Highlander Unbound

by Julia London

Book Overview

On leave from his Highland regiment, Captain Liam Lockhart comes to London on an urgent mission: to repossess the stolen family heirloom that could save his ancestral estate. He never dreamed it would involve surrendering his heart. But the beautiful and scandalous socialite Ellen Farnsworth sets his Highland blood aflame with a will as strong and reckless as his own. Though bound to Liam by a soul-searing passion, duty impels Ellen to commit a terrible...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743465067
• ISBN13: 9780743465069
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Pocket Star
• Length: 390 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Great beginning to the series...leaves you wanting more.

Having to slowly sell everything they own in order to keep from losing their family estate, the Lockharts have resorted to everything from loans to searching for work but can not stay afloat. Although a ridiculous idea, Aila (mother/wife) suggests they search for something that would be more than enough to pay back debts and relieve them of their financial burden, and it IS rightfully theirs to begin with, the Lockhart beastie. Unfortunately, all they know is that it may be in London with their cousins, the English Lockharts'. Out of the five family members, Carson and Aila, their three children Liam, Griff, and Mared, Liam offers to go to London since he is well trained in the field of deception, tracking, and to handle himself should something go wrong. Once arriving in London one of his first orders of business is to find lodging, he then rents a room from Mr. Farnsworth who was very reluctant to rent to him since he is a Scot. After that Liam sets out to acquaintance himself with his cousin Nigel Lockhart so that he may gain their trust and eventually find the beastie and take it. Within the first couple of days Liam suspects someone is going through his belongings in his room, and in an attempt to catch and interrogate whoever it is, he lays a trap and waits. Much to his surprise what he 'catches' is a little girl named Natalie who goes into his room to bounce on his bed. From there he's hooked, not really by his choice but Natalie goes to see him every chance she gets, and once he finally meets her mother Ellen, he falls hopelessly in love (more or less). Due to his many years as a soldier and now a Captain, Liam has the scars of war, which he believes makes him ugly and unwanted. However, Ellen doesn't seem to care about that as she fall's in love with him for who he is. Knowing that he has to eventually leave for Scotland and for desperation to save her daughter, Ellen steals the beastie from him (the way she does it is very funny) and runs to her friend's house where she believes she can't be found. She underestimated him. He eventually returns to Scotland empty handed, since she tricked him not only once but twice, however he has something very special waiting for him there. It is truly a very good book and sets the stage for the books that follow. London does a very good job of creating her characters and absorbing you into the book. The sex scenes are more frequent in this book than the next, as well as the 'type' of sex they share is much different as well. However, it does not have A LOT of sex episodes as some other books do, do if you are looking for that kind of thing I would not recommend this to you. But if you are a fan of the Highlander theme (or not since I really wasn't at first) and enjoy a good romance story then I would suggest you read this book. London also does an excellent job writing in Gaelic, as well as her use of settings, people, and things used in her book fits the time period that she is placing them in.

Sweet and funny - Cleverly written

I seem to have the minority opinion on this one, but I just loved this book. I think it is the writing style that appealed to me most. It is droll and understated. I much prefer this kind of dry humor over the overly-dramatic or cringe-worthy slapstick you find in so many romance novels. I also thought the plot was unusual and well done. Liam is a simple man with simple needs, which are not being met. He endures uncomfortable travel, foul food, unruly children, and wacky Englishmen, all with good humor and letters home to his mom. He is on a quest to steal an item, which his family may or may not have a rightful claim of ownership to. His plan is to ingratiate himself with his English relatives, then sneak around in their house in the dead of night, and take the item away and hope they don't notice. Ellie is isolated and unhappy. She is doing her best for her only child, and makes a few bad decisions. She is not a perfect person, but anyway the ethics are hazy... is it wrong to steal stolen property? Probably. But if you are going to do it, at least do it competently, and more than once if necessary, and get away with it cleanly. By outsmarting Liam, Ellie became his equal, which is a lot more satisfying than a simple story about a burly Scottsman rescuing a damsel in distress. But in the end, it is the clear voice of the author that kept me reading. I have just added Julia London to my list of favorite authors. This book is just great.

Julia London rocks!

One of my favorite authors, Julia London delivers once again with this fast paced, highly enjoyable read. Liam is a hero to die for-- as evidenced by the HOT cover but also in the way he pursues, and falls for, Ellen. Great chemistry between the lead characters and witty dialogue mark Highlander Unbound as a must buy romance. Great title, too.

fantastic!!!

This book was fantastic! Absolutely fantastic. The best book I have ever read!!!!!!!! It was so Funny!It was so sad!It was so romantic!It made me feel alive I loved it!

A fantastic romp

Fabulous book! Really unique hero and story and so hot the pages were burning. Its a great mix of humor and deep emotion. I read it in one sitting and can't wait until the next one comes out! This one is definitely going to a prime spot on my keeper shelf