The Perfect Path to Castle Gealach: How to Read Highland Bound
Written by USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight, the Highland Bound series blends high-steam erotic romance with historical time-travel adventure. The series primarily details the trials of Emma Gordon, a modern woman escaping domestic trauma who is pulled back to 1543 Scotland, and Laird Logan Grant. Over time, the scope of the series expands to include Logan's trusted warriors, magical curses, and temporal anomalies that span centuries.
Because the overarching plot, character relationships, and time-travel rules evolve sequentially, we strongly recommend reading Highland Bound in publication order. Reading out of order will spoil major relationship developments, character survival, and the mechanics of the timeline.
Highland Bound Books in Reading Order
Here is the complete order of the Highland Bound novels, including the latest installment:
1. Behind the Plaid (2013)
The journey begins with Behind the Plaid. Fleeing an abusive husband during a trip to Scotland, Emma Gordon is mysteriously transported to 1543. She finds herself at Castle Gealach, face-to-face with the rugged Laird Logan Grant. Though she seeks safety and a way home, their electric attraction sparks a passionate affair, forcing Emma to decide between the safety of the future and the danger of the past.
2. Bared to the Laird (2013)
The second installment, Bared to the Laird, deepens the bond between Emma and Logan. As Emma struggles with the realization that she is falling for a man from the 16th century, Logan remains determined to keep her by his side. However, threats to the Grant clan and Emma's lingering fear of her past complicate their path to happiness.
3. Dark Side of the Laird (2013)
Concluding the initial trilogy focusing on the core couple, Dark Side of the Laird raises the stakes. Logan must defend his clan from rivals, while Emma confronts the ultimate test of her strength. This book resolves the primary conflict surrounding Emma's adaptation to medieval life and solidifies her role at Castle Gealach.
4. Highlander's Touch (2015)
The series shifts its main perspective in Book 4 to secondary characters. Highlander's Touch follows Ewan, a fierce Highland warrior loyal to Logan, and Shona, a skilled healer who rescues him after a deadly ambush. Their immediate connection adds a fresh romance while expanding the lore of the region and the secondary cast.
5. Highlander Undone (2016)
Highlander Undone continues the stories of Ewan and Shona, while also introducing a major twist. Rory MacLeod, a fierce ally, becomes targeted by an enemy seeking vengeance and is thrown forward in time to the modern era. There, he encounters Moira, Shona's twin sister, initiating a multi-generational romance and setting up the complex timeline elements that define the series' later half.
6. Highlander Unraveled (2016)
The focus returns to the original couple in Highlander Unraveled, but with a dramatic reversal. Lady Emma is pulled back to the modern day, where her abusive ex-husband still poses a threat. Desperate to save his wife, Laird Logan Grant must navigate the mysteries of time travel to cross the centuries and bring Emma back to the Highlands.
7. Draped in Plaid (2025)
After a nearly decade-long hiatus, the series concludes with Draped in Plaid. This final book brings together all the main couples—Emma and Logan, Shona and Ewan, and Rory and Moira. When Moira goes missing, Rory must travel through multiple time periods to rescue her, culminating in a final battle to break a historic curse and preserve the secrets of their temporal journeys.
Chronological vs. Publication Order
With time travel involved, readers often wonder if a chronological order is possible. However, because characters move back and forth between the 16th century and the 21st century, a strictly chronological reading is impractical. The narrative flow depends entirely on the publication order. The emotional progression of Emma's healing, the introduction of Shona's family, and the ultimate resolution of the time-travel curse in Draped in Plaid are written to be experienced in the order they were published.
What to Know Before You Start
Highland Bound is notably high-steam and features explicit erotic romance scenes alongside historical action. Additionally, Emma's backstory involves surviving domestic abuse, which plays a major role in her character arc and emotional healing throughout the first three books. The series stands out in the time-travel genre by focusing deeply on how modern trauma interacts with the rugged, dangerous reality of 16th-century clan life.
Spin-Offs and Author Connections
Eliza Knight is a prolific author of Scottish historical romances, including her popular Stolen Bride, Conquered Bride, and Sutherland Legacy series. While these series share the same atmospheric Scottish Highlands setting, they are entirely independent of the Highland Bound universe. You do not need to read any of Knight's other books to fully understand the time-travel rules or characters of Castle Gealach.