Aulay Buchanan has retreated to his clan’s hunting lodge for a few days of relaxation. But the raven-haired beauty he pulls from the ocean puts an end to any chance of rest. Though he christens her Jetta, she knows nothing of her real identity, save that someone is trying to kill her. As she recovers, it will not be easy for Aulay to protect her and keep her honor intact when she mistakenly believes they are man and wife.

Jetta sees beyond Aulay’s scars to the brave, loyal warrior she’s proud to call her own. But as the attempts on her life grow more brazen, Jetta realizes that not all is as she believes. And if Aulay is not her husband, can she trust the desire flaring in his eyes, or his promise to defend her with his life?

Aulay Buchanan was wounded in battle and his face severely scarred – the same battle that killed his twin brother.  Aulay’s betrothed at the time screamed in horror after looking at him and his facial scar and refused to marry him.  It’s been years since then, but Aulay is still effected by the thought of his ex-betrothed and the averted eyes he sees in his own keep from the female servants.

Aulay goes away for a couple of weeks each year to his hunting lodge because his mood gets black around the time his brother died.  This year his brother Alick goes with him, despite his wishes, and they go out fishing in the ocean.  They quickly come across a mast from a ship and there’s actually a woman tied to it!  She’s alive and they take her back and try to heal her with help from others.  She’s out for about three weeks but when she awakens she doesn’t know who she is.  She sees Aulay beside her bed and when she asks if he’s her brother, he tells her no.  She surmises that the only other people who would be in her room would be a father and a husband and since he was too young to be her father, he was her husband!  Aulay’s brother, Rory tells Aulay that it’s better for him to let her think that she’s married to him as it will ease her mind.

When Jetta (the name they give the mysterious woman because she has jet black hair) had awoken when first found she mentioned that someone was trying to kill her.  Because of this Aulay makes it his duty to protect her, but when she doesn’t cringe from him and tells him how handsome he is, Aulay starts falling hard and fast for the unknown woman.

We read about Aulay in the previous books with the Buchanan’s and my heart always went out to him because of his scar and his feelings about the way he looked.  It had to be hard on him, but the scar had improved over the years and by the time Jetta “meets” him, it’s much improved. She looks beyond the scar to the man inside and she likes what she sees.  I loved that Sands paired Aulay with a woman who didn’t just put up with his scar but found the beauty in him as well.  I had no doubt that’s what she’d do, but she did it in a really great way and I found myself liking Jetta’s a lot.

The romance was good and the small suspense plot had me guessing, which was good.  I enjoyed getting to meet all the Buchanans again and seeing what they were up to.

Overall this was a great book and one I really enjoyed reading.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Highlanders