Kiss of the Highlander

 

Gwen Cassidy is a physicist on a vacation in the Highlands of Scotland. Drustan MacKeltar is an ancient Druid enchanted by a spell. They meet when Gwen stumbles down a ravine and lands on the slumbering Scot. Gwen unwittingly breaks the spell and Drustan awakens five centuries after he vanished from his own.Gwen is thrust into a complex web of mystery and intrigue as she is forced to help Drustan make his way back to his own time.

What I enjoyed about this book was that it was a departure from the classic romance storylines I’m used to reading. I loved the plot and thought it was well-written and original. The author has devised an original and thoroughly enchanting world filled with ancient druids, standing stones and spells.  

The characters are well-written and Gwen is a strong female in her own right. Instead of Gwen relying on big, bad Drustan, the opposite is true and Drustan is forced to rely on Gwen to set his world to rights again. And who doesn’t want their very own Scottish warrior for their own.

Of course the book is not without its issues. Drustan is a Scottish Highlander, so of course it’s natural for him to have a brogue. Also understandable is that the character is not going to speak to the readers in said brogue. BUT – the author has taken a few Scottish pronunciations and run away with them. If I heard one more mayhap, I was mayhap going to scream.  There was one instance in the middle of the book when Drustan is having an internal debate with himself. He mayhaped himself over half a page! Obnoxious. I get it, he’s Scottish, and he speaks differently. There’s no need to shove it down my throat. At that point I had a hard time picturing him as anything but a bumbling idiot.

What romance would be complete without the clichéd love scenes? This one wasn’t. I won’t spoil it, but needless to say he’s hung – to the point where you have to wonder how he walks around comfortably. Naturally Gwen’s a virgin who is driven to the bounds of ecstasy her first time (after spending five minutes pushing in all the way because in case you forgot he’s huge). And you get the picture. A bit over the top, but I’ve read worse clichés.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book and a few others in the series. I loved the Druid/Fairy storyline, it was captivating and it was an engrossing, fast paced read.