Genre: Paranormal
Book 7 in the Highlander series
ISBN: 0-8131-2233-3
Releasedate: August 2005
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Format owned: HC Delacorte & MPB
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
Jessi St. James has got to get a life. Too many hours studying artifacts has given the hardworking archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the silvery glass of an ancient mirror. But when a splitt-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi seddenlyfinds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering insatiable alpha male.

Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, eleven centuries ago Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass, one of four conveted Unseelie Hallows, objects of unspeakable power. When the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaimit, destroying everything in his path - including the one woman who may just hold the key to breaking the ninth-century Highlander's dark spell. For Jessi, the muscle-bound sex-god in the mirror is not only tantalizingly real, he's offering his protection - from exactly what, Jessi doesn't know. And all he wants in exchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed.

Yet even as Cian's insatiable hunger begins to work its dark magic on Jessi, his ancient enemy is about to obtain the final and most dangerous of the Unseelie Hallows - and the ninth-century Highlander must stop him from getting it. Nothing less than the very fabric of the universe and two passionately entwined lives are at stake - as Cian and Jessi fight to claim the kind of love that comes along but once in an ice age...

REVIEW
Yet another quality story by miss Moning that is worth reading every page. I knew when I had read Drustan's story it would be very difficult to top and "Spell" didn't have the same impact on me either, but that was to be expected.

What I truly loved about Jessi & Cians story was that I broke down in laughter loads of times. Cian a 9th century barbaric Tarzan-to-the-core Alpha Scotsmen and Jessi a 21st century stand-on-her-own self-reliable young woman. Cian used to ordering around and people following his rules and demands, Jessi used to following her own rules and creating her own destiny. Brought together in this story brings about hillarious situations.

Jessi, a fact-searching archeology student, deprived from sleep and not believing for a minute she had just summoned a 6ft-something Alpha Male in all but a kilt around his waist, thinking she was dreaming and wanting to make the most of this dream licking her way up his back!

I absolutely adore Karens way of writing. It's pure quality, language as well as scenes and details. This story however, I felt something was missing. I cannot point it out exactly. Maybe it was the fact I didn't have the time to read it in a day or 2 but normally that doesn't affect me a lot.

The best part for me (apart from Drustans cameo ~dreamy glance~) were the last 50 pages and the last 4 in particular where Aoibheal puts things together. Realizing that things were put into place like this because of a higher reason....

Quote - Cian trying to use voice on Jessi:
“Cease speaking, wench. You will bring that sweet ass over here and kiss me now.”
Jessi gaped, mouth open, midword. Snapped her mouth closed. Opened it again. Her head suddenly itched just beneath the skin, above her metal plate. She rubbed at her scalp. “As if.”
“Remove that woollen, woman, and show me your breasts.’
Choking on an inhalation, she sputtered for several seconds “Oh, I so don’t think that’s going to ha-.”
“Cease speaking,” he roared “You will not speak again unless I tell you to.”
In a sweet voice she said “You can go fuck yourself, you great big domineering Neanderthal!"

Though not the ultimate : Raisin' my bloodpressure kind of story, nonetheless a great story in this Highlander serie and very impatient to see what's coming next to the Keltar-Druids. I just absolutely loved Aoibheal's ending plott especially the silent understanding between herself and Cian!!! I mean what's up with that??? A perfect way to end a book in a series in my opinion. I'm a hooked BAA-Moning fan!

4 Stars

Genre: Historical
Book 1 in the Medieval trilogy
ISBN: 0-7278-6356-8
Releasedate: 1993
Publisher: Avon
Format owned: HC
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

SYNOPSIS
A hero of the crusades , Dominic le Sabre has return to scotland in glory and in triumph to claim his reward: the beautiful Saxon bride awarded to him be the conqueror king. But Lady Margaret of the Blackthorne cannot yield to the bold Norman invader. The beloved daughter of a sacred tribe of the celtic mystics, she fears an ancient curse that could bring further turmoil to her battle-scarred land...and sorrow to her marraige bed. With a word, the lady could turn her wedding into war. But there awaits in the noble knights embrace a promise of passion unbound--and a love that neither violence nor treachery can tear asunder, a love both invincible and...

REVIEW
Despite the fact that I’ve read this book in it’s Dutch translation so I can’t really judge on Elizabeth Lowells own style in writing, but keeping in mind that most Dutch translations aren’t that good, I just know that she knows how to putt a story to paper!I’m quite new to the historical romance novels and eventhough I’ve read a few HR paperbacks I know that those were just B-novels. This book does it’s HC-cover justice because the story held me in it’s grib from beginning to end.

The fury within Dominic le Sabre was stunning. The mistrust he held towards the loyalty of his wife, heartshattering and his misjudgement about her being a Glendruid-witch nearly brought me to tears for Margareth who only wanted to be truly loved for who she was, be free and not be condemned by what her ancesters did wrong a thousands years before. I was all in tears towards the end end when the people of Castle Blackthorne show just how much they love and cherish her and my heart sighed in relief when after 300 pages Dominic finally finds his true feelings and says those 3 words a wife longs to hear!

For me this book opened up a new world in reading. Eventhough I have a weakness for the paranormal genre I’m getting the feeling these historical romances are following up close!What I find I love so much about the Historical/Medieval time is the loyalty amongst the people. There’s a huge contrast between war and peace. When it’s war the time’s are cruel for everyone, and the pain off loss is huge but when there’s peace you can really feel at peace and have nothing to worry about.

To me Elizabeth Lowell knows this and can create this balanced in a novel. With this novel she captured my attention and have me already sitting here with my eyes noticing the second novel in this trilogy ‘Forbidden’.

3,5 Stars