The Wrong Highlander

Sands’s seventh Highland Brides historical (after The Highlander’s Promise) is only satisfying in the context of the series. When headstrong Lady Evina Maclean needs something, she takes action regardless of the consequences. She needs Rory Buchanan to heal her ill father, so she hits him over the head and drags him unconscious all the way back home—not realizing she actually has Rory’s brother Conran in tow. A cheerful jack-of-all-trades, Conran knows enough healing arts to keep up the charade and treat Evina’s father. As a widow who is still a virgin, Evina is a cliché, and her falling in love with Conran is predictable. There are a lot of Buchanan family members and friends to introduce to Evina, which detracts from the ostensibly central mystery of who wants Evina dead. Sands is skilled at crafting genuine characters with deep familial ties, but the plot slows down unnecessarily with all the updates on what has happened to each Buchanan couple since their own stories. The Macleans and the Buchanans happily help Conran seduce Evina, and the sensual moments keep the romance from getting tedious. Returning fans will enjoy revisiting the Buchanans; new readers should begin at the beginning. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Jan.)