Historical
The Highlander's Bride
By Leigh
Aug 5, 2007 - 5:57:06 PM

Well schooled in the lies and trickery of women hoping for a powerful husband, Laird Conor McTiernay has vowed to forsake marriage. He sees no need to tie himself down; his younger brothers will carry on the family line and form alliances through their marriages, and women are more than willing to bed him without a union. His vow is called into question when his men rescue an English beauty, a woman who intrigues him with both her body and mind.

Lady Laurel Cordell is running from her abductors when she comes upon Conor, his brothers and guard. She asks for protection from the vicious and unscrupulous Douglass clan who abducted her. Laurel’s parents are both dead, and she finally convinced her stepbrother to allow her to live with her Scottish grandfather. She was traveling to her grandfather’s lands when the Douglass heir attacked her guards and abducted her. Now she must depend on Conor to tend to her injuries and keep her safe until she can complete her journey.

Conor is unwillingly fascinated by Laurel. She may be dependent upon him for protection, but Laurel is far from a wilting, weak female. She bears her injuries without complaint, shows considerable intellect, is skilled with weaponry, and unlike most she’s not afraid to match his temper with her own. Conor is unable to deny his attraction to Laurel, and quickly determines that marriage or not, Laurel is his woman.

The attraction runs both ways; Laurel has never met anyone like Conor, and is able to see and fall in love with the man underneath the formidable laird persona. That Laurel and Conor belong together is evident to everyone around them. But Conor is steadfast in his resolution to never take a bride, and Laurel believes wholeheartedly in love and marriage. Can the two see beyond their own stubborn convictions to find a life together?

Michele Sinclair’s debut novel THE HIGHLANDER’S BRIDE is an emotionally charged engrossing read. Laurel’s strength, intellect, and temper are a suitable match for Conor’s own, and their clashes and passion burn up the pages. The secondary characters are well developed and build up the story and intrigue.   Historical romance fans are in for a treat with this page-turner, and will be left anticipating Sinclair’s next novel.