Customer Reviews

Devil of Kilmartin (Highland Fling)

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

 

 

Elena & Symon are good characters and interesting to read about. Symon is especially intriguing as a clan leader who must fight madness to lead his people. Along comes the healer Elena, whom he wants to heal him and more. Her inability to trust Symon when he is so obviously trustworthy grates after a while. Most of the emotional power of the book comes from Symon as well. Even so, emotional power is not one of Ms. Wittig's strong suits. The villain's motives are not made clear enough early on to make the most of his character, and the majority of the secondary characters are flat or undifferentiated. As a result, the book doesn't quite fulfill it's promise. It is, nevertheless, an enjoyable read--just nothing to write home about.

All her life, Elena's healing abilities have been exploited by her clan. She has been forced to heal warriors who would have otherwise died, giving her clan an edge that allowed them to continue fighting long after they should have fallen. But now she's had enough. Her father is dead, and a brutal outsider named Dougal has taken over the clan, even though Elena is the rightful heir. Dougal tries to force Elena to marry him to give his claim legitimacy, but she flees into the night. She is rescued by Symon MacLachlan. Symon, known as the Devil of Kilmartin, is an enemy of Elena's people. But he turns out to be a gentle man, plagued by a trouble soul and an unexplainable madness. Symon is desperate for Elena's help, and Elena needs his protection from Dougal. But soon their need for each other turns to love. I truly enjoyed this wonderful historical romance from a talented new author. I highly recommend this book to fans of Scottish or Medieval romances.

In 1307 Scotland, her missing father is found dead and her cousin, the obvious heir apparent as clan leader, is near death. The vicious Dougal claims clan leadership even as a reluctant Elena says she will temporarily lead by her birthright until Ian recovers. Dougal tells her they will wed by morning and through marriage he will be clan chief. Elena worries for herslef, but mostly fears the destruction the repugnant Dougal will cause to her already extremely low morale people.

Still Elena escapes the abusive Dougal by fleeing into the night with the "devil" in pursuit. She reaches the land of Clan MacLachlan where she pleads with a warrior for safety. Chieftain Symon MacLachlan, known as THE DEVIL OF KILMARTIN, easily disarms Dougal and makes him run back to his clan. Symon takes an adverse Elena with him, but is shocked that her simple touch eases much of the madness that engulfs him, concluding she must be the healer of Lamont. Though their clans are enemies, the devil and the healer fall in love, but Dougal will not rest until she sanctifies his role as leader by marrying him.

This is an exciting Medieval Scottish romance starring two interesting characters whose need for one another goes against the respective traditions of their clans. The engaging story line is at its best when Symon and Elena squabble while she tries to hold back her healing hands that soothe his mental anguish even as that same touch leave both in deep desire for one another. Though Dougal is too abusive as the villain, sub-genre fans will relish this delightful historical tale.

Harriet Klausner

An intriguing plot about a healer (our heroine) in medieval Scotland who discovers the real cause of the curse suffered by Devil of Kilmartin (our hero). There are bright touches--many secondary characters glow with charm and interest--Murdoch, the Devil's loyal henchman, and little Fia. However, the characters are overwhelmed by the author's push to advance the plot by telling us what they think and by filling in gaps with explanations. The book would have been richer and more intriguing if the reader could have seen and heard the characters instead of the author.

Elena of Lamont has spent almost all of her life being used by her clan. Now that her father has disappeared, a brutal clansman is determined to use her, and have her at this mercy. She flees into the night, running from one incredibly dangerous man, and landing in the arms of another. She is drawn to Symon, regardless of her need to protect herself. Can this warrior love her for who she is, and not for what she can do?

Symon MacLachlan is chief of the of MacLachlan clan, and he offers his protection to the lovely lass, whose gentle touch eases the excruciating pain tormenting him. He is almost certain she is the legendary Lamont Healer, and for the first time since his curse began, he feels that she can heal him. He is determined to make her his, and to lure her into marriage. Will he be able to win the love of the tender lass who has already won his heart?

This medieval romance has it all! I love both main characters. He is not the typical tortured hero, far from it! She is such a perfect heroine: gentle, kind, and tender with others, but she also has a spine. I really loved this book! The romance was hot, and the action never lets up! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! Very highly recommended!

This was a thoroughly enjoyable highland historical. The Devil of Kilmartin was originally published in paperback in 2002, and was Ms. Wittig's debut offering. Because of the wonders of electronic backlist publishing, it is again available for kindle users for the amazing price of .99 cents. Because this book was previously professionally published, many of the issues that plague books that are self-published are not present in this offering.

While the Devil of Kilmartin has some flaws, overall it is a nice read. There is a tiny bit of paranormal in this book -- but just a tiny bit. The heroine, Elena has some unusual healing skills. Simon is an appealing hero, strong and honorable. The plot is predictable, as one would expect of a genre highland romance. Hero saves heroine, there are a number of misunderstandings, they fall in love but can't admit to themselves/each other. Add some intrigue and a mystery to solve, and then resolve with a happily ever after. A good highland romance, in my opinion, is sort of like a cup of hot dark chocolate with whipped cream on top: comforting and delicious, and just a little bit sinful.

While the plot is a bit predictable, there is a nice twist at the end when the villain is revealed. While I did figure out one of the plot points fairly early, Ms. Wittig did manage to keep me guessing about whether one of the secondary characters was in league with the bad guy or not.

Four stars.

This is the first book I've ready from Wittig. Considering it was $0.99 on Kindle, I was expecting something less than stellar. I was pleasantly surprised. The story had depth, the characters had intelligent dialog and logical thought. The pace was quick, but it wasn't a short book. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will purchase more of Wittig's works in the future.

A sexy medieval tale of treachery, greed, and breathtaking romance as the beautiful healer, Elena of Lamont flees one man only to be captured by her clan's fiercest rival, Symon MacLachlan. She means to run again, and Symon is equally determined to have her for his own.

Great characters and a compelling love story set in medieval Scotland -- what could be better? This is a real page turner. Expect great things from the talented Laurin Wittig -- I can hardly wait for her next book.

What a wonderful story. Symon saves Elena and she in turn saves him. She did have some trust issues at first but by mid book it was very clear her only reservation what fear of hurting Symon's clan - there was plenty of trust and love from both sides. They were so great together. I can't wait to read her other book. This book is must racier than book 1 of the Mcloed stories. I can not believe we are able to get this type of quality story for such a small price! I just wish her stories could go on forever, the last page comes way too fast for me.