Healed by Love and Forgiveness

‘Healer’ by Linda Windsor is book 1 of 3 in the Brides of Alba series. It is a Christian historical romance with lots of action and suspense. The story takes place during the Dark Ages in late sixth-century Scotland.

Joanna was to be the Bride of Tarlach O’Byrne, leader of the O’Byrne Clan of Glenarden. But she fell in love with Llas Gowrys, leader of the Gowrys Clan of Glenarden, and married him instead. This made Tarlach bitter, and that bitterness and jealousy festered in his mind for several years. One night, Tarlach led many of his clansmen into the Gowrys castle and killed Llas and his men. Joanna, given the gift of ‘second sight’, tells Tarlach the vision God had shown to her. “The Gowrys seed shall divide your mighty house and bring a peace beyond the ken of your wicked soul.” Before he could exact his awful revenge on her, she kills herself with her own blade before his very eyes. Too late Tarlach finds that Joanna and Llas’ baby has already been whisked to safety by her nursemaid and Joanna’s visions.

Brenna, Joanna’s daughter and the Gowrys seed, was raised far from Glenarden in order to keep her safe. When she was seven, her nursemaid Ealga, took her to the church in Glaston, be given training in both the Bible, and in the healing arts. When she turned sixteen, Ealga took her back to Glenarden and they hid themselves in the nearby hills, waiting for the day when Joanna’s vision would come to pass.

Twenty years have passed since ‘Witch’s End’, the day of the slaughter on Llas’ castle and of the ‘witch’ Joanna. Each year on Witch’s End, a group of O’Byrne warriors set out to find and kill Joanna’s child, and to harass what’s left of the dwindling Gowrys Clan. Tarlach sends his eldest son, Ronan, to lead the raiding party this year, whether Ronan wants to or not.

Ealga has died, and Brenna is now alone, except for a silver-white wolf as her companion. She finds a man who was attacked and left for dead, and drags him to her hidden cave. Healing him comes as easy to her as loving him does. Brenna, gifted with her mother’s second sight, see the two of them as husband and wife.

What will Ronan do when he finds out that Brenna the Gowrys seed? Will he kill her or marry her? What will Brenna do when she finds that the man she harbors is the son of Tarlach? What will happen to Brenna when her whereabouts are made known to Tarlach? Will he want revenge even if Ronan has fallen in love with her? Will Tarlach ever learn the lesson of forgiveness?

Linda Windsor is a wonderful author and this is one of my favorite books that she wrote. I personally didn’t care as much for the next two books, but both are well done. Besides you can’t expect every book to be your favorite, even by one of your favorite authors!

Get Healer in book or e-book formats and enjoy!

Thief, Book 2 of the Brides of Alba deals with Tarlach’s second son, Caden. In book or e-book format.

Rebel, Book 3 of the Brides of Alba deals with Tarlach’s third son, Alyn. In book or e-book format.