Reviewer: Tracy
Highland Obsession by Dawn Halliday
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: August 4, 2009
Format: Print ARC
Genres: Erotica, Historical Romance
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In the Scottish Highlands, two warriors are about to clash over a woman of passion…

They were the unlikeliest of friends debauching their way through London: The Earl of Camdonn, a nobleman of vast wealth and power, and Scottish laird Alan MacDonald, a respected Jacobite with ambitions of his own.

But their friendship is destroyed when Alan marries the beautiful Sorcha Stewart—only to witness Cam kidnap her from their bedroom. Then Alan learns the truth: his bride was not an innocent. She took a lover before him—his friend—who taught her the ways of pleasure.

Now, Alan will do anything to get his wife back. Cam fights to redeem his honor, even as he refuses to give up his desire. Torn between love and duty, Sorcha must watch as the two men she desires go to war over her. And when the battle lines are drawn, all three lovers are lured into a triangle of forbidden passions…

Our story begins on the wedding night of Sorcha and Alan. Sorcha truly wants to honor her husband and although she doesn’t regret sleeping with Cam before her marriage she’s try to do anything she can to make the marriage work. When Cam comes crashing into the cottage and kidnaps Sorcha she tries to fight her way free.

Cam is beside himself with lust. He wants Sorcha and though he knew it was wrong to kidnap her he really doesn’t want anyone else to have her – but when he kidnaps her he’s not prepared to marry her – just sleep with her. He’s an Earl, after all. Of course, he might of thought of that prior to watching through a window while her new husband have sex with her. Anyway, Cam thought he could handle the thought of Sorcha marrying but he just can’t. He kidnaps her and thinks that she’s going to be happy about it. He’s devastated when he finds that she wants to go back to Alan.

Sorcha escapes, but her secret affair has come out. Alan is so not happy with the information and though he is besotted with her he’s not quite sure how to handle the situation. Long silences between the couple and Alan leaving most of the day is how he chooses to deal with it.

This was an interesting book to read. I can’t say I’ve read a historical novel that covers this premise before. Maybe with strangers but not with good friends fighting over the same woman and it added a certain something to the story.

Alan didn’t want to let go of his wife , but knowing that Cam had slept with her really put a…damper, you might say…on their relationship. And how do you confront the issue? You want to fight back against the person who kidnapped your wife, but he’s your friend that you don’t want to physically harm. It’s a conundrum and one that Alan found himself in. I can’t say that I thought Alan handled the situation as I would have liked him to but I think he did the best he could, considering.

I had mixed feelings about Sorcha. I thought that it was quite admirable that she was so steadfast in her desire to see her marriage work, but some of her decisions in the book made me look at her a bit differently. (In the end there is a HEA with just one hero – just so you know.)

Overall I enjoyed the story and I want to read Cam’s book (if it is forthcoming) to see what happens in his life.

Warning – there is a menage scene in this book.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5