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Return To Kintail #1

The Taming Of Mairi MacKenzie; A Scrolls Of Cridhe Novella

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First Published in Highland Winds - The Scrolls of Cridhe Volume 1

Mairi MacKenzie can bring the dead back to life but it is an unbearable curse. She hides away in the Glen of Winds, allowing folk to believe she’s a banshee.

Once counted among Scotland’s greatest warriors, Sir Gare MacTaggert hasn’t lifted a sword in years because of a battlefield tragedy that broke his soul. Now he must marry, yet can't wed any woman, dead as he is inside. He seeks the banshee’s aid to restore his will to live. But together they must face a greater the forbidden love that could destroy them.

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2015

31 people are currently reading
96 people want to read

About the author

Sue-Ellen Welfonder

86 books323 followers
Sue-Ellen MacDuffie Welfonder
aka
Sue-Ellen Welfonder & Allie Mackay

Sue-Ellen MacDuffie was born and raided in Florida. She is a card-carrying Scotophile whose burning wish to make frequent (free) trips to the land of her dreams led her to a twenty year career with the airlines. Bi-lingual, she flew international all those years, working her flights as foreign language speaker. Her flying career allowed her to see the world, but it was always to Scotland that she returned.

Now a full-time writer, she’s quick to admit that she much prefers wielding a pen to pushing tea and coffee. She spent fifteen years living in Europe and used that time to explore as many castle ruins, medieval abbeys, and stone circles as possible. Anything ancient, crumbling, or lichened caught her eye. She makes annual visits to Scotland, insisting they are a necessity as each trip gives her inspiration for new books.

Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies: the MacFie Clan Society and the Clan MacAlpine Society. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, and dogs. She never watches television, loves haggis, and writes at a four-hundred-and-fifty year old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.

Sue-Ellen is married and currently resides with her husband and Jack Russell Terrier in Florida. Readers can learn more about her and the world of her books at: www.welfonder.com.

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5 stars
28 (37%)
4 stars
25 (33%)
3 stars
17 (22%)
2 stars
2 (2%)
1 star
3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Leah.
225 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2015
This story left me with a smile in my heart. If I had to describe it in one sentence, it would be,"One heart broken, the other dead, and an evil bearing down on the two to test the limits of love." Mairi and Gare captured my heart. Not only do we get to visit with our favorites... Duncan, Linnet, Sir M., and Dev, but I do believe Mairi has become a favorite out of Sue-Ellen's heroines. I relate deeply to her wildness of heart.

Thank you from my heart, Sue-Ellen, for sharing this with me early on. You always bring out the emotions with your words for a time we both yearn for.
443 reviews
September 17, 2017
Can two lost souls find the peace and love that they both need. Mairi MacKenzie is labeled with an unbearable curse and Sir Gare MacTaggert has become a broken man because a battlefield tragedy. Together can they meet the challenge for a greater love needed by the both of them.
Profile Image for Mindy.
1,988 reviews4 followers
January 17, 2022
Yet Another Wonderful Story!

Gare and Mairi boy what a good story. I loved the characters and storyline so much. I have one more Kintail story to read so I’m off to finish the MacKenzie’s on Kindle. The books not on kindle I am waiting on those in the mail. Yeppers bought them all!!! Love Love Love!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😊😊😊😊😊💜💜💜💜💜
Profile Image for Lisa.
521 reviews12 followers
May 11, 2015
Mairi MacKenzie is living a quiet, lonely life in a misty glen protected by the lore of a banshee. She is purported to have the ability to bring the dead back to life. There have been rumors, bad luck and scandal in her life and by the grace of Duncan, the Black Stag of Kintail, the MacKenzie clan leader; she is a valued treasure of the clan. But she wants to be loved and to love.

Sir Gare MacTaggert is a warrior of great notoriety, but he has sequestered himself away from the world because of a death by his sword that weighs on his soul. He is tortured and empty. He goes in search of “the banshee, the caster of miracles.” He is hoping the banshee can help get him back on the road to fulfilling his promise to marry to strengthen the northern corner of Scotland. Getting married is not something he really wants to do.
Duncan is told by his wife, Linnet, and the most respected Cailleach of Scotland to allow Gare entry to the Glen and go to Mairi. When they meet there is instant protectiveness on Gare’s part over living in such poor conditions. There is mutual attraction also, but wariness on Mairi’s side. They share worries, heartbreak, past scandals, pain and the heavy burdens on Gare’s soul in order to heal each other. I found enjoyed the conversations they each had with the other in their heads, it added another level of charm to the story. Together they are able to mend their broken hearts and seal the breeches that have led each of them to be in the Glen. I admired the fact that they held their passion in check and used their time to get to know each other and strengthen their bond.

I really liked how lore met real life to bring these two loving souls together. I loved Gare’s dog, Troll, and that he was such an interesting and endearing part of the story and how he helped them on the road to their HEA. Who can’t resist a dog with attitude! The underlying danger from her past was brought into the story allowing for the final healing to take place. The character Marmaduke had me giggling; he is mildly irreverent and arrogant in a fun way. All-in-all a highly satisfying story, I will be looking for more to read from Ms. Welfonder.

I give this wonderful story 4 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Trish R..
1,772 reviews58 followers
February 23, 2016
Just OK for me..

This wasn’t as good as Falling in Time and The Seventh Sister, which I read during the last two days. I did like that they all three had the little old lady with the little black boots with red plaid laces. But for only 135 pages this seemed to drag on and on, making it feel more like 350 pages. Really, nothing happened! Gare went to her house, Mairi immediately wanted him in her bed and he wanted to be there but as of 62% he’d only kissed her once, she was already in love with him after 1 day, and he was thinking about love also, all the while getting ready to leave and go home to marry Beatrice Burnett. I figured if anything was going to happen it better happen soon because I was on chapter 7 and it only had 10.

I did enjoy the sexual tension in this story. So few have that. Authors write a romance then somewhere in the middle, or at the end, they drop in a sex scene with nothing that led up to it. And that’s boring. I guess some authors don’t know how to write sexual tension so they think all they have to do is write a love scene somewhere and they’re good with that. Anyway, the sex finally happened between them and it was nice and it was explicit.

My biggest problem with this story was Troll, the DOG! He was pretending to be sick and lame, much to Gare’s chagrin, AND the dog was just being that way because he was upset over Gare not going to Mairi’s bed for that week it rained. Really? That DOG did a whole lot of thinking, and Gare KNEW what Troll was thinking, too. That was just silly. And don’t even get me started on Sorcha, that evil biotch.

I’m giving it 3 stars because I liked Gare and Mairi, even though they talked really stupid to each other during and after sex, and because I liked the little old lady and Duncan and Linnet and Sir Marmaduke. But there wasn’t really any kind of story. The only real excitement was written in 4 or 5 pages, that’s it.
Profile Image for April.
1,850 reviews73 followers
May 9, 2015
"First Published in Highland Winds - The Scrolls of Cridhe Volume 1"
I loved this story in "The Scolls of Cridhe ". Ms. Welfonder is the Queen of Scottish Medieval Historical Romance. She is the reason I started reading Historical Romance and she never failed me yet.
She never fails to impress her fans with her enchanting characters and her uniquely written magical storylines. A magical Novella! I strongly recommend this quick read. Fans of Medieval Scottish Historical Romance will absolutely love this Novella.

Rating: 4.5
Heat rating : Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR
Profile Image for Patricia.
838 reviews
May 12, 2015
I loved this book from the first to the last line. In between, I had to quit reading after the first three chapters: the imagery was so brilliant I had to go try to paint it.
The characters were well developed, and grew as the book progressed. The mystery surrounding each was resolved, and the ending was quite nicely rounded out.
The plot had some twists I didn't quite expect, despite the fact that I am an old hand at reading these. I adore that.
534 reviews
June 20, 2016
A sweet journey

The books about Duncan and his family are among my favorite. This short visit, that included a great new couple and the MacKenzie clan, was very special.
Profile Image for Candy Briggs.
731 reviews14 followers
December 22, 2016
A great adventure

This was so romantic with a touch of suspense. Mari and Gare have some problems and fight to overcome them. It is a novella so it is short but worth the read.
300 reviews4 followers
November 16, 2015
Great book, every book in the set. Was a MUST read. I highly recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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