Highland Destiny

by Kathryn Hockett

Despite the fact that their families are sworn enemies, Niall MacDonald and Caitlin MacLeod are drawn together by passion, even after Niall's betrayal and Cailin's vow to restore her clan's stolen treasure. Original.

Genres: Scotland, Historical Romance, Historical, Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Kathryn Hockett is the pseudonym of a mother-daughter writing team from Boulder, Colorado.

Kathryn Kramer published her first romance in 1985. Since her debut, she has been nominated four times for, and has twice won, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award. She has also published under the name Katherine Vickery.

Her mother, Marcia Hockett , began her writing career by aiding her daughter in the historical research for her romances. After partaking in eight books, she decided to begin writing her own stories.

Reviews

[Amber Daulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caitlin is a strong-willed, stubborn lassie who refuses to marry. As the eldest daughter of a Scottish chieftain, it’s her duty to marry well to provide her father with an heir/successor for the MacLeod clan. After she refuses several eligible suitors, the chieftain, Ian MacLeod, announces in a rage that she’ll marry the first stranger to enter Dunvegan Castle.
Niall MacDonald sneaks into Dunvegan Castle to steal the Fairy Flag, a priceless symbol of the MacLeods. After Caitlin catches him in the act, he claims he’s there to marry her, and her father agrees. The MacLeods believe he’s a lowly fisherman while he’s really part of an enemy clan.
The MacLeods and the MacDonalds have battled for centuries, and the bitterness between the two chieftains (her father and his uncle) drive Caitlin and Niall apart again and again.
I definitely liked the H/h’s love story. Caitlin and Niall are likable characters. Their agendas sometimes clashed, but they both wanted to honor their family and their clan.
I found the book a little repetitive, especially near the end. The characters just kept saying the same thing and expressing the same feelings. There are also some unanswered questions involving: Will Caitlin’s sister, Shona, really be forced to marry someone she doesn’t love? What exactly happened between Ian, Malcolm, and Fiona all those years ago?
The book could use an edit to fix missing periods, stray quotation marks, and spelling inconsistencies. It’s written in third POV in passive voice and head hops between several characters, major and minor, but this style was common and widely accepted twenty-plus years ago. (I read an old copy of the book, a 1999 print edition).
I first read this book as a teenager and loved it so much I kept it for over 15 years. I finally decided to read it again even though it’s pretty memorable to me. Though I’m a little disappointed, I still think it’s a good book.
3.5 Stars

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The plot was different than any I have read before. The love between the hero and heroine was so strong that both risked their lives so that they could be together.

[Henrietta Higginbottom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hero and heroine in this book were difficult to like--the heroine was a spoiled brat, and the hero a selfish jerk. He feels no guilt at deceiving the heroine through the first half of the book. In fact, he spends a celebratory feast week wooing her, marries her, beds her, and leaves the marriage bed that very night, with her clan's ancient mystical relic, and his only second thought is that it's too bad he has to go because he found her passionate. No thought that he might have made a child, that he's abandoning a wife he took vows with before God, and no shame that leaving her without her maidenhead makes her a less desirable bride (you know if she's able to annul the marriage and marry someone else). He's only looking forward to his personal victory and one-upping his cousin. And I'm supposed to cheer him on to win her love? Don't think so!

Then there were the textual/formatting errors: seeth instead of seethe, breath instead of breathe, he'd instead of he's and vice versa. Oh and there was the one time where the heroine changed names:

"Aye." Shona knew well that when Caitlin wanted to do something nothing could stop her. She thought for a moment then suddenly threw her arms around her sister. Her tears splashed Caitlin's face. "But take care, Brie. If anything were to happen to ye I'd never forgie myself.

Notice the missing closing quotation mark? That's not a copy/paste error of my doing. Read on for two excerpts from a small area of text (a couple page turns on my Kindle with the font size increased a bit) in Part III:

"Aye, but he could throw you in the dungeon until you would wish to be dead." The priest clucked his tongue. "There has to be another way. There has to be something a man could say to make an old fool see reason." Ah, but what?"

And...

"It is. Only now did Niall notice his own discomfort. "Ah, Father, ye look as miserable as I feel."

There were similar problems when using italics to note an internal thought. Seriously, this became a very difficult and frustrating read. I try very hard not to DNF a book with an interesting story (which this was), but this was difficult to get through. This was a freebie, and I believe I have one or two others by the same authors. If those books have these same type of errors, I surely will not become a paying reader. It's really a shame, because it was an interesting storyline.

Also, I think listing the publisher as Kensington is very misleading. Kensington released the print version ages ago, but this edition was re-released by the authors.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Highland Destiny by Kathryn Hockett, a feud has been raging for years between the clan's of the MacLeod's and the MacDonald's. But everything changes once Malcolm MacDonald announces to his two nephews (Niall and Gregor) that he is going to choose once of them as tanist. (From what I could gather this would be future leader of the clan after his demise.) Niall MacDonald knows he is the man for this honored position, but how must he get his uncle's attention? He decides the only way to do this is to sneak into the enemy's castle (Dunvegan) and steal their beloved fairy flag. Though meanwhile, Ian MacLeod has had enough of his daughter Caitlin's delays to be married. After a few wasted attempts to try to force her to choose a husband, he looses his temper and declares that she will marry the next man to set foot in Dunvegan Castle.
Feeling scared and afraid, Caitlin goes up to the guard tower late one night to see if her brother's ghost will appear - whom was killed long ago in a battle between the two rival clans. To her surprise she does see someone there, and believes it is her dead brother. Only it is Niall who has previously fallen into a barrel of flour while sneaking into the castle. His charade does not last for long as his eagerness to get his hands on the flag ruins his plans of a smooth escape. Outraged, Caitlin takes him directly to her father's chambers at sword point, expecting him to get just what he deserves: a one way ticket to the dungeon for the rest of his days. But, neither father nor daughter knowing he is a MacDonald, Niall uses his quick wits to talk his way out of the dungeon and into Caitlin's bed - as her husband. He claims he tried stealing the flag as a show of his bravery, and he is really just a fisherman who heard of Ian's outburst, and has come to claim his daughter.
What unfolds from their is like a Romeo & Juliet path of events, except nobody ends up dead at the end.
Well, it took me forever to read this book, but I really enjoyed it. It was nice and easy and had me worried about the characters fate's more than once. Even over-looking the slow beginning and the annoying language until I got used to it and all the cheese that is usually found in a romance novel such as this, I really liked this story and appreciated what Caitlin and Niall fought through to be together. Very well worth sticking with this one.

[Diane Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the ebook of Highland Destiny and enjoyed it very much. Because I am of Scottish heritage I know the story of the "Fairy Flag" and I thought this was a very original story set around that legend. I like the way the author gives the story the Scottish flavor by using some of the words you would hear in Scotland--such as ken for know, dunna for don't, lassie for girl etc. As for the romance in the book --it touched my heart because you could see the growth of the characters who at first only thought of themselves but as they fell in love risked even their lives for the loved one. There were a lot of twists and turns and surprises at the end. All in all I would recommend this to all those who are looking for a good story.

[Hafiza]

Couldn't finish
Fiesty, beautiful heroine who won't be forced into arranged marriage
Hunky Scottish hero.
I've read this scenario a hundred times, and there was nothing in the plot/narrative that made it fresh or interesting.
It was free when I downloaded.
The writing style, grammar, etc were all fine, I guess I just was not in the mood to continue ......

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Lots of twists and turns. Plenty of emotions you take away.