Scotland, 1811. Coming from the Highlands to Edinburgh in search of a husband, Alison Lamont finds herself in all sorts of trouble.
Thrown out of a fashionable ball for a stolen kiss, Alison flees from a riot in the notorious Old Town and meets Willie Kemp, an eccentric boatbuilder. While she falls deeply in love with Mr. Kemp, her aunt wishes her to marry the obnoxious but rich John Forres.
… Forres.
Alison takes drastic measures to solve her dilemma, including a long trip through the snow-covered Pentland Hills. But who left the mysterious footprints outside her cottage, and what secrets is Mr. Kemp hiding?
Praise:
★★★★★ – “I would highly suggest this book to anyone looking for a sweet love story set in historical times.”
★★★★★ – “A beautifully written romance with historical information tossed in for good measure. I was swept away immediately.”
★★★★★ – “By far the loveliest book I have read in a long time. The characters were real and the story line was engrossing.”
★★★★★ – “Hopefully, Swift will carry on with the lives of her characters and we can enjoy the way she paints this era of Scottish history.”
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A light historical romance based in Edinburgh and the countryside round about. The story is entertaining, the style unique, the ending fast paced.
The Handfasters: by Helen Susan Swift
This whimsical romance of young love and misconstrued impressions was a delight to read. Set in Scotland, the story revolves around Alison whose mother sends her off to stay with her aunt in the hopes of finding a suitable husband. Alison´s temperament as a wilful young woman was endearing as she struggled to accept what life threw at her.
The reader feels that Alison is the only person who does not know the true extent of the situation and you read on with a need to ensure yourself that all will end the way you hope it should. I was fascinated by the events which led up to her eventual marriage.
The writer´s style, particularly at the beginning of the book was reminiscent of Jayne Austen and had me hooked from the first page. I Highly Recommend this book and would like to read more books by this talented author.
I really love how this story is told. Unique!
Loved the style of writing, the way the story was told. Love history and I have spent some time in Scotland and visited Edinburgh. Early history of the city and the society of that time was of great interest. Alison and Mr. Kempt were a delight. Upon completion of the Handfasters, I immediately ordered the next installment of Lowland Romance Book 2. I was curious about the meaning of “Handfasters” but just waited for it!
Nice story.
Mysterious. Never judge by looks…they can decieve.
Certainly not one of my favorites.
An Odd Scottish Tale
The Handfasters by Helen Susan Swift is an odd but sweet standalone tale that’s told in autobiographical style as if by an aged woman who is speaking to her granddaughters. The setting is 1811-1812 Edinburgh, Scotland. Although the narrative is interspersed with dry humor, still I found the wordiness to be a bit tedious. The characters also fall into the odd category, as does the ending, which I also found to be a bit annoying.
Content 411; This is a clean read that is free of swearing and sex.
Rather strange. The “asides to the reader” were a distraction. Premise was not very plausible.
Fun to read!
A thoroughly delightful tale with all my favorite elements: adventure, romance, mystery, laugh out loud humor.
Set in 1812 at the beginning of the tale, the narrator is an old woman relating to her great-granddaughters how she found love as an eighteen year old. From the Scottish highlands, Alison has been sent to her aunt’s in Edinburgh to find a husband. Through a series of mishaps, she meets Willie Kemp, a mechanic who has been building steamships. The best part of the book was the narrator’s asides when she gave her great granddaughters advice about holding their temper, knowing about love, facing adversity, the importance of both truth and lies, and much more. All this advice is given in a light but slightly acerbic tone that is quite charming. This was one of the most unusual romances I’ve ever read.
enjoyed it, not same old plot
I got hooked on this series and I’m not sure why. I ended up loving the antiquated speech, historical references and a glimpse inside the harsh physical and political life in earlier centuries. The storylines were occasionally witty, occasionally surprising. Never sappy. The author let the characters unfold, keeping me hooked until the end.
Sweet love story.
Different, I wished it was longer.
Some of the characters are not what the readers thinks for most of the story.
Though the book is part of Lowland-Scots series, but the female lead in this book is a Highland girl.
Willie Kemp, the mechanic, is a marvelous character — gentle, quiet, clever (he invents steam-powered boat), and able to keep a major secret so well that other characters don’t know till the end of the story that there is a secret.
Enjoy he reading of this.
A little slow at first but had a good ending that tied it all together.
Couldn’t get past the second page sorry
Charming story, beautifully written.