Smexy Books

Romance and Urban Fantasy Reviews

  • Review Request
  • Contact
    • Smexy Reviewers Profiles
    • New Reviewer Application
    • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • By Genre
      • BDSM
      • Contemporary
      • Erotic
      • Fantasy
      • F/F
      • Historical Romance
      • Historical PNR
      • LGBTQ+
      • M/M Romance
      • New Adult
      • Urban Fantasy
      • Paranormal Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Romantic Suspense
      • Young Adult
    • By Letter Grade Rating
      • A Reviews
      • B Reviews
      • C Reviews
      • D Reviews
      • DNF Reviews
  • Features
    • New Releases
    • Smexy Deals!
    • Retro Review
    • Weekly Wrap-Up
    • Blog Tour
    • Scenic Sunday
    • To Be Read
    • Guest Post
    • Top Ten/Happy Friday
    • Smex Scene Sunday
  • The Psy/Changeling Channel
You are here: Home / B Review / Review: A Highlander’s Christmas Kiss by Paula Quinn

Review: A Highlander’s Christmas Kiss by Paula Quinn

September 28, 2016 by Sheena Leave a Comment

Review: A Highlander’s Christmas Kiss by Paula Quinn

Series: The MacGregors: Highland Heirs #5
Historical Romance
Released: September 27, 2016
Forever

Reviewed by Sheena

Christmas may be coming to Linavar, but Temperance Menzie is far from joyful. Grief-stricken over the death of her father at the hands of the Black Riders, she almost didn’t see the wounded stranger in the woods. And now she’s determined to give this braw, brooding Highlander the help she couldn’t give her father. But there’s a secret lurking in the depths of his blue-gray eyes. And Temperance won’t rest until she uncovers it . . .

A killer for hire. It’s the last thing Cailean Grant ever thought he’d become, but being part of the Black Riders was his only way to survive. Now, his guilt grows day by day, along with his desire for the beautiful, brave lass nursing him back to health. As Christmas, the season of miracles, draws near and the truth of his identity threatens to come out, Cailean must risk the only thing he has left to lose-his heart.

Favorite Quote: “Yer veiled insult of me being incompetent are words I shall particularly enjoy watching you eat.”

A Highlander’s Christmas Kiss is a beauty of a tale set in the Scottish Highlands made beautiful by Paula Quinn.  I love Paula Quinn.  Her novels are lush, romantic escapes that always leave you content in the most cozy way.  This was certainly the case with Christmas Kiss, book five in the Highland Heirs series.

Cailean is a man with a heart run cold.  His last forays at love ended in bitter tragedy, both women dying sadly in his arms.  What’s a man to do when he believes he will never have lasting love? Go dark of course.  Cailean is a tortured, dead man walking.  His heart is scorched earth and bad decisions lead to more bad choices when he finds a home with the Black Riders, a mercenary-esque band of misfit killers for hire.

Temperance is the perfect highland romance heroine!  She is outgoing and a little rash and has such a good heart and head on her shoulders.  She is headstrong without being hard-headed, and her bravery and willingness to put herself out there to save a stranger was a hallmark of her worth.  She is attracted to Cailean, drawn to him when she finds him in the woods after he suffers yet another betrayal.  Cailean Grant has no idea that his salvation is right within his grasp, if only fate didn’t play such cruel tricks on him.

This is such a fluid novel, the plot and character development progressing in such an appealing and natural way. Temperance is the lighthouse that leads Cailen from cold, lonely and adrift to his true self.  The thawing of Cailean’s heart, his essential mending is the basis of the novel.  It works because of all the clever moving parts of the story and how inviting he is as a character.  There is no secret that he has fallen in with black-hearted men to lose himself and swing his sword until he is thankfully taken from this world.  A man with loose ties and nothing to lose.  Catnip.  Pure romantic catnip and I was lapping at my bowl!

This was the man who had shared the deepest parts of his heart with her, the man who had brought back her joy while she helped him rediscover his. The man who had captured her heart and given her hope for the kind of love she’d always desired.

The man who’d helped take her father from her.

And she loved him! Though he infuriated her.  Though it caused her pain to know of his involvement with the Black Riders, though they risked it all, to be together.  It broke my heart in little pieces each time Cailean looked at her with the knowledge of her father’s murder.  Those quiet moments when he wanted to bolster her confidence in avenging her father, yet knowing she will soon see him a monster.

Such romantic conflict!  Ach! She loved him, and he adored her by and by.

The drama!  The stolen looks, the happenstance crossing of paths before they officially meet that fateful night.  Cue squeals!!   If you are into being captivated by sensual tension and romantic seduction, this is the novel for you.  If you are into beefy, swordsmen, beautiful imagery and third chance love that feels even better than the first time, this is the novel for you. If you have eyeballs or ear drums this is the historical romance novel for YOU!

At 352 pages, Highlander’s Christmas Kiss is hefty, but it reads like a dream.  I nearly read it in one sitting, yet, breaks for basic needs (you know like, food, water, ensuring shelter) kept getting in the way.  Paula Quinn writes the kind of books that you can read anywhere, in transit, by your fire-place, curled up on the couch or hunched over the kitchen counter making pesky dinner (there those needs come again, ruining a perfectly good chapter!).

It is fifth in the series, yet stands alone like a champ.  Reading the prior novels only acts a small boon when you see characters from earlier novels cameo. Brand new readers will do just fine starting with Kiss. It is as compelling as it is entertaining and a ride anyone can enjoy.   I know I did.

 

Grade: B+
Previous Reviews: The Taming of Malcolm Grant, Scandalous Secret of Abagail MacGregor, The Wicked Ways of Alexander Kidd
Goodreads I Info I Series 

 Kindle I Nook 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • More
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: B Review, Historical Romance, Paula Quinn

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to Smexy! If you are reader feel free to use our search feature to find a specific book or browse through our features to find Smexy Deals, New Releases, and book news!

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords,  Booksamillion, and Bookshop,org.

 

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

Angela

Melanie

Jen

Kate

Iby

Kate H.

Sign Up for Daily Emails


Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Follow Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • New Releases- Week of May 12-16, 2025
    New Releases- Week of May 12-16, 2025
  • Review: Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
    Review: Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
  • Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
    Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
  • Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
    Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
  • Smex Scene Sunday
    Smex Scene Sunday
  • Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
    Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
  • Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
    Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
  • Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
    Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
  • Monday Morning Book News!
    Monday Morning Book News!
  • Review: Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
    Review: Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

Disclosure

The majority of the books reviewed at this site have been provided for free by publishers, authors, or other third parties like NetGalley or Edelweiss. Acceptance of a free copy does not guarantee a review or a positive review.

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Booksamillion.

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

 

Find Our Reviewers

Angela @fv-angela.bsky.social l Goodreads

Melanie @melonreads.bsky.social l  Goodreads

Jen .@thebooknista l Goodreads

Kate  @kateminasian l Goodreads

Iby Instagram l Goodreads

Kate H. @Naranjadia l Goodreads

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d