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A review by irishtraveller
A Highlander Christmas by Cindy Miles, Dawn Halliday, Sophie Renwick
4.0
Winter Heat
The first story in the anthology by Dawn Halliday is an intriguing one. Halliday weaves a tale of a beautiful, wounded clanswoman lost in the snow after escaping from her would-be rapist. Logan Douglas, on his way home from war, finds her along the way but loses an important piece of jewelry she treasures in the process. When Maggie MacDonald awakens, she finds herself entranced with Logan and his powerful, quiet ways. Over the next days, as a storm rages outside, they fall in love. But will Logan win Maggie? They have much at stake when she finally returns home.
I loved this story. My only issue with it has to do with the brooch Maggie wears. I won't give away the tie-in, but it felt as if Halliday had to throw in the last twist in the story because it is billed as a paranormal. I believe the story would've worked just as well without it.
Yuletide Enchantment
Isobel has been witnessing the appearance of a white hart since childhood. Known as mythical and magical creatures warning of the Otherworld, she's told to stay away while her brother wants to hunt it and make a trophy of the enormous rack of antlers. But Isobel feels there's something more to the hart and begs her brother not to kill it.
Daegan is prince of the Sidhe, and he's been watching Isobel from afar for years. He's determined to have her as his own. He appears to her as the white hart many times, luring her to him with enchantment spells.
When Isobel discovers that her hart is not exactly a man but not exactly an animal, she's confused and isn't sure how she should react. Daegan is hurt at her seeming repulsion.
Sophie Renwick wove a story even I would read. I found the story of the hart mythical and intriguing. A sucker for myths of all kinds, I found myself wondering if the white hart was an actual myth. The writing was compelling and interesting.
A Christmas Spirit
Paige MacDonald is lonely. With no family left, she's determined to not spend another Christmas by herself. Instead, she packs up her things and decides to spend Christmas on a self-driving tour of the Scottish Highlands. But she's surprised by a snowstorm only a few days before Christmas, and her car strands her at the driveway of a bed and breakfast. There, she's met with Gabriel Munro, a beautiful specimen of a man who happens to be a ghost.
When Paige discovers that Gabriel isn't exactly alive, she wants to run. But due to the snowstorm and Gabriel's assurances that he doesn't want to hurt her, she thinks it would be best to stay warm and dry for the evening instead of trying to find a way to Inverness where she has reservations.
Over the next few days, Paige and Gabriel spend time getting to know one another, and Paige is particularly interested in why Gabriel is a ghost trapped in an old castle.
Cindy Mile wrote the last tale in the book, and I think it might be my favorite of the three. While the ending wasn't exactly believable (I felt there were some gaps in the story), I loved how Paige and Gabriel fell in love. They really seemed to be soulmates who happened to be born centuries apart instead of months or years.
The first story in the anthology by Dawn Halliday is an intriguing one. Halliday weaves a tale of a beautiful, wounded clanswoman lost in the snow after escaping from her would-be rapist. Logan Douglas, on his way home from war, finds her along the way but loses an important piece of jewelry she treasures in the process. When Maggie MacDonald awakens, she finds herself entranced with Logan and his powerful, quiet ways. Over the next days, as a storm rages outside, they fall in love. But will Logan win Maggie? They have much at stake when she finally returns home.
I loved this story. My only issue with it has to do with the brooch Maggie wears. I won't give away the tie-in, but it felt as if Halliday had to throw in the last twist in the story because it is billed as a paranormal. I believe the story would've worked just as well without it.
Yuletide Enchantment
Isobel has been witnessing the appearance of a white hart since childhood. Known as mythical and magical creatures warning of the Otherworld, she's told to stay away while her brother wants to hunt it and make a trophy of the enormous rack of antlers. But Isobel feels there's something more to the hart and begs her brother not to kill it.
Daegan is prince of the Sidhe, and he's been watching Isobel from afar for years. He's determined to have her as his own. He appears to her as the white hart many times, luring her to him with enchantment spells.
When Isobel discovers that her hart is not exactly a man but not exactly an animal, she's confused and isn't sure how she should react. Daegan is hurt at her seeming repulsion.
Sophie Renwick wove a story even I would read. I found the story of the hart mythical and intriguing. A sucker for myths of all kinds, I found myself wondering if the white hart was an actual myth. The writing was compelling and interesting.
A Christmas Spirit
Paige MacDonald is lonely. With no family left, she's determined to not spend another Christmas by herself. Instead, she packs up her things and decides to spend Christmas on a self-driving tour of the Scottish Highlands. But she's surprised by a snowstorm only a few days before Christmas, and her car strands her at the driveway of a bed and breakfast. There, she's met with Gabriel Munro, a beautiful specimen of a man who happens to be a ghost.
When Paige discovers that Gabriel isn't exactly alive, she wants to run. But due to the snowstorm and Gabriel's assurances that he doesn't want to hurt her, she thinks it would be best to stay warm and dry for the evening instead of trying to find a way to Inverness where she has reservations.
Over the next few days, Paige and Gabriel spend time getting to know one another, and Paige is particularly interested in why Gabriel is a ghost trapped in an old castle.
Cindy Mile wrote the last tale in the book, and I think it might be my favorite of the three. While the ending wasn't exactly believable (I felt there were some gaps in the story), I loved how Paige and Gabriel fell in love. They really seemed to be soulmates who happened to be born centuries apart instead of months or years.