Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch

The Curse of Clan Dalreagh - Two Highlander Romances (The Lady's Guide...)

By: Emmanuelle de Maupassant

Narrated by: Gareth J Davies

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Through the ages, Castle Dunrannoch has been a place of intrigue, ambition, and more than the occasional murder!

As the Christmas snow falls deep, our two intrepid heroines, Flora and Ursula, face danger within the ancient fortress walls.

Can they discover the truth before their loved ones meet a grisly end?

Two things are certain. No lionhearted lady can turn a blind eye when there is a mystery to be solved.

And no laird's heart is safe when our heroines sweep into action.

'Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch' features two stories from the 'Lady's Guide' series:

The Lady's Guide to a Highlander's Heart

The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem

Discover more in 'The Lady's Guide' series: historical romance brimming with adventure and passion.

Each can be listened to as a 'stand alone' and in any order.

The Lady's Guide to Scandal

The Lady's Guide to Deception and Desire

The Lady's Guide to Escaping Cannibals

The Lady's Guide to Well-Endowed Dukes

The Lady's Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian Count

©2019, 2020 Emmanuelle de Maupassant (P)2021 Emmanuelle de Maupassant

Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch

I loved the first book this bundle, The Lady’s Guide to a Highlander’s Heart 5 ⭐️
An arranged marriage to stop the feuding but on their wedding night her father is murdered. Flora decides to get revenge on the murder and runs off. Her husband stays and runs the clan and when Flora returns she must face her husband. The mystery was good the narrator was good, all and all an enjoyable read.

I liked the 2nd book in this series too, but it took me a bit longer to connect with the characters. Still very enjoyable.

The narrator was good and made the book that much more enjoyable. I also liked the special effects added to the narration which is different but worked.

Narrated with added sound effects and music

I received this audiobook boxset as a gift from the author as I’m signed up for her newsletter. I’m writing this review voluntarily and my opinions are my own.

Okay, so I know you shouldn’t judge a (audiobook by its cover, but its absolutely gorgeous.

1. The Lady’s Guide to a Highlander’s Heart

Scotland 1166
Flora Dalreagh is an laird’s daughter and betrothed to her cousin/stepbrother when her father decided differently. She’s to be married to Ragnall instead. When the festivities are still in full force, Flora finds her father slaughtered, and she suspects her new husband.
It’s a short story so there isn’t much room for character development but I couldn’t help liking both Flora and Ragnall and rooting for their happy ending.


2. The Lady’s Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem

We jump forward in time to the end of the nineteenth century.
The curse of the Dalreagh clan is on in full force and heirs to the title are dropping like flies. So, the family matriarch sets about to find his heir from a estranged son in Texas. Meanwhile Ursula is fleeing from London and a ruthless uncle who’s intent on getting her inheritance.

Like the first book in this bundle, the story is short and over fast. The beginning feels a bit rushed, but I genuinely liked the characters and the story.

I also enjoyed the narrator, his accents, and the old Scottish wording. I even loved his Texas drawl more. The audiobook is a bit different from what I’m used to, it’s more like a radio play. I’m still undecided if I like it or not. I would have preferred dual narration, I think.

A solid 4-star!

Enchanting!

Flora Dalreagh is pledged to Ragnell, Laird of Balmore, by her father's word. She is young and Ragnell has promised her father that she will have one year before he takes her as his "real" wife. The night of Flora and Ragnall's handfasting, her father is murdered and she's certain that her new husband is guilty. She plans her revenge, but Ragnell's kindness has her doubting her suspicions. There's an enemy within the family, committed to becoming the new chieftain and laird. Flora is a resilient woman and decides to write a journal of questions she has regarding life and marriage. This book will appear throughout the series and its wisdom is intriguing. With appealing characters, plenty of love and passion," and an intriguing story line, this love story will capture the imagination of fans of romantic fiction.

When Ursula's (Miss Abernathy) father died, she found that her uncle was able to make decisions regarding her life and also it was his expectation that she would marry his son, but she silently refuses. On her birthday, she will come into her inheritance but, in the meantime, she needs to change her identity. No one can know that she's a Lady, not if she needs to find employment. Rye, the new Viscount of Balmore, just received the title from his father on his deathbed. He is now head of the family but has no idea what to do, especially socially. He spent his life in Texas, and now he's returning to Scotland. He doesn't know the rituals and A chance meeting has him hiring Ursula as a tutor to teach him the social graces. He doesn't know what he's expected to do in society, other than to choose one of his cousins that he's being pressured to take as his wife. That's not something he wants to consider, especially after seeing and spending time with Ursula. They really are made for each other and Ursula doesn't waste any time asking for what she wants. Rye knows, without a doubt, that this is the woman he wants to marry. They are so sweet together and their passion is unmistakable. There is danger lurking to harm them, and the source is a big surprise. This is a story that makes my heart soar!
Gareth Davies does an exceptional job with the narration. His dynamic voice, intonation and range bring this story to life!

Intriguing, passionate novellas!

There’s a curse upon the male heir of the Dalreagh clan: he is likely to meet an untimely death. Both novels, or novellas, deal with the curse, the men who could be killed by it and the women who fight for them, and take place in same castle during the Christmas holidays.  The first story is quite dark and it fits the Middle Ages perfectly.  Flora wants to revenge his father, whom she thinks has been killed by her betrothed, Ragnall. But then she gets to know him better and… Flora is a wonderful character, strong and brave, and she’s wonderfully fleshed out by the author. The passion she shares with Ragnall is scorching and Emmanuelle does a magnificent job at describing their interaction. The villain of the story is a real villain. No redemption for him!

The second story takes place in the same castle, but at the beginning of the 20th century. Ursula is trying to escape his uncle who would like to see her married with his son and settled as a meek, obedient wife, but she’s a willful woman who wants to forge her own path in life. So she poses as a governess, but the “child” she’s supposed to teach manners to is in reality a very grown and handsome man from Texas… I liked this second novella much more than the previous one, because is less dark, more fun and has a little gothic twist to it. Emmanuelle is always a master at describing feelings and passion and here she’s at her best. Definitely worth reading.
The narrator is very very good!

A Lively Pairing of Highlander Romances

This holiday offering has two separate novellas in it, one medieval (The Curse of Clan Dalreagh) and the other Edwardian (The Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem).

I enjoyed both novellas, though I will admit at first I expected to like the medieval one better but it turned out the Edwardian one is better rounded and has a lot of humor and good character development. I felt like the first novella bogged down a little, so if you're reading or listening, hang on, you'll get your happy ending.

One feature of these audiobooks is the addition of 'sound effects' and music, which makes them more like radio broadcasts than simple audiobooks, that is very satisfying. More books should include Foley work, I think, this was fun. Four and a half stars, and would be five but the first heroine was a bit repetitive and impulsive.

Two passionate romances to heat up your Christmas

I love the Lady's Guide series of books from Emmanuelle and the these are two of the best. In The Lady's Guide to the Highlander's Heart, murder, treachery, misunderstanding and grief cause Flora to want to murder her hand-fasted husband-to-be before their first night is over. The result is a very steamy seduction (oh yeah), enlightenment and finally love as Flora realizes that she has almost made a dire mistake. I love the action, drama and strong attraction of the main characters as they struggle to put things right. Great romance! And the first edition of the Lady's Guide is started with Flora, as it is added to over the generation of women in the family.
In the Lady's Guide to Mistletoe and Mayhem, once again the bagpiper ghost of the family tolls death to the clan and a stranger to Scotland must step up to the plate to become the new earl to the Scottish clan. Having the main character come from a Texas ranch and try to fit in with the Scottish clan is great fun and adventure. He encounters Ursula who is there under an assumed identity to avoid her uncle's marriage plans and sparks fly. She is supposed to teach him to be an earl and function in polite society and he shows her great understanding and acceptance of her independent and ambitious dreams. And of course there is great passion and romance! All set at Christmas in Scotland. What's not to love?