Review and Giveaway: The Highlander Next Door

The Highlander Next Door (Spellbound Falls - Book 6) by Janet Chapman 

Publication Date: 08/26/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Jove Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 432
ISBN-10: 0515153222
ISBN-13: 978-0515153224

(Received for an honest review from Jove Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Janet Chapman on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Spellbound Falls

1. Spellbound Falls
2. Charmed by His Love
3. Courting Carolina
4. The Heart of a Hero
5. For the Love of Magic
6. The Highlander Next Door

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, The Highlander Next Door, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

From the New York Time bestselling Janet Chapman comes this delightful tale of a young woman who's had enough of men...until she meets her spectacular new neighbor.

Legend has it love is carried on the rising mists of Spellbound Falls, and not even time-traveling highlanders are immune to its magic…
 
Birch Callahan has seen the trouble men can cause. After witnessing her mother’s four marriages, Birch now runs a women’s shelter and doesn’t want a man in her life. But there’s something about her neighbor, Niall MacKeage. Birch can’t figure out how the cop can be so big and gruff and yet so insightful and compassionate—and sexy. Or how she’s falling for a man who acts like someone from the twelfth century.
 
Niall knows that Birch is attracted to him, even if she seems to distrust all men. Yet he also knows she has a secret—something that drives her to place herself in harm’s way for the women of her shelter. Niall would gladly rush to Birch’s side to protect her from harm, but with their secrets standing between them, he’ll have to reveal his own truth if he wants to keep her…

Thoughts:

Janet Chapman takes readers back to a small town in Maine that has a penchant for magic. The Highlander Next Door is the sixth book in the Spellbound Falls series, which focuses on some time traveling highlanders and their adventures in the modern world. Readers who are looking for a sweet romance with plenty of obstacles, a little bit of magic and some mystery will love this one. Chapman incorporates all of these elements to give readers an magical reading experience!

What I liked:

You all know that I am a sucker for a good story that involves a highlander. Being of Scottish heritage, I always enjoy seeing how each author approaches the highland people and their indomitable spirit. Chapman takes her highlanders out of their comfort zone and lands them in the middle of modern society. Culture shock is an understatement. I loved the idea and the time travel elements of the story. This touch of the paranormal added a crucial ingredient that made this novel unique and different. I liked the way Chapman showed the reader how a highlander might react to things in the present. I thought Niall was spot on and loved his interactions in his new world.

Chapman takes the time to bring the readers up to date on the series in the beginning chapters. Since this is book six in the series, readers coming into it now, may have missed some of the nuances that comes from reading the entire series. Chapman not only brings new characters into play in The Highlander Next Door but she doesn't forget about those who have come before. Readers who are familiar with the series will love the little updates on previous couples and the part they have to play in this story. Chapman did a great job of incorporating all of the characters into Spellbound Falls and this novel.

There are several things going on in this story. There is of course the love story between Niall and Birch, there is the fact that a new god has come on the scene and Birch's past catching up with her. I felt like this particular book in the series leaned more toward the mystery than the romantic side of things, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. Chapman did a great job of melding all of these elements together to create a good story. The pace is pretty even until the end where things speed up and the reader is powered into the finish. 

What I didn't like:

I loved Niall, he was a great character and one impressive highlander. He was a bit set in his ways, considering his background, but that was all the more endearing. Birch, however was harder to warm up to. She has a definite fire about her, but she tended to take all that passion and express it in a not so easy to like manner. The reader will eventually warm to her, but in the beginning it is hard to see what Niall finds so appealing about her. I generally want a heroine I love or at least like and it took more time than it should with this one.

Bottom Line:

This was an enjoyable addition to the series. The time traveling highlanders were just as amazing as ever. The romance was slow to start, but once it got on track it took off. I had some issues with the heroine early on, but she eventually made me like her in spite of myself. I loved the mystery aspects of the story, but wish a little more time had been spent on the magic of it all.

The Highlander Next Door is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Janet Chapman is the author of more than twenty contemporary and paranormal romance novels, all set in the state of Maine, where she lives with her husband, surrounded by wildlife. Best known for her Highlander series (a family saga of twelfth-century warriors rebuilding their clans in modern-day Maine) and her Spellbound Falls series (an offshoot of the Highlander books), Janet also has several contemporary series set on the coast and in the mountains. With more than three million books printed in six languages, her stories regularly appear on the New York Times andUSA Today bestseller lists. 

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of The Highlander Next Door by Janet Chapman.

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~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, September 18th.

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