I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
First Time with a Highlander by Gwyn Cready Series: Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on October 6th 2015
Genres: Historical Romance, Time Travel Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Second in a new Scottish time travel romance series perfect for readers of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander...
Serabeth’s no-good fiancé is dead, and she needs a husband fast, or she’ll be ruined. Her indignant and handsome captive will do just fine, if she can keep her mind focused on the business at hand...
Gerard is a love-'em-and-leave-'em ad exec who opens the door to a wild party in 21st century New York and wakes up in 18th century Edinburgh with a hangover and a beautiful, disinterested new “wife” who says he has “served his purpose.”
What the kilt?
Welcome to Sourcebooks Casablanca exclusive Tour which includes a special excerpt and a giveaway. Now this giveaway is offering of a hard copy of the first book in the series: Just in Time For A Highlander. As long as you leave a comment with your email, you will be entered into the giveaway. Then the winner will receive a email and be mailed the copy right away. The one stipulation from the publisher is you need to be a U.S. Resident. So what do you have to lose right?
First Time With A Highlander is the second book in this series, and this is also my first time reading this author and for the most part I really liked this one. I tend to be a bit picky on time travel themed romances, but I really loved the setting for this one. The story is quite entertaining and the characters are what make it so fun for the reader. We have a hero, that works in marketing and advertising. Our heroine is a Scottish lass looking to get her property and cargo back from her ex fiancee. And through a series of unfortunate decisions, Gerard is brought to the 1700’s. Gerard though, he was fun and quite a lovely hero. He takes everything in stride, even going back in time doesn’t seem to alter him much. What was most fun about this book, is the ways he goes about helping others in the town with their businesses. It shows how much he loves what he does and he loves helping people along the way too.
Our heroine is a bit of a mischief maker, she can be a bit spirited and proud. She isn’t shy about anything. I loved the way these two come together, because its so unexpected for both of them but they just click from the beginning they have spark. This was a lovely romance and I really enjoyed the tone of the story. I did have trouble with the flow of it. I had a difficult time keeping my focus on the story, and my mind kept wandering. I don’t know if that was just me or the writing itself. But for the most part I really had a ball of fun and giggles with this one. I am interested in trying out some of her other titles. I definitely want to try out the first book, especially since the main couple from that story, play a role in this book. So I am definitely wanting to read their story after seeing them in action and involved in this book so much. This is a story that is packed with adventure, magic and mystery.
My poor heroine. Writers love to put their characters in uncomfortable situations. This scene takes place near the beginning of the book, immediately after Serafina, the down-on-her-heels eighteenth-century owner of a small shipping concern, and Gerard, a twenty-first century ad man playboy, have awakened to find themselves in bed together, much to their mutual surprise. Serafina is not quite as surprised as Gerard, given that she knows she, er, borrowed some magic herbs from her spell-casting friend to summon a man to help her regain her fortune, but she doesn’t clearly remember all that has happened between them, especially the ring she’s found on her finger, and she must explain how she happened to have a naked man coming out of her room to Duncan, the hero of the first book in the Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series, Just in Time for a Highlander, who has become a de facto older brother to her.
***
Nearly deafened by the blood roaring in her ears, Serafina stilled the hand in her pocket and fought to remain calm.
“What is it?” Duncan eyed her suspiciously.
“I bit my tongue.”
He cocked his head farther.
“It’s fine now.”
The other man had seen something, though what, she wasn’t sure. He looked at her as if she were a Highland ox whose horns had sprouted thistles. All she remembered clearly about the night before was that he had appeared to her sometime after she’d first sipped the adulterated whiskey, though he’d been no more than a shade, his translucent image waxing and waning like mist on a loch. Wide jaw, the shoulders of a smith, hair as gold as a wagtail’s breast—the man was no trouble on the eyes. The more she drank, the clearer his image had become—though the foggier her apprehension of it—until at last she’d slipped into a thick, hibernating sleep, like a child after a summer fair, floating through hazy, happy dreams filled with random glints of remembered pleasure.
But the waking glints, beginning to arrive with increased regularity, were stirring an emotion closer to concern than pleasure. The man’s hand, running lightly down her back. A hurried run down a dark dock. Tugging the waist of a man’s breeks—beautiful wool breeks, whose rich, gray fabric caressed her fingers, as soft as the fur of a baby rabbit.
She couldn’t stop herself. Her eyes flew to the man’s breeks. Oh, God! Gray wool!
When she looked up, he was looking right at her. Her cheeks exploded in flames.
How could any of this have happened without her remembering it? The answer, she told herself, is because it didn’t.
But the ring…
She wriggled her fingers in her pocket, desperately hoping the solid, immutable gold was gone. But it wasn’t.
About Gwyn Cready
Gwyn Cready is a RITA Award-winning romance novelist. She's been called "the master of time travel romance." She lives in Pittsburgh.
I’ve not read her books, either. This couple sounds fun. I like that he’s got a not so common career for a hero and it’s used when he goes back in time. I like that the heroine is the one back in time. Usually its the other way around.
I keep looking at this one to get. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not. Thanks for the review!
I loved the Outlander series, so this should be just right for me! meredithfl at gmail dot com
I like time travel books, especially when you toss in romance and magic.
secret_gurl69 at hotmail dot com