A Man In A Kilt by Sandy Blair

My reading group on Yahoo selected Sandy Blair as our Author of the Month in March and after looking at her backlist I decided to go with the first book in her highlander series. Although the story starts in modern times it takes us back to the past and keeps us there, which really makes this one a historical.

Beth Pudding is a caterer from NY and has never really known a home of her own. She was a foster child who was emotionally abused by the woman that should have mothered her. Her self image is in the toilet and will not leave her room before completely transforming herself under too much makeup. Beth has inherited a castle in Scotland but to claim the inheritance she will need to live in the ruins for 6 months. She is definitely willing and is settling in when she realizes that she needs to share her castle with the resident ghost, a ghost that has no problem stealing glances at her while she is bathing.

Duncan MacDougal, the laird of Blackstone, was cursed centuries ago to wander as a ghost within the castle and has been waiting all that time for the right person to break the curse. He believes Beth is strong enough to do so and after a boating accident sees Beth almost drowned, he makes the decision to put his fate in her hands by sending her into the past to his old self, the one alive and kicking, and barbaric to boot!

I had never read Sandy Blair but will be reading her again. Her writing is smooth and flows very nicely, a pleasure to read.

It seems that if Beth had not arrived in the past, Duncan would have died because his dead wife's sister wounded him and it got infected, but Beth knew enough of infections to help him get through the worse and saved his life. At first Duncan barely notices Beth who he thinks is his 4th wife, but her uncharacteristic behavior and her mutterings finally draw him to her. He sees her as plain, since she has no makeup to hide under, but he does eventually see her inner beauty and falls for her, hard.

I love how he is determined to get her with child so that she will stay with him, and she finally figures out how to break the curse but cannot help him pick the correct path.
Good humor and a fun story made this author worth revisiting.

Grade: B