Surrender to the Highlander

January 8, 2018
In Sands’s sassy fifth Highlanders historical romance (after Falling for the Highlander), she definitively answers the question of what is worn—or not worn—under the kilts of her sexy Scots. When Saidh MacDonnell (heroine of an earlier book in the series) sends her four brawny brothers on a two-day journey to investigate her friend Edith’s strange silence, they are plunged into investigating a series of mysterious events that have killed the Laird of Drummond and several of his heirs, and caused the near-death of his daughter Edith. Niels Buchanan, the most handsome of the family, is immediately captivated by Edith’s beauty and nurses her back to health while protecting her from other attempts on her life. Solving this mystery, amid many dips in the loch and attempts to investigate the kilt’s underpinnings, results in a humorous and sensual romance. Sands cheerfully mixes anachronisms with unconvincing Scottish dialect in a way that will never be mistaken for historical accuracy, but those interested in romance with a quasi-Highland setting and enough brothers to fill a lighthearted and lusty series will be entertained. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency.

Lady Edith Drummond has been poisoned and is on her deathbed when Niels Buchanan and his brothers arrive at her castle. She survives, but the question remains: Who is murdering the castle folk and why? Once she's on the path to recovery, narrator Sean William Doyle gives Lady Edith an articulate, firm voice overlaid with a soft Scottish burr. Niels has a stronger, rougher burr dancing through his speech. The two are drawn to each other in ways that only a close call with death can sometimes achieve. Their dialogue ranges from witty barbs to sizzling repartee. The supporting characters' voices carry the distinct burr too but are easy to understand and follow. This is a wonderful tale of historical romance suspense. A.M.G. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine