Highlander adventure. Highlander Romance. Kilty secrets abound in this romantic comedy!As the chief’s second son, Ewan MacKinloch resents being offered up as the sacrificial lamb in a marriage arranged to end a 300-year feud with the MacCarrons.Ewan trades places with a one-armed clansman in the hopes Shona MacCarron will refuse to go through with the wedding, but unbeknownst to him, Shona, too, … to him, Shona, too, has traded places with an aunt known as Lady Lazy-Eye so she can avoid the marraige arranged after the recent death of her father.
Confusion reigns when alchemy draws them to each other and they risk aiding the cause of factions ambitious to usurp the hereditary MacCarron chieftaincy.
Will each discover the other’s KILTY SECRETS?
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SETTING: 2 clans have warred for 300 years. In order to bring peace, the 2 clan leaders agree (in secret) to handfast their offspring, MacCarron’s daughter to MacKinloch’s SECOND son, with the betrothed couple only to be told shortly before the handfasting ceremony. Understandably upset, Ewan questions why he and not his oldest brother was the sacrificial lamb! His clan loyalty forces him to abide by his father’s wishes, and he takes 2 unlikely defenders with him (the only 2 men who would willingly step into the lions’ den with him) a one-handed man and a man who stutters. As the story develops, their courage and their strength of character become central to Ewan’s success in assuming his place in the MacCarron clan.
For her part, Shona is no less upset than Ewan. She is the only child of the clan leader, whose sudden death has placed leadership onto his brother, who never expected to have to assume this role. It is this uncle who informs her of the handfasting, which had been arranged by her father before his death. We watch as the couple employs subterfuge for the initial meeting, as a means to try to exert control over the inevitable handfasting.
CRITIQUE: Once again, Ms. Markland delivers a well prepared story with roots in history. The storyline is well developed and the characters rounded out. The bravery of the 2 seemingly mismatched defenders shines through, and is amply rewarded. Shona and Ewan mature during this story and come to appreciate why their fathers overcame clan hatred for the betterment of each clan.
A case of mistaken identity!
Kilty Secrets, written by Anna Markland, was so much fun to read and a wonderful introduction to her new series Clash of the Tartans. Kilty Secrets is a real page turner. You won’t be disappointed!
Set in Scotland, this story is about two clans, the MacKinlochs and the MacCarrons, who are feuding since ages. The chiefs of these clans want peace, so they organize a betrothal between their children Ewan and Shona. However, both these two, do not want to get married to someone from the enemy clan. So Ewan and Shona concoct a plan that might work or not. Some scenes made me giggle! Enters, Jeannie and other charming characters to make matters worse or better. Will their ruse work?
Kilty Secrets is a fabulous read by Anna Markland. Ms. Markland has given readers a well-written story filled with lovable characters. Ewan doesn’t want to marry, especially a MacCarron. Shona doesn’t want to marry any Mackinloch. Shona and Ewan’s story is packed with drama, humor, sizzle, action and dirty tricks. This book kept me glued to my Kindle from start to finish. I enjoyed every page of Kilty Secrets and look forward to my next book from Anna Markland. Kilty Secrets is book 1 of the Clash of the Tartans Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
romance, heroes, laughter. No better combination to make a great story! She says no! he says no! but when they meet, sparks fly but will they explode in fireworks when they finally give in?? Don’T miss this one!
Broderick Maxwell is unexpectedly thrust into leadership of his clan. He strives to resurrect his clan’s reputation at a time when change is sweeping over Scotland.
He must also take responsibility for raising his 11-year-old sister. Kyla MacKeegan is the daughter of a powerful Highland chieftain, and an accomplished sea captain who has plied the waters of the Hebridean Sea since childhood. You can’t help but fall in love with Broderick he is trying to raise his sister and overcome the stigma of his father. This was such a fun story, I loved how Broderick talked his eagle which is his confidante. This is a story of two people who are thrown together by circumstance and drawn to each other immediately. Great characters, fun story, I would definitely recommend this book!
A Laird’s second son sent with only two companions to marry into a rival clan to end a feud; a bully who feels the woman should be his; a man banished from the clan seeking revenge and the lairdship. What a great set-up, and what an enjoyable story. Loved every minute of it.
como o inglês não é minha lingua materna, acabei por desistir nao por interesse na historia, mas porque está escrito em inglês arcaico, o que aumentou o grau de dificuldade no entendimento.
🙁
LAUGH YOUR WAY INTO THIS COMEDIC STORY, THAT IS, UNTIL YOU’RE GRASPING FOR BREATH IN TERROR!
Shona and Ewan, each from clans who’ve been feuding for hundreds of years have met their match. They must marry to mend the animosity between the clans, a bridge to peace.
Luckily, so thinks Ewan, he must only hand-fast the woman for one year and one day and his commitment is over. Who wants to marry the enemy, anyway? Shona isn’t willing to contemplate such a union. She’d just be spoiled goods after all is said and done. Neither want to do their duty.
No one from the MacKinloch clan wants to accompany Ewan to clan MacCarron. The only two who will, are Fynn Macintyre, who is minus one hand, and David, a stammering young man. Lest you forget, men are not, necessarily, what their appearances lead you to expect. Fynn and David are no exception. They lend a lot to the story.
Ewan and Shona come up with a plan. Shona will have her Aunt Jeannie (almost the same age) impersonate her, hoping her lazy-eye (the only flaw she has) will put off her suitor. Ewan decides to have his clansman, older and with a stump on his arm, impersonate him—uh, hoping the same as Shona.
Author Markland’s scene building is marvelous. She keeps me laughing through about half of the book with the silliness of the whole situation. You see, Ewan, is drawn to Shona, who is impersonating her aunt. He wishes life were not so cruel. Mayhap, she could be his leman? Ha!
Shona isn’t at all interested in Fynn, Ewan’s clansman, impersonating Ewan, of course. She’s drawn to the real Ewan. She’s thinking it might be nice to sample the stud before she has to hand-fast with her intended.
The story, at least this part, is hysterically funny. Ewan and Shona are so evenly matched and really perfect for each other. The “Fates had persevered to bring two reluctant soul mates together.”
Something bad has to happen, right? It does! Jeannie’s first husband, Ailig, banned from the MacCarrons’ land has a mission to accomplish. He wants the land and keep for himself. He will attempt anything and with his brother’s access to the keep, he could get away with murder. Shona explains it this way to Ewan.
“Ailig was a snake lying hidden in the grass, waiting to strike. The news ye were coming might have prompted him to act against Kendric sooner, but it’s evident he and his brother have been plotting to usurp the lairdship for a long while. They murdered my father before our betrothal was settled.”
The story turns from silly to horrifying. Ewan, Fynn and David take up the task to scour the keep and eliminate danger. A mangy dog and child do their best to help them.
It was a pleasure reading about Ewan, his growth in filling the shoes of a laird. Fynn, not only is loyal to Ewan, but a big asset in protecting the MacCarron clan. I loved how David became a man to respect and the comradeship which grew between Fynn and him, where none existed before.
An easy-read with plenty of page-turning action, and scenes where I felt the fear pump off the page, made this sweet, sexy, humorous romance the perfect read. Make sure to check out the ‘Historical Footnote’ section found at the end of the story. I suggest you read it first.