Escape to the Highlands (The MacKinnon Clan #2)

Jacqueline Renold is a sheltered English lady who has so far led an unexceptional life - until now, when she is forced to marry a man she doesn’t love.  Not only does she not love him, her betrothed has just sentenced many Scots to death, including children.  When an opportunity to help those poor souls appear she takes it and doesn’t regret it, even when the consequences prove disastrous. Her home is not safe anymore, so she flees - effectively jumping from the frying pan right into the fire. Luckily, rescue comes in form of Ewan, a Scottish warrior.

Ewan is perfectly aware of the fact that the beautiful lass is an enemy, but he cannot ignore the danger she’s in. What he also doesn't realize is that by saving her he has doomed himself to loving her.

This is a medieval story with the tried and true enemy-to-lover plot. Jacqueline and Ewan are trying to stay true to their countries and themselves, but love wins in the end. The impulsiveness and rashness of the main characters, especially Jacqueline, makes for some avoidable stumbles in the plot. The fact that she survived is quite a feat. The other problem lies with the fact that the story just doesn’t stand out above the myriad of other highland tales with very much the same plotline. It’s still a pleasant read, but it fails to captivate. Lovers of highland and medieval romances will find lots of action, romance and a few surprises along the way!

Ana Smith