Karen Marie Moning
Beyond the Highland Mist (1999)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Romance (Paranormal/Historical)
Plot Summary:
Sidheach James Lyon Douglas, third Earl of Dalkeith called the Hawk is the most famous lover of women in Scotland. Even the Queen of the Fairies is impressed with his skills. The King of the Fairies becomes determined jealous and determined to find a woman who won’t fall for the Hawk. He sends his servant into the future where women are more self-sufficient to find such a woman. Adrienne de Simone hates beautiful men. Her previous relationship, with a beautiful man, led to her being on the run and in fear of her life. Suddenly she finds herself in 1513 Scotland and engaged to the Hawk. In order to fend off her new husband’s advances, she pretends to be in love with the Hawk’s handsome blacksmith. However, she is actually falling for the Hawk. SPOILER: Adrienne fights off the Hawk’s advances as he falls in love with her. She believes that he is just another playboy, “beautiful man” and is afraid to have feelings for him. It turns out that her previous fiancé in the 1990’s was a criminally “beautiful man” and using her for illegal smuggling. She kills him in self defense and that is what she was running from and why she doesn’t trust the Hawk. After a lot of back and forth Adrienne ends up loving her new life in 1513 and her new husband.
Geographical Setting: Seattle, New Orleans, and Scotland
Time Period: Contemporary (1999) and 1513
Series: Book 1 in The Highlander Series
Appeal Characteristics:
Moning’s novel mixes several different genres and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The time travel and fairies will appeal to fans of paranormal romance, while the setting and time period will appeal to readers of historical romance. Moning keeps the tone of her novel light throughout, but with several moments of seriousness. When she discusses Adrienne’s troubled past and the brief period when Adrienne is sent back to the present, Moning builds the tension for the readers. The narrative is fast paced, jumping quickly from one scene to the next. The dialog is witty and readers will be drawn to Adrienne’s intelligence. The characters are endearing and for readers who are searching for the perfect man, the Hawk will be a great find. He is a strong character with a scoundrel’s reputation, but he wants a family and loves Adrienne. One thing that might be distressing for readers is the Hawk’s treatment of Adrienne after he believes she’s been unfaithful to him. He binds her hands and puts a hood over her head like one of his trained falcons. After essentially taking her prisoner he discovers she’s never been unfaithful and repents. However, this scene might be unappealing for some readers.
Read-alikes: Those who find themselves drawn to Moning’s writing style and the mix of paranormal and historical romance will enjoy her other novels. Her novel The Highlander’s Touch features another twentieth century woman who finds herself suddenly transported to 14th century Scotland. For those who enjoy the paranormal aspect of the romance and want a twist on the Scottish love story Janet Chapman’s Charming the Highlander will be a great choice. In Chapman’s novel the Scottish highlander is transported to the modern world instead of the woman being transported to his. Those who are drawn to the brief moments of danger in Moning’s novel and the paranormal aspects may enjoy Pam Binder’s The Enchantment. In Binder’s novel a twentieth century woman is transported to 14th century Scotland and finds herself in the middle of a power struggle to control Inverness. When Adrienne first meets Hawk, he believes her to be Janet Comyn, his fiancée. After marrying and falling in love with her Adrienne tells him the truth about who she is. Those who are drawn to a little mistaken identity in their Scottish romances will enjoy May McGoldrick’s novel, The Dreamer. McGoldrick’s novel features a similar pace and tone to Moning’s as it tells the story of a woman forced to marry a man she doesn’t love, yet. A novel that features a similar relationship to Adrienne and Hawk’s is Kinley MacGregor’s Claiming the Highlander. MacGregor’s novel features a male character who is a well known lover of women and the one woman who can resist him. This novel features similar pacing and characterization to Beyond the Highland Mist.
Red Flags: multiple explicit sex scenes, several descriptions of violence, violent relationships, and one attempted rape.
The Highlander's Touch (2000)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Romance (Paranormal)
Plot Summary:
Lisa Stone had her youth abruptly cut short when her father died in a car crash and her mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She didn't go to college, instead getting two jobs to help pay for the medical bills. One of these jobs is as a night maid at the local museum. During the course of her duties one night she happens upon an as-yet-uncatalogued relic from 14th Century Scotland. When she opens the chest and removes it, she is instantly transported back in time into the castle of Circenn Brodie, a nobleman. The object had been cursed by Circenn to transport any person who touched it directly to him. He had sworn to kill whoever found this item, but finds himself oddly unable to fulfill his manly duty when the victim is such an attractive woman. However, the sudden appearance of a beautiful stranger in his household must be explained, so an elaborate farce is constructed. SPOILER: The two fall in love, and eventually Circenn's deepest secret is revealed: he is immortal, and for this reason he has sworn never to become intimate with another human being. He cannot stand to watch another wife die. This problem is eventually solved with the assistance of Circenn's fairy father.
Geographical Setting: Scotland
Time Period: 14th Century
Series: Highlander Series
Appeal Characteristics:
The brisk pace keeps the plot moving without feeling hurried. The author injects some history into the plot without letting it overrun the narrative. The supernatural elements add individuality to a work in a genre whose works tend to resemble each other.
Read-alikes: The similar but unique setting of Nell by Jeanette Baker will entice lovers of midieval Scotland and Ireland; Donna Lee Simpson's Awaiting the Moon tells a similar story of a working-class woman who suddenly finds herself in upper-class surroundings; the imaginative Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon will entice fans of paranormal romance; The Midnight Work by Kassandra Sims deals with issues raised with immortals fall in love with mortals; and Kinley MacGregor's Claiming the Highlander is an extremely similar story of a woman who attempts to tame a rough Scottish man.
Red Flags: Fairly graphic sexual scenes as well as one out-of-scene execution.
Kiss of the Highlander (2004)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Romance (Timeslip Historical)
Plot Summary:
Gwen Cassidy goes to Scotland to try and lose her virginity and accidentally awakens a magically slumbering 16th century highland "laird", Drustan MacKeltar, who is also a druid. She thinks he's crazy but falls for him and they travel to his castle only to find that it has been destroyed. They have sex and Drustan uses his druid magic to send them back in time to save his clan from destruction, but at the last moment he can't make it because two versions of a person can't exist in the same time, and she gets trapped in 16th century Scotland. She finds a version of Drustan who doesn't know who she is and he thinks she's crazy, but eventually she convinces him that her story is true. They stop the woman who originally put Drustan to sleep, but in doing so change the course of history and Gwen ends back up in present day Scotland. SPOILER: Gwen goes back home and finds out she's pregnant with twins, then travels to Scotland to see if any MacKeltars are still living. She finds a castle and a family in it, and they surprise her by showing her a locked tower in which Drustan is sleeping magically, put there of his own accord so that he might meet her again in her time. They live happily ever after.
Geographical Setting: Scottish Highlands and (briefly) Santa Fe, New Mexico
Time Period: Present Day (2004) and 1518
Series: Book 4 in the Highlander series
Appeal Characteristics:
The book is set in the Scottish Highlands, so the setting is fairly straightforward. The book's pacing varies, the more plot-oriented elements generally move pretty quickly and are very compelling for the reader to keep seeing what happens next, but the more relationship-oriented scenes (especially the sex scenes) are very lush in their descriptions and have much in the way of internal monologue. The tone of the book is pretty familiar and almost diary-esque in its intimacy, as most of the time the third person narrator peaks in on different character's thoughts. There is a balance of humor and serious romantic/sexual moments that is fairly even, though these sometimes overlap, as when the characters comically fumble with each others clothes during the first sex scene. The frame is fairly standard for a romance novel, though the time travel element brings a very specific element in that could point readers to other romances featuring time travel. The characters are fairly two-dimensional, though there is an attempt to show how they are being changed by love of the novel throughout the course of the novel. The level of sensuality is, according to All About Romance, "hot".
Read-alikes: Those who enjoy time-travel novels about the Scottish Highlands ought to enjoy Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which, in addition to having a similar frame and setting, also features a feisty, independent heroine. Those who liked the historical Scottish setting but could do without the time travel and modern-day elements may enjoy The Legend MacKinnon by Donna Kauffman, which has a similarly complex plot full of twists and turns. Those who read Moning and liked the paranormal elements may enjoy The Carpathians series by Christine Feehan, the first of which is Dark Prince. This is a series of vampire-oriented romances that involves much in the way of psychic and telepathic abilities and, like Kiss of the Highlander is a 4/5 on the hotness scale. Those who like the contrast of the dramatic, more quickly-paced elements alongside the slow, more lush romantic passages, yet could use less in the way of humor might enjoy If You Dare, which is the first in the MacCarrick Brothers series by Kresley Cole. The book is also set in Scotland and features many similar plot elements such as characters with hidden powers and missed betrothals. Lastly, those who enjoyed Kiss of the Highlander would most likely enjoy Darkfever, the first book in Moning's Darkfever series. It has a similar mix of humor and serious romantic elements along with the paranormal along with Scottish and Irish elements.
Red Flags: Explicit sex, mild language.
To Tame a Highland Warrior (1999)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre (and subgenre): Romance (Historical)/Fantasy
Plot Summary:
One morning, Gavrael sees his father holding a dagger over his dead mother and assumes the worst. His day gets really bad when the rival McKane clan attack. He calls on Odin to make him a Berserker and kills 50 men. Thinking his father mad and fearing his new power, Gavrael wanders the woods until Jillian, the Laird of Caithness’ daughter, finds him. The Laird fosters him and he changes his name to Grimm. To protect his beloved Jillian, Grimm leaves Caithness after the anti-Berserker McKane locate him. Time passes; Jillian at 21 is unwilling to wed. Her impatient parents bring three men, including Grimm, to the castle and make her choose. Despite Grimm being torn between love for Jillian and fear that his power will put her in danger and/or scare her, they spend a few exciting evenings together; then he leaves again, returns to rescue Jillian from marrying another, and travels with her to his father’s castle. Expecting to find despair, they instead discover a thriving village, Grimm’s sane and innocent father, and a patriarchal line of Berserkers. Jillian accepts (and enjoys!) Grimm’s family trait. The McKane are defeated. Wedding bells, triplets.
Geographical Setting: Scottish Highlands
Time Period: 1499-1515
Series: Highlander series (secondary characters repeat in other novels)
Appeal characteristics:
Jillian is strong-willed and independent, loves children, and wants a lifelong mate. Grimm values fidelity and family. The plot moves along quickly but unevenly with much sexual tension and several explicit sex scenes. The focus is on romantic relationships, family relationships, and friendship. Grimm and Jillian are central but there are many secondary characters. The tone is fairly serious with much levity and semi-witty repartee. Brief descriptions of the Highlands and medieval villages/castles are included.
Red Flags: numerous explicit sex scenes; brief descriptions of violence
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