The Highland Laird

Book: The Highland Laird
by Amy Jarecki

The Scottish Highlands
29 July 1714

Emma Grant is the blind sister of Laird Robert Grant who is married to Janet Cameron. Laird Robert and her clan has always been very overprotective of Emma who has led a very cloistered life because of her blindness. Yet Robert worries and loves his sister very much. She is able to sew, dress herself, count all the steps, plus memorize where all the furniture is in her home at Moristown Hall. Her brother teaches her other hobbies, to challenge her and to pick locks, due to her impeccable hearing and brilliant mind. Yet he also worries about her safety, as some of these superstitious, fanatical, bigots fear blind people are witches and worship the devil. These fanatics also lie blaming these innocent, sightless beings for bad crops, animal deaths, a wife losing a bairn in childbirth, or any bad occurrence in their life! Some of the innocents have been committed to insane asylums, beaten, and even executed for their sightless handicap by burning them at the stake! In addition Emma is an extremely talented musician, a harpist, her family keeps this hidden too. As she can only reveal her talent in small recitals to people who know her. Fearing people who might harm her due to their cruel bigotry and hatred, her clan will do anything to keep her safe!

Emma is away from home for the first time in her cloistered life. She is attending the wedding of her sister-in-law’s younger brother, (THE HIGHLAND ROGUE, #7), Sir Kennan Cameron to his bride Divana.This is terrifying as everything is unfamiliar and Emily has to totally depend on others for absolutely everything! As Emma’s independent nature hates this, plus feeling like a burden to others. Here she so unfamiliar with the surroundings which makes her panic as she gets lost from her brother and his wife. Yet she is rescued by the one braw, swoon worthy, Scot who makes her heart go pitter-patter and makes her pulse race! It is non other than Laird Ciar MacDougall, Chieftain of Dunollie.

The one person who doesn’t make her feel inadequate, he is also her brothers best friend. The only man who actually sees Emma for the person she truly is. Not just as the blind girl. He always makes her feel special and desirable-her secret knight in shining armour and is always there when she needs him most. He makes her feel special like a fierce cable woman. He is very protective of Emma, but never allows her to put herself down or think she is not good enough due to her blindness.She doesn’t realize Ciar cares and desires her as a woman too. Seeing she is all grown up and the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. He tries to fight it, as he knows her brother Robert would kill him, but innocently the share a couple passionate kisses by accident at this wedding party. Emma is thrilled by this unexpected turn of events and Ciar is confused thinking he better fight it.

On top of this the country is in turmoil! The Queen has died and now a foreign useless King who is not even from Britain is to be crowned as King. They know it will not make things better. So all Lairds decide to split up and find support hoping to prevent this foreign King from getting crowned. Yet on his way Ciar witnesses a murder by three redcoats where they frame him for the murder. He is going to be executed at Fort William as the crooked Governor Wilcox won’t even give Ciar a fair trial! When Emma hears this she knows it is not true but when she realized no one will help her as everyone is away trying to find support to oppose George of Hanover. She decides with the help of a sixteen year old stable boy, and her dog, she will rescue her beloved from Fort William. She is unsuspecting being a blind woman who can pick locks to rescue Ciar. He is absolutely shocked but her rescue! As it is the absolute last thing he expected, now they are both fugitives wanted by the law! Yet they have a place to hide out in until Ciar can figure out his next move. This is where they fall in love except Ciar has to make a difficult decision to protect the woman he loves or his country? Which will he choose and will Emma’s knight in shining armor break her tender heart? I am also hoping Emma gets her happily ever after too. Does she? To find out the conclusion for both Ciar and Emma get a copy of The Highland Laird today!

This book centers on the heroine, Emma Grant, who readers met in the fifth book in the Lords of the Highlands series in (THE HIGHLAND RENEGADE). Even though this is the last book in the “Lords of the Highlands” series. If you are a fan and have read each book then you are in for a big treat! As this novel is like a family reunion, as you will see the other heroes and heroines from previous books in this book too. I have absolutely loved each and every book in this captivating series. Of course not to worry you can read “The Highland Laird” as a stand alone book too.

Amy Jarecki is an extremely talented storyteller that weaves true Scottish history into a beautiful, breathtaking, fictional, romance that readers will get swept away in. So if you are not a history nerd like me I won’t spoil and tell you who is crowned as their sovereign.

Ms. Jarecki fills the pages in this riveting, page turning, romantic adventure with all the elements that Scottish romance readers love. The multidimensional main and secondary characters both human and canine are brilliant. Though I think Albert was a bit of a stealer myself! Well I am a big dog lover so I love when dogs are in my stories. The setting was absolutely awe-inspiring, the dialogue was fantastic and the plotting was phenomenal. All in all I just loved this story so much!

I wanted to like this story. The idea of a strong woman who had been born blind but conquered her obstacles. But she had way to many descriptive words for some one who couldn’t see. One minute she could find a jail door and pick a lock, next she needed rescuing. Too aggravating to follow. Oh and it seem to never end.