Highlander Unbound [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Julia London (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2007

On leave from his Highland regiment, Captain Liam Lockhart comes to London on an urgent mission: to repossess the stolen family heirloom that could save his ancestral estate. He never dreamed it would involve surrendering his heart. But the beautiful and scandalous socialite Ellen Farnsworth sets his Highland blood aflame with a will as strong and reckless as his own. Though bound to Liam by a soul-searing passion, duty impels Ellen to commit a terrible betrayal.

Now, driven by passion, pride, and vengeance that know no bounds, this fearsome Highlander will reclaim not only his family's ancient treasure, but the one daring woman he was meant to love for all time.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

London (The Secret Lover, etc.) returns to her historical romance roots with this sprightly Regency. Determined to save his family's estate, Scottish Captain Liam Lockhart of the Royal Highland Regiment journeys to London to locate the jeweled statue that was misappropriated by the English Lockhart cousins almost 400 years earlier. Upon finding rooms at the home of stodgy Lord Farnsworth, Liam makes the acquaintance of Farnsworth's daughter, Ellen, and her nine-year-old child, Natalie. Ellen and Liam begin a friendship that deftly progresses to romance, but Liam's occupation as a soldier leaves little hope for the lovers' future. Marriage looks even more unlikely when Ellen steals the statue for her own purposes, leading Liam on a fast, frenzied chase across the country. London departs from the seriousness of her earlier historicals and instead offers a lighthearted tale full of comic encounters and entertaining verbal (and physical) battles. With its spry, sympathetic characters and skillfully woven plot, this vibrant tapestry holds a lot of promise not only for future installments in the Lockhart family saga, but for this gifted and versatile author.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Booklist

To save his family's estate, Captain Liam Lockhart leaves Scotland for London to retrieve the only thing of value his clan ever possessed: an ugly gold and ruby statue known as the "beastie." Commissioned centuries ago by the doomed lover of the first Lady Lockhart, the supposedly cursed statue wound up in London when political machinations split the Lockharts into English and Scottish branches. Liam tries to ingratiate himself to his English cousins but finds it difficult to stay focused once he meets Ellen, his landlord's daughter. Bewitched by her loveliness, angered by her sad fate, and charmed by her imaginative young daughter, Natalie, Liam finds himself forced to choose between finding the statue or rescuing Ellen. London begins an entrancing new trilogy with this exquisitely romantic, lusciously sensual historical regency. Finely crafted characters and polished writing rich with the author's deliciously tart humor are just a few of the delights awaiting readers in this superb love story. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 597 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing (January 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597224200
• ISBN-13: 978-1597224208
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the popular Secrets of Hadley Green historical romance series (including The Year of Living Scandalously), the Cedar Springs contemporary series (including One Season of Sunshine), and numerous other works. She is a four time finalist for the presitigous RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction, and RT Bookclub award recipient for Best Historical Romance for Best Historical Romance for Dangerous Gentleman. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and funny - Cleverly written, February 15, 2008

By 

Orion (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Highlander Unbound (Lockhart Family Trilogy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I seem to have the minority opinion on this one, but I just loved this book. I think it is the writing style that appealed to me most. It is droll and understated. I much prefer this kind of dry humor over the overly-dramatic or cringe-worthy slapstick you find in so many romance novels. I also thought the plot was unusual and well done.

Liam is a simple man with simple needs, which are not being met. He endures uncomfortable travel, foul food, unruly children, and wacky Englishmen, all with good humor and letters home to his mom. He is on a quest to steal an item, which his family may or may not have a rightful claim of ownership to. His plan is to ingratiate himself with his English relatives, then sneak around in their house in the dead of night, and take the item away and hope they don't notice.

Ellie is isolated and unhappy. She is doing her best for her only child, and makes a few bad decisions. She is not a perfect person, but anyway the ethics are hazy... is it wrong to steal stolen property? Probably. But if you are going to do it, at least do it competently, and more than once if necessary, and get away with it cleanly. By outsmarting Liam, Ellie became his equal, which is a lot more satisfying than a simple story about a burly Scottsman rescuing a damsel in distress.

But in the end, it is the clear voice of the author that kept me reading. I have just added Julia London to my list of favorite authors. This book is just great.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very interesting., April 28, 2004

By 

Romance Lover "vt2949" (Sacramento, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Highlander Unbound (Mass Market Paperback)

I expected a lot of this book, because this author is normally very good. I was disappointed by the thin plot line, lack of depth in the characters, and the repetitive prose (if Liam referred to Ellen as an "angel" one more time, I was going to scream). Although there was adequate background on Ellen, we never really understood what made Liam tick. The author repeatedly referred to the fact that he was a soldier, as if that completely explained who he was. This is so different from this author's "Regent Street" series, where her male characters are described very thoroughly and eloquently. I hope the next books in the series will improve.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Authors, please stop insulting our intelligence..., July 23, 2005

By 

Holly Golightly (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Highlander Unbound (Mass Market Paperback)

I wanted to like this book; The hero was fairly appealing - at least he wasn't "impossibly handsome" as most romance novel heroes are described. However, there were just too many things wrong with this story. First of all, does the heroine not have any idea where her child is? How does Natalie manage to spend so much time alone with Liam, a strange man? That seems odd. Second, how does Ellen just jump into bed with Liam with such abandon, becoming a major nympho after 9 years of seclusion from the world. I can see where she might want some companionship, but after all, this is SUPPOSED to be regency England. Isn't she the least bit worried about the possibility of getting pregnant? I mean, that's the reason she was in her predicament to begin with. And finally, the manner in which she leaves Liam when she leaves to steal the "beastie". Unbelievable. Don't waste your time on this one...