3.5 stars rounded up.This is my first read by this author and I'll definitely give her another go. I loved the hero. He was besotted from day one and not above rather ruthlessly manipulating events to force the heroine's hand in marriage, something I always fall for. Especially since he truly wanted her to be happy and was a very honorable man.The heroine was sometimes difficult, but I didn't dislike her. I tried to put myself in her shoes. She'd been pampered and deliberately shielded from the world by her father and older brothers. This wasn't her fault and her personality and views were to be expected. Still she was someone who fiercely loved those close to her down to the average servant and was not a mean or heartless person. I always found it ironic that men of those times liked to think of women as shallow and frivolous, but they deliberately kept them ignorant of the real world and encouraged them to remain nearly childlike. It was a self fulfilling prophecy when they behaved in such a way. I don't believe this heroine had ever been more than a few miles from her home in her life. This led to someone with a very limited world view who saw things as black or white, good or evil and no one aside from the hero ever challenged that view. When she was disillusioned it came as a huge blow and adjusting to it was hard for her and painful for the reader as well. McCarty didn't flinch from the brutality of the times and I respect that. I hate whitewashing history to make everything sweet and fluffy. When it comes to the heroine's sometimes stubborn and difficult behavior, I tried to remember how much clan loyalty and feuds meant to Scottish highlanders of the time. Her distrust for the hero was very understandable given the circumstances and the fact that all of her clansmen hated her new husband. She was in a difficult situation and obviously very torn and confused in this new world of complexity and split loyalties.However, I think the author let it drag a bit toward the end with the heroine's constant flip-flopping between trusting and not trusting the hero. It's easy to sit back and judge after the fact, but IMHO McCarty pushed the h's distrust (no matter the justification) to a point that could have turned some readers against her and lost this book a 1/2 star on my part.I do want to check out the rest of the series. There was one person in this novel (the H's brother) who deserved a serious comeuppance and that didn't happen here. I'm hoping he'll get it in book 2 or 3. Of course, historically, men did get away with such actions in those times and McCarty may choose to let that happen in his case. If so, I'll respect the decision because I'd rather have a villain go unpunished than have a brutal time in history turned into a fluffy-bunny dreamland. ETA: Audio Review - Roger Hampton is one of the few male narrators in romance that I can tolerate. Most men make the heroine sound like a linebacker in drag (YMMV). I think he does an exceptionally good job of doing the female voices. It has to be be hard to voice another sex. Not sure of the accuracy of the accents, but sounds good to me. The heroes sound bone-meltingly sexy. The novel started out slowly, with Jamie Campbell, the infamous law-enforcer chancing upon the attractive Caitrina Lamont. He rescued her from a tree (which she was stuck in, for rescuing a puppy)—- a positive start already, and went on to how he was one of the men who wanted to participate in the Games to win her hand (he had another agenda, which I will not go into now). Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. Jamie struck me as the typical Highlander— handsome, honourable, possessive and attractive. However, Caitrina had me grinding my teeth. I hated her ignorance and her spoiltness (I don’t think such a word exists— but you get my drift). I could hardly turn the pages, and a spoilt and haughty female lead was not my idea of the heroine in a romance novel. Hence, I decided to go back to #The Saint again!!— to dive myself back into a good romance pairing again, and there upon called it a night.Perhaps, one day in the future I may re-read and finish this book, and may come to a different conclusion. But at this moment, I was disappointed in this book.
What do You think about Highland Warrior (2009)?
The novel started out slowly, with Jamie Campbell, the infamous law-enforcer chancing upon the attractive Caitrina Lamont. He rescued her from a tree (which she was stuck in, for rescuing a puppy)—- a positive start already, and went on to how he was one of the men who wanted to participate in the Games to win her hand (he had another agenda, which I will not go into now). Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. Jamie struck me as the typical Highlander— handsome, honourable, possessive and attractive. However, Caitrina had me grinding my teeth. I hated her ignorance and her spoiltness (I don’t think such a word exists— but you get my drift). I could hardly turn the pages, and a spoilt and haughty female lead was not my idea of the heroine in a romance novel. Hence, I decided to go back to #The Saint again!!— to dive myself back into a good romance pairing again, and there upon called it a night.Perhaps, one day in the future I may re-read and finish this book, and may come to a different conclusion. But at this moment, I was disappointed in this book.
—Wendiz
Este livro é o primeiro de uma trilogia , e fiquei realmente agradada com este primeiro volume.A história de Caitrina e de o guerreiro Jamie, é fantástica, a luta pela lealdade e pelo amor , algo que na época em que se desenrola a história e nas terras dos Highlanders, movidos pela honra e defesa dos seus territórios era de uma importância vital.Como poderá Caitrina levar o seu amor pelo um homem cujo seu Clã matou seu pai e seus irmãos, numa luta politica em que as mulheres nada podiam saber e opinar.Gostei bastante deste livro e fiquei com muita curiosidade de seguir esta Saga do Clã Campbell.Um livro com muito romance, sensual, intrigante, uma leitura agradável e sedutora.
—8u7
I love Monica McCarty and have never been disappointed with any of her books.
—kriti
