To Bewitch a Highlander (Isle of Mull Series) Paperback – April 10, 2013

Different but good. Like the way the story unfolded however began to become repetitive. Love the way it began to unfold but was saddened by other parts

After reading Ms. Lily Baldwin’s novella in the scrolls of Cridhe a jewel in the vaults I immediately purchased and eagerly read this book. What a wonderful captivating story with such three dimensional loveable characters that just seem so real. I feel kind of bad that it took me so long to not only discover this wonderful author but taking such a while to read any of her stories when it had everything I truly enjoy action, adventure, magic but most of all a beautiful love story. There is a strong handsome brawny fearless highlander hero Ronan which I ended up having a small crush on and loving with his attempts to do right by the clan and to Shoney. There is also a beautiful stubborn mysterious healer/witch heroine Shoney a girl after my own heart and that I instantly wanted as a friend despite the prejudice and ignorance of others. Shoney has visions but also people fear her as being the witch of Dervaig or being associated with the witch.Ronan while out with his band of highland warriors searching and hunting for his hated enemy the MacLeans decides to split up his warriors in finding them. Instead of the enemy Ronan sees a deer perfect for his table which he decides he must kill but also spies Shoney attempting to also kill the exact same deer as him. Ronan is instantly captivated and intrigued by this mysterious beautiful woman known as Shoney that he is unable to forget her. Ronan is constantly thinking about Shoney searches and finally finds her. Shoney has many secrets one of them being that she is in close connection with the witch of Dervaig and is much more than meets the eye. The story is fast paced even with two very opposite people wondering throughout if their love will conquer all that it was very difficult to put the book down!I was very curious of the story of Shoney mother’s life and her ill-fated love to Alec; I did wish that this was included in the book and what exactly happened why they couldn’t be together. Did Shoney’s mother die from a broken heart and is this why her mother gave Shoney the belief that you can’t trust men? I also wanted some more background on Shoney and the story of her grandmother as well. I would hope that the next book in the series or the last book would include it. I guess in a sense I wasn’t ready for the book to be over and have even purchased book two and three to find out what happens to the pretty boy Aidan even though he had all the women fawning over him it was hard not to like him, Anwen the sickly laird’s wife does she find the strength to rule the clan, Una, Morna and the rest of the Mackinnon clan. Despite me wanting more on Shoney and her life before Ronan I was very pleased and enjoyed this story so much that I can’t wait to read the rest of the series will reread it again so it’s a definite keeper. I rated the book five stars, can recommend it and will get more books from Ms. Baldwin!

This is the first time I have read anything by this author. I liked this story better than I expected after reading several of the posted reviews which are pretty mixed, but I like stories about healers, Picts, seers, and highland romance. The characters are well described and I thought the story was pretty interesting. No real villain in the story. Shoney has many faults and attributes that add to the intrigue. Ronan has a temper problem. At one point he found her but, then he trapped her and then abandoned her. That starts a multitude of situations that include antagonism, intimate romance, turmoil with a slight amount of humor. The story moved along quite well. I felt the authors writing was well done and made me feel like I was there at the turmoil of the battle scene which was quite sad. The author had some history of the Picts which I also enjoy reading about those mysterious people. The heart wrenching confession by the father was so sad that I shed a tear, but it did clear up one question that Shona didn't know. The epilogue finished off this story but seemed to start the beginnings of another story. A little confusing there but hopefully it will get cleared up in the rest of the series. Heat rating for romance 2.75 out of 5.

Ending never in doubt and a bit tiresome. Not particularly original with a thin plot but has requisite happy ending - husband & motherhood accompanied by a loss of independence.

Place of Story-Isle of Mull, ScotlandShoney has lived in a secret place protecting her identity by pretending to be a witch. She is a smart, beautiful and clever woman who is self-sufficient and convinced that she need no one else in her life. Real history at this time is the fight for control of this island by Scotland and King Haakon of Norway.Shoney is a healer. She is also a Pict. Ronan is the heir to the chieftainship of the clan. They are as different as night and day and meet by chance when Shoney shoots her bow and Ronan ends up in a ravine. Somehow he cannot forget the beautiful woman with a bow and finally he sets out to find her. When he does he is entranced by her beauty, her wit and her bravery. However he knows that she is not the right person for the heir to the clan. But in spite of this he still continues to visit her in her little “Witch” hut in the forest.Eventually things come to a head. Battles are fought and Shoney’s heritage is revealed.My only objection was I am getting tired of huge bulky Highlanders with tiny little women. I have my doubts that this type of woman would have had it easy back then and do not feel it is realistic. Other than that, it was a good read and I liked it.

To Bewitch a Highlander started out a little slow for me, as it took awhile to pull me in to the story. Once I connected with the character Shonney, and her story, which sentenced her to living alone and isolation from people, not making friends or knowing love. Her life led her to hiding behind a cloak, that only continued the legion story that a Witch lived on for decades, that struck fear into the children and adults, when they seen her. Shoney was left to believe that the only way she could travel about unharmed, was to conceal her beauty beneath a cloak passed on from generation to generation. But, one day, while hunting in the woods, an accidental meeting, of what appeared to Shonney, a giant, was the beginning of a love story that brought Shonney into the town, and loved by the people. Separating herself from her legion, was not an easy journey, but the story made for a good page turning read.

Action, excitement and full of emotion, this is a great romance. An interesting plotline with plenty to keep the reader's attention. At times this is a simple love story, at other times it is atmospheric and dark, especially when the battlefield scenes are described.Wonderfull characters who are so believable, they are strong, loyal and protective of each other. The interaction between all of them is engaging, but the chemistry between the hero and his heroine is off the scales.Loved the humorous passages, the passionate interludes and the angst of the main protagonists. The innocence of Shoney and her way of life is effectively portrayed, as are the boundaries keeping Ronan from making her his.This situation is so well written by Ms Baldwin.Read and enjoy.

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters are compelling both as individuals and as a couple. Shoney, the beautiful 'Witch of Dervaig', has a fierce independence that's very contemporary, but her spirituality roots her in the novel's time and place (early medieval Scotland). Ronan, the son of the clan leader, is torn between his sense of duty and his love for Shoney, and this sense of duty is given real complexity and urgency through the real historical clan rivalries and battles with which he's concerned. I loved the depiction of friendships between men and between women, which makes the battle scenes so poignant... you really feel for the community as a whole and not just the lead characters throughout the book. There's just enough historical detail to make the story very real, but not so much that the plot (and characters) suffers. This is, after all, a romance novel, and an intelligent one at that, but the love story is at the heart of this novel. With this in mind, the sex scenes are passionate and erotic, as opposed to explicit.The plot moves along at a very good pace, and I found myself reading well after my bedtime as I kept trying to read 'just one more chapter'! I ended up buying the paperback after reading the kindle version, as I wanted to keep this one to read and read again. I hope this isn't the last we hear from Lily Baldwin...what a treat!

This book was really good it kept me interested all the way through and i'm looking forward to reading the next book.

I chose this based on other reviews giving it 5 Stars but I was left feeling a bit let down considering it puts this book in the same league as Kathryn Le Veque which, I'm afraid I don't agree with. It's a nice read but there's not really much in the way of developing the relationship between the two lead character's despite there being plenty of opportunity. It's a nice distraction for a few hours but don't expect much.

A good holiday read with a little touches throughout on historical facts and a good descriptive battle scene. Interesting link to the old Pict culture