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Highland Nights #2
The Kissing Stone
From a USA Today–bestselling author: Star-crossed lovers are torn between clan loyalty and forbidden romance in the Highlands of medieval Scotland.
For decades, a feud has divided the Mackintoshes of Clan Chattan and the Comyns of Raitt. Though Raitt Castle lies not far beyond the next ridge, headstrong Lady Catriona “Katy” MacFinlagh of Clan Mackintosh has never seen it. When her curiosity and rebellious spirit compel her to scale a nearby peak in hopes of catching a glimpse, Katy loses her footing, and a broad-shouldered stranger, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, saves her from a fatal fall.
Spellbound by the young tawny-haired beauty he has rescued, William Comyn neglects to reveal his full identity to her. As Will and Katy begin to meet in secret and their strong mutual attraction deepens toward love, the clan feud once again erupts in violence, making it harder and harder for Will to reveal that he is a Comyn. But when Will learns that Katy’s clan is in imminent danger, he must decide between his newfound love and his sacred honor, and Katy must choose between her pride and her heart.
Set in the same north central Scottish Highlands as The Reluctant Highlander, The Kissing Stone is a historically rich and fiercely passionate Scottish romance from the Rita Award–winning author “frequently credited with creating the subgenre” (Library Journal).
The Kissing Stone is the 2nd book in the Highland Nights series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
For decades, a feud has divided the Mackintoshes of Clan Chattan and the Comyns of Raitt. Though Raitt Castle lies not far beyond the next ridge, headstrong Lady Catriona “Katy” MacFinlagh of Clan Mackintosh has never seen it. When her curiosity and rebellious spirit compel her to scale a nearby peak in hopes of catching a glimpse, Katy loses her footing, and a broad-shouldered stranger, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, saves her from a fatal fall.
Spellbound by the young tawny-haired beauty he has rescued, William Comyn neglects to reveal his full identity to her. As Will and Katy begin to meet in secret and their strong mutual attraction deepens toward love, the clan feud once again erupts in violence, making it harder and harder for Will to reveal that he is a Comyn. But when Will learns that Katy’s clan is in imminent danger, he must decide between his newfound love and his sacred honor, and Katy must choose between her pride and her heart.
Set in the same north central Scottish Highlands as The Reluctant Highlander, The Kissing Stone is a historically rich and fiercely passionate Scottish romance from the Rita Award–winning author “frequently credited with creating the subgenre” (Library Journal).
The Kissing Stone is the 2nd book in the Highland Nights series, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
145 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Scott
172 books382 followersAmanda Scott, USA Today Bestselling Author and winner of Romance Writers of America’s RITA/Golden Medallion (LORD ABBERLEY'S NEMESIS) and Romantic Times’ Awards for Best Regency Author and Best Sensual Regency (RAVENWOOD'S LADY), Lifetime Achievement (2007) and Best Scottish Historical (BORDER MOONLIGHT, 2008), began writing on a dare from her husband. She has sold every manuscript she has written.
Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.
As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.
Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.
The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.
Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.
Amanda is a fourth-generation Californian, who was born and raised in Salinas and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Mills College in Oakland. She did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in British History, before obtaining her Master’s in History from California State University at San Jose. She now lives with her husband and son in northern California.
As a child, Amanda Scott was a model for O’Connor Moffatt in San Francisco (now Macy’s). She was also a Sputnik child, one of those selected after the satellite went up for one of California’s first programs for gifted children. She remained in that program through high school. After graduate school, she taught for the Salinas City School District for three years before marrying her husband, who was then a captain in the Air Force. They lived in Honolulu for a year, then in Papillion, Nebraska, for seven. Their son was born in Nebraska. They have lived in northern California since 1980.
Scott grew up in a family of lawyers, and is descended from a long line of them. Her father was a three-term District Attorney of Monterey County before his death in 1955 at age 36. Her grandfather was City Attorney of Salinas for 36 years after serving two terms as District Attorney, and two of her ancestors were State Supreme Court Justices (one in Missouri, the other the first Supreme Court Justice for the State of Arkansas). One brother, having carried on the Scott tradition in the Monterey County DA’s office, is now a judge. The other is an electrician in Knoxville, TN, and her sister is a teacher in the Sacramento area.
The women of Amanda Scott’s family have been no less successful than the men. Her mother was a child actress known as Baby Lowell, who performed all over the west coast and in Hollywood movies, and then was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet until her marriage. Her mother’s sister, Loretta Lowell, was also a child actress. She performed in the Our Gang comedies and in several Loretta Young movies before becoming one of the first women in the US Air Force. Scott's paternal grandmother was active in local and State politics and served as president of the California State PTA, and her maternal grandmother was a teacher (and stage mother) before working for Monterey County. The place of women in Scott’s family has always been a strong one. Though they married strong men, the women have, for generations, been well educated and encouraged to succeed at whatever they chose to do.
Amanda Scott’s first book was OMAHA CITY ARCHITECTURE, a coffee-table photo essay on the historical architecture of Omaha, written for Landmarks, Inc. under her married name as a Junior League project. Others took the photos; she did the research and wrote the text on an old Smith-Corona portable electric. She sold her first novel, THE FUGITIVE HEIRESS - likewise written on the battered Smith-Corona in 1980. Since then, she has sold many more books, but since the second one she has used a word processor and computer. Twenty-five of her novels are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820). Others are set in 15th-century England and 14th- through 18th-century Scotland, and three are contemporary romances. Many of her titles are currently available at bookstores and online.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 16, 2019
Rescued By Love
Eighteen year old Katy MacFinlagh; the more adventurous and fun loving of the MacFinlagh twin daughters finds herself in a very precarious position on the side of a mountain where death seems imminent. Will Comyn the son of the vicious and evil deRaite Comyn of Raitt Castle and hated member of the Comyn Clan hears a cry and finds Katy about to fall to her death. Will is nothing like his father, but is kind and caring and cannot stand by and see her fall so rescues her. They develop a friendship regardless of the fued between the Clans. He has been assigned to spy on her home and the movements of Fin Of The Battles and his warriors. He does so because it is a point of honor to obey his father, not because he wants to although he does enjoy the quiet and peace alone on the mountains ridges. She also loves long walks in the forest and on the mountain paths so they find they have that in common and the attraction for one another leads them to arrange meetings at the Standing Stone. The Standing Stone soon becomes the Kissing Stone and they quickly fall in love. It's at one of their meetings that she declares them wed through the act of the "Declaration of Marriage" which is an old act of Common Law Marriage and is legally binding if both agree and there is a witness. His father would declare war over this and hers would be very angry.
His loyalty to her causes him to arrange for her to overhear the treacherous plans his father has laid out to murder her father and all in leadership of the Clan MacKintosh Confederation. She reveals her relationship with Will to her father and Malcom and the plans to murder them all. This sacrificial act of putting her relationship with Will in danger of destruction is admired by her father as well as Will's love and honor for what's righteous wins the appreciation from Fin and the Clan MacKintosh leadership.
This was a sweet love story of two young people with only goodness and consideration for each other and the rightness of life's events. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Eighteen year old Katy MacFinlagh; the more adventurous and fun loving of the MacFinlagh twin daughters finds herself in a very precarious position on the side of a mountain where death seems imminent. Will Comyn the son of the vicious and evil deRaite Comyn of Raitt Castle and hated member of the Comyn Clan hears a cry and finds Katy about to fall to her death. Will is nothing like his father, but is kind and caring and cannot stand by and see her fall so rescues her. They develop a friendship regardless of the fued between the Clans. He has been assigned to spy on her home and the movements of Fin Of The Battles and his warriors. He does so because it is a point of honor to obey his father, not because he wants to although he does enjoy the quiet and peace alone on the mountains ridges. She also loves long walks in the forest and on the mountain paths so they find they have that in common and the attraction for one another leads them to arrange meetings at the Standing Stone. The Standing Stone soon becomes the Kissing Stone and they quickly fall in love. It's at one of their meetings that she declares them wed through the act of the "Declaration of Marriage" which is an old act of Common Law Marriage and is legally binding if both agree and there is a witness. His father would declare war over this and hers would be very angry.
His loyalty to her causes him to arrange for her to overhear the treacherous plans his father has laid out to murder her father and all in leadership of the Clan MacKintosh Confederation. She reveals her relationship with Will to her father and Malcom and the plans to murder them all. This sacrificial act of putting her relationship with Will in danger of destruction is admired by her father as well as Will's love and honor for what's righteous wins the appreciation from Fin and the Clan MacKintosh leadership.
This was a sweet love story of two young people with only goodness and consideration for each other and the rightness of life's events. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
August 26, 2018
Slow
This is not one of her best. I just felt that the story was stifled. The characters were narrow and really not much happening. The secondary characters could have been more flushed out also
I’m a big fan of this author and I’m just going to chalk this one off as a fluke.
This is not one of her best. I just felt that the story was stifled. The characters were narrow and really not much happening. The secondary characters could have been more flushed out also
I’m a big fan of this author and I’m just going to chalk this one off as a fluke.
March 8, 2019
I really enjoy this series (and many of this author's books), because the plot is based on actual events. Some of the characters are fictional, others fictionalized, but it makes for interesting reading. I love history, so I am always glad to learn more, especially in such a fun way.
March 1, 2020
A delightful historical romance!
I really enjoyed this novel. That true love can develop quickly is an experience I believe in and have personally done. The story is complex yet sounding character. I would recommend it to any romantic reader. Thank you, Jack.
I really enjoyed this novel. That true love can develop quickly is an experience I believe in and have personally done. The story is complex yet sounding character. I would recommend it to any romantic reader. Thank you, Jack.
August 6, 2018
I just couldn't get into it.
November 12, 2018
4.5 Star-crossed lovers, family feuds, murder and a solar eclipse make for an interesting tale. I always love Amanda Scott's stories.
October 13, 2019
DNF. I was skipping pages about 12% they way through
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January 15, 2022Skimmed after chapter one. Then skipped ahead after chapter 12.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews