Her Accidental Highlander Husband by Allison B Hanson-a Review

Amazon / B&N / Google Play / Apple

Description:
Marian Fletcher Blackley, Duchess of Endsmere, has been on the run from the English Crown for weeks since killing her abusive husband…no matter that it was self-defense. She has only one safe place to go—the MacKinlay clan in Scotland, where her sister is the laird’s wife.

War Chief Cameron MacKinlay has vowed never to marry after witnessing his widowed mother’s grief. He has his lands and his clan, and that’s enough for a good life. When one day a sprite of a lass comes running out of the forest with hounds nipping at her heels and an English bounty hunter not far behind, he feels compelled to save her by claiming the disheveled duchess is his wife. But he certainly didn’t intend to marry her for real!

And now he’ll do anything to protect her…

Review:

A fearsome and honorable war chief shields a woman in distress, and a marriage is his compensation?  Cameron MacKinlay wasn’t in pursuit of a handfasting, but he believed the lass, and he would do right by Marian.  Her Accidental Highlander Husband by Allison B. Hanson isn’t only awesome alliteration, it is a well-written historical romance that highlights hope in a haphazard race to Happily Ever After.  What can I say — it’s contagious ?  While this may have been the introductory novel, I could read about these characters for several books!

Now, about that distress…Marian was literally fleeing for her life.  She might have taken her husband’s, brute villain that he was, but self-defense was almost impossible to prove, what with a man’s legal right to beat his wife ?.  But desperate times called for desperate measures. Bonny as Marian was, Cam had made a solemn vow to forego marriage when he became his clan’s war chief.  Will Cam entertain the ruse to spare Marian’s life?

    “They were legally wed, though Cameron was determined it would be in name only. It wouldn’t matter to him that a woman shared his name to stay out of a noose. So long as she didn’t carry expectations of him being a true husband.”

Riiiiiight…Despite the original, obligatory nature of the relationship between Marian and Cam, their chemistry was organic and undeniable. Cam was very patient with Marian’s skittish reactions and Marian tried her best not to condemn Cam for the violence suffered at her vile ex-husband’s hands.  As close as they were becoming, their relationship was a synchronous, inexorable pull, her unknown future was a looming threat.

    “How much time did she have before she’d need to make a fateful decision? Years? Days? Mere hours? Before a messenger delivered the grim news…with orders from King Charles to take her back to England…

All their promises were nothing but empty words. Wishes cast into the wind. Neither of them had any control over what their future held. They only had here and now. And time, at least for her, was running out.”

While I enjoyed these characters immensely, swooned at their willingness to be vulnerable, moved to tears by special declarations or displays of fierce loyalty, I believe editing is in order for concise storytelling.  Nearing 60% and we had yet to encounter the Crown she feared so hot on her heels. There are only so many variations of delaying the inevitable goodbye before it borders on tedious.  Not to be unfeeling, but the circumvention loses the impact/poignancy after so many delays.

Allison B. Hanson delivers a great love story in Her Accidental Highlander Husband.  Marian and Cam are frantically thrust together, but show tremendous courage and character to support each other so wonderfully.  “There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.”. Consider me an instant fan.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher