Sandy M’s review of Highland Rogue by Tess Mallory
Historical Time Travel Romance published by Berkley 6 May 08
I always enjoy a good time travel, and Highland Rogue is a good one. It starts a little slow before getting down to the nitty gritty, but once there we get some great action, an involved storyline, and the characters are interesting and true to themselves throughout the book.
In the beginning a little too much time is taken, for me, in getting to the traveling part of the story. We learn about Maggie and her sisters, how they lost their parents and how she had to leave her dreams behind to raise the twins, and now that they’re grown she can’t seem to let go and finally start living her life. The twins and Rachel, Maggie’s best friend, surprise her on her birthday with a trip to Scotland because she loves everything Scottish. We even spend time in present day Scotland on an archeological dig where Maggie has to fend off the guy in charge while she’s trying to have some fun for a bit. It all could have been condensed down to get to the meat of the story so much faster.
Once in the past things get much more interesting. Quinn and his best friend Ian have turned to highway robbery against the man who killed Quinn’s parents while he also paid for Quinn’s schooling as a piper. They’re ready to up the game and begin hitting the Duke of Montrose in his personal pockets, and this is when Maggie is thrown into their time. As Ian is making his getaway from their most recent heist, she appears right in the middle of the melee causing Ian’s horse to shy as Quinn attempts to rescue her. Ian is subsequently taken prisoner, and it is up to Quinn to free him from the Duke’s dungeons because Rob Roy MacGregor, Ian’s kin, won’t chance the repercussions to the rest of his family.
Needing some type of help, Quinn guilts Maggie into helping him by garnering employment in the Duke’s home to see what she can uncover of Ian’s fate. We meet all sorts of characters there while also seeing how life was for people not born into the nobility. By this time Quinn has feelings for Maggie and his duty ends up cleaving him in two to decide between friendship and love. I really enjoyed Quinn’s character, even if he is a highwayman. He’s exacting his own kind of vengeance, and it’s hard to believe the Duke didn’t make the connection between the thieves and their pipe playing after each successful robbery. There are a couple of twists and turns at the end that kept the storyline interesting.
Any time an author gives me a lot of traveling in my favorite type of paranormal, I’m usually pretty happy. Ms. Mallory does a great job of that and does it in a little bit different way than I’ve seen before, not the usual picture or passing out and finding a body in another time or things like that. This one is pretty believable and could happen to anyone who comes along at just the right time. I like all things Scottish just like Maggie. Wonder if I’d be as lucky traipsing through the Highlands?
Grade: B
Summary:
1711. They call him the Piper. A masked bandit seeking vengeance for his people, and Rob Roy MacGregor’s clan, Quinn MacIntyre leaves his victims with empty pockets, and a haunting tune played on the pipes that once gave him great joy. But when a flame-haired minx stumbles across his path, she awakens a new song in his heart. Now the outlaw faces a challenge more daunting than the Duke’s patrols: Let go of the past and embrace the future…
Present day. On her dream vacation in the Scottish Highlands, aspiring archaeologist Maggie Graham discovers a tri-spiral carving in the floor of an ancient cairn, and unwittingly sets its dormant magic in motion. Sent tumbling back in time 300 years, Maggie uncovers the most amazing find of all-a Scottish hero straight out of her wildest fantasies. There are just two tiny problems with this grand adventure: She’s trapped in 18th century Scotland, and the man she’s fallen for is an outlaw, a thief, a daring…Highland Rogue.
Read an excerpt.
