Color me suckered...

*clap, clap, clap* Congratulations Mrs. LaBrecque. I tip my hat to you. Your savvyness at turning an honest review into a dog and pony show for more sales was successful, and I, as one who paid to take a ride on the looney-go-round, am quite embarrassed.

Highland Fling tells the story of ER doctor Kate Wexford and her trip backwards through time into the arms of Scottish Laird, Darach MacTavish. Kate is the typical 21st century heroine (lonely, without family, married to her job and inferior in her own eyes) who pines for a man in a painting. After hearing that the man she physically longs for was killed over two hundred years ago at the Battle of Culloden, Kate is pushed into the painting by the strangely perceptive curator, Hamish. Falling back in time Kate lands naked in MacTavish's bed. At this point, the story was going well. Kate had gone back in time, was missing the conveniences of the 21st century and was falling in love with Darach.

However..., when the two decide to go forward in time to find out about the Battle of Culloden and how to keep Darach alive, all went wrong. LaBrecque didn't allow for any conflict in the book. Every time something came up a neat and tidy (and unbelievable) solution appeared for the hero and heroine. When the two arrive back in the museum, Hamish awaits with a perfect set of clothes for Darach and Darach shows no shock at 2000 Atlanta. Once arriving, Laird MacTavish learns how to surf the internet within five minutes, can read present day English with no problems and can cook a full meal with no experience and only a cookbook to guide him.

The ridiculous turns downright outlandish after Darach leaves Kate to go back and save his people. She has period clothes made and packs bags to take back with her. She arrives naked the first time but returns the second fully clothed and with suitcases to boot. With no conflict to speak of, convenient solutions at every turn and an alpha laird who dreams of writing poetry *gag, gag* this book flops. And, aren't Blazes supposed to be hot? Highland Fling was lukewarm at best.

Note: I won't be at RWA, however, if Mrs. LaBrecque would like to reimburse me for the $5.09 I wasted on this book, I will be happy to give her my address. Just e-mail me at addicted2fiona@yahoo.com. Of course, I should subtract the 10% I saved by using my membership card, but then again, if we are going to get real nit-picky, shouldn't we add the gas it took me to get to the store and back home again? My car gets 20 miles to the gallon, the store is 10 miles away, 20 miles both ways, that is one gallon of gas...$3.02. Of course, I think it is only fair that we add my time value which is 2 hours to read times my rate of pay which comes to $58.30 plus the 30 minutes it took me to write this review (because as we all know, LaBrecque will probably make money off this) is $14.57, which gives me a grand total of $80.47 that Mrs. LaBrecque owes me. Of course, I consider it the price paid for being a fool.

...Fiona...