Highland Hijinks: Great Scots!

To Marry a Scottish Laird

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Jul 09, CC rated it liked it Shelves: For the most part he was a good hero. She was pretty cool until they got home. Then her insecurities drove me nuts! The story slowed down at about half way through and I lost a little interest. I also had zero interest in her having to go home to a house full of single women looking to land Cam. Cam had zero interest in any of them though.

But that, plus the dead ex, are plot devices I hate! Safety Gang view spoiler [ Typical virgin h for a his It was good Safety Gang view spoiler [ Typical virgin h for a historical But could not stay because the condom pig intestine? His dead wife died in childbirth. Arranged marriage, only a year before she died.

Aug 08, Marilyn Rondeau rated it it was amazing Shelves: Heir to Clan Sinclair, Cambell Cam preferred to go to battle than have to spend time at home being pushed to marry again after his wife and child both died in childbirth. He swore never to marry again but felt after six months away, his home would be cleared of prospective brides.

On his way home he came upon a huge giant of a man beating on a young lad and jumped in to save him. Jo, then saved Cam using medicinals which were in his sack and nursed Cam for three days. A couple of days later, Cam came upon the lad Jo bathing in the river and discovered Jo was really Joan! And I was right! Naturally, I expected some laugh-out-loud moments and in that I was not disappointed; also some very sensual love scenes which were delightfully steamy.

The best laugh out loud moment of course, was when the Laird McKay came upon Cam rather bare-assed hugging Joan, dressed in her disguise as a lad. The descriptions and dialog had me rolling on the floor! The mystery of who the villain was turned into a surprise for me as I generally figure them out before full exposure. Finally, I have to say this was classic Lynsay Sands and a total enchanting and delightful read from beginning to end. Sands is still an auto-buy for me whether historical or paranormal - always a hoot and forever entertaining!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.

From this Issue

This is the second book in her series "An English Bride in Scotland". I gave the first book 3 stars because while I thoroughly enjoyed the light fluffy story line, the romance, and the mystery despite the fact that Sands seems to be recycling plots like nobody's business , but I didn't like one very gratuitous aspect of the ending.

Joan meets Campbell Sinclair when he saves her, and then she saves him in turn, from some bandits. Joan is on a quest to fulfill her deathbed promise to take a scroll This is the second book in her series "An English Bride in Scotland". Joan is on a quest to fulfill her deathbed promise to take a scroll to Lady and Laird MacKay, and is dressed like a boy and brutally beaten, so Campbell initially doesn't realize she is female. This is a common trope that I am not typically fond, but here Campbell's confusion only lasts long enough for him to learn to like and respect Joan, and the secret only lasts long enough for a few humorous moments.

From then on, it is all heaving uncontrollable lusts, with the one addition that BOTH of the characters think about contraception. However, they get to MacKay and all the secrets come out, so naturally they have to get married, despite the fact that neither of them thinks the other wants to. When they get to Sinclair's awkwardness and hi-jinks ensue until the mystery is finally solved. This is a fun read full of pratfalls and misunderstandings and a bit of mystery.

There were two twisty secrets, and I'll be honest, I didn't see either of them coming. I enjoyed both Joan and Campbell and I enjoyed getting to read about past characters. So, altogether I really did enjoy this book, and recommend to anyone who likes reading humorous and even slightly ridiculous historical romance, but it isn't going to be making my re-read shelf so I am giving it 3.

Also, while this is the second in a series, it should work well as a stand-alone as there is no overarching story arc. Jun 25, Heather rated it really liked it Shelves: I liked it alot just didn't fully love it. Okay so I'm not sure if most would consider this spoilers or not so beware. To me it's not because in most romances the couple meet, get together and have a happy ever after so expect it to happen here as well. Anyhoo a quick breakdown of the story: Girl, Joan, gets a scroll on her mother's death bed and promised to deliver it to Lady MacKay.

Travelling as a lad Joan is attacked and saved by Campbell Sinclair. They become friends w So about 3. They become friends when Campbell thinks Joan is Jo and later lovers a little after he finds out different. For the first half the book the couple is travilling to the MacKays and yes they have sex alot and frequently. The second half is filled with a couple "accidents" that of course eventually point out someone is apperantly tring to kill Joan. That seems to run in the family.

But I gotta say I didn't guys the culprit until the end, so great job on that front. Ohh and I forgot to mention this takes place roughly 20 years after the first book. So expect a 20 yr gap between book 1 and this one. You still get to revisit Laird and Lady MacKay from book one, but of course they are in their 40's now with children of their own. If you are looking for a nice historical romance that focuses on the budding romance, a little mystery behind the 'accidents' then you might enjoy this as well.

The timeframe is vague. The only mention of time is 20 years after 1st book and it mentioned Campbell coming back from fighting in a couple battles he sold his services too. So if you're looking for historical value with a romance story this might not be the right book for you. Honestly I liked Joan before they reached MacKay, after she was too focused on attempting learn what she thought she had to.

Jul 25, Lisa rated it it was ok Shelves: This one was just okay. And yet here in her own book, everyone This one was just okay. And yet here in her own book, everyone refers to her as Joan. Second, in all the later books we're bashed over the head with what wonderful strong friends Jo, Saidh, Edith and Murine are and yet in this book that tells the tale of how they first met and became friends, they spend almost no time together and are definitely not shown as having any particular bond.

The story goes that Joan was raised by a healer who taught her everything she knew about the craft.

Then the woman became ill and knew she was dying so she had the local friar write a letter that she sealed and on her deathbed asked Joan to deliver to Lady McKay in Scotland. She also urged Joan to dress as a boy for the journey since it would be too dangerous for a girl to travel alone. Sure enough, Joan gets into trouble along the way when 4 would-be thieves try to steal her bag, which contains the letter.

She's getting her face beaten in when Cam arrives and sees what he thinks is a boy being abused by much larger men and he intervenes, saving her. Cam is badly wounded in the process and Joan gets him out of there and nurses him back to health. Cam wakes up and takes an immediate liking to the boy who he finds to be brave, smart, honorable and honest. Shortly thereafter, he sees Joan swimming in the river and realizes she's a girl.

Right away his thoughts turn lustful but he keeps the knowledge to himself for 2 more days. We get a lot of talk in his inner monologue about how he's going to let her keep her secret until she trusts him enough to reveal it on her own It really felt incongruous with where their relationship stood. Joan had indeed noticed how attractive Cam was and vice versa but since Cam hadn't revealed that he knew Joan was a woman, there were no smoldering glances or accidental touches, etc.

It just came out of no where. Also we'd really been beaten over the head with the fact that both of them feared the woman dying in childbirth and therefore planned to never have children or even get married. Cam because his first wife had died in childbirth along with the baby, and Joan because she'd seen so many women die in agony this way during her work as a healer. And yet when Cam just kisses Joan out of the blue, after an initial moment of shock that Cam was kissing a "boy" before he revealed he'd known the truth for a while, Joan just immediately gets on board with giving up her virginity and having unprotected sex with him.

And he likewise doesn't spare a thought for the fact that he could be getting her pregnant and therefore condemning her to death. It just didn't jive with their previous behavior. After the big sex scene, Cam falls asleep and stays asleep for hours and hours. Long enough for Joan to catch their dinner, clean it and even cook it over a campfire. She's confused about why Cam slept with her and what it'll mean for them now, but instead of waking him up and asking a few questions she goes for a swim.

Naturally Cam wakes up and catches her skinny dipping so he joins her and they have sex again. Her having absolutely no soreness whatsoever from her deflowering even though she'd described the pain as being akin to being stabbed with a knife. Right after the water sex scene they go back to camp and go for round three, this time with Joan taking the lead, which didn't seem the least bit believable to me.

They have sex round the clock for a while and then Joan decides to make a run for it. She's decided that what they're doing is wrong and it should stop. She doesn't want to be just a dalliance on the side of the road for a nobleman who will set her aside and never look back.

But she also recognizes that Cam is so irresistible to her that she'll never be able to deny him. Hence, she has to leave. He comes thundering after her but a scene that could have been one of powerful emotions was instead just kind of lame and bland as Cam finds her easily and just casually asks her to come back, promising to behave himself better. Joan just kind of shrugs and goes back with him.

That she knows they'll eventually give in and start having sex again because neither can resist the other. And since that's a foregone conclusions, there's no point in being celibate for a day or two and missing out on the fun they could be having. So all that was rather pointless. Her vague feelings about not wanting to be a casual fling for Cam are just tossed out the window and she vows to make the most of their time together so she has a nice memory to keep her warm at night through the lonely years to come.

Cam deliberately stretches out their journey so they can spend two weeks loving it up in the forest. It's fairly well done and you really feel the strong attraction between the two as well as the developing friendship. Eventually though, they get close to their destination and Ross McKay, the hero of the previous book who is now over 50, catches them kissing. There's some funny awkwardness about Cam kissing a boy that's quickly dispelled when Joan reveals her gender.

She asks if he wants her as his mistress or as a healer and he says he doesn't care. He just doesn't want their time together to end. Joan deliberates for a minute but ultimately decides that she can't bear to be his mistress, knowing that he'll eventually tire of her and set her aside, leaving her heartbroken.

Better to stop the relationship now after their two weeks in heaven. So she just tells Cam that she DOES want things to end between them, without explaining her thought process. This hurts Cam's feelings to the point where he even begins to wonder if she'd been faking her affection for him all through the two weeks. If she'd only been sleeping with him because she needed his protection or some such nonsense.

It didn't really jive. I mean, they'd been having sex round the clock. If she wasn't really into it, she'd have put a stop to that. But this is a book and we need drama so of course Cam's hurt and carries that with him for the whole rest of the book.

Then Joan delivers her message and it turns out it says that Joan is the daughter of Kate, Lady Anabel McKay's psycho sister from the previous book who was sent off to the abbey. Turns out she was pregnant at the time and died in childbirth, so her punishment for all her murdering ways didn't last very long. The abbey didn't want the baby so they gave her to the healer who tended Kate during the birth and that's how Joan grew up thinking that woman was her mother.

Despite everything Kate did, Anabel and Ross welcome Joan with open arms The book really goes downhill after this. Both Cam and Joan do a lot of assuming about the other's feelings without ever actually talking to each other.

Cam assumes that Joan doesn't really like him because of what she said earlier and that she resents being forced to marry him. Joan likewise assumes Cam must resent being forced to marry her just because she turned out to be sort of a noble when he thought he was just tumbling a peasant girl. Especially since he made his stance on never marrying again very clear. They both even have Ross and Anabel talking to them and almost - but not quite - explaining what's really going on while insisting that they love each other and should just talk to one another They just go on whingeing about it in their inner monologues for ages and ages.

Joan also turns into a completely annoying self-deprecating little girl for the entire rest of the book.

"Damn Scots! They ruined Scotland!"

Going on and on and ON about how she doesn't know how to be a lady and will just end up embarrassing Cam and his family. She even tries to insist they have their marriage annulled which I'm pretty sure isn't possible after they've consummated the union hundreds of times and suggests that she just be his mistress after all. Apparently forgetting all the reasons why she didn't want that life. They go to Cam's castle right after the marriage and Anabel and her daughters go along to allegedly teach Joan how to behave like a lady.

Except that the things they try to teach her are incredibly stupid. They try singing, dancing and archery lessons, of all things. Not like, the way to run a household or host a dinner party, etc. Maybe back in the day those other pursuits were things ladies did indeed indulge in but that's only because they had SO MUCH time on their hands. Since they weren't working or allowed to do anything in the business world, and were basically told to just sit inside all day, yeah they learned things like sewing, painting, singing and playing instruments.

But nobody learns those things in the space of a week. They have tutors for years in order to develop those skills. So it was just ridiculous that Anabel thought THESE were the most important lessons to give to Joan when in the grand scheme of things they're meaningless. The whole thing was just plot contrivance to keep Joan feeling like a failure as a lady.

I found the whole thing to be very tedious. Joan had gone from a strong, smart, independent woman with a valuable skill healing and the bravery to travel alone, on foot and unarmed to a new country just to honor a deathbed promise, to this weak, self-doubting wimp. Her healing skills were never once used during her time at Sinclair because Anabel is also a healer and it was usually Joan who needed the healing anyway. So she really became pretty useless and boring. When they arrive at the castle, there's a bunch of single women there, invited by Cam's mother to try to tempt him into marrying again.

One of them is this incredibly nasty woman who sneers at Joan and also throws herself at Cam. Joan of course sees them kissing and assumes that Cam has already tired of her and moved on. But then the woman turns up dead the next day. Joan worries that Cam might have killed her for half a second but then gets over it. There are 2 attempts on Joan's life and Cam is worried about her but they still won't just talk about their various wrong assumptions and get back to being the fun couple they were during those two weeks.

They do confess their love for each other, but Joan immediately goes back to doubting herself because she's not a lady and will embarrass him, etc. The climax with the villain was pretty lame and not very exciting. And Joan didn't save herself, nor did Cam save her. It was one of the other women who allegedly becomes her dear friend between this book and the next.

But the epilogue is the worst part of the whole book. Both Cam and Joan have agreed that they don't want children because they're afraid she'll die giving birth. So Joan has been chewing a certain kind of seed everyday to prevent conception. But she gets pregnant anyway. The epilogue picks up with her already 9 months pregnant and due at any moment. We get a few brief lines about how during the gestation she and Cam lived each moment as if it were their last, trying to cram a lifetime of memories into that short time, just in case.

But since we're not experiencing that in real-time, we don't get the emotions that should have gone along with it. Likewise, when she goes into labor, neither one of them seems suitably anxious about what will happen. You could maybe give Joan a pass on that since she's in labor with no epidural so her entire consciousness is occupied with just getting through the pain, but Cam should have been going berserk! But the WORST part is when Cam's mother reveals to Joan that she actually took the birth control seeds away and substituted something else.

She deliberately made sure Joan would get pregnant because she wanted a grandchild. And this was a period in history where women were extremely likely to die giving birth. Heck Joan's own mother had died this way! That doesn't bode well for Joan's ability to successfully deliver a baby. And this woman didn't care about ANY of that danger to Joan, or how devastating it would be to Cam if he lost yet another wife in this way. Nope, she just wanted grandchildren and couldn't wait until her second son got around to marrying someone. And she's so totally over her fear of dying that she's already planning a second baby.

So yeah, that ending really pissed me off. The fear of childbirth thing had been such a big part of the story for both our main characters, to have them just shrug and get over the fear without giving it proper weight was lame. A much better ending would have been for them to have truly gotten pregnant accidentally and then have to deal with all the emotions that caused on-page where we could see it.

They would have discussed the possibility of aborting the baby. I'm sure Joan, as a healer, would know some way of making it happen. Then Cam would have given some gut-wrenching declarations about how desperately he loved Joan and would be a broken, empty shell of a man if she were to die. And finally they'd bravely decide to go through with the pregnancy, both putting on a strong face for the other.

But in their inner monologues we'd see that Joan was still terrified and Cam was driving himself to the brink of insanity with worry over her and how powerless he was to save her. And when the big moment finally arrived, they'd both be a lot more emotional than they were in the version we got.

So much wasted potential. Instead we get this BS story about the crazy interfering mother-in-law changing the seeds just because she wants a grandchild. And speaking of the seeds, WTH is with Joan not noticing that her birth control seeds are different? She's supposed to be the healer for goodness sake!

You telling me she can't tell one seed from another?? How has she not poisoned someone by now! Everything about this epilogue was wrong. Another thing that bugged me is that Joan never explained to Cam why she'd refused to go with him to Sinclair the first time he'd asked her to. The entire second half of the book he kept returning to that moment and using it as an excuse to go on doubting their relationship and yet they never just cleared the air on the subject.

It started out great, and unlike some other reviewers, I was glad it didn't take Cam very long to figure out that Joan was a girl. After reading The Switch just a little while ago, my tolerance for men who can't spot a cross-dressing bombshell even when she's right in front of him has gone way down.

So I was glad we just got on with the romance in this one. But the shift in tone and the characters' behavior just completely derailed the story and it never got back on track May 30, Cerian rated it really liked it. Originally published at Rookie Romance. Joan is travelling to Scotland in order to fulfill her mother's dying request that she deliver a scroll to the clan McKay. Disguised as a boy, she sets off on her danger-fraught journey where she is attacked by thieves. Luckily she is saved by a fierce warrior, Campbell Sinclair, who is injured in battle.

Skilled in the art of healing, Joan nurses Campbell back to health. All the while Campbell believes Joan is a boy, but he soon discovers she is a woman an Originally published at Rookie Romance. All the while Campbell believes Joan is a boy, but he soon discovers she is a woman and a powerful attraction flares up between the two I really liked Joan as a heroine. She's a very independent woman and has been brought up as a commoner but is a skilled healer.

She's smart, self-reliant and strong, with no intention of marrying. When she finds out her true identity, it does definitely do a number on her self-confidence because she doesn't think that she's good enough for Campbell, and that he should have someone raised to be a proper Lady. Despite this, she has plenty of determination and courage to become the wife he needs. Campbell was also a great hero. He leaves home for the summer to try and avoid the leagues of women his mother had invited to their home, hoping to entice him into marrying again. Unfortunately for his mother, Campbell has no interest in marrying again after the death of his first wife.

That is until he's caught in a rather compromising situation with Joan which necessitates a swift wedding. Campbell is a kind and compassionate man, with a very protective side when it comes to Joan. I thought Joan and Campbell were a great couple, and together they could conquer their doubts about marrying and have a happy future. I'll admit to being surprised by how quickly Joan and Campbell began their physical relationship, especially considering that Joan was a virgin.

Soon enough though, I was happily swept along in their passionate affair, and I loved how comfortable they felt with each other and how easy their relationship was- at least before other matters complicated it. There is also a mystery element to the story when there are a series of accidents, all apparently centered around Joan. The culprit behind the 'accidents' came as quite a surprise and it was an enjoyable series of twists and turns in the plot. Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable story with a fiery love between an honourable Highlander and the strong lass that is perfect for him.

You also get to catch up with Annabel and Ross from the first book of the series which was fab. Sep 23, Elis Madison rated it liked it Shelves: Headed home to Scotland, Cam Sinclair stumbles upon a lad beset by thieves. While he does with some help save the day, he's injured. Three days later, he wakes to discover that the "lad" is in fact a lass—and some parts of him can't ignore that fact.

Turns out, our heroine is fulfilling her mother's dying wish—she's delivering a message to the lady and laird of a clan that neighbors the Sinclairs. Since they're going in the same direction, Cam naturally offers to "escort" her.

There's some ang Headed home to Scotland, Cam Sinclair stumbles upon a lad beset by thieves. Attempted murders ensue, and from here, we have a decent "whodunit". I kinda guessed the whodunit but there were enough possibilities, and the most obvious villain was so quickly ruled out, that the mystery required some real sleuthing. I'm not fond of romances where the whole point of the story is whether the couple eventually makes it at least unless the issues between them deserve pages of attention. This one really had me puzzling over the whodunit, even though I had a fair idea early on.

True mystery readers, those who like to have all the evidence in hand before the final reveal, might be frustrated with this one, but the story still works well enough to earn this one 3. Dec 14, Lissy Liz rated it really liked it. Dec 10, C rated it liked it Shelves: She does in child birth.

Aug 19, Jessica Robbins rated it really liked it Shelves: For complete review check out my blog at https: Jun 27, Dottie rated it it was amazing. An unforgettable, suspense-filled historical romance that will keep you guessing! Taken from my review at Romancejunkies. His wife had calmly accepted their union and became pregnant quickly. But Cam lost her and their child in childbirth. Now his mother is avidly urging him to remarry and produce heirs, but Cam is determined An unforgettable, suspense-filled historical romance that will keep you guessing!

Now his mother is avidly urging him to remarry and produce heirs, but Cam is determined to never put another woman through that again and has left home. Finally, on his way back home, he encounters a young boy who is being savagely beaten, and comes to his rescue, only to be stabbed in his back. Before passing out and succumbing to his injuries, Cam manages to defeat them. When he comes to, days later, he discovers that the young boy has managed to get him away from the scene and has saved his life. Grateful to him, Cam agrees to see the young lad to his destination.

However, when he sees the boy bathing in the lake one night, he is astounded to discover that the boy is a girl, whose clothes hide her curvy shape. She had not wanted to leave the convent where her mother had been the healer, but there is no place left for her there now, despite the fact that her mother had trained her well in the art of healing.

Having attended many births and witnessed much suffering and death, Joan has vowed to never become pregnant. So the one thing she plans to avoid is lying with any man. However, her resolve is sorely tested one evening when they stop for the night and things soon turn intimate. As they near the end of their trip, Cam is desperate to keep her with him, but since she knows he only sees her as a mistress, she is hesitant, unable to bear the thought of the day when he takes a bride.

Will Cam be able to keep her safe? I really liked both Cam and Joan and could not help rooting for them as they struggled with their passion for each other. This is a story that can be described as both sweet and steamy. The rigors of childbirth, adventure, murder, suspects galore, accidents, misunderstandings, jealousy, lies, humor, plot twists, romance and love all set in a Scottish backdrop make this an unforgettable tale. I enjoy all of Ms. Just seeing her name on the cover of a book makes it a must read for me. Jul 11, Sandy M rated it liked it Shelves: Even when he discovers her ruse, he lets her get away with it a bit longer.

But once he knows her secret, his attraction grows. Cam makes his move and they enjoy a physical relationship during their two-week trip. Once at their destination, the story does take an unusual turn, which is what keeps the book from descending into further obscurity, despite the fact Joan knows nothing more can happen between them because of their different stations in life. I find the resolution a bit hard to swallow. Including the trail of bodies left along the way. As much as I like Cam and Joan, their story is just too cookie cutter.

Lynsay Sands has been a favorite for me for years now. See my complete review at http: Jun 01, Cheri Champagne rated it it was ok.

Point Bush Wines | Highland Hijinks

I have no complaints about the author's voice or the characterization, but the plot was irksome, to say the least. There are a lot of tour groups in the Inverness area, but what we really wanted was someone who knew their way around. Not just that, since we were using some of what amounted to our very limited and precious time, we wanted someone that could really show us the highlights and make the most of our time.

We took a chance on Loch Ness tours. Richard made sure we saw all the highlights, even found us unique, interesting and delicious food and he really knows his stuff! We had a great time and great laughs! I'm planning another trip to Scotland soon and I'm definitely going to book his company for another tour. Richard was a great guide over our two days in Inverness.

Loads of interesting facts and anecdotes and lots of laughs. And a great, safe driver too in a very comfortable car - many thanks! We found Richard outside the Train Station in Inverness and we arranged for him to pick us up at our hotel the following day. He was there early with a very nice vehicle and we headed out to see a Castle, taste some whiskey and hunt down Nessie.

We'd planned to see the popular castle near the Loch, but Richard suggested we head to a different "living" castle. On the way we stopped at some neat and historical locations, the vibe was wonderfully informal, just like having a local friend show you around. We had a nice little exciting moment when a guy came flying over a single lane bridge with a massive hay bale, Richard avoided our demise which was a very nice touch. The Castle was absolutely awesome, think Downton Abbey on a smaller scale, but with all the cool. We hit a nice pub on the way to some ruins and the Mac and Cheese can be a meal for two.

We continued our journey to a whiskey tasting at Tomiton Distillery and finally ended up at the Loch Ness.

SRB Diary: London calling

Richard is just a great guy, it's less of a guided tour than a buddy showing you around. I highly recommend hooking up with him if you ever end up in Inverness! Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more. All of your saved places can be found here in My Trips. Log in to get trip updates and message other travelers.

Review of Loch Ness Tours. Attraction details Recommended length of visit: Discover the beauty, historical attractions and natural wonders of Loch Ness. We provide tours around Loch Ness to castles, battlefields and distilleries that give you the full picture of this magical part of Scotland.

Let Loch Ness Tours give you an experience that will last in your memory for a lifetime. Reviewed 15 May via mobile. Reviewed 15 May First time to Scotland. Ask Jamoffatt about Loch Ness Tours. Write a Review Reviews Show reviews that mention. All reviews " great trip ". Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Read reviews in English Go back. Reviewed 27 April via mobile. Reviewed 27 April

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