- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Highland
Blessings is the story of a highland
warrior who kidnaps the daughter of his greatest enemy and clan chief to honor a promise he made
to his dying father. Bryce MacPhearson, a
highland warrior, kidnaps Akira MacKenzie on her wedding day to honor a promise he made to his
dying father. While Akira’s strength in the Lord becomes a witness to Bryce, she struggles to
overcome her anger and resentment when he forces her to wed him, hoping to end a
half-century-old feud between their clans. hile Akira begins to forgive, and Bryce learns to trust, a series of murders leaves a
trail of unanswered questions, confusion, and a legacy of hate that once again rises between
their families. Clearly, a traitor is in their midst. Now the one man Akira loves no longer trusts her, and her own life is in danger. Can
Bryce look beyond his pain and seek the truth? Will Akira discover the threat against her before
it’s too late? How will God turn a simple promise into bountiful Highland
blessings?
 
SageEyes
Posted November 2, 2011
This was another freebie. It is written from a Christian standpoint, but it can be enjoyed by anyone. The characters and plot were great!
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 1, 2011
I thouroughly enjoyed the story. I didnt want to put the book down.
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 29, 2011
I greatly enjoyed this book and would have given it five stars if the ending had been a little different. It was a book that I didn't want to put down and then it was as if I still had a chapter to finish but I ran out of book. I think it would have been a little better if the author had added another chapter or perhaps a prolog instead of finishing it up the way she did. I re-read the ending twice going, "Whoa, did I miss something here?" Otherwise I would still highly recommend Highland Blessings. Her teaching her deaf brother-in-law to speak and him reading lips seemed a bit before their time and I'm not sure women of that day and time acted as she did, but if you can overlook and just enjoy the ride, you'll enjoy it too.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Danzingfool
Posted April 28, 2010
As a fellow Medieval author who keeps hearing that this time period is a hard sell in Christian fiction, I am thrilled this book made it safely to print. Highland Blessings is set in 1473, which is a little late in history for a medieval novel, but all of the cultural elements we associate with the Middle Ages, stone castles, armor, flying pennants, are still firmly in place in Scotland during this time. Add to that plaids, clan lairds and feuds, and the stage is set for an exciting story similar to those written by CBA author Kathleen Morgan.
While I felt this story had some small technical issues, overall I enjoyed it very much. My favorite element of the book was the spiritual aspect. Akira is truly a woman of God to be admired. She puts aside hurt and unforgiveness in order to submit herself to God's plan. In addition, she is open to the spirit of God and known for her prophetic dreams. She speaks them forth boldly despite the danger of being thought a witch in her superstitious culture.
Here's to hoping this novel will start a new wave of Medievals. It's time the market took notice of this exciting and underrepresented time in history.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 15, 2012
This book was poorly written, unrealistic (character emotion and actionwise), and a disappointment. I tried several times to come back and finish reading it, but it was juvenile and lacked any real Christianity. The author needs to grow up and let her characters develop into believable people, not just imagination puppets who do things that don't make sense while glancing around to notice "others watching". Even though the book was free I was completely disappointed in the lack of everthing. From faith, to plot originality, to character development and names, so sad. Akira is a japanese name for a boy, not a scottish one for a girl. Please, author, work harder.
2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.write2thepoint
Posted October 29, 2011
well done and great story. I can "hear" the brogue as I am reading it as the writing was done so well
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AAR
Posted August 2, 2010
HIGHLAND BLESSINGS by Jennifer Hudson Taylor is an inspirational historical romance/suspense. It is set in 1473 Scotland. This is this author's debut book and she is an author to watch for in the future. It is well written with depth and details and you can easily tell there has been a great deal of research, also the dialog is in the style of the period.This helps give the story its authenticity. It has faith, betrayal, forgiveness,suspense, adventure, romance, everything Scottish, murder, a pre-arranged marriage between two rival clans, and the coming together of two clans for peace. The hero, Bryce, is strong, determined, handsome, a born leader, tough, keeps promises he makes, has tenacity, faces the turmoil of betrayal, falls in love with the womon he kidnaps( due to a promise made for his dying father),and becomes a powerful, well liked laird which be becomes after the death of his older brother, Evan.The heroine, Akira, is humble, strong, has a strong faith,loyal to her clan, her new clan.She is determined to make her marriage work, even after she had been kidnapped on the day of her wedding to another. She was kidnapped in order to observe the pre-arranged marriage between her and Evan, the Laird of the MacPhearson clan. This is a powerful story of love, trust in your faith and learning to love even during times of angst and turmoil. I would highly recommend this story especially if you enjoy everything Scottish. This is a personal buy by the writer of this review. Details can be found at Abingdon Press and My Book Addiction and More.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JanalynVoigt
Posted July 18, 2010
Bryce McPherson kidnaps Akira McKenzie on her wedding day to keep a promise made to his dying father.The fact that the McKenzie and the McPherson clans are sworn enemies won't save Akira from marrying the McPherson Chiefton. But can such a marriage bring peace, especially when a series of murders seems to indicate otherwise? And can Bryce and Akira find love in the midst of hatred?
With fine prose and deft skill, Jennifer Hudson Taylor takes us to the highlands of Scotland at a time when men lived and died by the sword. But the struggles woven into this book's plot are not of the flesh alone. Akira needs to make peace with both her earthly and heavenly fathers, and Bryce must learn to trust an enemy. But a greater threat waits in the shadows...
I recommend Highland Blessings for readers who enjoy historical fiction and historical romance.
© 2010 by Janalyn Voigt
* A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the author for purposes of review.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.onedesertrose
Posted May 27, 2010
My Review:
When I first agreed to read Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor, I was a little apprehensive about the book because of the country setting and brogue issues. I am so glad I chose to read it! It was engaging the whole way through the book, and the whole storyline flowed naturally, particularly for the time era and country setting and clan rules, keeping me intrigued.
Akira had been jilted at the altar, kidnapped on her wedding day, and forced to wed another man from an opposing clan, one that had been feuding with her side of the family for a half-century.
Akira's character was humble and yet strong and steady when necessary, dealing with all the emotions of the circumstances. She relied on the Lord to help her through each situation, and there were many intense moments from beginning to end! Bryce's character was just as compelling, with his deep loyalty to promises he made and his tenderness amidst the tenacity and decisiveness needed for his clan position and enemy threats and murders.
Upon reading the book, I found some similar analogies of Akira to Esther and Joseph from the Old Testament, with testings and trials to bring out Akira and Bryce's characters. The storyline will impress you. Jennifer is one fine writer! I highly recommend her book!
This book was provided free by Mark Yeh at Abingdon Press for my honest, personal review. I consider it a privilege to recommend good novels for your reading delight.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ok, I just need to get this out of the way first. There was one thing that I did not like about this book, the dialogue. There was a lot of "ye" "'twas" "yer", and so on, which really slowed me down. I understand the book was written that way for the sake of authenticity, but I found it distracting. Of course, I always feel that way when authors use authentic language in their stories, so my dislike of it in this book is nothing unusual. I'm sure most people don't even notice that sort of thing and they are not bothered by it at all. It's just a personal preference for me.
As I said earlier, the dialogue was used to give the book an authentic feel, and it was very effective. As I read this book, I was not sitting in my apartment in North Carolina in 2010. I was transported to Scotland in 1473. The author did a fantastic job with setting up the time and place of the story and the dialogue was the only part of this book that I did not care for. Everything else about this story was beautiful and I am thankful I took the time to read it. Jennifer Hudson Taylor is a very talented writer who has obviously done a lot of research to make this book real and believable.
So, don't let me negative comments at the start of this review discourage your reading of this book. Like I said, it is simply my personal preference. If using authentic language does not slow you down, you will find this book flawless. I look forward to much more from this author. I love all things Scottish and this book makes a nice addition my Scottish delights.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 30, 2012
The last two books I read were kind of heavy so I needed an easy, light read. This was a pretty decent book. No real complaints.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 28, 2012
Loved the story.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 5, 2012
I am puzzled over the last review. This was a very good christain book. I really enjoyed it plus it was free! If you want read agood clean book with god as their guide thru the story then you must read this book.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.grandmafish6
Posted June 21, 2012
I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this book, but it moved along quickly & had lots of action and the happy ending. If you enjoy the middle ages, you will definitely enjoy this book.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 26, 2012
Good clean read.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lily01
Posted November 24, 2011
It was a book worth reading,the characters display and hide their feeling you can feel what they are going through.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 30, 2011
I really enjoyed this.
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 28, 2011
enjoyable book
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Debbie_Lynne
Posted April 3, 2010
Jennifer Hudson Taylor did a wonderful job taking you back to a time and place of Scottish clan rivalry. You can feel the tension between the characters and commiserate with both. She did a beautiful job with the Scottish accent. Not too much but enough to make it stand out. The story moves along quickly and never falls flat. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Even more so if you love a strong Scottish hero!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I go weak in the knees at the thought of a Scottish warrior. Not only is Bryce strong, but he has their characteristic loyalty to family, he's sinfully handsome and wants to fulfill his dying father's wish. The only problem lies with carrying that out. His elder brother is chief and has no intention of tying himself with a rival clan to make peace. The lady in question, Akira, is just as strong willed as she is beautiful. He can't help but admire her and regret the actions that may have placed her in harm's way.
The rivalry between the two clans has been long standing and many would like to see Bryce fail. It's hard to overcome so many years of hate and prejudice. Trust is hard won and easily broken. Plus someone is working hard to inflame the tempers of both clans.
Bryce is a terrific character. He feels bound by his father's dying wish, and yet drawn to Akira himself. Her strength and courage are something he admires, and he enjoys their verbal battles and her beauty. He's first angry at Evan's refusal and rude comments about Akira, then becomes jealous once Evan shows some interest in her after all. He's a strong leader and has the respect of his men. He also has a tender side. He tries to see to her comfort and is upset by the accidental pain he causes her. He does have trouble with trusting her ~ and her family.
Akira is brave, intelligent and resourceful. She's also stubborn. She puts her own needs and desires below those of her people. She's no pushover physically either. She has skill with a blade and eventually manages to talk Bryce into giving her one of her own. She has a blind spot when it comes to her clan and doesn't believe any of them could be behind the incidents. She also believed the MacPhersons (Bryce's clan) were nothing more than brutal barbarians with no regard for human life.
When one of the plots against the peace ends with the death of Evan, Bryce becomes chief and intends to marry Akira himself. The truce called for her to marry the chief of the clan,it didn't say it had to be his brother. He was the one who believed this was the path to peace but can he trust her? They both want an end to the fighting, but she is there against her will and bad things have happened to both sides. She hasn't been welcomed with open arms either.
I want to briefly mention another character that was unusual. Bryce and Evan were two of three sons. The third brother is named Sim. He is deaf (but can read lips) and doesn't speak. His brothers protect and provide for him. They are preparing to teach him to fight, but Akira wants to teach him academics so he can keep the books. She and Sim become good friends.
The author has created a book that not only captures a romance between two interesting people, but deals with an issue that is very timely. Both these characters had to deal with whether they were willing to trust each other and God for what was going to happen in their lives. In this economy, I think many of us can relate to needing that same kind of trust. Things look pretty scary to us, but God has it all in His hands.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
Highland
Blessings is the story of a highland
warrior who kidnaps the daughter of his greatest enemy and clan chief to honor a promise he made
to his dying father. Bryce MacPhearson, a
highland warrior, kidnaps Akira MacKenzie on her wedding day to honor a promise he made ...