Highland Obsession by Dawn Halliday

Deliciously Sexy Readby Barbara25

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August 09, 2009: After having lived the majority of his life in England, Alan MacDonald has returned to Scotland in order to begin his life anew. Claiming his lands, Alan takes his place as Laird. His wish to find a suitable bride and start a family brings him to the lovely, Sorcha.

Sorcha Stewart is everything Alan could have wished for in a bride. Beautiful, sweet and innocent, she is nothing like the women he knew in England, and it isn't long before Alan becomes completely enamored with his bride-to-be.

Soon the couple is married. The honeymoon is short lived, however, because her love isn't the only thing Alan's blushing bride has brought into their marriage. The woman he has chosen to wed is carrying with her a secret, and one that could very well tear them apart forever.

A woman of honor, when Sorcha stood before the minister and promised herself body and soul to Alan, she meant every word. With Alan, life seems filled with so much promise. He's caring and honorable, gentle and yet strong. Sorcha wants nothing more than to build a happy life with her new husband.

With a tender touch and loving words, on their wedding night, Alan speaks to her of honesty and trust. Barely married a few hours and already Sorcha finds herself wracked with the guilt, the guilt of knowing she has already betrayed that very trust Alan speaks of. Her only hope is that he never ever finds out her secret.

The Earl of Camdonn is a man obsessed. Seriously. Obsessed. Once upon a time Sorcha had been his mistress. They shared a brief, yet, very passionate affair. At the time, Cam had believed it to be nothing more than a physical attraction. Sorcha was beautiful and, well, extremely willing. Yes, he knew her feelings for him ran deeper than his did, but that really meant nothing seeing as he was an Earl and she was a common maiden. Besides, he didn't love her. Or did he?

But now Sorcha is married, and suddenly Cam finds himself unable to accept it. He's gone completely mad with the idea of her belonging to another. She's his dammit. She loves him. He absolutely has to have her back. Period.

So, what does Cam do? He busts into her house and whisks her away into the night. Sounds romantic, huh? Yeah, well, only problem is, Sorcha's new husband also happens to be Cam's very best friend.

As if that isn't bad enough, it turns out Sorcha isn't the only one with secrets to hide. Alan and Cam apparently share quite a past of their own.

Lies, deceit, lust, love, anger, jealousy, rage and obsession....

And so begins the battle between two men, willing to sacrifice a life long friendship and their very lives for the love of just one woman. And of course, one woman who must ultimately decide which man is truly the only one for her.

I think Dawn Halliday is a spectacular writer. She really draws the reader into the tale and makes it easy for you to connect with her characters. I will say, I did have an idea who would inevitably win the heroine's heart, and I was very happy to see it come to light in the end. Highland Obsession, for me, was an extremely well written tale, and I'm looking forward to diving in to another love triangle in "A Hint of Wicked" by Dawn's alter ego, Jennifer Haymore.

deep Scottish romanceby harstan

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July 06, 2009: Highland Obsession

Dawn Halliday

Signet, Aug 2009, $15.00

ISBN: 9780451227010

Cam the Earl of Camdonn and Jacobyte Laird Alan MacDonald were buddies tasting the best of London as wild Scottish youths. The wild times together ends in 1715 when Alan marries Sorcha Stewart unaware that she is not a virgin as she was Cam's lover.

Cam is irate over his former best friend wedded to his favorite lover while Alan is upset that his wife is not pure and worse did it with his former best friend. Outraged and jealous Cam abducts Sorcha on her wedding night. Alan wants his spouse back and in his bed so he prepares for clan war; Cam expects Alan and his horde to invade so prepares for clan war. Their difference over who rules Scotland also heats up. What they share is neither laird cares what Sorcha wants though she knows who she loves.

This deep Scottish romance focuses on a destructive triangle in which Cam obsesses over Sorcha who loves him but not like she does Alan. The story line is fast-paced with the hostile Scottish debate between the conventional laird and the Jacobyte supporter adding intensity to the argument over who Sorcha belongs too. Ironically, neither Cam nor Alan asks her for her opinion as that does not matter to them. Fans will relish this profound historical that digs deep into the lead characters and obviously sets up a sequel for the one who does not walk away with Sorcha.

Harriet Klausner