Customer Reviews

Master of the Highlands (Berkley Sensation)

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

 

 

I was excited to find a new voice in Time Travels but within the first 25 pages ( which should have been cut) it clearly wasn't this book. The author's excessive use of narrative is what slows the pace of an otherwise good premise for a story. She never lets the reader have a visual of the setting through the actions of the characters. Too much narrative and at places silly head hopping takes away from the pace of the story slowing it down to almost a crawl. One has to wonder where the editing was on this by the publisher. Way too much telling and not nearly enough showing by her characters. The story started at the wrong place with too much back story that could have been told in other places and been just as effective

The main protagonists were cardboard people who the reader spends more time in their heads than actual action of the story. Not sure if the author wants to write mass market fiction or literary work? Ewen was at least an interesting character who acted and sounded like a romance fiction Highlander but Lily came off as a witchy modern woman who through her supposed inner strength, was really kind of brash and bit of a pain in the arse and not a heroine that endears herself to readers. She was biting one moment to the hero and in love with him the next? There was no reason or event that would cause the reader to see this transformation so the supposed love between them fell very flat for this reader. There was absolutely no sexual tension; it was all in their head, which never seems to materialize in their actions until the consummation scene . This was the biggest disappointment in the book for this reader.

On the plus side she did incorporate Latin and Gaelic in the story without it being overdone. And this was clearly not a "canna/danna" Scots story, her dialogue was well done. She clearly knew the story of the Cameron clan and it shows in the story plot, I especially liked some of her foreshadowing that might allow for a future story from her. And her use of the song/poem did move the story forward and give the story some backbone to build on but even this seemed to be rushed over, just sitting on the edges of the story.

This author may need to look at the market and decide if romance is really what she wants to write, literary fiction may be more her forte in the future.

******On a side note to the Publisher/Berkley Presentations: Stop being so darn cheap and increase the size of the font of the words on the page. Forty lines to a page results in very small print and takes away from the enjoyment of this book because of the strain for eyes to read it. Sure you wanted to save some pages but your could have done that by better editing and at least provided the reader with a book that could be read more easily.

While hiking through the countryside of picturesque Scotland searching for another ideal drawing spot, Lily Hamlin discovers a stone maze. She enters and soon becomes lost walking through it's winding corridors. Then she feels the ground quake beneath her feet and everything goes black.

Ewen Cameron has just met with General Monk, the head of the English Army. Monk wants Ewen to swear loyalty to the English Parliament and cease fighting them. Ewen has no intention of ever giving in to the English. As he travels home he spots a woman, clearly wounded and strangely dressed. Ewen takes her home with him and tends her wounds. Lily awakens in the year 1654. As she and Ewen begin to piece together what happened to her, Ewen recalls the prediction told by a witch named Gormshuil. Gormshuil said that someone would be coming. Apparently, that someone is Lily. Lily wants to go home and Ewen promises to help her but as the days pass they grow closer and soon even with war eminent, Ewen wants Lily to stay. Surrounded by danger, Ewen and Lily fight for their new found love.

Time travel historical romances are fun to read. Master of the Highlands is no exception. It has action, sensuality, and many good characters. Ewen is a stoic warrior. Lily is sweet and funny. She brings out the best in Ewen. Master of the Highlands is a story filled with magic, romance, and danger.

Nannett
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This is one of the best Scottish time-travels or historicals I've read in a long while. I loved the whole concept of modern day Lily getting lost in a maze and traveling back in time to the 17th century Scottish Highlands. Ewen is a wonderful example of a Highland chief who leads his people with strength and intelligence. I fell in love with him. The secondary characters are also fantastic, including Ewen's son as well as his stepbrother, Robert. This story was a wonderful adventure!

Master of the Highlands took a long time to finish. I would start it then put it down for something more interesting then go back to it after I had finished the other novel. The story suffers from characters that are not all that exciting.

Time travel is not my favorite genre because the modern day person sent back into time usually lacks understanding of the culture and tries to force their modern norms on everyone they meet. Heroine Lilly does this very thing. She is a rather staid artist who has been working in the computer industry in California, when on vacation she stumbles into a maze and lands in 17th century Scotland. At first she is unbelieving of her circumstances, she thinks she has come upon a renaissance fair.

Hero Ewen Cameron finds her and knows she is from the future as there has been a previous time traveler. He is empathetic to her plight and quite taken with her. He heads the Cameron clan and protects them from the British soldiers and rival clansman with honor and might. He is a widower and has no desire to remarry as his first wife was faithless. To his credit he does not come across as overly embittered.

Lily resigns herself to the time period, only after she must be rescued by Ewen. Her cover is that she is a distant cousin from France and she is now the governess of Ewen's son, John. She does not like her job at first and she has a tendency to react in anger whenever she is around Ewen. She was a bit of a loner in the 21st century and was almost self pitying before she time traveled.

There is a bit of intrigue at the castle with a lovely conniver who wants Ewen and an English General who wants his lands. This takes up the latter half of the book and separates the couple. The romance is on the back burner for most of this novel and this couple's time apart does not help. These characters and their story were bland and unemotional, partially because there is not enough dialogue and action between them to let the reader discover their feelings.

I got so caught up in Ewen and Lily's story I didn't want it to end. What a great pair! I loved how they connected. And their supporting cast of characters were so vivid and well-drawn I felt like I was getting reacquainted with old friends.

The heroine, Lily, is strong but lonely. Unsure of her place in the world, she's looking for meaning after having her life fall apart with the dot-com implosion. Ewen is what a laird should be--sword-wieldingly tough and intelligent. But he's sensitive too, making him the perfect kind of hero, especially for Lily. And he wears a kilt--what more is there to say?

I absolutely LOVED Robert's storyline too. I'd describe it some more but I don't want to give it away. ;)

The story is good but the writting drags along. There is to much thinking and not enough talking or movement in the story. I read two thirds of this book and gave up.

Lily Hamlin gets sent back through time through a mysterious maze she has stumbled upon in Scotland while looking for an ideal spot to paint. Lily is in Scotland in the first place because her grandmother who she was extremely close to haled from there. She wants to find her place again in the world. What Lily finds is a strange man who speaks a ton of Latin phrases, Robert, and an extremely handsome man named Ewen, Lociel of Clan Cameron. Robert too had come from the same maze, but he was from an earlier time that Lily, he is also the foster brother of Ewen.

Ewen is a widow and also has a rumbuctious son named John. He places Lily as John's governess, because she has to have a job to help the clan. At first Lily is hestiant towards John, but then she realizes he just needs some motherly attention. While this is all going on the Camerons get a vistor named Rowena MacPherson,who is the very meaning of trouble. She wants Ewen for herself and will do anything to get him.

Lily at first desperately wants to go home, then she isnt that sure. She tries to content herself with being in 1654.Can she carve a life for herself with the Camerons? Will she find love with Ewen?

I read Wolff's Sword of the Highlands first and happen to like that one better but Master of the Highlands is just as good. I truly like how Wolff writes books about real men in history. It makes the book so much better.Master of the Highlands is a great adventure full of romance.

Lily Hamlin has traveled back in time to Scotland, 1654. She meets Ewan Cameron, who isn't at all surprised she is from another time.

I'm slightly torn on this book. Ms Wolff's writing style leans toward literary. If you prefer books that are filled with narrative and details, you will love this book. If you are looking for a light romp through Scotland, this book isn't for you.

The book begins with many pages of backstory. Because of the author's overuse of narrative and detailed description, I felt like I was sorting through wrappings in search of the story.

Lily is introduced to another time traveler in the castle. I expected her to spend a lot of time with him, comparing notes, in search of a way to return home. There isn't even a small amount of curiosity, which I found odd because I thought she had a science background.

I never warmed up to any of the characters and when Lily and Ewan professed feelings for each other, I was shocked.

Overall, I was determined to finish, and did, but with a headache.

Eh, not bad but nothing to make it stand out even a little above the bazillion highlander books out there, especially not against other time-travel highlander books put out by the likes of Kurland, Bybee or Moning.

The heroine, Lily, is supposed to be a modern day woman thrown back into 17th century Scotland. Now, I know that would be a HUGE adjustment but this chick is CRANKY all. the. time! She attributes her horrid behavior to her "attraction" to Laird Ewen because she wants to return (although absolutely no reason is given for that desire). Does that justify continual nastiness to the very man who rescued her? Obviously, she was hard to like for me.

Ewen, on the other hand was a reason TO read this book. He was all that one wants to see in a historical hero, honorable, kind, responsible, handsome, built...a well, the list goes on and on! The secondary characters are fun and hold a lot of promise for future books, so ultimate judgement is out. Could be interesting, we'll see.

Although not a fan of Veronica Wolfe, I have to admit this was the best of her series. An okay read for Scottish Historical romance fans