The Highlander's Touch

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***When Lisa Stone lets her curiosity get the better of her and touches a new artifact in the museum where she works as a maid she finds herself transported back in time, 700 years in the past. Circenn Brodie cursed the flask stolen from him so that the next person to touch it would be transported to him with the flask. He's given a vow to Adam Black that he'll kill the man who brings the flask, but he never expected that man to be an innocent woman ripped from her time. He can't bring himself to kill her and the only person who can send her back is the very man who's ordered her death. Lisa has responsibilities at home, she's the sole provider for her dying mother, the only family her mother has. She can't afford to be stuck in the past no matter how enticing the man who brought her there is. When Robert the Bruce orders their marriage due to a misunderstanding to cover her identity neither of them know how to react. Will Lisa ever get home? Will Circenn be able to live with himself if he breaks his vow, or even if he doesn't?Like I mentioned in my last review, this is one of the few Moning books I'd never read before. The book was an enjoyable story, but I might not have rated it as high if I hadn't related so much to one of the characters. Though this returns to the focus of the series, again becoming a building block toward Moning's Fever series it had its own share of issues. Moning wrote the book with a purpose to teach readers both about cervical cancer and some historical events around the time period during which she set the majority of the story. If the author's note at the end didn't make it abundantly clear, the large passages of history and medical lessons should have. In some ways it's clear she did her research before writing the book because many passages are pretty close to info dumping. In other ways she's not so historically accurate as other readers have pointed out in reference to the language used by the characters in the book. What's odd really is that even the brogue seems to go in and out with her Scottish characters, at some points they speak like everyone else and other they're using words like ken and donna. While both words are completely acceptable and expected speech for her setting, consistency in using them would have been appreciated. Highlanders don't revert back and forth between the brogue and almost American like speech patterns. Had the brogue seemed consistent I might have ignored the language because I'll be honest before I was glancing through reviews on Goodreads while I took a break from reading it and noticed it pointed out in rant like review, I didn't even really think about the fact that these characters used words that shouldn't have been known to them. I was for the most part enjoying the story and when you're enjoying the story you don't notice as many of the details like that. If the Knight Templar and Scottish battles didn't interest me then I might have paid more attention or been more bothered by the info dumping. Once that was pointed out to me I started to notice other language inconsistencies and felt it was worth mentioning.Like the first novel in the series this romance series helps to lay the bricks for the Fever series. Not only do we again encounter Adam and the Fairy Queen but the concept of the hallows is presented. Though memory may serve me wrong I could have sworn there were others in the Fever series than the ones listed here. The Sword and the Spear are introduced in this novel as is the flask of immortality, the cauldron, and the stone. I could have sworn the book and the mirror were in that group but I may be remembering wrong. Whether or not those are part of the hallows or not they aren't mentioned in the book. Sidhe-seers are mentioned, though not yet by name and the concepts of the Fairy Realm on earth, but yet not is also introduced. Romance fan or not, the world of the Fever series doesn't just blink into existence with Dark Fever, it's built slowly over the course of the Highlander series before taking shape in that stunning series. There weren't as many sex scenes in this novel as in the previous one, however many of those scenes were long and the concept of the bond between Lisa and Circenn seems all too similar to Christine Feehan's Dark series. To my knowledge this is the only book which has this concept, of course this is the only book about a half fae half mortal hero so that's probably why it's the only one with joined consciousness. One of the things I didn't like is they started to spin off into subplots of Duncan and Gavin, two of the secondary characters with talk of Gavin wanting a wife and Duncan being shot down, but the subplot is never played out, only mentioned. I don't understand why they bothered to mention it without going back to it. Additionally while I like a happy ending, it ties up a little bit too neatly for me. I mean their lives can't just go from sucking to perfect by the end. In a way the ending sort of ruined a lot of the drama of the story for me. The book however was a well written close third person with a reasonably fast pace. It includes both a love story and a secondary historical plot concerning the Scottish wars for independence. The novel is also filled with humor especially in the form of items from the future. Adam has apparently been planning this little situation for a while and in order to tempt Circenn he's brought multiple gifts from the future. In one of the scenes Adam discovers how Circenn has utilized the tampons Adam had brought for Lisa's use before Circenn ever meets Lisa. Circenn, not knowing what the objects are believes they're cleaning products that fit nicely into the barrels of the guns Adam has brought him. Much of the humor is outright silly but it definitely adds to the enjoyment of the book.What really made this book a four star novel for me was the characters. Lisa is one of my favorite characters, while I think many people will have a hard time relating to her, because very few people will ever be put through the kind of things she'd had to experience, I think she's one of the most believable characters I've ever read/met. Her internal war is something I can personally easily relate to and her reactions are in my opinion realistic. When her father died, taking care of her mother became her responsibility and because of her mother's handicap even the finances were now on her shoulders. She hasn't even had the chance to be an adult yet before the man she'd always depended on was gone and she was just expected to take over in his stead and take care of things. She didn't go to college even though she'd always dreamed of doing it because someone needed to work and pay the bills. Someone needed to ensure they'd always had a roof over their heads and someone needed to take care of her mother. And while she's doing so, the close relationship they'd always had slips away, because in some ways her mother stopped being a person and started being a responsibility. It was Lisa's duty to make sure her mother ate and she was obligated to try to make her smile. It doesn't mean you love her any less, why would you do it if you didn't love her? But at the same time doing something because you have to, because you're the only one who can isn't the same as doing it just because. And the longer that you are the one who's desperately needed setting your own needs, wants and dreams on a shelf to meet the demands of someone else's the more distance begins to separate you. And yes she resents that when she turned 18 her father died and she had to give up all her dreams, everything to take care of her mother. Who wouldn't? You go through high school hearing about all the promise you have and thinking the world is going to be your playground and you're on the verge of conquering it. Then once high school is over tragedy sets in and the world goes from being your playground to resting on your shoulders and those dreams that got you through the grueling school days, that said there was a purpose to this madness which was high school are ripped out from under you. You can't stop to think about it because if you think about it you have to think about everything you've lost and all those abandoned dreams. You'd have to think about no longer having your Dad to talk to or to lean on. You'd have to think about the fact that he left whether he meant to or not he's gone and you never even had the chance to live first. And there's this part of you that blames him because if he'd planned better if he'd though to take care of things further it wouldn't all be on your shoulders now. And you wonder how he couldn't realize that it would be hard enough to lose him, how could he really expect you to pick up all the pieces he left behind and there's a part of you that blames him, that wants to hate him for leaving you. But you don't want to think about because it makes you feel like a horrible ungrateful daughter. It makes you feel like the scum of the earth for being resentful of the people who gave you your childhood. So you focus on working until you're so tired you can't see straight and many people make bad decisions to try and hide from the pain only to learn that those decisions didn't make the responsibility go away or make your life any easier. You focus on the bills and the finances and all the little things that need to be done, that no one else but you can possibly do and you NEVER take the time to grieve because if you do you'll know you'll fall apart. Everyone needs you and you can't afford to fall apart. There's no one there to be your shoulder to lean on and you wouldn't accept it even if they offered because accepting that would mean you'd have to think about it. And you don't want to think about it because thinking about it reminds you of the constant war you wage inside of you - the part that resents losing all your dreams against the guilt of ever blaming the people who raised you for your lot in life. Logically you know that your Dad never asked to die and your mom never planned on switching roles with you. Your mom never planned on your giving up everything you'd dreamed of because you had to take care of her and she can't help that she needs you. Logically you know it isn't anyone's fault and you should cherish every minute you have left with your mother. But that doesn't make it any less unfair and it doesn't make you feel any less empty. It doesn't make it any better when people look at your like you're worthless because you never had the chance to even try to reach your dreams. They don't know what you've gone through and they'll never really understand but if you told them the best you could expect is their pity and you don't want their pity. So you resent the situation and hate yourself for the resentment you feel toward the people you love the most. And you work yourself to the bone because you don't want to think about it and if you were to find yourself in Lisa's situation with endless time you'd do everything you could to get back. The happiness you feel makes you guilty because you're not supposed to be happy when they're gone or they're suffering. And the endless time gives you too much time to think and too much time to feel. Lisa is naïve in many ways but she's so realistic, so easy to relate to and understand that I feel she's probably one of the best characters ever written. Not many people will ever experience what Lisa has and I can't help but wonder if that lack of really understanding will make some readers find her an unrealistic character. Normal people don't have lives like Lisa's, but I think that those who do will find in Lisa the one fictional character that really feels like them. The one fictional character who really understands their internal war and the mess left of their lives after a tragedy has struck their family. And yes she's got her share of angst and internal debates, but who wouldn't if they lived her life? However once she's in the past a while and starts to accept and move on she become a little harder to relate to because it seems to me as though she gives up a little too easily and falls neatly into the happy life in the past. Overall though she was a memorable character who's very easy to relate to. Circenn is also well developed but not as much as Lisa. Circenn's issues stem mostly from his past, from Adam making him immortal, but not his mother. The problem with this is Moning never fully explains the circumstances of why and you don't find out until almost the end why Adam even bothers so much with Circenn. In fact you don't really completely understand a lot of the background regarding Circenn until many books later when Adam gets his own story. Many of the secondary characters are also well developed but as I mentioned in my last review not as much as they were in her debut novel. Adam of course grows as a character fleshing out more during this story, but other characters just don't have the same fleshy feel as the secondary characters in Moning's first novel. I can't help but wonder if in her desire to share all the information she'd learned with the reader she lost track of some of the character development and secondary plots. While gaining knowledge in a fictional novel is already a bonus, it's secondary to plot, subplot and character development.Overall while I don't think it was one of Moning's best titles I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy, paranormal and time travel romance. It was an enjoyable read that despite its issues was worth reading.

Summary: Lisa's life is tough. Her Father passed away, leaving Lisa and her mother in financial crisis. To make matters worse, Lisa's mother is gravely ill and cannot help support the two women. The financial responsibility, as well as the care of Lisa's mother, are dependent upon Lisa's efforts alone. She works constantly to make ends meet, and this includes a night job cleaning a museum.One day, an ancient Scottish relic is brought to the museum inside an intricate box. When Lisa opens the box and touches the piece, she is instantly thrown 700 years back in time - landing in Castle Brodie, directly in front of the magical druid warrior, Circenn, who originally cursed the relic. It was imperative that this relic never be put in the wrong hands, for it provides life extending Fae power to the holder. A spell had been placed on the piece which would cause anyone who touched it to be returned directly to Circenn. He was then bound to kill the person, regardless of who it is.Fortunately, Circenn can't quite bring himself to kill Lisa. He is immediately taken with her beauty and spirit, even if he is suspicious of her. Lisa begins to fall for Circenn as well, but she can't bring herself to give up the desire to return home to her own time. Her Mother is dying, and Lisa can't accept the thought of abandoning the only family she has left. Because of his Fae ancestry, Circenn has the ability to travel through time. Can his magic keep them together?Review: It was very interesting to me that this book pre-dated the original two books. It gave readers a glimpse into the lives of the people who set the stage for all of the other books in the series. This book introduces us to the Berserker lineage, the Douglas lineage, and the Fae (including Adam Black) whom we have already read about in the first two books. None of these were the primary storyline, but there was enough to make me feel the connection between all three books. That was a nice touch.I really enjoyed Lisa's back story in this novel. She was forced into a tough situation because others made poor decisions, but she was strong enough to take responsibility anyway - and without complaint. I like strong female lead characters, so this book was on the right track for me.The love story between Lisa and Circenn was slow, patient and sweet; it was a complete contradiction to the power and strength of Circenn as a warrior. I loved that he was written in such a way that he was both an invincible warrior and a gentle man falling in love - with both sides of him being absolutely genuine and effortless.There were only a couple things I didn't like. The first was the rushed feeling of the end of the book, which has been the case with the previous two books as well. The first 90-95% of the book is descriptive and enticing, and then the last few chapters are suddenly a whirl of everything closing up at once. The second problem was that there was no epilogue. It isn't as though epilogues are mandatory, but it would have been great to have one in this particular book since it wrapped up so darn fast. There could have been so much more written about how this couple survived and acclimated to the major changes that occurred in their lives at the end of the book. I feel like we missed out on a lot of their journey.There was so much that I enjoyed about this installment of the Highlander series. I'm very much looking forward to the next book. Each book continues to improve, so I'm hoping that future books in this series will earn that elusive 5-cup rating. Recommended for fans of Celtic romances and fantasy series.[...]

I loved this book. Wonderfully written and engrossing story. Makes me want to believe ..... in everything magic, including time travel and hot scotsmen.

２３才のリザは、高校を卒業した時に交通事故により父をなくし、母が大けがを負い、財産もなくし、今はガンで死の床につく母親を看病しながら昼も夜も働いている。博物館で夜の清掃をしていたとき、好奇心からガラスの小瓶に触ってしまい、小瓶にかけられた魔法により、イギリスとの戦いを前にした戦士たちのいる１４世紀のスコットランドに迷いこんでしまう。ロマンスだけど性描写はしつこくなく、大人のファンタジーという感じの小説です。ただし、読み進んでいくと結末がある程度予測できるので、星４つといったところです。

Another good read by Karen, very enjoyable.

Absolutely loved this series, I couldn't get enough of them. Bit sad once o finished the last book I just wanted more of her books.

This is the third book in the series and I absolutely love it.Circenn, the laird cursed a missing fae artefact so that it would be returned to him along with the first person who touched it...Lisa's been thrown back in time because she touched something she shouldn't have (haven't we all at some time or other). The thing is what she touched sent her back in time to the year 1308. It was cursed and now she's stuck there and to top it all she stuck with a very powerful and immortal Scottish laird. She need's to get home but is torn when the time come's because she's fallen in love. Very romantic and plenty of drama. The magics building up and as usual Adam Black (the fae fool) seem's to be in the thick of it.

This is the third book in KMM's Highlander series and while it has some of the same enjoyable elements as the first two, it isn't quite as good.This time the story revolves around Circenn, the laird who cursed a missing fae artefact so that it would be returned to him along with the first person who touched it. Whizzing though time with the artefact is Lisa, desperate to get back to her dying mother but doomed to stay in the past.The reason that this installment of the series lacks impact are the main characters and the plot. Circenn is great, the usual domineering highland laird character but with a little twist. However, Lisa is a bit bland. I couldn't get interested in her and KMM didn't managed to make me care about her plight. As far as the plot goes, I don't mind the time travel element but I don't enjoy the fact that it is openly accepted by everyone in the past reality. The "She's from the 21st century? Okay. What's for dinner?" attitude, just seemed ridiculous to me. I also didn't really get much of a thrill from the way the story was wrapped up.This is still worth picking up if you like Highlander historical romances, but if you haven't read any of KMM's books before, you will get a much more satisfying read from the first two books, particularly the second one:  Beyond the Highland Mist  is book one and  To Tame a Highland Warrior  is the second book.NB// The Kindle edition is fine- no errors :) Beyond the Highland MistTo Tame a Highland Warrior