Lecia Cornwall's Highland fairytale, "Enchanted by the Highlander" is a charming story. A Highland lass and her Sassenach lover withstand a series of trials as they confront evil-doers, contestants for her hand, and the challenges of her proud and numerous family.

Lecia Cornwall’s latest in her Highland Fairytale series, Enchanted by the Highlander, is exactly that: Enchanting. The story flows, and the romance buds until the leads have their HEA. I found chills erupting all over my skin several times and it involved moments where the Hero, John Erly, and the Heroine, Gillian MacLeod didn’t even kiss. You see, Gillian MacLeod is the shy MacLeod. The one whom all her sisters’ feel they must talk for and protect. But beneath her shy façade is a woman capable of protecting herself, a woman who knows her mind, and until recently felt silenced.

Everything changes when she falls for John Erly, the Sassenach. Her father, the fearless Laird MacLeod of Glen Iolair, would never allow his daughter to marry an Englishman. Yet, that is who owns her heart. Though not because John pursues the lass. Rather, he tries in vain to avoid her, because he knows he’s not worthy of her love.

John has a past, one where he was disowned from the Earldom he was to inherit. We don’t know the details until later in the book so I’ll leave that as a surprise. What we do know, is the chemistry and attraction between John and Gilly is so intense, you could scoop it up and sell it on Amazon.

John is the captain of the guards for Laird Alistair Og Sinclair, the Earl of Carrby, and Gilly’s sister’s husband. What we do know is John saved Alistair from a London prison and returned him to Scotland. Exactly what is his crime? One will have to read to find out. But back to Gilly. She is eventually promised to her father’s friend, Sir Douglas MacKinnon, some ten months later. What is important to the story, is that Gilly and John kissed her sister Fia’s masked ball ten months ago. Both Gilly and John were unable to remove the kiss from their memories. And even more fateful, Alisdair is to give his wife’s sister away for the wedding, yet he has not returned home from his travels. Hence Alisdair asks John to escort Gilly safely to Edinburgh.

Gilly’s been warned by English John’s reputation. Yet, she still can’t deny her attraction, despite the warnings.

“Is he unkind to women? Gillian asked, surprised.

Fia’s lips tightened. “No, worse−he’s charming. There’s not a lass at Carraig who hasn’t had her head turned by English John. Flattery gets him everything, and he knows just what to say to sin a lass’s hearth and her−Well, he isn’t for novices, Gilly, and he certainly isn’t for you. Stay away from him while you’re here.”

Yes, this is the quintessential shy yet beautiful woman slaying the end of a rogue’s sowing oats. He falls hard for Gilly and despite the rumors, isn’t as rogue-ish as his reputation. And he’s just as affected by Gilly as she is by him.

John felt her gaze like a touch, the caress of a fingertip along the back of his neck. He knew it was Gillian MacLeod even before he turned to see her there with Fia, watching the lads practicing, but Gillian’s eyes were for him, only for him. He felt his breath catch, his body tighten…He stared at Gillian, willed her to wait, to come to him, but after a brief instant she followed her sister, rode away.

John and Gilly are both not whom they seem. They are both layered and over time, we see this uncovering of both our Hero and Heroine. Especially as our two leads make the discoveries themselves.

He looked at Gillian coolly as he rose and hoped that Sir Douglas MacKinnon would appreciate the hidden passions that simmered below her demure surface. Even now, from just a touch of his hand, her eyes were bright as stars, and her cheeks were rose pink. She was passionate−he knew that.

Lecia Cornwall’s new series keeps getting better and better. The writing and the unfolding of the story lures me in and I’m completely invested in the marriage of the other MacLead women. I can’t say enough about this author and this series. I’m in love.

This is truly an enchanting tale. A timid Scottish lass and a bold and charming Englishman with a reputation.

John Erly is an outstanding swordsman and captain to one of the Scottish Lairds. His whole life has been a run of bad luck and living in Scotland, he is looked upon as being an outsider. He takes it all in his stride and doesn't show any sign of bitterness. He came to Scotland after being disinherited for something which was not his fault. He doesn't believe that he can find happiness because of his sins, and sticks to casual relationships. He has no intention of changing his ways.

Gillian is one of twelve sisters. She hardly speaks her mind and is overprotected by her family. Quite overbearing at times. Despite, what everyone thinks, she is observant and more capable that they believe. The first time that she sets eyes on John, something changes, but she is warned to keep away from him. During one of her secret persuits, she witnesses something about John that makes her even more curious. He can't be as bad as everyone suggests.

When her sister Fia organises a masquerade ball, she does something completely out of character. John is intrigued by this elegant masked beauty who disappears after one kiss. She has the advantage of knowing who he is, but even he wants to seek her out, he doesn't know who she is.

On her way to her wedding, Gillian stops to pay her sister a visit and upon seeing her, John comes to the realisation of what's been bugging him for a year. Nothing he can do about it now. They acknowledge each other and have to fight hard against the attraction. He is tasked with accompanying her on her journey to Edinburgh and this is where fate comes into play.

They face a dangerous situation and Gillian's strength of character shines. For the first time in six years, John talks about his past and the guilt that he carries with him. Gillian sees the good in him, but he doesn't believe that they have a future. He can't seem to put a foot right and the animosity from the Scots makes his life difficult. She continues to show her strength and determination.

It's a captivating story with twists and turns throughout. It's full of danger and surprises. There is a lot of sufferings, but love prevails. The storyline is complex and intriguing. The characters are very well portrayed and I became completely involved. A fascinating and exciting read.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

I enjoyed a lot this author's style. It is refreshing and always gives a nice twist to traditional tales. John and Gillian's story is very good and engaging.

I really liked this highland fairy tale read. Loosely based on Cinderella, Gillian is typically the shy and quiet one in her family but one night she takes a chance and kisses a stranger at a masked ball. John has been disowned by his English father and can’t forget the kiss he shared with the masked woman. Months later when they meet again, will either be able to let go again? Fast-paced, fun, and entertaining. I liked the characters as well as the story. A good read.

Gillian MacLeod is shy and quiet, the least likely of all her sisters to seek out excitement and adventure. But on a moonlit night at a masquerade ball, Gillian steals a kiss from a mysterious stranger, knowing she’ll never see him again.

John Erly, disowned by his noble English father, started a new life in Scotland. Most people are suspicious of the foreign mercenary and he does everything is his power to avoid romantic entanglements. But he can’t forget the bewitching beauty who kissed him in the dark, and stole his heart, even though he has no idea who she might be.

A year later, John is given the duty of escorting Gillian to her wedding and immediately recognizes her as the temptress he’s dreamed of for months. There’s not much he can do when she's promised to another man, but fate intervenes and this time, passion—and adventure—can’t be denied. Honor demands he stay away from the MacLeod’s enchanting daughter, but love has a very different ending in mind...







Review:




Watch out for the quiet ones!




Another new to me Author and another historical romance that I really enjoyed. I really did enjoy this story where the shy quiet girl is not what she seems. No wonder being one of 12 for goodness sakes I am sure it was hard to get in a word, so she just kind of gave up. That is until she falls in love and loses him and then is betrothed to another. It gets really interesting from there. Lots of action and adventure, plus a good old sexy romance. I liked that Gillian is not typical, or at least you might think she is at first but watch out. John seems like the perfect rake too, but there is more below his surface too. That they are multi-faceted makes them and the story so engrossing and engaging. One of things I liked the most was when all the suitors started showing up at the castle to claim Gilly's hand and her families reaction. Another thing I liked was the witty dialogue.




This was book four in the series, so now I need to go back and read the others because you know I did not read them in order. Then I will be all caught up when the next book comes out.




4.5Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

If you like romance than you'll enjoy it,for me it was 50/50 as I am not in romance that much.

Such a sweet and endearing story. I didn't want to put it down

gillian macleod is a quiet girl, surrounded by eleven opinionated sisters she's always let herself fade into the background in enchanted by the highlander. they are loud and boisterous and don't hesitate to talk over her opinions and for gillian the path of least resistance is easiest. at least that way life is comfortable. and when she's alone she does what she wants.

when she sets eyes on john erly she is enthralled by him. but everyone makes it clear that he is not for her. he's an englishman, a man who has been cast off from his family and has made his way with nothing. he's also a flirt. and gillian is warned that as a rogue he'd do nothing more than seduce her and break her heart.

but gillian sees who john really is. kind and generous. loyal and honorable. and unlike so many others, he sees her. he sees her beauty and knows what she likes. she isn't in the background in his eyes. and it's liberating to be seen for herself. and john is fascinated by this young woman who isn't meant for him. but who he realizes he has to fight for.

the strength of the love that gillian and john feel for each other just overflows on the pages of this book. they face long odds to get their happy ending. but john will stop at nothing to be the man who wins her hand in marriage. getting her father's blessing will be the hardest task he's ever had to conquer. but with gillian's heart and happiness at stake, he will ensure that at the end of the day he is the last man standing.

i really enjoyed this book, it took a little bit of time to get into, but once you are hooked into john and gillian's romance it's hard to put down.

**enchanted by the highlander published on november 14, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.

Enchanted by the Highlander (A Highland Fairytale, #4)
by Lecia Cornwall
Anna Swedenmom's review Nov 14, 2017 · edit
it was amazing

BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY !
A definite twist of a fairy tale that is worth reading. I was totally taken by the book from first page. This story was a delight to read. It has twists and turns and humor and passion and romance and pathos. Elements of this story were just to good to be true. This author is extremely talented and I absolutely adored the story and her characters as well as her way of writing. So buy the book sit and enjoy! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

Lecia Cornwall has another winner with her latest release, Enchanted by the Highlander. This story is very well-written, contains witty dialogue, a fun plot and three-dimensional characters who appeal to the reader. I especially liked Moire, the healer who seemed to have a touch of "the sight" and always was there when she was needed. The main characters Gillian MacLeod and John Early made for a fascinating couple. They were able to overcome all the stumbling blocks placed in their way to their happily ever after.

This is a fun read for all Scottish Highlander fans.

I could not put this book down and read it in one day. I LOVE sexy historical romances. Stacy Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors in this genre. Girlfriend does not hold back and I can't get enough. The instant chemistry between Rhys and Georgiana was straight up fire and that scene in the library...oh lord! I just couldn't get enough of these two characters together and loved the way they burned up the pages. I think my favorite part is how Rhys never runs from his feelings for Georgiana. He owns them and then does whatever he has to do to keep her. He lays it all our for her and isn't afraid of his love for her. You can understand the predicament that Georgiana finds herself in and why she may not be as carefree as Rhys. Thankfully, she comes to her senses. All in all, a fantastic read and I can't wait for more in this series!

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Shy Gillian MacLeod isn’t viewed as the adventurous type, always doing as she’s told. She longs for passion and adventure, her perfect opportunity arises at a masquerade ball where she boldly kisses a strange man ( John Erly ) and loses her heart.
Seeing that there is no suitor eagerly waiting to claim Gillian her father arranges a marriage for her.
On route to her arranged marriage she falls in love with John Erly the man tasked as her escort.

John Erly is the disowned son of an English Earl and his heart has been stolen on a midnight kiss by an enchanting young woman. For months John has dreamt of that kiss. He realizes 5hat it’s Gillian that stole his heart but she’s promised to another. With everything working against them will they be granted their hearts desire?

Lecia Cornwall gives you an action packed Cinderella twist with a Scottish Heroine and an English Noble Hero. Lots of twists and turns keep you glued to the pages. Descriptive scenery bring the story to life with intrigue and danger that have the couple running to each other. I highly recommend this wonderful story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

I thought this was a very cute story. Very, very loosely based on the Cinderella fairy tale, Gillian MacLeod has always been considered the quiet, biddable sister. But shy Gilly longs for adventure and for true love. She meets John Erly while visiting her sister Fia and is immediately smitten. She is warned by her sister to stay away from "English John", but at a masked ball, Gilly takes a chance and boldly kisses the man and runs away.

John is bewitched by the masked woman and thinks about her constantly. He has no idea who she is until 10 months later Gilly returns and immediately John knows who his masked lady is. But Gilly is not for the likes of him, a disowned, disgraced, self proclaimed rogue and rascal. So why does it hurt so much to learn she is only staying for a few days before heading off to marry? John lets her know that he knows who she is and what she did, but he keeps her secret safe. Not that anyone would believe him anyway, Gillian is too shy, too timid and too innocent to do such a thing!

When Fia asks John to escort Gilly to her intended and to stand in for her father and give away the bride, John desperately wants to refuse, but Fia will not take no for an answer. Determined to keep his distance and to ignore the temptation she presents, John tries to keep her at an arm's length. But having tasted boldness, Gillian is not willing to walk away from what could be the adventure of a lifetime.

And an adventure she will have! Within days of setting out, their party is attacked and Gillian is taken captive along with John. They barely escape with their lives and finally give in to the pull between them. John sees a side of Gillian that no one has ever seen and he shares things with her that no other living soul knows. Gillian believes that she has found her true love, but John is not as convinced, he knows he loves her, but has nothing to offer. He is sure she will be fine without him and will soon forget him.

When they are found the next morning, John begins to back away and as the story of Gilly's escape grows, so does their traveling party making any chance to talk privately impossible. But Gilly knows what she wants and what has to be done, but can she get John to agree?

This was a fast paced story with a lot of action, some laughs, some tears, villains that will not stay vanquished, great secondary characters, a couple of steamy love scenes and finally a very hard won HEA.

This book is part of the Highland Fair Tale series, but could easily be read as a stand alone. FYI - if you read this book and liked her sister Meggie, her story is already available in the Christmas in Kilts Anthology!

This is another in the Highland Fairytale series and Cinderella.
A masquerade ball, a stolen kiss,
Gillian MacLeod is quiet and so tends to be talked at rather than to, when returning from a visit in Edinburgh, she stops off at her married sisters home and attends a ball, whilst there she orchestrates a kiss from John Early a Sassanach mercenary and Captain and friend of her brother in law, though he knows not who he's kissed, he can not forget the mysterious beauty.

A year later and Gillian is once again at her sisters though this time she is on her way to her betrothed and John is the one who has been tasked to escort her and stand in for her father. It is now he realises who the woman was he'd kissed and though they need to stay apart, love has other ideas.

So now you are going to want to know if they get their HEA or if Gillian has to marry her betrothed, or even, if something entirely different happens, and you know what I'm going to say, don't you.
Yep, get the book and find out.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and voluntarily leave my own honest opinion

My first boys this author and what a surprise. I just love this story and wil for sure be looking out for more books by this author. I can really recommend this book

A frothy and fun Cinderella re-telling with a Highland twist. I did like seeing a genuine, kind and sweet MC. The rest went about as expected. Cards on the table, this isn’t really my sort of book usually nut I found I enjoyed it despite being outside its target audience. Certainly one I’ll recommend to a certain contingent of library users.

I have read and enjoyed all the Highland Fairy Tales books and novellas, but this one is my favorite so far. Gillian MacLeod is the quiet, invisible sister who usually goes along with what she’s told. While visiting her sister Fia and brother-in-law Dair she meets John Erly, aka English John, the disowned son of an Earl and Dair’s friend. He is the captain of the guards and trains the men and boys, but he’s still considered an outsider. Gilly thinks he’s the handsomest man she’s ever seen.

Gillian is restless and hunts at night to be on her own. She observes John hunting and leaving his kill at the doors of the needy. He’s the most interesting man she knows although Fia warns her away from him. Fia and Dair are hosting a masked ball, inviting several single men for her to meet. Gilly’s costume is supposed to be a shepherdess, but she decides on something else and decides to have an adventure.

John has a good reason for hating masked balls. However, when he sees the woman in pink and gold his heart leaps. They walk outside, and he kisses her. They are interrupted, and she runs to her room losing her mask which he picks up. Shortly after, she returns to her home.

Ten months later her father has arranged a marriage to an older man in Edinburgh. He is unable to travel, so sends her to Fia’s as Dair will escort her to Edinburgh and give her away. She doesn’t want to marry this man, but John never contacted her, so she gave in to her father’s wishes. Dair has been delayed so Fia asks John, with a group of their men, to escort her overland to Edinburgh. As they ride, he realizes she is his masked woman.

The trip is dangerous and John a hero. The wedding in Edinburgh is called off and she returns home to Glen Iolair hoping John will follow her there. Since I hate to write spoilers, I’ll leave it to you to discover all that happens after she returns home. This is a very good book and I can easily recommend it. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me this ARC. No one asked for or influenced my review.

This book was ok. Not one I couldn't put down but the story was decent enough.

Publisher's Description:

Gillian MacLeod is shy and quiet, the least likely of all her sisters to seek out excitement and adventure. But on a moonlit night at a masquerade ball, Gillian steals a kiss from a mysterious stranger, knowing she’ll never see him again.

John Erly, disowned by his noble English father, started a new life in Scotland. Most people are suspicious of the foreign mercenary and he does everything is his power to avoid romantic entanglements. But he can’t forget the bewitching beauty who kissed him in the dark, and stole his heart, even though he has no idea who she might be.

A year later, John is given the duty of escorting Gillian to her wedding and immediately recognizes her as the temptress he’s dreamed of for months. There’s not much he can do when she's promised to another man, but fate intervenes and this time, passion—and adventure—can’t be denied. Honor demands he stay away from the MacLeod’s enchanting daughter, but love has a very different ending in mind...

My Thoughts:
I couldn't decide in the beginning whether I liked this book or not. I had previously read other books in this series and found them a bit long with chapters that could very well have been combined. It was a bit wordy and lengthy. There were just too many chapters and it took too long to get to the meat of this story. When it finally did it flowed along nicely.

This book was much the same as the others and although it is what I have come to expect in this author's writing style it still disappoints me.

I gave this book 3.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3 of 5 flames. There is not a great deal of intimacy to be had in this long and drawn out book.

I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley to read.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.