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Searching for a Highlander #1

The Highlander's Stronghold

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A new Scottish time travel romance series from Bess McBride! Ann Borodell, a graduate student scrambling to find an archaeological dig to finish her degree, lands a project in the remote Western Isles of Scotland. With a concentration in Colonial American studies, she knows almost nothing about Scottish history and the sixteenth century island stronghold of the Morrison clan. That changes though when she discovers a medieval dagger embedded in the rubble at the base of a tower house on the island. As the dagger pulls her back in time, she awakens in the arms of a suspicious Highland laird who thinks she is a spy—for the English or for their enemies, the MacLeods. Ann believes that getting the dagger back from its owner, John Morrison, is her way back to the twenty-first century. So does the laird. And he has no intention of letting Ann leave the stronghold...or him. Searching for a Highlander series Book 1 - The Highlander's Stronghold (November 2016) Book 2 - The Highlander's Keep (coming soon) Book 3 - The Highlander's Home (coming soon)

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2016

100 people are currently reading
69 people want to read

About the author

Bess McBride

55 books147 followers
I've been writing romance fiction since 2006 and have published 20 books. I write time travel romances, contemporary romances, romantic suspense, and light paranormal romances (lovelorn ghosty stuff).

A gypsy at heart, I've lived in Aruba, Venezuela, Arizona and California (thanks to my parents, and in Guam, Wyoming, Washington State, Belgium, Washington D.C., Maryland, Montana, Turkey and Alaska (thanks to my time in the U.S. Air Force. Since then, I've lived in Idaho, Nebraska and Alabama in addition to visiting many more countries and states, and I'm determined to Goodreads friend everyone from all those places plus many more!

Please stop by visit my website at www.bessmcbride.com and my blog at http://willtravelforromance.blogspot.com

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5 stars
158 (46%)
4 stars
94 (27%)
3 stars
61 (17%)
2 stars
20 (5%)
1 star
7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Teresa.
758 reviews215 followers
January 1, 2017
Enjoy Bess McBride's books immensely. This is another good read.
Being a short story at 173 pages, the romance happened quite quickly. Ann was on an archaeological dig and when she found a dagger and picked it up she was transported to the past. There she met John Morrison of the Clan Morrison. After some confusion and a few attempts by Ann to get away, they fall in love and Ann starts to understand life at a very violent time in Scottish history.

There were a few really interesting characters and I would have like to have known more about them. They Morrisons were always at war with the local Mcleods because of a wrong that had been committed. The Morrisons were living on a small isle with a keep, having been driven there by the MacLeods. It was suppose to be easily defensible, however the MacLeods seemed to walk in at will and capture people. That kind of annoyed me.

The ending seemed a little bit rushed and I thought the explanation of Ann's time traveling to the people in the past was a little too easily understood for the era it was. However, this is the first in a series and I will be buying the others.
Profile Image for Alison.
855 reviews5 followers
August 7, 2019
Wow what can I say about this book Bess McBride will transport you back to when clans were warring and Highlanders real Highlanders valued their Ladies. What a truly beautiful love story
Profile Image for Boundless Book Reviews.
2,242 reviews77 followers
January 29, 2017
Ann is on an archaeological dig when an artifact she unearths sends her to the past. The past she has been digging up and studying is now her reality. She is found by John Morrison. She is in the year 1590 and thrust into a time and hands of a man she doesn't know. She soon finds herself in the midst of clan feuding and taken hostage. Then she finds herself sent back to her time, away from the man she has grown to love. With enough faith hopefully she can find her way back again. 

This book was a great beginning to another great series. I have fallen in love with the writing of Bess McBride. Each book brings a new story filled with history and romance. Each new book that I read makes me fall in love more and more. I can find nothing wrong with this book. The history, the romance, the writing....all of it was awesome. 


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706 reviews
July 17, 2017
This was a really delightful little read. I've enjoyed every Bess McBride book I've read, and this didn't disappoint. McBride does a nice job building the different time travel worlds - I fell in love with the 1900s Seattle series, then moved to the post-Culloden Highlander series, and I love this new 16th century highlands time period. It was a little short - I felt like it was almost a 0.5 instead of book 1 of a series, but it set up a lot of characters and settings that I liked and I look forward to future books (which I hope are longer!). Being such a short book, the romance and action happened very quickly and not deeply, but I still enjoyed the writing and banter between characters.
143 reviews1 follower
June 10, 2018
Love in the 16th century

I thought that this is the most well constructed story about time travel I've read. The characters are so well written that I could almost smell the peat fire. John and Ann demonstrated that in the 16th century everything happens fast. The age of 40 is considered to be very old. This author describes characters so well that I swear I could hear the sound of sword fighting.
The only thing that made me think was that as soon as John sees Ann he accepts the concept of time trouble. Logically he should have struggled to accept this concept.
However I suggest that you read it for yourself and decide.
Profile Image for Patricia.
2,958 reviews17 followers
May 30, 2017
These books I have read (4) by Bess McBride are such clean, fun time travel books that I just can seem to stop reading one after another. Brain candy. Cute chick lit. I think I will do a pallet cleanser of some other book and be back for the non-Scottish of her time travel books.

While there are some elements that are the same as in the time travel, romance and the decisions to stay or return to one's own time, there are enough other elements that I don't feel as though I am reading the identical book each time.
Profile Image for SuzyHD.
1,230 reviews3 followers
August 14, 2017
Excellent Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and the time travel period. Very well written storyline. I have to admit that I had a tear in my eye when I got to the last few chapters. I was very relieved 😌 when the story continued but of course now I want more. Definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
62 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2017
A Touch on the Calm Side...

Time travel romance, yes. Interesting characters, yes. But just a tad slow for my tastes. But as this is my first Bess McBride's story I have to read more of course as she has so many to chose from. Lorana
Profile Image for Sarah Southerland.
Author 2 books10 followers
July 24, 2018
3 1/2. It’s hard to find a really good time travel book since it’s so hard to make it believable. This is a good & clean book that held my interest. Just a bit too far fetched with the time travel theories.
192 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2018
The Highlander's Stronghold

I just love your stories each time more and more. I just can't get enough of them, I was so sure that Ann was to go back, but was worried that she wouldn't make it back. I'm sorry I just lost faith. Thank you again. Ada G.
Profile Image for Sandra Small.
106 reviews
June 25, 2019
Very Good!

Everyone loves a love story! Well developed characters and there is some depth to the storyline. I was cheering for John and Ann and was sad when they were apart. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who likes compassion and adventure!
Profile Image for Mary  Aquino.
389 reviews2 followers
November 6, 2017
Interesting story

I've read quite a lot of time travel romances. This story is an interesting read. I enjoyed the character development.
21 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2018
I really thought this was a nice clean time traveling book.
Profile Image for Carolyn Bond.
Author 7 books4 followers
January 28, 2018
Wonderful love story!!!!

Bess McBride weaves a beautiful story of love, time travel and Scotland in the 1500s. Can’t wait to read the book of the series.
860 reviews
April 2, 2018
An interesting time travel romance.
68 reviews
June 5, 2018
Highlander's Stronghold

The history story line was a little different from what I had read in the past but It was good.
Profile Image for 'i Mari 🍷 YAAAAAAS.
188 reviews8 followers
May 29, 2019
Disappointing.
My fault.
My expectations were too high.
She might as well have been a business major with a minor in I.T for all she knew 😭.
Sad.
Profile Image for Holly.
1,472 reviews11 followers
April 30, 2020
I loved this sweet clean romance.
Profile Image for Vana.
214 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2020
I refreshingly clean read and a nice little plot. One or two modern words uttered by the 16th Century characters.
I would read Bess McBride again.
39 reviews
December 20, 2020
Good read

Enjoyed reading this time travel book; looking forward for the next book in the series. Thank you for this ARC.
Profile Image for Lydia.
20 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2024
Genuinely just a well-written romance. Holds up even 5 years after the initial read.
88 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2017
Yes!

Such a wonderful book. Time travel and two people who were meant for each other in past times and present.
Profile Image for EvilAntie Jan.
1,591 reviews13 followers
December 8, 2016
Awesome adventure

I have read every book that Bess McBride has written and this is the most adventurous book to date. I loved the pace and the storyline and I can hardly wait for the rest of this series. It was just like I was there and that made this story come alive.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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