrets, deceit and that for once, the hot guy in the kilt is not a knuckle-dragging, overpowering sex god, but he actually has a brain! Kind of makes you want to cheer for brains, not brawn and a good stiff wind, strictly for kilt research, of course.
I received an ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 9781492601937
Genre: Adult Fantasy Historical Romance
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
January 16, 2015
I had mixed feelings on this time travel romance by Gwyn Cready. Part of that I think just stems from the fact that it is the first in a new series. For this reason the author has to include a lot of back story to lay the foundation for future books. Much of this foundation can seem unnecessary for this book but is needed in future books. However, I thought it was a great twist to have a female head of the clan Kerr. Of course that brought on most of Abby's troubles in this book, but it was refreshing to have a strong female chieftess. Duncan, was likeable but rather weak for a male lead. Perhaps that was the difference in this novel, just that the roles were reversed. So while I didn't absolutely love it, I didn't dislike it either so I would still like to continue with the rest of the series.
February 21, 2015
I really enjoyed this book - time travel with a twist, this time the guy goes back and the woman wears the immmmmmmm pants/kilt...oh and naked sword fighting for the win!
http://romanceatrandom.com/just-in-ti...
http://romanceatrandom.com/just-in-ti...
March 1, 2019
While this was written better than most of the time travels I've read lately, it seemed like entire sentences were cut out to save space? The story jumped oddly and I found myself rereading paragraphs 2-3 times to understand what happened.
And honestly, the ending was cheesier than cheesy.
And honestly, the ending was cheesier than cheesy.
February 3, 2015
Surprisingly funny. Unexpectedly touching. Impossible plot yet very engaging. Entertaining banter. Hella sexy. Great new fantasy series.
That about sums up JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER by Gwyn Cready. Since Outlander hit the small screen, time travel romance is trending and we're seeing a lot of these Highland romances lately. I haven't read much myself, but I can give Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands a solid recommendation. The premise is really simple; a witch cast a spell which transported sexy fire crotch, Duncan MacHarg, to 18th century Scotland because Kerr clan chieftain, Abby, is in need of a man with certain... functions. Not necessarily sexual but Clan Kerr is in dire straits so aside from a decent bed partner, Abby needs a savior more than anything else.
I knew JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER was going to be a good, if not a great read, when I found myself laughing so hard 5% in. And the laughter didn't stop there, GCready inserted a lot of humorous dialogue and situations, from penis jokes to plain sarcasm. Anything that can make me laugh is always a good thing. The humor comes as a great and pleasant surprise too because I was expecting a hot and heavy romance a la Outlander, and instead I got something light, at times silly, and overall fantastical time travel love story.
Abby Kerr is a woman beyond her time. She's a clan chief and a woman at that (were there female clan chiefs?), she is self-possessed, honor-bound, compassionate, stern, and can be both a lady and a wench at the same time. In short, Abby will frack a man if she feels like it and you can't use it against her. As for Duncan MacHarg, he might be a man from the future but his heart belongs in the past. I mean, how adorable is this dude? He's a financial adviser by day, living the swanky life back in NY, but over the weekends he's a reenactor for the Battle of Fort Duquense, and can scream as good and loud as any woman?! I absolutely find him adorable! Now despite these... rather fair qualities, Duncan is a Scotsman through and through, worthy of his kilt, and a romp in the sack too ;).
Now, I must admit, at times I had problems suspending disbelief on some parts of JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER. Like how fast Duncan acclimated to 1705 Scotland and how he didn't seem to resist the idea of time travel hard enough. Maybe it's just me taking things too seriously sometimes, but I half expect a logical financial adviser, like Duncan, accustomed to all the conveniences of the 21st century, to not question his sanity or crave the world he knows or has gotten used to. At the same time, it was quite easy for me to dismiss these things because of the precedent and the humorous feel of the novel. Also it wasn't all silly, there were quite a few heartfelt scenes between the characters one of which when Abby asked Duncan if the Scotland she knows will survive to which Duncan answered that it will not, much to Abby's heartbreak. Overall, I'm excited to read the next Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands, I'm sure it's going to be another hoot!
That about sums up JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER by Gwyn Cready. Since Outlander hit the small screen, time travel romance is trending and we're seeing a lot of these Highland romances lately. I haven't read much myself, but I can give Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands a solid recommendation. The premise is really simple; a witch cast a spell which transported sexy fire crotch, Duncan MacHarg, to 18th century Scotland because Kerr clan chieftain, Abby, is in need of a man with certain... functions. Not necessarily sexual but Clan Kerr is in dire straits so aside from a decent bed partner, Abby needs a savior more than anything else.
I knew JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER was going to be a good, if not a great read, when I found myself laughing so hard 5% in. And the laughter didn't stop there, GCready inserted a lot of humorous dialogue and situations, from penis jokes to plain sarcasm. Anything that can make me laugh is always a good thing. The humor comes as a great and pleasant surprise too because I was expecting a hot and heavy romance a la Outlander, and instead I got something light, at times silly, and overall fantastical time travel love story.
Abby Kerr is a woman beyond her time. She's a clan chief and a woman at that (were there female clan chiefs?), she is self-possessed, honor-bound, compassionate, stern, and can be both a lady and a wench at the same time. In short, Abby will frack a man if she feels like it and you can't use it against her. As for Duncan MacHarg, he might be a man from the future but his heart belongs in the past. I mean, how adorable is this dude? He's a financial adviser by day, living the swanky life back in NY, but over the weekends he's a reenactor for the Battle of Fort Duquense, and can scream as good and loud as any woman?! I absolutely find him adorable! Now despite these... rather fair qualities, Duncan is a Scotsman through and through, worthy of his kilt, and a romp in the sack too ;).
Now, I must admit, at times I had problems suspending disbelief on some parts of JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER. Like how fast Duncan acclimated to 1705 Scotland and how he didn't seem to resist the idea of time travel hard enough. Maybe it's just me taking things too seriously sometimes, but I half expect a logical financial adviser, like Duncan, accustomed to all the conveniences of the 21st century, to not question his sanity or crave the world he knows or has gotten used to. At the same time, it was quite easy for me to dismiss these things because of the precedent and the humorous feel of the novel. Also it wasn't all silly, there were quite a few heartfelt scenes between the characters one of which when Abby asked Duncan if the Scotland she knows will survive to which Duncan answered that it will not, much to Abby's heartbreak. Overall, I'm excited to read the next Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands, I'm sure it's going to be another hoot!
January 7, 2018
This was actually a pretty decent novel. It's not what I really thought it be, which is both a good and bad thing is. It was a good thing, because the plot was a unique one that I hadn't really read before. It was pretty different in this aspect. However, it was also a bad thing, because I thought that it'd be a better read than it really was. It got pretty boring in some places and then it started to pick back up again. It was a lot like stop and go, which isn't how I want to read a novel.
Duncan likes nothing better than a good battle. A good battle reenactment that is. He's always on Scotland's side and is proud of it. Which is to be expected when one has been raised in Scotland. However, Duncan now lives in America and is currently working as a business financier. He only goes back to Scotland to visit his grandfather every once in a while and that's the way he likes it. What he doesn't like is being transported back in time and coming face-to-face with Abigail Kerr. Abby is currently the Chief of clan Kerr and she's only holding on to the title by a thread. To keep her title she's going to have to marry a man that's not of her own choosing, and even then she still really wouldn't be the chief at all. However, that's currently the least of her concerns. Currently her clan is going bankrupt and the English are trying to start a war that is unnecessary. But what Abby really needs is a strong-armed to help her out in any way that he can. Instead, she gets Duncan. Which is a huge shock to her considering that he can't even hold up a sword properly. To make things even worse, Abby can't get rid of him until he's completed his duty as her strong arm. A duty that even Duncan himself isn't sure that he can achieve. Which he surely wants to do, because he wants to go home badly. But things seem to get even more complicated when Duncan starts to fall for Abby. Now he not only wants to help her, but he wants to stay with her too.
This novel would be considered a pure romance novel through and through. It has all of the right aspects for it and the plot of this novel proves that as well. The only thing that sets it apart from other romance novels is that this novel is based in the past. Medieval Scotland that is. It's a romance story that can only happen in the past, not the present. And it's a plot that we really don't see that often. At least not in this kind of mixture. Making this a unique novel that's for sure. So as for my recommendation on this novel it's at least a good one. This novel isn't what I'd call a must-read, but it's at least an interesting one. So if you're into novels that like to mix things up a bit, then this is the novel for you.
*Read on December 5th, 2016
June 28, 2015
I don’t remember the last time that I laughed so hard and so often while reading a novel. Cready has definitely written a fun and eventful novel. She develops this world in such a way that readers can easily picture the events in question. She also tells a very intricate story that takes into account the time period in question, while writing with creative liberty that makes the story so original.
I loved these characters. They were such a ridiculously fun bunch to get to know. The larger than life personalities combined with the clash of times in a wonderful whirlwind of miscommunication and assumptions. I thoroughly enjoyed the numerous strong, opinionated characters that we came to know throughout. This was all topped off with a formidable couple who took centre stage. Their similar outlooks on life but very different backgrounds melded together into something fantastic. Heck, I even enjoyed the love triangle Cready developed, something which I generally find tedious. Cready presents it in such a manner that it really adds to the plot of the story.
This novel encompasses a bit of everything. The time travel was very believable, the story entertaining, and the romance sizzled. It is definitely a great introduction to Cready’s new series.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
I loved these characters. They were such a ridiculously fun bunch to get to know. The larger than life personalities combined with the clash of times in a wonderful whirlwind of miscommunication and assumptions. I thoroughly enjoyed the numerous strong, opinionated characters that we came to know throughout. This was all topped off with a formidable couple who took centre stage. Their similar outlooks on life but very different backgrounds melded together into something fantastic. Heck, I even enjoyed the love triangle Cready developed, something which I generally find tedious. Cready presents it in such a manner that it really adds to the plot of the story.
This novel encompasses a bit of everything. The time travel was very believable, the story entertaining, and the romance sizzled. It is definitely a great introduction to Cready’s new series.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2015
JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER is a time travel romance with a twist. Not only is it the hero who is thrown back in time in this one, but the heroine is the leader of an 18th century Scottish clan. Duncan, running in downtown Pittsburgh chasing after fellow reenactors, suddenly finds himself thrown right in the middle of a skirmish that he is woefully unprepared. Abby hs accidentally summoned him via the questionable help from her friend Undine who just happens to be a famous conjurer.
Abby is in the struggle of her life trying to lead a clan of Scottish men who are unused to taking orders from a woman as well as keeping the English from invading her lands. Abby is a strong and unusual woman for her time who is willing to take on anyone necessary to keep what she feels rightfully belongs to her. With Duncan's appearance what Abby needs to succeed may have just been thrown in front of her. Duncan is strong but also intelligent and that is what she will need to win.
There's plenty of humor, romance, and well developed story in JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER to make any historical romance reader happy.
You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
Abby is in the struggle of her life trying to lead a clan of Scottish men who are unused to taking orders from a woman as well as keeping the English from invading her lands. Abby is a strong and unusual woman for her time who is willing to take on anyone necessary to keep what she feels rightfully belongs to her. With Duncan's appearance what Abby needs to succeed may have just been thrown in front of her. Duncan is strong but also intelligent and that is what she will need to win.
There's plenty of humor, romance, and well developed story in JUST IN TIME FOR A HIGHLANDER to make any historical romance reader happy.
You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
October 27, 2024
This was a silly little read and I loved it. I just want to know what serafina did about her fiancé running off with her money. That was never resolved…..
January 24, 2018
I wanted to love this, but it didn’t work for me at all. I mean…I love highlanders and I love time travel, but I can’t say that I liked much about this book.
Here is this seemingly intelligent guy who suddenly ends up several hundred years in the past and he’s ready to stay there forever and marry Abigail…after TWO DAYS!! Oh, and Abigail has been nothing but horrible to him the entire time and sorta engaged to another man.
The plot was ALL over the place with so much going on that I didn’t care about and none of it felt important or even interesting. There was no urgency and the big conflicts revolved around building a canal…and Duncan trying to figure out how to get Abigail to marry him.
Disappointing.
Here is this seemingly intelligent guy who suddenly ends up several hundred years in the past and he’s ready to stay there forever and marry Abigail…after TWO DAYS!! Oh, and Abigail has been nothing but horrible to him the entire time and sorta engaged to another man.
The plot was ALL over the place with so much going on that I didn’t care about and none of it felt important or even interesting. There was no urgency and the big conflicts revolved around building a canal…and Duncan trying to figure out how to get Abigail to marry him.
Disappointing.
December 22, 2017
This was a hard book for me to get into. I'd start and put it down for long periods. I was close to chalking it up as a DNF, but was stuck without anything else one day. The plot did pick up about half way through and almost all of the loose ends were tied up in the last chapter.
February 13, 2015
3 stars. decent story but definitely not a fav. have to think more before i write my review.
June 12, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up because I did enjoy it despite its flaws. I appreciate uncommon tropes and this book had many. I liked that it's the hero going back in time rather than the heroine, as is the case in the vast majority of time travel romances; I liked that the heroine isn't a shy virgin, and that she's strong without being obnoxiously feisty; I liked the power dynamic between them, that his oath of obedience wasn't just lip service, it genuinely played out on several occasions, whether following her orders as chieftess or pleasuring her on command. "He was a draft animal, bridled to plow..." I mean, what a great line. But neither does his submission to her rob him of his competence or masculinity.
However, I wasn't completely satisfied. The hero is unbothered that he's unexpectedly traveled to the past, accepting it with hardly a thought. For most of the story it's a non-issue, and it reads like any other historical romance. I wanted more of his thoughts on life in the past, how it contrasted to his assumptions, things he had a particularly hard time with, etc.
And though their physical attraction was intense, I wasn't convinced of their love or why they developed feelings for each other. Also, the hero has a couple moments where he actively ogles and gets hard at the sight of other women, which I didn't really care for. At times it felt like the author couldn't decide if she wanted to write a romance with steamy scenes, or just plain erotica.
However, I wasn't completely satisfied. The hero is unbothered that he's unexpectedly traveled to the past, accepting it with hardly a thought. For most of the story it's a non-issue, and it reads like any other historical romance. I wanted more of his thoughts on life in the past, how it contrasted to his assumptions, things he had a particularly hard time with, etc.
And though their physical attraction was intense, I wasn't convinced of their love or why they developed feelings for each other. Also, the hero has a couple moments where he actively ogles and gets hard at the sight of other women, which I didn't really care for. At times it felt like the author couldn't decide if she wanted to write a romance with steamy scenes, or just plain erotica.
March 7, 2018
Sometimes there are books you just enjoy, though your suspension of disbelief is thouroughly tested. I found this book entertaining. It didn’t have me hooked to the point of staying up late to see what happens next and as the story continued, I found inconsistencies starting to pile. I also felt that the ending was rushed, maybe to wrap things up with a nice bow. The lead male character, in his thirties, continually made poor decisions, despite promising to learn from them, which got old after a while. Overall, despite my nit picking, it was a fun read. Great banter.
April 8, 2018
Excellent read, though I'm sorry to have read the second in this series before the first. Hope Gwyn Cready is still actively writing; I plan to read her earlier books ahead of finishing the last book in this trilogy, as I suspect she's one of the authors who just keeps getting better... If so, she'll join my short list of authors whose new works I will anxiously await!
April 21, 2024
I normally love a time travel romance but I just never connected with this particular book. The characters weren’t particularly likeable or multi-dimensional. And the whole concept even excusing the time travel felt unrealistic. Like a female clan leader when a male counterpoint still existed was not plausible at that point in time.
March 18, 2018
I have issues with the hero in this story. He's a wimp that lacks a strong personality. He is not always a wimp since he stands up for the heroine a couple of times, but that's it. The rest of the time he is disappointing as a hero and main character.
March 22, 2018
Excellent book
I love highlander books. No grammar errors, spelling, or sentax were found. It flowed so quickly, it was hard to put down. My sister would love this book.
I love highlander books. No grammar errors, spelling, or sentax were found. It flowed so quickly, it was hard to put down. My sister would love this book.
April 1, 2018
Sometimes you need a palate cleanser after finishing a life changing trilogy or series. This was it for me! Kinda cheesy but I liked it.
April 8, 2018
Great Read
The characters are so real and make you care for them and fear for them in this exciting novel. I enjoyed it greatly and look forward to more books by this author.
The characters are so real and make you care for them and fear for them in this exciting novel. I enjoyed it greatly and look forward to more books by this author.
April 25, 2018
This was the first time I’ve read a time-travel book. It wasn’t half bad. It was quick paced and didn’t leave room for lingering. I am very much looking forward to reading the next one in the series
August 11, 2020
Entertaining - not realistic!
The beginning was a bit difficult to follow; but then I got the hang of it.
It was entertaining, but a bit too much detail.
I generally look for faster action.
The beginning was a bit difficult to follow; but then I got the hang of it.
It was entertaining, but a bit too much detail.
I generally look for faster action.
January 1, 2021
A delightful time travel adventure where the hero is catapulted back in time. Thinking he has a modern advantage, he really has to struggle to get any respect. It was a fun read.
dnf-ed
January 1, 2021I'm just going to put this down for right now.
July 11, 2021
This was a cute book but a little bit unbelievable.
August 14, 2021
3/10 - meh, it had everything but somehow was lacking something
Read
May 29, 2025It’s too modern for my liking.
April 27, 2015
Never, ever, again! You hear me?! No way!
I thought this would be one more awesome romance with a Highlander hunk who would make me melt. Well, I did get the Highlander hunk with the melting abilities. But really, if it was just him in the story, without the main heroine, I would have been so much happier about it...
Duncan MacHarg is a history geek, who likes battle reenactments and loves his Scottish roots. But a spell gone wrong lands him in Scotland, some centuries in the past, in the arms of Abby Kerr - a chieftess who's in need of a strong arm, but never a husband. Can they survive each other enough for Duncan to help Abby and then go back home?
Excuse me for a minute, please.
OK! Now! Let's see...
Which one of you ladies has always dreamed of a guy who would be enough of an Alpha to order us when it mattered, and enough of a marshmallow to be sweet and caring and totally adorkable while courting us? I'm sure I'm not the only that finds this kind of man attractive and of panty-dropping quality, right?
So, if a guy like what I just described - let's call him, oh, I don't know, DUNCAN, MAYBE?! - came up to you, would you abuse this man to the point of almost breaking him? Would you treat him in such a way that would turn him into the most insecure being alive, constantly berating himself and questioning his own masculinity? Would you call him less of a man right in front of his face, multiple times, because he had more brains than brawn when it mattered, because he had a good heart that couldn't just allow him to mindlessly kill someone on command, because he cared and showed honor and feelings more than the rest of the crude d-bags that dare to call themselves part of the male population?
I ask you now, ladies, how many times have we fumed about heroines in historical romance or time travel being treated like scum beneath a lord's shoe? How many times have we condemned main heroes for treating a woman in a demeaning way, making her question her feminine charms and humiliating her state of intelligence more often than not?
In what kind of universe is it ok and acceptable, then, for a woman to do this to a man? Fictional or not, this is wrong on so many levels! We female readers keep complaining about sexist main heroes, but when it comes down to it, we're perfectly fine with humiliating a damn wonderful guy just to get off on the idea of being on top of things! THIS is why I'm so against feminism, damn it! Equality, people, is it so much to ask for equality?
If I were Duncan, I would have sold all of Abby's secrets to the highest bidder. I mean, seriously, it's not like the woman tried in any way to make him feel loyal to her - other than threatening him, of course. Whenever he tried to help, whenever he dared state his opinion, whenever he so much as changed the tempo of his breath without her permission, the insults would come. The humiliation. The verbal abuse. And then the threats, the constant reminder he was at her mercy, and so on, and so on.
Let me see if I get this correctly. Abby felt distain and all sorts of negative feelings whenever men made her feel less than she believed she deserved. So, as a way to make her feel better, she needed someone to vent, to make them feel even worse than she did. And in comes Duncan. I don't know how you people call it, I call it inferiority complex.
The reason why I actually managed to finish this book - though I honestly wanted to stop long before I reached page 100? I wanted to see Duncan put her in her place. I didn't see that, of course - instead, I saw another soul being tortured by Abby's poor choices, Rosston. In the end, all I could care about was "will Duncan and Rosston become friends after all?". Yeah, it's true - I even wished for those two to fall in love with each other and let Abby die a sad and miserable shrew (oh, wait, she was already a sad and miserable shrew, I meant alone).
The only thing I wish for the rest of you who will stick with this series - because I'm so out of here - is that Serafina and Undine, the ones I suspect to be the main heroines for the next books, will not be as bad as Abby.
Remember, ladies, treating them the same way they treat us is NOT the solution, and it only makes us look like bullies. Be their equals - you will see how much better it is this way...
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
Read this and other reviews at: http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com/
I thought this would be one more awesome romance with a Highlander hunk who would make me melt. Well, I did get the Highlander hunk with the melting abilities. But really, if it was just him in the story, without the main heroine, I would have been so much happier about it...
Duncan MacHarg is a history geek, who likes battle reenactments and loves his Scottish roots. But a spell gone wrong lands him in Scotland, some centuries in the past, in the arms of Abby Kerr - a chieftess who's in need of a strong arm, but never a husband. Can they survive each other enough for Duncan to help Abby and then go back home?
Excuse me for a minute, please.
OK! Now! Let's see...
Which one of you ladies has always dreamed of a guy who would be enough of an Alpha to order us when it mattered, and enough of a marshmallow to be sweet and caring and totally adorkable while courting us? I'm sure I'm not the only that finds this kind of man attractive and of panty-dropping quality, right?
So, if a guy like what I just described - let's call him, oh, I don't know, DUNCAN, MAYBE?! - came up to you, would you abuse this man to the point of almost breaking him? Would you treat him in such a way that would turn him into the most insecure being alive, constantly berating himself and questioning his own masculinity? Would you call him less of a man right in front of his face, multiple times, because he had more brains than brawn when it mattered, because he had a good heart that couldn't just allow him to mindlessly kill someone on command, because he cared and showed honor and feelings more than the rest of the crude d-bags that dare to call themselves part of the male population?
I ask you now, ladies, how many times have we fumed about heroines in historical romance or time travel being treated like scum beneath a lord's shoe? How many times have we condemned main heroes for treating a woman in a demeaning way, making her question her feminine charms and humiliating her state of intelligence more often than not?
In what kind of universe is it ok and acceptable, then, for a woman to do this to a man? Fictional or not, this is wrong on so many levels! We female readers keep complaining about sexist main heroes, but when it comes down to it, we're perfectly fine with humiliating a damn wonderful guy just to get off on the idea of being on top of things! THIS is why I'm so against feminism, damn it! Equality, people, is it so much to ask for equality?
If I were Duncan, I would have sold all of Abby's secrets to the highest bidder. I mean, seriously, it's not like the woman tried in any way to make him feel loyal to her - other than threatening him, of course. Whenever he tried to help, whenever he dared state his opinion, whenever he so much as changed the tempo of his breath without her permission, the insults would come. The humiliation. The verbal abuse. And then the threats, the constant reminder he was at her mercy, and so on, and so on.
Let me see if I get this correctly. Abby felt distain and all sorts of negative feelings whenever men made her feel less than she believed she deserved. So, as a way to make her feel better, she needed someone to vent, to make them feel even worse than she did. And in comes Duncan. I don't know how you people call it, I call it inferiority complex.
The reason why I actually managed to finish this book - though I honestly wanted to stop long before I reached page 100? I wanted to see Duncan put her in her place. I didn't see that, of course - instead, I saw another soul being tortured by Abby's poor choices, Rosston. In the end, all I could care about was "will Duncan and Rosston become friends after all?". Yeah, it's true - I even wished for those two to fall in love with each other and let Abby die a sad and miserable shrew (oh, wait, she was already a sad and miserable shrew, I meant alone).
The only thing I wish for the rest of you who will stick with this series - because I'm so out of here - is that Serafina and Undine, the ones I suspect to be the main heroines for the next books, will not be as bad as Abby.
Remember, ladies, treating them the same way they treat us is NOT the solution, and it only makes us look like bullies. Be their equals - you will see how much better it is this way...
***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***
Read this and other reviews at: http://cupcakesandpopcorn.wordpress.com/
January 23, 2016
Book Info
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: February 3rd 2015 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492601934 (ISBN13: 9781492601937)
edition language English
series Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands #1
other editions None found
Source:Netgalley EARC
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
It's tough being a woman in a man's profession, especially for Abby Kerr, the unexpected chieftess of Clan Kerr. Loathe to marry but in need of a strong arm, Abby wishes for a Scots warrior and gets . . . Duncan, the historical reenactment hobbyist.
Wall Street Impresario Duncan MacHarg isn't bad with a fencing foil, but he's no Highlander. When a misdirected spell plucks him from the 21st century, he lands in 1705 Scotland at the feet of the fiercest woman he's ever laid eyes on...
The Scottish time travel twist is one of my favorites, what is not to like about reliving a bit of history with a fiery leading lady and a sexy leading man!
Unlike so many of the other books that have availed themselves of this particular venue am happy to say that this time around the time traveller was a man who actually went back 300 years in time rather than a scantily clad female who was than forced to accept the help of the clan chief in whose arms she landed.
I enjoyed watching Duncan find his way amongst the members of clan Kerr, he may not have been exactly what Abby thought she needed in a man but she found out that he was exactly what she wanted and he found out that she was the one he longed to spend forever with if only that were possible.
There was no one thing in this story that really stood out as different from what have enjoyed before but with a twist here and a twist there it added up to an enjoyable foray into one of my preferred settings of time and place in historical romances, the back and forth banter that the characters indulged in also added to the story as did the bickering that led to Abby and Duncan indulging in sexual encounters of the utmost intensity.
The way in which things played out with the unexpected source of the method to travel back in time was poignant as well as romantic, the finale to this first installment in the series leads me to hope for Undines story soon.
A fish out of water, historical time travel romance which introduces the series and which happily promises the beginning of many hours of of pleasurable reading.
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: February 3rd 2015 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492601934 (ISBN13: 9781492601937)
edition language English
series Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands #1
other editions None found
Source:Netgalley EARC
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS
It's tough being a woman in a man's profession, especially for Abby Kerr, the unexpected chieftess of Clan Kerr. Loathe to marry but in need of a strong arm, Abby wishes for a Scots warrior and gets . . . Duncan, the historical reenactment hobbyist.
Wall Street Impresario Duncan MacHarg isn't bad with a fencing foil, but he's no Highlander. When a misdirected spell plucks him from the 21st century, he lands in 1705 Scotland at the feet of the fiercest woman he's ever laid eyes on...
My Thoughts
The Scottish time travel twist is one of my favorites, what is not to like about reliving a bit of history with a fiery leading lady and a sexy leading man!
Unlike so many of the other books that have availed themselves of this particular venue am happy to say that this time around the time traveller was a man who actually went back 300 years in time rather than a scantily clad female who was than forced to accept the help of the clan chief in whose arms she landed.
I enjoyed watching Duncan find his way amongst the members of clan Kerr, he may not have been exactly what Abby thought she needed in a man but she found out that he was exactly what she wanted and he found out that she was the one he longed to spend forever with if only that were possible.
There was no one thing in this story that really stood out as different from what have enjoyed before but with a twist here and a twist there it added up to an enjoyable foray into one of my preferred settings of time and place in historical romances, the back and forth banter that the characters indulged in also added to the story as did the bickering that led to Abby and Duncan indulging in sexual encounters of the utmost intensity.
The way in which things played out with the unexpected source of the method to travel back in time was poignant as well as romantic, the finale to this first installment in the series leads me to hope for Undines story soon.
A fish out of water, historical time travel romance which introduces the series and which happily promises the beginning of many hours of of pleasurable reading.
[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]
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