Alice Janell

I've been going through a bit of a Highland romance phase, but can you really blame me? Pages full of hot, sexy mean in kilts and speaking with Scottish brogues.

The first book of Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series, Beyond the Highland Mist is a wonderful historical romance with some amazing fantasy elements mixed in.

When the Fairy Queen begins boasting about the sexual allure of Sidheach Douglas, aka Hawk, both her husband and lover take offense and hatch a plan to find the one woman who can say no to Hawk's touch.

Hawk is arrogant, beautiful and oozes sexuality. There isn't a woman who'd refuse him and his prowess on the battle field and in the bedroom has made him legendary. Hawk doesn't seem to mind the string of heartbroken women behind him, because those women would warm his bed in a heartbeat if he so much as crooked his finger.

A strong, modern woman through and through, Adrienne de Simone has sworn off beautiful men. After an almost fatal relationship with her gorgeous playboy of a fiance, she swears off of beautiful men forever. Her distaste for beautiful men makes her the perfect pawn for the fae's revenge. Thrust back into the sixteenth century, Adrienne finds herself hours away from being forced to marry a Highland man who is the epitome of everything she despises in a man.

Forced to marry a woman no one has ever seen, Hawk is so determined to ignore his wife that he doesn't even attend the wedding. However, the first time Hawk lays eyes on his wife, he finds her swooning over the blacksmith, Adam Black. Filled with jealousy, Hawk's arrogance demands that he not lose his wife to a mere blacksmith. Setting his sites on seducing his wife, Hawk is dismayed to learn that Adrienne has no intentions of every being seduced by him.

Moning's rich fantasy involving the fae with the Highlanders is awesome. I loved the concept of vengeful fae searching through time and plucking unsuspecting Adrienne from time in the 90s and throwing her into the 16th century.

It's a great story filled with action, magic, jealousy and romance. However, I truly did not like how easily Adrienne accepted that she was thrown back in time. Even though the fae made sure to find someone who would not go crazy at the time travel aspect, I feel she accepted it way too easily. I also did not like that Adrienne seemed so indifferent at not only being thrown back in time, but having to marry a strange man hours later.

Seriously, what modern woman would agree to that?

However, get past that, and the book is pretty enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, which will focus on Grimm, Hawk's best friend and captain of the guard.

Like this review? Get your fix:Book-Addicts.com.