Julia London
Highlander Unbound (2004)
Author: Julia London
Genre: Romance/Period Romance (Regency)
Plot Summary:
To save his clan's debt-ridden estate, Liam Lockhart must travel to London to steal back a valuable heirloom from his London cousins. The heirloom is a golden beastie with ruby eyes, ugly but valuable. While staying in a shabby London mansion, he meets Natalie Farnsworth, a dreamy ten-year old with a hot mom, Ellen. Natalie was born out of wedlock and Ellen's father keeps them virtual prisoners in his mansion. Liam and Ellen are instantly attracted to each other, but as Liam gets closer to finding the beastie, he finds himself growing closer to Ellen and her strange, imaginative daughter. Natalie begins to slip further and further into her imaginary world, Laria, and Ellen grows desperate... SPOILER: Liam totally find the beastie, but then Ellen ties him up and steals it! She runs away with Natalie and sells it for a pittance. When she is overcome with guilt, the two make their way to Liam's Scottish estate, which resembles the imaginary kingdom of Laria. When Liam comes home empty-handed, but finds Ellen there, they totally get married, and Liam's younger brother, Griffin, decides to try to recover the beastie...
Geographical Setting: London, England and the Scottish Highlands
Time Period: Regency (early 19th century)
Series: This is the first in the Lockhart family trilogy. The others are Highlander in Disguise (2005) and Highlander in Love (also 2005).
Appeal Characteristics:
The setting (London) is definitely an appeal element, although this is not a typical Regency romance. Though Liam's behavior is frequently inappropriate (he goes hunting in Hyde Park! He wears a skirt!), this is not a comedy of manners. Ellen and Liam are two societal outcasts who find some common ground. There is not the usual fighting and pretending not to like about each other. Instead, the story is more about their impossible relationship - Liam is too poor to be able to care for a woman and her daughter, and Ellen's father is too mean to care for them either. The characters of Liam and Ellen are complex, and it is easy to get involved in the drama. There are a lot of fun secondary characters - Liam's family is charming and roguish; Natalie is funny and cute; Liam's London cousins are foppish and ridiculous (but funny)! The plot moves pretty fast in the beginning, but once Ellen betrays Liam, it slows down considerably. Highlander Unbound was nominated for a 2005 RITA Award for best Long Historical.
Read-alikes: There are two sequels to Highlander Unbound, that follow Liam's two younger siblings in their quest for the beastie: Highlander in Disguise and Highlander in Love (both 2005). Other Regencies that are a little sassier than usual include Mary Jo Putney's Dearly Beloved, which features a single mother desperate to make a better life for her child; and Amanda Quick's The Paid Companion (2004), which follows two people tracking a killer through London. If the adventure element of Highlander Unbound is more appealing than the Scottish part, there is Gaelen Foley's Lady of Desire (2003), which features a tortured hero and a desperate heroine; and Carrie Brockway's My Pleasure (2004), which features some stalking around dark London alleys to protect a secret. But if the kilt is what gets the reader in a tizzy, there are plenty of Highland romances out there, like Julie Garwood's Saving Grace (1993), which feature an 11th century Highland setting, witty, appealing characters and a Scottish guy who's more rugged than bad. Finally, if readers like Liam's fish-out-of-water hijinks, they might try Diana Gabaldon's Highland time travel series Outlander (Outlander - 1991, Dragonfly in Amber - 1992, and Voyager - 1994), which transport a WWII nurse to 18th century Scotland.
Red Flags: Steamy lovemaking!
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