Review: Highland Master by Amanda Scott

Highland Master
~Amanda Scott

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: January 25, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446574317
ISBN-13: 978-0446574310



From Goodreads:
When eighteen-year-old Lady Catriona Mackintosh discovers a wounded man in the forest near her Highland home, little does she know that he has sworn a sacred oath to kill her father and other members of the powerful Highland confederation known as Clan Chattan. Nor does she realize that she has met her soul mate. Independent, competent, intelligent, fiercely proud of her heritage, determined always to live near her own family, and known to her family as the "wee wildcat" because of her quick temper, Catriona is the daughter of a Highland chieftain and granddaughter of the even more powerful Chief (or Captain) of Clan Chattan. But her life changes forever when she persuades Sir Finlagh Cameron to return with her to her home to recover from his wounds.

Sir Finlagh "Fin" Cameron is on a mission for the heir to Scotland's throne, who has sent him to the Highlands to persuade the Chief of Clan Chattan to arrange a secret meeting for him with two other great lords (the Lord of the Isles and the Lord of the North). Until Fin meets Catriona, however, he has no idea that her father was the Clan Chattan war leader who led them in the battle that wiped out many of Clan Cameron's best warriors, including Fin's own father. The sole survivor of that battle, Fin accepted a bequest of vengeance from his dying father, providing him with a dilemma to face as he begins to fall in love with Catriona. He is not the only one enticed by her charms, either. There are two other contenders, one of whom is his own master, the heir to Scotland's throne. With royal mischief afoot, if Catriona and Fin are ever to find happiness, they must first avoid disaster that could change Scotland's history, and find ways to be open and honest with each other.

Although I've seen her name on the shelves at my local bookstore, this was actually my first Amanda Scott read. I've been in a highlander state of mind and with a title like "Highland Master" I couldn't resist ;) In the afterward, Ms. Scott tells us the book was based on an actual Scottish legend!

Catriona Mackintosh is a young highland lady, smart and spunky and full of life. She's wandering through the forest one morning and comes across an injured stranger. She comes to his aid and brings him to her home to recover more fully. As it turns out, he is traveling to see her grandfather, The Mackintosh, who happens to be visiting her family's home.

Sir Finlagh Cameron, Fin of the Battles, is a man of honor. As the sole survivor of a bloody Clan battle, he made a vow to his dying father for vengence. He's been sent by the future King of Scotland on an errand, and it just so happens the man he seeks vengence upon is the son of The Mackintosh and Catriona's father.

Highland Master was an agreeable read - I'm going to be honest and say I didn't get all the political maneuverings that were going on in the book, some of it I ended up skimming over. The character-driven part of the story, however, was riveting! Catriona's free spirit and Fin's more conservative one were at odds with each other despite their attraction; oh, Fin spent so much time with his jaw clenched! He was a bit bossy for my taste, but for that time period I suppose that wasn't unusual. Highland Master also had a mysterious friendship between supposed enemies, a scorned suitor, a Duke who spent most of his time being led around by his penis, and a threat to the castle; all of which combined to make a pleasurable read. I will certainly be checking out Ms. Scott's backlist.

My Rating:

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.