Fun Friday–Can You Guess the Theme?

I just started reading this book:

Chosen to help Robert the Bruce in his quest to free Scotland from English rule and claim his crown, the legendary team of warriors known as the Highland Guard battles on.

Embedded deep behind enemy lines, Arthur “Ranger” Campbell is prized for his razor-sharp senses and his ability to blend into the shadows. But when Arthur infiltrates the clan of the chieftain who murdered his father, his heart is locked on revenge. Inside he faces unexpected resistance from the sweetest of obstacles—a honey-haired siren who is his enemy’s daughter.

Intrigued by this ruggedly handsome newcomer to her father’s forces, the vivacious, enchanting Anna MacDougall is a woman whose skill at uncovering deception rivals Arthur’s own. Though yearning for a quiet life with a good man to love, Anna is drawn to this mysterious knight whose eyes devour her but whose words push her away. As danger, treachery, and the threat of looming war draw them closer into each other’s arms, a warrior made of steel must make a choice from the heart: love or revenge.

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I just picked this book up at the library and hope to read it while I’m off work next week:
In the pre-dawn hours of August 24, 1305 a.d., in London’s Smithfield Prison, the outlaw William Wallace, who is to be executed at dawn, is visited by a Scottish priest who has come to hear his last Confession. So begins The Forest Laird, the first book in Jack Whyte’s masterful new trilogy.

Wallace’s story leads us through his many lives—as an outlaw and a fugitive, a hero and a patriot, a rebel and a kingmaker. He is the first heroic figure from the Scottish Wars of Independence brought blazingly to life in Jack Whyte’s new trilogy, the Guardians, and will be followed by his two compatriots Robert the Bruce, King of Scots; and Sir James Douglas, known as The Black Douglas. Their exploits and escapades, desperate struggles and medieval savagery, high ideals and fierce patriotism are the stuff of legends, and the soul and substance of these epic novels.

(I actually wanted the one about Robert the Bruce, but it was checked out and had a long waiting list.)

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I recently downloaded these books to my Kindle:
Get swept away by the romance of the Highlands in three historical romance novellas from Harlequin!

Brenda Joyce – The Warrior And The Rose

Lady Juliana MacDougall prays for her loved ones to survive battle against Robert Bruce… but the battle comes to her when her lands are attacked by a band of Highlanders, including a man wearing the colors of her clan’s worst enemy. Taken hostage by Alasdair Og, Juliana quickly learns he’s as exceptional a lover as he is a ruthless warrior. But how can she ever love Alasdair when he’s her blood enemy?

Terri Brisbin – The Forbidden Highlander (The MacLeries #6.5)

Honor-bound by an arranged betrothal, James Murray never anticipated falling in love with his intended bride’s dearest friend instead. The passion between James and Elizabeth MacLerie is undeniable, but they are torn between love and loyalty to their clans…

Michelle Willingham – Rescued By The Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan #3.5)

Celeste de Laurent is determined to never again live in poverty. After sacrificing love for a secure marriage, she now stands to lose everything as a widow. Her only hope is to bear an heir – and what better man to father her child, and save her from a terrible fate, than Dougal MacKinloch, the only man she ever loved?

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At the end of the 13th century, the people of Scotland suffered cruelty under the heavy hand of their English ruler, Edward Longshanks. This stirring tale recounts their valiant struggle for freedom under the legendary leadership of William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Time has burnished the feats of these great Scots heroes to mythic proportions, but both were real people, and this gripping tale of courage, loyalty, and ingenuity places its fictional protagonist alongside Wallace and Bruce within an accurate historical context.

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And I recently posted this image on the blog:

Yes, there are seven of them (though they are not all “tall as church steeples”). Aside from all of them being terribly good looking, they have something else important in common.

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Anyone care to venture a guess as to why I seem to be stuck on a certain theme at the moment?

(A few people already know from participating in the comments-conversation that happened when I posted the Sexy Scotsmen image a couple of weeks ago, so I know this isn’t completely unknown to everyone out there.)