Judith’s review of The Highlander’s Desire by Margo Maguire
Lachann MacMillan’s watched his older brother, the laird of his clan, find a passionate marriage, but he suffers no illusions that his path will be the same–especially as the woman he loved was stolen from him years ago. He’s ready to leave his homeland and make his mark. He’ll even enter into a passionless marriage to the daughter of the Laird of Kilogorra if it means a chance at his own land…and leaving behind his painful memories. A simple enough plan until he meets Anna MacIver, a mere serving maid with the face of an angel who ignites a fire in him that is anything but angelic.
Anna has been a lowly servant in her uncle, the Laird of Kilogorra’s home, since her mother died years ago. She has no envy for her cousin’s matrimonial fate as observation of has taught her that freedom–no matter the serving chains–is far more precious that being under the command of a husband. But when Lachlann arrives to marry Anna’s cousin, she finds herself longing for something she never knew she wanted. Together the maid and the highlander may find that some things are worth having, no matter the cost.
This is one of the few books set in this time era and written by one of my favorite authors that I really had to work at liking the main guy. Lachann was certainly a man that loved his clan and wanted what was best for them. He also wanted a home and family of his own, and following the abduction of his fiance, he came to believe that settling for a laird-ship as well as a marriage of convenience was going to be his lot. I have to admit that as I read the story I came to recognize that sense of impotence he felt against the odds that had played out for him, the evil that had been perpetrated against his clan and him personally, and the ancient clan rivalry that lay at the root of his sense of hopelessness at never finding someone who truly loved him and he could love in return.
This story also featured a heroine who was a woman who deserved to be treated as befitted her station. She was a princess in her own right, but the small-minded and selfish interests of her cousin aided by the emotional retreat of her uncle after his wife’s death now found her in the position of a kitchen servant or whatever cruel task her cousin could lay on her. The interest of the new laird-to-be only made her life more difficult and this story moved in a direction that seemed hopeless for these two. The manipulation of powerful people in the clan, the evil interests of those who cared little for the well-being of the clan or of Anna, kept things in a stew and Lachann, still not really catching on to what was going on behind his back, only knew that his attraction to beautiful Anna kept growing and kept confusing him as to how the future was going to play out.
This is a very political novel in some ways, but it is also a study in the leadership styles that were operative in that era, the ways that good men tried to keep peace and evil men and women sought to undermine it. It is a story that brings the reader smack dab in the middle of clan rivalries, of an evil and selfish woman’s plan and her ability to use others without regard to their feelings, and the kindness and strength of one woman to hold a clan together and display the best to be had in what it meant to be a woman of loyalty and caring.
This is one of those novels that really helped me learn more about the way Scotland grew in its governmental style, the ways that people found to live together, the kinds of living that insured the properity of individuals and families even when weather and politics conspired with invaders to overwhelm and destroy. Ms Maguire is one of my favorite authors because she brings so much actual factual information into her stories and weaves her fictional characters in and out of those happenings. I also appreciate her historical notes that give greater understanding of how people just like her characters could have well been present in those long-ago times.
This is not a novel that is all that easy to read, but that being said, it is one that is so satisfying to sink your teeth into. There is a place for the fun and fluff in romance fiction but there is also a place for the substantive and educational. I appreciate authors who have the gumption to write a really heavy-duty novel like this one. Finishing this book was like finishing a feast, and for someone like me who loves history in the first place, this was a real treat. I think you’ll do well to read and enjoy this book.
I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
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