Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Lairds of Dunkeld #4

The Cursed Highlander

Rate this book
Page Count: Approx 300 pages.

Will a Scottish beauty who can see the future, predict the doom of the Highlander she loves?

A Gifted Lass

Joanna MacConnaway’s future looks dark when her great-uncle passes, leaving Lochlann in the hands of a new leader. This handsome stranger, who has haunted Joanna's dreams, soon finds himself in mortal danger. Joanna chooses to help him, against her misgivings and sense of impending doom. Can she trust him? And is he worthy of the feelings she soon develops for him?

A Cursed Leader

Dark and brooding Dougal Blackheath is haunted by ghosts that seem determined to take his life, and, when he moves to Lochlann Castle, the demons follow him to his new home. Though his father has decreed that he must marry a wealthy, powerful bride to serve his own ambitions, he makes the bold and brash decision to marry for love instead, and soon discovers that he has feelings for his new ward, the beautiful Joanna.

Ghosts of the Past

Joanna rescues Dougal, but the haunting carries on, and both of them, it seems, face mortal danger. When this bloodthirsty ghoul strikes against Joanna, the pair of them unite, to get to the bottom of violence that seems all too real. Otherwise, neither of the Highland pair will live to tell the tale.

Will Joanna discover the truth behind the Highland mystery that she’s inherited before it ruins her future? Or will her nightmarish vision become her everyday reality?

Can Dougal really be the doom of Lochlann Castle, or is something far more sinister — a flesh and blood culprit —behind the attacks on his life?

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2017

184 people are currently reading
57 people want to read

About the author

Emilia Ferguson

33 books42 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
127 (46%)
4 stars
77 (28%)
3 stars
45 (16%)
2 stars
15 (5%)
1 star
11 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews23 followers
November 17, 2017
This is dramatic and intriguing but it lacks excitement. Dougal is boring and weak. Joanna is full of life, brave and determined. The storyline is interesting, but it's slow and mellow.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
83 reviews2 followers
January 5, 2018
Moved a bit slow

Not my cup of tea. Moved too slow, and sometimes too sugary. Characters not believable. 5 more words required but I'm done.
85 reviews
November 13, 2017
“The Cursed Highlander” is the fourth story in Ms. Ferguson’s Lairds of Dunkeld series. WOW! There are not enough adjectives to describe what I thought of this story. If I could rate it 10 stars I would. It is a beautifully written love story with overtones of suspense and an attempted murder mystery to solve. The novel is expertly written and the storyline sheer perfection. The story is an exceptional read that I absolutely enjoyed and could not put down. This is Joanna MacConnaway and Dougal Blackheath’s love story. Joanna MacConnaway, the daughter of Broderick MacConnaway and Amabel du Mas, great-niece of Brien, Earl of Lochlann from book one in the series is all grown up. Brian has passed and Dougal Blackheath has inherited Lochlann Castle and is the new the Earl of Lochlann. There are a number of twists and turns I never saw coming as the two fall in love and work together to solve the mystery of Lochlann Castle. As always I love that she included an epilogue and characters from her past novels in the series. In my opinion this is the best of the best so far and I highly recommend the novel.
Profile Image for Susan Shearer.
403 reviews2 followers
November 13, 2017
The Cursed Highlander is the fourth in Emiila Ferguson’s Lairds of Dunkeld series and I looked forward to reading! And it didn’t disappoint!
Lady Joanna MacConnaway’s great uncle, Laird Brien Lochlann has died and as her mother has become ill she is the designated person to attend the wake at Lochlann Castle and settle the estate matters.
Lord Dougal Blackheath, heir to the dukedom of Buccleigh and great grandson of Laird Brien has come to accept his responsibilities as the new laird of Lochlann Castle.
With a supposed ghost in the castle trying to kill Dougal, leaves Joanna and Dougal to work together to stay alive. Knowing his father’s plans of his marrying a lady from high society falling in love with Joanna is not an option.
This leaves the questions - Will they live to find out who the ghost is? Will they fall in love? And most importantly, what happens in between.
This is a book you will NOT want to put down!
Profile Image for Suzanne Giorgione.
523 reviews19 followers
November 16, 2017
Another fantastic story in the Lairds of Dunkeld Series. In this book we see Amabel's daughter Joanna grown into a woman and trying to decide on her future. She is haunted by dreams of darkness and a man in a castle, as she can sometimes see things that will happen like her Aunt Alina. Her Great-Uncle Brien, the Earl of Lochlann has died and Joanna ends up being the families representative, traveling to the castle. There she meets the new Earl of Lochlann, Dougal Blackheath. She is determined to help him set the castle to rights, figuring out what is going on. All the help is leaving, there is talk that the castle is haunted, attempts are made on Dougal's life and much more. Lots of action, drama, mystery, family, and of course love. Fantastic storyline, wonderful characters and a great read. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
6,044 reviews46 followers
November 13, 2017
A fabulous addition to this series, Joanna is an independent young healer. Born to the Thane of Dunkheld and a niece of the recently deceased Earl of Lochlann, she is a fine representative for the strong women in her family at the wake for her Great Uncle.

An enticing romance, the story is as much about strength of character and affections, as well as the complexities of family and ambitions, as it is about young, but strong love.

A fine lass and her beloved must face hauntings, more than one ambitious family member and neighbor, as well as the harsh realities of life in the Highlands. Happily, they also have the love and support of the ladies from Lochlann, as well as their husbands in Dunkheld.

A fine addition to the collection I really enjoyed reading!
Profile Image for Danielle  DuSchene.
45 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2017
In this 4th installment of Lairds of Dunkeld, Joanna, the daughter of Amabel and Broderick must make a solo trip to Lochlann, due to a death. Once there she is confronted with Dougal and a mystery that must be solved to save her beloved mother and Aunt 's homeplace. What she doesn't expect are the feelings she starts having for Dougal. There are of course obstacles in the way of their love that they must overcome. Once again Emilia Ferguson does an amazing job in keeping you intrigued and hoping the couple can make their love conquer anything and all that stands in the way!
So come back to Dunkeld and Lochlann I promise once again you will not be disappointed and will sit waiting and hoping for yet another book!!!
Profile Image for Lisa Denn.
510 reviews4 followers
November 24, 2017
Enjoyed the first half of the book - the second half not so much. Sadly, I am finding each new release in this series a bit less likeable than the previous book.
I prefer romance stories having little (very little) or no sex scenes. It seems as though the author is slowly - but surely - taking a new direction with her stories which includes some rather awkwardly written sex scenes which ruin the book for me.
My advice to the Ms. Ferguson would be to leave the bedroom scenes out of her books. The Lairds Of Dunkeld series was a welcomed addition to my bookshelf but I'm started to have second thoughts. There are plenty of books available for readers who don't mind reading page after page of explicit sex scenes. It is my hope the Lairds of Dunkeld series doesn't become like these books.
190 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2017
Another Great Book In The Lairds Of Dunkeld Series

Emilia Ferguson did it again with another strong woman and even stronger hot as hell alpha hero in this continuing series.
This book has it all secrets, lies, betrayal, mystic dreams and visions, hauntings, lust and love all set in the beautiful splendor of the Scottish Highlands.
Joanna and Dougal make a great couple and it was great to see all the old favorites from the other books make an appearance.
Follow along at your own peril as this heroine and hero risk their lives and hearts.
I received a copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Lisa Eiff.
966 reviews27 followers
November 14, 2017
I enjoyed reading this historical romance. This time the possibility of a haunting takes place, with danger and mystery around every corner, and the desire to pursue forbidden love weighing on the balances in between. Dougal and Joanna admire each other in time, and adventure awaits them both in this book. If you are a fan of historical fiction or romance novels, I recommend you check out this series. There are several books in this set, but I believe each one could be read separately as a standalone without leaving the reader missing any major points along the way.
Profile Image for Rosemary Hughes.
4,192 reviews23 followers
January 5, 2019
The dreams of a young seer come true, with a dark castle and a foreboding figure of a man. The man is in fact in need of assistance, as a dark presence is causing the former staff of the residence he has inherited to flee. Together, they must solve the deliemma that faces the young Lord,

A twist to the normal regency romance, with drama and intrigue thrown in, which makes a very interesting read.
2,113 reviews13 followers
November 12, 2017
Another fantastic Highland Romance from this author. Treachery, betrayal, rumours, danger, hope & love all make up this wonderful story about Joanna, daughter of Amara from Book 1 in this series and Dougal, the new heir to Lochlann. I really enjoyed this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
1,097 reviews2 followers
November 13, 2017
I received a free book and voluntarily chose to review it. I shed a few tears before I realized this is a romance with HEA (happily ever after) so it’s going to be OK. My strong woman has a few gifts so she will help keep some of the tears away. A well written and lovely story that is suspense and romance.
160 reviews
November 13, 2017
Another wonderful book in the highland series. I never knew where story was going to go. It was nice to read about the oldest child from Dunkeld. Joanna can see visions like her aunt but does not always understand it. I was in suspense and unsure if a romance would end up happening. I did not to put book down but had no choice but a recommended read.
Profile Image for Tam.
2,193 reviews56 followers
November 15, 2017
Joanna and Dougal's story was heartwarming with a touch of the paranormal and just the right dash of mystery, suspense and intrigue. I loved every page of it!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
810 reviews5 followers
November 19, 2017
I love this book as the other in this series. This book could be read as stand alone.
The story is full of mystery and adventures.
The characters are well developed and you will love them. The heroine is strong and ahead the time.
A book for all that love to pass a cozy evening reading.
I received this book from the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Profile Image for Patricia Schuette.
633 reviews3 followers
November 21, 2017
Johanna

Johanna daughter of Broderick and Amabel discovered she has the gift of sight. She has a dream that scares her about a man being killed. Then due to an illness in her family, she is the only one available to go to their great-uncle's wake. What she finds there disturbs her.
Profile Image for Ann L.
4,951 reviews39 followers
November 12, 2017
Fourth in the Lairds of Dunkeld Series and this was another gripping story full of treachery and betrayal, I was hooked from the start and once again couldn't put it down. This is Dougal and Joanna's story.

I received an ARC and voluntarily leave my own opinion
Profile Image for Gina.
2,446 reviews33 followers
November 13, 2017
The author has a way of spinning a wonderful tale. I love this series which is now following the next generation. It involves finding a killer and sacrificing oneself for love. I received a complimentary copy and I am giving a review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.4k reviews8 followers
November 16, 2017
Another great story in this series I can not wait for the next book to be out. I know when this series is finished I am going to be sitting down and binge reading these books all over again ! I was given a copy and because I liked the book so much I also bought it.
Profile Image for Phylis Collins.
2,877 reviews8 followers
December 20, 2017
The Crushed Highlander by Emila Ferguson is a stand alone within a wonderful adventurous series. This will keep you turning pages with the twist and turns, intrigue and finding love. My free opinion. Thanks
Profile Image for Cynthia Houser.
1,612 reviews9 followers
December 25, 2017
Cursed

This book was really good. Joanna is so sweet, loving but strong. Dougal needed Joanna to soften him up. They work together to figure out who is trying to kill him. Dunked family is very loving and supportive of each other.
Profile Image for Bonnie Hare.
56 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2018
Romantic Highland Tale

Johanna seer gift assists her and Dougal in persevering over Dougal's ambitious violent brother. Dougal's and Johanna's love prevails amid plots and attempted murder.
Profile Image for Charline Bonham.
638 reviews
January 24, 2018
Enemies

When Dougal becomes Lord of Loclann, someone tries to scare everyone away. Joanna has come to honor her great uncle 's passing and is surprised to find Dougal there. A bit of mystery will keep you turning pages to find the culprit.
Profile Image for Peppersaltchills.
252 reviews24 followers
February 5, 2021
The falling in love was not believable at all . It wasn’t even love at first sight nor was it done in a believable manner, it wasn’t even passionate as told so basically boring but it had a promising start and could have had a better ending .
314 reviews
November 13, 2017
Love and mystery
 
This book has it all: danger, love,mystery, intrigue. A thoroughly enjoyable story that will keep you captivated from beginning to end.
24 reviews
November 23, 2017
Ok read

Not quite a five star rating. It was a little slow and it took me awhile to finish the book. It some how wasn't jelling enough to keep my interest.
90 reviews
February 13, 2018
What a wonderful story!

I could barely put this book down. Thankfully an icy day made it possible for me to read it straight through with little interruption.
Profile Image for Mindy.
2,313 reviews4 followers
April 19, 2020
Wonderful wonderful Story

I love the continuation with the families in stories! This is another great one by Emilia! Absolutely love her books so far! On to the next 💜💜
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews