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Highland Wishes is a Scottish historical that follows the life of an English woman trying to escape a life of brutal mistreatment only to be kidnapped by a Highlander at a time in history where the two countries were at war. As each struggles against their own prejudices against the other’s nationality, they find their attraction difficult to deny.
Victoria Blackstone has been severely abused by an unloving father growing up near the border of Scotland and England. When he betroths her to an even more brutal man, she knows she will follow the path of her intended husband's previous wives and be killed. Facing severe punishment for disobedience or certain death, Victoria plots her escape.
Grant Drummond is told his father has been murdered at the hand of Victoria’s father and heads out to exact his revenge. Having accomplished his mission, he stumbles across a curious looking stable boy trying to escape the murderous Scots. It is quickly discovered that this stable boy is a woman and Grant decides on a whim to take her as his prisoner, not knowing she is the daughter of the man he has just killed.
The author conveys easily her love for Scotland throughout this book and weaves an interesting story of a woman who attracts trouble and the man trying to protect her from herself. I felt many contradictions while reading this story: While Victoria falls in love with her captor, one almost gets the feeling it is a psychological syndrome rather than tenderness, and his response to her, while portrayed with excellent inner struggle, still comes across as rather brutish. There were several points in the story where the reader is forced on a side trip through history which detracts from the main story, but in spite of that, I found it an enjoyable read. The plotting is well done, and while the story seems familiar, to lovers of Scottish romance, this offers a pleasant interlude. Ms. Burroughs shows strong writing skills in this, her debut novel, and shows promise of good things to come.
Reviewed by Karla Lang
for The Road to Romance
March 1, 2004
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