Balfour & Maldie
In this book, the first of the trilogy regarding the Murry boys at the start of the Highland series, one is happy to find a good story. This is way back in the family bloodline - almost to the very beginning - starting in the early part of the 15th century. Balfour is a worthy hero and warrior. Upon engaging in an unsuccessful battle, he runs across a gal on the side of the rode. She is a healer with a secret and a need for allies and his brother is injured in need of a healer. As if fated (although not predicted by magic) to meet, they do. She offers aid in the hopes that she can gain allies in the plot she has set upon. Keeping secrets from the men who offer her protection and alliance, she does heal Balfour's brother. While healing Nigel, Maldie and Balfour fall in love. His holdings are close to where she need to visit in order to carry out her plot. She is bent upon a revenge to keep a promise born of hate from her mother's dying request. Along the way, the Murray clan become dear to her and it is found that she is related to one of the "foster" Murrays. Nigel and Balfour both love the woman and it causes angst for Nigel who has his own story in the second of the trilogy. Danger lurks for Eric Murray and Maldie causes her own angst in trying to complete her plot but gets caught while trying to do so. The story becomes one of more than Balfour fighting a war at a neighboring castle for just to regain a kidnapped brother, but to save Maldie. During the midst her story is told and the depth of the story is fully found out. A war that has lasted over 13 years is found to have been one without merit - just death by unsavory lairds that have conquered the neighboring castle and taken it without the birthright to do so - even murdering their own family members to gain the hold. The whole story is good - and one can feel the next stories coming. This one is told well enough that a reader wishes to read the next couple of books for sure.
