THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE (Hardy Heroines #5) by Cathy MacRae and DD MacRae-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release DateDecember 27, 2018

From the sweeping mountains of Wales where Prince Llywelyn made his last stand against the English, to the treacherous Isles of Scotland where Vikings and pirates rule the waters, comes a tale of betrayal and loss, deceit and passion. An epic tale of honor and the redeeming power of love.

It was over. Prince Llywelyn was dead, his soldiers fleeing before King Edward’s army. Carys, a distant cousin to the prince, herself a princess of Wales, had picked up arms alongside her husband more than a year ago in the fight for Wales’s independence. Now homeless, her husband buried beneath the good Welsh soil, she seeks shelter in the north, far from the reach of Longshanks’s men.

It was time. Birk MacLean has been ordered to take a bride and produce an heir. He grows weary of the lasses paraded before him, women of delicate nature and selfish motives. He desires a wife strong enough to help lead one of the most powerful clans in Western Scotland.

One like the Welsh woman sitting in his dungeon, arrested for poaching MacLean deer.

Can Birk convince Carys marriage to him is preferable to a hangman’s noose? And will the heard-headed Scot be worthy of a Princess of Wales?

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REVIEW: THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE is the fifth instalment in Cathy MacRae and DD MacRae’s adult, Highlander, historical romance series. This is Baron and Laird Birk MacLean, and Princess Carys Wen, filia Pedr’s story line. THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: THE HIGHLANDER’S NORSE WELSH takes place approximately thirty years after the events of The Highlander’s Norse Bride.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Birk and Carys) THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE follows Carys in the aftermath of war as she journeys, along with her brother Hywel, to safer land. Pirates and a storm at sea find Carys one of only two survivors of a shipwreck that claimed the lives of everyone she loved, a shipwreck that would place her in harm’s way once again. Enter Baron/Laird Birk MacLean, the man with whom Carys would fall in love. What ensues is the marriage of convenience, and building relationship between Carys and Birk, and the potential fall –out as secrets and lies continue to follow our story line couple.

Baron Birk MacLean is a widower with two young daughters, and is desperate to find a wife equal to his power and charm. Hearing about a ‘warrior’ woman aboard The Seabhag from its’ captain Murdoc Ferguson, Birk was shocked when the woman found hunting on MacLean lands turns out to be the woman he believed would be a perfect mate for a widower like himself. Carys lost her family to war and the sea but meeting Birk MacLean meant a second chance at a happily ever after but second chances came with a price. Once a prisoner, now Lady of the Manor, Carys is a strong willed, fierce fighter and protector of the people she loves.

The relationship between Carys and Birk begins acrimoniously as Carys is held prisoner in our hero’s dungeons. Drawn to the woman that would steal his heart, Birk makes Carys an offer of marriage, in exchange for her life. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and seductive.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Birk’s daughters Abria and Eislyn; Captain Murdoc Ferguson and his son Tully, and Carys’ brother Prince Hywel. We are reintroduced to Birk’s mother Hanna (The Highlander’s Norse Bride 3.5), and his half-sister Gillian.

THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE like the previous instalments blends historical facts and fiction as the author weaves a wonderful tale of secrets, lies, second chances, and love. The premise is intriguing and lively; the characters are sassy, strong and spirited; the romance is provocative and energetic. THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE is an enthralling and animated story line that is sure to please. Fair warning-there is plenty of Gaelic and Norse prose throughout the story.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Highland Escape
The Highlander’s Viking Bride
The Highlander’s Crusader Bride
The Highlander’s Norse Bride
The Highlander’s Welsh Bride

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Historical accuracy in historical romance by Cathy & DD MacRae

The Highlander’s Welsh Bride is the 5^thbook in the Hardy Heroines series, stories created to showcase the power of women in a medieval setting. Each book begins with a historical challenge, and in the back of each you’ll find our notes for the research on that particular story. Does every author accept historical fact into their tales? Undoubtedly, many—or even most—do. However, with accurate information often sketchy from ancient times, we’ve found that historical facts are either verbatim on multiple websites due to the ‘copy and paste’ that is so easy to do, or possibly wildly divergent depending on who’s viewpoint you’re doing research from.

For example, in The Highlander’s Norse Bride, the Battle of Largs had very different meaning and context to Scots and the Norse. A Norse saga praises King Haakon for commanding the largest armada ever seen, sent to Scotland in righteous anger over King Alexander II’s attempt to wrest control of Western Scotland from Norwegian rule (https://deremilitari.org/2016/09/the-norwegian-invasion-of-scotland-in-1263/). Scottish accounts show a young king wily enough to stall the powerful Norwegian king until fickle Scottish weather destroyed King Haakon’s advance.

Yes, being historically accurate has its challenges. Here are some points of note from The Highlander’s Welsh Bride. We liked the possibility of our hero, Birk MacLean, marrying a woman from Wales, but what would it take to bring the two close enough to meet when an entire country separated them?

The setting became 1283, Wales. Prince Llywelyn was dead, possibly betrayed by his own countrymen, though accounts differ. From a war-torn land, we created Carys Wen, filia Pedr, a young woman who took up arms against the English when King Edward Longshanks rode against the Welsh. She is widowed, her family dead or scattered, and in danger should she, a cousin of the prince, be captured. What should she do?

Sail to Scotland, of course.

We loved researching the shipping routes, timing, currents, etc. Actually, DD is more into ships than I am, but we put together the circumstances that would allow her to sign on as an oarsman (in disguise, of course) and flee Wales.

Towns are also scrutinized for historical accuracy. Carys and Birk visit Campbelltown in The Highlander’s Welsh Bride, but in the 13^thcentury, it was called Kinlochkillkerran. Character names are always of interest to us, as well. I prefer names that are easy to pronounce, and tend to suggest names that haven’t been over-used. You’ll note most of the names in this book are rather unusual, but all are as accurate as we can make them.

One cool twist to the story (imho) was the discovery of the Corryvreckan whirlpool which lies between the isles of Scarba and Jura. It’s the 3^rdlargest maelstrom in the world, and lies along the sailing route I’d planned for Birk and Carys to travel on their trip to Kinlochkillkerran. I believe my thoughts went something like: “maelstrom—birlinn (sailing ship)—pirates—oh, my!” And the rest of the story was born.

Do we twist historical accuracy to fit our stories? Typically, no, though I adjusted the timeline in The Highlander’s French Bride to include an intriguing historical figure. I gave full disclosure at the beginning of the book, and readers appear to be okay with that.

In an upcoming book slated to release late 2019, we plan to take an historical figure from one of the Hardy Heroines stories and give him a HEA. History will tell you he died by poisoning at the hand of his wife during a political struggle, but we thought he deserved better than that.

Do you expect complete historical accuracy in historical romance? Do you enjoy an ‘alternate’ history if you are told up front the historical facts have been changed to suit the story?

Thanks so much! It’s been a pleasure being here today!

~Cathy & DD

 

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Cathy MacRae lives on the sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains where she and her husband read, write, and tend the garden—with the help of the dogs, of course.

You can visit with her on facebook, or read her blogs and learn about her books at www.cathymacraeauthor.com. Drop her a line—she loves to hear from readers!

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D.D. MacRae enjoys bringing history to life and considers research one of the best things about writing a story! With more than 35 years of martial arts training, DD also brings breath-taking action to the tales. You can connect with DD through Cathy’s website.

Cathy MacRae is gracious offering an ebook copy of THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSY BRIDE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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