Jo Barrett: Highlander’s Challenge

October 24, 2007

Highlander’s Challenge by Jo Barrett
From: The Wild Rose Press

Furious, Tuck stomped down the stairs and outside to the lists. She wanted, needed a good workout. She stopped at the edge of the small field and observed the men as they started their daily routine. The sound of steel against steel reverberated in the air. She caught sight of Michael standing to the side talking to Fiona, his heart in his eyes. No man would ever look at her that way. Least of all, the one she wanted.

With a snarl, she stomped toward the lovebirds. “Fiona, you ready to work out or what?” she said gruffly.

Fiona’s mouth opened and closed as she blinked.

“What mean you?” Michael asked, his face twisted with confusion as his eyes darted between them.

Tuck ignored him, her gaze firmly on Fiona. “Well?”

“I, uh, I suppose.”

“Good,” she said with a firm nod. “Then let’s work over there.”

“In the lists?” she gasped. “Nay, we canna.”

“Why not? It’s the best place to do it. Plenty of room to move around. Come on.” Tuck grabbed her arm and dragged her across to the far corner where the men were few. Michael followed, demanding to know what they were doing.

“You daft females. Do you wish tae get your heads taken off?” he sputtered. “Women dinnae belong in the lists.”

“Mayhap we shouldna do this, Tuck,” Fiona said meekly.

Tuck puffed out a breath and turned on Michael, her hands fisted on her hips. “Look, I’m teaching her how to defend herself. You got a problem with that?”

He scowled. “She doesna need you tae teach her such things. I’ll protect her,” he declared,pounding his chest.

Rolling her eyes, she positioned Fiona where she wanted her and began. “I’m going to show you how to get loose if someone grabs you by the wrist.”

“Fiona, I forbid you tae do this,” Michael barked.

Both women stilled and turned their heads, their faces set in firm scowls.

“You forbid me?” Fiona asked, her hands mimicking Tuck’s, fisted and planted firmly on her hips. “You aren’t my husband yet, Michael Fraser, and I’ll thank you tae be remembering that.”

He clenched his jaw as a crowd grew around them. “Husband or no, your da wouldna approve of this. ‘Tis not fittin’ for a woman tae fight.”

“Geez, not that again,” Tuck muttered. “Fiona, if you want to do this, let’s get on with it.”

“Aye.” She nodded firmly and turned back to Tuck.

“Good. Now, using your free hand, grab the top of your fist and then pull back against the attacker’s grip. Especially against his thumb, it’s the weakest link. By pulling back on your own wrist, you’re pulling his shoulder forward which can interfere with a punch from his other arm. Also, by sinking back, you can shift your weight, giving you a chance to get in a snap kick. You remember that, right?”

“Aye, but I’ll not be able tae do it with my skirts.”

“True, they’d get in the way, but this will give you a chance to run for it. Now, let’s give it a try.”

Tuck acted as the attacker, and they moved in slow motion a time or two to practice. When Tuck felt she was ready, they did it for real.

Michael looked on with his mouth hanging open, apparently stunned that Fiona had disobeyed him. One of the men tossed a wisecrack in their direction, setting his face on fire. Michael squared his shoulders and stepped up beside them.

“Stop this nonsense, Fiona. I’ll not have you lookin’ the fool,” he demanded, slapping his hand on Tuck’s wrist where it sat atop Fiona’s. That was a very…big…mistake. Tuck pulled him forward and kicked him squarely in the stomach. He fell on his butt, gasping for air.

“How’s that for nonsense?” she asked, standing over him. She’d had it with all the women don’t do this crap.

Fiona fell to her knees beside him. “Ach, Michael, are you hurt?” He shook his head, glaring up at Tuck as William and the others laughed at his expense.

“How does it feel tae be beaten by a woman?” one of the men called. “At least she left your nose intact this time, eh Michael?”

“Did she bat her lashes at you before she put you on your arse?” another added. “Or were you struck dumb by her charms?”

Tuck gritted her teeth. That last crack was aimed more at her than Michael, but they’d get their turn, and she’d enjoy every minute of it. But first she had to finish with Fiona’s fiancé. Looking down at him, she asked, “Care to take a shot at me? I kind of owe you one for that sucker punch a while back.”

“I’ll not fight a woman,” he spat, climbing to his feet.

She rolled her eyes heavenward. When would these guys get with the program? Reaching out, she took his arm and flipped him over her back. He landed with a glorious thump at her feet.

Fiona dropped beside him again. “Please, Tuck. Dinnae hurt him.”

Michael shoved her aside as he got back on his feet. Fiona’s begging had hit a soft spot. She could see it in his eyes. He wanted a piece of her so bad he could taste it.

“How about now?” she taunted, eager to get a real work out. She’d hidden out in her room and various other places since that night she’d heard about MacLean’s upcoming wedding. Pouting, of all things. Well not anymore.

Michael’s fists clenched by his sides as the men made a circle around them, laughing and joking, yet he still held back. She grinned at his show of chivalry, admiring how well he was taking the ribbing. But she needed a good fight to get a certain Highlander off her mind, and these guys needed a lesson.

“I tell you what, Michael,” she said. “No punches, no biting, no clawing, just a good old fashioned wrestle. Whoever pins the other, wins. Think you can handle that?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Come on, don’t be a chicken.”

That did the trick. He lunged at her with a roar, but she sadly put him on his back again. The men called and cheered. “Dinnae let her beat you, lad! She’s just a woman!”

She gave him his lead for a while, letting him think he might win. Humiliating him wasn’t on her agenda, but she eventually pinned him, and he grudgingly conceded with a winded grunt. Feeling invigorated, she rose to her feet, dusted off her jeans and turned to the men laughing their kilt-clad butts off.

“What sort of fankle is this?” MacLean blustered, as he and Ian strode into the list.

“The wee lassie here bested Michael in a wrestling match,” William said with a wide grin. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he said, “And a damn fine job she did too.”

Tuck grinned and bowed her head slightly toward the old Highlander who gave her a friendly wink in return. One down and a few dozen to go, she thought, looking over the rest of the men.

I have picked on The Wild Rose Press in the past but was surprised recently to find they had changed their hokey category naming ways. So I decided then and there not to let my initial reaction to them keep me from exploring their writers. I have to admit my surprise at just how well this turned out.

I totally cringe when thinking about my past attempts at reading the Time Travel Romance. Not very good experiences I must say, even though you would think by now I would have run into at least one or two books I could recommend. Unfortunately I have never fully enjoyed the Time Travel Romance genre due to some massive cliches it’s writers tend to use over and over again.

So first off, I did not know that Jo Barrett’s book here was a Time Travel Romance when I bought it. I did not read the blurb so much as clicked buy when I saw the rather nice mantitty kilt cover. Well, thank god for sexy covers!

Amelia Tucker is an ex-military bodyguard hired to protect a wealthy young woman, Jenny Maxwell, from the threat of kidnapping while she goes on tour of the various historical locales of Scotland. While on the Isle of Mull they stop at one of the two castles and visit the gardens and are promptly attacked. Tuck is thrown into a nearby fountain and magically transported to ancient Scotland where she runs into Colin MacLean his well hung Sporran and his good friend Ian about to be ambushed on the road to Arreyder Castle.

Jo Barrett I loved your book. A butt kickin’ young woman launched into a world of honor bound male chauvinism and fighting men in kilts. What a fun time I had. It’s like you took the best part of the whole modern Buffy style heroine found in Paranormal Romance and threw it into the Time Travel Romance stew and wow, what a great idea. It does make the reading go a whole lot easier if your female character can hold her own in the heat of battle.

So did I enjoy everything though? Besides the ideal of historical accuracy which needs to sorta be put away when reading Time Travel Romance. Frankly because I just have not read any that were very accurate. Well OK, um the hero Colin and his buddies are a little too accepting of this strange bad ass woman. I find that happens more often than not in these books. The heroine Tuck may be a bit too much for some readers to take but as I said this style of story in my opinion needs the fresh air a brash female character brings to keep my interest. Last but not least, the reason I am only giving Highlander’s Challenge a B grade at most…

The last few chapters. See, this is one of those books where we got almost all the way to the end on a perfect, original, fun packed, note and then the author did something so forced, so cliche ridden, I almost cried. She has Tuck return to the future to pick up a few things. NO, NO, NO, GOD NO! Let her learn to enjoy her fate and stay right where she landed. Would you throw yourself back into some magical portal after finding the man of your dreams? Hell no, I am a card carrying slut!

So no, the story is not perfect, but damn it came close by at least two chapters. An amazing Grade B for a Time Travel Romance.

Jo Barrett ya did good and I look forward to buying more of your books.