The Highlander’s Mysterious Maiden by Nicole Locke

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Lovers and Highlanders, #3

Release Date: August 26, 2025

Life has not been easy for Barabal of Clan Colquhoun, her parents died when she was only 5 and she was separated from her brothers and sent to live with her mother’s family. She lived with them for a few years, but when things got hard for the family, she was sent to another family, but after an uncomfortable encounter, she leaves in the middle of the night. For years she has been moving from clan to clan, trying hard to be useful, but never seems to fit in. She arrives at Clan Graham during the Beltane celebration, upset that she didn’t arrive earlier to help with the celebration, thus missing a chance to prove her worth. But when she sees what she believes to be a woman being kidnapped, she is shocked that no one is helping and sets her sites on a man standing away from the others. She is stunned when the man doesn’t seem concerned about the kidnapped woman and seems more interested in kissing! When she declines his kiss, he walks away and appears to find another woman. Barabal is stunned and wonders if she will find a home here or if she should just move on.

Seoc of Clan Graham has been out of sorts since recovering from a grave injury he suffered during the battle of Dunbar. Seoc is crippled by guilt, blaming himself for the death of the clan’s Laird and the capture of the Laird’s son. He has healed from his injuries and has resumed his duties, including brewing mead, but can’t seem to find a way out of the numbing darkness that has been gripping him since the battle. When Barabal walks up to him, he is shocked by his reaction, she makes him feel! She insults his mead, refuses his kiss and berates him for ignoring Anna’s “kidnapping”. He knows immediately that he must keep this woman in his life, but that will be easier said than done, as Barabal seems bent on ignoring him.

I have mixed feelings about this book, on one hand, I thought the writing was wonderful and filled with emotion, but on the other hand, Barabal was one of the most unlikable characters I have ever read. I tried to empathize with her struggles and the fact that she was alone in the world, but OMG – she is abrasive, a complete know it all, and insulting (albeit unintentionally). I understood her need to be useful and that her trust issues that caused her to act as she did, but I was expecting to see her slowly change and grow on me – unfortunately, she didn’t. Overall, it was an emotionally charged read, with some very likable characters, a bit of spice, a curvy heroine, reunions, heartache, healing, acceptance and a touching HEA. This is the third book in the series, and I would recommend reading the series in order.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *