Highlander in Disguise is the second book in a trilogy about the Scottish Lockharts, a family in search of a missing heirloom. Although the book occasionally suffers from clichéd moments, London’s style of writing makes this a smooth and enjoyable read.

If they fail to locate a missing family treasure – or “beastie” as they call it – the Lockhard family will end up in poverty and possibly lose the family castle. Liam, the elder brother and hero of Highlander Unbound, failed miserably at retrieving the object and now it is his younger brother Griffin’s turn to find the beastie and restore the family fortune and honor. With a fake title, borrowed money, and his best friend posing as his valet, Grif makes his way to London to circulate among the ton and find the woman who supposedly purchased the treasure. One woman knows where the missing object is and Grif is intent on finding her and the object in no time at all. But Grif did not plan on running into Anna Addison.

Anna Addison does not mind being ignored in favor of her beautiful younger sister Lucy. The men of the ton can ply their attentions on Lucy all they want, as long as Anna keeps the interest of one particular man – Drake Lockhart. Anna has been in love with Drake for as long as she can remember and she will do anything to get a proposal out of the man. Drake’s constant flirting makes Anna giddy with pleasure and confident that he will ask for her hand, but then Anna didn’t plan on two problems. The first is the sudden and mysterious appearance of Lord Ardencaple, a Scot who is as fascinating as he is handsome. The second problem is her sister Lucy, who suddenly seems interested in Drake – and vice versa. Although Anna is horrified by the attentions that Drake lavishes upon her sister, it is suddenly the mysterious Lord Ardencaple who consumes Anna’s thoughts. There is just something off about the Scot and something strangely familiar. It is not until Anna consults her books that she realizes that Lord Ardencaple is a complete fraud.

Griffin spends his nights and days searching for the woman who supposedly has the family heirloom, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a bit of fun on the side. And one woman in particular catches his eye – Lucy Addison. But, strangely, it is Lucy’s older sister Anna who keeps barging into his thoughts. The woman has an annoying habit of showing up unexpectedly and keeps hinting that she knows his secret. For the most part, Grif dismisses Anna and her hints…until she shows up claiming to have his beastie. Anna wants Grif to teach her how to seduce Drake, Grif’s English cousin and known enemy, in exchange for the beastie. With no other alternative, Grif agrees. But when Grif’s feelings for Anna begin to change, how will he sit by and watch her love another?

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Highlander in Disguise, there were a couple of notable problems. The first glitch was the multitude of clichéd moments – not just one major overall and redundant theme to the novel – but many subplots combined that I’ve encountered in other books. I counted at least three, including the hero in love with the beautiful sister and the unique and intelligent heroine who hires the hero to teach her seduction to attract another man when the hero is obviously “the one.” It felt like “déjà vu all over again” and detracted from the story. This isn’t the only problem, however. After her makeover by Grif, Anna becomes less likable since she loses the uniqueness that was so appealing in the beginning. In fact, she becomes in many ways just like the other women of the ton from whom she is supposed to be so different. She does, though, become much more like herself toward the end of the book, redeeming her character and growing on me once again.

London writes expressively and the book is easy to read. She describes without going into too much detail, and she fleshes out her characters in a manner that allows the reader to truly empathize with their thoughts and feelings. I may have had some problems with Highlander in Disguise, but felt connected to its characters, who seemed very much alive throughout the story. I didn’t fault Anna for trying to steal a man from her sister because I felt her desperation. And I could not help but empathize with Grif, whose entire family is counting on him to save their livelihood.

For the most part, I really did enjoy the book. Not only did I appreciate the characters and their problems, the plot also immediately drew me in and kept me interested, as did the enjoyable secondary characters. Ultimately, despite the clichéd moments, I can honestly say I look forward to the third installment of this trilogy.