The Laird of Loch Fyne
Brandy Grandberg
Tate Publishing and Enterprises
ISBN: 978-1-61777-299-3
264 pages (Includes front and back matter)
When I read The Laird of Loch Fyne by Brandy
Grandberg, I was particularly impressed with the strength of the
characters. The individuals are excellently depicted through
description, personality traits, emotions, and realistic dialog. This
allows the storyline to reflect realism as it slowly unfolds, hooking
readers from the first page to the last. I enjoyed some of the
characters, was suspicious of others, and finally learned that some were
very evil. The book is well-written, entertaining, exciting and
mystical, taking readers four-hundred years into the past with Maggie
Harris who quickly learns to expect the unexpected.
An incredible adventure begins when Maggie meets a
mysterious old man from Scotland at a Renaissance fair in North
Carolina; he is selling his merchandise from a tent. Maggie is
intrigued by a small wooden box that contains pieces of antique
jewelry—eyeing one particular brooch with interest. The old man tells
her that it comes from the Clan MacLachlan in the Highlands of
Scotland. He offers to let her try it on, but first pulls out a red and
blue plaid that he places around her shoulders; then he pins the brooch
onto the plaid. Feeling woozy, she hears a booming sound that is
followed by the glow of a strange white light. Before falling to soft,
grassy ground, she feels as if she is trapped in a thick and hazy fog.
As Maggie’s vision clears, she is confused; she is now in an unfamiliar
place, and dirt and gravel have replaced the grass. Though it is a
picturesque setting, there is no sign of modern life. Where are the
buildings, the traffic, and all the people who had been at the fair?
Readers, as well as Maggie, learn that she has gone
back in time and that, according to the old man at the fair, there is a
reason for her being sent 400 years into the past to Scotland—she is to
save the lives of two brothers. One brother is Laird Ian MacLachlan and
the other is Reid MacLachlan who is friendlier than his brother;
however, he doesn’t have the responsibility of being a laird—meaning Ian
is accountable for the land and clan. There is another half-brother
named Niall; the three men have the same father but different mothers.
After Ian and Reid’s mother had died, their father remarried. The two
older brothers, though they love their half-brother, have suspicions
about their stepmother that need to be proven. Niall dislikes Maggie
from day one and does not want her infiltrating their clan. But,
remember, it wasn’t her choice to be sent back in time where she
instantly found herself facing danger from outside clansmen and soon
from those within the MacLachlan clan. She has no idea how her mission
is to be accomplished, and even more frustrating, she and the handsome
Laird Ian MacLachlan do not initially get along. At one point he
contemplates whether or not she could be a witch. If true, his clan
would burn her at the stake. But, by the time Maggie’s living quarters
are changed from a run-down crofter’s hut to moving into the main keep
(palace), her relationship with Ian has also changed. They are drawn to
one another and, as they become closer, readers will wonder how the
romance can go anywhere since Maggie simply wants to accomplish her
mission and return home. But the strong feelings that she and Ian have
for one another are obvious and upset others living in the main keep.
Why do they dislike Maggie?
As the mysteries of The Laird of Loch Fyne
unravel, readers will be captivated by the mesmerizing
storyline—probably wanting to peek at the end of the novel to see if
Maggie saves the two brothers and who they needed to be saved from.
Also, since she deeply loves Ian, if successful with her mission, is she
willing to stay in the past and leave her family and former life
behind?
This is one book that fiction readers need to
put on their “most wanted” list. It has all the ingredients of a
first-rate novel, and I hope the author has more offerings in the
works. I highly recommend this book.
Bettie
Corbin Tucker
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
July 31, 2011
