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These Highland Hills #1
Child of the Mist
In the harsh Scottish highlands of 1565, superstition and treachery threaten a truce between rival clans. It's a weak truce at first, bound only by an arranged engagement between Anne MacGregor and Niall Campbell-the heirs of the feuding families.
While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a traitor in his clan, Anne's actions do not go unnoticed. And as accusations of witchcraft abound, the strong and sometimes callous Campbell heir must fight for Anne's safety among disconcerted clan members. Meanwhile his own safety in threatened with the ever-present threat of someone who wants him dead.
Will Niall discover the traitor's identity in time? Can Anne find a way to fit into her new surroundings? Will the two learn to love each other despite the conflict? With a perfect mix of a burgeoning romance and thrilling suspense, this book is historical fiction at its best.
While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a traitor in his clan, Anne's actions do not go unnoticed. And as accusations of witchcraft abound, the strong and sometimes callous Campbell heir must fight for Anne's safety among disconcerted clan members. Meanwhile his own safety in threatened with the ever-present threat of someone who wants him dead.
Will Niall discover the traitor's identity in time? Can Anne find a way to fit into her new surroundings? Will the two learn to love each other despite the conflict? With a perfect mix of a burgeoning romance and thrilling suspense, this book is historical fiction at its best.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1992
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About the author
Kathleen Morgan
37 books382 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Kathleen began her career writing contemporary romances and soon moved to historical and futuristic romances. She sold her first book, a futuristic romance, in April 1990 while stationed in Korea as an Army nurse. Additional romances soon followed, until she had sold a total of fifteen books in the general market, establishing a loyal readership along the way.
Since that time, she has received numerous awards for her work, including a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award and Career Achievement award, and The Literary Times award for Literary Excellence in the Field of Romantic Fiction. She was also a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist.
Kathleen now focuses her writing talents in the area of inspirational fiction, offering readers characters who struggle to redefine their growing faith in everyday life.
Kathleen began her career writing contemporary romances and soon moved to historical and futuristic romances. She sold her first book, a futuristic romance, in April 1990 while stationed in Korea as an Army nurse. Additional romances soon followed, until she had sold a total of fifteen books in the general market, establishing a loyal readership along the way.
Since that time, she has received numerous awards for her work, including a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award and Career Achievement award, and The Literary Times award for Literary Excellence in the Field of Romantic Fiction. She was also a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist.
Kathleen now focuses her writing talents in the area of inspirational fiction, offering readers characters who struggle to redefine their growing faith in everyday life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 570 reviews
December 4, 2013
Synopsis:
Harsh Scottish highlands, 1565.
Anne MacGregor is a born healer but some people call her a witch and avoid her at all cost (until they or somebody from their family gets ill of course). Niall Campbell, a seasoned warrior and the next clan leader, is mourning his young wife who has died during childbirth. Their clans are enemies – they are stealing the cattle from each other, killing people and destroying their chances of survival. Normal borderlands' cheer. Finally Anne's father thinks it cannot continue this way. In order to prevent the worst Anne is handfasted to Niall (handfasting is an ancient Celtic ceremony, a kind of temporary or permanent betrothal or wedding) although she despises him and he claims he is nor ready for another wife. Well, who cares. The welfare of your people, stupid!
Meanwhile there is a traitor in the Campbell clan who would gladly see Naill and Anne dead. While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a hidden enemy in his clan, Anne's actions do not go unnoticed. Will they start cooperating in time to prevent the murderer? Maybe but only after they bore the readers to death.
What I liked:
I didn’t pay for this one. It was a breeze to read (or rather to leaf through - it was a DNF) so I didn’t lose much time either. Oh and the cover is nice - I like Scotland's landscapes!
What I didn’t like:
Oh dear. Oh dear. Quick, help me. Where is my devil outfit? Here it is – a bit dusty and worse for wear but still fully functional. Let me start then without further delay.
The plot: it was WEAK, childish, predictable and so utterly cliché that I hardly suppressed laughter. Or rather a burst of evil laugh. Nothing, and I mean LITTERALY nothing, was able to surprise me in this book. You can safely assume the main heroine will come unscathed from every predicament, you can bet the male lead will vanquish his enemies sooner or later and you will be perfectly right every single time. ALWAYS. But…where’s the tension? Where’s the interest and the excitement? Where are those scenes which urge you to read on even though you should have stopped long time ago? The answer, I regret to inform you, is : there are no such things. Still, in the Amazon product description you can find such phrase as ‘thrilling suspense’. Suspense, my horns. Perhaps suspenders but still only those boring ones your granddad would wear every day and never wash. Any claim that this book is ‘thrilling’ is nothing but a shameless lie, one of many buzzwords used by marketing specialist to sell you a crappy product. ‘Sleep-inducing’ would be far more appropriate.
The interaction between Anne and Niall consist of one constant love quarrel which drags and drags and gets on your nerves and drags further on. They act and think like two moody teenagers but they kiss, sure they do, kissing is one of their fav pastimes as Niall is a good kisser and our prissy, chaste Anne loves that despite herself. The result is a romance based on mutual lust which nevertheless is supposed to remain superficially chaste: a weird combination which I presume doesn’t satisfy either any sensible Christian fiction fan or any ‘normal’ romance reader (and I am neither so…). It remains me of one of these ‘recycled’ virgins – people who have their marriage officially annulled by the Catholic church no matter whether it has been consumed or not. Quite a leap of faith, don't you think?
Of course there is a third man to their party, Iain Campbell, who fancies Anne instantly and cannot get over it (rolleyes) no matter what. I can’t remember how many times in my reviews I’ve emphasized the fact that I hate love triangles with a virulent, sulphur-scented hatred. This one was not only bad, it was also completely unbelievable and tepid to the extreme.
The identity of the main baddie became transparent very early on; still the author wants me to believe poor Niall, a braw clever Scotsman, has been as lost as a child in the mist (pun intended) till the very end and his brilliant fiancée fared just slightly better (but half of the time she is too sulky to reveal the truth). I really regretted she survived her burning – she deserved it more than anyone. In fact Anne is a perfect example of a ‘too-stupid-to-live’ female lead. How many times does it take to be almost killed before you learn, my lady?
The novel is written in a very juvenile style. I would compare it to a work of not especially bright high school sophomore who is dreaming of being an author of one of these steamy erotica novels (rrrrawr!) but she is unable to pluck up her courage to write one really good sex scene because she is a Christian (miserere mei Deus!) and she wants to keep it DECENT. As a result she is like FOREVER running in circles and never getting to the point. Adorable - a perfect torture device.
Finally…it is supposed to be a historical novel. Ehem…the author makes her characters speak in fictitious Scottish (“verra well, my wee bonny lass, verra well! Just give me a bairn every year and I’ll be verra happy!” “Mayhap, just mayhap m'lord!”) but she forgets to change their way of thinking and from time to time also their vocabulary. I laughed a lot when, after a skirmish Anne is examining her beloved Niall (wounded by a baddie) and announces: "the arrow didn't damage any vital organs..." Vital organs? ER or Doctor House anybody? But wait, it is supposed to be 16th century Scotland, right?
Houston, we have a problem...
Final verdict:
I suppose this book was born as a steamy romance and then it's been cleaned up and masqueraded as a Christian fiction novel in order to suit the market needs. Woohoo – the idea straight from hell! Now seriously: it was bad – very bad indeed. A perfect example of a book that shouldn’t have existed. In order to detoxicate my system I found a nice scientific paper: Numerical solution of seven-order Sawada-Kotara equations by homotopy perturbation method by M. Ghasemi , A. Azizi and M. Fardi. Solitary-wave solution...hmmm. Now I will be all right.
June 26, 2010
Both the hero and the heroine were idiots, especially the heroine. The dialog was horrible. The only words the heroine knew apparently, were "Och!" and "Wheesht!" Major eye roller!
December 20, 2011
The basic set up of this story is pretty much the same as any Highland romance with a pair of feuding clans (the MacGregors and the Campbells), and a betrothal between the two clans in an effort to restore peace. In this case, it's Anne MacGregor who is hand-fasted for one year to Niall Campbell (Niall's still grieving over his dead wife and not ready for another woman or marriage). Oh, and since Anne's such a great healer, she's got a reputation as a witch and the Campbells jump on that as a reason to hate her - and the evil baddie who plots to become the next chief when Niall's father dies is verra happy to make use of that fact.
*Yawn*
Sound a bit like just about every other Scottish romance on the market? That's because it is, with the exception of being a "Christian" romance. Oh, but that doesn't quite work because the inspirational aspects really didn't hit until about 75% of the way through - before that all I picked up on was what would be normal healthy respect for God and the Church for a woman of that period. The romance itself is rather tepid (really didn't like either one of them), the Big Misunderstanding went on too long (could they just not sit down and talk to each other?), and the baddies were really really bad (and verra easy to guess who he was I might add). As for the writing itself? You be the judge,
"Curse the man, whoever he was!"
"By mountain and sea, the woman could stir him with but the sound of her voice!"
"White-hot anger swelled in Anne. Curse him! He had the soul of a dog!"
"Did ye think ye'd get the key so easily, my beauteous little witch?"
"Mayhap, just mayhap"
Oh, those mayhaps sure got old after a while...
I'd recommend a pass on this one, Kindle freebie or no.
*Yawn*
Sound a bit like just about every other Scottish romance on the market? That's because it is, with the exception of being a "Christian" romance. Oh, but that doesn't quite work because the inspirational aspects really didn't hit until about 75% of the way through - before that all I picked up on was what would be normal healthy respect for God and the Church for a woman of that period. The romance itself is rather tepid (really didn't like either one of them), the Big Misunderstanding went on too long (could they just not sit down and talk to each other?), and the baddies were really really bad (and verra easy to guess who he was I might add). As for the writing itself? You be the judge,
"Curse the man, whoever he was!"
"By mountain and sea, the woman could stir him with but the sound of her voice!"
"White-hot anger swelled in Anne. Curse him! He had the soul of a dog!"
"Did ye think ye'd get the key so easily, my beauteous little witch?"
"Mayhap, just mayhap"
Oh, those mayhaps sure got old after a while...
I'd recommend a pass on this one, Kindle freebie or no.
January 31, 2012
This book was terrible. The writing style needs a severe red pen... I could not stand the endless flowery adjectives and adverbs which serve to only reiterate descriptions we are already well aware of. It comes off as not only pretentious but like the author has no trust in her readers to imagine a scene without having every little detail described to them (for the tenth time).
The actual plot could be distilled down to a few pages. Everything was so predictable. Deus ex Machina to the MAX. Here's a hint: there's no point in creating a dire situation if you've obviously set the whole story up to have no tragedy.. Of what few plot elements there were, most felt forced. Why would Niall suspect Iain was the traitor in the first place? They were close friends, and Iain was hardly the only one who had something to gain. IT MADE NO SENSE. FORCED PLOT POINT. ONE OF MANY. Everyone was so incredibly one dimensional, had stock reactions, stock lines, stock feelings. There was nothing unique about any of the characters, nothing to make them memorable in the least. Plots and Villains were cardboard cutouts nipped from villain and plot generators. Even when something was so OBVIOUSLY one way, all the characters were somehow blind to the most plain logic. And then we were yet still force fed snippets from the villains point of view to ramp up the "mystery and intrigue."
But 75% of the story is Anne and Niall flip flopping back and forth on whether they truly loved each other. WHAT. A SNORE.
As one other reviewer said, rampant misogyny.
I think I rolled my eyes on every single page.
The actual plot could be distilled down to a few pages. Everything was so predictable. Deus ex Machina to the MAX. Here's a hint: there's no point in creating a dire situation if you've obviously set the whole story up to have no tragedy.. Of what few plot elements there were, most felt forced. Why would Niall suspect Iain was the traitor in the first place? They were close friends, and Iain was hardly the only one who had something to gain. IT MADE NO SENSE. FORCED PLOT POINT. ONE OF MANY. Everyone was so incredibly one dimensional, had stock reactions, stock lines, stock feelings. There was nothing unique about any of the characters, nothing to make them memorable in the least. Plots and Villains were cardboard cutouts nipped from villain and plot generators. Even when something was so OBVIOUSLY one way, all the characters were somehow blind to the most plain logic. And then we were yet still force fed snippets from the villains point of view to ramp up the "mystery and intrigue."
But 75% of the story is Anne and Niall flip flopping back and forth on whether they truly loved each other. WHAT. A SNORE.
As one other reviewer said, rampant misogyny.
I think I rolled my eyes on every single page.
February 11, 2012
Morgan had a good idea, researched it well, and gave the reader a good sense of the period.
Two things worked against her tale: her characters acted more like twenty-first century high school students than seventh century clan leaders--clueless and driven by their gonads rather than their brains, and for a supposed bunch of Christians they seldom actually prayed or sought divine guidance, perhaps because they were so busy making matters worse by their own pig-headedness.
Not bad, but not good either. Disappointing.
Two things worked against her tale: her characters acted more like twenty-first century high school students than seventh century clan leaders--clueless and driven by their gonads rather than their brains, and for a supposed bunch of Christians they seldom actually prayed or sought divine guidance, perhaps because they were so busy making matters worse by their own pig-headedness.
Not bad, but not good either. Disappointing.
December 23, 2024
Read: 2013
2.5 stars! This was not a memorable book. It was slow and a little boring
2.5 stars! This was not a memorable book. It was slow and a little boring
January 16, 2012
Child Of The Mist by Kathleen Morgan is the beginning of the 'These Highland Hills' Trilogy, and a well written book--and not what i expected. The heroine, Anne MacGregor, is a suspected witch who finds her self unexpectedly hand-fasted to the tanist soon to be chieftain, Niall Campbell to stop bloodshed between two of the fighting clans.
I normally don't like widowed hero's because i don't like the idea of a man whose meant to be mourning his late wife but is now in love with someone else. so i kinda question the solidarity of his love for Anne. But he does say he has never loved anyone like this--which i was kinda happy about, because i didn't want Anne playing second fiddle to Nialls first wife.
I found myself wondering at first how she could fall in love with Niall so quickly-but the author explains this--Anne and Niall feel like magnets-drawn to each other--and Niall is such a deep dude...he is like...DUDDEEE. He is never violent to her, and he shows his vulnerability to her--something he never has shown anyone before.
I think his love for Annie number 2 (his first wife's name was Anne as well :/) better, or had found his true soul mate in her who could match up to him and talk to him on the same level.
Anne is like kick ass--her 'witchcraft isn't really witchcraft but she is a person(i really dont know the name) who collects herbs and plants and use them as medicine--so a herbal doctor? and she is mistaken as a witch when she breaths life back into a baby who's umbilical cord is choking her.
The book all in all is good, well written novel--but at times i didn't feel a connection between the leads-when i read the back of the book i was expecting something else--but neither the less it was still good-and i probably will read the follow up books.
3.5 Stars.
I normally don't like widowed hero's because i don't like the idea of a man whose meant to be mourning his late wife but is now in love with someone else. so i kinda question the solidarity of his love for Anne. But he does say he has never loved anyone like this--which i was kinda happy about, because i didn't want Anne playing second fiddle to Nialls first wife.
I found myself wondering at first how she could fall in love with Niall so quickly-but the author explains this--Anne and Niall feel like magnets-drawn to each other--and Niall is such a deep dude...he is like...DUDDEEE. He is never violent to her, and he shows his vulnerability to her--something he never has shown anyone before.
I think his love for Annie number 2 (his first wife's name was Anne as well :/) better, or had found his true soul mate in her who could match up to him and talk to him on the same level.
Anne is like kick ass--her 'witchcraft isn't really witchcraft but she is a person(i really dont know the name) who collects herbs and plants and use them as medicine--so a herbal doctor? and she is mistaken as a witch when she breaths life back into a baby who's umbilical cord is choking her.
The book all in all is good, well written novel--but at times i didn't feel a connection between the leads-when i read the back of the book i was expecting something else--but neither the less it was still good-and i probably will read the follow up books.
3.5 Stars.
February 22, 2009
Child of the Mist is a well written romance that takes place in 15th century Scotland. The MacGregors and the Campbells have fought one another for years. Alastair MacGregor wants peace and realizes the only way to get it is to have his oldest daughter Anne marry the son of the Campbell, Niall, who’s next in line to lead his clan. Niall Campbell who’s also tired of the fighting agrees but not to marriage but to Handfast. Alastair agrees. Niall assures Anne that he would not take advantage of her during her stay at his home and after a year they’ll either marry or she’ll return home to her father. Before that Anne, a healer, had gone to deliver a child. The child was born with its umbilical cord around its neck and was not breathing. Anne performed mouth-to-mouth recitation and was seen by one of Niall’s clansman who declares her a witch. At the Campbells, there’s a plot to kill Niall so someone else could become the leader and together Niall and Anne form a partnership and foil the traitors. What I liked about Child of the Mist is the main female character is never a victim. She’s smart and uses her commonsense to prevail. Kathleen Morgan writing is impressive and the way she handles her characters is refreshing. All of the characters are strong and smart and accept their fates with dignity.
March 28, 2013
I have so many mixed feelings about this novel and I need to write them down!
On one hand, it was very enjoyable. I wasn't expecting anything super original, as I am familiar with the plot's formula: Feuding clans are united through a forced marraige where the daughter is sent away. The couple hates each other but learn to love. Some conflict occurs in the middle that almost kills the woman but she is saved. And happily ever after.
That said, it's not a crappy rendition of the formula. The story was enjoyable and well paced, and an easy read (I went through it in two days!). It wasn't super heavy, which I enjoyed, I just got to read and enjoy the ride! Morgan's pacing and choice of segment breaks was also done very well, it created a lot of suspense.
However, some things I disliked were the dialogue, the characterizations, and the God aspects. The dialogue was written in a Scottish accent, which was very awkward to me. I could excuse the "ye"s and "yer"s but past that, "dinna," "och," "braw," etc really threw me. Often it just took me right out of the scene because the meaning wouldn't be apparent. Especially since the rest of the novel was written in standard American/British English with no accent.
The characterizations were pretty weak. The characters just seemed to fill roles fitting to their role in the formula with no other aspects of the character outside of the plot. This wasn't a huge deal breaker for me though, just sometimes it was jarring. (Slight spoiler) Niall's sister's sudden transformation was one weird personality transition. Suddenly her and Anne were BFFs with no warning?? Odd. (/End spoiler) The switching between "Anne" and "Annie" was also weird and a bit creepy, aha. No reason to change it to his dead wife's name!
The God aspect is the last thing that bothered me. I could normally overlook the constant God and Jesus references, but it was paired with such a bad relationship! I mean, it's borderline abusive, Niall was constantly hurting her and Anne knew that, choosing to be his punching bag. Stockholm syndrome nuch? I could look beyond that though because, hey, it's a part of the formula (and I liked the drama it added tbh). But pairing that with the belief that it was God's will kind of sends a bad message about the nature of relationships, right?
So, looking at that big blob of text, you may be wondering why I gave it a highish rating. Mainly because the pros outweighed the cons for me. As well, I've read a lot, A LOT of books like this in my 20years and the formula always wins me over. I do suggest, if you want to look into more stories like this with some fantasy, check out Juliet Marillier and her Sevenwaters trilogy, it was my intro to the genre and it was highly enjoyable!
On one hand, it was very enjoyable. I wasn't expecting anything super original, as I am familiar with the plot's formula: Feuding clans are united through a forced marraige where the daughter is sent away. The couple hates each other but learn to love. Some conflict occurs in the middle that almost kills the woman but she is saved. And happily ever after.
That said, it's not a crappy rendition of the formula. The story was enjoyable and well paced, and an easy read (I went through it in two days!). It wasn't super heavy, which I enjoyed, I just got to read and enjoy the ride! Morgan's pacing and choice of segment breaks was also done very well, it created a lot of suspense.
However, some things I disliked were the dialogue, the characterizations, and the God aspects. The dialogue was written in a Scottish accent, which was very awkward to me. I could excuse the "ye"s and "yer"s but past that, "dinna," "och," "braw," etc really threw me. Often it just took me right out of the scene because the meaning wouldn't be apparent. Especially since the rest of the novel was written in standard American/British English with no accent.
The characterizations were pretty weak. The characters just seemed to fill roles fitting to their role in the formula with no other aspects of the character outside of the plot. This wasn't a huge deal breaker for me though, just sometimes it was jarring. (Slight spoiler) Niall's sister's sudden transformation was one weird personality transition. Suddenly her and Anne were BFFs with no warning?? Odd. (/End spoiler) The switching between "Anne" and "Annie" was also weird and a bit creepy, aha. No reason to change it to his dead wife's name!
The God aspect is the last thing that bothered me. I could normally overlook the constant God and Jesus references, but it was paired with such a bad relationship! I mean, it's borderline abusive, Niall was constantly hurting her and Anne knew that, choosing to be his punching bag. Stockholm syndrome nuch? I could look beyond that though because, hey, it's a part of the formula (and I liked the drama it added tbh). But pairing that with the belief that it was God's will kind of sends a bad message about the nature of relationships, right?
So, looking at that big blob of text, you may be wondering why I gave it a highish rating. Mainly because the pros outweighed the cons for me. As well, I've read a lot, A LOT of books like this in my 20years and the formula always wins me over. I do suggest, if you want to look into more stories like this with some fantasy, check out Juliet Marillier and her Sevenwaters trilogy, it was my intro to the genre and it was highly enjoyable!
July 12, 2014
I raced through this book mainly because it was a beautiful day, I had nothing to do and I was able to sit outside and just read. I was amazed by how enraptured I was by this book, but if the truth be told it then started to grate on me.
I originally bought the book because I didn't realise it was mainly romance but I did think it was about magic. Magic - really. The only "magic" in this book was the ability to use herbs to treat ailments so that the un-intelligent considered this to be witchcraft. So ultimately I was duped and I shall be checking out my purchases more careful in future.
However, the book did draw me in initially so it needs to be commended in that regard. Being so far from my usual genres (and any icky-sticky romance is certainly on the other end of my spectrum), I just couldn't get over my "prejudices"; the repetition, the "och love, I'll save you" (or pretty similar). I put the book down at 77% to see if I would bother picking it back up again. I didn't. Now I resign it to DNF although I know that, if the day had been longer, I may well have finished the book but mainly because I like to finish what I start. The truth is, I don't want to waste my time to find something out, when I pretty much know how it ends anyway and I have soooo many other books that I really do want to read.
I can't possible give 1 star when I read so much of the book so hence it gets 2 stars.
I originally bought the book because I didn't realise it was mainly romance but I did think it was about magic. Magic - really. The only "magic" in this book was the ability to use herbs to treat ailments so that the un-intelligent considered this to be witchcraft. So ultimately I was duped and I shall be checking out my purchases more careful in future.
However, the book did draw me in initially so it needs to be commended in that regard. Being so far from my usual genres (and any icky-sticky romance is certainly on the other end of my spectrum), I just couldn't get over my "prejudices"; the repetition, the "och love, I'll save you" (or pretty similar). I put the book down at 77% to see if I would bother picking it back up again. I didn't. Now I resign it to DNF although I know that, if the day had been longer, I may well have finished the book but mainly because I like to finish what I start. The truth is, I don't want to waste my time to find something out, when I pretty much know how it ends anyway and I have soooo many other books that I really do want to read.
I can't possible give 1 star when I read so much of the book so hence it gets 2 stars.
April 18, 2014
This was a free Kindle book and I love historical fiction especially set in Scotland among the clans, so I decided to read it. I had high hopes for this book after reading the first quarter of it and am still sad it didn't pan out for me. I think it could have been very good, but the characters had such bad judgement and all the emotional tumult just became ridiculous. At times I felt I'd turned the page and found myself in a ridiculous romance novel with all the ups and downs and stupidity. The heroes and villains were so very obvious to me as the reader but the protagonists just couldn't figure it out (and it wasn't that hard)...it became annoying. All of that being said, I still read the whole thing.
May 8, 2012
Firstly, I loved this tale...
but there are some things that grated. Americanisms and modernisms in a book set in the 14th century doesn't quite sit well with me.
There were words that were invented in the 16th century that she used, they were out of place and made me lift an eyebrow.
Now, again, apart from that, I loved it - Niall was wonderful, jealous powerful and Anne was stubborn and lovely... all the best traits of a pair of Highland heros.
The plot was well thought out and excellently executed. I will definitely read more from Kathleen.
but there are some things that grated. Americanisms and modernisms in a book set in the 14th century doesn't quite sit well with me.
There were words that were invented in the 16th century that she used, they were out of place and made me lift an eyebrow.
Now, again, apart from that, I loved it - Niall was wonderful, jealous powerful and Anne was stubborn and lovely... all the best traits of a pair of Highland heros.
The plot was well thought out and excellently executed. I will definitely read more from Kathleen.
June 4, 2009
Like so many of the books that have been in my TBR for a while I don't remember why I added it to the pile anymore. It seemed to have a marriage or betrothal of convenience which is one of my favourite themes so maybe that was it. It was only after I had finished it that a friend told me this was Christian fiction, although I can see how that term may be applied to it this is definitely not a story of the preachy sort. I never read Inspirationals and had I noticed any preachy messages I would have abandoned it immediately.
This is the story of Anne McGregor and Niall Campbell, beginning in 1654, whose clans have been feuding for 8 years. Due to some troubling events that involve Niall's capture by Anne's father and then the McGregor's siege by the Campbells, Anne's father concludes that the only way of ending the feud is to unite Anne and Niall in marriage. Unfortunately none of them is happy with that idea. Niall is still mourning his first wife and Anne doesn't want to get married, especially to someone she doesn't know. But the situation is bordering on war and so they eventually agree to a handfasting, a betrothal of sorts, for a year. After the year is over either they marry or separate.
Their union effectively stops the tension between both clans. However as Anne goes into Campbell territory and reaches their castle it is clear that there are many people who don't like their union and don't trust her. While she and Niall try to get along their relationship is affected by the fact that Anne's healing powers lead people to think she is a witch, in a time when a royal edict determined that witches should be burned at the stake, and Niall has to deal with a traitor who may be trying to kill him and take over his clan.
The book is as much about them getting to know and love each other as it is about the mystery of who is trying to destroy Niall. I must say I had a pretty good guess about who that might be from the beginning and I wasn't wrong. The book has enough action to keep you reading nonstop and has none of those religious messages that I usually associate with inspirational readings. Although they have decided on a chaste handfasting I felt that was quite in character for them and their situation, while they might be tempted to a physical relationship after they do know each other better there's no religious message stopping them from go ahead, it's their promise to each other that holds them back. All in all a very enjoyable read.
Grade: 4.5/5
This is the story of Anne McGregor and Niall Campbell, beginning in 1654, whose clans have been feuding for 8 years. Due to some troubling events that involve Niall's capture by Anne's father and then the McGregor's siege by the Campbells, Anne's father concludes that the only way of ending the feud is to unite Anne and Niall in marriage. Unfortunately none of them is happy with that idea. Niall is still mourning his first wife and Anne doesn't want to get married, especially to someone she doesn't know. But the situation is bordering on war and so they eventually agree to a handfasting, a betrothal of sorts, for a year. After the year is over either they marry or separate.
Their union effectively stops the tension between both clans. However as Anne goes into Campbell territory and reaches their castle it is clear that there are many people who don't like their union and don't trust her. While she and Niall try to get along their relationship is affected by the fact that Anne's healing powers lead people to think she is a witch, in a time when a royal edict determined that witches should be burned at the stake, and Niall has to deal with a traitor who may be trying to kill him and take over his clan.
The book is as much about them getting to know and love each other as it is about the mystery of who is trying to destroy Niall. I must say I had a pretty good guess about who that might be from the beginning and I wasn't wrong. The book has enough action to keep you reading nonstop and has none of those religious messages that I usually associate with inspirational readings. Although they have decided on a chaste handfasting I felt that was quite in character for them and their situation, while they might be tempted to a physical relationship after they do know each other better there's no religious message stopping them from go ahead, it's their promise to each other that holds them back. All in all a very enjoyable read.
Grade: 4.5/5
April 7, 2014
Another Kindle freebie. This book had a lot of potential with it's compelling premise - feuding families, an arranged marriage between the heirs as a truce, plus a traitor in the mix, sounds like a recipe for an awesome book. But there are a few reasons I didn't give it more stars:
*possibly some spoilers ahead (well... kind of spoilers, I don't feel like I'm giving away anything that the book didn't give away on it's own)*
-The Scottish Thing: Oh I really wish she hadn't done the Scottish thing. The dialect was so distracting for me and didn't come across as authentic at all. Too many 'och's, 'mayhap's, and 'lassie's.
-Niall: Ugh, did not like this guy. He just seemed like a big, dumb animal. Anne keeps ALMOST getting killed by various members of his family, yet Niall remains completely clueless as to who the traitor is. Ummm... maybe it's the guy who keeps trying to KILL YOUR WIFE. Seriously. Idiot.
-This book reminded me a lot of Daughter of the Forest, which as you know, is my favorite book of all time. So it was hard not to compare the two and notice where this one was falling short.
Really enjoyed the first half (4 stars), was ready to be done through most of the second half (2 stars). Rounded it to 3 stars. The story was good enough that I would read the other books in the series but I don't think I can handle that Scottish dialect for two more books. I'll just call it good with this one.
*possibly some spoilers ahead (well... kind of spoilers, I don't feel like I'm giving away anything that the book didn't give away on it's own)*
-The Scottish Thing: Oh I really wish she hadn't done the Scottish thing. The dialect was so distracting for me and didn't come across as authentic at all. Too many 'och's, 'mayhap's, and 'lassie's.
-Niall: Ugh, did not like this guy. He just seemed like a big, dumb animal. Anne keeps ALMOST getting killed by various members of his family, yet Niall remains completely clueless as to who the traitor is. Ummm... maybe it's the guy who keeps trying to KILL YOUR WIFE. Seriously. Idiot.
-This book reminded me a lot of Daughter of the Forest, which as you know, is my favorite book of all time. So it was hard not to compare the two and notice where this one was falling short.
Really enjoyed the first half (4 stars), was ready to be done through most of the second half (2 stars). Rounded it to 3 stars. The story was good enough that I would read the other books in the series but I don't think I can handle that Scottish dialect for two more books. I'll just call it good with this one.
January 30, 2012
don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series. FOr a "romance" novel, there was very little romance. there was, however, a whole lot of misogyny. I get it, it was a rough period in history and women held different status, but this was a bit much. Also, the scenarios were incredibly repetitive. Anne makes an "independent" choice, situation gets scrappy, Niall comes and saves her, Niall/Anne fight, he crushes her with some kisses, she objects and then concedes. Rinse.repeat. As commentary to editors-just because there are highlanders involved, does not Fantasy Fiction make. Going to back to Juliette Marillier to remind me there are good Fantasy writers with some respect for women out there.
August 13, 2012
Mayhap, mayhap there's a good novel somewhere in there. Och, I didn't find it.
September 11, 2014
Surprisingly good, set in 1500s Scotland. Romance, adventure, Christian themes. Exciting new series.
November 12, 2018
Well thank goodness that is over! This was BAD! No heated or passionate love scenes. What we have here are two flat characters that despise one another and the only interactions they have are arguing with one another until suddenly, Anne falls in love with Niall because he is such a man.
Cut to the end, Anne asks, "Niall, what's going on? What are you plotting? . . . Sisters, why do you want me to wear that gorgeous ivory gown for such an informal dinner? . . . Niall, why are you dressed so fancy? I haven't a clue what's happening."
Niall says, "Surprise, baby! We are getting married! I thought I'd surprise you this way because I know how women hate being involved in the planning of their own wedding."
Anne- "Well I had no idea you wanted to marry me. I mean you did ask me not long ago. But honestly, I had no idea."
Now my head aches from all the eye rolling I've done over this book.
Cut to the end, Anne asks, "Niall, what's going on? What are you plotting? . . . Sisters, why do you want me to wear that gorgeous ivory gown for such an informal dinner? . . . Niall, why are you dressed so fancy? I haven't a clue what's happening."
Niall says, "Surprise, baby! We are getting married! I thought I'd surprise you this way because I know how women hate being involved in the planning of their own wedding."
Anne- "Well I had no idea you wanted to marry me. I mean you did ask me not long ago. But honestly, I had no idea."
Now my head aches from all the eye rolling I've done over this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2020
I read this as a teenager about 800 times. Forgot the name and author until yesterday, spent two hours going through so many Highlander novels but then, there it was. Child of the Mist got me through some emotional rollercoasters and gave me the cheesy romance that I needed. Rereading it now just to get the experience again. 10/10 for cheese
July 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this book - it’s like a more “Christian” version of Outlander!
January 19, 2014
Free book on Kindle. Yahoo!
I was excited to read this book because if it's historical setting. (I fell so in love with Liz Curtis Higgs's Scottish series!)
Eighteen-year-old Anne MacGregor is the eldest daughter of the chieftain of the MacGregor clan, a clan that has been waging war with the Campbells for nearly ten years. With a desire to the long feud, Anne's father, Alastair, handfasts his daughter to the Campbell clan's tanist and heir to the chieftainship, Niall Campbell, in hopes that the two will eventually wed and join the clans together. Anne and Niall are married in all but name, so Anne travels with Niall to live in his clan.
Anne has a strong knack for the healing arts and because of it, some are quick to call her a witch. Some members of the Campbell clan are quick to fuel the flames of that fire.
[Spoilers may follow. Read at your own risk.]
I was just so confused.
Not about the plot itself because what kept me reading was wanting to find out who the traitor was (although I really should have guessed it myself). At first, I thought I liked Anne, and sure maybe even I liked Niall at one point, but I really felt as if they were both so confused in their feelings for one another. Anne was vehemently against the handfasting and only went along because she wanted the feud to end as well. I feel as if she really only started liking Niall because of his good looks. Their over 10 year age difference didn't seem to play a part in it. They constantly bicker back and forth. One second she hates him, then in like the same moment, she loves him and wants to fall into his arms for comfort! Niall, too, was the same way.
After losing his wife, he wanted a long period to mourn her. In the beginning, he had his reasons for disliking Anne and I didn't see them as excuses. But as the book progressed, it was as if he completely forgot his wife died because he was so caught up with Anne. Maybe the two just have a love-hate relationship? I just didn't understand it. But sure, okay, whatever.
As for the other characters... I felt bad for Iain, which I'm still not sure I should have.
Caitlin confused me as well. One minute she hates Anne and suddenly the two seem to be good friends. (I guess Caitlin can't be a spoiled brat forever, huh?)
Besides all the character nonsense, I LOVED the setting. I've never been to Scotland before but I just picture lovely green hills and misty weather.
I also felt as if the entire story could have done without Anne's (or even Niall's) teeny devotion to God. It's like it only came up when it was convenient, and just really hard to be believable for me. I think I may have actually enjoyed the story if the it was set in an earlier time frame. But maybe that's just me?
I was excited to read this book because if it's historical setting. (I fell so in love with Liz Curtis Higgs's Scottish series!)
Eighteen-year-old Anne MacGregor is the eldest daughter of the chieftain of the MacGregor clan, a clan that has been waging war with the Campbells for nearly ten years. With a desire to the long feud, Anne's father, Alastair, handfasts his daughter to the Campbell clan's tanist and heir to the chieftainship, Niall Campbell, in hopes that the two will eventually wed and join the clans together. Anne and Niall are married in all but name, so Anne travels with Niall to live in his clan.
Anne has a strong knack for the healing arts and because of it, some are quick to call her a witch. Some members of the Campbell clan are quick to fuel the flames of that fire.
[Spoilers may follow. Read at your own risk.]
I was just so confused.
Not about the plot itself because what kept me reading was wanting to find out who the traitor was (although I really should have guessed it myself). At first, I thought I liked Anne, and sure maybe even I liked Niall at one point, but I really felt as if they were both so confused in their feelings for one another. Anne was vehemently against the handfasting and only went along because she wanted the feud to end as well. I feel as if she really only started liking Niall because of his good looks. Their over 10 year age difference didn't seem to play a part in it. They constantly bicker back and forth. One second she hates him, then in like the same moment, she loves him and wants to fall into his arms for comfort! Niall, too, was the same way.
After losing his wife, he wanted a long period to mourn her. In the beginning, he had his reasons for disliking Anne and I didn't see them as excuses. But as the book progressed, it was as if he completely forgot his wife died because he was so caught up with Anne. Maybe the two just have a love-hate relationship? I just didn't understand it. But sure, okay, whatever.
As for the other characters... I felt bad for Iain, which I'm still not sure I should have.
Caitlin confused me as well. One minute she hates Anne and suddenly the two seem to be good friends. (I guess Caitlin can't be a spoiled brat forever, huh?)
Besides all the character nonsense, I LOVED the setting. I've never been to Scotland before but I just picture lovely green hills and misty weather.
I also felt as if the entire story could have done without Anne's (or even Niall's) teeny devotion to God. It's like it only came up when it was convenient, and just really hard to be believable for me. I think I may have actually enjoyed the story if the it was set in an earlier time frame. But maybe that's just me?
March 29, 2010
This is the first book in These Highland Hills series. Child of the Mist was hard for me to put down. I loved the conflict and attraction between the hero, Niall Campbell, and the heroine, Anne MacGregor. Her father pledges her hand in marriage after a one year commitment to seal the promise of peace between their clans. But Niall's people believe her to be a witch with her herbal healing powers, and he must constantly strive to protect her and work with his people to accept her, while trying to discover who in his clan is a betrayer. They both must strengthen their faith and learn to trust each other to overcome their struggles and fear.
The story is intriguing and keeps one reading to find out what will happen next. The emotional appeal between the characters gives the reader a chance to experience their world. The writing and dialogue gives the reader a sense of 1564 Scotland. If you enjoy a Scottish historical novel, I highly recommend Child of the Mist.
Back Cover Copy:
An arranged betrothal was never the course Anne MacGregor imagined her life would take. Yet when her father explains that her cooperation is the only way to bring about the long-sought truce between feuding families, Anne has no other choice.
A simple ceremony pledging Anne's hand in marriage after one year of commitment is the only seal to the promise of peace. But when the arrangement requires the reluctant Anne to follow Niall Campbell back to his home, she soon discovers that peace is not so easily achieved. Before they even arrive, rumors about her abound, and her safety is threatened. Meanwhile, Niall's ascension as leader of his clan is in jeopardy as a traitor works to bring about his downfall.
As Niall and Anne began to see beyond each other's defenses, love takes them by surprise. But will it be enough to defeat their foes? Or will the truce be broken, their lives forfeit, and war return to their beloved land?
For more about the book and the author, Kathleen Morgan, visit her website here.
The story is intriguing and keeps one reading to find out what will happen next. The emotional appeal between the characters gives the reader a chance to experience their world. The writing and dialogue gives the reader a sense of 1564 Scotland. If you enjoy a Scottish historical novel, I highly recommend Child of the Mist.
Back Cover Copy:
An arranged betrothal was never the course Anne MacGregor imagined her life would take. Yet when her father explains that her cooperation is the only way to bring about the long-sought truce between feuding families, Anne has no other choice.
A simple ceremony pledging Anne's hand in marriage after one year of commitment is the only seal to the promise of peace. But when the arrangement requires the reluctant Anne to follow Niall Campbell back to his home, she soon discovers that peace is not so easily achieved. Before they even arrive, rumors about her abound, and her safety is threatened. Meanwhile, Niall's ascension as leader of his clan is in jeopardy as a traitor works to bring about his downfall.
As Niall and Anne began to see beyond each other's defenses, love takes them by surprise. But will it be enough to defeat their foes? Or will the truce be broken, their lives forfeit, and war return to their beloved land?
For more about the book and the author, Kathleen Morgan, visit her website here.
February 20, 2017
Just NICE books. Great stories and romance. Kilts and love!
did-not-finish
July 11, 2019Okay. *sigh* I wanted to like this book! I really did. The premise is great. The setting is great. The author's writing (except for the problem I'll bring up in a second) was great. And for any other reader than ME, just me, this reader would be AMAZING.
But ... for me ... it was horrid. And I had to stop about 25% through, skim to the ending, find out what happened, and threw it across the room.
Look. I'm a picky reader, a'right? I just am! And though I love Scotland, I think the characters presented and the situations presented were interesting, and I wanted to love this story ... I couldn't.
It was the blasted head-hopping!
I knowwww, that's hugely picky, it used to be popular (probably a lot more so when this book written which though not too long ago was long enough for trends to shift), and it's widely accepted in a lot of circles. Especially for this kind of Christian fiction historical-but-not-mainstream-setting stories.
But ... eesh. The way the author was doing it in this instance was detracting from the story for me in such a big way! You see, she has two characters who believe different things about each other which leads to some prejudice they'll have to overcome throughout the story.
However, because of the head-hopping, it's impossible to understand this. If you start with one character and then switch to another chapter-by-chapter or scene-by-scene, at least you're not in both of their heads all of the time. You feel less of the stupidity of both characters.
I don't think I'm describing this well, but suffice to say it didn't work at all in this case. It ruined the tension between the characters. It destroyed the love I felt for this trope (prejudiced against each other for a reason, learn each other's reasons and sides and all).
And I just couldn't continue!
So that's why I DNFed this book! You may enjoy it if you're not picky like me, but I couldn't.
TTFN!
Kell
But ... for me ... it was horrid. And I had to stop about 25% through, skim to the ending, find out what happened, and threw it across the room.
Look. I'm a picky reader, a'right? I just am! And though I love Scotland, I think the characters presented and the situations presented were interesting, and I wanted to love this story ... I couldn't.
It was the blasted head-hopping!
I knowwww, that's hugely picky, it used to be popular (probably a lot more so when this book written which though not too long ago was long enough for trends to shift), and it's widely accepted in a lot of circles. Especially for this kind of Christian fiction historical-but-not-mainstream-setting stories.
But ... eesh. The way the author was doing it in this instance was detracting from the story for me in such a big way! You see, she has two characters who believe different things about each other which leads to some prejudice they'll have to overcome throughout the story.
However, because of the head-hopping, it's impossible to understand this. If you start with one character and then switch to another chapter-by-chapter or scene-by-scene, at least you're not in both of their heads all of the time. You feel less of the stupidity of both characters.
I don't think I'm describing this well, but suffice to say it didn't work at all in this case. It ruined the tension between the characters. It destroyed the love I felt for this trope (prejudiced against each other for a reason, learn each other's reasons and sides and all).
And I just couldn't continue!
So that's why I DNFed this book! You may enjoy it if you're not picky like me, but I couldn't.
TTFN!
Kell
August 30, 2016
I am normally very non-judgmental when it comes to romance novels. I don't let small discrepancies in the plot and poorly developed characters upset me, because, well, that's not why I read them. I read them for fun, for something to distract me, for a bit of added whimsy. this, however, was by far one of the worst. maybe it's because it had so much promise. the beginning started out pretty well. a young girl who may or may not be a witch, a family feud, a hastily arranged handfasting. but the heroine! goodness she drove me nuts. she was full of fire and righteous indignation, vowing to hate the man, and then, turn the page and she's saying she loves him and that she's known it to be true for some time. WHAT? and without giving away any of the story, she ends up being quite dull-witted as well.
honestly, there were moments when I wish I was a person who could simply stop reading a book. unfortunately, I'm not, and so I finished this piece of... prose.
i think my biggest problem was that she showed so much potential. independence, mouthy, and (seemingly) intelligent because of her healing skill. but by the end she was too blind to see even the most obvious of traps and simply became the biddable female. the one thing she managed to keep was her mouth. but honestly, insulting a man every time he irks you does not make you a worthwhile female; in fact, it discredits our entire sex. *sigh*
I also didn't realize this was a Christian fiction book until mid-way through. even the faith was lacking in this book. it seemed to be nothing more than lip-service and a heroine who was able to extend Christian charity to everyone but her love-interest. and his just-in-the-moment conversion felt completely disingenuous and self-serving.
all in all, this was incredibly disappointing. and that's saying a lot, since I don't have high standards for this genre to begin with.
honestly, there were moments when I wish I was a person who could simply stop reading a book. unfortunately, I'm not, and so I finished this piece of... prose.
i think my biggest problem was that she showed so much potential. independence, mouthy, and (seemingly) intelligent because of her healing skill. but by the end she was too blind to see even the most obvious of traps and simply became the biddable female. the one thing she managed to keep was her mouth. but honestly, insulting a man every time he irks you does not make you a worthwhile female; in fact, it discredits our entire sex. *sigh*
I also didn't realize this was a Christian fiction book until mid-way through. even the faith was lacking in this book. it seemed to be nothing more than lip-service and a heroine who was able to extend Christian charity to everyone but her love-interest. and his just-in-the-moment conversion felt completely disingenuous and self-serving.
all in all, this was incredibly disappointing. and that's saying a lot, since I don't have high standards for this genre to begin with.
March 17, 2014
This was free on my nook. I read the Barnes and Noble reviews, and decided to go for it. I absolutely love the setting. I mean the Scottish highlands in the 1500's...yes please...I'm so there! I guess I've been having some good luck with free books lately, because I really enjoyed this one. It's about two feuding clans fighting over land and such. In order to end the feud and establish peace the clans are joined together with the marriage of one clan chief's daughter to another soon to he clan chief (who they happen to have held prisoner in the castle....convenient). I think that if a book can capture your interest within the first few pages, then typically you have a good one. Well this one caught me right away. There's action, a mystery, and romance. It's very clean, with the right amount of romance. This is a Christian themed book, but this was one where the faith aspect of the story is more of an undercurrent to the story. It was slightly there, but not at all over the top. This is a winner for me. I only have a few complaints ... Anne (heroine) is pretty dumb on a frequent basis for being such a smart intuitive character (typical in many stories). Why must authors do that? Also, I really would have loved an epilogue. Every good story when you love the characters needs an epilogue. Lastly, the attempt at the Scottish language was a little weird and took some getting used to, but for me didn't at all take away from the story.
April 5, 2014
Niall hates to be called a fool but he IS one and it's driving me craaaaaaaazy!!! He could be so wonderful but the author keeps going to the extreme on his blindness in judgment calls; his emotions are forever clouding his judgment. At this point I wish Iain were to end up chief.
/endrant
Most of the way through I was going to give it 4 stars but by the end I was fed up. Too many of the situations seemed forced and Niall especially seemed a pawn in the author's hands. The outcome was SO obvious, yet he was completely blind to it.
Faith & God drove me crazy in this particular story too. It seems they are both here to get you through the difficulties and joys in life...and nothing more.
But God, Jesus Christ, the gift of faith, mean so much more. SIN has ravaged the human race to the core and no one is spared. But CHRIST has freed us from that bondage by his forgiveness, death and resurrection. This means the most for us eternally...and for our day to day life it's not about being brave in trials. Most of us are the simple "peasants" and deal with day to day trials, not life and death situations. The life of the Christian is one of repentance and forgiveness, which leads us to love others and share this good news with them on a daily basis. The author's shallow view on faith was a thorn in my side.
I really wanted to enjoy the actual story but all these things kept getting in my way. :(
/endrant
Most of the way through I was going to give it 4 stars but by the end I was fed up. Too many of the situations seemed forced and Niall especially seemed a pawn in the author's hands. The outcome was SO obvious, yet he was completely blind to it.
Faith & God drove me crazy in this particular story too. It seems they are both here to get you through the difficulties and joys in life...and nothing more.
But God, Jesus Christ, the gift of faith, mean so much more. SIN has ravaged the human race to the core and no one is spared. But CHRIST has freed us from that bondage by his forgiveness, death and resurrection. This means the most for us eternally...and for our day to day life it's not about being brave in trials. Most of us are the simple "peasants" and deal with day to day trials, not life and death situations. The life of the Christian is one of repentance and forgiveness, which leads us to love others and share this good news with them on a daily basis. The author's shallow view on faith was a thorn in my side.
I really wanted to enjoy the actual story but all these things kept getting in my way. :(
March 5, 2012
I was going to give this book 2 stars, but since I got drawn into the story enough to read it nonstop for a couple days, I'll grant it 3. I read this book because it was a book group pick but for me it doesn't seem like a book group book, more like a guilty pleasure book. Although it wasn't always a pleasure to read--mostly because the hero and heroine of the book annoyed me how they were always trying to read each other's minds and were always being so selfless, putting the other one first. Nice, but it makes them less real for me. The characters never quite break out of cliches. But here I am overanalyzing a book that is meant to be a fun and exciting read, which it ultimately was. I went into it thinking there was going to be deeper meaning and something to analyze since it's for a book group, but nope, there's nothing deep there. It said somewhere on the book that it is classified as an "inspirational romance." Interesting blend of genres, eh? Romance for sure and inspirational because the characters discuss their faith in God I guess. Best part = reading the Scottish accents. Och, aye lassie, that it was.
October 31, 2015
Loved it. Loved, loved, loved it. If I had known this book series was done by the author of Brides of Culdee Creek I would have read it sooner. I LOVED that series. Now I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
Wonderful story. Great depth in the characters. They seem real. Keeps you on the "edge" of your seat. Makes you want to keep reading. Enough conflict and relationships to keep the story moving along. A lovely, romantic, but not mushy or disgusting, Christian fiction.
Love the setting, Scotland. Would love to visit the area some day.
So hard to choose a favorite quote...
"...I'm determined not to give up. The Lord Jesus expects more than that of me.
"Aye, Agnes said, nodding in ready agreement," and His will matters more than the cruel, selfish machinations of some, and the petty jealousies and fears of the others."
Anne smiled. "Never let me forget that, Agnes. There are times, when things seem their darkest, that I'm wont to do that, ye know."
"Och, m'lady." The old woman patted her arm. "I won't. We're all called, after all, to help each other on the journey." (page 188)
Wonderful story. Great depth in the characters. They seem real. Keeps you on the "edge" of your seat. Makes you want to keep reading. Enough conflict and relationships to keep the story moving along. A lovely, romantic, but not mushy or disgusting, Christian fiction.
Love the setting, Scotland. Would love to visit the area some day.
So hard to choose a favorite quote...
"...I'm determined not to give up. The Lord Jesus expects more than that of me.
"Aye, Agnes said, nodding in ready agreement," and His will matters more than the cruel, selfish machinations of some, and the petty jealousies and fears of the others."
Anne smiled. "Never let me forget that, Agnes. There are times, when things seem their darkest, that I'm wont to do that, ye know."
"Och, m'lady." The old woman patted her arm. "I won't. We're all called, after all, to help each other on the journey." (page 188)
March 18, 2010
I thought this book was good I didn't love it because of all the revenge and everything but the love story was good and I LOVED that it was set in Scotland (which is a place I want to go some day) :). This book is about two clans that are feuding and to end the feuding the clan leader of one clan and the daughter of the other clan have to "marry" (you will get the quote marks if you read the book) and kind of bring the clans together. But someone is plotting against them and neither of the two like each other so that is a problem.
This is the first in a three book series and after reading them all they have the same story line love story/revenge on everyone and everything but just done in a different way. I heard about this author from my sister, Kristen, and she said they were pretty good but as I said repetitive so you have to take a brake in between reading all three and even reading her other books they kind of are the same too.
This is the first in a three book series and after reading them all they have the same story line love story/revenge on everyone and everything but just done in a different way. I heard about this author from my sister, Kristen, and she said they were pretty good but as I said repetitive so you have to take a brake in between reading all three and even reading her other books they kind of are the same too.
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