The Band of Cousins - La série

First in a new historical romantic suspense series by Keira Montclair! An outlaw. A lass bent on vengeance. Together they are unstoppable. Maggie Ramsay has never forgotten Randall Baines, the English lord who tormented her beloved sister when they were children. After her sister is injured in a senseless accident, she decides to make Baines pay for what he did…only she gets more than she bargained for. Her brother’s mysterious friend joins her as soon as she leaves her clan alone, insisting on keeping her safe, and when they reach Baines’s castle, she learns the lord is now an earl and his cruelty to women and lassies has only escalated. The discovery fills her with a fire that will not be banked. Will MacLerie is a notorious outlaw known as the Wild Falconer, hunted for a past he cannot acknowledge for fear of death. His life is devoted to honing his skills as a warrior and anonymously helping those in need, but when he meets Maggie Ramsay, he begins to yearn for something more. A life in which the two of them can travel together freely and fight for the causes they both believe in. When Will and Maggie discover the depths of Baines’s wickedness, they unite forces to stop the man, come what may. But can they bring down an English earl? Or will they become outlaws for good, forced to live and love in the shadows?

Decades of secrets stand between them. Can their doomed love be saved? David Drummond could not be more satisfied with life. He’s betrothed to the woman he loves, heir to his mother’s lairdship, and his family is both loving and supportive. But a strange attack on his betrothed shakes the foundation of everything he holds dear. Though Anna cannot remember what happened to her, evidence indicates she may have been raped, and her sire immediately cancels the betrothal. Though David is still desperate to marry Anna, he is informed she has been betrothed to another. Anna awoke to a nightmare after the incident in the woods. Though she has barely any memory of what happened, her entire life has been upended. Her sire, who used to dote on her, refuses to let her speak to her betrothed and orders her to settle for a man she could never love. Desperate to be with David, she will do anything she can to escape her family. David calls upon his cousins to help rescue his love, but will they be able to intervene before it’s too late?

They stole everything from her, including her dignity. With his help, she'll get it back. Braden Grant is haunted by the death of his friend Ronan, who took his own life. No one knows why the warrior resorted to such desperate measures, but Braden blames himself. He won’t feel settled until he’s atoned for failing to save his friend, and when he meets Cairstine Muir, he wonders if he’s finally found his chance. Held against her will by the very man who killed her family, the lass is a prisoner in her own keep. Her beauty and quiet strength call to him as much as her situation urges him to fight. Though life has taught her harsh lessons, Cairstine still has an ember of hope in her heart. She longs to escape her captors and exact vengeance on them, but nothing is more important to her than her wee son’s safety. Though she failed to save her family, she pledges she will always save him, come what may. When a strong, handsome defender steps into her life, promising to help her exact vengeance on her captors, she sees the opportunity she’s waited for...but is the possibility of a new life worth the risk to her son?

A lass who cannot speak. A warrior who cannot fight. Can they restore peace to each other? Rose MacDole cannot speak, and her mother ensures the world sees her as a deaf, daft girl incapable of communication. Completely under the cruel woman’s control, her only escape is to roam the cliffs outside of her castle, looking down at the turbulent, seething water and dreaming of a different life. But when a handsome Highlander visits their castle, he sets off a series of events that will free Rose from her mother’s cage—and propel her into a different sort of danger. Roddy Grant has a secret. A warrior in a clan renowned for its prowess on the battlefield, he struggles with a profound fear of death. Grappling with this fear that threatens to unman him, Roddy nonetheless continues to work with the Band of Cousins, trying to eliminate an evil network that trades in human lives. On a scouting mission for the group, he finds himself at a secluded castle on the coast, where he meets a bonny lass who cannot speak. Rose steals a piece of Roddy’s soul, and when he discovers she may be entangled with the very network he and his cousins seek to destroy, he will do anything to save her—even face his worst fear. A dark tale with a happy ending, plus the Best Epilogue Ever for Alex Grant fans.

To others, he’s a misfit. To her, he’s a hero. Daniel Drummond fears no lass will want a one-handed warrior, but when he meets the bonny and spirited Constance at Sona Abbey, he dares to wonder if they could have a future together. The beautiful novice has a secret, however, and her reticence makes him fear she sees him as less than a man. Eager to forget her, Daniel throws himself into the Band’s mission to find and stop the underground kidnappers who ship lads and lasses across the waters. Constance loves Daniel, but she dares not tell him the truth about her background. Her sire sent her running from home, and she fears becoming a nun is the only way she can keep herself and the people she loves safe. Except the abbey isn’t as safe as she hoped, and she soon finds herself on the run from multiple pursuers. Daniel throws himself into an undercover mission, little expecting it will lead him straight back to the lass he loves, but do he and Constance have the fortitude to overcome the obstacles between them?

He vows to find her sister. She helps him find himself. The only son of Logan Ramsay, the man known to all as the Beast of the Highlands, Gavin Ramsay feels a powerful need to prove himself. His sire thinks he’s incapable of leading a mission on his own, but when a young lass goes missing from the clan, Gavin vows to find her. His time has come—if he can avoid being distracted by the missing girl’s sister, Merewen, a sweet yet fierce beauty whose stunning talent with the bow rivals even that of his mother. Merewen Baird will do anything to save her sister. She’s long admired Gavin, and when he agrees to search for Linet with her, she sets off on a journey with him and several of his cousins. Their search brings them to Inverness, a burgh by the sea, where they discover an underground the likes of which the Ramsay and Grant cousins have never seen. Lasses and lads fight for coin, and there are whispers of a coming shipment of illegal, human, merchandise. To save Linet and the other lasses and lads, Merewen and Gavin must risk all—including the promise of a future with each other

The greatest heroes are soft-spoken. Gregor Ramsay has never seen himself as a hero, but when the lass he fancies falls into the clutches of the Channel of Dubh, he’ll do anything he can to save her. Linet Baird will not be sold across the sea on his watch. Together with his cousin Connor, he follows Linet’s trail to Edinburgh, where it’s rumored they’ll find one of the Channel of Dubh’s final headquarters. There’s only one problem: Linet claims she doesn’t wish to be saved. Although Linet didn’t ask to be kidnapped from Ramsay land, she’s grateful it happened. The dark secret she left behind was destroying her. Even so, it quickly becomes apparent that her protector Sela has limited power to help her. Just like her, Sela is in the grips of a larger organization, one controlled by cruel, capricious men who lack any form of conscience. When Gregor Ramsay offers to save her, she’s tempted to trust the lad she once fancied, but to do so, she will need to face the trauma of her past.

Heroes are made, not born. From the moment he first sees Sela Seton, Connor Grant is drawn to the woman known as the Ice Queen. Although his cousins assume she’s as guilty as the men she serves, the unscrupulous smugglers of the Channel of Dubh, Connor is convinced she’s being coerced. His mother was abused and controlled, and he suspects the same is true of Sela. For five years, Sela has known only misery, with one exception: her sweet daughter, Claray. But her love for her bairn has been used against her in the worst way possible—the men who run the Channel use Claray to ensure Sela does their bidding. The last thing she’s liable to do is trust a man, any man, let alone fall in love with one. But Connor Grant is the son of the great Alexander Grant, and he's every bit as fierce, noble, and protective as his sire. If Sela helps Connor and his cousins, they stand a chance at crushing the nefarious Channel of Dubh once and for all. But what does the future hold for Sela and Connor if they succeed? Is a second chance at life possible for someone who’s been forced to do horrible things? **Connor and Sela face a particularly disturbing foe. For the more delicate reader, remember that good always triumphs over evil in my books. Always a happy ending!

Paddy the Pony brings Yuletide Magic to Muir Castle in this heartwarming novella. When Moray Allen is left in charge of Muir Castle the fortnight before Yule, he doesn't anticipate any excitement. The excitement is all down south, where the Grant and Ramsay cousins are embroiled in their final battle with the Channel of Dubh, smugglers who trade in human cargo. But the chieftain hasn’t been gone for more than a day when Moray spots a golden-haired lass in the wilds surrounding Castle Muir. He suspects she’s lost and in need of food, but she runs from him. Meanwhile, the chieftain’s son, Steenie, is preparing for Yule with his beloved pet, Paddy, who seems to have his own plans for the holiday--plans that involve the mysterious stranger. Although Shona escaped the Channel of Dubh with her brother and three other bairns, she knows they’re not safe. Their food supply has run out and winter weather is settling in across the Highlands, seeping into the cave they're using for shelter. To protect herself and the others, Shona must place her faith in someone, although she’s hesitant to trust any man, even the handsome Highlander she keeps seeing. Moray and Shona are both in need of a little Yuletide magic. Who better to help them than Paddy the Pony?