Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Ian MacDonald and his cousins, Connor, Duncan and Alex, visit their relative, the old seer, Tearlag, who tells them to stay close together if they hope to survive. And in this rough and tumble, Highland romantic adventure, the cousins do survive, although Duncan and Connor suffer life-threatening wounds. Ian, Alex, Connor and Duncan fight off other clansmen, as well as fellow MacDonalds who are happy to kill them to be leader of all the MacDonalds. Five years prior, Ian was forced into marriage with prepubescent, gawky Sileas after shielding her from her dreadful step-father, Murdoc. Now five years has passed and a grown-up Sileas is no longer gawky but beautiful, the object of Ian's desires. The romantic play between Ian and Sileas is believable and original. Their evolving love-making adds to the story and is not just three pages of steamy sex. There are good literary devices throughout The Guardian, such as using Gordon as Sileas' potential suitor and the Green Lady of Knock Castle as Sileas' unearthly protector.

The Guardian has a good plot with twists and turns that make it a first-rate story. The use of humor in the text adds to its appeal, and the dialogue throughout is authentic without being overdone. Sometimes Highland romantic novels use too much native dialect which detracts from the story. Not so in The Guardian. The author's use of suspense is excellent. For instance, at story's end, Murdoc threatens to rape Sileas, and the reader will be caught up in whether he gets away with it or whether Ian will be able to come to his wife's rescue. A romp of a read!