Ever since reading The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, I’ve been a bit of a sucker for books about men in kilts. This has occasionally caused me to pick up some disappointing books, but this time my obsession served me well. On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens is set in Scotland in the 1200′s. Life is lived with the constant threat of Norsemen raiding from the north, and marriages are for the purpose of strengthening the clan. Margaret McDonald is looking forward to marriage to Lachlan Ross when she is given cause to question his ability to make a good husband. While deciding whether or not to go through with the marriage, her village is raided and Irishman Gannon McMagnus comes to help defend Scotland’s shores, causing her doubts to grow.

This is fascinating historical fiction, detailing battles, family life, and Scottish pagentry, with a lovely romance thrown in.