SWORD OF THE HIGHLANDS

Author: Veronica Wolff ISBN: 9780425222485 6/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: BERKLEY
Time Period: Present Day/17th Century Scotland

SHE HAD TO GO BACK IN TIME TO FIND THE MAN OF HER DREAMS... One minute, she’s New York heiress and art curator Magda Deacon, enraptured by the sexy Scotsman captured in an old portrait. The next, she’s falling through time to 17th century Scotland—and embarking on the most erotic journey of her life… Infamous playboy James Graham, First Marquis of Montrose, doesn’t know what to make of the strange woman who’s stumbled into his life. Her accent may be foreign, but Magda plays golf and rides like a red-blooded Scotsman—not that James could ever mistake her succulent lips and curves for anything but deliciously female… But war rages in the Highlands, the land for which James and his men will lay down their lives. And when Magda faces a terrifying enemy and a daunting choice, only her Scottish hero will be able to set things right…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Veronica Wolff sets her paranormal romance SWORD OF THE HIGHLANDS in modern day Manhattan and 17th century Scotland, in the middle of The War of the Three Kingdoms. Magda hides in her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a restorer to avoid her parents' high society friends and activities. One weekend as she cleans the portrait of a Scottish lord, whom her boss revealed was captured and hanged for treason, she suddenly activates a portal and is transported back to his time—and on top of him in his bed.

The story starts with Magda sounding just the tiniest bit sorry for herself for always getting called to work for emergencies, never having time for herself, sad that her brother died, and guilty that she wasn't there to save him when he drowned. As she deals with the predicament of being in a different time and place, she realizes that she can change her attitude, her responses and make her own decisions. One of these decisions is whether to go back to her old life if she can find a way to do it. Another is whether she loves James Graham or is merely infatuated with his body, scent and character.

James is equally intrigued by a "hen" who can golf better than his male friends and who fears nothing but bodies of water. Unfortunately for them, his politics throw him into battle, which pulls James away from Magda. The heart does indeed grow fonder with his frequent absences, and when his enemy kidnaps Magda, it is the final straw for this confirmed bachelor. No matter what else, he decides to marry Magda when he finds that she escaped her captors unharmed.

I love how Wolff's characters developed into multi-faceted people, capable of failing even while trying to do the right thing. The battle scenes were a bit too long for my tastes and the lovemaking, though well written, could have been longer. I give her points for plumping up the secondary characters. It was nice to see that they have lives and feelings and sex, as well. I was just the teeniest bit annoyed that Wolf didn't wrap up SWORD OF THE HIGHLANDS with a nice little bow, but left it very open ended. I did appreciate the author's notes about the historical James Graham. He really was a true Scottish hero.

I can heartily recommend SWORD OF THE HIGHLANDS to readers who love the paranormal as well as the historical.

Susan Barton