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Highland Hearts #0.5

Highland Heart

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Alec Munro, chieftain of the Munros, has captured the Englishman who swindled his father. Set on retribution, he’s caught off-guard by the thief’s beautiful daughter, a lass whose beauty and spirit leave him questioning the value of revenge.

Rachel Brindle has a secret: she can heal people with her magic. While journeying with her father and sister into the Highlands, she becomes a prize sought between two warring clans. She must use her cunning and her healing magic to prevent the same slaughter that started the blood feud a century ago. But when her secret is exposed, will it condemn her in the eyes of the barbarian who has capture not only her family, but also her heart?

55 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2012

93 people are currently reading
472 people want to read

About the author

Heather McCollum

63 books1,097 followers
I am Heather McCollum, writer of 16th and 17th century Scottish romance full of adventure and intrigue, sprinkled with humor, history, and spice. Brawny Highlanders and feisty heroines are my favorite characters!

I am also a mom of three kids, dog-mom of one rescued geriatric golden retriever, and wife of one 6 foot 4 inch Highlander. When I’m not trying to help my kids make it through the day, baking things I see on The Great British Baking Show, or writing, I’m usually educating women on ovarian cancer (I’m a nine-year survivor).

I love kilted heroes, chai lattes, and eating buttered air-popped popcorn for dinner on Friday nights (my dog loves this one too).

If you’re interested in my new releases, fun historical tidbits, sales, and giveaways, sign up for my newsletter!

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This author also writes under: Eleri Drake

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5 stars
276 (41%)
4 stars
221 (32%)
3 stars
138 (20%)
2 stars
27 (4%)
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10 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Madison Warner Fairbanks.
3,470 reviews496 followers
February 8, 2024
Highland Heart by Heather McCollum
Highland Hearts series #0.5. Historical Scottish romance novella with a smidge of magic.
Chieftain Alec Munro wants revenge from the man who swindled his father. Capturing the man and his traveling companions, Alec is finally ready to move on, but he’s surprised by the feisty and beautiful daughter that stands up to him. She has the power to stop a blood feud if only the men will listen to her. Rachel has healing magic and it could be the key to everything.

An intro to the series, this short novella can be read at anytime during the series and tells the story of Alec and Rachel’s meeting and falling in love.
Wars and feuds are not gentle, nor is Alec or Rachel, but I’d still call the romance a gentle fall into love. Alec and Rachel have to be strong to lead the clan but their love for each other is soft and squishy and delightful.
Profile Image for Jen - Reviews.
436 reviews31 followers
February 22, 2013
3.5 Stars
This is a historical romance with paranormal themes running through it.
Rachel is travelling with her father and sister when she is captured by the Macbain clan. She escapes, however, and is helped by Alec Munro, chieftain of a rival clan.
Rachel has healing powers and saved Alec's life after he was slashed because he was distracted by her beauty.
Alec is a handsome, strong and honourable man - the perfect hero.
He eventually has to fight Macbain who wants to claim Rachel as his, but there is no way Alec will let her go.
Profile Image for Carole Burant.
1,279 reviews37 followers
February 18, 2022
I admire an author who can pretty much tell a full story in only 55 pages! Saying that, I found Alec and Rachel so interesting, I wish their story was a full length novel! lol

Having met once when they were children, now years later they meet again in unusual circumstances. Not only does she heal him with her magic, he takes her as "prisoner" for her father's sins! Passionate attraction follows with a very quick HEA:)
Profile Image for Crystal P.
734 reviews10 followers
July 31, 2024
This was a quick and sweet read. Scottish Historical romance is not a go to for me, but I enjoyed this author on a panel and wanted to check it out. Rachel was sweet and very confident. I like that she did not back down from anyone except for her father. The relationship developed under odd circumstances but it felt like fate. Rachel finds love and stands up to her father.
Profile Image for Kristy Mills.
1,937 reviews38 followers
March 27, 2024
I loved this short story so much. I wish there was more to it, but I think the quick pace and lack of long drawn out situations is what made me love it so much.
Profile Image for Amber Todd.
628 reviews7 followers
July 31, 2023
I've never read a Highlander book with paranormal magic sprinkled in and I'm happy to say that I'm a fan! I really liked both Alec and Rachel and was instantly drawn into their story upon their meeting. I loved Rachel's gifts too. I would have liked to learn more about what she can do and have it explained more, but I'm not mad at having to read more in the series in order to figure it out either. Solid book!
Profile Image for Diana (Offbeat Vagabond).
362 reviews42 followers
February 21, 2013
Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/02/entangled-publishing-presents-interview.html

Highland Heart is a historical romance about a young woman named Rachel and her sister, Isabelle, traveling with their father. Things are going well until they reach a forest and notice something isn't quite right. They are under attack and must flea quickly before they are kidnapped by the enemy. Before hand, Rachel sees a strange man standing in the forest, but he ends up injured and she saves him before she is taken. But she doesn't let being kidnap bring her down. She escapes but ends up finding the same man in the forest she saved, She doesn't know whether he is friend or foe, but she knows he will help her.

Now this was one sexy little read I could read a million times over. I absolutely loved this. Alec is definitely book boyfriend worthy. Now that was a man. I loved him and how much he tried to defend his father against Rachel's dad. It seems as though Rachel's father, William, was swindling Alec's father out of his product. Alec definitely wanted payback and he deserved to get it. Rachel is an absolute favorite as well. That woman has balls of steel. No damsel in distress here. I love how she will do anything to get to her family. She steals a horse, goes running in the forest and through the mountains, and all while it is raining. She would do anything to get to her family and she didn't panic. Not to mention she has the ability to heal people. I wish we got more on that actually in this book because it was interesting, but still, she was amazing and that is all that matters.

Now let me rant a little bit about Rachel and Isabelle. He was swindling Alec's father out of his money, but that is not even close to how awful he was. When push comes to shove, he didn't stick up for his daughters when it counted the most. The guy was scum. Rachel even makes excuses for his behavior which I guess makes sense since that is her dad. But that was too good for him. The guy was terrible. Not only is he crap, but then the story changes when we meet the men that kidnapped Rachel. You won't believe how the father acts then, hell you won't believe where that goes. I have never seen anything more crazy. Too many crazy men on one page let me tell you. My head was spinning with anger by that time. But I love all the emotion I got from this novella, so it is just part of the fun.

Buy this little gem right now. It is super short, sweet, and sexy. The characters are a blast and I hope to read more about them. Besides not knowing much about Rachel's powers, I would have also liked to have known more about Rachel's and Alec's pasts. Both individually and together. We find out that they knew each other once when they were kids and she gave him a scare near his ear. But we don't learn much more than that though. Nonetheless, this was a great read even though there were no sex scenes. It was so close though. McCollum is a tease. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Anna's Herding Cats.
1,274 reviews319 followers
April 27, 2013
If you're in need of a quick Highlander fix look no further. This one's short and sweet. Perfect for a rainy afternoon or when you're on the run and just want something that'll quench your thirst for gorgeous hunky highlanders and gentle lasses that are more than what they seem.

Since Highland Heart's a short story (about 50 pages) you know things are going to move fast but McCollum did a fantastic job and really had me not only buying into the story but loving it. The romance is quick but, and oh I love this theme, there's a childhood connection between Rachel and Alec, that for me, really made it seem like these two were meant to be together.

I really enjoyed both Rachel and Alec. There's a little fire between them, a little chemistry and a bit of sweetness that was just enjoyable. Heat factor? Eh, no too much given the length of the story but damn he's a good kisser! One thing I liked about the two was that Rachel's not a Highlander but an Englishwoman. I don't think I've seen that before and I really liked the twist. She's smart, quick on her feet, gifted with magic and the perfect match for the sexy, arrogant, knows exactly what he wants, Highland Chieftain.

With an exciting and action packed storyline of warring clans, kidnap and escape and romance as well it was just a fun read. McCollum has a great voice and I'd love to read more from her in the future. I am curious about some of the other characters who played small parts and really hope we'll get their stories one day.
Profile Image for Aisha.
193 reviews10 followers
March 12, 2018
Nice short story.
I think I would have given this book a higher rating if I did not read book #1 of the series Captured Heart before this one. I read about Rachel Munro in Captured Heart. There, she mentions that Angus wanted her, but Alex stole her. Also, she swore never to touch Angus again. The first part, I did see in Highland Heart aka this book. The last part I did not see.
Alex is a good person, except for believing he has to continue the 100 year old feud between his Munro clan and the Macbain clan. I do prefer Alex's family to the Macbain family (I do mean family, not the clan). He has honor and loyalty. I like that.
Rachel is a compassionate and strong person. She has a secret. She has the ability to touch someone and know their body's condition, e.g. whether they have internal bleeding, where the internal bleeding is, etc. She can also heal herself and a person. When she uses her abilities, her hand glows blue. I did like Rachel. I think she and Alec are perfect together.
15 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2015
It's not easy to put a new spin on a Middle Ages Love Story, but Ms McCollum has done so here!

This may be a Highland Romance, but it's a great one!! I commend her for grabbing my attention from the opening paragraph and keeping it thru this fast paced story of love, honor and ultimate satisfaction! With fewer words than I thought possible, the well-developed characters seem to literally burst off the pages! The action propels the story, while we're given the motivations from both sides, with a little paranormal to give it another angle! Although this is a novella, it's a finely developed storyline and I am looking forward to reading more from this talented author!!
Profile Image for Melissa Robinson.
31 reviews
February 7, 2019
This is a prequel. Doesn't fit to be called book 5

Frustrated by how out of chronological order this series seems to be. Each story had the same rhythm, and yet were totally different. Made them fun.
247 reviews1 follower
January 16, 2023
Swoon worthy

Rachel n Isabelle r travelling with their father to Munro Keep to purchase their wool. He's been trading with the Munro clan for years. A skirmish breaks out on the border of Munro territory n they try to flee the battle. Rachel gets lost in the woods n happens upon the same man she'd spied earlier in the woods before the skirmish took place. He's distracted by her presence n receives a mortal wound in his shoulder from an arrow. Rachel doesn't hesitate as she uses her healing powers, ( a trait her sister also possesses , inherited from their mother) , to repair the damage to his body. She knows the man was the little boy she played with long ago.
Alec Munro watched from the forest as the group passed thru his territory but they're trailed by his rival clan the McBains. He engages his enemies but gets sidetracked when he sees the lass again just as an arrow is loosed. After he heals, he escapes his enemies with a promise to find Rachel again, just as she passes out.
Fast paced, n worth reading.
Profile Image for ButtonsMom2003.
3,820 reviews32 followers
August 11, 2023
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5

Good story, good narration.

Highland Heart can serve as a prequel to the Highland Hearts series or you can read it after any of the other books. I read it after reading book one, Captured Heart, and I’m glad I did it that way.

Highland Heart is about Rachel, who figured prominently in Captured Heart. I liked reading it after because Highland Heart is pretty short so I thought it was better to have already known a lot about her from book one. This story tells how she got together with her husband and I really enjoyed reading her backstory.

As far as I know, this is the first audiobook I’ve listened to performed by Timothy Campbell. I enjoyed listening to his voice and I loved the different voices he used and the accents.
Profile Image for Me Like Reading.
359 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2020
A short, fun and romantic read. Nothing complicated just a straightforward storyline involving gallantry, action, drama, magic and love at first sight.

Just what I’m looking for right now during this whole anxiety inducing, depressing, COVID-19 mess with a challenging holiday season looming ever closer.

No, it’s not the best novella I’ve ever read. It does, however, fit the bill of a sexy fantasy - realistic or not - that I would have while at my snooze fest of a job or during a mind numbing but necessary chore. The kind that could potentially prime a gal for, well, ya know...

*waggles eyebrows*

For such a story, my gratitude to the author for a brief but pleasurable romp through medieval Scottish lands...that will (hopefully) cause me to blissfully dream of, well, kilts.

*wink*
Profile Image for Shannon Brydon.
13 reviews1 follower
March 30, 2022
Couldn't put down

In a way I'm glad this was a short story because I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. However, it was really well written, it would have been a really good novel had the author chosen to expand the story.
I'm not usually into fantasy stories, and I'm not sure if that's all that Heather McCollum writes, but since I enjoyed this story so much I'll look for more writing by her.
The magic in this story was minimal, so if you're like me and not into fantasy, you'll still enjoy this story.
Profile Image for Lela.
279 reviews
June 15, 2023
As always, I love Tim Campbell.

I know this is a novella leading into the Highland Heart series, but I can't help feel like it was rushed. Heather doesn't usually fall to insta-love/insta-lust, and I feel like the storyline could've been so epic had it and it's characters been flushed out a bit more. Again, I know this was meant to be a short snippet of story, but it was almost too short. Short enough that it could've been a prologue, almost.

I am hoping that this series is as awesome as Sons of Sinclair. I'm ready to launch into the next book to see!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tammy.
1,101 reviews8 followers
October 19, 2023
Highland Heart is a short prequel to the Highland Hearts series. It features a feisty female and the alpha male willing to fight for her. Alex Munro attempts to kidnap William Bridle’s daughter to seek revenge for Brindle swindling his family. When Alec sees Rachel he is instantly smitten. All is not smooth sailing and Alec and Rachel have to fight for their HEA. I recommend the story to anyone who likes historical romance and is looking for a quick, short read.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a great job with the accents and with both male and female voices.
Profile Image for Sharon.
1,310 reviews25 followers
September 27, 2017
A quick short story that you read in about one hour. The characters were not quite as fully drawn as I would have liked due to the shortness of the story, but they were likable and understandable. The two sisters were people I wanted to see more of and hope the second one will have her own story. It was a good read by an author I enjoy.
Profile Image for Martha.
534 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2021
While journeying through the Highland's with her father who has swindled Alec Munro's father, Alex captures the Englishman. Alec is set off guard by the thief's beautiful daughter. Rachel has a secret, she can heal people quickly and is a prize sought by two warring clans. This is a good story and continues on. Enjoy the read.
Profile Image for Bew Keobua.
64 reviews
March 5, 2023
Sweet but Shallow

I actually really excited for story of Rachel and Alec. I gave only 3 stars because the development of story is not well done, it was so rush. I must say the plot does have potential to be a really good one (childhood friend theme) However, due to length of the story 50+pgs gave the story little chance to grow. 0 stream too.
385 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2025
Very short story filled with nonstop action, excitement, and emotions. Alec and Rachel meet during a battle and the chemistry sparks immediately. Despite the stereotypical descriptions of the “barbarian” Highland warrior and the “delicate” maiden, I enjoyed the humor and the attraction between them - I certainly felt the pull! I am eager to find out how their relationship progresses…
40 reviews
May 14, 2018
Perfect Reading

This book is interesting, captive and adventurous! I recommend all of Heather McCollum's books! Don't miss any of her Highland novels!

Can't wait to find her next book.
2 reviews
April 9, 2021
48 pages does not make a short novella much less a book!

I could not believe this writer pawned off a 48 page short story as a book. I have enjoyed her writings and this was written In 2012; however, I am flabbergasted at such a betrayal.
16 reviews
May 26, 2021
Highland Heart

If you want a quick read with a lot of emotion and adventure then you should read this book . The way the characters are written is amazing. The only negative it's not long enough!!
Profile Image for Heather.
950 reviews7 followers
June 14, 2023
Sweet little novel

Sweet quick read. Rachel is traveling with her father and sister to Munro clan . Her father is wool merchant and sells to clan Munro. Upon travel they are attacked and she meets the boy from the fair when she was a child. Good book
Profile Image for Jodi.
1,824 reviews
June 18, 2023
Rachel and her sister are travelling with their father William to Munro land. Both sisters have the gift of healing magic and Rachel heals Alex Munro, the boy she knew as a child. For a novella, it packs a lot of adventure, great humor and a marriage proposal in a stable!
Profile Image for Lori.
600 reviews8 followers
March 23, 2024
Highland Heart, book 0,5 in Heather McCollum’s highland Hearts series is a short prequel novella that tells the story of how Alec Munro met and wed his English bride Rachel! As always McCollum doesn’t disappoint. The story has action, intrigue and a beautiful love story!
Profile Image for Josephine Morningstar.
101 reviews33 followers
August 18, 2025
Short but sweet

I look at reef and quick courtship of Rachel and Alec Munro. Rather odd that the first of the story could be the last book. However I do like it. I'd like to read more about Isabelle and colin, But I guess that's another book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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