Highland Blessings

By Jennifer Hudson Taylor

-Scotland, 1473


The MacKenzie and MacPhearson clans have been warring for many years. Bryce MacPhearson kidnaps Akira MacKenzie, the clan leader’s daughter, on her wedding day to keep a promise to his dying father.

Ten years earlier his father, the MacPhearson clan leader, had signed an agreement with Akira’s father to attempt to end the hostilities between the clans by arranging for Akira, then just a child, to marry his son. However, he was killed on his way back to MacPhearson castle, and only his sons know of the arrangement.

After Akira is forced to marry Bryce she chooses to act in accordance with 1 Peter 3:1,2 (Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives) and models exemplary faith and unites with her husband in an effort to end the bloodshed. However, someone appears to be trying to thwart their efforts, and they will stop at nothing, including murder.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The author has clearly spent many hours researching the era and the traditions of that time. The Scottish Highlands really come to life with her vivid descriptions. From looming castles to sword fights, family crests, and clan plaids every detail is brilliant. The author also accurately describes the problems that arose because Bible were scarce and the few that existed were in Latin.

It has both action and romance, but what I most appreciated about the book was how strongly Akira’s faith came through. It seems that so often Christian fiction are just books that mention God, but this truly is a God-honoring book that is full of faith and will encourage you in your walk with the Lord.

You can download the first chapter HERE.

Also, visit Jennifer Hudson Taylor's blog: http://www.authorjenniferhudsontaylor.com/