Lady of the Glen

by Jennifer Roberson

A marvelous tale." --Diana Gabaldon Bestselling author Jennifer Roberson captures readers' hearts and imaginations in this haunting, lyrical tale of an era of savagery and splendor, set against the heather-strewn hills of a divided Scotland. . .

From birth, Catriona Campbell and Alasdair Og MacDonald are enemies--for he is the second son of her clan's most powerful foe. Yet from the moment they meet, they know they will lie in each other's arms someday. But their love, for centuries forbidden, comes at the most dangerous of times, as they become pawns of war. . .and of history.

"Stirring. . .well worth a Highland journey." --"Kirkus"

"Roberson's world of 17th-century Scotland is atmospherically real, which comes as no surprise from an author who writes acclaimed fantasies." --"Publishers Weekly

Genres: Historical Fiction, Scotland, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Fiction, Fantasy

ebook

First published April 1, 1996

About the author

Over a 40-year career (so far), Jennifer Roberson has published four fantasy series, including the Sword-Dancer Saga, Chronicles of the Cheysuli, the Karavans universe, and urban fantasy series Blood & Bone. Other novels include historicals LADY OF THE GLEN, plus two Robin Hood novels, LADY OF THE FOREST, and LADY OF SHERWOOD.

New novels are percolating in her always-active imagination.

Hobbies include showing dogs, and creating mosaic and resin artwork and jewelry.  She lives in Arizona with a collection of cats and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book and an enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the two main characters, Catriona (Cat) and Alasdair (Dair) a lovely Romeo and Juliet story. A pleasant change to have the heroine not be drop dead gorgeous. Their characters were well drawn, intelligent and displayed great chemistry. I enjoyed their playful banter as they "courted" and afterward when they become lovers. LOL when she became worried after their first time together in bed, as her brothers had always told Cat her tongue would shrivel a man's --- well you know what.

Even though when Cat and Dair get together they are a loving and lusty couple, the sex scenes are mostly left to the imagination and not overly drawn out, which helps make this book more appropriate for a younger reader than many books available these days. The author was able to convey much just with the subtle sexual banter betwen these two, it was very funny and sweet.

Although there is the "romance" of the book with the two main characters, this is more about the massacre of Glencoe, a little known piece of Scottish history, and a very sad tale for so many members of this clan. Don't let the cover of the book fool you, this is not a Julie Garwood type of book where the story is mostly fluff to place the H&H in in order to write steamy love scenes. And I'm not knocking Garwood, I loved Ransom -- this is just a different type of book altogether despite what it appears from the cover. If you are looking for a light book heavy on romance and light on the history, this book is not for you.

All in all quite an enjoyable read.

[Regan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb Storytelling and a Keeper—a Highland Love that Survives the Massacre of Glencoe!

Roberson's Lady of the Glen has everything I love in a Scottish historical romance: an epic love story, a noble hero, a strong heroine, real history (the massacre of Glencoe), attention to detail and enough suspense and drama to keep me turning pages. And a wonderful hero and heroine. Even the music of the Highlands is included. I could hear the pipes and their mournful sound as Roberson described them. This is a classic and on my Top 10 list.

The story begins in 1682 when Catriona (“Cat”) Campbell first encounters Alasdair (“Dair”) Og MacDonald. She is an awkward, uncomely girl raised like one of her brothers by her drunken father, but Dair pays her a compliment when no one else does, telling her that she has “bonnie eyes…all bluey-green and bright. The sort of eyes a Highlander likes to come home to.” How could Cat ever forget him after that? Not even though he is one of the dreaded MacDonalds, the enemies of clan Campbell, could she fail to harbor a tenderness for him.

Much happens in this intricately woven tale that spans a decade. It’s the time when King James was exiled to France and William and Mary ruled England. The Scots battle each other as much as the English. Grey John Campbell, Earl of Breadalbane seeks to be the power behind the throne and he thinks it is William who will sit on that throne. He exerts his influence to unite the clans, pretending to support King Jamie, while planning on serving the Highland clans on a silver platter to William. The clans don’t trust him but the lairds have little choice, seeing the English Ft. William erected as a symbol of the English dominance.

Famous battles like Killiecrankie are vividly described as Dair fights with the MacDonalds of Glencoe and the Stewarts of Appin. Both the MacDonalds and the Campbells kill each other’s young men caught reeving cattle. Dair saves Cat from harm, and she saves his life. All this while another woman shares Dair’s bed. Then Cat’s father agrees to wed her to the Earl of Breadalbane’s son, Duncan Campbell in exchange for money to pay his many debts.


Perhaps the most intense moment is the Massacre of Glencoe when the treachery of the Campbells joins with English, including the king, to murder nearly the entire clan of the Glencoe MacDonalds without provocation. Still remembered to this day, the massacre of Glencoe was a great perfidy on the part of the Campbells and England. A very sad chapter in Scotland’s history. As Roberson says of Glencoe, “’Tis a glen of sorrows, an empty place of blood and broken stone, of charred timber and burial cairns.”

I did not want to put this one down. Based on considerable research, the author truly captured the heart of the Highlands. The characters she vividly portrays bring to life one of the most incredible periods of Scotland’s history.

If you love Scotland and real Highlander romance—the deep ones—you will love this book! It does have a happy ending, too.

Highly recommended.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame that this book is out of print because it's a real treat for Scottish history lovers: romance, politics, violence, and bloodshed. The cheesy title and steamy cover do this book a real disservice, in my opinion, because though it's a love story, it's not a bodice-ripper featuring men in kilts; the story has more depth of character and complexity of plot than any other highland romance I have read. Most of the characters are based on real Scots, the key players in the drama and tragedy of the Glencoe Massacre, and the author has done her research. The prose is solid, workman-like, the pacing was just right, and even though I knew how the story had to end, I was still turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. I wish that Roberson had gone on to write other stories about Scotland and its people; tracking down a copy of this one was well worth the trouble. Recommended.

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had big hopes for the novel.

What I got:

--> knowledge about the XVII century Scottish history
--> a bit of feeling about how the "Scottish aristocracy" could live then.

What I didn't get:

--> a sweeping away love story - it had some nice parts, but not as much as it could have been done
--> a gripping intrigue and action
--> a look at the everyday life of Scottish people in the XVII century.

Most of all, I was disappointed in the style of writing. There were so many repetitions, and boring dialogues (next to some interesting ones). I think, Jennifer Roberson wanted to give me the feeling of those people, of their pride, etc. It was a good idea, but in my opinion, she overdid it.

I am glad I picked the book because I learned a lot (in the novel and checking more on the Internet), but I skimmed and skipped many paragraphs, otherwise, I would not have finished it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly historically accurate story of what led up to the massacre of Glencoe, a horrible episode of Scottish history that took place during the Jacobite uprisings (one of many, sadly, but not anywhere near as bad as Culloden), and of all the people that were involved in it, from the victims to the perpetrators to people who were caught in the middle. The book weaves multiple stories together, including that of the machinations that led to the massacre and that of the the two people who fell in love despite clan rivalries. It does this by having the viewpoint switch between a number of different characters, all of whom we get to know throughout the years from 1682 through 1695.

This book is incredibly, wonderfully Scottish. The characters wear trews and arisaids and ride garrons and drink usquabae (and do other things you may not recognize) and, when talking, use many expressions that the average reader who isn't obsessed with Scotland may not ken. Och, but dinna fash, dinna greet, just bide a wee, and ye'll get used to it, aye?

Unfortunately, the Scottish-ness was my favorite part of the book. The love story, once it finally got going, was enjoyable for a while, and the politics and behind-the-scenes of the royal courts were interesting, but for some reason, not enough. It took me what felt like forever to get through this book (I had to renew it once), especially the first 180 pages. I wasn't really interested until the gathering of the clans at Achallader, and I didn't reach the point where I was waiting for just one more chapter--just one more! or maybe two, the next one's short--before I would get up to find food or take a shower or something until pretty late in the book.

I had really high hopes for this book, both because its subject seems right up my alley (I love Scotland and Scottish history and highlanders--I even wear a Jacobite rosette pin on my coat), plus there's a recommendation from Diana Gabaldon on the cover, and she's one of my favorite authors. I hope it didn't work for me because it was just the wrong time for me to be reading it; a lot is going on in my life right now. I did enjoy the book quite a lot, because the parts I liked, I really liked, but I fear that was outweighed by how frustrated I was at how long it took me to get into it. I wanted to give the book 3.5 stars, but since I liked it so much, I couldn't bring myself to round down, so it's four. Another reason I can't round down is that while reading I was bothered by how Jennifer Roberson portrayed John Hill as so sympathetic to the Highlanders, because it seemed unrealistic, but it turns out that he actually was, so I can't complain about that any more.

[Alicia Khamis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a bit biased because I’m a Macdonald (and told I’m a Glencoe Macdonald), so this was a 5* for me because it is the story of my clan. The perfect read for me as I also just returned from my first visit to Scotland and the Highlands.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but it just didn't happen. I was bored for the majority of it, and I kept rolling my eyes at Cat (and pretty much the rest of the characters.) The massacre of Glencoe itself is fascinating and tragic, but this novel didn't move me nearly as much as reading accounts of it did. As this is the second book of Jennifer Roberson's that I have read, I have come to realize that her writing style is not to my taste- that doesn't make her a poor author; rather, I simply need to look elsewhere when I turn to historical fiction (particularly when it comes to Scotland or Robin Hood.)

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite Historical Fiction book ever. For one thing I am totally intrigued with Scotland and especially the Highlanders. I loved the descriptions of the places, the battles, to the people who made the story. The author not only brought them to life but she took historical people and using what she could discover about what they DID, she gave them personalities and let me understand what drove them whether it was insecurities, a desire for power, or just plain cruelty.

I will never forget Maclain, laird of the MacDonalds and most feared of all by his enemies. In his sixties with his premature snow white hair falling around his shoulders, white beard, blazing blue eyes dressed in full Highland dress and standing a head taller than any man in the room. Bigger than life but history showed that he was just that. By half way through the book I admired some, loved some, disliked some, and hated some of them. In the author’s notes it is revealed that the main players were all real and the things that happened were real as far as history tells us. Catriona “Cat” Campbell who is our main female lead is fiction but our hero, Alasdair Og (the younger) McDonald (2nd son of Mclain, the Laird) was real and did marry a Campbell of Glenlyon so she is roughly based on a person who existed. Jean Stewart, twin of the heir of Appin, is also fiction and plays a part in the romance part of the story.

This is a Historical Romance. I suppose some will like it or not because of the romance and some will be more interested in the historical significance and telling of the story of the intrigue and treachery of what happened at Glencoe. I loved it all, but admit the way this author took me right into the seventeenth century Scottish Highlands was what made it beyond a great read for me. If one is looking for a torrid romance, this is not it. The two main characters, a Cameron and a MacDonald are not even together for a large part of the book. I believe the author used their love story to illustrate just how deep the hatred ran between these two clans and that it was one that went back centuries.

I finished it three days ago. The night before I finished it I had read about 2/3 of the book. In the wee small hours of the morning I just had to give up and go to bed. I proceeded to lie awake for two hours remaining in Scotland in the seventeenth century and worrying about what was going to happen. I did not know this history before I read the book and refrained from looking it up. But I knew it was called a massacre. Some authors like to kill characters they have led us to care about. Others do not. But history was driving this story, not the author, and I was afraid.

I think it might illustrate what I loved about this book to give some examples from it so will below. There is fighting and it is very very real. I should mention throughout this book in the dialogue and descriptions Scottish words and terms and forms of speech are used.

“Dair was in that moment a man alone, a man completely apart, the skirl of pipes retreated, and the screech of steel on steel, the grunts, the cries, the screams; the crack of muskets as yet unsilenced by Highland dirk or sword. He heard only the noise of his own survival; the rasp of breath in his chest, the catch gasp of a grunt in his throat, the throttled almost bestial growl as he stood his ground beside the dead man and warded off his own death as it snooved through the heather in the guise of Mackay’s man.”

Dair’s best friend in the heir of Appin, Robbie Stewart. Robbie was a contradiction as he was not a good person and capable of cruelty, but he was a true friend during a time when brutality was the rule, not the exception. I have read enough Scottish history to know that cattle stealing was perhaps the biggest recreation and joy these Highlanders had. It is a big part of this story too. From the book:

“One could not go cattle-lifting without irritating the laird who owned them. Maclain was proof of that, whenever MacDonald cattle were stolen.
But then, it was Robbie’s nature to revel in irking folk, particularly Campbell folk, though he had less reason than MacDonalds. The heir of Appin, plain and simple, enjoyed stealing cattle no matter whose they were. Highland wealth was measured in cows, but Robbie didn’t do it for wealth. He did it for the risk. Dair did it for the cattle.”

And the Earl of Breadalbane. A Campbell and his is a story of a thirst for power no matter who suffers for it. Here he has called the clans together to try to get them to sign a peace which in reality will only buy his English King time to bring in men and arms. The Highlanders do not recognize King William but are Jacobites and serve their exiled king, James.

“’Och, I am of them, but wiser, aye?’...And he would use them as he must to change the face of Scotland. For now the land and its future yet lay in their trust, which he could not easily win. But he knew that the greatest strength of all lay in unity, and that if he permitted them to use that unity against him as they had used it against Hugh Mackay at Killiecrankie, he would lose.

‘Unity perforce must serve me in another way.’ And to make it so he would destroy it.”

And Cat. She began as a homely little child whose mother died and was raised by a drunken father who gambled away their future. Four older brothers who teased her and insulted her all of her young life made her a rebel. Her heart was caught when she was just ten by the first person who had ever said a kind word to her, young Dair MacDonald in a brief encounter. It was ten more years before she saw him again. Cat, who with her sharp tongue cut her way through most conversations but who was a survivor and a true Highland lass.

“She knew there were those who cursed the pipes, Lowlanders and Sassenachs, who lacked the blood of the Highlands, the burn-water and usquabae that ran so hot in their veins. But she was not one of them.
Another piper took up the lament. The ceol mor squeezed Cat’s heart, winding itself around her bones until she believed they might break of the longing. There was pipe-horn grief, and taut earning, and a loneliness of spirit she could not fully acknowledge, not knowing its name, its need.

As the pipe music rode firesmoke to Uaigh a Choigrich, high on the brae above MacDonald-razed Achalladar that once was Campbell built, Cat could not but know what it was she wanted, how badly she wanted it, and that she could not have it. He was, after all MacDonald, and she a Campbell.”

Later… ”He held out his hand and waited. Fingertips at first, the merest brush of flesh on flesh. But it was enough. It was always enough, there was no room for denial, no more wish for escape. She put her hand into his. ‘Come with me,’ he said. ‘come home with me to Glencoe.’”

Many more things happen both politically and personally to these amazing people and others. The utter treachery and horror of Glencoe made me more angry that I can remember in any other book. If not for a few brave people we would not know this story as there were supposed to be no survivors. But I will not reveal what is to come in the book.
As I went through to find some little lines to share in this review I almost read it again as I would find something and just keep reading. Highly recommend if you are interested in a fascinating piece of history and especially if you love Scotland.

The cover of the book has on it, “A marvelous tale – Diana Gabaldon”. I bought the paperback version at Half Price books based on this recommendation. I have ordered the hardback - this is a keeper. The events take place about 50 years before Culloden in Outlander.

NOTE five months after reading this book - I am currently reading another book about this event, The Highland Witch. Mid way through I got on the internet and looked up Glencoe on Wiki. It states on there that what happened at Glencoe was George RR Martin's inspiration for the Red Wedding. Wow. I threw that book across the room and never finished it. I stated above how I felt when reading this true tale. But I can see the parallels very clearly. I think I felt closer to the characters in this book but could not be so angry at the author because it really happened - and my anger was aimed at those who betrayed a trust.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judging by the title, one might think this is a romance novel set in Scotland. To be fair, there is a love story in this fact inspired story set in late 1600's highland Scotland, but the story is so much more than that. The author is really telling a political tale of the events leading up to and surrounding the massacre at Glencoe where the McDonalds of Glencoe while hosting fellow Highlanders representing the English King William, were massacred in the middle of the night by their guests, purely to be an example to keep other highland clans in line.

I found the story a little hard to get into at first. There were so many Campbells and MacDonalds that it was hard to keep track of all the different characters. I was familiar with basic story from having heard various versions of the heartrending song called the Glencoe Massacre, but fairly early on I went to the author's note at the back to clarify things for myself. The Scottish brogue is plentiful and a glossary might have been handy but the story grew on me and the author did have a way with words. Cat, the main female character, was a strong woman ahead of her time in many ways. Despite her strength, she lacked self-confidence having grown up with a drunken father, no mother and brothers who showed little respect. Dair is the second son of the head of the MacDonald clan. I liked him too. He wanted a woman who could share more than just her body. Their love story was a compelling addition to the underlying history. I did shed some tears while reading this. Knowing what was to come it was hard not to give in to despair on behalf of the MacDonalds. This book made me pick up other books to research the story further. The author tried to keep as close to the truth as she could though Cat's character did not exist as written. Overall I really did enjoy the story more and more as it progressed. I would happily recommend it to a friend.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up solely on the fact it was set in Scotland (and a recommendation from Diana Gabaldon goes a long way - I'm a huge fan!! ).

I love to read about Scotland's history and this book had a lot of that, but I had a hard time getting into the story on this one.
There was a lot of history, but it came across without the emotion it should have had, for me, anyway.

The characters were interesting and the story too...It was just hard to get into, it felt like forever before I got to the point where I couldn't put it down. But I did get there, so don't take this as a negative review (I did give it 4 stars...). What I liked about it, I really liked.

Maybe it's just not fair of me to compare everything I read to Diana Gabaldon.... 😉

[Christine]

Read this many-moons-ago. Recently unearthed from a box in storage. Need to re-read before rating.
I do remember liking this, just not as well as Lady of the Forest.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the cover fool you, this is NOT a light read romance novel heavy on descriptive sex. It is historical fiction with a romance between the main characters and touch of lusty moments, but much much more depth and heart. As a descendent of the McDonald’s, and a Campbell!, I knew the story of Glencoe very well. I learned a lot more about the decades of politics and unbelievable treachery leading up to the massacre. The history of it and the aftermath is fascinating and doubly tragic. I appreciated that Roberson took historical characters (and twisted very few relationships) to tell the true story. I will be in Glencoe in exactly 1 month. Extra tears will be shed for sure as I spread my Brother Tom’s ashes there.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a moving account of the Massacre at Glencoe. This book is why I love historical fiction! Every character except 2 are real historical figures & the MC being one, but even she is based on a IRL figure-just the familial relationship was changed.

I would call this more a historical biography than fiction. Obviously, the dialogue between the characters is created by the author, but her extensive research really shows thru. It was realistic to the times & participants & really did help to tell the story in an accurate way, often backed up by genuine historical documents. I loved learning the political reasons & maneuverings of the parties involved. How a human being & a fellow Scot could conspire to exterminate an entire clan!

The slowly developed relationship between the two MCs seemed realistic, particularly since they were from warring clans IRL. Since the author took liberties with the female lead, I really appreciated her not making Cat a stereotypical romantic heroine. Instead, she gave her a real intelligence, prickly personality, wicked tongue, awkwardly built, & rather plain of face. Best of all, she showed how those things shaped Cat & how she learned & grew from her mistakes & misconceptions. Bravo!

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my first book by Jennifer Roberson (a fellow Arizonian!) & look forward to reading more from her.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an account of the massacre of the MacDonald clan and sacking of Glencoe in 1692, presented from the viewpoint of a fictional heroine--a feisty woman who doesn't follow the normal path for women at that time in Scotland(probably like the heroine in the new movie Brave). However, all of the primary characters except for the two women actually were involved in the events presented in the book, and the author seems to have taken pains to present details as accuratly as possible. This book provides a vivid view of the bloody, brutal battles involving Scottish clansmen. Scotland certainly does have a bloody history of terrible battles--from the battle at Loudoun Hill where my ancestor, a covenanter, fought, to Culloden where the Jacobite fighters were basically exterminated. We were at Glencoe last summer and saw the memorial to the slain MacDonalds and went to the site of Culloden. Memories of these old battles still loom fresh in the minds of Scots.

[🌒JFosbookboss🌒 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, this is labeled as historical romance, but it should just be labeled historical fiction. I dont know about Scotland’s history or their nasty past with England especially during the times, when King James stepped down and his sister Mary became queen. With that being said this glimpse into a important part of Scotlands history about an awful unesscady massacre that occured by the order of King William & Queen Mary. However the excutors were in fact scottish. Which makes this even more of a heart breaking and but passionately told story. You get to glimpse this epic story through to Scottish clans at the heart of it. Two people who’s love & loyality is equally fierce as is their love to their own clans who are ar war!

There was alot of historical information put into this ”romance” The romance part was awesome because it made you much more invested in the story,the heartache, betrayel, it made so real, you’d understand all sides in involved.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why, oh why is Scottish history so depressing? Didn't anything good ever happen to them? This is the story of the massacre of Glencoe, and the entire MacDonald clan. Partly because of clan feuding, but also because King William of Orange (damned Dutchman anyway!) was looking for someone to make an example of in the Stuart-supporting north. I never really got into the main female character, she's one of those awkward, high-strunge types that pop up romances a lot and "need a good man to gentle them." But I enjoyed all the other characters (who were all, ironically, real people). Not as good as Roberson's "Lady of the Forest", but a harrowing look at one of the more tragic events in Scotland's already tragedy-laden past.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scottish history has been a passion of mine for quite some time, and the story of Glencoe, as horrific and tragic as it was, remains most intriguing. It's surprising that more novels aren't written based on that event, but Roberson's retelling is good. The romance itself is rather implausible...while inter-clan marriages occurred all the time, I have a hard time swallowing one between such hated enemies. But I guess that's what makes it such a good yarn. You might want to brush up on your history a bit before undertaking this book...it will make much more sense if you get a general background of the people and events of the time.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling, at times heartstopping, read. Wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Alasdair Og MacDonald is wonderful, and Catriona Campbell is sassy and strong. Their romance is deliciously bittersweet. And the story of the Massacre of Glencoe should not be lost to history.

[Julie Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was historical, beautifully crafted and researched. Different in some ways from Corag with more history leading up to the masacre itself and more fleshing out of the relationships starting in 1682. Beautiful book. I'll read it again.

[Libbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a reread via audio books. loved that the narrator was Scottish. So crying at the end.

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Love. This. Book. Historical fiction at its finest.

[Alison Lohans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly gripping novel based upon the deadly 1692 Massacre of Glencoe. Characters are very well crafted in strong fictional manner, and many crises of conscience are portrayed in a convincing manner. The setting itself is vividly brought to life.

However. I stopped reading about 3/4 of the way through, and didn't pick the book up again until several years had elapsed. This, due to a historic "omission" that I believe is significant.

I have been in Glencoe at least four times (including on an anniversary of the February 13, 1692 Massacre), and have studied many documents, including some under glass in the museum in Fort William. In the Author's Note at the end, readers are told that the author quoted "excerpts" from the documents for the sake of efficiency - which is very much the case and, as such, affected the timing in which some elements of the novel played out.

As I have learned from a number of historic documents, the grim order to "put to the sword all [MacDonalds] under the age of seventy", was passed along to Campbell soldiers with a bit more lead time than is portrayed in this novel. Likewise, a very telling key aspect was left out from that horrific, fateful order: that Campbell soldiers were not to "breathe a word of [these orders] to a living soul, lest they be hanged for treason". It's my understanding that some young Campbells, horrified by their assigned task, abandoned Glencoe so that they wouldn't be forced to commit murder. One enterprising soldier with a strong conscience bade his host to come with him to a stone in a distant pasture (which I have seen, in person) - where the soldier spoke in Gaelic directly to the stone, warning IT, that if it (the stone) knew what was in its best interests, it "would not be there upon the morrow". The MacDonald host understood the meaning immediately, and he and his family managed to escape.

As a reader, these significant omissions bothered me and caused me to have less trust in this otherwise-gripping narrative. I *did* appreciate what was spelled out in the back matter ... what happened to other significant players in the aftermath of this truly grisly event of Scottish history preceding Culloden.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love finding the weirdest covers on books and actually discovering it’s a gem inside the pages. This one spoke to me mostly because it’s about highlanders and I love those kinds of stories.

What an opening this book has. It really lands you right into the highlands, right into the story. The author gets the dialog right, as well. It doesn’t feel campy or put on. I read the dialog with a Scottish blur in my head. I loved that opening scene when Cat first meets the Macdonalds and Alasdair when she is ten. The book as a whole can be alot to take in and at some points I had to skim to get to the parts of the story I was most interested in. Sometimes I felt like I was reading a biography and not in an unpleasant way. I keep reading because the setting and history came alive.

The first half are scenes of Cat growing up from a preteen to a woman. And scenes of Alasdair into a man. It’s snatches of scenes from their life. Sometimes the dialog is hard to follow because of the way the author writes out the Scottish accent. I do feel like this book is unique. One of the reasons I picked it up was it’s uniquely Highlander Scottish story of Glencoe. Very historical heavy — It feels like a very pure part of history. An epic part of history. I kind of wish it was a movie. It’s a harder read at times and I would love a movie for the visuals. The writing can feel kind of choppy but can come alive when Cat is interacting with Dair. Their back and forth on each meeting seems to get more intense. The reader knows what even they don’t know, that they love each other to the core and have since that first meeting.

‘He held out his hand and waited. Fingertips at first, the merest brush of flesh on flesh. But it was enough, it was always enough; there was no room for denial, no more wish for escape. She put her hand into his
“Come with me,” he said.’

— I don’t know why but this part made me tear up. What writing, knowing the emotions in this piece of history. So good.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read, and recommended for teens upwards. Catriona (Cat) Campbell (a lowlander) and Alasdair Og (Dair) MacDonald (a highlander) represent the true centuries-long feud between these two clans, with enough history imparted to explain the Montagu/Capulet challenge the couple faced. Cat is also represented as a smart and gangling teenage girl, a pleasant change for a heroine, and inconvenient for all the men in the story.

Although Cat and Dair are a lusty couple, sex scenes are handled appropriately for younger readers, showing Dair's delight in teaching Cat that intimacy is a joyful blessing between people who love each other. Roberson conveys much with subtle banter in a Scottish brogue, which is funny and authentic, and reads on several levels of comprehension.

But this is not a historical romance; these characters show how hard life was in the highlands in the 1680's, and the politics leading up to the massacre of Glencoe, which illustrates that Thomas Hobbes was right in observing that "Life is nasty, brutish, and short."

The history is accurate, except Roberson says Queen Mary II (of William and Mary) was Catholic James II's sister, when in fact she was his Protestant daughter. A beginner's mistake, which Roberson is not.

If you want a light read, heavy with romance, this book is not for you.

[Lori Hershberger]

Loved this book for the beautiful descriptions of a place I visited and loved (Glencoe, Scotland) and for the historic details. I made the mistake, though, of finishing it up one evening when I was sick with a fever, and so all night long in my fevered dreams the Campbells massacred the MacDonalds in a raging snowstorm. Here is an excerpt of an apt description of Glencoe:

"Rannoch Moor fell behind, of the bogs and twisted trees; the memory of a hanging. Into the glen she rode, the lush and fertile valley cut through by the River Coe, cradled by a stark and desolate beauty jealously warding secret splendors: craggy cliffs cut apart by waterfalls, tumbling into burns that carved the softer braes into setts, like the warp of tartan cloth; the wild, hurling power of a river halving the glen from end to end; the upthrustings of rock bursting free of tree-clad hills; the rills in the valley floor, the meanderings of creeks flowing down to Loch Linnhe beyond the ferry at Ballachulish."

Although I enjoyed the descriptions for the most part, sometimes the writing style did feel like it could have been condensed a bit more. Also the many different characters and details and dialogues and time changes were hard to follow along with at times.

Contains adult themes and swearing. Not a book for your child to read to learn about Scottish history.

[Rrlgrrl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book for a long time and finally gotten around to reading it. I really enjoyed Roberson's Lady of Sherwood books, and this one leaned heavily into historical fiction. The main climactic event in the book surrounds the Massacre of Glencoe, an event I knew nothing about. The description of Scotland in the late 1600s, the political climate (both Scottish Highlands and in the British Isles), and the day-to-day lives of the Highlanders were vividly written and very enjoyable to read. I think if I read this book in my twenties, the romance plot would have been fun, but now, I find it rather silly. I suppose that shows my age and cynicism. I did have trouble at the beginning with all the characters names to keep them all straight, and having the visual to see the clan tartans would have been fun. Slow to get into, but definitely a good tale of the Scottish Highlands.

[Cassy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, when I got this from the library, I thought I had chosen poorly. The cover was way trashy romance, with a bare-chested guy and a girl whose bosom was heaving out of her shirt. An odd choice by the publisher, as this book actually has very little sex, and what there is is fairly low-key. The book dragged a bit in the middle, but then it really picked up towards the end. I like that it was based on a real historical event, but the main guy got injured too much. I swear he spent have the book recovering from something. Also, the author way overused the word "snooved." But, I liked the characters and the story enough to check out some of her other books.

[Virginia Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragic story, beautifully told

Love the author's writing style. It skillfully draws the reader into the time & place. Clever use of language differences between characters outlines their status without beating the reader over the head. Although there are a few historical inaccuracies, it doesn't detract from the story at all, and it's obvious careful research was done to present what did happen as well as what could have happened. It did get confusing at times with the shift of viewpoints, but I put that down to the formatting. Well worth the read, and a second or third read!

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think many pages could have been left out.

I really had to force myself to finish this. Once I got nearer to the actual massacre, it got more interesting. There were a LOT of sentences in the book that I would re-read several times and wonder "What IS she trying to say?!" It was very frustrating for me. I guess I'm not wild about the way she writes, but I did learn a lot about the actual people involved in the events leading up to it, and it has made me more interested in the subject, so for that i thank her.

[Arwen Mellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author definitely got down and dirty with her Scottish history and brought to life a much forgotten event. She very much captured the spirit of Scottish pride as well as the frisson between Scots and English non the time before Culloden.
I found this a bit too romance novel feeling for my taste but not like trashy smut, it was very tasteful. I think maybe I just didn’t care for her writing style. It felt somehow flat.

That being said I don’t dislike it and most folks would probably not be so picky as myself. I think I am spoiled by Diana Gabaldon lol.