"IT BEGAN WITH A LETTER ...
" 'I have taken measures to hide Mary's rose chalice...I fear that all in the castle may die for hiding it, but it is our duty to protect this sacred emblem of Scotland.'
"~~Letter written in 1651
"Taylor Kincaid hosts a top-rated television series that debunks everything supernatural. So when she finds herself on the Scottish coast -- to claim an out-of-the-blue inheritance and ancient letters telling of royal gold -- she's prepared to explode the local legend: an archway made of stone through which young women disappear. Until a stormy sea sweeps her through the Ladysgate -- and with her, handsome, rugged sea captain Duncan Fraser.
"THAT LEADS TO A PASSION AND ADVENTURE BEYOND HER DREAMS ...
"Beyond it lies the Scotland of 1651. It is the land of Taylor's heirloom letters and Mary, Queen of Scots' fabled jeweled chalice, The Scottish Rose, emblem of peace. Together Taylor and Duncan must search for it amid the passions and perils of history...or, in a desperate bid to recross the centuries, risk losing each other and the love they've found beyond the gates of time."
~~back cover
The author says: "The Scottish Rose began with a journey to the northeastern coast of Scotland where I allowed my imagination to wander those desolate moors and rocky seacoasts until it was captivated totally by the ruins of Dunnottar Castle and the legend of lo0yalty and courage I discovered there. After reading the historical accounts of the clever rescue of the royal regalia of Scotland from under the noses of Cromwell's besieging troops, I decided to take both my contemporary hero and heroine back in time to play a role in that event. According to my research, there were heroes of the day whose names never made the history books. What if ...they weren't from that time? ...the hero and heroine in The Scottish Rose discover a 'secret from the past' -- a priceless chalice purported to have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots -- and another, far greater treasure: a love as timeless as forever."
~~back cover
A very enjoyable time travel novel, based securely in historical accounts. Like Outlander, the main characters are thrust back in time to a period of high drama in Scotland, and must negotiate the happenings and superstitions of the era. Hair-raising in places (and what would a Scottish historical novel be without hair-raising danger?!), it's also a charming love story based on 21st century people thrust in the 17th century, with all the dilemmas that ensue from that juxtaposition.