Pure indulgent silliness! Delightful! ( )

I did it again, I requested a book in a lengthy series when I had not read any of the previous books. Not only that, but this is a re-release of a book published in 2008. Well, it proved to be a good decision. I had no problem following this story, in fact it can be read as a standalone story.

Sir James Drummond, foster son to the Murray clan, has lost everything. He was the Laird of Dunncraig Keep, the father of a young daughter and a married man, who was betrayed by his wife. Three years ago his wife was found burned to death and her cousin Sir Donnell MacKay accused James of her murder. He was declared an outlaw and Donnell took over Dunncraig Castle while James went into hiding. He has told everyone that Margaret (Meggie) is his daughter, and has brought his illegitimate sister Annora to the keep to be her nursemaid. James, has decided that it is time to return, clear his name and reclaim Dunncaig Keep.

This is a well written, fast paced book, with more steamy love scenes than I am normally comfortable with. There is also some violence, abuse and rape, so if these are triggers for you, you might want to pass on this book. I enjoyed the characters in the story. Meggie was a precocious young thing who seemed a lot older than her 4 years. Annora was a devoted woman, who was trying to keep Meggie safe as well as keep away from some of the randy men in the castle. Donnell and his men were written as characters to detest and that was achieved quite well. Of course James was the hero. He was willing to get caught and sacrifice himself to reclaim his daughter as well as bring peace, fortune and comfort back to his home. I found that there was a good mix of action, love, mystery, deceit and characters to make this an enjoyable story. Of course there is going to be a happily ever after for James, but how will that play out? Read this story to find out. The publisher, Zebra, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own. ( )

*** PSA *** This is a re-re-release, so you may have already read it even though nothing in the blurb has made this clear. I believe it was originally published in 2008 and then re-released in 2014 and now again. Still a great book by a great author.

Sir James Drummond’s whole world was destroyed three years ago. He was accused of murdering his wife, then he was declared an outlaw and all of his lands were taken from him – even his small daughter was taken. He’s been on the run, living in caves and wherever else he could find. Now, it is time to end it. He’s back, in disguise, and he fully intends to find the proof he needs to prove that he is innocent and to reclaim his lands, his clan, and his daughter.

The man James believes killed his wife, Sir Donnell MacKay, is also the man who took James’ lands and claimed his daughter as his own. The man is cruel beyond belief and is very free with his beatings – it doesn’t matter to him who the recipient is – man, woman or child.

Annora MacKay is a poor, illegitimate, and unwanted cousin to Donnell MacKay. He brought her to Dunncraig Castle to care for the child he claims as his own. Annora is frequently on the receiving end of Donnell’s beatings and would be long gone if she didn’t love little Meggie so much. Annora feels something just isn’t right with Donnell’s sudden riches and lands, but she has no idea what it is that isn’t right. Also, how did he come to have this wonderful child? Annora has a gift, she can sense others’ emotions and it does often help her to keep herself and Meggie out of danger.

Annora soon comes to believe that there is more to the new woodcarver (James/Rolf) than meets the eye. Once she discovers his secret she works to help him. As they work together and their attraction grows, things get more and more dangerous for both of them.

I loved watching James and Annora’s journey into love and their HEA. But, I didn’t understand why his huge and powerful Murray family hadn’t already done more to help him. Yes, I understand that he asked them not to because he feared for their safety and that a couple of them still tried and were almost found out – but – they just did basically nothing and left little Meggie with the monster that was Donnell.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher." ( )

I read this book when it first came out in 2008 and loved it, so I was very happy to win a review copy from NetGalley so that I could reread it. This is the story of James Drummond, the adopted son of Eric and Bethia Murray (Highland Promise), all grown up and with troubles of his own. He was the laird of Dunncraig Keep until he was betrayed by his wife's cousin. Accused of murdering his wife and declared an outlaw, James fled for his life, hiding out for three years. Now he's had enough and is determined to clear his name and regain his home, his lands, and his daughter. He disguises himself as a one-eyed woodcarver to gain access to the keep, where he meets Annora.

Annora MacKay is the poor-relation cousin of Donnell MacKay, the man who stole Dunncraig Keep. She was brought to Dunncraig to care for Meggie, the little girl that Donnell says is his daughter. Her cousin is ruthless and vicious, and Annora does what she can to protect Meggie from him, frequently suffering abuse because of it. The longer she is there, the more suspicious she becomes of just how Donnell acquired the property. These suspicions are reinforced by her ability to sense the feelings of others, and she feels the evil that surrounds Donnell. She soon senses a new emotion in the keep - rage - and it is centered on the woodcarver who has taken up residence there.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between James and Annora. There was no denying the sparks that flew between them from the moment they met, though both tried to ignore them at first. James doesn't want the distraction from his goal of finding proof of his innocence, plus pursuing the attraction could make him vulnerable to discovery. Annora is closely watched by her cousin and his second-in-command, Egan. Egan wants Annora for his own and would kill any man who touched what he considered his "property." But James and Annora can't stay away from each other, especially after James saves her from Egan's advances. James grows to trust Annora, and when she stumbles onto him out of his disguise, he takes her into his confidence. The more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings for each other become, but there are big obstacles to their being together. The biggest, of course, is James's being an outlaw. Another is Annora's conviction that she is not good enough for James, with him being a laird and her being a landless, bastard-born orphan. I loved how James's Murray upbringing made it easy for him to recognize that Annora is his other half, the mate that was destined to be his. They are also responsible for his easy acceptance of her "gift," something that she did not expect at all. I did get a little frustrated at Annora's refusal to believe that James would want her for more than a brief fling.

The storyline of James's search for proof of his innocence was well done, with plenty of tension, twists and turns, and action. Donnell was a villain who was very easy to hate, with his cruelty, selfishness, and deceit. I liked how James and Annora teamed up, with Annora's "gift" and knowledge of both Donnell and James's late wife, Mary, providing new and startling insight into what had gone on. I loved the arrival of Sir Simon Innes and James's brother Tormand, and their intent to assist James. Sir Simon's presence is especially significant. When the danger to Annora becomes too high, James attempts to get her and Meggie to safety, but their escape is thwarted. I was on the edge of my seat from there to the end, as both their lives were in extreme danger. I ached for Annora and everything she went through. I was incredibly impressed with her determination and strength of will in spite of her pain and loved what she was able to do. James's situation was even more dire, and I was glued to the pages during that final confrontation. The resolution was extremely satisfying and brilliantly executed.

The only thing left was for James to win his fair lady. Annora was determined to avoid him and leave as soon as she could. She couldn't bear to see him marry another, and was certain he would marry for wealth and position. James's frustration was obvious, and his brother's teasing made me laugh out loud. James's big moment at the end was sweet and romantic, and definitely worthy of being a Murray. The epilogue was great, with Tormand once again providing both support and torment in James's hour of need.

The secondary characters were terrific, with the best ones being Big Marta and little Meggie. As the longtime cook at Dunncraig, it wasn't surprising that she quickly saw through James's disguise. I loved her support of both James and Annora. Meggie was quite the little piece of work. She was very observant for a five-year-old, but the life she'd lived for the past three years had made her so. I loved her instant connection with James, even without connecting him to her vague memories of her real father. I loved her relationship with Annora, and the obvious love they had for each other. I liked that she wasn't perfect - there were a few instances of more typical childish behavior, but she was never mean or purposely naughty. ( )

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) This book was ok definitely not my favorite from this author, and it is also part of along series. So James has left his keep and people after being wrongly accused of killing his wife, so not only does he leave his riches but he leaves his daughter in the hands of the wicked. That is my problem because it took him 3 years, 3 years to come out of hiding and fight for what is his. Then when he is back and still hiding but this time in plain sight since he supposedly has a disguise and all is to be believed that no one can tell. Then he meets and falls in love with Annora who is the one taking care of his daughter, I had no problem that that was happening because they both needed some love, my problem was that he tended to forget why he was there in the first place..Eventually it did pick up, because it did lag a little but ended pretty good. ( )