Series: The MacGregors: Highland Heirs #5
Published by Forever on September 27th 2016
Genres: Historical Romance, Scottish Highlands, Medieval Era
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
ISBN: 1455535303
A STRANGER'S SMILE
Christmas may be coming to Linavar, but Temperance Menzie is far from joyful. Grief-stricken over the death of her father at the hands of the Black Riders, she almost didn't see the wounded stranger in the woods. And now she's determined to give this braw, brooding Highlander the help she couldn't give her father. But there's a secret lurking in the depths of his blue-gray eyes. And Temperance won't rest until she uncovers it . . .
A LOVER'S KISS
A killer for hire. It's the last thing Cailean Grant ever thought he'd become, but being part of the Black Riders was his only way to survive. Now, his guilt grows day by day, along with his desire for the beautiful, brave lass nursing him back to health. As Christmas, the season of miracles, draws near and the truth of his identity threatens to come out, Cailean must risk the only thing he has left to lose-his heart.
A Highlander’s Christmas Kiss is the fifth in the Macgregor’s series and this has been the first time that I have read this author in quite a few years so I was very eager to get back to her writing.
I want to say that this story really impressed me or even had a strong Christmas feel to it, but I would say there was some of the Christmas culture going on and I was highly looking forward to that but I was expecting a bit more than was actually delivered also I did feel at times that the romance felt a bit lacking. Although there is some great development in the plot build up, there was still a few factors that kept me from fully enjoying this story in the ways that I wanted to and was pretty excited for.
This story begins when our heroine is out walking with her father, from the get-go we get the impression of how close these two are with each other. Temperance is practically engaged to her closest friend but she doesn’t feel passion or love for him. But then we see a traumatic event happen when a group of Black Riders, come in and kill her father right in front of Temperance and she is grief-stricken. Her father was her anchor and her joy. She her emotions are a bit out of whack. But when she stumbles across an injured man, she helps to heal him taking him back with her to her home and her grandmother. As Cailean Grant works to being healed and recovering there is a strong passion that builds between Cailean and Temperance but soon there are many factors against them. For one, Temperance is technically still engaged to another man even if he is in love with another lady. Then our hero, Cailean, was part of the Black Riders, and even though he tried to stop the murder of Temperance’s father, he couldn’t stop it. Cailean has already lost a beloved lass he once loved and loss and doesn’t want to lose this woman he has grown to love here.
It was the build-up of the plot that really kept me in tune with this story and I was relieved for it because I had a difficult time really connection to the actual romance of the story. I just had the most difficult time connecting with these two characters. But I just had to know what happened to Cailean and Temperance and seeing the outcome of the secrets and seeing if the one that murdered our heroine’s father was brought to justice. We see a bit of the culture of the highlanders but not as much as I normally have found with Paula Quinn’s writing. We do see the fragile lives of the villagers that lived under the governance of those more powerful than them.
However, I do feel that the built up of the plot and the great dialogue is what kept me going with this book and there were some great positive qualities that kept me intune with this story and I am intrigued by this family of MacGregors and plan on reading more!!
Sorry this book wasn’t quite what you had hoped it would be. I do love that cover and hope to read more of this author myself.
I’m so excited to start reading Christmas books! I’ve been trying to hold-out until after Thanksgiving but might not make it much longer 🙂 So sorry you didn’t enjoy this one more – I’d have a hard time with some of the plot points (especially her father getting murdered in front of her!) Will just have to check-out your handy-dandy Holiday tag for some more recommendations!
Tough when the romance side is blah, but I’m glad that the story itself carried things through for you. Man, he was one of the group that killed her father? Yikes, there’s some built in conflict right there.
Enjoyed your review, Renee!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving if I don’t get time to drop by later. 🙂
it’s always a bit complicated when you can’t connect…
I need to try one of these…but which one,
Ooooh kilted heroes <3 Sorry to hear the romance wasn't a selling point, but yay for a good plot! Plot lines are not always as wonderfully written in HR as they should be 🙂
I haven’t tried her but have a few of her books on my shelves.