Series: Highlander Brides (Book 7)
Lady Evina Maclean has heard much about Rory Buchanan’s skill as a healer. What she hasn’t heard is how good the brawny Highlander looks bathing in a waterfall. But Evina can’t afford the distraction, for her ailing father urgently needs care. Only when she’s rendered Buchanan unconscious and dragged him back to her family’s castle does the truth emerge -- it’s not Rory she’s kidnapped but his brother Conran.
Other ladies try to ensnare Conran with flattery. Evina hits him over the head with the hilt of her sword to save her kin -- and Conran likes the spirited redhead all the more for it. He’s learned enough from his brother to heal Evina’s father, but there are other dangers swirling around the Maclean clan. And while the beautiful, independent lady has sworn not to marry, this wrong Highlander may be just the right man for her.
The saga of the Buchanans continues with the story of the middle brother Conran. Conran is the brother who hasn't yet found his niche in the family. He spent his time helping his various brothers with their activities, so he had a good working knowledge of many things, but he considered himself a master of none of them. As this story opened, Conran was helping Rory collect his "weeds" for his medicinals. When they finished, Rory left to see to a patient, and Conran stopped to wash off the sweat, bugs, and dust. He did not expect to be attacked by another naked man, and coshed on the head by a redheaded beauty.
Evina and her cousin rode long and hard to find famous healer Rory Buchanan and bring him back to her home to heal her father. When she saw the man with the saddlebags full of plants bathing under the waterfall, she wasted no time. Unfortunately, the encounter didn't go quite as she planned, and she had to render him unconscious to keep him from killing her cousin. Unwilling to wait until he regained his senses, Evi tied him naked to his horse and headed for home.
There was an undeniable connection between Evi and Conran, starting with that first encounter. Evi couldn't help but notice Conran's looks and build, which stirred up unexpected feelings in her. In the few seconds he saw her before she hit him, Conran was stunned by Evi's beauty. But the real fun began after they reached her home. Evi felt a bit of guilt over the circumstances but still justified in what she did. Conran wasn't really satisfied by her explanation but wasn't about to correct her mistake and possibly put his brother in danger. It was lucky that Conran had picked up enough knowledge from Rory that he could try to treat Evi's father. I loved watching the sparks fly between Conran and Evi as he agreed to help, but only on his own terms. Evi wasn't used to not getting her way, and she was not too happy about it. Sparks of another kind began to fly as Conran and Evi "fell" into a kiss that scorched them both, though some confusion had Conran pulling back. A bit of wily interference from Evi's father and the attraction they felt got a bit out of hand. I felt terrible for Conran, who received quite a shock, and for Evi, whose experience wasn't what she expected. The arrival of Conran's brothers, including Rory, provided an amusing back and forth that ended up with Conran and Evi looking at getting married. As Evi hadn't planned to marry at all, and her encounter with Conran only reinforced that plan, he had his work cut out to change her mind. I loved that he was determined to do so, rather than just force the issue, and his efforts were well done. I especially liked his patience and willingness to listen to her point of view. The time that they spent together reinforced how much Conran liked Evi and appreciated her strengths and abilities. I think it helped that she was so much like his sister Saidh (The Highlander Takes a Bride). I also liked how Evi grew to appreciate Conran's variety of abilities, including how he got along with everyone. Their feelings for each other deepened, though neither of them recognized them for love until danger opened their eyes. I liked their big moment at the end when they finally shared those feelings.
The Buchanan family tradition of heroines in danger continued in this book. While the first attack where Evi was injured could have been a random attack by bandits, the following attacks made it clear it was personal. Though usually a pretty laid back kind of guy, Conran became quite intense when it came to protecting Evi. I was very invested in figuring out who was behind the attacks, as the most logical was also the most unlikely. I had several likely suspects and was still surprised when the villain was revealed. The final confrontation was intense and had me glued to the pages until it was all over. I especially enjoyed seeing that Evi remained true to herself and had a big part in her own rescue. The resolution was quite satisfying and gave me the answer to a subject I had wondered about, regarding the eventual inheriting of Maclean lands.
I thoroughly enjoyed the secondary characters. Evi's father was quite the wily schemer. Once he was on the road to recovery, he took some of the things he had observed and ran with them. It was funny to see his conversation with all the Buchanans once the mistaken identity was cleared up. I also enjoyed seeing the previous couples again. The guys did a stellar job of teasing Conran and poking at him until he saw the truth of his feelings. It was also great fun to see how the women became friends so quickly. The similarities between Saidh and Evi were obvious. I also liked how the other ladies took to her right away too. It was funny to see Alick and Geordie's reaction of "The women are thinking. Ye ken there's always trouble when the women start in thinking." I also loved Evi's comment to Conran about what they talk about: "Well, what the devil do ye think we women talk about when ye men aren't around? The weather?" (You'll have to read it to see WHAT they talked about.)
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