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Beyond the Highland Mist
by Karen Marie MoningSeries: Highlander #1
Published by Dell on March 9, 1999
SubGenres: Historical Romance, Scottish Historical Romance
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 375
Narrator: Phil Gigante
Length: 10 Hours And 3 Minutes
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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He would sell his warrior soul to possess her...
An alluring laird...
He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart—until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length—but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.
A prisoner in time...
She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side...
Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning has been on my shelf for a while. I’ve been meaning to read it, especially since I enjoyed her Fever series. I’ve just been hesitant because I don’t branch much into Historical Romance, though I’m trying to change that. I’m thankful this book is not only Historical, but has Paranormal elements too. It was an intriguing story, where the FMC, Adrienne, finds herself in medieval Scotland instead of modern-day Seattle and is arranged and forced to marry the laird, Hawk, a known player among women. The funny thing is, Adrienne isn’t impressed by looks, which baffles Hawk because women fall all over him. He is determined to make Adrienne his, even as she fights him at every turn and tries to make him jealous with a blacksmith who has his own intentions about keeping Adrienne and Hawk apart.
I really enjoyed the storyline, even though it was all over the place and had several POVs beyond Adrienne and Hawk’s, which I didn’t mind. The issue was that certain scenes would cut off or change, and then another POV would take over, which had me all over the place, if that makes sense. I found it annoying at times. Other than that, what I enjoyed most was the magic aspect and how the Fae played a role, especially in the time travel portion, which is why I kept reading this story even if I had issues with the writing style.
I loved Adrienne and how she wasn’t falling for Hawk, which made it fun to read Hawk’s POV and see how relentless he was in winning her. He couldn’t fathom why she didn’t like him, especially with how beautiful he supposedly was. When I found out his backstory and what he used to do for the royals, I understood why women were always with him. Then there is a backstory of Adrienne and why she has an issue with beautiful men. She was burned by one back in modern day and understood why she didn’t want anything to do with beautiful men like Hawk.
There is an antagonist in the story who is targeting poor Adrienne for being with Hawk, and the reader figures out who it is before Hawk and everyone else do. I definitely felt for Adrienne the whole time because she had no clue what was going on, especially when initially everyone assumed she was someone else because Hawk was originally arranged to marry someone else. I don’t want to risk spoiling anything, so just go read the book and form your own opinions about this book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I give it 3.5-stars, but it won’t be a favorite from Karien Marie Moning. I do plan to read the second book in the series, especially since the MMC in book two is a secondary character in this book that intrigued me.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy time-travel historical romance with paranormal elements, check out Beyond the Highland Mist. If you haven’t read her Fever series and are looking for an Urban Fantasy series that is dark and twisted, that is one I will always recommend.
What to Expect:
✔️Historical Romance with Paranormal Elements
✔️Time Travel Romance – 90s to Medieval Scotland
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forced Marriage
✔️Highlander/Alpha Hero
✔️Hero Falls First
✔️Fae
About Karen Marie Moning
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever Series and the Highlander series. She is a winner of the prestigious RITA award for best paranormal romance and is a multiple RITA award nominee, and a Goodreads Reader’s Choice Award winner. An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre.
Prior to becoming a full time writer, she worked in the insurance industry directing commercial litigation and intercompany arbitration. She agrees with Jorge Luis Borges that paradise must be some kind of library.
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