A Highland shape shifter, an American animal communicator, an eccentric grandmother - all add up to one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a very long time. Vonnie Davis' A Highlander's Obsession, the first book in her new A Highlander's Beloved series, is just one of the most perfect stories. It doesn't hurt that the bear shifters have brogues and wear kilts, that there's a bit of mystery and suspense, some steamy love scenes, a great deal of laughter. Yes, this is a book that I highly recommend for anyone who's looking for that perfect alpha hero and a heroine with spunk.
From the moment when Paisley Munroe arrives at the airport in Scotland with her gram, I began chuckling. Yes, gram is the one who wants to lift the kilts and see what's underneath. I adore this pink haired, pink pelican slipper-wearing, iconoclast. She's a wonderful contrast to Paisley who seems to have to live life a bit more seriously, but at the same time adoring her gram, Effie Iverson Munro.
When the two kilt-wearing hunks turn out to be the welcoming committee, I was sold. Then we find that they're bear shifters. Well, burly guys who get a bit hairy. Quite fine with me. Once we meet Creighton Matheson,the eldest son and laird, well, I found a new book boyfriend for sure!
Yes, I was totally lost in Davis' story and began asking my cat if the bear that tumbled our bird feeder might be a little more than just an ursine friend. (My cat meowed and sniffed, but I was rather hoping that a bear might have traveled over from the Highlands.)
Paisley's gram inherited property from her uncle, Angus Iverson, that adjoins that of the Mathesons. There are rumors that developers and oil speculators may be coming at the American's invitation. Are gram and Paisley going to upset the bear's Highland refuge? Is someone trying to blacken their name? What is going on?
Meanwhile, Paisley is engaged to a veterinarian she works for, and seems quite ashamed of her natural ability to communicate with animals. Oh right, shifters are animals too, aren't they... Yes, the situations that Davis sets up are both hilarious and at times heartrending.
My only complaint about this book is that I wanted to read more. Yes, I'll be counting the days until the next book in this series is released. Vonnie Davis is now on my must-read list for her witty commentary, compassionate and fun protagonists, and an engrossing page-turner.
This review also appears on The Best Reviews.
From the Publisher
Highlander's Beloved, Book 1
A Highlander's Obsession by Vonnie Davis
Loveswept (Random House)⎜ISBN9780804179300⎜$2.99 ⎜Aug 19, 2014
Somehow able to telepathically communicate with animals, Paisley Munro has found meaning in her so-called gifts by working as a veterinary assistant. But while traveling to Scotland for a relative’s funeral, Paisley fears that she really has lost her mind. Out in the highlands, she hears distinctly human thoughts coming from a wild bear. Terrified and desperate, she returns to the lodge and collapses in the powerful arms of its owner, a mysterious man with whom she shares a simmering attraction.
Creighton Matheson and his fellow shape-shifters have been roaming this land freely for centuries. Now Paisley may inherit his home, putting his kind in grave danger. His mistrust only deepens when he realizes she can read his mind. Yet he cannot deny that this tantalizing woman makes him burn with desire—and hunger for the prospect of a tender love. Now Creighton must decide which would hurt more: revealing the truth or losing Paisley forever.
