The Scottish Thistle

By Cindy Vallar

Loyalty and honor. A Highland warrior prizes both more than life, and when he swears his oath on the dirk, he must obey or die. Duncan Cameron heeds his chief's order without question, but discovers... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592797121
• ISBN13: 9781592797127
• Release Date: November 2006
• Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.9" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

If you enjoyed Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, you have to read The Scottish Thistle!

The Scottish Thistle Synopsis: Thistle is a masked hero of the Highlands, akin to Robin Hood but Thistle helps smuggle goods into the Highlands instead of stealing from the rich. Like Robin Hood, Thistle shares the food and riches with those that need it most. When the book opens with "Thistle" has saved a man traveling alone from an attack. Thistle and his men aid injured Duncan Cameron and take him to their secret quarters. Duncan Cameron had traveled into the territory searching for the outlawed MacGregor clan with a missive from his lord Lochiel that will require the fiercely independent Rory MacGregor to fulfill her father's decades old promise to marry a person of Lochiel's choosing. This early promise was made as a way to offer Rory the protection of a powerful clan and to give the MacGregor's a better future. They had not expected Rory to become chieftain of the MacGregors. As chieftain, Rory agrees to marry Duncan Cameron but imposes two conditions: the marriage will be of short duration and it will not be consumated. Duncan agrees to the marriage because his lord demands it, but he agrees to Rory's conditions because he has come to respect and love her. Rory and Duncan slowly settle in to married life on Cameron lands, but their peaceful existence is shattered when the Stewarts ask longtime supporters to aid their return to the throne. Bonnie Prince Charlie drags Rory, Duncan, and all they love into the deadly battle. Review: If you enjoyed Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, you will surely love The Scottish Thistle. It combines political intrigue, Scottish history, and a powerful love story. Rory MacGregor is strong, courageous, gifted and loyal - she takes on all odds to save those that she loves. Rory is well matched with Duncan Cameron. Duncan is an unmatched warrior and a leader who will fight to the end. While the details of the love story of Rory MacGregor and Duncan Cameron are different from those of Diana Gabaldon's Claire and Jamie, you will find yourself equally admiring of their courage and will and rooting for their survival. I thoroughly enjoyed The Scottish Thistle and recommend it highly! Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC (November 20, 2006) 420 pages. Review copy courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Promotion Tours and the publisher.

Awesome!

I stumbled on to this book by accident but what a TREASURE! Fans of Diana Gabaldon's Jamie Fraser will love Rory and Duncan. The period of the '45 Rising is a familiar one but this story approaches it from a slightly different aspect. I read until 2am to finish the story. Didn't want it to end and...as with Jamie and Claire Fraser....I want to know what happened to Rory and Duncan. If you enjoy historical fiction set in Scotland this book is a MUST!!! 5 STARS!!!! Can hardly wait for the next book from Cindy Vallar.

Warning: You are about to be transported to the 18th century Scottish Highlands!

From page one of The Scottish Thistle, the reader is thrown into heart-thumping action as the hero, Duncan Cameron, is about to be murdered by robbers. Rescued at the last minute by the mysterious Thistle, a champion of the poor and protector of the outlaw Clan MacGregor, Duncan is brought to the hidden MacGregor village. When he recovers from his wounds, Duncan informs the clan leader that he has been sent by Lochiel, chief of the clan Cameron, to honor the pledge of an ancestor and marry a lady of the clan, Rory MacGregor, a union which pleases neither of them. The Scottish Thistle is unlike other arranged marriage stories where the couple begin their relationship begrudgingly only to end up falling in love, because Rory is unlike any heroine. She's the chief of her clan, a warrior who can best any man in battle. Embittered by a painful past, she neither needs a man to protect her, nor desires one, and finds loving and trusting anyone extremely difficult. However, being the true leader she is, she marries Duncan because it aids in securing the safety of her people. The Scottish Thistle is a brilliant historical epic of a tumultuous time in Scottish history when Scotland's and Britain's political wars became intertwined in a battle for the British throne. Step by step, Cindy Vallar takes us on a journey through the Scottish Highlands, to the lowlands, and all the way to England, immersing us in the language, the culture, the customs, and the magnificent surroundings of these powerful people. Drawn in by her exquisite historical detail and heart-warming characterizations, we become a part of the events surrounding the Stuart uprising seen through the eyes of Rory and Duncan, two unlikely lovers who find themselves at first thrown together against their will, and then torn apart by war in a world where duty and honor prevail. If you're looking for a mushy romance, this is not your book. If you're looking for an escape into 18th century Scotland where you can smell the heather, feel the damp moss under your feet, the cool mist seep into your bones, and where you are a part of the struggles, wars, and heartaches of the Scottish people, then you'll love this book. I highly recommend The Scottish Thistle for all lovers of history, Scotland, adventure, and romance.

Heartsick but Happy

The Scottish Thistle started out really good, made me heartsick in the middle and ended on a joyful note. Cindy Vallar did try hard to explain the Scottish language she uses throughout the book, but missed a few here and there. Overall, it was a delightful book. Duncan and Rory were perfectly matched. I would love to see a sequel of the new adventures.

A highly recommended novel of strength and survival

Set in 1745 Scotland, an era marked by bloodshed and rebellion, The Scottish Thistle is an deftly written historical novel of uneasy alliances, a call to arms, and a blood oath sworn and reinforced through a marriage of strangers. Chieftain Rory MacGregroy puts her clan's welfare ahead of her own and weds a stranger. Then an oath sworn on the dirk compels Duncan Cameron to forge an uneasy alliance with Rory, unaware that a Stewart prince comes to the Highlands to wage war against the usurper who sits upon the throne. The Scottish Thistle is a powerful and highly recommended novel of strength and survival, conflicted love and compelling duty, spotlighting the intricacy of Scottish war and politics.