Lord of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca

Lord of the Isles

(Isles Series, Book #1) 

by Debbie Mazzuca

Genre: Historical Romance | Time-Travel | Fantasy

After traveling to Scotland on business, the bed of a highland laird is the last place Ali Graham expected to wake up. But there's no mistaking the irresistibly masculine Scottish Highlander whose chambers she's accidentally infiltrated—or the severe wound he's suffered in battle. As a doctor, Ali knows how to heal his injury, how to nurse his body back to health. What she doesn't know is how to heal his heart...A proud warrior and the leader of a powerful clan, Rory MacLeod is ready to fight to the death to protect his homeland. After all, ever since tragedy robbed him of his wife, he has had nothing to lose. Yet the mysterious woman sent to tend his wounds is beginning to reawaken something inside him—something that he'd rather stay buried. But when true passion is mixed with Scottish magic, even the most fearsome warrior could begin to fall...

SEE FULL POST

The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medeiros

The Devil Wears Plaid
by Teresa Medeiros

Genre: Historical Romance

AN INNOCENT WOMAN
Emmaline Marlow is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor's prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abducts her in one strong swoop. Though he is Hepburn's sworn enemy, Emma's mysterious captor is everything her bridegroom is not--handsome, virile, dangerous...and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.

A DANGEROUS MAN
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a fiery, defiant beauty whose irresistible charms will tempt him at every turn. But he cannot allow either one of them to forget he is her enemy and she his pawn in the deadly Highland feud between the clans. Stealing his enemy's bride was simple, but can he claim her innocence without losing his heart?

Emma makes the ultimate sacrifice for her family - to pay her father's debt, to save her sisters' future, and to ease her mother's worries - by marrying an eighty-year old Scotland clan leader who can solve all their problems, including overlooking Emma's tarnished past. On the day of her wedding, she gets snatched from the alter on horseback by an enemy clan leader and must now deal with sleeping under the stars on the Scottish moors, talking to brutish/vulgar Highlanders, and keeping secret her developing feelings for her sun-bronzed guard. When dark truths become known, can Emma's new life really be as simple as black & white and can the past be re-written through her freedom?

Teresa Medeiros is a favorite for me since she was the first author who got me into reading romance. I devoured all of her books before I even got into the rest of the romance wonderland of authors I'm in now, thus all her new historical romances are a true joy for me! But enough about that . . . on to the book . . . and this was for sure a fun read. I love the style of this book and how the characters really come to life without being overly dramatic since there is lots of climatic action and thrilling revelations going on throughout. Emma is easy to like with her adorable innocence and stubborn selflessness, while Jamie is a natural heart-throb who portrays a perfect balance of compassion and perseverance. Together they heat up the pages, while the side characters add well to the overall story without overpowering the main leads - always a good thing! This is a great book for Fall, something to curl up with on the couch with a throw and all afternoon to devour - enjoy!!!

Likes: Jealousy is always a thing of beauty in blooming relationships, it puts your feelings in the open - which is pretty evident in this book during Muira's cottage scenes. Fun! Fun!

Dislikes: Jamie's grandfather on his father's side is dark and desperate . . . almost gruesomely so! But the shocking secret from Jamie's grandfather on his mother's side is just too tragic for my taste!

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

Highland Guardian by Melissa Mayhue

Highland Guardian
(Daughters of the Glen Series Book #2)
by Melissa Mayhue

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy

SARAH DOUGLAS is a successful thirty-eight year old romance novelist with big problems. She's come to Scotland on a three month working vacation hoping to recapture her muse - who's deserted her - and resolve the issue of her strange 'feelings' - the ones which allow her to sense the emotions of everyone she touches.

From the moment she arrives, however, her problems only intensify. She's being stalked, but by whom? Is he real or only a figment of her imagination? What about the darkly handsome owner of the cottage she's leasing? How is she ever going to deal with her growing attraction to a man ten years her junior? She knows from bitter experience men - particularly men who look like Ian - aren't interested in women like her.

IAN MCCULLOUGH is neck-deep in troubles of his own. As a half-mortal descendent of Faeries, he's a Guardian, sworn to protect both the mortals of this world and the Portals leading to the Faerie Realm. After six hundred years, he's confident he knows what to expect in just about every situation and exactly how to handle it. But he never counted on a woman like Sarah showing up in his life; a woman who intrigues and charms him. A woman who turns out to be of Faerie descent herself, although she has no idea of her heritage and no belief in any Otherworld beings.

When he's assigned to protect her, Ian finds the job is tougher than he could possibly have imagined. Oh, he can handle the stalker and the ex-husband and even the renegade Faeries trying to kidnap her for their own purpose. It's falling in love and forsaking his status as Guardian, a position he swore to honor at his father's deathbed, he's having trouble with.

Both Sarah and Ian struggle to battle the demons of self-doubt and their individual pasts. In the process they learn that healing will take the strongest magic of all, the true love that occurs only between two souls fated to be together.

Sarah escapes to Scotland to stimulate her muse and get back into writing her books, she chooses to ignore the fact that something else is drawing her there as well. Ian doesn't have the time to be bothered being babysitter to the new "American" arrival at his friend's summer cottage, but upon their first meeting - things drastically change. Now Ian is torn between duty and love while Sarah must make some startling acceptances herself before the Fairy portal is revealed and all ciaos ensues.

I like this series! It's easy to read, fun and sassy, plus the characters are enjoyable overall. Ian and Sarah were very realistic and their relationship together just kept getting better and better. The story wasn't cheesy and their romance didn't feel rushed and/or pushed as many similar tales can be. Don't expect a lot of in-depth story development, but if you want something to read after a long day at work - this is a great series to get into. The author opened up the character field a lot within Highland Guardian, so many of the future books in the series can really go all over the place now - which excites me since Soul of the Highlander is up next in my TBR pile. Plus, it was nice to get a glimpse of Cate and Conner from the first book in the series.

Likes: Yayy! Scotland - I'm all about books set in Scotland since my trip there is in 42 days and counting . . .

Dislikes: The whole plot build up toward the end kind of fizzled out for me and wasn't as climatic as I would have liked. Plus, I'm noticing a similar trait within the female characters that I'm not enjoying - the two female protagonists so far both suffer from horrible past relationships that weakened them until meeting their new Highland male dream dudes (who of course save them from their pity party), but I like my women characters to be strong individually and not broken/shattered emotionally as Mayhue is writing them. I'm hoping that trait changes here on out for the Daughters of the Glen series.

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Voyager
(The Outlander Series Book #3)
by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Time-Travel | Historical Romance

“He was dead. However, his nose throbbed painfully, which he thought odd in the circumstances.”

Thus begins the third book in the OUTLANDER series, in which we learn that–despite his best efforts–Jamie Fraser did not die on the battlefield at Culloden. He isn’t pleased. Back in the 20th century, Claire is equally shocked by the revelation of Jamie’s survival–but much more pleased about it. We hear Jamie’s story as he moves forward, trying to forge a life from the bits of his soul and his country that are left, and hear Claire’s brief recounting of the twenty years since she left him at Culloden, while Roger MacKenzie and Brianna (Claire and Jamie’s daughter) draw close to each other as they sleuth through the clues of the past, in an urgent hunt for Jamie Fraser. Can they find him? And if they do, will Claire go back to him? And if she does…what will happen then?

Claire discovers a startling fact while researching the past; that Jamie actually survived the battle which divided them so long ago. Upon making a life-changing decision, Claire says good-bye to the "present" (aka future) and steps back into 1700's Scotland to find her husband. The man she meets is amazingly the same, but shockingly different -- something 20 years time can do to a person. Claire must slowly accept the changes in Jamie while sharing in some new adventures along new characters and new lands. It's a bumpy ride, but this time they're determined to make it through together.

I am hooked on this series!! When I pick up a book, I'm not interested in reading anything else. Plus, the books are quite thick (1000+ pages in paperback), so once I begin . . . it can take awhile for me to finish and I am more than satisfied staying up late to put in time with the tale. I'm also happy Claire and Jamie are getting a second chance at happiness, even though they do have to sacrifice connections with their daughter Brianna, who has remained in the present (for now!). It was enjoyable catching up with Jamie's family and experiencing Claire's joy in re-connecting with close friends from the past. There were some shocking secrets that Jamie had to reveal to Claire, so that added some great tension to the overall story.

Since these books are so dense, it is almost impossible to do a in-depth review since many readers will point out certain highlights that others won't. Overall, I'm excited for Book #4, but have decided to put it off till my own trip to Scotland this May! (Whoo-hoo!!!) I find I'm going back into the stories and trying to put to memory locations to re-visit myself, but overall the Highlands are my focus. {silly grin} Yet, within Voyager, the readers gets to travel a lot with the characters -- all over Scotland, Paris, and then some. The boat trips were a nice change in pace and the ending actually had some spooky voodoo parts, which is always a little different, enjoyable and keeps the tale interesting.

If you follow the series, you'll get to re-visit some old characters in this tale...especially some memorable ones from Book #1. Yet, as I have stated in past Outlander Series reviews, many of the same plot lines are used (ex. rape, yet again, but less subtle this time!) and I always seem to find that as a sore point in the books; almost disgustingly so this time. Funny enough, Claire seems to be getting braver in her age and almost more daring then big-tough Jamie, especially so in Voyager. If you enjoy history and love romance, you need need to check out these book. Highly recommended!!

Likes: Claire displayed a lot of jealous is this story, especially directed to some of the characters from Jamie's past - it's fun to see a prominent character who was so comfortable in her situation before to learn to adapt to changes now. Plus, for me, it just went to show how strong her feelings were and will always be toward Jamie. I liked that.

Dislikes: I always say I love series and these books are so fascinating, but sometimes. . .it's a lot to read for just one book. Don't get me wrong -- the thickness it not exactly a fault, just an annoyance sometimes.

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband by Melissa Mayhue

Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband
(Daughters of the Glen Series Book #1)
by Melissa Mayhue

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Historical | Time-Travel

In the misty recesses of time a Faerie Prince loses his true love, prompting a blessing on all his mortal female descendants, bestowing his powers on them that they should be protected and allowed to find their own true loves.

CONNOR MACKIERNAN is a 13th century Scottish warrior, a descendent of that Faerie prince, a man who lives only for honor and duty, but he has a huge problem. His experience of betrayal at the hands of women has left him suspicious and distrustful of any woman's motives. He's sworn never to marry, but finds he must do exactly that to save his sister. With the help of his well-meaning aunt, and a little Faerie magic, the search for a bride is on.

CAITLYN CORYELL is a 21st century woman who longs to be strong enough to find love without sacrificing who she is. Her experience with an unfaithful fiance who wanted to marry her only for her family's money and influence has left her doubting her desirability and any man's reason for wanting her. Imagine her surprise when she puts on an antique pendant and Connor appears in her bedroom, begging her help to save his sister. He offers a simple adventure: travel to his time, marry him and return home. But nothing's simple when the adventure backfires, trapping Cate in the 13th Century.

An ancient Faerie's blessing reaches across the barriers of time to unite two emotionally wounded people. But it will take more than the magic of the Fae to heal their hearts. It will require the most powerful magic of all - the magic of true love.

Caitlyn (aka Cate) is torn, she's days away from her own wedding and she innocently discovers her fiance, Richard, having an affair with his secretary but she's never been one of those women who could end things so easily. Thus, she's weak in her decision about cutting ties and on that same night, a tartan-wearing warrior, Connor, walks through her bedroom mirror. Thinking she's drunk on whiskey and imagining marital related things, Cate accepts this Highlanders proposition of marriage and finds herself in 1272 Scotland with a wedding soon approaching. Yet, as realization sinks in, threats on her life become quite frequent, and romance beginning to bloom, Cate must make some tough chooses about "true" love and the sacrifices one must make in order to get it.

I'm a sucker for time-travels and this one was an easy fun read. A little silly at certain parts, but none the less entertaining. You can't take the story too seriously though since some of the plot concepts just seemed rather oddly unrealistic (even for a time-travel tale), but overall it's a good 'curl-up-on-the-couch' Sunday book. I enjoyed Connor the most. He's unbashful about marriage, daring in his actions, and accepting of all Cate's futuristic quirks. I'm eager to read more into the series to catch further glimpses of him and his family/friend.

Likes: Mairi was a fun and vibrant part of the story that spiced up Cate's character. I enjoyed their little escapes from the castle together to spy on Connor.

Dislikes: Cate came off as a confusing character to me, at times she would display a strong manner with great tact by working within her families international business, but she wasn't very resilient in her attitude toward Richard. It's like her "time-travel experience" was the only pivotal moment in her life that made her actually change for the good and because of that, she just appeared as a weak women to me in her thoughts and actions for most of the story.

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

Highland Warrior by Monica McCarty

Highland Warrior
(The Campbell Trilogy Book #1)
by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

The ruthless enforcer of Scotland’s most powerful clan, Jamie Campbell is the most feared man in the Highlands. Raw physical strength coupled with cunning political acumen make him a powerful force with whom few men will dare to reckon. Determined to see the Highlands tamed of its lawlessness and unrest, Jamie’s objectives are clear: under the guise of seeking the Chief of Lamont’s daughter’s hand in marriage, discover whether the Lamonts are harboring any outlawed MacGregors. But guise turns to desire when he meets the beautiful spitfire who rules the household with a dainty iron fist. The fierce Highlander never expects that the woman he wants above all others will test his duty and loyalty to his clan to the breaking point.

Cosseted and adored by her family, Caitrina Lamont has no intention of abandoning her beloved father and doting four older brothers for a husband—especially a Campbell. But Jamie Campbell is nothing like the parade of suitors that Caitrina’s father usually traipses across their hall. His raw masculinity threatens her in a way no man ever had before. But when Caitrina’s idyllic world is shattered, could the man she blames for her tragedy become her only hope for the future?

Caitrina "Caiti" Lamont is the spoiled daughter of the Chief of their clan with three loving brothers. She's content with her "princess" lifestyle and even okay with her father trying to match her up with a husband at the highland festival being held at their castle. Yet, the one man who captures her interest the most is a mystery and frustratingly tells her "no" unlike every other male in her life. Life is good with a few stolen kisses until the long-hated Campbell clan attacks one night and brutally murders her family & burns her home. Now, the grieving Caitrina is staying/hiding with her aunt and uncle until Jamie Campbell, the cute mystery man from before, comes back into her life proposing marriage for clan alliance. She accepts solely for the reason of gaining her family lands back, but before she knows it . . . love begins to change her view on the world.

As I mention in my other reviews (links below) I read this series all out of order, but enjoyed it none the less. Caiti comes off very young and naive in the beginning of the Highland Warrior but grows up a lot throughout the story. She still isn't my favorite female protagonist throughout the Campbell trilogy, but she does have some great character development and you feel her emotional change during the death of her family. Jamie of the other hand is quite sure of himself and though I didn't really notice much of a change in him within the story, he was very loyal to Caiti and open to making their marriage work.

Near the end of the book, there were many scenes of the two immaturely fighting over their beliefs/feelings/etc that it became quite tedious to read after a while, but even though everything resolved itself in time for the last page - I still felt as if something was missing from the tale. I did enjoy that the story preached loyalty (to not only ones partner, but family as well) as being just as important as love (i.e. don't make ultimatums!), which is a theme you don't find too often in romances but was surprisingly nice in this one.

I should have read the series in order, than maybe I would have a sense of completion.
So, maybe I'll pick up the other two again soon and do that!

Check out my other reviews of the Campbell trilogy here :

Book # 2 - Highland Outlaw
Book # 3 - Highland Scoundrel

Likes: The silly ways that Jamie could easily get under Caitrina's skin in the beginning of the story (ex: kitten incident, archery competition, etc.)

Dislikes: The "honeymoon stage" (aka numerous sex scenes) near the end of the story became pretty consistent every other page and almost eclipsed the concluding plot. Don't get me wrong, I love the love-scenes. . . but it was almost too much for my taste and about the 4th to 5th time . . . I began skipping ahead.

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

The Vampire and the Virgin by Kerrelyn Sparks

The Vampire and the Virgin
(Love at Stake Book #8)
by Kerrelyn Sparks

Genre: Paranormal Romance Fantasy

Olivia’s packing list:

1. Sunscreen
2. Bathing suit
3. Flip-flops

FBI psychologist Olivia Sotiris is looking for a cool ocean breeze, sand between her toes, and a break from her crazy, and sometimes dangerous, life. But when she escapes to the Greek island of Patmos, all she gets is a meddling grandmother trying to marry her off. None of the men there interest her—except a mysterious Scotsman named Robby MacKay.

Robby’s packing list:

1. Synthetic blood
2. More synthetic blood
3. Jogging clothes (even a Vamp has to stay in shape!)

Robby needs to cool off, too, since all he can think about is revenge on the Malcontent bloodsuckers who once held him captive. But then he meets Olivia, the beauty with wild curls and a tempting smile. When a deadly criminal from one of her cases back home tracks her down, Robby will have to save her life, along with giving her a first time she’ll never forget …

Suffering from being kidnapped and traumatically tortured, Robbie is ordered away from his security job on a three month vacation to heal some wounds and clear his mind. Having some creepy personal ties to a deadly serial killer, Olivia is also ordered away from her FBI job in a chance to escape her growing fear. Neither can truly escape their dark pasts, but they do find some comfort with each other while in Greece. When the past does finally catch up to them, Robbie and Olivia's relationship isn't something most could except, but can they make it their new reality?

I expect Kerrelyn Sparks books to be pure fun vampy fluff when it comes to paranormal tales. They're usually easy to read books full of silly vampire adventures and hot romances, but I found it difficult to enjoy Robbie and Olivia as realistic characters throughout The Vampire and the Virgin. Something about them didn't really ground them enough to make me feel compassionate to their struggle of being together. I'm not sure if it is the series in general that is making me lose interest bit by bit, the weak plots I've been trying to overcome later in the Love at Stake Series or just my reading taste changing over the years, but I'm not enjoying Sparks books as much as I use to.

Another flop in reading for me is the whole "instant love" effect that takes over the main characters and believe me . . . they talked about it a lot throughout this one, but, as always, the instantaneous attraction/sex/love wasn't really working for me. I wanted more depth to the story, I wanted more details to the characters lives, I wanted more of a lot of things and it just wasn't there. Thus, I felt the overall story was lacking for basic substance. It was a bland tale, but if you're loyal to the series - check it out . . . if not, you could easily pass for something better in the vampire romance area.

Likes: Olivia's Grandmother had her moments.

Dislikes: I hate how Sparks seems to be getting desperate in adding characters to the series, thus she appears to be adding new ones ever other book now and, sadly, they're not really the wow-I-need-to-come-back-and-read-more-about these-great-character characters.

Ratings:

SEE FULL POST

*REREAD* The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

The Immortal Highlander
(The Highland Series Book # 6)
by Karen Marie Moning

Genre: Paranormal Romance Fantasy

For eons Adam Black has aided humanity and meddled in its affairs, much to the chagrin of the queen of the Seelie Court. He has finally pushed her too far and finds himself, a once powerful Fae, invisible and very human. But he is still as resourceful as ever, and finds a way to reach the queen and plea to have his curse lifted with the help of a young lawyer, Gabrielle O'Callaghan, a human born with the ability to see his kind. As old enemies yearn to take advantage of his weakened state, threatening his life and all existence, Adam discovers that Gabrielle threatens a heart he never thought he had.

Adam, an ancient Tuatha Dé Fae suffering under a new mortal status, is confronted with a single Sidhe-seer (pronounced "shee-seer" and refers to one who can see the Fae realm and its inhabitants), Gabrielle. Thinking he can have a little fun with her while being punished in the human world, Adam is shocked to learn she not only doesn't wish for his amorous attention, but doesn't want anything to do with him at all. This sensual game between them intensifies when Hunters show up not only for Gabby, but also Adam. Now, they are both on the run in hopes of revealing a dark traitor to the Queen of the Tuatha Dé Fae's Seelie Court, Aoibheal (pronounced "Ah-veel"), before times run out. Only problem - Adam is being punished by having no connections to the Fae realm and Gabrielle is the only one who can see him . . . thus they must work together in order to survive.

This Highlander Series has been a constant go-to selection for me to re-read, for years. I adore her intriguing characters and can always fall back into the interesting stories of her couples. Great story telling never gets boring! My favorite book would still be The Dark Highlander, but The Immortal Highlander comes in at a close second. What prompted me to re-read this time was the fact my friend borrowed all my Fever Series books, thus I wanted to get caught up with the mischievous beginnings of Darroc, who eventually becomes the dark Lord & Master (I'll stop right there for those not up-to-date in the Fever Series).

I am happy I re-read this one, again! The story flows smoothly, the wrighting makes you smile, the romance is smoldering, and the characters are addicting . . . what couldn't be better? It makes me wish, upon finishing, that there were many many more Highlander books coming out by KMM, but sadly I'll have to wait till the final Mac tale is released in Janaury to get my Fae/Highlander fix . . . like the rest of the world.

Likes: Having all my favorite chacracters in the same MacKeltar castle . . . yummy!

Dislikes: Gwen & Chloe kind of rubbed me the wrong way, almost too accepting of the paranormal world they live in and sickingly happy in marriage. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it was almost too syrupy sweet with a cherry on top for my taste.

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

Highland Outlaw by Monica McCarty

Highland Outlaw  
(The Campbell Trilogy Book #2)
by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Patrick MacGregor is a hunted man living on the edge. With his land stolen and clan outlawed, Patrick and his MacGregor clansmen have been forced into hiding—blame for which Patrick puts squarely on the shoulders of the hated Campbells. Patrick will stop at nothing to save his clan from destruction, and marriage to Elizabeth Campbell, whose quiet beauty he’d admired from afar, just might be the answer. Arranging an attack seems to be the perfect means to win the trust of the protected lass, but soon Patrick realizes that it isn’t just his life at stake if she discovers the truth of his identity, but something he’d thought lost long ago—his heart.

Elizabeth Campbell has never done anything reckless in her life. Shy and dutiful, Lizzie has always tried to do the right thing—even suffering through the humiliation of two broken engagements without complaint. But behind the serious façade is a passionate woman fighting to get out. So when a handsome mysterious warrior rescues her from an attack, Lizzie boldly asks him to stay. Seduced by his kiss and mesmerized by the edge of danger that surrounds him, Lizzie succumbs to the promise beckoning from behind his shadowed gaze, believing she’s found the perfect man. But soon Lizzie wonders whether in risking her heart, she’s lost everything.

Elizabeth Campbell, who has always secretly dreamed of having a large family, hasn't had the best of luck with her arranged marriages and unfortunately, her last one damaged her more than she would have liked.  Patrick MacGregor, the chief of his broken clan, is struggling to reclaim what his family had fatally stolen away.  Yet, Patrick is now falling for the enemy while working on a plan to gain lost property by hiding his true identity.  When all is revealed, will both Elizabeth and Patrick find something they've both been desiring?

I find I'm reading this series backwards and I'm loving it.  Book #3 was a nice surprise and Book #2 was even better!!! I loved how vulnerable Elizabeth came off.  She's emotionally hurt, yet remains strong in character for her family.  When she was betrayed by her third betrothed, Patrick (while on a secret mission of his own) was the only one to come to her rescue.  Years later, he does that again and he really only wants what is best for Lizzie, even if that goes against his clans wishes.  Patrick also shares the vulnerability characteristic since he has had a damaged past.  While known family enemies, both blend perfectly together. 

I love my male protagonists nice and hunky, but adding a little weakness really makes me smile.  I enjoyed how Patrick doubted his actions while "courting" Elizabeth and how they both shared the knowledge that they were going against their families by being together in the end.  It was a nice Romeo and Juliet twist, but each character was strong enough to carry the tale quite nicely.  I found no flaws in the side characters, the all over concept flowed wonderfully, the story kept me entertained till the end, and I loved the history thrown in as well.  I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical romances. Bring on Book #1.

Likes:  I liked how Elizabeth wasn't a sensitive virgin, something very rare in traditional historical romances.

Dislikes:  Nothing comes to mind.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story!

Rating:

SEE FULL POST

Highland Scoundrel by Monica McCarty

Highland Scoundrel
(The Campbell Trilogy Book #3)
by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Duncan Campbell is a natural born leader, possessing all the attributes for a Highland chieftain except for one: legitimacy. Forced from the Highlands for a crime he didn’t commit, Duncan has earned a reputation as the fiercest, most skilled mercenary on the continent. Vowing to restore his name and clear the cloud of treason hanging over his head, Duncan returns to the Highlands to find the one person who might hold the key to his freedom: the woman he’d once loved who’d betrayed him. But when he surprises her swimming in a loch, he finds himself facing the bad end of a pistol. Told she was impulsive her whole life like her mother who’d destroyed their family when she’d run off with an Englishman over twenty years ago, Jeannie Grant had never believed it—until she met Duncan Campbell. The bastard born son of a chieftain was not a suitable husband for the daughter of a powerful Highland chief, but Duncan made Jeannie willing to risk everything. She gave him her innocence and he failed her, forcing Jeannie to learn the hard way what happens when you follow your heart. Now Jeannie is shocked to find that the brigand she’s shot is the same man who broke her heart all those years ago. But the hard, ruthless man is nothing like the charming young scoundrel she remembers. When their attempt to prove Duncan’s innocence uncovers a deadly secret, not only their lost love, but their lives hang in the balance.

No matter that a brutal war is brewing for Duncan's clan or that Jeannie is secretly being betrothed to another man by her father, they meet at Stirling Castle and within two weeks fall madly in love and hope to fight the odds to stay together.  Unfortunately, their last rendezvous leads to a treacherous mistake that both regret for years to come.  Since that fateful night, the two have been separated with no contact for ten years.  Now, Duncan has returned with a new reputation of being the "Black Highlander" of Ireland and Jeannie is back on the marriage market with kept secrets of her own.  Can they overcome their past mistakes and find the truth that both desperately seek?

Considering this is the first book I've read by McCarty, I was presently surprised with Highland Scoundrel and thoroughly enjoyed the story full of historical facts and fun romance.  It has some nice plot twist that I wasn't expecting and as soon as I really got into the story . . . I couldn't put it down.  Their innocent infatuation when they first meet was sweet, but their intense passion upon meeting up ten years years later was smoldering.  I got so caught up in the emotions of it all, that before I knew it - it was 3 am and I was still reading.  Signs of a great book!  

I haven't read a nice highlander story in quite awhile and once I saw the blurb on the back of this one - "If your heart belongs to the Highlands, then don't miss these novels" - I got suckered right in.  Silly, right?  Yet, I'm glad I did!  After finishing Highland Scoundrel, I found I read Book #3 in the trilogy first.  Oops!  So, I guess I'll be working my way backwards since in my TBR pile is book #2, Highland Outlaw.

Likes:  How Duncan would stand up for Jeannie, no matter how horribly disgruntled they were with each other.  Always a joy reading about a true gent, especially one that's a highlander . . . yum!

Dislikes:  About the story - The blunt reminder that women held such little power over their lives in the early 1600s of Scotland.  Poor Jeannie!  About the book itself - I found some editing mistakes (duplicate words) within the first chapter of the book, catching misprints like that while reading really messes up my feeling of getting "lost" in a tale. 

Words of Wisdom book quote: "...that we make our own destiny not by our birth, but by our actions." (pg. 331)

Rating: 

SEE FULL POST