The Highlander Next Door by Janet Chapman

Title: The Highlander Next Door

Series: Spellbound Falls bk 6

Author: Janet Chapman

Genre: Paranormal/Time Travel

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: This is one my favorite light paranormal series. I say light because while there is magic and Gods, and time travel it’s firmly a contemporary story as those who do have powers try and not use them at all.

Reading this book I had a lot of emotions. I loved the premise, the hero, the secondary characters, the town. I loved everything EXCEPT the heroine. I absolutely hated her until almost the end of the book. I skimmed the parts of the book told in her POV.

Niall is one of those heroes you love from the moment he shows up on the page. He’s a 12th century laird who’s a 21st century cop. In fact he’s the only cop for two townships, his first officer is one of the coolest dogs I’ve read. I want a Shep. As Laird Niall knew how to take care of his clan and protect them so making the shift to modern day cop was an easy shift. If it wasn’t for the maddening woman next door who thought she was always right and men were clueless.

I really really want to say that I eventually loved Birch, but I honestly can’t. By the end of the book I liked her, but she still grated on my nerves. One of the things I absolutely hated about her was her blatant disregard for Niall in his position. No woman who works, let a lone runs a shelter for battered woman I know would ever and I mean ever treat  law enforcement personnel the way she treats Niall. They would also never go off to get someone from a dangerous situation without informing a LE officer of the situation and asking for back-up in the case something went wrong. She supposedly came from the big city and had all this education and had worked with battered women so she should know this.

I have to say if it wasn’t for all the crazy that happens in this town and an amazing set of secondary characters I wouldn’t have finished reading the book, that was how much I disliked Birch. If you were to take her completely out of the story it would be great.

While this isn’t Chapman at her best, it was still a great read. I can’t wait to see what’s coming for this town and who’s up next to get their story. I’m hoping its one of the new guys to town, or maybe the new God, who we get to meet in this book and what an amazing character he is.

Grade B