My Fierce Highlander: A Scottish Historical Romance (Highland Adventure Book 1)

When the father of her child refuses to marry her, Lady Gwyneth Carswell's father banishes her to the Scottish Highlands. After witnessing the violence clan warfare brings, Gwyneth vows to one day see her son Rory safely away to a more peaceful life. But when an enemy soldier is left for dead near her home, Gwyneth, now trained as a healer, feels the pull of her calling and risks all to use her training to save his life. When she strips away his clothing to tend his wounds, however, Gwyneth learns that she has much more in common with the alluring stranger than she first realized when she discovers he is in fact. the Laird Alasdair MacGrath, and that he sustained his injuries attempting to carry a peace treaty to secure the end to the violence that she herself so fervently desires. When Gwyneth's clan retaliates against her for aiding the enemy, she turns to Alasdair for help. As danger mounts and figures emerge from her past, Gwyneth and Alasdair develop a passionate love affair that forces them to make difficult choices for the peace and safety for those for whom they love and care.This book has lots of action and torrid passion, but what it ultimately explores is the timeless dichotomy of love and sacrifice. Mothers everywhere and across the gulf of centuries understand the impulse to try to give children everything possible, even at terrible cost to themselves to allow them to have all the advantages the mother never had. But by the same token, a home rich in material goods, but lacking in love is no real advantage either. Sinclair does an excellent job of illustrating the difficult balancing act Gwyneth performs as Rory's mother while allowing the reader to view the heartbreak Alasdair endures in his role as the drama unfolds. Each scene felt fraught with emotion as two wounded souls struggle first to remain at arms length, then to come together, then to resist each other, then to draw close again, in the complicated dance of courting that defines Highland romance at its most intense--all with the feelings of a fatherless boy complicating matters. The characters are well-drawn, with all the human frailties that capture the imagination and make them truly relatable, rather than ideal paragons of virtue, brilliance and clarity of mind. Fans of historical fiction will no doubt enjoy reading My Fierce Highlander, and I am looking forward to reading Lachlan's story in the next novel in this series.

I loved this highland romance. Well written with a compelling story. A passionate romance with subtle humor as well. I enjoyed this novel far more than the last few novels by other authors. Sinclair gives so much more substance to her story than most romance writers!

The story allows the reader to look through a window to the past. It’s a world where loyalty to each other is strong. The lifestyle is primitive. In this case, the love-story is remarkable.

One of the things that I love about being a book reviewer for Indie or self-published books is that I find authors that I probably would have never heard of anywhere else. I am a fan of all genres, and that includes the romance genre. I especially have a weak spot for historical romance. I recently discovered Vonda Sinclair. I decided to start with her first book My Fierce Highlander in the Highland Adventure Series.This story starts with Chief Alasdair MacGrath who is injured in battle in enemy territory. A young woman named Gwyneth Carswell discovers him and decides to help heal him. She is a healer and despises violence but does not want this man to die. She is able to heal him and he escapes. Her clan chief and cousin discover that she aided the enemy and attacks her home, killing her closest friend. She takes her son Rory to the MacGrath lands seeking shelter and safety from her own clan. Alasdair grants her refuge in his home since she had saved his life. Gwyneth is determined to earn her keep so she and her son can return to England, away from constant feuds. However, danger follows her and that brings her and Alasdair closer. However, can love keep her from fleeing to England.This book is approximately 250 pages. I read it in about 2 hours. If you enjoy romance and are looking for a quick afternoon read then this is it. I loved the story. However, be prepared for steamy scenes. If you aren’t a fan of numerous sex scenes then this may not be the book for you. I personally thought these scenes added some intense chemistry. I loved Alasdair. I thought he was noble and loyal. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Gwyneth, she was strong when she needed to be for her son, however, she was always unsure of herself.I loved the story up until the end. The end seemed incredibly rushed. However, the author did a nice setup for book 2! Overall, this was a quick, easy and romantic read!

So many Regency romances include the threat that a misbehaving daughter will be sent off to Scotland and forced to marry a stranger, this story explores what might happen if the threat were carried out. Gwyneth is a nobly-born English woman who gets pregnant by a lord who refuses to marry her. Unlike most stories that start out this way, she actually is forced to marry and the man she's sold to is a horror. His brutish nature, however, gets him killed off pretty quickly. None of which is a spoiler, as this story starts with the widowed mother trying to make her way, do what's best for her child, and still hold true to her morals and values. She's not always wise, but then who ever is? The laird who falls for her is likewise imperfect. He's not the idealized hero who wins every fight and outsmarts every foe, but he is a good, caring man who fights with all he has for those he loves. Sinclair makes really good use of the historical period, weaving bits of the culture and politics and justice system of the time into the story without getting bogged down in tedious detail. There are a few minor plot holes and the bad guys are rather unbelievable caricatures of evil, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five, but those are minor issues. This is a good, fun romp through the Highlands with plenty of adventure and lots of romance.