Highlander Betrayed

Guardians of the Targe, Book 1

By: Laurin Wittig

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Deep in the rugged Scottish countryside lies the Highland Targe, an ancient relic that, along with its Guardian, protects the heart of the Highlands.

For centuries, the MacAlpin clan has watched over the Targe, but Lady Elspet, the current Guardian, is gravely ill. Her niece Rowan MacGregor, the rock of the family, is doing everything she can to hold her clan together when she meets Nicholas fitz Hugh.

Handsome and charming, Nicholas quickly joins clan life - yet he is not what he seems. A cunning spy, Nicholas is charged by the king of England with stealing the Targe, part of a plot to break the Scottish rebellion.

Despite his loyalty to the king, Nicholas finds himself falling for beautiful Rowan. When Lady Elspet's health worsens and the guardianship is in question, Nicholas must choose between the king’s will and his own. Can he betray his king and mission? Or will he turn on the woman he loves and the family he has come to care for?

©2013 Laurin Wittig (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Unusual storyline--Awesome Narrator!

In this unusual story we are transplanted into Scotland, 1307.

In Part ONE we get to know the cast of characters, details of the Clan, their home and surrounding countryside--the beginning of romantic love, with a little suspense to keep the listener wondering what will happen next.

Part TWO changes dramatically -- full of danger, desire, intrigue, murder, grief, betrayal, power! …made even more exciting by the very talented Phil Gigante.

I'm not a fan of paranormal elements, but Laurin Wittig carefully weaves it into the tale in a way that it adds greater depth and emotion to the story. It's an integral part of the history of the clan.

The ending is unfinished and leaves you wanting more…I'm assuming it's to be continued in Book 2 of the Guardians of the Targe trilogy.

absolutely have to read this book

Where does Highlander Betrayed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is a 10

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love I loved all the lassies they all bring different things to the books but all needed as well

Which character – as performed by Phil Gigante – was your favorite?

good narrator does all the characters well don't have a favorite all of them are

His Heart was betrayed

Laurin Wittig , what a beautiful love story you bring us. A story of trust, betrayal surrender and love. You brought that to us in Rowen and Nicolas. This book is a page turner . Loved it
Thank you

Friendship, Treachery & Harnessing Mystical Gifts.

Well, I'm not sure what I was expecting when I read this book, but it's not that the book was a disappointment, but not what I expected. It seemed like the book was setting a foundation for the series...but not in the typical way.

The best part of this listen was the incredible narrator....WOW, what a voice! Phil Gigante has a gigantic talent in voicing. I was even pleased with the female voices. Wow, what a dreamy, throaty, sultry voice!

I liked the leads & other characters in the book. The leads, Nicholas and Rowan were interesting and had great chemistry. This book was about their friendship, courtship, bonding and at the very end of the book (last 5-8 minutes literally) their marriage & consummation. I liked how Nicholas became Rowan's coach, encourager and strength when she was learning to harness the power of her gift in relation to the Targe.

The book left you hooked as the epilogue revealed the Kind of England's wrath about the outcome of his mission and his next move to capture the Targe......so creepy & scary. It leaves you with the feeling that NIcholas & Rowan have not reached their "ever after." There is a lot more adventure & danger for the clan in store for them.

Fantastic and Mesmerizing

I loved, this story! The narrator Phil Gigante brought the story to life and I was transported to the Highlands. I very highly recommend this audio book!

Adventure, Action, Fantasy, and Romance

When I saw this book was read by Phil Gigante I had to give it a listen....he can make a mediocre book sound wonderful. I was delighted to find out this book was good on its own and he made it even better.

This book is packed with adventure from the start. Nicholas is a spy who is sent to the Highlands on a mission only to find out that his love for Rowan is stronger than deception. Nicholas has to prove himself to Rowan as well as the clan. Rowan is a woman who determined, loyal, and learns how to handle the dishonesty and choose to forgive.

The author wrote the book so that even the minor characters had intriguing personalities. There was so much detail to their personalities and mannerisms they didn't seem so minor. This increased the depth and funny moments of the story which added to the appeal of the book as a whole.

If you enjoy a good highland tale filled with fantasy, adventure, and more romance than sex...then this is for you. I will be pre-ordering the next in the series.

good story but slow to start

Nicholas & Rowan: trigger: sexual assault (slight), assault. This book is a touch fantastical as there is some magic involved. I found the story slow in the beginning and for a romance it's definitely a slow burn but it's interesting enough if you can get through the first half. Nicholas is a half breed so to speak, half English, half Scottish. He has been sent by the English King to this Scottish clan to locate and take the Scotland targe. Which essentially something that protects the clan. Now if you look up the word targe, you'll see it's like a shield. The author doesn't not use it in this term. She's made it just a bit more. 😉 Rowan lives with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins with their clan. Her aunt is very sick. There's a big mystery about what's wrong with the aunt and what secrets she and the clan are holding. Nicholas is able to stay with the clan for a time under false pretenses and was he does, he begins to see more in Rowan and can't stop his feelings. He's then left with a choice. Betray the king or the woman he knows he's in love with. The book is very mysterious and mystical. I love how detailed the author is. I just wish there was more of a romantic build up between the main characters. It wasn't a bad read at all, just really long and like I said, slow in the first half.

3.5 Stars. Good But Not Enough Romance

Three and a half stars, but I've selected 4 since it's well written. This is one of those stories that teaches you some history and reflects on human nature, with a little magic to boot. The hero changes course when he discovers there's more to life than achievement. I'm not a big historical romance reader but I sometimes like them as a change from contemporary or paranormal, but I like more romance in a romance novel. Possible SPOILER: Sex is withheld until they marry, at the VERY end. They kiss a few times, develop feelings for each other and of course there's a misunderstanding that nearly ruins everything. Just not enough romance for me.

Phil Gigante did a great job with the narration which helped push the story past 3.5 stars

Who can resist a Highland hunk

I had never read a story written by Lauren Wittig before but when I saw Phil Gigante was the narrator, well I hit the pre-order button without a backwards glance. You see, Phil could read me the phone book and I would sit enthralled for hours. So I figured how bad can it be? Turns out not bad at all.

Ms. Wittig has woven a story rich in history and Scottish lore. While I felt this story was a little skimpy on the romance, thus only four stars, I still felt it was a very good story excellently narrated. The intrigue and plot twists were very refreshing and I was very pleased with my purchase. I wouldn't use my credits since its under $10 but at that price it's definitely worth a listen.

Do you Ken the powers of the highlands?

Kept my attention. A good depiction of the powers of the fairies..... And the power of love.