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The Matheson Brothers #8

Highlander's Caress

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One soul bound mate...one quest to find her.

Year 1211, Scottish Highlands.

Duncan MacKenzie is the Laird of Ardan House, an honorable and fierce Highland warrior on the chase for a band of enemy warriors who are intent on his destruction, only as he hunts them down, he runs into a lass who poses the greatest challenge. He’s drawn to the dark-haired enchantress who holds the fae ability to compel, a lass also intent on finding her brother who travels with the band of men he currently hunts. At every turn, she challenges his steely resolve, captivates and enthralls him, as well as unleashes his passion when it’s never arisen for another woman before.

Spirited lass Ella Matheson is stunned to discover that the maddeningly rugged warrior hunting down her brother is the very man who makes her heart beat faster and her soul lift higher—a man who is her soul bound mate. Finding her chosen one within the enemy’s ranks stuns her, yet she’s never given up a challenge, and now she’s bound and determined to bind this man who should be her enemy, right to her side.

Theirs is a battle of rivalry and dare, of untamed passion rising strong and true, and of a journey to forge the bond between two mates during a time of war.

A standalone novel in The Fae series.

THE FAE SERIES
Highlander’s Bride, #1
Highlander’s Caress, #2
Highlander’s Touch, #3

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2016

14 people are currently reading
499 people want to read

About the author

Joanne Wadsworth

479 books287 followers
Joanne Wadsworth is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author who adores getting lost in the world of romance, no matter what era in time that might be. Hot alpha Highlanders hound her, demanding their stories are told and she’s devoted to ensuring they meet their match, whether that be with a feisty lass from the present or far in the past.

Living on a tiny island at the bottom of the world, she calls New Zealand home. Big-dreamer, hoarder of chocolate, and addicted to juicy watermelons since the age of five, she chases after her four energetic children and has her own hunky hubby on the side.

So come and join in all the fun, because this kiwi girl promises to give you her “Hot-Highlander” oath, to bring you a heart-pounding, sexy adventure from the moment you turn the first page. This is where romance meets fantasy and adventure…

Highlander Heat Series: HIGHLANDER'S CASTLE, HIGHLANDER'S MAGIC, HIGHLANDER'S CHARM, HIGHLANDER'S GUARDIAN, HIGHLANDER'S FAERIE, HIGHLANDER'S CHAMPION, HIGHLANDER'S CAPTIVE.

The Matheson Brothers Series: HIGHLANDER'S DESIRE, HIGHLANDER'S PASSION, HIGHLANDER'S SEDUCTION.

Clan Matheson Series: HIGHLANDER'S KISS, HIGHLANDER'S HEART, HIGHLANDER'S SWORD.

The Fae Series: HIGHLANDER'S BRIDE, HIGHLANDER'S CARESS, HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH.

The Matheson Warriors Series: HIGHLANDER'S SHIFTER, HIGHLANDER'S CLAIM, HIGHLANDER'S COURAGE, HIGHLANDER'S CRAVING.

Regency Brides Series: THE DUKE'S BRIDE, THE EARL'S BRIDE, THE WARTIME BRIDE, THE SECRET BRIDE.

Princesses of Myth Series: PROTECTOR, WARRIOR, HUNTER, ENCHANTER, HEALER, CHASER.

Billionaire Bodyguards Series: BILLIONAIRE BODYGUARD ATTRACTION, BILLIONARE BODYGUARD BOSS, BILLIONAIRE BODYGUARD FLING.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Linda.
887 reviews83 followers
June 26, 2016
" Highland Caress" , is the second book in Ms Wadsworth's Medieval Romance series. This book can be read as a standalone since that is just what I did , however it is a ongoing tale about the Mackenzie , MacDonald and the Matheson Clan.
Duncan Mackenzie , is The Laird of Arden house and the Second son of the Mackenzie , his mother was a Matheson; a Matheson of Fae blood and as. Result he and his twin have Fae skills which are kept as. Secret only a few know about. It is said if you are of the Fae that you wait to marry till you find the person with the other half of your soul. However Duncan has Chosen to approach the MacDonald with an offer to marry his eldest daughter put end he constant warring between their clans , a plan that may have had a chance if his father did not show up!
Enter Ella Matheson, with her Fae skill of being a compelled, she successfully compels the two clans to stop fighting each other this night and to spite her orders for the Mackenzie and Duncan to leave , Duncan finds himself drawn to this beautiful women and though Ella finds herself feeling things for the first time she doubts her attraction since her true mate would have Fae blood and no Mackenzie does, so she believes.
Ella and her brother Ethan since have made it their mission to try and stop the ongoing clan wars that keep arising as a result of the MacDonald constantly raiding the MacKenzie's ; in Pershing this course Ella and Duncan keep crossing paths until finally the pull is impossible to resist . For this relationship to work secrets and burdens need to be shared ; but with Thr risk to Duncan and his brother of he share with Ella the truth of his Fae blood? Will they be able to stop the ever present onslaught from the MacDonald ?
What ensues is a sweet romance between a strong willed women and equally strong willed man both determined to protect each other and vanquish their common enemy; and along the way become each other's missing piece .
Delightful romance.

Arc Graciuosly provided by the author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews220 followers
September 10, 2019
It Grabbed My attention and focus so strong I could not put it down. A word of advice when you get your copy. Grab a snack, a comfy seat, kick back and relax. You will not be moving until you finish this bad boy here. Remarkable job. Thanks for sharing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,553 reviews15 followers
June 23, 2016
Highlander's Caress by Joanne Wadsworth is a fairly short read, perfect for those with limited time for reading. The characters are well developed and fun to read. Ella, the heroine of this fae tale has just enough sass to make her interesting. Ella and Duncan's story is full of action, drama, humor, sizzle and things paranormal. I loved reading Highlander's Caress and look forward to reading more from Joanne Wadsworth in the future. Highlander's Caress is book 2 of The Fae Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I received an advance reader copy of this book for review purposes.
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book125 followers
August 2, 2019
I have read several books in this series, and I quite enjoyed Duncan and Elle’s story. Much goes on in this book, but the author sets the scene well early on, which keeps it from becoming confusing. Duncan and Elle have chemistry that sizzles off the page. With their clans at war, things do not look good for them even though they have a fated, mated bond. I really enjoyed the unique solution to their problems that happened at the end of the book. If you read other books in the series, you know that there is no huge resolution to the bigger, overarching plot in each book--in fact, each book seems to add to the complexity of the threads that tie the stories together--but I think this is one of the better happy-for-now resolutions that I've seen in this series. I love these stories of the Fae and the Highlanders.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
Profile Image for Carole Burant.
1,279 reviews38 followers
July 23, 2019
Duncan never had a chance! Ha! I so enjoy how this author weaves her stories, especially in this series. There is always hot passion, danger, adventure, fae magic, humor, etc, to make them an interesting read from start to end.

Duncan MacKenzie has lived his life hiding the fact that he and his twin actually have fae blood in them but when he meets Ella Matheson and she declares that he's her soul mate, he tries to steer her away but as I said at the beginning of my review, he never stood a chance! lol I love it when the hero is such a braw alpha male and the heroine is a spitfire....fireworks are sure to follow:) Amidst their discovery of each other, they are also on a quest to find the enemy warriors responsible for destroying Duncan's land and to make peace with the enemy clan.

I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
1,000 reviews6 followers
August 7, 2019
They start out as enemies but they'll end up with an HEA. Duncan MacKenzie is in search of a group of people that are determined to destroy him, but between him and the enemy is Ella Matheson. Ella has a unique skill and that is that she can compel people to do what she wants. Ella recognizes that Duncan is her soulmate but she doesn't want to compel him--he has to want her on his own. The real problem is that the enemies Duncan is fighting is the same group Ella is looking for to save her brother. Lots of action, likeable characters and a nice story with paranormal elements. If you've been keeping up with the Mathesons, you know about their unique abilities which are connected to their fae blood. The stories in the series have all been enjoyable. (I voluntarily reviewed an ARC).
1,886 reviews4 followers
July 28, 2019
This was my first time reading a book by Joanne Wadsworth, it did not disappoint! Her word building and crafting of her story along with her character development pulled me into the story right from the beginning! Duncan is a alpha male and Ella is a spitfire with her own mind and their chemistry is hot and steamy of the charts. Together they are trying to find the enemy who destroyed Ducan"s land and make peace with a enemy clan. The book had me hooked form beginning to end with all the action, passion, danger, adventure, magic and the romance. It is a must read and it will hook you form the beginning!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,637 reviews23 followers
January 9, 2023
The Mackenzie and Matheson clan wars just got more interesting. This story continues from previous novels in the series with familiar characters and situations being referred to. I really liked the hidden family history of Duncan and Coll. As their father Collin seems intent to war no matter what, it was refreshing to see Ella as a force to bring things back in balance. I had to smile at the love-hate banter between Duncan and Ella as well as their interesting struggle for power over each other. This was an entertaining story that once again ends in a HEA with the promise of more yet to come.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
6,631 reviews28 followers
August 3, 2019
Once again we join the Matheson clan and all the adventures that they get up to in their quest to find their mate.

This is Ella Matheson's story as she tries to find her brother and extricate him from the gang he has taken up with During this quest she meets Duncan MacKenzie is the Laird of Ardan House he is also on the hunt for the same group but to him they are just enemy warriors that need to be destroyed. When she realises he is soul bonded mate she is stunned because after all he is also the enemy but Ella isn't one to back of from a challenge and she will get her mate
199 reviews3 followers
July 22, 2019
Ella and Duncan are great characters and you will love their story. They have a great connection and will do anything to protect one another. This is an action packed adventure that will keep you interested till the last page. I just love this series and this is a great addition. I have been reading Ms Wadsworth stories for years and she is one of my favorite authors.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,446 reviews5 followers
August 2, 2019
A Scottish Highlander book with Duncan, an honorable man, and Ella, an independent woman with fae blood.
Duncan was proud, fierce and quite an intriguing character to get to know.
On the other hand, Ella could be somewhat annoying. Too strong and independent for the time period?
Still, a good book that is up to the high standards of Joanne Wadsworth.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,720 reviews41 followers
August 3, 2019
It did not disappoint!
I like this series the characters are well developed and the author has written a story with challenges plenty of action and drama. It is a book that will keep you so engaged it is a real page-turner. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. Ella and Duncan are such strong characters and had a great connection. I highly recommend! I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Alisa.
1,544 reviews10 followers
August 4, 2019
The more of the Matheson Brothers series I read, the more I like it. This was a great series installment. Duncan and Ella were funny and determined to protect one another, all while claiming their mate. Great story with lots of hot romance and some engaging action. I'mready to go back and read some ofriends ghd boops i missed. I look forward to the next book. .

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
421 reviews3 followers
August 4, 2019
This is the story of Duncan and Ella their clans are embroiled in a war and are on opposing sides. Ella is fae and has the power to compel with her voice to do exactly what she says. When she meets Duncan she realizes he must have some fae blood in him somewhere because he is her bond mate. They have to find a way to end the fighting so they can be together. This is a great story with a twist of fae.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Reena.
956 reviews3 followers
December 9, 2019
Another great read in the Matheson series!

"Highlander's Caress" is one of those reads that hook you right from the start and lead you a merry danced to the end! Magic, adventure, sizzling hot romance in the Medieval Highlands? Yes please!!! Although it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend grabbing all books in the series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
50 reviews
March 24, 2018
Highlander caress

As with all of her books in the Highlanders series this was a joy to read. Love, family, sex with a spouse. War amount the clansu


All of her books in this series are a delight to read. Barreling Scots with their swords, claymores, and knives. Brawney, handsome men and strong women. I love the fae, they are so moral. Men and women are true to each other.


810 reviews5 followers
August 3, 2019
" Highland Caress" can be read as a standalone.
This is the story of Ella, a strong and spirited lass and of Duncan, a fierce warrior...
This book is full of action, twists, fun and paranormal things.
A story that will kept reading until the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews53 followers
August 18, 2019
Highlander's Caress by Joanne Wadsworth is a great story to read. This is book number eight in this great series that I have really enjoyed reading from the begining. I recommend this story to everyone who likes reading about paranormal and historical romances in their stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
75 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2018
Little confusing at times but we'll worth the read

A love quadrangle across the centuries was quite the read. Felt sorry for the thirteenth century Annabelle and Jamie but then...
Profile Image for Marianne.
7,383 reviews88 followers
August 3, 2019
This book was great reading! It is packed with magic and suspense, passion and excitement. It really pulls you in!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.4k reviews8 followers
August 3, 2019
Book eight in the The Matheson Brothers series a well written story that kept me turning pages. I hope there is more to come in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dorothy  Scott.
924 reviews4 followers
August 3, 2019
Highlander’s Caress is an enjoyable novel that had me turning the pages late into the night. I will be reading more of Joanne Wadsworth’s work and I can recommend this novel.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
7,813 reviews65 followers
August 5, 2019
The author does a great job of weaving a great storyline that flows smoothly from start to finish keeping me engaged. The characters are well developed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Elizabeth McDaniel.
2,383 reviews
August 5, 2019
Fascinating characters in a highland setting. Warring clans, love and a little bit of fae and their magic make this story full of interesting intrigue. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Cali Jewel.
5,250 reviews39 followers
August 11, 2019
Highly entertaining, action packed and emotionally thrilling adventure. Really enjoyed this witty, fun, engaging and passionate journey filled with interesting charters, a beautiful setting and undeniable thrills. Great reading!
Profile Image for Jayne Butcher.
1,419 reviews17 followers
September 1, 2019
Wow! The action is nonstop and surprises lurk around each corner. This is a beautifully crafted tale that gets your heart beating and takes your breath away.....read it

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Zeinab Dh.
1,640 reviews37 followers
October 28, 2020
I chose to read and review this book. I could not put this one down. It was very enjoyable. It filled with emotions that will move you from start to end. Everything is well written. I recommend it

Profile Image for Sharon.
1,314 reviews25 followers
April 19, 2019
4.5 She led him on a merry chase, compelled him to find her an annoyance and loved him with all her heart. An excellent story in an excellent series.
Profile Image for Phylis Collins.
2,877 reviews8 followers
July 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention throughout.
I loved the lively banter and the chemistry, with a lot of steam.
453 reviews14 followers
June 25, 2016
I know it has been a while since I have read any books from Ms. Joanne Wadsworth but I’ve always liked her stories and characters. So yes I couldn’t wait to read this book despite me not finishing reading the highlander heat books or some of the other books I have brought from her. This newest book in the Fae book series might be something I haven’t read since in actuality I haven’t even read the first one okay a lot had to do with the book cover too but amazingly so this book can wonderfully stand alone plus with Ms. Wadsworth intriguing take on Fae mystics, compellers and alpha highlanders combined it is really hard not to enjoy the story.
Duncan MacKenzie Laird of Ardan house is on the lands of his enemy MacDonald land, in a way to secure peace with them decides to enter in a betrothal to MacDonald’s eldest daughter. Duncan’s attempts at peace are destroyed by Duncan’s own father Colin who desires war as opposed to peace. Duncan is therefore halted by an intriguing voice from the Fae compeller Ella Matheson heard from the Dunscaith castle to be gone and leave. Duncan being forced by Ella’s voice to leave has no choice but to do as Ella commands. Unfortunately neither Duncan or Ella can forget the other but every time they meet the attraction between them is strong could it be that they are each other soul bound mate and what about the fact they are each sworn enemies too?
Duncan was just totally a very hot handsome highlander so a pretty easy guy to fall for. Okay yes he was very stubborn, obstinate, and high handed but I just got the sense there was more to him than met the eye. He believed in peace and was willing to sacrifice everything even his love for Ella in order to obtain it. I did wonder at the relationship between Duncan and his father Colin for one thing where exactly does his father live if not at Ardan house. I just figured maybe Colin had his own house so Duncan and Colin didn’t have to see each other making avoidance a pretty easy thing. Ella on the other hand really annoyed me. I don’t mind a strong independent beautiful heroine but I guess I didn’t like her ordering or rather compelling Duncan to do things that he had no desire to do. I would think that their love for each other would make them immune to each other’s power I guess not. I also hope that there are going to more than just three stories in the series because I would like to see an ending for Hamish and Ethan. I still enjoyed the story and in light of this newest book will even go back to read the first in the series plus the clan Matheson series so yes I am compelled and will get more books from Ms. Wadsworth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews