i was highly anticipating NEVER CROSS A HIGHLANDER for well over a year. I will note this book did get a cover update/edit? and it appears to be to better match the hero's description to include his locs.

What I liked - the heroine=, Ailsa Connery, deserves it all. This poor woman has been through it, and continues to go through it, in this story. Ailsa is Black, of 'mixed birth' per the story, and she is being held as a slave in a court of a Scottish Laird after being kidnapped/retrieved mistakenly from a raid as a 'runaway.' She is abused both physically and verbally by her charge, a spoiled young princess and is threatened with sexual assault and r@pe by multiple people at this court, and on page after she escapes/is 'rescued without her consent' by the hero, Kallum MacNeill.

I do like Kallum, i just wish he and Ailsa had a few more moments to make me believe they were falling in love; there was a whole lot of exposition and explanation that to me took away from the central romance overall. Because dang, when they are together on page was I having fun. Kallum is SEXY and also noble, even if that gets him into some situations and frustrates Ailsa.

And let's talk about how Lisa Rayne wrote the best waterfall sex I've ever read okay? like made my robin hood prince of thieves dreams come true!

overall i'm excited about this series, this author, and i hope as we move forward we get more work; a solid first from her for me.

thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy

Content notes: Ailsa is Black, but of described "mixed birth"; Kallum is a Scottish Highlander and Black. on page sexual assault of heroine, attempted r@pe. physical fights/battles/swords/blood/wounds that come from fighting. Colorism, racism from secondary characters, countered.