A Laird for All Time by Angeline Fortin

After 10 long years of education and residency, Dr. Emmy MacKenzie decides it's time for a much-deserved vacation. But when she's traveling the British Isles, a twist of fate at the gates of the ancient castle of Duart hurls Emmy more than a hundred years into the past and into the arms of a magnificent Highlander who thinks she is his long-lost wife, Heather MacLean.

The 10 years since his new bride abandoned him on his wedding day have brought Connor MacLean, earl of Strathclyde, nothing but misery and bitterness, but that is nothing compared to the anger he feels when she shows up on the 10th anniversary of that day. Determined to punish her for the humiliations she dealt him, he is shocked when his wife insists that she is not his wife at all. Though he tries to cling to his anger, Connor cannot deny the attraction he feels for his mysterious wife, and soon he finds himself wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and make her his.

When the truth of Heather MacLean's disappearance comes to light, more than just Connor's life could be destroyed. Choices will have to be made. Forgiveness begged. Second chances taken not just for the people of Duart but for Emmy herself.

Series: A Laird for All Time #1 | Publisher: Tantor Audio  | Narrator: Kirsten Potter  | Length: 10 hrs and 31mins  | Genre: Time Travel Romance | Source: Audible Escape | Rating: 3.5 Cups

Challenges Read For:  - Audiobook Challenge - Literary Pickers  - Musical Instrument  

 

I’ve been looking for new-to-me authors and I stumbled upon Angeline Fortin through Audible Escape and, I have to say, I’m rather impressed. Not only was this a fun and different time travel romance, it helped fill in Droughtlander.

 

Here’s what’s going on. When Dr. Emmy MacKenzie decided to travel to Scotland for a much-needed vacation, she never imagined she’d end up in the Victorian Era with a handsome Highlander claiming she’s his wife that ran away. She’s even more baffled when she comes face-to-face with a woman who looks just like her. Determined to prove to Connor MacLean she’s not his runaway bride, Emmy soon realizes that maybe there’s a reason she’s been sent back in time. The more time she spends with Connor, the closer they become but she’s still determined to prove who she really is.

 

This was a bit different from the standard time travel romances I normally read and I found it to be rather refreshing.

 

Emmy, an OB/GYN, is rather headstrong—she’s very much the embodiment of a modern woman so she’s thrown for a loop when she finds herself going up against the Victorian ways. Obviously, there’s going to be a little resistance but I just felt like she was overly determined to fight about every little thing she felt was wrong in the era she found herself in. When Connor would concede and see things her way, she was still determined to pick another fight. I would have liked to have seen her roll with things a bit more.

 

Connor is a typical Highlander of that era. Prideful, determined, stubborn, and a bit broody. When he first spots Emmy, he’s sure that she’s his runaway bride but the longer he spends with her he knows she’s not Heather, he just has to admit it to himself.

 

The relationship between Connor and Emmy was interesting and a bit tedious at times. There’s a constant fight going back and forth between them. Not only are they fighting about whether or not she’s Heather, they’re fighting about what place a woman has in that era. Eventually they begin to give in to each other and put their warring on the back burner but it still flairs up at the oddest of times. While they had chemistry, I don’t feel like it was always prevalent. I would have liked to have seen more of them as a couple.

 

There is a bit of a mystery in this one regarding the disappearance of Heather. I had a feeling what was going on and ended up being right. I still found it a little odd that Connor never at least suspected it.

 

I wasn’t thrilled with the ending. I’m not a fan of epilogues that jump a significant amount of time. I feel like there was too much time lost and it felt disconnected.

 

Kirsten Potter’s narration took a bit of time to get used to but I ended up really enjoying it.

 

Overall, there were a few things I could have done without in this one but it was still a worthy read.

A Laird for All Time Series

A Laird for All Time  #1

A Time & Place for Every Laird #2

Taken #3

Love in the Time of a Highland Laird  #4

A Laird to Hold  #5