Highland Moonlight is a Scottish Medieval Romance Set in the Highlands in 1328.
Seduced and shamed by Alexander Campbell, the warrior to whom she is betrothed, Lady Mary Mac Lachlan flees to the Campbell stronghold of Castle Lorne and demands sanctuary from Alexander's father.
Though Alexander seduced Mary for her own protection and his men's, his actions have greater repercussions than expected. His betrayal destroys Mary's trust and his belief in himself as a man of honor. Determined to heal the breach, and claim Mary--who now carries his heir--as his wife, he follows her to Lorne and finds himself brought before a council of arbitration on charges of rape.
When Collin Mac Lachlan, Mary's father tries to coerce her into testifying against Alexander, Mary refuses. But when violence threatens to break out between their clans, Mary is forced to wed him to fulfill their betrothal agreement and save him from the executioner.
Amid the hostilities between their clans and the wounds inflicted on her heart, can Mary find the love and happiness she's always craved or will she discover she's been chasing a dream as illusive as Highland Moonlight?
Excerpt
He kept his tone soft. “Why did you offer me the bairn, Mary? I know you do not wish to be parted from him.”
“‘Tis better for him to be accepted into your clan than mine. He'll have the safety of a father to care for him, rather than a grandsire who will use him or abuse him.”
“You know Collin well,” he said.
“Aye.” The huskiness of her tone tinted the word with pain.
Though she kept her head bent, he glimpsed her tear stained cheeks and red nose. He eased closer, driven by a need to comfort her.
She fell silent for a moment then raised her gaze to the stone structure behind him. “He will be a Campbell and he will never have to know what ‘tis to have a foot in two clans, and never truly belong to either. He'll know what ‘tis to owe his loyalty to only one and be accepted without question.”
Something in her expression brought a tightness to Alexander's chest. “I do not wish to raise my son or daughter alone. A bairn needs its mother.”
She remained silent.
Grasping her chin with his fingertips, he turned up her face. “Will you allow your hate for me to deprive our child of your care and affection, as you were deprived of your mother's?”
Her blue gaze traced his features with a pain that weighted the pit of his stomach with stones of guilt. “I did not wish to hate you, Alexander. I wanted very much to care for you because you were to be my husband.”
The knowledge that she had meant to accept him, struck him with the force of a battle-ax and he drew a deep breath.
She raised her chin. “‘Twas a lifetime ago when I was innocent enough to trust you. ‘Twill not happen again.”
Professional Reviews
Highland Moonlight- A Joyfully Recommended Title
Lady Mary MacLachlan is called home to her father's holding for the 3rd time in more than a decade, to be betrothed to someone she doesn't even know. When things go wrong and she is seduced and subsequently shamed by her betrothed, Alexander Campbell, she flees. When it is discovered she is pregnant and it looks like both her father and Campbell are fighting over her for the wrong reasons, she again flees, this time to Castle Lorne and demands sanctuary from Alexander's father.
Alexander has been away fighting with Robert the Bruce and now wants nothing more than to settle down and have the family that he has secretly craved. He is drawn to Mary and seduces her for her and his men's protection, though not telling her this is what is going on. Because of this, his betrayal destroys Mary's trust and his belief in himself. Determined to make things right he follows her and protects her while she travels to his father's stronghold.
Alexander finds himself brought up on charges of rape by Mary's father. But, she stops the proceedings and marries him instead. But, will he ever win her trust back, and more importantly will he win her heart back. With those still trying to tear them apart can Mary forgive Alexander and have the family she has always craved?
Absolutely fantastic Scottish Highland Romance. I highly recommend this story to those who like romantic realistic Highlander stories. Highland Moonlight takes a look at how women were used to further family holdings as well as how love and integrity might just have played a part in many of their lives. The characters were all believable and likeable as well as realistic. Teresa Reasor has made a wonder full addition to the Historical Romance category with Highland Moonlight. I am off to find her next book, and be first in line to get it.
Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Top Pick PLUS! ~ Romance Reader at Heart
Teresa Reasor has completely reestablished my faith in the medieval romance. Not only was this book among the best I have read this year, I am going out on a limb and giving it a higher score than I have ever given a book! I am granting HIGHLAND MOONLIGHT a Top Pick PLUS.
From the very onset of the story, I was completely enthralled with these characters' lives. Mary is so gallant, so very strong in the force of terrible men, so able to stand up for herself that she made me want to weep. I felt it every time she held her tears inside and visibly forced herself to hold her composure. It is as if I felt the pain that she was going through, right to my very bones.
Mary has been hurt and treated unjustly, betrayed by a man that she loved. Now she has no idea how she can ever forgive him, for Alex has shamed her as if she were no better than an animal and he makes no excuses for his behavior. He simply is not the man that she thought he was, and his betrayal hurts her far worse than anything else that she has ever had to bear.
Alexander is a wonderful, wonderful man. He is a beautiful hero and deserves every ounce of love that he can squeeze out of Mary. For Mary is mistaken in the beliefs that she has about him, but there is no way for him to tell her that without causing her more pain. At the risk of losing her forever, he protects her in the only way he knows how—he deceives her. Alexander is determined to try and make Mary feel desirable and worthy of him, even though he knows that his own actions have caused her distrust. He is sensitive to her needs and treats her with patience and understanding, even while she is cursing him to hell and back for his misdeeds. The way he took care of his love for her simply took my breath away.
Never before have a I read a book that actually made me physically cry at the end of it. I might have gotten teary eyed a time or two, but when I read the last page of this book, there were actual tears streaming down my face. Beautiful, sensual and breathtaking, HIGHLAND MOONLIGHT takes the idea of medieval romance and reinvents it right before your very eyes. This book is an absolute MUST READ for lovers of historical romance.
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