Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Review and Giveaway: A Highlander's Temptation by Sue Ellen Welfonder


Synopsis Darroc MacConacher spends sleepless nights dreaming of a raven-haired beauty who makes him ache with desire. Then his dream comes true: the lady with her lush curves and fair skin appears shipwrecked on his shores. Darroc is immediately drawn to her strength and beauty, and from the moment she lays eyes on this powerful, broad-shouldered warrior, Lady Arabella MacKenzie knows she'll never want another man.But theirs is a forbidden love. The MacKenzies drove the MacConachers from their lands and destroyed their honor. Now, Darroc can use this sapphire-eyed seductress to shatter his foes. Yet how can he deny the passion that burns between him and Arabella, and ruin the one woman who touches his very soul?

My Thoughts: Normally, this kind of cover would have me running for the nearest exit, but I have recently learned not to be so hasty and to give the book a chance. Just a romance is not enough to satisfy this reader; there needs to be a little more substance to the story.

When Darroc first laid eyes on the lovely, raven-haired beauty Lady Arabella, it was as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt. Looking into her sapphire eyes, he felt that his heart and soul had been stolen. Of course, as soon as Arabella got an eyeful of Darroc, the feelings were mutual.

Even though the ending of this book is oh, so predictable, that doesn't detract from the sheer fun of reading this scorching romance. When I say scorching, I mean white hot passionate soul searing feelings. Just the sight of each other sends their senses reeling , their knees trembling and their blood pumping at a fast and furious pace.

Welfonder certainly knows how to put the reader in the scene. The descriptions of the isle's lonely ruggededness and craggy beauty had me enthralled. I could feel the deep penetrating cold of the wind coming off the sea and smell the salty spume thrown off from the oars. Descriptions of the castle were also most interesting. I liked the historical feel to the story as it takes place in 1350. Fun characters that I really enjoyed in the story besides the main characters were Mad Moraig who played matchmaker and the resident ghost, Asa Longlegs. They really added to the atmosphere of the book.

Sue-Ellen Welfonder is a card-carrying Scotophile whose burning wish to make frequent (free) trips to the land of her dreams led her to a twenty year career with the airlines. Bi-lingual, she flew international all those years, working her flights as foreign language speaker. Her flying career allowed her to see the world, but it was always to Scotland that she returned.
Now a full-time writer, she’s quick to admit that she much prefers wielding a pen to pushing tea and coffee. She spent fifteen years living in Europe and used that time to explore as many castle ruins, medieval abbeys, and stone circles as possible. Anything ancient, crumbling, or lichened caught her eye. She makes annual visits to Scotland, insisting they are a necessity as each trip gives her inspiration for new books.

Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies: the MacFie Clan Society and the Clan MacAlpine Society. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, and dogs. She never watches television, loves haggis, and writes at a four-hundred-and-fifty year old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.
Sue-Ellen is married and currently resides with her husband and Jack Russell Terrier in Florida. Readers can learn more about her and the world of her books at: http://www.welfonder.com/.

Now for the giveaway: Thanks to the generosity of Hachette Book Group, I am giving away 5 copies of A Higlander's Temptation. You probably know the drill by now but here it is anyway.

No P.O. Boxes and open to residents of the US & Canada only.

Just leave me a comment that you would like to win and be sure to leave an e mail address; no e-mail, no entry.

Bonus entries can be earned by:

+2 Becoming a new google friends connect follower

+2 Already being a follower

+ 2 Post about contest and leave me a link

+ 1 Put contest in sidebar or tweet and leave me a link

Put all info in ONE box, please! If you are already a follower, remind me please. Deadline to enter is October 24th at 5 P.M. Good Luck!

37 comments:

  1. Hello! I would love to win "A Highlander's Temptation"! Sue-Ellen is a magical dreamweaver with her lyrical prose on all things Scottish. I encourage everyone to visit her website! Please enter my name in the drawing. I am a Google Friend Connect Follower and subscriber.
    gcwhiskas at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please enter me to win this. I love a good romance story!

    +2 I am a follower.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  3. no need to enter me, thanks...I looked at the cover and am still running...lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Ladies - I'm just looking in say hello...

    Kaye - Thank you so much for participating in this blog tour. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to read and review the book and present it so nicely. Must say that I love the cover. Yes, I do try transport readers to medieval Scotland when I write. I always use settings that I know and love from my travels in Scotland. So I'm always happy to see someone enjoy this aspect of my books.

    Virginia C - Thank you so much for stopping by. And for your very kind words. You're a true-blue reader and I appreciate you. Fingers crossed for you in the drawing!

    Rubynreba - Thank you so much for looking in. I'm so glad you enjoy romance novels. I do, too. Good luck in the drawing!

    Caite - What can I say to you? You're certainly entitled to your opinion. Isn't it a good thing there are genres to suit all tastes?

    Thank you again, Kaye. I wish the best of luck to anyone who stops by today and enters.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would love to read A Highlander's Temptation. Please count me in.

    I am already a follower.

    Crystal8q16{at}hotmail{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Please count me in! There's just something about plaid...

    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. A Highlander's Temptation sounds like a book I'd like to read! Please enter me.
    I follow

    chey127 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. count me in please

    +2 already a follower

    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'd love to be entered for this one.

    I'm already a follower.

    yvone473[at]optonline[dot]net

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love hot romance novels, please enter me
    I am a google friend connect follower
    reneetaylor at sympatico dot ca

    ReplyDelete
  11. Read many reviews of this book...thanks for the opportunity or read it...

    karen k
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Please sihn me up. Looks like just the kind of escape I need sometimes :)
    I am already a follower.
    stacybooks at yahoo

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been reading various reviews of this book. I have become highly intrigued with this book. I want to read it.

    Please enter me.

    I am a follower of this blog.

    ibeeeg(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Please enter me! I follow you. ruthjoec at aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would love to win a Highlander's Temptation as these books satisfy my romantic not so staid side. vanduzer1@yahoo.com or scarpettajunkie.wordpress.com.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'd love to read this book,please enter me in the giveaway

    +2 already a follower

    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  17. Please enter me to win a copy of Highlander's tempation by Sue Ellen Welfonder. I love a good romance with a historical background.
    +2 I just became a follower of your blog. I love the name.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would love a scorching romance for the upcoming winter months! Please enter me. Thanks for the chance.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I would love to win this book! SEW fan!


    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Already follow!

    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. oops! I thought the email would incert itself, It didn't.
    i would really like to win a copy of Highlander's Temptation.
    egwenlvr at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congrats on the new release, Sue-Ellen. I would love to win a copy of this book.

    I'm already a follower of this blog.

    janie1215 AT excite DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  23. oops! I thought my email address would incert itself. It didn't.
    I would love to win a copy of Highlander's Temptation. The review is really makes me want to read the book.
    egwenlvr at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I would love to win and read this book. :D

    linna.hsu at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'd love to be counted in on this. Thank you!

    +2 I already follow

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  26. This would be a great read! Please enter me!

    wfloveday@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. A Higlander's Temptation by Sue Ellen Welfonder sounds wonderful.Please enter me in the giveaway.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I would like to win Thanks
    tanyainjville@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'd love a chance to win this, please and thank you!

    un_pissenlit (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Enter me to win please. Thanks

    kalynnick AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thanks for the contest - please enter me. My email is rmontoya29@hotmail.com. Thanks.

    Robyn

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ooh, I would love to win this book-- great review too, by the way! :D

    I'm going to post a link on my sidebar (http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com).

    Enjoy!
    TBQ
    The_Book_Queen[at]yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. This looks fun! Please enter me!

    I'm already a follower.

    BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I love a good highlander story. Sign me up.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Google follower
    Yahoo Subscriber

    kimi kaio @yahoo.com (no spaces)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I would love to read this!

    I am already a follower.

    marielay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. This sounds like the perfect book to snuggle up and read on a cold, rainy day...wish I would have had it today! Would love the chance to win it. :0) Count me in, please!

    Thanks!
    librarygrinch at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete

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