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How To Steal A Highlander
A Modern Thief
Katherine Goldman is a professional with world-class skills who never misses a deadline. Yet the expertise of Goldman & Associates doesn't lie within the scope of legitimate commerce, but in the underground sphere of stealing priceless treasures and delivering them to the highest bidder.
And business is good.
Katherine lands in Scotland to boost some relics before they are unveiled at a museum exhibit. But what she discovers is shocking -- nothing in the experience of this notorious thief has prepared her to collide with a dark, rakish man wearing plaid -- who happens to be trapped inside a mirror.
A Man Imprisoned in Time
Centuries before, Simeon Campbell had no idea the woman he charmed was a dark witch of unspeakable power. When Simeon refused her gift of immortality, he quickly learned there is no wrath like that of a woman scorned.
Cursed to spend eternity within the bonds of her enchantment, Simeon is lost in time and nearly bereft of hope. Until he's accidentally released into the care of a woman with questionable motives, in a century he could never have imagined...
One Wicked Curse
As the pair plunge into a journey to outfox the jilted witch, danger and tempting desire trail them at every turn. Considering Katherine's disguises and the flair for which this modern lass can pick a lock, Simeon is unsure if she can be trusted. Yet this man of honor is determined to stop at nothing to save the woman he has sworn to protect.
In order for Simeon to uphold his vow, he'll travel back in time, willing to pay the ultimate price if necessary. But Katherine insists if Simeon is determined to defeat ancient evil at its source, he's going to need help.
He's going to need a thief.
Katherine Goldman is a professional with world-class skills who never misses a deadline. Yet the expertise of Goldman & Associates doesn't lie within the scope of legitimate commerce, but in the underground sphere of stealing priceless treasures and delivering them to the highest bidder.
And business is good.
Katherine lands in Scotland to boost some relics before they are unveiled at a museum exhibit. But what she discovers is shocking -- nothing in the experience of this notorious thief has prepared her to collide with a dark, rakish man wearing plaid -- who happens to be trapped inside a mirror.
A Man Imprisoned in Time
Centuries before, Simeon Campbell had no idea the woman he charmed was a dark witch of unspeakable power. When Simeon refused her gift of immortality, he quickly learned there is no wrath like that of a woman scorned.
Cursed to spend eternity within the bonds of her enchantment, Simeon is lost in time and nearly bereft of hope. Until he's accidentally released into the care of a woman with questionable motives, in a century he could never have imagined...
One Wicked Curse
As the pair plunge into a journey to outfox the jilted witch, danger and tempting desire trail them at every turn. Considering Katherine's disguises and the flair for which this modern lass can pick a lock, Simeon is unsure if she can be trusted. Yet this man of honor is determined to stop at nothing to save the woman he has sworn to protect.
In order for Simeon to uphold his vow, he'll travel back in time, willing to pay the ultimate price if necessary. But Katherine insists if Simeon is determined to defeat ancient evil at its source, he's going to need help.
He's going to need a thief.
258 pages, Paperback
Published June 7, 2018
2 people want to read
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October 30, 2018
This was a fun little bit of brain candy. Kate is an accomplished professional thief who comes from a family of thieves. There’s conflict between her and Murray, the head of this little gang of international thieves. She’s being sent to Scotland to acquire a few items. That’s where she bumps into Simeon who is trapped in an enchanted mirror. He’s been there since 7th century and his style of ordering Kate to free him doesn’t go over well with her. The flirtation and lusty looks start immediately.
The pacing is fast, the characters simple and easy to grasp, and the sexytimes are hot. There’s that fun adjustment period as Simeon has to figure out 21st century plumbing, dress codes, and women. Then there’s the quest back to 7th century Scotland and a battle with the evil witch Isobel.
Besides the sexytimes, there’s insta-lust and near insta-love between our two main characters. There’s immediate insta-love between two minor characters later in the story which I rolled my eyes a little at. The characters are pretty one dimensional but I wasn’t here for deep characters and integral plot. The lust and flirtatious behavior between Simeon and Kate was amusing and sometimes had me chuckling.
I especially liked Kate’s hand to hand combat skills. She was no fainting daisy… well, except that once. She’s not above using tactics to keep Simeon from harm, which was great. I wasn’t too thrilled at her chosen profession but perhaps she’s ready for career change.
Simeon… well, his name kept me thinking of ‘simian’, as in monkey or ape. It’s not Simeon’s fault, but I couldn’t help but mentally picturing a well muscled ape in a kilt. As a character, he was good in the bedroom and rather just typical archetype the rest of the time.
Kate’s brother, Ian, was fun but we don’t get much about him. We get even less on Sofia, Simeon’s sister. Also, I would have liked more about the witch Isobel as her motivations were pretty thin. All together, it was a fun bit of fluff though I would have liked a different name for Simeon and a little more character depth. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Greg Patmore has a beautifully rich Scottish accent for Simeon. I really enjoyed how he played this character and I especially appreciated his performance for the bedroom scenes. However, his female voices need more femininity. Quite a bit more femininity. His pacing is good and he did have distinct voices for all the characters. 4/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Olivia Norem. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
The pacing is fast, the characters simple and easy to grasp, and the sexytimes are hot. There’s that fun adjustment period as Simeon has to figure out 21st century plumbing, dress codes, and women. Then there’s the quest back to 7th century Scotland and a battle with the evil witch Isobel.
Besides the sexytimes, there’s insta-lust and near insta-love between our two main characters. There’s immediate insta-love between two minor characters later in the story which I rolled my eyes a little at. The characters are pretty one dimensional but I wasn’t here for deep characters and integral plot. The lust and flirtatious behavior between Simeon and Kate was amusing and sometimes had me chuckling.
I especially liked Kate’s hand to hand combat skills. She was no fainting daisy… well, except that once. She’s not above using tactics to keep Simeon from harm, which was great. I wasn’t too thrilled at her chosen profession but perhaps she’s ready for career change.
Simeon… well, his name kept me thinking of ‘simian’, as in monkey or ape. It’s not Simeon’s fault, but I couldn’t help but mentally picturing a well muscled ape in a kilt. As a character, he was good in the bedroom and rather just typical archetype the rest of the time.
Kate’s brother, Ian, was fun but we don’t get much about him. We get even less on Sofia, Simeon’s sister. Also, I would have liked more about the witch Isobel as her motivations were pretty thin. All together, it was a fun bit of fluff though I would have liked a different name for Simeon and a little more character depth. 3.5/5 stars.
The Narration: Greg Patmore has a beautifully rich Scottish accent for Simeon. I really enjoyed how he played this character and I especially appreciated his performance for the bedroom scenes. However, his female voices need more femininity. Quite a bit more femininity. His pacing is good and he did have distinct voices for all the characters. 4/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Olivia Norem. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
March 13, 2019
*Contains spoilers*
How to Steal a Highlander is a time-travelling romance about an independent American woman who falls for a handsome 17 Century Scottish Highlander.
I really liked the premise, and instantly warmed to Simeon and Ian’s characters. However, I found Kat to be really tough to like, or develop any real interest in. Compared to Simeon her character was really flat and rather dull, despite attempts to make her into a ‘feisty heroine’.
Simeon’s character had warmth, humour, and charm, and Kat’s brother Ian was very likeable and fit nicely into the story. Kat’s character development never really felt believable and was a bit disjointed. Her role in the story is to follow the well-worn trope where the female protagonist starts off remote and determined not to let anyone in, but gradually softens when she meets the right man. (Taming of the Shrew, anyone?) In this story, however, the jump from unattainable to declaring undying love is so abrupt and out of character that rather than feeling like a dramatic epiphany it just feels unrealistic. It was a shame, because I was genuinely interested in Simeon’s character, and could really have invested in this story had it been well written.
My overall opinion was that it reads like Outlander fanfic by an amateur author who has potential but needs a good editor and an honest critique group. The sex scenes, in particular, need a lot of work. At present they just don’t quite hit the mark. There’s a lot of description about how Simeon has the body of an Adonis and is the most magnificent, proficient lover, but very little to back these assertions up. Kat is also supposed to be a confident and assertive woman, but is incredibly passive in the majority of their encounters. I don’t particularly like sex scenes that are too explicit, but if you’re going to let desire and emotion drive them then you really need to invest the time in building the anticipation and exploring the effect that burgeoning need has on both characters.
The narrator, Greg Patmore, did a great job with Simeon’s voice in particular. Kat’s I didn’t like, but through no fault of his. The narrator’s slightly whiny and disinterested tone for Kat suited the character, but didn’t help me to warm to her. His Scottish and Irish accents were deliciously warm and engaging, and I would gladly listen to him narrate in either accent (plus his English, male accent) in future.
As a straight woman, I really wanted to hear more from Simeon’s perspective during their amorous liaisons. It was all just a bit too dismissive and lazy. Don’t just tell me he was the perfect lover, make me believe it. Don't just have him (jarringly anachronistically) say "you're so wet and hot for me", really build up his need and desperation considering he's been devoid of any companionship for centuries.
I might try other books by this author as some of her characters were engaging and I liked the ideas she explored in the book, just not their execution. It often felt rushed and lazily written, which was a shame as it could have been much better. It wasn't *bad* it just wasn't as good as it could have been. I don't know much about the author, Olivia Norem, but I think perhaps that this book could be one of her early works. It bears several of the hallmarks of a good storyteller, but lacks the polish that would make it stand out, or have me raring for the next one. I'd like to see how Norem grows as a writer, and perhaps look into later books if this was indeed an early attempt.
I'd recommend this book if you’re looking for a throwaway fantasy. If you just want to read a soppy, vaguely-erotic romance about an old-fashioned man in a kilt, then have at it. You’ll enjoy the book. But if you want a sultry Historical Romance that you can really connect with, then I think other authors (Tessa Dare to name one) do it better.
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
How to Steal a Highlander is a time-travelling romance about an independent American woman who falls for a handsome 17 Century Scottish Highlander.
I really liked the premise, and instantly warmed to Simeon and Ian’s characters. However, I found Kat to be really tough to like, or develop any real interest in. Compared to Simeon her character was really flat and rather dull, despite attempts to make her into a ‘feisty heroine’.
Simeon’s character had warmth, humour, and charm, and Kat’s brother Ian was very likeable and fit nicely into the story. Kat’s character development never really felt believable and was a bit disjointed. Her role in the story is to follow the well-worn trope where the female protagonist starts off remote and determined not to let anyone in, but gradually softens when she meets the right man. (Taming of the Shrew, anyone?) In this story, however, the jump from unattainable to declaring undying love is so abrupt and out of character that rather than feeling like a dramatic epiphany it just feels unrealistic. It was a shame, because I was genuinely interested in Simeon’s character, and could really have invested in this story had it been well written.
My overall opinion was that it reads like Outlander fanfic by an amateur author who has potential but needs a good editor and an honest critique group. The sex scenes, in particular, need a lot of work. At present they just don’t quite hit the mark. There’s a lot of description about how Simeon has the body of an Adonis and is the most magnificent, proficient lover, but very little to back these assertions up. Kat is also supposed to be a confident and assertive woman, but is incredibly passive in the majority of their encounters. I don’t particularly like sex scenes that are too explicit, but if you’re going to let desire and emotion drive them then you really need to invest the time in building the anticipation and exploring the effect that burgeoning need has on both characters.
The narrator, Greg Patmore, did a great job with Simeon’s voice in particular. Kat’s I didn’t like, but through no fault of his. The narrator’s slightly whiny and disinterested tone for Kat suited the character, but didn’t help me to warm to her. His Scottish and Irish accents were deliciously warm and engaging, and I would gladly listen to him narrate in either accent (plus his English, male accent) in future.
As a straight woman, I really wanted to hear more from Simeon’s perspective during their amorous liaisons. It was all just a bit too dismissive and lazy. Don’t just tell me he was the perfect lover, make me believe it. Don't just have him (jarringly anachronistically) say "you're so wet and hot for me", really build up his need and desperation considering he's been devoid of any companionship for centuries.
I might try other books by this author as some of her characters were engaging and I liked the ideas she explored in the book, just not their execution. It often felt rushed and lazily written, which was a shame as it could have been much better. It wasn't *bad* it just wasn't as good as it could have been. I don't know much about the author, Olivia Norem, but I think perhaps that this book could be one of her early works. It bears several of the hallmarks of a good storyteller, but lacks the polish that would make it stand out, or have me raring for the next one. I'd like to see how Norem grows as a writer, and perhaps look into later books if this was indeed an early attempt.
I'd recommend this book if you’re looking for a throwaway fantasy. If you just want to read a soppy, vaguely-erotic romance about an old-fashioned man in a kilt, then have at it. You’ll enjoy the book. But if you want a sultry Historical Romance that you can really connect with, then I think other authors (Tessa Dare to name one) do it better.
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews