Highlander Week Review: Highland Destiny by Laura Hunsaker

Highland Destiny

by Laura Hunsaker

ebook, 201 pages

Published November 26th 2010 by New Concepts Publishing

ISBN13 9781603944700

Copy provided by the author 

Mackenzie Stewart’s in Scotland for a much-needed vacation. During the castle tour, Mackenzie becomes completely enamored with a painting of one of the previous lairds. Two gentlemen come up behind her and, begging her pardon, they kidnap her, dragging her through time. The men are sorcerers attempting to end a feud that has plagued their lands for years. Their patron has begun to dabble in the black arts, and between his irrational thirst for power, and his dark secret, the sorcerers are frightened. They believe Mackenzie can break the Stewart curse. They try to convince her to play along with their crazy scheme: marriage to the evil John Campbell. Before Mackenzie can protest, her carriage is halted and the door thrown open. For a split-second she is arrested by the same beautiful piercing blue eyes that belonged in an oil painting. Mackenzie then finds herself the victim of a second kidnapping! Her new captor, however, does nothing but tempt her body and her temper. Believing her to in fact be the betrothed of his mortal enemy the Campbell, Connor originally sets out to capture his enemy’s betrothed. He never thought he would be so attracted to her that he’d want to keep her.

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My Thoughts:

Highland Destiny is a beautiful adventure about a devastating curse and a love that supersedes time.  

Mackenzie Stewart is visiting Scotland with her best friend when she spies a portrait of a man that was once the Laird of the Castle Eilean Donan they are staying in. She instantly gets lost in his blue eyes, and when a duo of wizards drags her through a secret castle passage she is in a daze, but when she walks out into the 18^th century her head spins even more. She is told that she is the only one that can save the Highlands from the evil John Campbell. Little did she realizes that in her plan to go along with a sham of a marriage to the Campbell, Destiny had a whole other plan in mind for her in the smoldering package of the Highland Laird Connor MacRae…

Lust, love, suspicions, misunderstandings, betrayal, sex, danger, suspense and action; Highland Destiny delivers it all!

In Laura Hunsaker's debut novel, I fell in love with the main characters, Mackenzie and Connor, right away. Mackenzie is feisty and determined 21^st century woman who is amazingly invested in the lives of strangers just because it is the right thing to do, she agrees to a crazy plan from so-called wizards with little complaint and rolls with the punches that are thrown her way throughout the story.

Connor was just about the perfect Highland hero. His attitude was true to his time period but he quickly adjusted to Mackenzie’s quirks. Connor is strong, protective and hello- tall, broad, dark hair, blue eyes and sexy as hell. How can that get any better?

Both were strong characters and they butted heads often but it only added to the sizzling chemistry between them. But just when you think that Mackenzie and Connor’s relationship is cemented the author throws in a twist that leaves your heart wrenching in fear that there may not be a happily ever after for them.

Hunsaker has a refreshing writing style, the plot was straightforward and flowed well, and you could tell that she did her homework in regards to Scottish history. The story was rich and full, and seemed a lot longer then it’s mere 200 pages. There were one or two contradictions in Mackenzie and Connor’s dialogue during the beginning of the book that made me take a step-back from the story but it was a minor thing and in no way affected the entertainment of it all. The author provides an intriguing plot of magic and fate, dark arts and time travel, with plenty of emotional conflict and smart, sexy and humorous characters in a captivating setting that smoothly transversed from past to present.

All the characters were descriptive and well fleshed out, even the nasty villain, whose cold eyes I could easily picture.

The ending was beautiful and one of the best I have read, I literally cried, and it was my favorite part of the entire novel. It even won out over smexy time, and ya’ know how I like the smexy time! (Which thankfully Laura provided plenty of! *wink*)

Highland Destiny is a must read to say the least!

Rating: 4 Wine Glasses - Loved it!