Janet Chapman

Birch Callahan, who runs a women's shelter and does not want a man in her life, finds her better judgment clouded by her attraction to her new neighbor, Niall MacKeage, a police officer who acts like he is from the twelfth century.

The Highlander Next Door

Lover of Romance 

This is a story that I wanted to love and even though I did love parts of the story, overall it was an average read for me, it felt a little flat and considering this is one of my favorite authors, it’s quite a disappointment. I have enjoyed seeing how this series has progressed, but with each book I have felt less and less interested, and I had too high hopes for this one. And I just want to say I have been waiting for Niall’s book for quite some time. Niall along with some other Scotsman, were transported from medieval Scotland to modern Maine. He has come to Spellbound Falls, and is the chief of police and his neighbor, is a pain in his backside, a woman out for women’s rights…Birch Callahan. When we learn of Birch’s history with men, most especially the men her mother has been married to but all four husbands ended up being scumbags….and only her birth father is the only man she has ever loved or respected. There were many scenes that were quite fun to read and boy can Niall and Birch go at it. The quick-witted bantering and the easy-going playfulness that these two characters tend to have with each other….was enough to keep me interested. As a bonus we get many characters from previous books and love seeing these characters again. The two main characters are both equally matched, they each have their own interests and goals, and we see how despite their differences, they work best together and not fighting each other. I did enjoy seeing the fun banter, but after so long it got too old, meaning that it was too much. I did enjoy Niall way more than Birch though. She was a bit of a harpy and she tended to be too harsh in her judgments, she didn’t really soften until the very end. But as an overall read, it didn’t come to par as Janet Chapman’s usual style, so I felt disappointed. I will still read her in the future, and maybe I will re read her previous books before I read her next book coming up later this year. I would still recommend this author, and try out her earlier books (because they are outstanding) and I hope the next book of hers sings to me better!!

The Highlander Next Door

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