Beyond the Highland Mist- Karen Marie Moning

A passionate tale of magic, love and strength.

He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, a legendary predator of the battlefield and women's hearts. It was said that no woman could ever refuse his touch, but then he made no secret that there had never been a woman who had stirred his heart.

That is, until, a vengeful fairy dropped Adrienne de Simone into his life. She stumbled out of modern day Seattle and walked into the heart of medieval Scotland. Left captive in a century not of her own, she was entirely too bold, way too outspoken, and a completely irresistible challenge to the sixteenth century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with the Hawk she vows to keep him at arms length - but his ability to sweetly seduce any woman who steps into his path threatens to play havoc with her resolve.

Ms. Moning is a talented author who grabbed me with the first line. She weaves together a story binding highland myth of the fae folk with a powerful romance and dangerous settings. I found myself laughing and crying with Adrienne and Hawk. Their combined pride levels and stubborn qualities reminded me all too well of another stubborn couple and I could not help but fall in love with them.

Her descriptions of the castle, the mannerisms of the fae, the way in which the Romany become a small but vital part of the plot, all blend together to create a powerful and evocative read.

And then there is Adam, the spite fae who brings the lovers together for the soul purpose of tearing out the Hawk's heart. Every time he sprang onto the pages I found myself wanting to smack him silly, or find out just how those lips felt! That is when I wasn't happily imagining myself as Adrienne in the arms of the Hawk. Oh my!

Ms. Moning's book is highly recommended to lovers of romance and fantasy. I ripped through the book in the space of two days, reading into the early hours of the night and eagerly grabbing it to read through another chapter whenever the chance arose. Right down to sitting to read it whilst my children demolished the bathroom. As an author myself I find it to be a rare delight when another author captures me to such an extreme. I will be looking for other books my Ms. Moning and hopefully racing through them with the same passion that flared into life from the very first page of Highland Mist. This book is definitely a trip into another time, a realm of fantasy, delight, romance and ideal for a rainy day, a foggy night, or a cool winter evening in front of the fire curled up with a glass of wine or a steaming hot chocolate.