The Invasion of Falgannon Isle

The Sisters of Colford Hall #1

by Deborah Macgillivray

Unlucky in love, the mistress of Filgannon must free herself from the curse of her island with the help of a clever green-eyed Irishman who has invaded her land and her heart. Original.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Historical Romance, Paranormal

341 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2006

About the author

Author with Montlake/Amazon Publishing; Kensington Zebra Historicals; Prairie Rose Publication; Dorchester LoveSpell; Highland Press; Droemer Knaur (Germany); Random House Kodansha Ltd (Japan); AST (Russia); Romances Nova Cultural (Brazil), writing Scottish Medieval Historicals and Contemporary and Paranormal Romances. She has seven books and fourteen novellas in print.

A member of Authors Guild; IWOFA - Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors http://iwofa.net. On Staff at for Paranormal Romance Reviews and co-host for PNR's The Haunt; former reviewer for The Best Reviews and Sensual Romance Reviews, and used to review for Rambles.com, a Celtic e-magazine. A former member of RIO Reviewers International Organization, and served as their Award of Excellence Chair (2003-2005), and was assistant editor of their monthly newsletter. She served as 2nd Vice President of Hearts Through History (2004-2005), an online RWA Chapter; was also Web Chair (2003-2005) and was editor of their monthly newsletter The Bard Scroll (2003-5). A member of RWA and History Fiction Writers of Britain.

She was resident historian at WAXING POETIC (1999-2001). She also had a joint company with artist Carmon Deyo called CLAN RAVEN LTD. She wrote tales of Pict-Celt lore or tales from her family; Carmon turns them into the most beautiful jewelry in silver and gold. Their joint effort ‘THE THREE FACES OF THE GODDESS’, a highly original look at the Pict-Celt Goddesses, won awards and impressed Barnes and Noble enough to sponsor a month-long show in Texas of the works in September 2000, launched with a cocktail party.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Bennet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a toss up putting my rating at a 2 1/2 star. The idea of the book is a fun idea, seriously 213 single Scots with no lassies to accommodate them. B.A. is a 37 year old widow who owns Falgannon Isle. Des is where the real story lies though. He was 7 years old when he saw his father kill himself. His mother never got over it and had her sons promise to seek revenge.

This is what links B.A. to Des it was her grandfather that scammed Des's father pushing him over the edge. His revenge is to destroy everything her grandfather has and concurring her is an added bonus. When the two meet Des is knocked off his feet, shall we say, and it is the knuckle headed Scots that will have you cracking up. Angus makes the comment that Des is having PVC only what he really meant was CPR...LOL

The problems I had was the blasted cats she added to her story because I found the clawing and biting annoying. I felt at times that it was more about them and less about the H/h. The style of writing was confusing and boring at times. She also had apostrophe's that were MIA. The biggest problem I had was in the Isle itself. The Island had no crime, murders, or child molestations now while that is a dream come true it kept putting me in the frame of mind that the story was from the past. I knew it was based in the present time but caught up in the story I was transported to the past and then when a modern day reference was made it ripped me out of my perception of the story.

It was my own perception I realize but the other problems added on to that brought it down. Some may feel I'm being over critical but it was my experience and if the things I mentioned do not bother you it did have HEA to redeem itself. That's why it became a toss up because the story was laid out in the beginning well but then execution was fumbled IMO. There are some sex scenes but not overly graphic.

[Tammie King · Rating 4 out of 5]

www.nightowlromance.com

This was my first book by Deborah MacGillivray and what an entertaining read it was. Barbara Anne Montgomerie, B.A. to everyone who knows her, is the Lady of the Isle of Falgannon, which is off the land of Scotland. It’s a title passed down to her as eldest daughter since Pictish times. Along with this title comes her responsibility to the people of Falgannon, which are mostly males, and to the curse her ancestors brought about centuries ago. To lift this curse for a span of 3 generations, the descendant must marry a man with green eyes, dark hair, and of Irish blood. She has guarded her heart for years and in one meeting with a green-eyed man, she discovers emotions and desires like none she’d ever felt before.

Desmond Mershan has come to Falgannon with the intention of claiming and destroying the island and the lady. He blames his father’s death and family’s harsh upbringing on B.A.’s grandfather. When he lays his eyes on B.A., he found that hatred and bitterness doesn’t stop the intense desires that both of them cannot deny. An island full of Scottish males are eager to pair B.A. off with Desmond since he meets the conditions of the curse and so the matchmaking plot and spying on them begins. Even when Desmond’s reason for coming to the island is known, B.A. will still fight for her land and for the love she knows will bring happiness to her and the people of Falgannon. To do this she must help Desmond see past his promises of vengeance and open his heart to the Lady of the Isle.

I loved this story filled with Scottish lore and witty dialogue. Desmond and B.A.’s romance will touch your heart and the antics of the men will have you laugh out loud. There’s also The Cat Dudley that will charm you along with all the other colorful characters. Deborah MacGillivray gives the reader a joyful glimpse of Scotland’s culture with memorable characters and a page turning story that entices you with a sensuous love story and an island of fun Scottish males. It’s a fun and tantalizing book that I recommend as a great read.

Reviewer: Susan of Night Owl Romance
© Night Owl Romance 2007-2008

[Noreen Kellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is not to love about this book?!! The characters are flamboyant, fun and quirky. The storyline is very well thought out. It grabs and keeps your interest. Warning...this book will make you laugh out loud at times! Be prepared to laugh, cry and shake your head over the zany goings on.

When I finished this book I immediately had to grab..."Riding The Thunder"...which is the next book in this series. Another great read! Each book stands alone so don't shy away if you are not someone who loves series.

I have never laughed out loud so often while reading a book! This is the one to grab that will make your day and you will find yourself rereading it down the road.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a little while to get into. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but I liked how they were all called by their descriptions; Michael the Fiddle, Michael the Story, Angus the Ancient, etc. My favorite character was The Cat Dudley. I did think the book could have been resolved one emotional crisis earlier, but I did like how it ended. Some things still need work. Looking forward to the next two books in the series.

[Sassy Sipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of a 3 part seeries, I LOVED this book. Can't wait to read the third.

[Shelly LeCompt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series Review:
This is a fun series. I enjoyed that each book had a really unique and different atmosphere from any other series I have ever read. Seriously, the series gives off a vibe that kind feels like a mixture between: historical romance meets medieval times meets old school fairy tale meets fantasy. You would think this mixture would cause the reader to feel unsettled or confused and lead to a bad read and experience; only somehow Ms MacGillivary pulls this odd combination off. I found that the series left me feeling off balanced and surprised in an enchanting and very different way. I truly enjoy each book in this series. Although, each book has a kind of predictability to the writer's style from the previous book, in the end that made each book a little more fun b/c I could check my brain and just enjoy the unfolding of the romance. Some people will like dislike that each book has certain predictable outcomes, phrases, typical H/h roles and outcomes; but I personally found these things charming. However, if you don't like to read a series where each book kind of resembles the last book in style of writing and development, then you will likely enjoy this series more if you space out each book between other books. That way when you read the next book in the series you will feel more like each book is a revisiting to that magical world of the Mershan/Montgomerie siblings that Ms MacGillivray has created. This series is center around 3 brothers out for revenge against a family who has cost them everything in life. The scheme to exact this revenge of the Montgomerie family by targeting 3 beautiful sister and taking back what they feel is rightfully theirs (in land and finances) and breaking 3 hearts is just the added bonus for the Mershan family's pain. What they don't expect is to meet 3 strong, beautiful, loving and independent woman who can not only offer them love as a healing tool, but a life that they never knew they wanted as men. As a series goes, this one offers a lot of fun, romance, charm, silliness, sexiness, alpha males, strong independent heroines, twist, fairy tale fantasy, hilarious and outrageous supporting character (especially the fun silly animals), and an overall HEA feel that leaves a romance reader feeling complete. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Very enjoyable and enchanting. Plus, each book is a quick, light hearted read that offers rest after one of those complex and exhausting books that we sometimes enjoy but feel taxed after completing. Series = 4 stars.

Book Review:
This is the first book in the series, and it offers a more complete picture of the whole story. I actually read this series out of order, and in a way I think it changed how I put the pieces of the puzzle together, which I feel made me enjoy the series more. I read this book last in the series and I think that helped me hold on to more of the suspense of what was going to unfold for these two families. Desmond is definitely the most alpha of the brothers. He is the big brother to the other 2 Mershan boys. He is the Mershan brother who experienced more pain and suffering, and has lost the most in life due to the Montgomerie family. So this makes him the Mershan most set on revenge for personal closure in his life. He is determined to exact revenge for all his family's suffering and his own personal demons from that suffering. He has so much pain and so many demons that he can only use his own pain and darkness to fuel each day of life. However, he targeted the only Montgomerie sister who is not only protected by her own strength and determination; she is also protected by 200+ irish males, a fat surly cat, an island with it's own invisible barriers, an ocean of distance, and a magical curse that wants a HEA for BarbaraAnn Montgomeries, the lady of the Isle. Meet our heroine, BA Montgomerie, the Lady of Falgannon Isle (a title requires a certain amount of strength and leadership). BA has found her own determination and strength to rule over her Isle, of mostly Irish males and stubborn animals, by building up her own emotional walls to help her remain logical and level headed so she can lead and protect her inheritance and people. However, Desmond with all his alpha traits, sex appeal, determination, strength, and not to mention the fact that he meets all the requirements needed to break the Isle curse (which she wouldn't mention or think about at all if all her stubborn Irish boys would just let it go but they wont) begins to shake those walls . As the story unfolds, BA is smart enough to recognize when fate steps in and magic begins to change futures; but the questions is will Desmond be smart enough to recognize the same signs or will he be doomed to allow his own personal pains and demons of the past to control and destroy not only his future but the future of BA, Falgannon Isle and all it's quirky, fun and loving inhabitant (animals included), the Montgomerie sisters, and the Mershan brothers? Buckle up it's a bump ride (especially when tied to a ferry headed the wrong way!).

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

With what we learn in the synopsis, the readers may be under the impression that the main part of this book will be about the 213 single men and the women that are supposed to come to the island to help them find some love. And this is one of the reasons I read this book. I loved the premise of "the Curse" and what B.A. was trying to do to help.

Of course, it didn't hurt that there was going to be another plot going on at the same time. The plot that will supposedly break the curse by B.A. finding the right man -one that has black hair, green eyes and an Irish background.

What B.A. doesn't know, but may suspect, is that Desmond Mershan is after a lot more than just a few rolls in the hay.

The main problem with this novel (and merely one of many) is that the formatting and grammar is horrid for most of the book. Hed instead of He'd, Shed instead of She'd et al. Misspelled wourd abound and the author uses what I assume is jargon from that part of the world which leaves us Yanks stuck out in left field. My dictionary certainly got a good workout trying to figure out if I was reading a colloquialism or a Scottish word or just a misspelled word.

Another problem is that ¾ of the book is simply about mundane everyday stuff. This wouldn't be a bad thing if it were to be interspersed with some excitement. The reader know right from the astart that Desmond is up to some nefarious tricks, yet even when he gives B.A. the opportunity to get help to figure out what is going to happen -she doen't, and just says she loves him so everything will be OK.

*SPOILERISH*
Now mind you B.A. is the Lady of the Island and is a rather brilliant person in her own right, working her magic on keeping her islanders happy and well fed and to make sure that they are all selling wonderful creation on-line and such. She appears to have a good head on her shoulders and a good business background, yet she lets this guy get away with trying to take part of her island? He wants to bring down her families entire holdings. Well she loves him! That's the answer and romantic it may be, but the sad fact is, is that I have to stretch my disbelief to the thinnest to finish the book from here.
*END SPOILER*

The characters and their quaint names can get confusing and then after a while downright annoying after more of the book goes by.

There is a typical `happily-ever-after'

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak plot development. Mostly about everyday activities and conversations among people on the island.

STORY BRIEF:
Long ago, a curse was put on Falgannon Isle. (1) No females would be born to the females of the island and (2) the males of the island would not find love until the Lady of the Isle mated with an Irish man with black hair and green eyes. The curse even applies to men and women who leave the island. BA (BarbaraAnne) is the current Lady of the Isle. She is a descendant of Maeve (the woman who was cursed). She inherited wealth created by her grandfather Sean. She uses her wealth to improve the lives of the men on the island. Recently she set up a matchmaking website inviting single women to come to the island. She pays their expenses to come meet potential husbands. Desmond is of Irish descent and has black hair and green eyes. He comes to the island with plans to build a resort. He also has other motives which could hurt BA. He and BA are lustfully drawn to each other.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The plot was weak. It seemed most of the story consisted of everyday activities and conversations among the people living on the island. The author used a lot of cute names and references to celebrities and movies which is fine, but I would have preferred more interesting actions, motivations and events. I lost interest and wanted it to be over. I found myself skimming some parts in the middle of the book. The main plot about Desmond’s business plan which could hurt BA was not developed. And at the end, details about what happened with the business issues were never explained. I wanted the details. The sex scenes were ok but could have used a little more emotional draw.

The best parts of the story (which surprised me) were BA’s actions after she learned about Desmond’s plans.

DATA:
Story length: 341 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 8. Total number of sex scene pages: 18. Setting: current day Falgannon Isle, off the coast of Scotland and Ireland. Copyright; 2006. Genre: contemporary fantasy romance.

[Irrish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Deborah Macgillivray's Dragons of Challon books and I expected the same level of talent in this book. I got somewhat of a mixed feeling with this one. Don't get me wrong it was a good book. I just felt like the heroine was OVERWHELMINGLY nice and trusting. I couldn't believe her reactions at times. Yeah she did give the hero a taste of his medicine..but not enough! Especially at the level of betrayal that he did. So what if he suffered? Tough. Life sucks that way but he didn't have to take it out on the heroine...especially when she was soooo nice--not only her but the isle's inhabitants treated him like family. He wasn't cruel up front..so that betrayal really took the heroine by surprise. Which is worse.

I could also have done without the cheesy love songs that she managed to throw in. It made me grimace. I'll still continue on to read the next book. In fact, I have it in my TBR pile...I just won't do it right this second. That says something..since I tend to devour books.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance and Laughter. A Grand Read!
This is a light hearted romp that covers all the bases. From The Cat Dudley’s antics to those of the slightly eccentric, though lovable bachelors who occupy Falgannon Island, this book is guaranteed to delight you. Take two-hundred and thirteen love-starved bachelors on an island cursed against love, add one determined and beautiful woman, who owns that island, and toss in a wildly independent and discriminating cat and you have a recipe for great fun. Oh yes, don’t forget to stir in one green-eyed, black-haired Irishman with a determination to own the island that’s nearly as strong as his determination to have the woman who is the current owner, and you have the icing on the cake!
Deborah MacGillivray has written a special tale with her usual magic touch.
This story had me either laughing or crying, or both. Non-stop fun and giggles, wound through with romantic touches guaranteed to delight the most discerning reader. A must read!

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was browsing through the new ebook site Freading and came upon this author. The premise was intriguing. Modern day Scottish Lady has to help her "boys" find true love. Except that they can't, until she marries a green-eyed, black-haired man of Irish descent, at least according to the curse. So when Desmond Sinclair (Irish?) Mershan lands on her island, B. A. (Barbara Anne) Montgomerie is first stricken by his seeming resemblance to her dead husband, then annoyed by his demands.
Desmond is in town for revenge. It seems that B. A.'s grandfather destroyed his father (and lots of other people) in a Ponzi scheme, leading Desmond's father to take his own life. Now, he and his brother's are going to take down the whole Montgomerie family.
The plot is a little... thin. But I enjoyed the book. We get to see Desmond's torment, his struggle between his feelings for B. A. and his loyalty to his family.
I'll definitely be reading the other books in the series.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story, but the sheer number of secondary characters made it difficult to keep track of everyone at times. There was a problem when this book was transferred to Kindle, presumably with OCR software, and there are numerous errors (hed instead of he'd, shed instead of she'd, and random periods turning up mid-sentence) that quickly became annoying. However, The Cat Dudley and his poker-playing ways made up for it.

When it came to B.A.'s reaction to Desmond's betrayal, I simply couldn't believe anyone would be so forgiving or react in that fashion. B.A.'s anger evaporated far too quickly to make sense or to be realistic. However, I was pleased to see that Desmond knew he'd need counseling to overcome his past. That was a realistic touch I wasn't expecting, and it was nice to see it acknowledged.

[I_love_a_happily_ever_after · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me several chapters to get into this book. I instantly liked all the quirky side characters, and I absolutely loved the setting and all the lore that went along with the setting. I disliked the protagonist and antagonist for quite a while and I could not believe the beginning of their relationship. Towards the middle of the book, I finally was interested in them as characters, and by the end I really liked them. The story is charming, the plot moves along, but it is a character driven plot, so that is nice. It' not all background action. I think we can expect a very nice second book in this series, now that the first was roughed out. I am looking forward to reading about the other sisters, but I don't know if I will like any setting as much as I loved Falgannon Isle!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me, let me just start with that. It had humor and twists and turns, and the curse on the island was whimsical and endearing. But this was a romance novel, complete with a beautiful, lusty, strapping man that likes cats, who can't wait to be saved by an aloft, gorgeous heroine. The relationship is way too formulaic and unbelievable to be real. And it had too much sex to be intriguing. People that jump into bed that quick don't usually end up happy.

[Amos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intertaining, humorous, much like Evanovitch, but from a completely different culture. North of Northern Scotland. with vrey diffent slang and coloquialisms. With a touch of Scotch in my ancestery I found it intriquing
Found in SHB's pile when we installed the Readers Stand 8/5/2010
/Returned to SHB 8/6/2010

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. I wish there was a glossary to explain the Scotish words and pharases used. I reread alot of pages because I was confused on what some of the words meant, which took away from the enjoyment of the story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This romance just did not do it for me. There were way too many characters I thought and it just seemed liked it dragged on and on. The two main characters were interesting but there were too many love stories and people going all at once.

[Sandi Sipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern Day setting, but the Celtic fae and Auld Souls of long ago, is still present. Myths, history, and deception...All good elements for a good read.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was long,but not as bad as I thought... since I found it at the Dollar Tree. It didn't hold my attention all the time, but the characters start to grow on you after awhile.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

a truley delighful book.... the stuff dreams are made of

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book i have read in quite some time. I was fascinated from start to finish. Love the storyline loved the characters. Cant wait for the next book in the series

[Janyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was decent but just not my style/genre.

[Meredith]

This book took me over a year to finally finish. Almost DNF but skimmed through the rest on the train.

[Joyce Fullington]

Page turning anticipation.

enjoyed the family ties I am so familiar with
.quirky characters to entertain and spice up the tale. a good read.

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hands down, the worst book I have read.

[Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my Kindle edition, there were enough editing errors (especially early on) to make reading difficult.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!!

Simply put this book is a must read! Funny and romantic and edge of your seat antics. You have to read this one!

[April Weeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining and awesome book, love the story line