Book: The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall

Series: A Highland Fairy Tale, Book three

Reviewed by Barb Batlan-Massabrook
Of Tartan Book Reviews, Purple Tulip Book Reviews and Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book

Heat Rating: Hot

Overall Rating: 5 Stars/Kilts




Sealgair is Hunter in gaelic, Iain Lindsay.
Laire is the Laird Fearsome Donal MacLeod’s daughter under his new wife Bibiana. She is drugging the Clan with potions and spells. All except Laire who only drinks water. Even when they try to force the drugged wine on this beautiful, brave young woman.

Glen Iolair, 1709

This book is Snow White with twist in which the hunter is called sealgair which is hunter in Gaelic. This sealgair is a servant to a bird witch who happens to be Laire MacLeod’s new step-mother Bibiana. As she is not what she seems at all and has Laird Donal MacLeod bewitched with her potions and spells.

As Laird Donal MacLeod has gone to Edinburgh to seek a wife, for a son and heir which he wants so badly. It is absolutely impossible as this wife and widow no one seems to know, is much older than she appears. He has married 8 times and the only son which was Laire’s twin brother who died some years ago. It is the reason Laire only drinks water. As he suddenly brings her beautiful but evil step-mother home who also has been married previously 13 times. The husband’s children were never to be seen again. The husbands, men she married were a shell of the men they had been.

Bibiana brings her evil servants who makes all the servants leave the MacLeod Castle. They are all poisoning and drugging the wine. Where there is dancing and singing all night and sleeping all day. Laire will drink only water for past reasons dealing with her twin brother's death. Laire notices the changes in her family and has been warned by Bibiana's sealgair it's too late and nothing she can do can save them. She knows something will happen in the Spring as the sealgair leaks it. Yet she is not sure what but she knows it's something evil and dark. Laire hates the dark too! The sealgair Laird Iain Lindsay is mesmerized by Laire MacLeod as she is a fearsome MacLeod and the most beautiful woman he ever saw! The attraction is on both sides. As she knows Iain Lindsay is a good man and can't understand why he is in service to such a horrid evil woman, her step-mother.

As the Sealgair was also bewitched years ago and enslaved, cursed and tricked by this witch! Bibiana finds Iain Lindsay a challenge as she cannot win him with lust like most men. Yet she can with the guilt and unforgiving himself from deeds in the past. His bargain is almost over all he had to do is kill Laire MacLeod and send Laire’s heart. Can he kill the women he loves? Plus he is supposed to look her in the eye as he kills her. This is something he never does to any of his victims! As her Frenchman is the assassin he just kills animals and livestock! Bibiana is sure she can trick him and she will own her sealgair forever!

As Laire will do anything to save her family so she travels alone to find help and finds nothing but danger. She is saved from a life of prostitution from a young seven year old boy. He and his young friends bring her in a house they have been staying at and call themselves “The Clan of Thieves”. All are orphans age six to eighteen, they do what they have to survive as they are living in the tunnels of Laird Iain Lindsay’s home. Of course he has not been there in years serving his agreement with Bibiana. Laire becomes like a mother to them feeding, cooking them wonderful food, caring and saving some from danger too. Most of the children start to love her especially Wee Kipper.

This book and story is so well developed paced perfectly and pulls on your heartstrings, so beware! The captivating plots and beautiful highland setting will steal your heart. It had so many oh no she didn't moments, that you can't help but anticipate what will happen next! It pulled so many emotions out of me, yet it was totally unique and brilliant! It is a riveting phenomenal adventure filled with treachery, witchcraft, mystery, suspense, sorcery, witchery, spells, supernatural, hypnotic enthrallment, enslavement, betrayal, murder, paranormal, jealousy, desire, passion, honor, and love.

Another spellbinding book that leaves the reader wanting more from this spectacular series by Lecia Cornwall. I have absolutely loved each book in “A Highland Fairy Tale Series”! I can't recommend this entire series enough, but can read as standalone books too.

A Highland Fairy Tale Series
by Lecia Cornwall

1. Beauty and the Highland Beast
2. When a Laird Finds A Lass
3.The Lady and the HIGHLANDER




I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts ideas and words are my own.

Amazon.com: The Lady and the Highlander (A Highland Fairytale ...

Interesting twist on an old classic fairytale. It was dark and sexy! Looking forward to more of the childhood fairy tales that I loved turned into sexy romances!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

THE LADY AND THE HIGHLANDER is a retelling of the Snow White fairytale. Ms. Cornwall crafts an excellent story adapting many of the characteristics of the original story into this book. Her portrayal of Iain Lindsey as Bibi's hunter was well-written and showed great depth. I especially loved the twist involving his dead wife. Laire MacLeod was the epitome of the lovely and kind Snow White, but she had the Highlander fierceness about her. That was a great twist and Laire used her inner strength to overcome great obstacles. Of course, how could you not hope root for the love story between Iain and Laire? I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This story is a twist on the fairytale, Snow white and the Huntsman. It is a dark romance with nail biting mystery that keeps you hooked right from the first page. Both the characters of hero and heroine are really intriguing and the romance between the two pretty scintillating. This is the third book in the Highland Fairy Tales series.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Really wanted to like it more but I just wasn't feeling the characters. I love Snow White but I just had a hard time getting into this book. :(

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Laire MacLeod, sister to the other MacLeod girls from the first two books in the series. Laire is one of twelve sisters, and one of the ten that still live at home. It is this plethora of innocence and beauty that draws in an evil witch disguised as a stepmother, Bibiana. Bibiana puts everyone in the castle under a spell by dosing their wine. Laire is the only one who is able to keep her wits about her, solely because of a traumatic experience in her youth that left her with a fear of drinking anything but water. And after a dangerous encounter with Bibiana, Laire flees for her life with the unexpected help of Bibiana’s hunter, Iain. Iain has his own scars from the past and serving Bibiana in her evil endeavors has not helped in the least. But when he meets Laire he knows he can’t turn a blind eye to this young woman’s fate as he has done so often already. He knows he must do everything in his power to save her or be lost in the process.
Overall I really liked this book! It was interesting and intriguing and scary. It was a great take on the classic Snow White tale. There were pieces that did get a bit repetitive, it seemed like every one and their mothers were out to do harm to Laire, but that was probably realistic for a beautiful young woman traveling entirely alone. Iain’s character was pretty dark, but as his character develops you can see the softer sides to him. And the relationship between Iain and Laire, while complicated, was touching and heart-felt. I felt so bad for Laire through the story, to be so powerless against this daunting evil force. It made her character seem even more strong and resilient though which was an important piece of the story. I especially liked the ending of this one, I thought that it was a creative/neat way to resolve the last issue of the plot line.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Laire's father has returned home with a new bride to be, Bibiana. Laire , her sisters and father have always been close so she has hopes that her new mother will embrace them all.

Bibiana arrives and changes start soon after. Laire becomes concerned but it is too late because the rest of her family is clearly under Bibiana's influence...with the help of her "special" wine. Bibiana now realizes that Laire will be a problem for her and her plans.

Ian is Bibiana's hunter only because he is paying a debt he owes to her. He is steeped in guilt by past actions, which incidentally, Bibiana was somewhat involved. Even though he has locked his emotions away, somehow Laire affects him. When Bibianna is intent on Laire's demise, Ian encourages her to run as far as she can.

Laire leaves to find her Uncle, hoping he can help her father and sisters....

Will Laire find her Uncle and get his help? Will she be in time? What will Ian's involvement be?

The writing in this story is well done and I feel like the characters are well developed. You can feel the evilness of Bibiana as well the tortured soul of Ian and his guilt. Laire's trip to find her Uncle has her experiencing situations a young lady of her station would never have had. I loved the "Clan of Thieves" also and their involvement in this story.

While we see the total evilness of Bibiana, I also saw Laire as a healer. She never gave up in her fight to save her family and those she loved.

Reading the cruelty and crudeness from the evil point of view was sickening.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book in Ms. Cornwall’s Highland Fairytale series. I can honestly say that if you haven’t read the previous books don’t worry you won’t be lost. I do highly recommend that you do go back and read the other books.
I love a good fairytale retelling and I was not disappointed one bit by this one. The Lady and the Highlander is a Snow White retelling. I cannot remember Snow White being nearly captivating as this book. We find the MacLeod’s preparing for the Laird’s 9th marriage. As he marries the mysterious Bibiana things start to change. The only one who seems unaffected by what’s going on at Glen Iolair is Laire. Bibiana sends her sealgair (huntsman) after Laire who has gone to seek away to save her family. The Huntsman has a secret to keep and is eager to end his service Bibiana. Can these two find a way to save the ones they love before it’s too late and move past the secrets that they keep?
I found this story compelling, fast paced. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Once the book started I needed to now the ending. Could her family be saved? What was the secret the huntsman was hiding? This series has gotten better with every book and I hope there are more to more to come.

Laire MacLeod’s father has married a mysterious widow Bibiana. She has arrived at the castle with her three servants and their mysterious potions. She already has everyone bewitched but Laire who refuses to drink anything because of something that happened in her past. When Laire realizes her father and sisters seem to be under a spell, there’s something going on at the castle so she runs away to find her uncle. Her step-mother sends her huntsman after her to kill her. Iain Lindsay is cursed, he’s become Bibiana’s huntsman. He is bound for seven years to be the hunter who uses him to bring back birds to use in her potions.
Iain feels nothing, he just wants to repay his debt to Bibiana and when his seven years are up he just wants to disappear. He purposefully has refused to form any attachments and believes he no long is able to feel emotion. But one look at Laire and she makes him feel for the first time in years. Iain lets his past control him, he feels such and guilt and bitterness that he refuses to let Laire affect him. When he has the chance to capture her, he instead helps her escape. She’s aided in her search of finding her Uncle by seven abandoned children. Just like Snow White and the seven dwarf’s fairytale. This book is a truly enchanting book with strong characters who are persevere to find their happiness in this Highlander’s fairy tale.
I received a complimentary copy and this is my honest review.

So far, my fellow romance book loving friends, I’ve had the honor and privilege of receiving a NetGalley advanced reader copy of each book in this series in exchange for an unbiased opinion. The good news is I enjoyed each and every one. This relatively “new to me” author now always catches my eye and grabs my full attention whenever I come across one of her books. Her writing flows seamlessly, stays engaging, and she delivers the tale that has accurately been laid out for us in the synopsis.

As far as this particular book goes, well, what is a hot, handsome huntsman to do, folks? Tricked and trapped into serving out a seven year contract to an evil magic potion yielding villainess that goes through rich, powerful men like the mind stealing tainted wine she serves, Iain, the hero, feels like he is serving a prison sentence. With just a few precious months to go, he lives for the day he can finally walk away. Sadly, he has long ago given up trying to intervene and save innocent victims that get caught in the crosshairs of this she devil’s wrath. Well, until Laire MacLeod, that is. Now that bonny Scottish lass seems to be a game changer for this game hunter and would be assassin. She rescues him from his heart hardened existence with her uncomparable innocent beauty and sheer determination to save her family.

With it’s Snow White theme, you get a front row seat as these two eventually triumph over evil and put an end to this reign of dark magic, which has been fueled by years of unquenchable obsession with power, youth, and beauty. But make no mistake, Laire, lights the way and leads the charge with her surprisingly mental toughness, sheer will, and perseverance. Iain certainly doesn’t make things easy for her. In fact, this reluctant huntsman seems just as determined to carry out his orders. To say the plot thickens and gets complicated is an understatement. The cat and mouse game continues until about halfway through a self-revelation starts to change minds and hearts. But, honestly, folks, Iain was quite the obstinate knucklehead here. When you find out what got him in this mess to begin with, you’ll realize why he packs around so much guilt. Let’s just say, a couple of the “seven deadly sins” come to mind.

The street rat, struggling to survive sub-characters were surprisingly endearing and were a nice addition to balance out the danger element. They certainly came in handy when help was needed most.

To say Iain was stubborn in his self-loathing and pessimism would be an understatement. When this main couple finally are intimate, he still refused to acknowledge any hope for the future. In fact, true avid romantics at heart likely won’t like what he says and does immediately afterwards. Fortunately, our heroic heroine has the strength and fortitude to carry on for the both of them. Besides, she will not be swayed from saving the lives of everyone she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself.

Lots of clever twists and turns kept the plot unfolding, leaving the few steamy scenes/physical love connection until the latter portion. Iain’s past transgressions are eventually fully revealed, and we learn how the evil one manipulated them to her benefit. With the inevitable, predictable showdown out of the way, I must say the ending felt rather rushed and not as well scripted as the rest of the story.

Here’s to hoping you’ll enjoy this fairy tale themed series as much as I have and that my review has been helpful in some way in deciding if this lady and highlander’s romantic tale is a good fit for you.

Title: The Lady and the Highlander, Series: A Highland Fairy Tale (Book 3), Author: Lecia Cornwall, Pages: 277, Snow White type theme, evil stepmother, magic potions, hero was tricked into service, main couple both carry guilt, formerly married, no cheating, no OM drama, dead OW drama, virgin heroine, animal cruelty resulting in death, little to no Scottish brogue.

Book 1 - Beauty and the Highland Beast, (Dair & Fia), 6/21/16, Pages: 396
Book 2 - When a Laird Finds a Lass, (Malcolm & Marcail), 11/1/16, Pages: 283
Book 3 - The Lady and the Highlander (Laire & Ian), 4/4/17, Pages: 277

(This review is based on an advanced reader copy distributed via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair opinion. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.)

This was sososo good!!! I've never actually read a book like this so I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me a tad of Snow White but I liked that. Laire was a great character. Tough and smart and very resourceful. Iain on the other hand...I need him. Swoon. As usual I loved the romance and the action. I basically love anything that has romance. And this was a big win for me!

I liked this book and hope to read more books from the author in the future.

A retelling of Snow White with a dash of Highlander romance? Sign me up!

This is the first novel I've read by Lecia Cornwall, and I enjoyed it! The Lady and the Highlander is actually the third book in a series, so I have some catching up to do.

I think The Lady and the Highlander is what Poison tried to be, a fairy tale retelling with a slight twist and some added sexual content. And TLATH exceeded where Poison did not. I was pleasantly surprised with how engrossed I became in the romance, which I enjoyed very much. It was a slow-burn kind of love, and towards the end, it got fiery. There was depth to the characters, baggage they were carrying from past occurrences which they ultimately shared and learned from, and emotions that felt real and sincere throughout the novel. There was no angsty feelings to weigh things down; it was a refreshing read of two people falling in love while figuring out how to defeat a mutual enemy.

The seven dwarves were actually more like the Lost Boys in Peter Pan. They were a small group of child thieves struggling to survive, and their relationship with Laire was adorable. All 7 of the children had some role to play in the story, and I appreciated how even the side characters had a hand in the overall outcome.

In terms of sex, the scenes were pretty bland. There were a few sprinkled in at the end, but the scenes and descriptions were cut and dry and nothing special. As a reader, I enjoyed the emotional development of the romance more than the physical aspect, so the unimaginative sex scenes didn't bother me.

Overall, this was an entertaining read that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Finally, a good sexy retelling of some fairy tale favorites!

Enjoyed the book! A liked this version of snow white with a different style that kept me interested from beginning to end. Great job!

I don't know what it was about this book but somehow I never got far no matter how often I tried to read it. It is well written and the story sounds interesting and I was really really looking forward to read it but ... As I really enjoyed reading "When a Laird Finds a Lass" , I can't understand why I don't get into this book. I decided now to put it away for a while and try to reread it again in a couple of months perhaps that'll do the trick and in this case I'll change this review accordingly.

An interesting take on a classic fairy tale. Who wouldn't love burly Scotsmen playing part in a classic story line.

I was hooked from beginning to end. The story is fast paced with lots of drama and the characters are amazing. Laire is a wonderful character and brings this version of Snow White to life. I really liked it.

O. m. G! This is a fantastic book! I loved everything about it. I don't think I can write a review that will do this book justice. There's so many things that go on and so many secondary characters that I loved. I will give you the story summary but I suggest that you read it. I could hardly put it down and it's the best book I've read in a long while.
The characters were strong and complex and so very likable. Well except for the villain Bibiana. Laire MacLeod and Iain Lindsay meet when Laire's father marries Bibiana and she brings her own servents. Iain is her huntsman, always clad in black and always standing in the back never speaking or participating. Laire doesn't understand the power Bibiana has over her father, its as if he only has eyes for Bibiana not seeing anything else. Her sisters sleep all day and dance all night and nothing is as it was before. One day she catches the eye of the huntsman and finds a connection she's never felt before and Iain feels something for the first time in seven years looking into Laire's eyes. Nothing can come of these feelings because Iain's a bad man and has no soul.
Laire escapes the castle to find help for her family. Iain is sent to bring her back if he can find her. A long the way she runs into a menagerie of people some helpful and some very dangerous. When Iain does catch-up with Laire will he killer and save himself or help her and save his soul?

'The Lady and the Highlander' by Lecia Cornwall is book Three in the "A Highland Fairytale' series.
This is the story of Laire MacLeod and Iain Lindsay. I have read the previous books but this is easily a standalone book.
Laire's father has married for the 8th time in attempts to get a son. His new wife Bibiana and her servants seems to posing Laire's family. They are trying to make her drink this red wine that her father and sisters have been drinking which is making them act funny. Laire only drinks water so now they are trying to force her to drink this wine. Laire goes on the run to try to find help.
Iain is one of Bibiana's servants but we learn that he is cursed with a bargain to be in her service for 7 years...which is ending soon. Iain has seen what Bibiana does with the other 13 husbands she has had. Iain tries not to look the victims in the eye and waits his time to be over. But right from the start Laire is one he can't ignore and goes forward to try to help her. We learn that a past issue is what has brought Iain to be in the hold of Bibiana but will be able to get away from her power?
Can Laire save her family and help Iain to live happy again?
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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