From the sweeping mountains of Wales where Prince Llywelyn made his last stand against the English, to the treacherous Isles of Scotland where Vikings and pirates rule the waters, comes a tale of betrayal and loss, deceit and passion. An epic tale of honor and the redeeming power of love.It was over. Prince Llywelyn was dead, his soldiers fleeing before King Edward’s army. Carys, a distant cousin … distant cousin to the prince, herself a princess of Wales, had picked up arms alongside her husband more than a year ago in the fight for Wales’s independence. Now homeless, her husband buried beneath the good Welsh soil, she seeks shelter in the north, far from the reach of Longshanks’s men.
It was time. Birk MacLean has been ordered to take a bride and produce an heir. He grows weary of the lasses paraded before him, women of delicate nature and selfish motives. He desires a wife strong enough to help lead one of the most powerful clans in Western Scotland.
One like the Welsh woman sitting in his dungeon, arrested for poaching MacLean deer.
Can Birk convince Carys marriage to him is preferable to a hangman’s noose? And will the heard-headed Scot be worthy of a Princess of Wales?
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This book has the common elements of superbly researched historical facts, knock-you-off-your-feet humor, a heart-throbbing romance, tear-jerking sad scenes, edge-of-the-seat action set during an incredibly dangerous period of English/Welsh history. I’ve used a lot of superlatives here, but this book merits it. If you don’t read another book this month, this one deserves your attention. You won’t be sorry you picked it up.
The Highlander’s Welsh Bride is an absolutely incredible book, full of action, adventure, emotion, and fantastic characters! The characters intrigued me from the first page. Birk and Carys are strong captivating characters that you can’t help but be drawn to. I loved the rest of the characters too and there was a lot of them! I’m not sure how I kept them all straight but I did, I can only credit that to the writing though. The writing is brilliant, the story had this massive plot with hoards of characters but the authors made it work! There was a couple lulls throughout the book but none of them big enough to lose my attention fully. Other than that, it is a perfectly paced book. Lots of emotion in this book! It is heartwarming and heartbreaking at times, I laughed and I cried and felt every emotion the characters were feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! 4.5 stars!
Carys is a Welsh princess and distant cousin of Prince Llywelyn who was killed in battle with the English army. She is homeless, as her husband is also dead, so she and her brother, Hywel, go north hoping to find somewhere to live. They both are well armed and know how to blend into the forests. They get jobs on a ship going north. When the ship is hit by unexpected storms, Carys, the captain’s son Tully and his dog survived by tying themselves to the mast. She hopes to find Tully’s mother and siblings.
Birk MacLean has been ordered by his clan to find a bride. He wouldn’t mind a wife to help care for his two young daughters, but she must be strong to help him lead his clan. His father has given him a title and he must find a wife to give him an heir. Birk meets Carys as she and Tully have come ashore not far from one of his castles. He is unaware of her heritage but her skill with weapons is impressive and could be very useful. He marries her, but “neglects” to tell her he is the laird and has two young daughters, Eislyn and Abria. The girls love Tully and want him to stay and be their brother. His mother, Hanna, is not happy he wed without her, but she loves Carys for being kind to her granddaughters.
There is so much more going on with this family, but I will not spoil this wonderful book! If you’ve read Cathy & DD’s earlier books you might run into someone from one of them, but each book can easily be read on its own. One of my favorite things about these authors is they do their research and know the history of Scotland. This story is one of my favorites and I highly recommend it!
4.25 stars–THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE is the fifth instalment in Cathy MacRae and DD MacRae’s adult, Highlander, historical romance series. This is Baron and Laird Birk MacLean, and Princess Carys Wen, filia Pedr’s story line. THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.
NOTE: THE HIGHLANDER’S NORSE WELSH takes place approximately thirty years after the events of The Highlander’s Norse Bride.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Birk and Carys) THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE follows Carys in the aftermath of war as she journeys, along with her brother Hywel, to safer land. Pirates and a storm at sea find Carys one of only two survivors of a shipwreck that claimed the lives of everyone she loved, a shipwreck that would place her in harm’s way once again. Enter Baron/Laird Birk MacLean, the man with whom Carys would fall in love. What ensues is the marriage of convenience, and building relationship between Carys and Birk, and the potential fall –out as secrets and lies continue to follow our story line couple.
Baron Birk MacLean is a widower with two young daughters, and is desperate to find a wife equal to his power and charm. Hearing about a ‘warrior’ woman aboard The Seabhag from its’ captain Murdoc Ferguson, Birk was shocked when the woman found hunting on MacLean lands turns out to be the woman he believed would be a perfect mate for a widower like himself. Carys lost her family to war and the sea but meeting Birk MacLean meant a second chance at a happily ever after but second chances came with a price. Once a prisoner, now Lady of the Manor, Carys is a strong willed, fierce fighter and protector of the people she loves.
The relationship between Carys and Birk begins acrimoniously as Carys is held prisoner in our hero’s dungeons. Drawn to the woman that would steal his heart, Birk makes Carys an offer of marriage, in exchange for her life. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and seductive.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Birk’s daughters Abria and Eislyn; Captain Murdoc Ferguson and his son Tully, and Carys’ brother Prince Hywel. We are reintroduced to Birk’s mother Hanna (The Highlander’s Norse Bride 3.5), and his half-sister Gillian.
THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE like the previous instalments blends historical facts and fiction as the author weaves a wonderful tale of secrets, lies, second chances, and love. The premise is intriguing and lively; the characters are sassy, strong and spirited; the romance is provocative and energetic. THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE is an enthralling and animated story line that is sure to please. Fair warning-there is plenty of Gaelic and Norse prose throughout the story.