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Hearts and the Lands #3
The Heart and the Holly
Divided Hearts
She is Aislinn Clare, darkly beautiful, irresistibly desirable, and wildly independent. Stirred by the blood of her Irish mother, she'd rather die than leave her beloved Ireland and succumb to the proper marriage her English father seeks for her across the sea.
Destined Souls
Bran O'Connor is fiercely proud of his pure Irish blood, and determined not to be lured into betraying his clan by a half-blood temptress with her heart set on remaining in her cherished Highlands through marriage. Yet even in a land divided, the unrelenting desire of each stolen moment shared by this clashing pair intensifies a passion that defies both law and reason. And even as Aislinn and Bran fight a tempestuous battle of wills, they are being drawn into an unconditional surrender to the compelling call of love.
She is Aislinn Clare, darkly beautiful, irresistibly desirable, and wildly independent. Stirred by the blood of her Irish mother, she'd rather die than leave her beloved Ireland and succumb to the proper marriage her English father seeks for her across the sea.
Destined Souls
Bran O'Connor is fiercely proud of his pure Irish blood, and determined not to be lured into betraying his clan by a half-blood temptress with her heart set on remaining in her cherished Highlands through marriage. Yet even in a land divided, the unrelenting desire of each stolen moment shared by this clashing pair intensifies a passion that defies both law and reason. And even as Aislinn and Bran fight a tempestuous battle of wills, they are being drawn into an unconditional surrender to the compelling call of love.
348 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 1, 2026
Read: 8/1/26
Setting: 1368 Ireland
Trope: enemies to lovers, second chances, kidnapping
3.5 stars
This was a great series!
RtC
Setting: 1368 Ireland
Trope: enemies to lovers, second chances, kidnapping
3.5 stars
This was a great series!
RtC
March 20, 2023
Solid 4 - 4.5 stars. March is Irish month on Regan Walker’s Historical Romance Review blog. I felt The H & H, which Regan herself in her review gave 5 stars, was a good choice to read. Pretty good book I enjoyed it so much I am going to read the other two in the series. This can be read as a stand alone. Pretty good characters, lots of angst between the H/h, and a good plot. As with many books we don’t get to see these two really come together until the last 10 pages or so, but there is a good epilogue.
August 27, 2016
Wonderful Irish Medieval, an Exciting Story!
This is book 3 in a trilogy but it can be read as a stand alone.
Set in 14th century Ireland, this is the story of Lady Johanna Elizabeth, or as she prefers to be called, Aislinn, the wild daughter of an English knight, Sir Roger Clare, and his Irish wife, now dead. Aislinn has grown up at her father’s estate in Ireland and resists her father’s recent attempts to turn her into an English lady and marry her off in England. When she first meets the fierce Bran O'Connor, an Irish chieftain, he was acting the spy for his Irish clan. He kisses her to further his disguise but is caught by her enticing ways, realizing what they say about Clare’s daughter is true—she is a temptress.
When Aislinn learns her father is planning to send her to England, she sets her sights on Bran’s younger brother Niall, thinking to marry him so she can stay in Ireland rather than marry a man of her father’s choosing. But Bran is wise to her manipulation and will tolerate no half English woman in the blood of his clan. So, he interrupts the plan and sends her back to her father. Little does Bran know the terrible fate that awaits her there.
This is an exciting, well-written story with an alpha male hero and a worthy heroine. The author brings out the hatred the Irish clans had for the English and shows how badly the English treated the Irish, banning their Irish names, their worship, their customs. She also shows the Irish dislike of the English.
The epilogue does a particularly nice job of letting you know what happens after the happily ever after.
It’s a great romance and there are two others that come before it, both with Scots heroes.
THE HEART AND THE HEATHER, 1994
THE HEART AND THE ROSE, 1995
THE HEART AND THE HOLLY, 1996
This is book 3 in a trilogy but it can be read as a stand alone.
Set in 14th century Ireland, this is the story of Lady Johanna Elizabeth, or as she prefers to be called, Aislinn, the wild daughter of an English knight, Sir Roger Clare, and his Irish wife, now dead. Aislinn has grown up at her father’s estate in Ireland and resists her father’s recent attempts to turn her into an English lady and marry her off in England. When she first meets the fierce Bran O'Connor, an Irish chieftain, he was acting the spy for his Irish clan. He kisses her to further his disguise but is caught by her enticing ways, realizing what they say about Clare’s daughter is true—she is a temptress.
When Aislinn learns her father is planning to send her to England, she sets her sights on Bran’s younger brother Niall, thinking to marry him so she can stay in Ireland rather than marry a man of her father’s choosing. But Bran is wise to her manipulation and will tolerate no half English woman in the blood of his clan. So, he interrupts the plan and sends her back to her father. Little does Bran know the terrible fate that awaits her there.
This is an exciting, well-written story with an alpha male hero and a worthy heroine. The author brings out the hatred the Irish clans had for the English and shows how badly the English treated the Irish, banning their Irish names, their worship, their customs. She also shows the Irish dislike of the English.
The epilogue does a particularly nice job of letting you know what happens after the happily ever after.
It’s a great romance and there are two others that come before it, both with Scots heroes.
THE HEART AND THE HEATHER, 1994
THE HEART AND THE ROSE, 1995
THE HEART AND THE HOLLY, 1996
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews