3.5 starsI don't want to go into too much detail for my review like I have for other reviews I have done recently (I say that now until I get going), and just want to give my impressions and thoughts on the book in general. I have to say, as you can tell from the above rating, I didn't hate this book nor did I love it, it was just okay for me. This is the first book that I have read of Monica McCarty, and I wanted to give her a try especially since for some reason I really like romance book about Highlanders, and find myself drawn to them, and are really the only historical romances that grab my attention and make me want to read them. I guess it has to do with the men in these stories are not only strong alpha male character who are totally gorgeous and hot, but have a soft side as well usually brought out by the heroine in these types of book and their love is pretty obvious once they met their woman and would do anything for them, softening these warriors considerable after having such hard, brutal lives. So being drawn to the Highlanders I figured I would give this book and author a try.And even though I wasn't overly wowed by it or didn't like it as much as other Highlanders book the past, I wasn't disappointed really for the first time reading a book by this author. I definitely didn't hate the book by any stretch of the imagination and thought the author did a pretty decent job along the way and made me intrigued to read some of her other books in the future especially since this book is the first in a trilogy and I think I know what characters are going to be written about in the next two and I would like to find out what happens to them if they are the characters I think they are. I even have two more books from the library about this author, not part of trilogy, that I hope to get to soon and see if I like those two better than I did this one and enjoy them a bit more so I haven't wrote off this author in the least.The overall plot was good, and definitely intrigued me when I read the back of the book and made me want to pick up the book in the first place, thinking it would be a good way to get introduced to the author and having another go to author that wrote about Highlanders. So, I thought it was a win-win for me.I did really like the main character of Jaime Campbell, who was everything a good highland warrior should be strong, loyal, smart, a sense a justice, a hero, good looking, and completely utterly in love with the heroine without a doubt, showing her in many ways that he did. He wanted to protect her and love her and do everything he could for her so he could make her happy and hope to gain her love in return. And believe me he did everything in his power to accomplish that even questioning himself on how to not hurt her while still remaining loyal to his clan, and he really did the best he could under the circumstances to do that not wanting to hurt either side and just straddling the line. During the entire book, he struggled with this and tried his best to do the right thing for all involved while keeping to his sense of self and justice. And I thought he did a brilliant job, and I could feel how much he was struggling with this and he really did do the best that he could and I admired him for that, and I loved that about him, which him this likable/lovable hero that anyone would route for and feel for especially his pain and longing for the heroine who put him through so much that he didn't deserve.And that takes me to the heroine, who I'll be honest didn't like that much, and just thought she put poor Jaime through the ringer when she shouldn't have especially when he was working his butt of to do everything so it was right for everyone involved, but she was too thick headed to see that and just kept her blinders on, keeping her prejudice despite Jaime showing her how much of a good, honorable guy he truly was and was trying to do the right thing. But no matter how hard he showed that to her and how much he cared about her, she didn't see it at all. Now in the beginning I could see why she was reluctant to trust him and why her view was clouded of him because after all his clan/ brother was responsible for her home being destroyed and her family being killed, causing her to loose everything. So I got that, and understood her actions at that point after loosing everything while feeling duped by him because she felt he used her when the met in order to find out whether her father was hiding the McGregors or not so that made her angry. She was also angry because she wanted Jaime so much from the time they met and she never felt that with anyone and that scared her so she pushed him away. So, I understood all that and what she was feeling plus after the attack on her family as well as herself I could understand why she was scared and angry and didn't trust him and I could totally sympathize with that and I even felt sorry for her at having to go through so much. And even when they first got married I could understand why she didn't trust him, but after awhile when Jaime showed her his true colors and showed that he cared for her, she still put him through the ringer, going back and forth with him, pushing him away and pulling him close when sharing their passions for one another, and then her saying that she really cared about him and loved him yet her actions didn't say that, and it was kind of annoying to see. She just wouldn't trust him no matter what he did for her or what he said, she just wouldn't do it. And like he said in the book that "you can't have love without trust" and that was so true. It was like she was going hot and cold with him the entire book while trying to deny her own feelings with him. I just couldn't really stand it, and like I said found it annoying and almost too much back and forth on her end especially when it was obvious how much he cared about her, adding to many misunderstanding and tension between the pair. And it was her fault for the most part and it didn't need to be, I think he more than proved that he was trustworthy and he would never do anything to hurt her, but she was just too blind to see it. And usually I like the back forth and tension between couples in romances, which is usually what makes the romances intense, deep, complicated and interesting in a way that romance books should be showing the conflict between the pair. But in this one I didn't like it at all, and felt it was just too much and almost not enjoyable to read because it was like "C'mon already. Get your act together already." But Caitrina didn't come around to the end, and I am still not sure if she totally got or totally trusted him yet. And I think also what it was, was the way Caitrina did this whole back and forth, pushing him away and just totally throwing his love back in his face. Let's face it she was mean a lot of the time, and said things to him that were so far from the truth that it was unbelievable, just thinking the absolute worst of him despite him showing her his best while protecting and loving her as much as possible, and I think he was very, very tolerant of her even though she might have totally deserved it. She just didn't do it for me, and just was cruel to him and basically pulled his heart out of his chest multiple times and smashed it to the ground and stomped on it and then when he pulled away from her she wonder why. "Hello, you were basically stabbing him in the heart everytime you spoke to him and were just plain mean to him. What did you think was going to happen?" Then she would complain (internally) how much she missed him and how much she wanted to be with him and have that intimacy that they shared and just how much pain she was going through without him in her life. "Hello, you were the cause of it. You only have to blame yourself." And she just whined about it for most of the book then they would get close and she would be happy about it then something would happen then all of sudden she doubted him and didn't trust him all over again and then she pushed him cruelly away. And the cycle just seemed to repeat and repeat for most of the book and it was just too much for me like I said, and it didn't endear me to Caitrina at all, and I really didn't like her. I thought she was spoiled, she jumped to conclusions too readily, she was cruel to Jaime, and she went back and forth too many times for my taste especially the way she went about it. It was just wrong. I get she was conflicted, but at the same time she should have trusted Jaime, but she didn't. I just didn't like her and was a big reason why I didn't love this book so much as well as the back and forth, which was just too much without really any justification for it. That was what I felt while reading the book.Also I think that the way their relationship developed was kind of strange for me. They had that instant attraction like most books do and it was hot not going to lie and there was definitely tension between the two as soon as they met. Which was fine, and Jaime had genuine feelings towards Caitrina while she was struggling her own. And Jaime wanted to marry Caitrina pretty much the first half of the bat, which I wasn't expecting and thought it was kind of quick to be honest and it made me question where the rest of the book was going to go. I just thought there would be more of a denial and more tension between the two before giving into their attraction, but it didn't, and I was not expecting him to want to marry her right away. But then she pushed him away and her family home was attacked, leaving her hurt and him saving her (from being killed and being raped, which I also thought that was a little much too, though not like it is in the Game of Thrones, but it was still in there. And like I said before that is why YA is appealing because they tend to not have those kinds of scenes. But again I know with adult books, it's different and plus it has to do with a historical thing. But still.)and then she was in hiding for three months before he found her. And it changed her for sure, making her harder and more jaded about the world around her, seeing the danger for the first time in her life and not in her little protected bubble anymore. So, she wasn't the same woman. While Jaime had been searching for months for her just to see if she was okay and not hurt, and he was genuinely worried about and cared about her. Jaime wanted to be with her and protect her the best way possible by marrying her and coming up with a plan that would help him accomplish that while providing justice by taking in the leader of the McGregors who would peacefully surrender and be taken to England to be tried for his crimes, but he wouldn't be killed. So, Jaime would get her and Caitrina would not see one of her father's allies being killed. And then their marriage began, and the back and forth started that I didn't like for reason I stated above. So for me the development of their relationship though did grow and deepen as time for me, I don't know if I was completely satisfied by it because I didn't like her for one, and two too much back and forth like I said. I don't know just something about it didn't quite do it for me yet at the same time I was rooting for them in the end, mostly for Jaime's sake because I liked him so much. I don't know what it was, but just something about the development didn't quite connect with me. I guess I wished they had more romantic, sweet moments together aside from the times they were in bed, which seemed to be the only way they could truly connect.And on the vein of that thought, the love scenes were really hot, and enjoyable to see. I did like to see the passion between the two because it was hot and raw and just so real yet sweet at the same time. That showed the connection between them in the best way possible and wasn't all this back and forth that got a little tired in this book. It was a nice break to say the least from that, and it was enjoyable to read about. And it was more than just the physical but very emotional too with each of them finally letting go and being real with one another until they got out of bed. So I liked those hot scenes to say the least, but not just because of the spiciness, but to see the connection between them. So this book was okay, not great for me, but like I said I would read this author again especially since she has more highlander books out there. And I look forward to that. So this book hasn't turned me off to her because the storyline had great potential even if the back and forth was dragged out too much for me, and I loved the hero in this story and if she writes more heroes like this one I will be a happy girl and will definitely will be reading more of her books. Hopefully I will enjoy her books more than this one and like the heroine a bit more as well because I think that was a big reason why I didn't like this one. So, we will see. I loved this book. I ran right through it. I don't give up sleep for anything and this one stole two nights worth. I think I even dreamed it when I did fall off. The characters are strong and believable, but even better, the story is excellent. I could go on about research, blah blah, but, this story is good because it is so well written and laid out. Twists and turns and lots of the plot thickens! As far as my guilty pleasure of Highland Romances, Monica McCarty, you are my new hero. Thanks for this and the sleepless nights. On to the next one and even more sleepless nights, I am sure.
What do You think about La Fuerza Del Highlander (2010)?
Very Good. Again, I could not put this book down. She does excellent research on her novels.
—Onye
awesome book, caitrina does make you mad, through out the book,
—akatsuki21
