Customer Reviews

The Angel and the Highlander

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lachlan Sinclare has been sent by Lord Bunnock to return his daughter to her home. Lady Alyce has decided to avoid marriage and has run away to an abbey. She doesn't want to marry the man her father has chosen for her and would rather assume the persona of Terese, a nun than of Alyce, a wife. Lachlan just wants to return Alyce to her family - he never expected to fall for a beautiful woman of God.

On the blurb for this novel, Alyce is described as shrewish. The blurb was being nice I am sad to say. She was not at all likeable as a character and more than once I just wanted Lachlan to leave her where she stood. Stubborness in a heroine is a great trait, stubbornness to the point that the female lead becomes a pain to read, then enough is enough. Lachlan deserved better.

Donna Fletcher just didn't satisfy my historical romance loving soul with The Angel and the Highlander. I would suggest skipping this book and finding one where the lead characters actually connect.


Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The first two books so far in this series have been the best. "Return of the Rogue" with Cavan, and "Under the Highlander's Spell" with Artair (my favorite). I have to agree with one of the other reviewers here that there was something about Alyse that I just didn't like. In this day and age it's easy to understand strong, intelligent women, but maybe not quite so in medieval times, where women were traded like baseball cards and expected to produce sons for heirs. I felt there was something false about Alyse not talking to Lachlan about the mercenaries - especially when she goes to meet one of them, and we discover her basic impulse for doing so is to find out how everyone is doing at Everagis. Sounds like betrayal to me. Five stars though, the writing is good and story is solid. If your looking for a great warrior check out Judy Garwoods "The Prize" - there's something about Royce that gets under your skin.

As Donna Fletcher's series about four Highland brothers - Cavan, Artair, Lachlan and Ronan - continues, we focus now on Lachlan. The brothers' search for the missing Ronan continues as a theme through this book, but most of the focus is on Lachlan as he is sent to bring back wayward Alyce Bunnock from a nunnery. When Lachlan arrives at Everagis Abbey where the nuns live he discovers there are only five of them left, the others - including Alyce Bunnock - having died.

Lachlan and his men decide they must stay to protect the nuns from mercenaries whilst they send a message to the church authorities to ask what to do with the few women left. Unfortunately for Lachlan, the more time he spends with Sister Terese, the more he sees her in a rather un-nun-like manner.

Terese knows that she is hiding rather a lot from Lachlan and his men; firstly, that the five women aren't nuns after all, secondly that her identity as Alyce Bunnock needs to be hidden or she will be forced home to wed the man her father requires, and thirdly that she has struck a bargain with the mercenaries, despite not seeing their mysterious leader. But as Lachlan and Terese/Alyce fall in love, he has to learn to trust her and give her freedom and she has to discover whether she can leave Everagis to be with Lachlan.

This book was enjoyable in that the story flowed well and was easy to read. However I found the central 'difficulty' of the plot, the fact that Alyce feared Lachlan wouldn't like her when he discovered she was the shrewish Alyce, very unlikely. In fact, the second half of the book felt more and more unrealistic at times. Alyce's father's behaviour seemed rather erratic too - treating her like a son, then treating her badly - although it appeared necessary for the plot to show how she'd got her leadership skills and yet why she had run away.

This book was an OK read, similar to the previous two in feel, but I felt it lacked a certain something to make it a really good read.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2009

I have very much enjoyed everything I have read by Donna Fletcher and this book is no exception. I loved the hero and heroine. I highly recommned this book.

Lord Bunnock sends Lachlan Sinclare to escort his runaway daughter Lady Alyce home. To avoid marriage to a dolt selected by her father, Alyce fled to Everagis Abbey. At the convent, Lachlan is informed that Alyce died and that the sisters are in peril from outlaws. Lachlan vows to help the nuns, but is preoccupied with beautiful Sister Terese, who acts so different than the other occupants.

To hide from her sire, Alyce took the identity of a dead nun. She fears her attraction to Lachlan will prove her undoing. Alyce also believes she and the nuns are quite capable of protecting themselves from the bandits. As they fall in what he assumes is taboo love, she must soon decide between her independence and temptation.

The newest late sixteenth century Sinclare Brothers Scottish romance (see RETURN OF THE ROGUE) is a wonderfully amusing tale as the hero struggles between desire and sin while the sassy sexy "sister" struggles between desire and independence. The story line is fast-paced and very humorous as Alyce's web of deceit implodes by her falling in love. Fans will enjoy the latest Sinclare entry due to the lead duo.

Harriet Klausner

I loved the first book in this series- Return of the Rogue with Cavan and Honora. Finally, a book worth reading with some good strong lead characters.

When we were first introduced to the brothers in the first book, i instantly liked them all. Even Ronan, who we have yet to meet. :( Unfortunately, i did not particularly favor Lachlan's book. Now, it is not because of Lachlan. His character is funny, he brings humor to the book along with his brother Artair. (Artair and Zia- another strong couple) The problem i had with this book was with the female lead. I did not like Alyce. She just annoyed me. SPOILER! Sure she is stubborn, independent, smart, beautiful, and hard working. Yet, when she did not tell the brothers of what she had suspected of the mercenaries i thought that was complete [...]. Maybe it is just me... but i did not like her character. That is what ruined the story for me.

Great story! Lots of suspense and romance! Can't wait for the rest of the series!

I thought this book had a very good story line, but then again, I love any books regarding Scotland!