Sandy M’s review of A Highlander Christmas (Highlander Series, Book 7) by Janet Chapman
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 27 Oct 09
This is my fourth Christmas book in the last three weeks. The previous three didn’t have a whole lot to do with Christmas or they didn’t deal with the holiday that well, and I wasn’t thrilled with them for one reason or another beyond that. Though I was expecting some warm season’s greetings and other related Christmas goings-on in this book, none of that happened. But, you know what? This time I didn’t care. That’s what a good story, great characters, and terrific writing will do for you.
I’ve been a fan of this series from the start and the books are now focused on Grey’s daughters, but I’m absolutely fine with that. As long as Ms. Chapman gives me a hot hero to go with all those daughters, as long as she keeps the magic different and interesting along with the story, I’m happy with it all. That’s exactly what she’s done in this book and that’s exactly why I didn’t mind one bit that whoever titled this book thought they’d make an extra buck or two pulling readers in by expecting Christmas when, in fact, Christmas is a very, very, very small part of this book.
Quitting her job a year before, Camry has been bartending and walking dogs for a living since. And her parents have no idea. She’s a physicist for NASA and lately has been having difficulty with magic and science mixing, which has to be done if you know her family. So she quits her job when further pushed by an arrogant Frenchman who questions her at every turn on her latest project. Living up to her mother’s reputation in the scientific world is not easy.
Concerned when Camry’s correspondence abruptly ends and that he may have been responsible for the crash of her mother’s satellite, Luke Renior treks to Springy Mountain for what information he can find. Only he’s the one found and now faces Camry’ parents, an understanding mother and a protective father. They send him to a small Maine town to bring their daughter home by the winter solstice. How in the world they think he’s going to do that is anyone’s guess. Little does he know that magic is in the air.
And the magic starts immediately when Camry and Luke come face to face for the first time, in more ways than one. Their ragtag team consists of two dogs and a young runaway who plays matchmaker for them whenever she gets the chance. Secrets are finally revealed and the attraction between them is still there, so they continue on to see where that magic leads them. Wizardry and avalanches can’t keep them apart nor away from their goal for very long.
Ms. Chapman always writes a delightful story and this book is no exception. Along with everything else, I really enjoyed that Grey and Grace, Camry’s parents, have a fairly good part in this particular story. Their romance started the series way back when and it’s nice to find out what they’ve been up to through all these years. You’d think endearing characters ensconced in magic would grow old as a theme in this series, but with Janet Chapman at the helm, that will never happen.
Grade: A+
Summary:
Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter — which is why she’s spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends Tigger and Max. Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he’s on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family’s annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he’ll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry’s trust…and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
