"An excellent time travel debut, I couldn't put it down!"
I loved this book, couldn't put it down, it was so real to
me as I was reading it that, even though I knew that the
couple would live HEA, I feared for them often. Maggie Hobbs, of New Jersey, knows what she loves:
teaching. What she doesn't want is a man who tries to
control her life, so its off with fiancee Don and on to
Scotland for her first real taste of freedom in a long
while. Accountant Alex MacKendimen, also of New Jersey, THINKS he
knows what he wants out of life as well, to be the youngest
partner in his firm, to be a man his late father would be
proud of, and woe be to anyone who gets in the way of his
goal. He even has a fiancé of convenience, one who will
look good on his arm, be good in his bed, and won't
interfere in his life. Ah, but his late father Gordon had
forsaken his inheritance, to be laird of the Scottish clan,
in favor of finding his true love in America. The fates
have decided that Alex's isn't living up to his fathers
TRUE legacy. The one person he does have true affection
for, his elderly aunt, persuades him to accompany her to
Scotland where fate takes over in the guise of a fortune
teller named Mairi. As luck would have it Maggie's tour bus breaks down at the
sight of Alex's family's clan gathering. The two meet, but
not before Mairi has foretold Maggie's fortune: As a
teacher, her mission is to teach a MacKendimen something.
The two sit together near an old, half filled in arch
(strange things have happened in the past near the arch. A
former laird of the clan had had it filled in) ahd Maggie
feels strange vibrations coming from the arch. There is
attraction between the two, but they realize time will not
permit them to meet again in Scotland. They agree to meet
in New Jersey instead, but Mairi has other ideas, and
pushes them through the arch. They awaken in familiar surroundings but yet they are
somewhat different too. They are met by a herd of
MacKendimen clansmen who recognize him as the laird's son
(also named Alex, who has been away 5 years in London --
apparently they are identical in appearance). This should
not be a difficult role for Alex, he's strong and
ambitious, he even seems to have acquired a new fiancé of
convenience. Ah but what of Maggie? Determined to stay together to find a way back home, Alex
proclaims Maggie his mistress. Clan law awarded the heir
the right to do, and in that way he felt he could
keep her safe. His fiancé has other ideas. As Alex's
feelings for Maggie deepen, he chafes at his
responsibilities even more. Now they've learned that the true heir is approaching, and
their lives are truly in danger. Will Alex learn his lesson
in time to save them? What will the clan do if the
impersonation is discovered? I loved Alex's innate goodness. Even Alexander's own father
preferred him to his loutish son, no wonder the two women
in his life loved him. The love story unfolds beautifully,
and Maggie is a brave and courageous heroine. I loved the
epilogue, it was perfect. An excellent debut for Ms. Brisbin. Look for the sequel A
MATTER OF TIME, Douglas MacKendimen's story, this November
from Jove Time Passages. Note: The title and the cover of the two books are
very similar. Be careful not to confuse the two. Copyright © 1999
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted August 22, 2001
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