Scotland, December 1745, and Present Day Boston Massachusetts

It is the time of the last Jacobite uprising, and the MacLeod of Rubha Castle decides he and his sons will answer the call of Prince Charles to aid him in restoring the Stuarts to the throne of England and Scotland. But wisewoman Mhairie Stewart, the aunt and surrogate mother of MacLeod's youngest son, foresees the massacre and devastation to come and prepares to save her sister's child.

It's December 2007 in Boston, and Claire MacGregor's hopes for a profitable Christmas season for her antique shop look dim. She has refused to pay protection to the local teen thugs and has had her windows broken more than once. Claire is a quiet, shy woman of thirty-one who perseveres in spite of disappointments in life. Her hard-earned degree in art history led to no dream jobs, but she's managed to establish herself and the Velvet Pumpkin in a building of her own with room for a tenant on the second floor and an apartment on the third for herself. Claire's tenant, Mrs. Grouse, makes heavenly desserts and somewhat replaces her mother who took her own life eight years ago. Claire has two other friends: one she's known since childhood, Tracy Simpson, an aspiring actress making a living by pole dancing. Tracy is the beautiful one who attracts the males; she's always trying to fix Claire up, as though sex is a panacea for all one's woes. But after an unsatisfactory trial in college, Claire has had little interest. Right now she's looking forward to her annual holiday lunch with Tavish MacLean, the elderly gentleman she befriended after an accident in front of her shop. But the meeting is not to be. Tavish is dead...and left all his worldly goods to Claire.

Once the shock of Tavish's death subsides to a bearable ache, Claire investigates the crates delivered to her storeroom to see what Tavish left her. Among the household furniture, she finds a curiously carved chest and a note from Tavish entrusting her with safeguarding its contents -- he'd hoped to discuss it with her the next time they met. A magnificent old sword, a brass brooch, and more are nestled in the chest, along with another box...a puzzle box. Clair takes it to bed with her to work out the puzzle. I won't give any more detail here but will just tell you that what seems like a thunderbolt produces the most beautiful man Claire has ever seen, six and a half feet of studly naked male.

It's a toss-up who is more surprised, Claire or Sir Cameron MacLeod. For he is Mhairie Stewart's nephew whom she didn't live to set free. And what a superb example of an arrogant alpha Highlander Cam is, lost in a world with noise and wonders and, perhaps worst of all, rules for this and rules for that, and whoever thought up all these laws!

There is so much humor in A HIGHLANDER FOR CHRISTMAS that I was tempted to label it a romantic comedy. Yet this exquisite novel has so much more. It's nearly heartbreaking when Cam learns the fate of his family. One doesn't know whether to hope he can get back to save them or not. For by this time, we don't want Claire to lose the best thing to ever come into her life. While Cam is the ultimate in magnificent heroes, Claire is an average woman outwardly, at least to modern eyes, but inwardly she has a core of strength and an especially giving heart. The supporting cast adds much to the plot; it even has a likable lawyer.

A HIGHLANDER FOR CHRISTMAS is beautifully written, and this review comes with a high recommendation. Sandy Blair is new to me and a lucky find. She's an author well worth getting to know. She has other paranormal Highlander books, as well; check them out at www.sandyblair.net.

Jane Bowers