Avon, $5.99, ISBN 0-380-80367-4
Historical Romance, 2000

After finishing Highland Hawk, I went and look up this author’s backlist on Amazon. Not because I’m so impressed with this book that I must start grabbing all her books, but to confirm that yes, this book is what seems the the millionth book in a series of Highland books. No wonder I’m confused. This book must have been populated by zillions of characters from the past books, all making almost gratuitous appearances.

The basic story line is gypsy lass Catriona trying to get eleven-year old King James abducted in exchange for her brother Lachlan’s life. It takes me a while to realize that in a previous book Cat’s brother has saved our hero Haydan “Hawk” MacGowan’s… uhm… it’s his niece, I assume? Let me check, ah yes, that’s right. Lachlan has been abducted by someone called Blackheart.

Not that Cat wants to do the King in. She has her own plans to ferret out Blackheart and rescue her brother, although when it comes to choosing between Lachlan and the bratty king, she’d choose her brother. But can she betray the king? And Hawk?

That’s what I can make out from the tangle of characters. Vague allusions are made of characters and experiences from previous books, some characters pop up like jack-in-a-box to say hi and then vanish (who the heck are they?), and in the middle of the book the whole thing comes to a boring standstill of our main characters going round and round in circles trying to pinpoint who Blackheart is. While juggling to have a healthy sex life in the midst of all the confusion. It must not be easy.

I like Hawk, who is a funny yet roguish guy, and Cat’s pretty fine as a heroine. I even like Granny Marta who lets no mere mortals stand in her way. But the plot, eurgh. Next time someone writes a book that can barely stand alone without throwing me, a new reader, into a daze of confusion, please put a warning on the cover.