Customer Reviews

Highland Fling (Harlequin Blaze)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Highland Fling by Jennifer Labrecque is a Harlequin Blaze story featuring E.R. doctor Kate Wexford who is strangely attracted to a portrait of a Scottish laird hanging in a museum as part of a sex exhibit. She keeps going back to the portrait not sure why she feels a pull to go to it. On the last night of the exhibit, a strange man tells her about the painting and then proceeds to push her into the painting, landing her naked in the bed of the Scottish laird who is in the portrait.

Darach is thrown for a loop by the presence of a beautiful and naked woman in his bed. But he quickly recovers believing Kate to be a wench sent by his enemies to spy. It doesn't take to long for Kate to figure out what has happened, plus the man who pushed her into the painting is there in Scotland with them, and he is Darach's closest friend. This part of the story is somewhat strange and corny and not fully explained. Darach's friend, Hamish, is a conductor who can send people back and forth through time.

Darach and Kate are intensely attracted to each other and it is not too long before things heat between them. Kate and Darach are also under the impression that Kate might be able to go back to her time if she and Darach make love (in simple terms). This doesn't work though, but they do go to her time together to seek answers to how Darach can prevent the downfall and death of his people and himself in the near future. Many questions have to be answered such as: Will Darach be able to help his people and prevent his own death? Can Kate and Darach stay in her time together? Can Kate give up everything and go back with Darach and will he let her if she can?

This was a good and fast read. There are some humorous moments which you can expect with a Jennifer Lebrecque story. There is a scene at the start of the story (which another reviewer mentions) which I agree is irrelevant to the plot and adds nothing but crude humor to the story. It was written in poor taste. Even so, I give Highland Fling 4 stars!

I'd read only 2 books by Ms. LaBrecque before this one and I wasn't very impressed, but she's a favorite author among several GR members so I thought I'd give her another try when I found this book at the UBS. Well, the old saying is true: 3rd time is the charm...

Kate Wexford is an ER doctor who finds herself attracted to an 18th-century painting of a Scottish laird, Darach MacTavish. The painting is part of a sex exhibit being held at the museum, and she can't help visiting the museum and ogling the painting every day after work. On the last day of the exhibit, she is approached by a strange man who gives her some info about the man in the painting and then just pushes her into it. When Kate "wakes up", she finds herself lying naked on the Scottish laird's bed. Darach is more than surprised to find a naked wench on his bed and, not knowing how she could have sneaked into his castle undetected, suspects she's a spy sent by his enemies. This impression is short-lived, as Kate and Darach soon realize she somehow traveled back in time. At first, they don't understand why she's there and don't know how to get her back to her time, but they eventually figure out she's to help him prevent his death and the destruction of his clan in the near future (his future, not hers). As they work together and travel through time (his and hers) in search of the answer to his imminent problem, Kate and Darach fall in love with each other and are faced with another dilemma, as she doesn't particularly like life in the 18th century and he can't abandon his clan and stay with her in the 21st century. As this is a romance novel, they sort things out and get their HEA, of course.

I know suspension of disbelief is a must when I read time travel stories and I don't necessarily expect them to have a scientific approach based on the laws of physics, but I do expect them to have some consistency within the logic the author creates to explain the phenomenon. Here's what bothered me in this book: the 1st time Kate time traveled, she reached her "destination" without her clothes on but with her watch on her wrist and her purse on her shoulder; the following times she time travelled, she didn't "lose" anything during the "journey" and arrived fully clothed and accessorized to the "other space in time". What was the logic behind that? As far as I could tell, there was only one explanation: Darach needed to see Kate naked so he could appreciate what a bonny lass she was, LOL.

The other thing that bothered me was how easily Darach "fit" into the 21st century. For example, he was surfing the internet less than 1 hour after Kate explained him what a computer was! No matter how intelligent he was, I found that very hard to believe.

Anyway, those were only small annoyances that didn't prevent me from enjoying this read, probably because I fell in love with Darach and was willing to buy anything Ms. LaBrecque wrote, LOL. Darach was a wonderful Highlander hero - strong, protective and a bit arrogant, just the way he was supposed to be - and Kate was a funny and charming modern-day heroine. Their scenes were sweet and funny, and they had great chemistry together. All in all, the time travel "logic" was a bit convoluted but the romance part of the story was very good and worth reading.

This book was so good I couldn't put it down. Well written fast paced plot that kept me reading page after page. This book is definaty worth the read.

Fun, playful and VERRA sexy! And it's a time travel romance, too (one of my favs!)

I would definitely recommend it!

After reading the various blogs that were discussing the bad review on this site for Highland Fling and the "controversy" over the who the reviewer supposedly is, I just had to hunt down the book and read it (You're welcome Ms. LaBrecque).

I have to confess, the Outlander series has ruined me for time travel romance stories involving Highlanders. While I'll seek out these books like a crank addict looking for my next hit, they just don't satisfy me in the same way because I'm always comparing them to Gabaldon's work in the back of my mind.

That being said: This was really a fun little book. I enjoyed the story, it was a very quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours. Well worth the $4.75. And I would be more than happy to read something else by this author.

Wow, was this a great book!!! I don't read that much category romance but Jennifer LaBrecque is one of my favorites and she never lets me down!!! The comedy starts with a situation in the first couple of pages that left me literally rolling on the floor laughing!

LaBrecque's characters jump off the page! The time travel hook had me turning the pages like crazy. The historical parts were great and the sex, as it always is in LaBrecque's books, is steamy! The best part--the romance itself. Always satisfying like the rest of LaBrecque's books. I can't recommend this one highly enough!!!!!!!!!

Melinda D'Cogan

I thought that this story was pretty good. I started reading the book and it was so good that I couldn't put it down.I took it with me and read on the way to the grocery store. I had to go to sleep at 1am with a few pages left, I took the book to work the following day to finish up at lunch time. I think that give you an idea of how good the book was.

A time travel story it's always a hard thing to write however Jennifer Labrecque did an exceptional job to make a good transition for the reader. The story is about an ER physician (Kate) that was obsessed about a paint of the 1700's exposed at a museum, she gets trick and gets throw at the paint and guess what? she showed up naked and what she saw, it was better than the man in the paint. The man(Darach) was dark,strong and sexy and with SEX spell all over him.
The characters are very well develop. I really liked Darach because I like strong heroes. I don't like weak men, it's no fun. Who does it?
These two people struggle and fight to stay together even with the barrier of 262 years in between.

The story is great, fun and very sensual, so if you need a couple of good laughs pick this one up and you won't be dissapointed.I am a big fan of Jennifer Labrecque so all I have to say is GREAT JOB Jen! You did it again.
I might don't tell you anything else about the story; you might like to read it yourself.
Have fun!
Barbara V

E.R. physician Kate Wexford is used to expecting the unexpected. But even she isn't ready for this... One minute she's visiting her local museum, lusting after a man in a painting -- Darach MacTavish, Laird of Glenagan. A man who died at Culloden more than 250 years ago. Then the next thing she knows, she's in the painting with him...in his bed...naked!

Laird Darach MacTavish has enough to worry about without being ambushed by beautiful women. Still, he has to admit, he's never met --or enjoyed more -- a lass like his Katie. It's too bad she's a little daft. Because Katie's insisting she's been sent back in time to save his life. Ha! Darach would like to see her try -- that is, if he decides to let her out of his bed....

[2nd in the Perfect Timing series]

Highland Fling by Jennifer LaBrecque is a wickedly delightful tale of a love thru time.

Dr. Kate Wexford though she loves her job as an ER physician something is missing. She finds herself drawn to a painting in the local museum of a man that is well over 250 years old. One night Kate is pushed into the painting, next thing she knows she is naked in a bed and its 1744.

Darach MacTavish, Laird of Glenagan cannot believe the bonny lass naked in his bed. He finds her tales of the future a bit much to take. But the attraction between them is undeniable. When nothing they try sends Kate back to present day, something has to be done for Darach is in grave danger. They both go back to future to find out what they can to help Darach and his clan survive.

Highland Fling is a treat. The hero and heroine are feisty and tantalizing. Their connection transcends time. The time travel was fascinating and really worked well within the story. This was my first book by this author. Will be looking for more.

I always count on laughing and crying when I read Ms. LaBrecque's books. As usual, she handled humor with a deft touch, and made me root for Darach and Kate, because no matter how much I laugh, I care deeply for them. I love the premise of falling through time and a painting for the love of a lifetime!