Series: Thistle & Hive

Synopsis:

Ashley Moore's life in San Francisco has hit a few snags, not the least of which involves sightings of a mystery man around every corner. Is she losing her mind or does he really exist? Her search for this grey-eyed stranger leads her to Scotland. There she meets a witch with a secret, a vindictive English knight who is bent on revenge, and she crosses a fog shrouded bridge into the arms of a 16th century Highlander.

Cailin MacBayne is no stranger to beautiful women, but has always managed to stay one step ahead of commitment. That all comes to an end when he meets Ashley. He doesn't care where this beautiful, yet unusual lass came from, he's just happy to have found her. Ashley cannot resist the handsome Scot and finds herself falling hopelessly in love. In the process, a secret is revealed, a battle is waged and Ashley must ultimately decide whether to return to her own time or give up her 21st century life to stay with the love she has found in the past.

Review:

A Bridge Through Time was completely enchanting!  While I don’t have a lot of experience in time travel books and I’ve never read a Highlander book, I easily found myself addicted to the story.  Especially since there was a sprinkling of magic here and there. This book was so much fun and I’m excited to try more books by Jennae Vale!

Ashley realized she was staring at him again, as if he were an apparition, and shook her head impatiently. “It’s nothing really. My name is Ashley, by the way.”
She held out her hand, but instead of shaking it, he merely held it gently in his much larger one. He looked as confused as Ashley felt.
“I’m pleased to meet ye, Ashley Bytheway. I am Cailin MacBayne of the Clan MacKenzie, at yer service.” He lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed it.

Ashley Moore kept seeing a man appear, that no one else could see.  He was Scottish, oh so hot and she felt this strange pull to him. With nothing keeping her in San Francisco, besides a best friend, she travelled to Scotland in hopes of finding her mystery man.  She thought that she could be crazy, but her gut led her to Glendaloch, which was the most charming town ever. And so were its townspeople, especially Edna. I loved how there always seemed to be more going on in that little town than her or I could ever grasp.  It felt as if there was a magical element in the air, which was a lot of fun. But one day, Ashley found herself face to face with her mystery man, Cailin MacBayne.  Plus a whole lot more than she ever could have bargained for.

She smiled up at him and her beauty nearly made his knees buckle. He pulled her close and his lips met hers, in a kiss that said everything he believed they were both thinking and feeling. He was the first one to pull away, albeit unwillingly.
“Good night, Ashley, love,” he murmured. He pressed another brief kiss against her forehead and slipped out the door, before he could talk himself into staying.

Ashley and Cailin met each other in a bang of action.  After a life and death situation, and just being together for a few days, they easily formed a strong bond.  Underneath that bond they had the most amazing sexual chemistry and it left me breathless.  But it wasn’t all lust and chemistry because a friendship started between them that warmed my heart.  They fit together so seamlessly, it was almost as though they had always been meant for each other.  With Ashley being brave, resourceful, selfless and having the hugest heart ever, she complimented Cailin perfectly.  Cailin was also brave but his ability to make Ashley laugh and captivate everyone’s attention made it hard for Ashley to remember that she should go back home.

He hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her and would likely have taken it much further if they hadn’t been interrupted by the impending storm. Much further than he should. She was a lady, and it was his sworn duty to protect her, even from himself. No matter what his body was telling him, Cailin was determined to treat her with the respect she deserved.

But Ashley was uncertain of her surroundings.  Cailin had never heard of America and the way he lived seemed so archaic.  Castles, knights, and ladies filled the pages and unbeknownst to her, Ashley had somehow stumbled back into the 16th Century.  I loved taking in the sights and their ways of life.  But most of all I loved that anytime Ashley and Cailin were together I found myself with butterflies.  They had everything from adorable to sexy moments together. It was the perfect mix and oh so addicting!

Desperately, she reached for the belt holding his plaid in place, unbuckled it and sent the plaid sailing to the floor.
“Mmm… that’s convenient,” Ashley murmured breathlessly, as her eyes travelled the length of his completely naked body.
“Aye, ‘tis convenient, indeed,” he said with a wry grin.

There were so many of the side characters that added charm to this book.  I found myself loving Cailin’s siblings, Cormac and Irene.  And Irene’s husband, Robert. I even adored Helene, who was a servant in the castle, and I found myself just as invested in her love story.  I loved how welcoming they all were to Ashley. And that over time they felt like an extended family to her. But not everything was all fun and happiness.  A war was brewing from old grudges and it seemed as though it could not be avoided. While I was nervous for everyone’s fate, Ashley had the biggest decision in front of her.  To stay here with Cailin, and her newly created family, or to go back to the 21st century.

“I’ll give ye all the time ye need, but be warned, I’m going tae do my best tae convince ye tae stay.” Cailin leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, caressing her cheek. His eyes never left hers, as he twirled a stray curl of her hair around his finger. “I’ll not make it easy for ye, lass.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” she smiled.

A Bridge Through Time was so much fun.  The writing was easy to devour, the characters all captivated my attention and I’m excited to see a lot of them in future books.  So if you adore romance stories that encompass multiple time periods, and has characters that easily find their way into your heart, then definitely take a look at A Bridge Through Time!