Series:
Lovers and Highlanders (Book 3)
A defiant Highland lass
To awaken the brooding warrior
Seoc of Clan Graham knows his scars run deep. How else to
explain the emptiness he's felt inside since the battle that almost killed him?
Nothing -- and no one -- has interested him, until the arrival of a beautiful
and intriguing stranger on Beltane night…
Barabal has spent her life moving from clan to clan,
always seeking but never finding a place to belong. Yet the Graham clan, and
gruff Seoc in particular, call to her. Still, she's been abandoned before and
is wary of drawing Seoc close, unless he can prove he won't abandon her too…
The blurb on this book intrigued me. Seoc is a warrior
recovering from injuries and haunted by events that he blames on himself. His
physical recovery has been slow, and his mental recovery even slower. He can't
find anything or anyone that stirs his interest outside of his mead-making.
That changes on Beltane night when a stranger arrives in the village.
Barabal has been on the move most of her life. After
losing her parents as a child and being separated from her brothers, she's been
looking for a place to belong. She arrives in the Graham village late on
Beltane evening, hoping to make herself useful enough to be accepted.
I wanted to like this book. Seoc touched my heart with
his survivor's guilt and his longing to feel normal again. His friends worry
about him, but he can't pull himself out of his funk. Even during the
celebrations, he remains on the edges. Then he's confronted by a beautiful
stranger, and everything changes. Barabal sees a woman kidnapped, and no one
else seems to notice or care. When she spots Seoc standing alone, she confronts
him about the event and harangues him about not helping. She's blunt and rude
and shocked that he is more interested in attempting to kiss her than helping
the victim. She's unsure if she should try to stay or keep moving on.
Barabal was one of the most unlikable characters I have
read in a long time. She wants to find a place to belong, but she is rude,
abrasive, a know-it-all with no tact, and suspicious of everyone. Offers of
help are met with skepticism and sarcasm. I kept waiting for her to see the
possibilities and let go of the attitude, but I saw only minor changes.
Watching Barabal and Seoc's relationship develop was
frequently painful and frustrating. She fascinates Seoc, and he can't stay away
from her, even as she tries to avoid him. He stirs something in her, but trust
is hard to come by. I liked how he tried to watch over her and help her even
though she kept pushing him away. He sees past the harsh façade to the
vulnerable woman, but is unsure how to reach her. Misunderstandings due to poor
communication created tension. Sparks of attraction flare up, but even those
lead to more misunderstandings. A well-meaning surprise engineered by Seoc
backfires, but eventually leads to an emotional ending.
I liked the secondary characters, who were most likely
the centerpieces of the other books in the series. I liked how the women
accepted Barabal and tried to connect with her. There was a poignant scene that
involved a couple of jugs of mead and some conversation about her past, which
emphasized their empathy and understanding. I think there is hope for a strong
friendship with them and Barabal in the future, especially if she can lose the
attitude. I liked Seoc's friends and how they worried about him.
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