Series:
Chattan Curse (Book 3)
They call her the Unattainable. Lady Margaret
Chattan spurned every suitor for her hand, vowing never to marry. The
only way to break the curse plaguing her family for two centuries is
this ultimate sacrifice. But now her brothers' lives are in danger.
Determined to save them, she risks her very soul by traveling to the
heart of the Highlands to battle a force that has transcended time.
Heath Macnachtan is not superstitious. Laird of the most independent,
nonconforming, madly infuriating clan ever to grace Scotland, he
believes he has his hands full. And then a woman lauded as one of the
most beautiful in England arrives on his doorstep with wild accusations
and a mystical quest... one that might just help him discover who
murdered his own brother.
But the real danger for Heath and Margaret is not a supernatural foe, but a very real love that could destroy them both.
Very good conclusion to the series. With her two brothers suffering from the effects of the curse Margaret heads to Scotland to try to find a way to break it. On the way her coach is involved in a horrific accident leaving most of her party dead or severely injured. She is found by Heath, the last of the line of Fenella, the witch who created the curse. As the first female Chattan since the curse happened Margaret tries to enlist Heath's help. He is not at all superstitious and thinks all the talk of a curse is a bunch of nonsense, but he wants to help Margaret.
I really liked both Margaret and Heath. Margaret is a firm believer in the curse. She told her brothers that the best way to end it for them never to marry and have it simply die out. But when they do fall in love and the curse starts to have its effect on them she is determined to go to Scotland and find a way to break it. When she is rescued by Heath, a member of the witch's clan, she is not so sure that she can trust him. But he is willing to help her even though he doesn't believe in the curse. As the days go on Margaret is drawn in to Heath's life and finds a freedom there that she didn't have in England. She also starts to fall in love with him and as she does there are more frequent events that lead to the idea that Fenella is preparing for a final showdown. I really liked Margaret's determination that she would succeed in her quest. She also refused to stay in the background when Heath was going after his brother's murderer, but was right there being his backup. As the conflict comes to its climax Margaret realizes that love is the most important thing in life as she must trust in Heath's love for her to save them all.
Heath had left his home behind for a career in the navy. When his brother was murdered he came home to take his place as head of the clan. But things are even worse now with the family deeply in debt and about to lose everything. He is a reluctant leader but a good one and is doing his best to save his family's land. When he rescues Margaret he is dismayed by her wild talk of curses. He is very pragmatic and doesn't believe in all that nonsense. He is very drawn to Margaret though and offers to help her in her quest just to have the chance to keep her around. He finds that strange things are happening and slowly begins to believe that there might be some truth to the idea of the curse. It took the curse's final attack on Margaret to push him over the edge of belief, but once he was there I loved the way that he took charge of bringing it to an end.
"Love well, love fully, love completely. Because in life, love is all that truly matters." ~ Margaret Chattan Macnachtan
Series:
The Chattan Curse (Book 2)
When a Chattan male falls in love, strike his heart with fire from above . . .
Portia Maclean believes she is beyond love and marriage. Then one
moonlit night, while attempting a daring masquerade in a desperate bid
to protect her family, she finds herself swept off her feet by a
powerful stranger. But what will he do once he discovers she has
betrayed him?
Harry Chattan is fighting for his family. For two hundred years the
Chattan men have been destroyed by love . . . and now he's come to
Scotland on the hunt for a witch to break the curse. Instead he finds
himself bewitched by Portia. Harry has vowed to fight the demons that
torture him.
But will that battle destroy her as well?
Good book. Harry has come to Scotland, where the curse began, in hopes of finding a way to break it. Now he is traveling all over the area looking for anyone who could be a witch. Portia and her mother and sister have come to live in Scotland to save money. Her father had left them destitute and reliant on the charity of family members. When she stumbles across what looks like a book of spells with the name Fenella in it, she decides to impersonate a witch and take some of Harry's money. This leads to them working together to find the answers Harry needs.
I liked both Harry and Portia. She is the practical backbone of the family. Her sister Minnie is beautiful and in love with the local doctor. Mom refuses to admit the dire straits they are in and is pushing Minnie to marry well, trying to drive away the doctor. One rainy day Portia discovers a book of recipes and spells and a small white cat. When she hears about Harry's search for a witch she decides to take advantage. When she meets Harry in her disguise she doesn't expect the zing of attraction. She also doesn't expect the impassioned plea for help from the arrogant Englishman. When he discovered who she was and confronted her, their passion overwhelmed them both and they began meeting secretly. I liked the way that Portia had put her family first for so long, but has come to realize that she wants something for herself too. She is sure this time with Harry won't end well but she's willing to risk it. I also like the way that she helps Harry even though she doesn't believe in witches and curses. As their affair heats up Portia discovers she's losing her heart to Harry, even though he has said he will not fall in love. I loved the way that she tried to protect him at the end.
Harry has changed a lot from the first book (Lyon's Bride). In that he was trying to fight his memories of the war with alcohol, opium and women. Now he has cleaned up his act and is determined to find a way to end the curse that is killing his brother. He has come to Glenfinnan in hopes of finding someone connected to the original Fenella who made the curse. When he receives a note from a "Fenella" who claims to be able to help him, he meets with her. He is desperate enough to beg for her help and agrees to meet with her the next night, but she doesn't show up. This infuriates him as he feels that she took advantage of his desperation and he tries to find her. When he does his anger turns to passion. He feels a connection to Portia that he has never felt with another woman, but because of the curse he refuses to allow himself to take a chance on love. I liked the way that they worked together to see what they could find out about the curse. I could see that Harry's connection to Portia was turning into love but he was still stubbornly denying it to her and himself. I loved the ending with his big declaration.
I also enjoyed the two secondary romances of Portia's mother and sister. Portia was furious at her mother's interference and I loved the pep talk that she gave to Minnie's suitor. Her mother was a real piece of work that I found to be terribly self-centered through most of the book. I loved the way that Portia finally stood up to her and told her off. I also liked Harry's part in the way that he encouraged the General in his pursuit of Portia's mother. The little white cat is an interesting twist. I have a suspicion about her place in the story so it will be interesting to see if I'm right.
