To Tame A Highland Warrior (1999) - Plot & Excerpts
[Audiobook: "To Tame A Highland Warrior" by Karen Marie Moning; Phil Gigante/Reader = 5*]The first time I did the "skim" on this book and wasn't too interested in reading it completely, and now I realize I was probably just taking a nose-dive on the series as a whole after starting it at "The Kiss of the Highlander," an absolute favorite. After KOTH, I read through the end of the series, went back and read "The Highlander's Touch," which was just "okay" for me. Then read "Beyond the Highland Mist, another "just okay." So this book (which was supposed to be second in the series, but really has nothing whatsoever to do with the "main" storyline started at KOTH for the most part to me), was cast aside as probably just another "okay" book. Now I realize it was just getting rejected out-of-hand, when compared to the 4 and 5 star reads from KOTH forward. Boy am I glad I finally picked it up on a 3 for 2 credit sale at audible.com. I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book, and naturally, it was made all the more entertaining by the hottest male narrator going, Phil Gigante. (If only he would read the tax codes . . . my job would be so much more pleasant! ;) This turned out to be one of the best "beauty and the beast" storylines I've read to date, the best part being "the beast" is really handsome, rather than an ugly beast, which I consider a MUCH better visual! ;) As a 14-year old victim of a rival Scottish Highland clan that is determined to wipe-out Grimm's existence, along with his village and relatives, Grimm learns of his fate to go through life as a "berserker." Berserkers are Scottish folklore warrior's rumored to have incredible powers of skill, strength, hearing and eyesight, and actually go through a physical metamorphosis bodily to become twice their size (which is already a big, beefy highlander) -- a "beast" basically. At the height of the attack, Grimm has his first experience of "the beast inside” making an appearance and aids in single-handedly putting an end to the slaughter. Through shear overwhelming power, that he finds strange and out-of-control," his family's enemy is driven back, but not before taking a tragic toll on his village and life. Grimm returns to his home after the experience to discover his parents’ fate, only to find his blood-splattered father leaning over the bloodied corpse of his mother, knife in hand. On first sight, Grimm immediately recognizes his father also has the "curse of the beast" and assumes the worst: That his father lost control and killed his mother while under his "beastly" berserker influence. Grimm, devastated and disgusted by what’s inside of him, runs away, vowing to never return or acknowledge his family again. While destitute, starving, and barely surviving in the woods, a young girl comes upon Grimm, and immediately implores her parents to take Grimm under their wing and foster him. Grimm is immediately taken with the little girl, Jillian, and they grow up together happily until Grimm realizes he's falling for the beautiful and blossoming Jillian. At 22 he leaves the 16 year old Jillian behind, as he fears the "curse of his beast" will end up hurting her as his father did his mother. Jillian is crushed, as she has known that she's in love with Grimm for a very long time, and she feels ultimately rejected by his abandonment. Six years later, Jillian, refusing to marry, is on the verge of spinsterhood and her parents have concocted a plot to reunite Grimm, along with two other possible suitors to force her to accept a marriage proposal from one. Grimm returns under the guise of a note from her father stating "Jillian needs you." Having vowed to always protect her, he can’t get back to her fast enough, only to do a 180 and completely reject her and his feelings again, shoving her toward the other two men who’ve arrived as well. And once again he’s begun the process of crushing her completely. These two can’t stop “hating to love each other.” I’m not sure how much was KMM’s writing (always good for me) or Phil’s reading (again, more than “yummy”), but I’m so glad I gave this last book in one of my favorite series another shot. My usual “heart-pang” is the test of any romance novel that is a worthy read for me (multiple heart-pangs on this one), and when added to an interesting “fairytale” romance, I can’t lose. Plus I was treated to some of KMM’s trademark humor she did so well in the other books. She also ties the story in nicely with the H/h from “Beyond the Highland Mist,” not a fav for me, but still a decent book. If all of that wasn’t enough, Grimm and Jillian are just two really likeable people, despite all their “bickering,” which is really good writing, since I normally hate that kind of romance. Here, KMM included enough thoughts of love and reasoning for each of the characters actions, that I understood all their emotions and insecurities. A good solid love story. I’m glad I didn’t miss a “last” possible visit for me to the Scottish highlanders of KMM! [*sigh*:]K.
Previous Reviews (also the order I read them in, YOU DON'T OWN ME)Beyond the Highland Mist (#1)Spell of the Highlander (#7)Kiss of the Highlander (#4)The Dark Highlander (#5)The Immortal Highlander (#6)Into the Dreaming (#8)Up Next: The Highlanders Touch (#3)I had no intentions of reading this book, I clumped this into "no thank you" after reading the first installment. Skipped ahead to the Keltar portion of the series and read on happily. Then I got to the end and started to panic a little, it couldn't be over? You see, I read the Fever series, then started on Highlander, and I am currently in a group re-read of Fever, all I've done for a month is read KMM and get utterly and completely lost in the universe she has created. Her first three books (Highlander 1-3) lack the continuity of Highlander 4-8 then of course all through Fever. I understand she changed publishers and could explain some of the changes I've noticed, but with that said I really didn't plan to read it at all. Big surprise, I read it desperate for more. I'll take my plate of crow now. WHATEVER. Alright, so in Beyond the Mist we learn about Grimm, as the best friend of the male MC Hawk. To be frank he's kind of a dick in that book, when I realized that he had his own book I was totally disinterested. It picks up in Hawk and Adrianne's castle, where Grimm gets a summons from someone in his past with a rather cryptic message to come get Jillian. It's quickly alluded to the fact that this woman is someone he deeply cares for and rushes out.When Grimm arrives at the St. Claire home (castle) Jillian is enraged by his very presence and tries to have him removed. Silly woman, doesn't she know she has no say? Her father was actually the one who summoned Grimm, so he must stay until her father returns and releases him. We don't really know their back story other than she saved him when he went insane and was living in the woods. Yeah...In come two other "suitors" who have arrived to win her heart, all arranged by her meddling father as she's OLD at 22 and still not married. Yeah... Here are some things about this book that I could have done without. The constant use of the word "berserking". The whole "I can't tell you anything because you won't love me anymore". The "I'm going to hurt you by leaving you, in order to prevent you from getting hurt". Oh yes and the "You are a woman and don't have a say at all". It's actually not a bad story, or a bad read, but if I wasn't on the death rattle of an addiction, I wouldn't have read this in the first place. I am Taylor Swifts disapproving expression.
What do You think about To Tame A Highland Warrior (1999)?
I am so far behind on writing my reviews right now that I am having a hard time justifying the time it will take me to write a full review for this book when I didn't even like it. But on the other hand I also feel like I should justify why this was only a two star book for me...I'm going to make this short and to the point.It wasn't as bad as the first book in the series, but not significantly better either. The "twist" to reveal the bad guy was pretty obvious and although I liked the female lead in this book better than the first book (by a lot), and even better than some of the female leads that we get later on in the series, she wasn't enough to get me through this book. If you are considering reading this series, I would say unless you are a die-hard Moning fan or are one of those people that CANNOT skip books in a series, this one would be okay to pass on and you will not miss anything from the later books in the series.
—Casey
Karen Marie Moning writes a floorless romance. This is the second book I have read in this series and on both occasions I have been gobsmacked at how perfectly proportioned they are. The drama, suspense and romance are all extremely well balanced that I was left in a constant need for more. The sex scenes are written without explicit detail giving it a more romantic feel and aren’t a big part of the story – concentrating more on the emotional love instead of the physical.Karen also seems to have a profound confidence in her knowledge of the books era. She makes it sound completely realistic that its hard not to feel a part of the story and any writer that can use the word ‘infinitesimally’ and not sound like a tool gets a big two thumbs up from me.This is the second time I have been left with a pounding heart and I can’t wait for the third.Favourite quote...and who’s heart wouldn’t pound at the sound of this:“I wake up wanting you. I fall asleep wanting you. I watch a magnificent sunrise and can think only of sharing it with you. I glimpse a piece of amber and see your eyes. Jillian, I’ve caught a disease, and the fever abates only when i’m near you”.*sigh*
—~E~ Riverina Romantics
Turned berserker at a young age- Grimm Roderick managed to avoid any firm emotional attachment for years for fear of him hurting the ones he loves while in a rage. Called back to the place that he called home after leaving his birthright- his only reason for returning now is to keep a vow he made to a man who raised him as son. Well that and the fact he couldn’t resist seeing the laird’s beautiful daughter just one more time- and ensure her safety.But once there he did his best to avoid her, because Jillian St. Clair had turned into a beautiful woman he couldn’t resist and just as she knew the tall and noble Grimm was supposed to belong to her, he knew she was the last person he could ever attach himself too, for she could tear down every defense he had built bolster his raging emotions. Besides one man would stop at nothing to destroy any berserker he came across and it seemed it had found Grimm Roderick nee Gavrael McIllioch once again. Grimm would have to go home- his birth home- before he would complete his journey and it’s the last place he ever wanted to go. But there he must go to reunite with his own berserker father- the father who had murdered his mother before his eyes. Because only his father will help him get to the truth as well as finally defeat his fiercest enemy- before he destroys Grimm and everything he has ever loved.Well I made it thru this one, although it seemed to go on forever. When I tried to read this yrs ago I gave up before page 20 but a friend gave me this one and a few others on Audio so I gave it another try. The story lingered far too long on Grimm and Jillian wanting each other whilst Grimm fights the attraction and then later with the big misunderstanding between Grimm and his Father and also the truth of Grimm’s berserker status which he keeps from Jillian. The other issue for me was the reader for the Audio book- Phil Gigante has a beautiful voice but to hear him speak the horrendous euphemisms Moning uses for manly parts and talk about Gillian’s aroused nipples made me wince and laugh in embarrassment as if I was sitting in the room listening to him record it. He also gave the heroine a whiny voice- and considering Moning already wrote her as such- I wanted to pull my hair out at the overload.Anyway, it ends quite Happily Ever After of course, babies and all- unfortunately it took far to long to get there and by then I actually was wishing for a NON h.e.a just to alleviate some boredom.There's nothing in this that connects to Moning's Fever series so if you're reading it for hopes of that- you can save yourself the torture. Wish I had.
—Zeek
