The Wrong Highlander - Lynsay Sands

It started off well. What happened?

Oh I know what happened. Flow was tossed out the window for awkward sex scenes that I skimmed.

The first half of the book was choppy. You have the opening salvo (good), you have a bungle that really makes no sense. I realize the H isn't the healer she thought he was but he'd worked with his brother enough to know you don't put someone in bed with a sick person. And this was essentially a setup for him to trip and fall into the h's father's bed, followed by nearly nailing her (beside her father?!). Someone walked in, otherwise...

Then we're told that days pass while dad is healing from an infected boil on his arse. He then metaphorically dons the kilt he'd tossed aside 14 years ago when his wife died, and presses the h into going on an expedition with the H for the sole purpose of getting the two of them in a compromising position, also known as awkward sex scene #1, because a) he sent her cousin to spy on the two and b) the H was under the impression she was a bored lonely widow. This ends abruptly when a)he discovers that widowhood apparently occurred before the wedding had been consummated and b) she takes an arrow to the chest.

We're told they spend several days playing chess (I think) before his brother tells him he needs to get a move on with the seduction business. Then we get improbable fondling where a woman who can't walk across the floor to a table without being out of breath is apparently able to handle multiple orgasms. The day after, she's nearly drowned in her bath, and while she's recuperating from this, he's out trying to find WhoDunIt and getting stabbed in the back. He passes out while being stitched up, having suffered falling down secret passage steps and getting stabbed, and yet, somehow has enough blood left to power two heads. She still can't walk across the floor but she's up to a sex marathon.

Somewhere around here it stops telling and starts showing as to all the castle goings on. So we're treated to a day's worth of wild goose chase which ends when everyone leaves her alone in her room. Well, the secret passage is locked...isn't it? Oh. Right. Nobody ever checks.

So...choppy. The first half treats us to an hour here, an hour there, few minutes to the side, then the second half hits and it's almost play by play (includes a trip to the garderobe even)

Highland Brides #7, Lynsay Sands is a great author in whatever she writes and her books are fun to read; at one point the Buchanan brothers were standing around joking that the same stuff keeps happening to them that it's always money or madness that goes after them. Her women are strong willed and in this case with Evina MacLean, who has lead the family and the clan ever since her mother died and her father distanced himself from everything and even trains the younger soldiers, she's more than just emotionally strong. She's not afraid to take charge and get what needs to be done done. So when her father falls ill and nothing is working she seeks out the healer Rory Buchanan.

Conran Buchanan is the middle child and he has always been there for his brothers and sister when they need him, he is a jack of all trade but master of none. After a long day of collecting herbs for Rory one day he takes the time to wash away the day in a nearby waterfall when he's attacked and knocked unconscious. When he wakes up he's still naked and on MacLean land they are also calling him Rory, to save his brother from the same fate he plays along good thing he knows just enough to help the Laird MacLean.

Maclean as soon as he's better manipulates a situation in which Conran is caught compromising Evi. Sadly, Evi is shot with an arrow and his plan doesn't go as smoothly as he wanted. Conran's brother show up and the truth comes out and while everyone around is pushing for their marriage Conran is willing to go through the wedding because he genuinely like Evi he'll only go through it if that's what she wants too. So he has a couple of weeks before all his brothers arrive to woo Evi. Unfortunately the arrow to Evi's chest isn't the only attempt on her life and the Buchanans go on high alert to protect Evi and try and capture the culprit.

Overall, this was a fun and exciting read from a master at her trade. Her historicals and her paranormals always exceed my expectations. The characters are all loveable and easy to sympathize with. She creates situations that are humorous and intense with a great narrative and a picturesque setting.