The Highlander’s Sword by Amanda Forester
Historical Romance
March 1, 2010
Paperback, 352 Pages
Sourcebooks
Reviewed by Tori

Amanda Forester tells a suspenseful tale of love, betrayal, and redemption in the beautiful highlands of Scotland.

Sir Padyn MacLaren left Scotland a young lad to fight with the French against the English.
Betrayed by his fiancée and forced to kill her lover, he flees back to Scotland with a a vow to never trust a woman again.

Lady Aila Graham has been groomed since birth to enter the convent. When her father summons her she is shocked to learn that he has promised her hand in marriage to MacLaren in exchange for security of their clan. Aila and MacLaren get off to to a rocky start with a misunderstanding on their wedding night that disintegrates quickly into heartache. Aila, not understanding what she has done wrong ,sets to rectify the situation. But MacLaren, due to his mistrust of women, believes the worse of her.

She is kidnapped by a spurned suitor and MacLaren is convinced she left him.
Aila frees herself (you go girl) but has to convince MacLaren that she has not betrayed him. Once the whole story comes out, Aila and MacLaren realize that their is a traitor in their clan and work together to root him out. Along the way they find love and hope for happiness.

I enjoyed this story. Set in the 1300’s, you are transported medieval Scotland without pages of boring historical facts and lectures. Lady Aila is a proper lady for the times but she has a stubborn independent streak and a good sense of humor that makes her interesting. When MacLaren accuses Aila of being a traitor she decides she’s going home.

“Hold there!” “What do ye ken ye’re doing?” demanded Padyn
“I am returning to Dundaff.” she said defiantly
“Get off that horse now. I’ll no’ have yr running away again.”
“I’m no’ running away. I told ye where I go.You can go where e’er it suits ye, but I’ll be taking myself home now.”

On the same note, while MacLaren proves to be your dye in the wool warrior who sleeps, eats and pees with the sword, he is willing to listen to Aila and open his heart to her. In trying to ease Aila, MacLaren asks about her faith. Aila answers that verses pop into her mind and she believes those are from God.

“Do ye have any verses in mind now?” asked MacLaren asked softly
“Well, I’m no’ sure these verses are from God. They may be naught but my own thoughts.”
“What is the verse?”
“Tis from Solmon’s Song of Songs. It translates to something like, ‘Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth-for your love is more delightful than wine.'”
“Well.” MacLaren smiled with surprise. “God’s will be done.”

Supporting characters are well thought out and descriptive, bringing depth and a touch of reality to the story. There is some comic relief; such as MacLaren’s second in command-Charmount. A french man who seems to have a savior fair attitude towards life but helps out MacLaren and Aila’s romance as best he can. In one scene Aila has been reunited with MacLaren after escaping her kidnapper. MacLaren is trying to consummate their marriage in the middle of a field surrounded by his warriors. Aila is rightfully embarrassed and yells, “Nay.”
MacLaren begs her not to refuse him saying everyone is asleep. Charmount announces he’s not asleep and this starts a loud debate between the men as the whether a woman should submit to her husband or if a husband be more respectful of his wife then to take her in the hearing of some 50 plus men.
One man comments that’s it been awhile for MacLaren and maybe he’s “out of practice”. The whole scene had me laughing out loud.

Aila’s father Graham is gruff and grizzly but you are able to see his love for his daughter and knows what he does is to protect her. Aila’s mother is a spoiled vain woman but the past will right itself.

The villain of the story is properly dastardly and vanquished accordingly. Well hidden too because it took me almost to the end to figure it out. There is some juicy foreplay, but you more or less had to imagine the smex scenes. Thank goodness I have an over active imagination. More descriptions next time please!

Most historical romances have a similar love lost thru misunderstanding then regained theme; the flow and ebb of The Highlander’s Sword holds you enchanted till the last page.

Rating: 3.5/5

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