Heart of a Highlander

Castle Brides #1.5

by Collette Cameron

How can she love the man responsible for her husband's death?

A lonely widow far from home... When Frenchwoman Giselle McTavish married a Scotsman, she never expected to be widowed and left to bring up their son alone. Nonetheless, she's determined the next laird will be raised in Scotland. Even though Highlander Hugh Ferguson-the man she holds responsible for her husband's death-also lives at Craiglocky Keep. As time passes, she struggles to overcome loneliness and homesickness as well as fight the warm feelings Hugh now stirs.

A warrior consumed with guilt... Hugh has loved Giselle almost from the moment he laid eyes on her. But as the wife-then widow-of his dearest friend, she's forbidden fruit. He refuses to act on his feelings for her, especially since she's never shown any romantic interest in him. But that changes one providential Valentine's Day when he risks everything by using Scottish folklore and legend to at last proclaim his love...

__________

This holiday themed Scottish historical by a USA Today bestselling author will make you smile. Easily read in one sitting, you'll sigh in contentment as you watch Hugh and Giselle at last admit their love for each other.

If you enjoy reading enemies to lovers romances then you'll adore Collette Cameron's mesmerizing CASTLE BRIDES SERIES. Buy HEART OF A HIGHLANDER and settle into your favorite reading nook with your beverage of choice for a rousing romantic adventure you can't put down.

Though this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, most readers prefer to read the series in order.

CASTLE BRIDES SERIES: The Viscount's Vow Heart of a Scot (Prequel to Highlander's Hope) Highlander's Hope The Earl's Enticement


CHECK OUT COLLETTE'S OTHER SERIES: The Honorable Rogues(R) Heart of a Scot Series Highland Heather Romancing a Scot Series Seductive Scoundrels Series The Blue Rose Regency Romances: The Culpepper Misses Series

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Amazon, Novella, Scotland, Short Stories

63 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

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USA Today Bestselling author Collette Cameron® is renowned for her captivating, humorous, and heartwarming Scottish and Regency historical romance novels. With over 65 published titles, over 1.6 million books sold around the world, and multiple writing awards to her credit, Collette is a well-known author in the world of historical romance.

Readers love her witty and relatable characters including daring rogues, dashing scoundrels, and the strong and spirited heroines who capture their hearts. From the rugged highlands to the refined drawing rooms of Regency England, Collette’s novels will transport you to another time and place, where love and adventure are just a page away.

Collette’s Sweet-to-Spicy Timeless Romances® are the perfect escape for readers looking for romantic escape, poignant inspiration, engaging humor, and entertaining stories.

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Collette is surrounded by the lush greenery and rainy skies that inspire her writing. She dreams of one day splitting her time between the Pacific Northwest and Scotland. In the meantime, she indulges in her love of all things cobalt blue, dachshunds, chocolate, and of course, crafting her next historical romance.





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Reviews

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short

I wish this would have been longer. The characters were so different for me. A French woman and a scot! I totAlly thought little Swan was very cute. I do love this author!!!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted on Got Fiction?

This could have been amazing. It was good. But when you have that much backstory and baggage, and the heroine believes it's the hero's fault her husband drowned, they don't suddenly have an about face without some extra page time.

This is a super short story, and I'm all for that! I enjoy short stories and novellas, and I love insta-lust and love at first sight. My point being, short stories can be amazing! But this, has none of that.

I like how because they've known each other for 5 years that as a short story, it can help with pushing the plot forward quickly. But the fact that she believed he was to blame for her husband's death? Come on, you can't gloss over that.

[romancejunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So romantic...
Giselle and Hugh have been in love with each other for a long time, but they thought it would be better if they didn't act on their feelings. But that changes on Valentine’s Day when they risk everything using Scottish legend to at last proclaim their love.
A sweet and delightful read to make you believe in second chances to love.

[Vero Stro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely short story! Tender, sweet and very romantic!


I wish it was longer!!! As usual Ms Cameron weaves a story full of love and emotion and reading flows. An amazing short story about two people that finally let the love they feel for each other wins!

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how anyone can put such a full, thoughtful, touching, sweet story in to so few words, but Collette Cameron always manages to do so. This is the second novella I've read by this author, and as much as I loved "A Kiss For Miss Kingsley", I like this one even more.

The way the story unfolds, supplying us with the backstory along the way, and adding to the charm of both the hero and the story by throwing in some Scottish folklore (which may or may not have been completely fabricated by said hero), is quite engaging and draws the reader in from the first paragraph. The little boy in the story supplies a sense of wonderment and charm as well.

So much is conveyed is such a short span of time, and yet, there is a completely real and believable feel to the story. I could almost feel the cold and the snowflakes falling. I liked this one so much, I may have to read it again.

[Jimnlori · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Heart of a Highlander Giselle McTavish is a widow with a young child to raise in the harsh Highlands of Scotland in the 1700's after losing her husband three years ago. After three years of mourning her husband Giselle is ready to move on. She is now having feelings for her husband's best friend Hugh Ferguson.
Hugh Ferguson's feelings for his best friend's wife will stay buried forever if need be, but seeing her daily with her son and watching her embracing and struggling with the harsh Highland life despite her loss has been torture. Would this day that is for lovers find them finally being honest about their feelings for one another?

This was a perfect short and sweet love story!

I was given an ARC for an honest review. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

[Dee Deacon Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giselle McTavish never expected to be a widow after 2 short years of marriage but there she was picking weeds from her husbands grave on Valentines Day with Ewan, her 3 year old son who was now head of the clan, waiting nearby. Valentine's Day...what a cruel day when she has lost the one she loved & the man she could love doesn't know she exists.

Hugh Ferguson has long loved the wife of his best friend. The friend that lost his life when it should have been Hugh who drowned. He knows Giselle blames him for her husband's death & vows to treat her son as his own but never show his true feelings for her.

Until Valentine's Day.

A beautiful story of second loves & a wonderful short prelude to Collette Cameron's Highlander's Hope in the Castle Bride Series.

[Deb Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again Collette does not disappoint. This short story is a sweet romance. It is a snowy Valentine's Day in Scotland. Giselle is raising her son Ewan, since the death of her husband, several years before. There is also a very handsome Scott, who just happens to be in love with both Mother and son. For the details, you need to read the story. I loved it.

[Frances Shellings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart warming

Love how you get to see two characters admit to each other that they love one another.....Everyone sees the love they have in the series but it's good to see them at the beginning....And little Ewan is too cute

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good very quick read. It's a short story that you can read during your lunch hour. That being said, it was cute and I liked it.

[Ann Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A full story in a few pages. The story was complete. Like any good romance, it satisfies and keeps you wanting more.

[Macaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story, tender, sexy and funny. But really too short.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful novella. Love how it gives the back story of the anchoring characters of the highlander seris. Quite charming

[VICTORIA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story, somewhat sweet but the plot seems incomplete and the love story develops too fast for my taste

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! I don’t know what I can say about this story. It was short? Really short! 44 pages to be exact. The rest was taken up on Collette Cameron’s other books.

This was about Giselle, who was married but her husband Liam died years before, and Hugh, Liam’s best friend who had been in love with Giselle since Liam brought her home from France. Then there was Ewan, her son, who loved Hugh and thought it was just fine that Hugh marry his mother. It was Valentine’s Day and according to tradition Hugh marrying Giselle made perfect sense, so said 5 year old Ewan.

Anyway, it was a cute story even if it was short.

There was desire and wanting in this and that made it better. There was no sex.

[Coco.V]

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[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet! One of the shortest romances I've ever read but Collette fits in lots of story.

[Kimberly Rocha~ Book Obsessed Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read... I wanted more!

[Kimme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh for cry eye.

It's 42 pages of bubble gum sticky sweet mush. Now I need 11 more words so Amazon accepts this. Bye.

[BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet 🙂 (1.5 stars)

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short novella about Giselle MacTavish, the young widow of Liam MacTavish and the mother to their son, Ewan and her love interest Hugh.

I tend not to read novellas and short stories because they leave me feeling empty. The plots are rushed, the characters aren't developed, and there are no chances for the characters to fall in love, flimsy as they tend to be. This wasn't the case with this one. At. All.

Giselle loved her husband very much. She misses him every single day. But he's been gone for three years now and she's finds herself attracted to Liam's best friend, Hugh. She's is the chieftainess of the castle now and has responsibilities and has denied herself the pleasure of any man since her husband died. She's got her son to think about who is now the laird, but Hugh has been treating Ewan like a son since the boy's father died. Hugh is genuinely fond of the little guy and is in love with Giselle just as she is in love with him.

This is a beautiful story. As short as it is, I still got choked up in one part and the innuendos and playing around that Giselle and Hugh did created some tension that I wasn't expecting. It is Valentine's Day, after all and it's the season to fall in love...or in their case, to admit they're in love.

I can't tell where this fits into this series. I looked it up and found conflicting orders of it, but hopefully it doesn't matter. It was a great read that can be easily be done in a short amount of time.

*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.

[Anissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short tale explaining the Laird Ewan McTavish's (Highlander's Hope) mother Giselle's own love story. She was married and loved Ewan's father Liam. He died when he was a child and his father's good friend Hugh Ferguson (father of Adaira :The Earl's Enticement, Isobel: Virtue and Valor, Seonaid: Scandal's Splendor)...has loved and watched over him as his own son. Giselle has been watching Hugh watch Ewan...feeling a bit guilty she keeps her growing attraction to herself. On Valentine's Day after visiting her husband's grave the snow starts falling very hard. Hugh rescues both Liam and Giselle and guides them to the keep. Hugh not be able to stand it any longer tells Giselle how he feels. She feeling the same tell Hugh she loves him and agree to marry. HEA yet again!!! Yes it was quick and too short but a wonderful beginning to 4 more loving children stories...fun family as well!

[Kelly Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short novel. Giselle moved to Craiglocky Keep when she married her husband. After only two years, her husband died. They have a young son who will be the next laird.

Hugh Ferguson feels terrible because he has always loved his best friend's wife, Giselle. When his best friend died, Hugh stood by and helped Giselle raise her young son. But he loves her dearly and hopes she loves him too. When they are brought together on Valentines day in a snow storm, Hugh decides to let Giselle know of his feelings. He is so pleased when she returns those feelings. It is a delightful romantic tale.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short story, as well as a sweet romantic read.

Giselle is the French widow of a Scottish laird. She is raising her five year old son, Ewen, with the help of her late husband's good friend, Hugh.

It is Valentine's Day. A romantic time and in Scotland a day filled with stories.

Giselle has learned to care for Hugh, but he behaves as though he has no idea. Hugh has loved Giselle since his best friend brought her home from France.
Ewen loves them both.

There is sweetness here. And a warmth which is shown from the first description of Giselle tending her late husband's grave.

I enjoyed this very much.

[Norma Gorrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart of a highlander

To loose a loved one and then find that their is another you can love and who will love your son and raise him as his own, is something that does not always happen with the greatest of results. Not all men will take on someone else's child and raise them without having a jello us. Bone in their body as the child w
I'll take all the effect ion of the true parent. But bless those that due. This Scottish story was a very well written story of love and faith in love. This was an arc and this is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill

[Marcy Barth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time

I should have looked into this freebie better. It’s 90 pages and not even a book, more like an incomplete excerpt with no real story. I wouldn’t even consider this a short story.

In fact, 40 pages of this book is advertising for the author and an excerpt from another book…

I seen it was $4.89 and I hope you didn’t purchase this chapter for that much money.

I don’t know why this was even published to tell the truth… so very disappointed but am glad I didn’t waste any money on this one.

[Lana Birky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very short story but the details, descriptions with a sweet and loving story were amazing - I really don't know how I experienced so much from such few words but Collette Cameron did it! This is the Prequel to Castle Brides Series, Book 2 Highlander's Hope. It introduces us to Ewan McTavish when he is a baby and his mother & father's love story. Ewan is the hero in Highlander's Hope - all grown up. I highly recommend this book and the complete series to all historical romance readers.

[Deb Diem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart Of A Highlander by Collette Cameron is a fairly short read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Ms. Cameron has delivered a well-written story and filled it with lovable characters. Hugh and Giselle's story has plenty of drama, humor and spice to keep the pages flipping. I enjoyed reading Heart Of A Highlander and look forward to reading more from Collette Cameron in the future. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is just the story of how Ewan’s French mother married his stepfather, Hugh. Giselle was married to Liam McTavish who was a laird. He drowned when Ewan was a baby. Hugh Ferguson was his best friend. He had been in love with Giselle since she was with Liam, but he felt guilty and kept it secret. But when Ewan was four, he realized that Giselle loved him too and he proposed on Valentines Day.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of this author I have read, and I loved it. As I had no idea who was who or anything other than the blurb, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it sweet to have the French and Scottish mixed in the languages. It was a quick sweet read and a nice burn as well.

Now I have to go and buy the whole series LOL!!