Reviewer: Tracy The Highlander Next Door by Janet Chapman
Series: Spellbound Falls #6
Also in this series: The Heart of a Hero
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: August 26th 2014
Genres: Time Travel
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Birch Callahan has seen the trouble men can cause. After witnessing her mother’s four marriages, Birch now runs a women’s shelter and doesn’t want a man in her life. But there’s something about her neighbor, Niall MacKeage. Birch can’t figure out how the cop can be so big and gruff and yet so insightful and compassionate—and sexy. Or how she’s falling for a man who acts like someone from the twelfth century.
Niall knows that Birch is attracted to him, even if she seems to distrust all men. Yet he also knows she has a secret—something that drives her to place herself in harm’s way for the women of her shelter. Niall would gladly rush to Birch’s side to protect her from harm, but with their secrets standing between them, he’ll have to reveal his own truth if he wants to keep her…
Tracy’s review of The Highlander Next Door (Spellbound Falls #6) by Janet Chapman
Birch and her mother have moved to Spellbound Falls and Birch is running the local women’s shelter. She doesn’t get along so well with her neighbor, the new police chief Niall, but that’s more because every time she sees him she wants to jump him. She decides that they need to have an affair and she’ll get him out of her system but that has its ups and downs as well.
Niall knows that one day Birch will be his permanently but he needs to step lightly. He’s a warrior from the middle ages who was brought through time. He is now running the local police station and that has its good days and bad. When he finds out that Birch and her mother are the targets of a family of con artists Niall is determined to keep them both safe.
This was a cute story. I have to say that I really enjoyed Niall’s character a lot. He was pretty funny without trying to be. He knew right from wrong and he had a wonderful sense of self. Unfortunately I didn’t like him with Birch and that put a damper on the whole book for me. I also had a problem with the details of his life weren’t discussed at any time with Birch. I think before they had their HEA that he should have shared the fact that he came through time. I would have loved to have been privy to that conversation.
Birch was prickly and downright bitchy at times. I’m not sure what caused her to be that way but it wasn’t endearing in the least. She treated Niall badly at first and then claimed to lust after him. I found this strange as those people I don’t like I don’t find attractive – their personality drives down their appeal so the fact that Birch wanted to have an affair with Niall when she didn’t even like him threw me for a loop. Birch did loosen up a bit during the book but I never really warmed up to her.
The suspense portions of the story were decent ones and I thought those parts of the book were well done. This book also continued the story of a new character that was introduced in the last book (which I didn’t finish). I have to say that I’m not all that excited to read about him. I think I might have had my fill of Spellbound Falls. It was a good relationship but I think it’s time for me to move along.
Rating: 3 out of 5
This title is available from Jove. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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