Customer Reviews

To Catch a Highlander

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Karen Hawkins's Highlander novel is witty and original with a touch of passion and magic. It was my first read into the MacLean family. There are other novels which precede this one but it is not necessary to have read them to enjoy To Catch a Highlander.

Poor Sophia, her gambling loving father has just lost their home to Dougal MacLean and now she must find some way to keep her beloved manor. She stumbles upon what she believes to be the perfect solution. She will make the home look run down and as shabby as possible. Then, being an expert card shark herself, she will win the property back from Dougal.

Her plans go awry as soon as she meets her nemesis. He is bold, charming and handsome, she is caught completely off guard by him. Furthermore he seems to be taking the dirty less than hospitable surroundings to heart.

Dougal is aware of Sophia's little plan and keeps this knowledge from her. He pretends to have a good time at the manor all the time biding his time until he can give Sophia her comeuppance but in the meantime he is quite attracted to her and truly enjoys the time he spends with her.

Together these two create wonderful dialogue and smoldering passions which are both subtle yet electric. Their card games are wonderfully played out with humor and intense desire. Sophia is beginning to see her life in a new perspective. She is falling fast for her houseguest.

Dougal is cursed. His temper controls the weather, courtesy of a spell from a long ago witch, and when he is mad watch out, there is thunder and lighting.

These leads are so likeable that you cannot help but be charmed by their antics. They are not unkind to each other just trying to stay one step ahead of the other. I liked this book so much I am going to read the prequels.

Sophia's father gambles away her family estate she decided to trick the new owner in thinking the home is run down and then she can win back the estate with her own card playing. The new owner is Lord Dougal MacLean - one of the younger brothers of the MacLean Family. The Maclean family has a curse that when they get angry it affects the weather. In Dougal case when he becomes angry it rains - lets just say when he meets Sophia - it RAINS alot .... I loved this book it was funny and romantic and a great story,Enjoy!

Check out the whole MacLean Curse Series; How to Abduct a Highland Lord Book I, To Scotland, With Love Book II,To Catch a Highlander Book III and more to come I hope...

This book is a wonderful read. The story is about a lady who's father just lost everything, including their house in a card game and Sophia is determined to win it back. Dougal MacLean is the unfortunate man who won the house from Sophia's father and carries the MacLean family curse. MacLean believes he is the master of all he surveys and Sophia could not care less. She means to get her house back no matter what. And the game is on. Thunder roars and lighting crashes as the two of them get together to play cards. There is so much heat in each hand of cards I couldn't put the book down. I want to know where to learn to play like that. Great book. I would recommended it over and over again.

I love to read Scottish, historical, romantic novels, and anticipated this would be a fun good book including those aspects. It was not well written at all. The story was ok, but it just lacked the more in depth, feel like I was there, can't put down books I am so used to finding for my Kindle. I think there was a interesting, good plot lurking, but it soon became scattered and lost in this book.

When I read the premise of this story, I thought it had potential to be a great book and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed it and the main characters were great! I loved how strong and smart our heroine Sophia--the hero of course had his moments of being angry at the heroine when he simply did not want to admit that he was in love with her. The card scenes are simply amazing and I loved how Sophia went after him to his sister's house to tell him that she wasn't using herself to seduce him for the deeds to her house and gave it back to him. The ending was sweet and this entire book was enjoyable!

Sophia has worked hard to make the family estate (won by her father in a gambling match) into a home to be treasured by all. It is the last thing she has to remember her mother by. But, when her father goes to town to sell her late mother's diamonds he instead loses the deed to the house and property. Now what is Sophia to do? Well she hatches a plan to do what she must to keep her family home, even if it means undoing all the hard work she has put in. If that doesn't work then she will play cards for the one thing that she has left, her virtue. While she wouldn't mind a few kisses with Lord Dougal she doesn't want to lose everything.

Then suddenly when she spends time with the man she finds that her thoughts become cloudy and seem to stay on him. Not that Lord Dougal is having anything easier. He is amused that she is one of the few people who will stand up to him. Even when it makes him angry, and when he gets angry everyone knows the skies open up and the wind howls, not to mention the pesky lightning.

But when all is said and done, and the games come to an end, will they both end up losing? If they don't listen to their hearts will it matter who has the estate?

To Catch A Highlander was a laugh out loud funny tale from the first page to the last. I thoroughly loved how Ms. Hawkins used her imagination to come up with ways that Sophia could make the wonderful home appear to be a "dump". I was also intrigued to see that in Sophia there was a heroine that would not be taken advantage of, and is strong in her convictions, whether it is to keep her house, or to kiss Lord Dougal. The added whimsy of the curse that plagues the MacLean clan made me laugh and think what I would do if every time I got angry it started to storm. To Catch A Highlander is not your normal historical romance with Dukes, Viscounts and balls with women planning whom to dance with next; it is a fast paced fun look at gambling and personal convictions. I was thoroughly entertained by To Catch A Highlander and think you need to make sure you pick it up and plan on enjoying this read. I look forward to the next Scottish Highland Romance offering by Ms. Hawkins, as they are always a breath of fresh air.

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Sophia MacFarlane understands the roguish Lord Dougal MacLean owns what was her former home until her wastrel father "Red" lost it gambling to earn money for a new roof rather than sell his late wife's diamonds. Sophia obstinately is determined to get it back, but she has no concrete plan. She vaguely figures she must use her feminine wiles to con the upstart out of her home that in her mind he temporarily albeit legally possesses.

However Dougal is not going to allow some pretty lass to outsmart him; instead he raises the stakes of her challenge. Sophia knows she is down to her last gambit, her virginity in a winner take all card game; her plan is to risk a bluff if needed; his strategy is to call her bluff. The first kiss stuns the two players; the second leaves both in shock; because they begin to realize a house is not home without love.

TO CATCH A HIGHLANDER is an incredibly humorous historical romance as Sophia and Dougal try to out-con, out-lie and out-cheat one another. The story line is fast-paced as the stakes keep getting raised by the two players as nothing is sacred in their misadventures except their growing love for one another. After reading this wonderful battle of the sexes' tale, fans will revise how they look at games of chance as sometimes a win-win is possible.

Harriet Klausner

This was a great book. I haven't read the others in the series but it didn't matter. The characters were interesting and the book focused on their relationship without getting too distracted by secondary stories. The love scenes were hot and it made me want to go out today and buy the other books. I look forward to reading other titles by this author.
There was a bit of humor in it, yah there could have been more, but enough to keep the story light and endearing.

I will only post one review as they would all be the same for this author
one word covers it all "OUTSTANDING"and i did purchase all the ones i had not read

I love this book. The only downside for me was that he seemed a little whinny. Then after he sleeps with her he just bails the next day. It lost it's nobility for a bit, but it gets better after a chapter or two. I would definately recomment this book to anyone wantin to read a strong female character and a sexy highlander.