Ahhhh, Ms. Forester. I just finished her three book Series Highlander:
1. The Highlander's Sword (2010)
2. The Highlander's Heart (2011)
3. True Highlander Spirit (2012)
There are truly not enough acclaiming adjectives in the English language to describe this series. The writing was superb, the stories were riveting, the characters were believable, adorable, endearing, enchanting, likeable, despicable, and loving, the settings were warming, enveloping, detailed, and the history was fantastic. Wow. My only bad thing to say is that this is all I can find that Ms. Forester has written in this genre.
From my research, Ms. Forester has a PhD in Clinical Psychology as well as a Masters in Theology. Her character insight was enveloping, as there was no mistaking who they believed themselves to be, how they carried themselves, what they believed in, and how they lived. It was true to form from the first written word to the last. Each character was unique until to him or herself and I never felt like these books were written from a formula or on a whim. And, unlike some series, the third book was the absolute BEST. The heroine in that book is delightful, mesmerizing, astonishing, fabulous, witty, and childlike in some scenarios and beyond her years in others. I felt for her, with her and about her through very word on the page.
I highly recommend that when you do read these, and urge you I do, to read them, read the Author's Note at the end of each book. This outlines the historical significance of each event, the actual history behind it and where she took poetic license.
As a side note, there is that stigma "out there" that Romance books are just a load of rubbish centered around two people with puppy dog eyes and how they overcome enormously exaggerated obstacles to come together to live happily ever after. Rot! From researching many an author before I read any of their works (via their own websites or any others that mention them) I have found that their books are written after extensive fact finding through personal experiences, interviews, visiting of historic sights, and their own readings Many romance authors do, what seems like to me, almost as much research as an author of a biography or book on a particular historic event. Ms. Forester is no exception to this painstaking (albeit probably highly enjoyable and thought provoking) process to make the love stories in her books not only believable, but historically accurate (almost to a fault.) She, however, is not the only author that follows this principle. I have found that when a certain subject comes up in conversation, I can recall a romance book that I have read that includes that time period and I am able to add to the dialogue based on the historic references provided.
So, go to your local library, book store, or website and borrow or purchase Amanda Forester's Highlander series, all three of them, and sit down with your favorite beverage and snack and dig in. Though shalt not be disappointed!!!!!!
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