Laire MacLeod is the beautiful daughter of Laird MacLeod and is about to witness her father’s eighth marriage. Unbeknownst to all, he had fallen under the spell of the evil temptress, Bibianna. The evil woman drinks bird blood and eats bird’s hearts. She even has a handsome huntsman, Iain, who is directed to hunt down the beautiful Laire as she tries to find help for her father and sisters. I must stop here to say that I am not a fan of stories about the occult or socerery. This book was called a fairy tale so I decided to try it. It actually is the Scottish version of Snow White! I thought it was an engaging story with likable characters! It had those fun moments for me deciding good from evil characters! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it for readers of historical fiction and those who like magic, spells and love!

The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall will be available April 4, 2017 by St. Martin’s Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

A surprisingly dark book, but nevertheless a romantic and exciting recreation of the classic fairy tale, Snow White! I was actually pretty fooled by the title, thinking this would be a Beauty and the Beast tale. The synopsis should have been a clue to the contrary, but what can I say - I have Belle on the brain. I especially liked how Lecia Cornwall took the concept of the seven dwarves and morphed it into seven orphan thieves. I loved the creativity. One of the things I love about the best fairy tale retellings is when I can spot the original elements of the story and how the author twisted it to suit the new tale. Leica does this very well!

The evil witch Bibiana is no longer the fairest of them all. Her new stepdaughter, Laire McLeod, has unknowingly claimed that title, and the witch means to make her pay. When Laire realizes her father and sisters are being entranced by Bibiana, she tries to escape to find help. Knowing that Laire could ruin her plans, the witch sets her Hunter, Iain Lindsay, after her, with explicit instructions: Come back with her heart in a box. But she doesn't anticipate that the Hunter may be her weakest link of all, for he has fallen under a different sort of spell and will do all in his power to keep Laire safe.

Laire and Iain were such complicated characters! I liked Laire's resourcefulness despite her privileged upbringing, and she really held her own against Bibiana and her ilk. Iain took a bit of warming up to, simply because he took a while to decide if he was actually going to kill Laire or not. A bit frustrating, that, because I wanted to hop on board the Laire/Ian train sooner. Once they both came together, though, it was magical.

Fantastic book by Lecia, once again! I can't wait for the next book in this series, if there are more planned.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Any mention of a Scottish Highlander and I'm in! This was my first book by Lecia Cornwall and even though it's the third in a series, I didn't feel like I was missing anything since it'a a complete story for Laire and Ian. I wasn't sure how a retelling of the Snow White story would work but it really did! I enjoyed the "dwarfs" as a clan of young orphans that are thieves but only for things they need to survive.

Laire's father has remarried and her new stepmother, Bibiana, is breathtakingly beautiful. She has arrived at the castle with her three servants and has already bewitched everyone. Everyone except Laire who is also the only one who refused to drink the wine that Bibiana brought with her. Laire realizes she needs to escape to get help for her family. Surprisingly, Bibiana's huntsman, Ian, helps her to escape but is then sent to kill her and he can't refuse due to his debt. When Laire arrives in Edinburgh to ask for her uncle's help, she's drugged, robbed and left for dead when the clan of thieves find her and take her in. Within days the huntsman shows up and Laire is desperate to save herself and her family.

I loved the romance, adventure and surprise twists of this story.

The Lady and the Highlander is a clever Snow White retelling with a Scottish twist that lends new charm to the well-known tale.

I’m not very keen on fairy tales in general, but the change of the setting really made a difference in this case. Part of the story takes place in Edinburgh, Laire runs that far from home to escape the Sealgair – aka the huntsman – and she goes through all kinds of adventure in the city while she tries to save her family from afar. Compared to the original fairy tale there is a variety of settings here, not only the forest and that’s an improvement, I think.

The book keeps the eerily dark undertone of the Grimm tale – who wants a cup of fresh bird blood? :) – and at the same time adds a romance that is much better developed than ‘the Prince sees the girl, they kiss and decide to marry’ script. I mean, in the first half of the novel Iain, the Sealgair, is out on a mission to kill Laire. From this alone you can see that their romance is a tiny bit problematic and that’s what makes it interesting.

They have the spark from the beginning, but there are reasons why Iain can’t just give up his task easily. I loved how it all started with desire and then Iain slowly began to feel protective of Laire. The fine mix of want and worry made the romance very real to me.

As you read Lecia Cronwell’s words you can sometimes forget you’re reading a fairy tale retelling, because it is a tale that can stand on its own with its many details and lovely characters. When you remember for a moment that it is a retelling after all, you can be surprised by the parallels. At least that’s what happened to me.

I think it dawned on me a little late that Laire’s new friends in the city are the dwarves to Laire’s Snow White, but when it did, it made so much sense! It was a great idea to include The Clan of Thieves in the story. Little, innocent Wee Kipper was my favourite, I guess he was Dopey’s alter ego and he was a sweet one.

The Queen was scary enough with her bird and blood mania and she also had a crush on Iain, which made me uncomfortable. Iain had quite a lot of secrets only the Queen knew about. That made it difficult for him to break loose and follow his heart and I sympathized with him.

As you see, I enjoyed The Lady and the Highlander very much. Why didn’t I mark it a 5-star read then? I have two reasons:

Unfortunately some of the erotic parts didn’t live up to my expectations. I haven’t read many books in the genre, but I think it is a common thing that sometimes the foreplay goes out the window. I’m not happy for that, ‘couse foreplay is important y’all.

Another thing that bothered me a bit was that the writer used the word ‘sex’ to refer to sexual intercourse. It was stated in the Author’s Note that the story was set in 1809. Now, I made a quick research on the internet about the etymology of the word sex and I found that it didn’t take on the meaning ‘sexual intercourse’ until D. H. Lawrence started using it with that meaning in his novels. It felt out of place to me, that’s why I had to check.

Reading the Author’s Note it is obvious that Lecia Cornwall had made her research before she wrote her book and I’m not writing all this down to contradict her, my point is that I would have preferred to see synonyms of ‘sex’ that fit the time period better (love-making, carnal pleasures etc…)

Despite these two tiny bumps on the road, I loved the experience pretty much and I would recommend The Lady and the Highlander to everyone who loves fairy tales or Scottish tales. This story is truly worth your time.

Definitely a buy book. A dash of fairy tale, a load of whimsy, all wrapped with historical love in the highlands. I was really unsure about this one at first. However, the author saves the day and writes a story that you fall into. It captures and keeps you wondering what next. You may smile and shake your head ruefully thinking of snow white.... but at the same time with all the different things happening you start wondering.... I was impressed and just loved the way the author has of writing this. I downgraded it one star because it is slightly a paranormal..not only a historical. Also, I thought there might of been more action at times. With even those small gripes this is a book to buy, curl up and enjoy the tale of love conquers all. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

A fairytale inspired tale of true love.
Laire MacLeod's father has remarried......again....to try to beget a son.
But this NINTH wife is not anything like Laire expected. Beautiful, young looking and bringing much wine and her own servants, Bibiana made Laire very nervous.
Iain Lindsay, Bibiana's personal huntsman fell for Laire the moment he saw her, unfortunately he would be ordered to kill her.
Follow the pair as Laire's cleverness and strength of character not only makes her escape, but causes Iain to admit how he feels...enough to risk it all. Follow as his cold heart breaks open and he aids the orphans she found and read how she seduces him in a steamy scene.
Vivid and colorful descriptions of the clothes, the settings and the people make the pages fly by as you wait for the w(b)itch to get hers.

Laire MacLeod is one of the many lovely daughters of Laird MacLeod.

He has come home with a new bride, Bibiana. Bibiana is a very beautiful woman. She brings a staff of 3 with her. She has a very old woman who cooks for her and makes up the special concoction she drinks and gives to others. She has a Frenchman who seems to who do whatever is most important to Bibiana. And she has a hunter. The hunter, Iain Lindsey, is tasked with providing Bibiana with birds. They must be shot in the heart and they must have suffered when they died. That makes their blood sweeter.

In case you did not recognize it, Bibiana is not your average nice woman.

Because Laire, the most beautiful daughter, refuses to drink the special wine, Bibiana considers her a problem. To solve this problem, Iain is told to kill Laire.

Laire is more intelligent and able than Iain expects her to be. At first, he takes pity on her, but then when he receives a threat to his life, he searches for her in earnest.

Laire escapes to Edinburgh where she hopes to find her Uncle Hamish. She hopes he can help her find an antidote to the terrible poisonous drink being given to her family.

But Laire is waylaid on her way to her Uncle and she finds herself among a clan of thieves. They are children who for one reason or another have found themselves on the streets. They have become a family and they absorb Laire into the family.

The children are entertaining characters who add a great deal to the story. Each of them have different skills. For a couple of them, being tiny is what makes them valuable as a thief.

Laire is amazed when within the deserted house where the clan lives, Iain appears. In order to protect the children she has come to love, she runs away. She does not want them to be in any kind of danger because of her.

This is a Scottish adventurous version of the story of Snow White. And it is very well done.

There were times I felt that things moved slowly, but generally there was fast moving action.

Laire and Iain become attracted to one another and each of them are willing to sacrifice themselves to save the other. Both of them are willing to protect and save the children in any way available.

Family is where you find it. That sense of family can provide the warmth and love a child needs. This story is a good illustration of that.

This is the first book I have read by Ms Cornwell. I enjoyed her writing, especially her character development. Everyone in this story is easy to recognize for who they are.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

Many thanks to the publisher who invited me to read this book.

Cards on the table this kind of novel is a guilty pleasure and a good one like this allowed me a few hours of complete brain candy. Thouroughly enjoyed it. This is a take on Snow White but set in Scotland. I imagine that the Outlander fan crowd and those who've enjoyed the rest of the spin off Scottish highland romance genre will like this. There is in my opinion a bit of a pace sag in the middle but the rest of the book gallops towards a satisfying conclusion. Good fun (if not for those who prize historucal accuracy).

Snow White. No really it’s a Highland retelling of Snow White only the Dwarves are children, the Hunter is a Laird in his own right, the Evil Stepmother is like a creepy reincarnation of Elizabeth Bathory, and the Poisoned Apple is the potion being forced down her throat by the crazy butler in the drawing room. Not really the drawing room but it sounded very CLUE like.
It’s really an exceptional retelling. Usually retelling have a more modern twist however I quite enjoyed taking it back and simply moving the location it made for a quick and addicting read. The plot follows exactly what you would expect from a retelling and although the minor details change the important chunks are definitely there.

I would recommend anyone who is crazy about the Highlands or Fairytales to give this one a go!

HERE COMES THE REVIEW

Characters – 4 It completely expanded on the characters especially the female lead however some of the supporting characters could use a boost
Plot – 5 I loved the retelling and there was not a whole lot of gaps in the work
Addiction – 4 I actually did manage to put it down twice so It was not attached to me till death do us part.

Final Review would be a 4

Im completely in love with this series! Lecia Cornwall is a fantastic writer and i love all of the characters in this series( three so far) and i really cant wait to hear about the rest of the sisters and their men :D

Found this story lacking in imagination. The author had an opportunity to expound on a child's fairy tale but sorely missed the mark.

The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall
The Lady and the Highlander (A Highland Fairytale)
by Lecia Cornwall (Goodreads Author)
44824289
Barbara Rogers's review Mar 01, 2017 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: netgalley

Well written, well paced and well developed characters. I'm giving it four stars because it is well written and is actually a well done story. It doesn't appeal to me because I don't care for dark magic, etc. That is just a personal thing though and doesn't take away from the fact that the story is well done - and -- after all -- there is a happy ending! I have never actually read the story of Snow White and am only familiar with the Disney version, so I wasn't expecting the story to be quite as dark as it was.

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Laire MacLeod’s father has married a mysterious widow who is a vain beauty that deals with potions and spells. Laire does not drink them with the rest of her family and is the only one who could see through her stepmother’s games. When Laire flees to find help from her Uncle the Lady’s huntsman follows her with orders to kill. Laire must survive in a dangerous new city and find the antidote to a poisonous potion before it is too late.

Iain Lindsay is cursed. He is bound for seven years to be the hunter of a Lady who uses him to bring back birds to use in her potions. When Laire MacLeod escapes the Lady’s nets, Iain tracks her to Edinburgh, where she’s found shelter with an unusual band of thieves, but he cannot bring himself to harm her. Instead, he finds himself falling in love with the MacLeod beauty.

But a Highlander’s oath is his bond, and the price for helping her is death, both his own, and of those he loves.

Laire MacLeod is frightened for her family. She is one of 11 daughters – her father has been married 8 times. Laire has loved all of the different women in her father’s life until he married Bibiana. Laire knows that there is something strange going on. Her sisters aren’t acting normal. Her father is so entranced by Bibiana that he can literally not take his eyes off of her. Laire decides that she needs to get away and seek help for her family before Bibiana does something horrible to them but Bibiana sends her huntsman after Laire.

Ian Lindsay, once a Laird in his own right, is bound to work for Bibiana for seven years. That time is almost up and he wants desperately to get away from the witch, for that’s what she is, a witch. When he is sent out to find Laire and bring back her heart he doesn’t want to do it. He was attracted to Laire and doesn’t want to hurt her but he also knows there is no naysaying Bibiana.

Ian follows Laire to Edinburgh and plans to kill her but when he gets there he starts to see the potential of a real life and not one that involves Bibiana. Laire is determined to find something that will stop Bibiana from hurting her family and she won’t let anyone stop her, no matter what it takes.

The Lady and the Highlander was a great book. It was magic and fantasy blended so nicely with a Scottish highland romance. The story was a take off of Snow White but I thought the way that Cornwall wrote the story was very original. The “dwarves” weren’t dwarves at all and were actually child thieves. I’m not sure what it was about the story that drew me in so quickly but I thought it was a charming story. Yes, it was nutty as we didn’t really understand what Bibiana was doing to the people until later but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.

Cornwall definitely has a gift for rewriting fairy tales. I’ve enjoyed her interpretations of Beauty and the Beast as well as The Little Mermaid as well as this book. I hope she continues writing the Highland Fairy Tale series because she’s writes them really well.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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I loved this book ! Lecia Cornwall has penned another wonderful addition to her Highland Fairytales Series. This third book put a captivating spin on the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Fairytale. It is a true page turner from beginning to end.

I loved Laire. She was fearless and strong and saw right through to her evil stepmother's dark heart. Instead of being bewitched by Bibiana's spell she was determined to save the rest of her family even if she had to do it on her own. Iain Lindsay was haunted by his past and the pact that made him Bibiana's hunter. He believed himself beyond redemption until his fate became intwined with Laire MacLeod. In spite of his own rules about keeping his distance Iain kept breaking the rules to protect her.

I loved the romance, adventure and surprise twists of this story. The writing is so lovely and fast paced with interesting side characters who Laire and Iain met along the way. The Lady and the Highlander is an all around wonderfully romantic tale of how love can conquer evil in the end. I am so looking forward to the next Highland Fairytale.

This book was such a pleasure to read and an interesting twist on the Snow White Fairytale.
Lair MacLeod has led a life of luxury with few sorrows though she did lose her brother and Mother in the space of a year when she was five. She is one of twelve sisters and her Father has been married eight times. Her and her sisters are surprised when their Father returns from a trip with their newest Stepmother Bibiana in tow as well as two of her creepy servants and a mysterious sealgair (Hunter).

Lair senses things are not right with her sisters and clansmen continue drinking and dancing weeks after the celebration of her Father's marriage to Bibiana and her Father doesn't seem to notice anyone but his new wife. When she attempts to shake him out of his stupor, Bibiana intervenes and attempts to make Lair drink a strange drink that smells sweet but also has a weird smell to it. Instead she flees, realizing that her family is in danger and determined to find help.

The sealgair who once went by Iain Lindsay is sent after her though he releases her the first time. Bibiana demands he find the girl who manages to outwit him all the way to Edinburgh. He soon realizes that his heart isn't quite as dried up as he thought and Lair isn't just any Highland lass.

She is rescued by a band of thieves that are children from ages seven to eighteen who call themselves a clan and soon grows to care for them, mending their old garments, cooking for them and they grow to care for her..

Over the course of several months, things change drastically for Lair and Iain who have decided to have a tentative alliance and will soon have to decide when to return to Lair's clan and whether they can be saved from the clutches of Bibiana. Considering the experience that Iain has, it's understandable that there's a very slim chance that Lair's clan will be saved in the Spring but Lair refuses to give up hope. She enlists the help of her Uncle who doesn't believe her at first but when Lair is nearly poisoned, realizes that she was telling the truth about her evil stepmother.
When Iain is forced to go back to Clain MacLeod by Bibiana, he leaves Lair in Edinburgh, determined to leave her where she can be protected though he's quite certain he will never see her again after Bibiana is through with him.
Lair finds out and is determined to make her way back to Clan MacLeod to save Iain as well as her Clan. Her Uncle insists on going with, as well as family connections in the form of her eldest sister's husband's Ship Captain and crew, as well as a young but very loyal band of thieves, all who refuse to let her take on this journey alone and show that sometimes help can be found in unusual places.
I loved the Band of Thieves who were children that found a way to survive and overcome their harsh backgrounds. They are the Highland version of Snow's seven dwarves and come to Lair's aid several times.
This book was an interesting mix of adventure, power of love, Highlanders, redemption, family and believing in the impossible. I'm so glad the ending happened the way it did!

I didn't expect to like this book. I'm not into fairy tales or paranormal. But I loved it. It is a perfect blending of a mystery, a Highlander story, a fairy tale and love redeemed. The story opens with the marriage of a Laird to an enigmatic woman of dubious character and unknown origins. Through secret potions she maintains her youth and controls all the family, with mysterious plans for the future. Only one stepdaughter resists her power, not drinking the potion. Her servants are bound by oath or magic and obey her without question, even to murder. The stepdaughter, our h, Laire, escapes the castle, assisted by our H, a mysterious Scots hunter, although he is sworn to the wicked stepmothers service. Under threats to his family, he then pursues the girl, who proves to be difficult to apprehend. There are many entertaining twists and turns to the story, with an intriguing band of characters. This is a wonderful story, well written, interesting and spellbinding. Wanted to stay up late to finish it to it's delightful HEA. Very well done! Don't be afraid of the fairy tale elements, it is a decidedly adult story!

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

WELL, this was great fun. I have two weaknesses- okay, more than that, but two of my greatest are Highlanders and Snow White. Needless to say, this book was practically written for me and every fairy tale loving, Scots obsessed person out there. Or, really, anyone wanting a well written, good old fashioned (but with sex) story. Pure escapism but very well- written with excellent character development. Laire is strong without being cliché and the romance arc is believable. The adventure elements are fast paced and exciting without being over the top. The author balanced the magical aspects of the book and the fact that the reader will know the Snow White story without making it feel trite. Now, that's a skill.
A true pleasure that I'd recommend enthusiastically.

This installment of the Highland Fairytale series is about Laire MacLeod, the fairest of the MacLeod sisters, so it is fitting that her story is Snow White like.

Laire's father has remarried and Bibiana, her new stepmother is breathtakingly beautiful. She has arrived at the castle with her three servants and has already bewitched everyone. Everyone except for Laire.

Laire is dismayed that her father and sisters seem to be under a spell, they have all partaken in the wine that the new Lady MacLeod has brought and they dance all night and sleep the days away. Laire refuses to drink the wine, she only drinks water due to a tragic event in her past. She realizes that the wine is the reason her family is bewitched and believes that they are being poisoned.

Desperate to save them, she escapes the castle and hopes to find her uncle, a renown botanist to help her find a cure.

Iain, Laird Lindsay is Bibiana's huntsman aka sealgair, and indebted to her for seven years. Iain has been charged with tracking Laire down and bringing her back. Iain feels nothing, he just wants to repay his debt to Bibiana and then disappear. He refuses to form attachments and believes he no long is able to feel emotion, but Laire has changed all that. She makes him feel for the first time in years and she has brought forth emotions he has never felt. But guilt and bitterness have a strong hold on him and he refuses to let the Laire affect him. However when he has the chance to capture her, he instead helps her escape.

When he returns to the castle empty handed, Bibiana issues a threat that Iain cannot ignore and he vows to find Laire and bring her back. But Bibiana no longer wants Laire, she just wants her heart.

Iain sets out after Laire and catches up to her pretty quickly, but he doesn't count on the beauty being a fearsome MacLeod, he underestimates her and she escapes again.

Laire is totally unprepared to survive on her own and is thrown into one horrifying event after another. She finally reaches Edinburgh but has no idea where her uncle lives and she is once again thrust into danger. This time she is saved by some abandoned children - seven of them to be exact - they take her back to their lair and she agrees to cook and care for them in exchange for their help in finding her uncle.

When Iain finally makes his way to Edinburgh, he is injured when he confronts some men he believes have found Laire's body. He convinces them to give them the heart and sends it to Bibiana hoping to make her believe that Laire is dead, thus saving her. Being in Edinburgh forces Iain to confront his past and when he and Laire are reunited, makes him long for a future.

But as it goes in fairytales, the path to true love is not easy and these two have many more hurdles to jump before they can even begin to hope for a HEA.

I liked this book, I thought it was well written, but it did drag a bit in the middle and I had a hard time with Iain's complete change of heart. I believed he loved Laire, but for me, it just didn't develop at a believable pace. However, the final chapters of the book had me on the edge of my seat and I thought the ending was fantastic.

I would recommend this book, it is part of a series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title.

This novel was a delightful read. I enjoyed the plot. It has a twist on the fairytale of Snow White. This novel contains romance, betrayal, adventure, and magic.
Iain Lindsay, laird of Craigmyle, is a sealgair for Bibiana. Bibiana has heard of the daughter of the chief of Glen Iolair and wants to steal their youth. She marries their father for this reason. She creates a wine that causes everyone to lose sense of themselves. The only person not affected is Laire MacLeod, one of the chief's 12 daughters (there is a reason why she is not affected, but you will have to read this novel to find out). Laire knows something is wrong and tries to tell her father, but he is under the witch's power.
Laire is forced to escape and has help from an unlikely source, Iain. Ian owes Bibiana a debt, which is almost at an end. He has been forced to serve her for the mistakes he made in the past, which he deeply regrets. He also has a few secrets. He sees a strong, fearsome, and beautiful lass in Laire. They both have attraction towards the other but due to their current predicaments, do not act upon them.
Bibiana sends Iain after Laire escape and wants him to bring back her heart. Iain has no choice, and chases after Laire. Laire and Iain have a few interesting encounters. Laire makes it to her uncle in Edinburgh, but he does not believe her story. She realizes the only person who can help her is Iain, who has had a change of heart....or is it part of plot to trick Laire? Will Laire be able to save her family and be able to be with Iain? Will Iain truly betray the witch, help Laire, and be able to move forward from his past errors?