Still Mine by Mary Wine

Still Mine by Mary Wine

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (May 2008)

224 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.24)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Paul's one act of youthful self-indulgence was to marry Jo, only to be persuaded to give her up for her own safety and allow her to think him dead, but when his sacrifice fails to keep her safe six years later, he forces his way back into her life determined to keep her this time. I wasn't always sure I liked Paul, but I didn't dislike him, so I found myself willing to give him a chance based on Jo's past regard for him. Jo, I loved! She had crawled out from her grief and became an amazingly strong female character, as a deputy marshal, able to hold her own amongst the military world that Paul drug her into. She was no damsel waiting for her knight to save her. I found the mystical attraction between Jo and Paul a bit over the top, but didn't think it detracted from the story too much. I enjoyed the interaction between Jo and her guards. The ending almost seems to invite a sequel and I wouldn't mind reading Nolan or Tait's story. All in all, good read!

Daring the Highlander by Laurin Wittig

Daring the Highlander by Laurin Wittig

The Legacy of MacLeod Series, Book 2

Publisher: Montlake Romance (February 2012)

255 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

On the king's order and to make up for his elder brothers' betrayal to the crown, Ailig is to return home and take the chieftainship from his father, a man to whom he has always been a disappointment. He finds allies in Moriann, a woman disappointed by love, an old childhood friend named Tamas, and in a mysterious mercenary named Skaeth. This story was full of engaging characters, mystery and intrigue, and it was fun to watch the small group of seemingly mismatched people pull together to help Ailig and thereby save the clan from the king's wrath. Moriann's past baggage at times became tedious, but not annoyingly so. The character I found most intriguing, ironically enough, was Baltair, who was so much more complex and interesting than he first appears. Great story! I hope there will be more stories in this series, perhaps the stories of the sheep (Ailig's brothers Callum, Gowan & Jamie) or Cat's friend, Isobel.

Charming the Shrew by Laurin Wittig

Charming the Shrew by Laurin Wittig

The Legacy of MacLeod Series, Book 1

Publisher: Montlake Romance (February 2012)

324 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Catriona, the Shrew of Assynt, flees an unwanted betrothal only to find herself lost in a blizzard and rescued by a man who introduces himself as, 'Tayg the Bard'. Little does she know that he is in fact, 'Tayg of Culrain', the famed warrior and he is undertaking a mission for the king under the guise of a bard as a means of delaying marrying himself, but he stumbles on a plot threatening the king and finds he needs Catriona's assistance in exposing the plot. Cat and Tayg were both interesting, multi-layered characters that I found intriguing and easy to relate to. Their little jaunt posing as bard and sister was at times amusing and the pursuit by Cat's brothers and betrothed kept them on their toes. Great story! The second book in this series, Daring the Highlander, is about Cat's brother, Ailig.

The Warrior by Margaret Mallory

The Warrior by Margaret Mallory

The Return of the Highlanders Series, Book 3

Publisher: Forever (October 2012)

400 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $6.64)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Duncan and Moira loved each other as teenagers, but were torn apart, when her father, the chieftain, found out about their relationship, and thinking Duncan unworthy of her, sent him away. Acting on a prophecy that predicted she was in trouble, Moira's brother, Connor sent Duncan to check on her, and after finding her in danger, Duncan ended up bringing her back with him. This was a wonderful story. No matter how trying things became, Duncan continued to be his sweet self and I loved that about him, even as he struggled to let himself see past the teenage girl he had known to the complex woman that Moira had become. I also enjoyed the secondary story about Duncan's mysterious birth. Great Series! The next book in this series is The Chieftain, about Moira's brother Connor, and is due out in February. I can't wait!

The Sinner by Margaret Mallory

The Sinner by Margaret Mallory

The Return of the Highlanders Series, Book 2

Publisher: Forever (November 2011)

416 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $6.64)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Alex is a known philanderer and Glynis has no desire to be humiliated by that sort of man, as she was with her first husband, but the more they are thrown together, practical and bodily forces pull them together in an unlikely union that neither of them is sure can last. I loved that this story started with a prophecy, as did the first book in this series. I loved both of these characters, both struggling so hard to find what they cannot name, right up until it is almost too late to claim it. And I love how this author never gives her characters the easy way out. There was no sudden change of heart or surprise discovery that suddenly made everything okay, just the slow, methodical, and sometimes painful growth of character, the result of which makes everything that came before it worth it. Great Story! The next book in this series is The Warrior, about Alex's friend Duncan.

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory

The Return of the Highlanders Series, Book 1

Publisher: Forever (May 2011)

390 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $6.64)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Ian had been Sileas's protector since they were babes and she had followed him and his friends (Connor, Duncan and Alex) everywhere, but when circumstances forced them to wed at a young age, Ian rebelled and turned his back on her when she needed him the most, he and his friends leaving to fight in France, only to return five years later when word reached them that their clan was in turmoil after the Chieftain's death. Though I sometimes find a main character annoying or frustrating, it isn't often that I actually hate a hero/heroine, but I hated Ian for over half of this book. He seemed a nice boy and I could understand why Sileas loved the boy he was, but becoming a man seemed to suck many of his good qualities right out of him, and he was forever being cold, unfeeling and selfish. He had a far way to go to crawl out from that lowly place, but he did in the end, though not without pain and suffering  (his own, as well as others). Sileas, I loved from the beginning and truly sympathized with her, admiring her strength. It was truly great to see Ian's slow evolution into a hero and look forward to reading the stories of his three friends, all of whom were intriguing. The next book in this series is The Sinner, about Ian's cousin, Alex.

Highland Warrior Woman by Becca Van

Highland Warrior Woman by Becca Van

Publisher: Siren Publishing (November 2012)

134 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.24)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Maeghan is brutally beaten and narrowly escaped being raped by two men only to be found in the forest by the Campbell brothers (Laird Calum, and his brothers Ewan & Hamish) and taken back to their keep. The brothers intend to share her as their wife, but find she needs some persuading and their past is coming back to bite them, threatening her safety. I really enjoyed this story and found all the characters engaging. It was a nice blend of a menage and highland romance and there was enough action to keep me interested all the way to the end. Great story!

Her Norland Warriors by Becca Van

Her Norland Warriors by Becca Van

Publisher: Siren Publishing (February 2012)

100 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.24)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Jess, and the other passengers heading from Earth to the resort planet Paradiso, are rescued from their failing spacecraft by space pirates and taken to their slightly hedonistic home planet, Norland. The Norland warriors are short on women and have been conducting raids to get more. Jess finds that the three Sigmund brothers (Hakon, Dagr and Loki) in charge of the warriors have determined she is their bond mate, and therefore they have telepathic access to her thoughts and feelings and have the ability to calm her, as well as excite her. Jess is very resistant to their plans and I thought caused a lot of needless havoc. I also found her a bit crass and blunt. The Sigmund brothers were great and I loved all three of their characters. The world of Norland was engrossing and the men's constant battle to keep her safe definitely kept me interested. Great story!

Highland Quest by B. J. Scott

Highland Quest by B. J. Scott

The Fraser Brothers Trilogy, Book 2

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing (December 2012)

270 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

After being grievously injured in an ambush by his nemesis, Bryce is brought to Fallon for healing and once again they are forced to fight the attraction between them that they both thought buried with their last parting. Though I really liked Bryce in the previous book in this series, it is a bit different when you are facing your own demons and not just tormenting your brother about his, and I found Bryce a lot harder to like in this story, often hard and unyielding, though given his past it was understandable. I also felt the ending was a bit rushed and I was uncertain where the change of heart had come from, though I do not deny I was glad to see it and felt it had been long overdue. Fallon I really liked and I felt sorry for her at many times throughout the story when Bryce was being unreasonable and callous. She was definitely a character I could strongly relate to and I just had to follow her through to the end no matter how stupid Bryce was determined to be. I also felt a connection to the villain, Dungal, and his brother, Keith. There was more to him than just a bad man and, though there was no doubt he was capable of horrendous acts, I felt that in different circumstances he might have been the hero of the story and it would be fun to see more of that other side of him. I look forward to the next book in this series, Highland Homecoming, about the last unmarried Fraser brother and determined bachelor, Alasdair.