The Viper by Monica McCarty (Highland Guard #4)

The Viper by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: I found the heroine to be a bit vexing at times, but this was another wonderfully sensual and action-packed story. 

Highland Guard

1.  The Chief
2.  The Hawk
3.  The Ranger
4.  The Viper
5.  The Saint
6.  The Recruit
7.  The Hunter
7.5  The Knight
8.  The Raider
9.  The Arrow 

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The war for Scotland’s sovereignty rages on as Robert the Bruce is crowned king and the Highland Guard, his elite fighting force of legendary warriors, battle for land . . . and love.

Prized for his snakelike stealth and deadly strikes, Lachlan “Viper” MacRuairi is a warrior to enlist but not to trust. His only loyalty is to his purse, his indifference sealed by bitter betrayal. All that changes when Lachlan is tasked to protect and deliver Bella MacDuff to the king’s coronation and the proud, lushly sensual countess unwittingly challenges him to his greatest battle yet: to love again.

Passionate and devoted, Bella has defied Britain’s king and her own husband to place the crown on Bruce’s head, and for this she pays a terrible price: Losing her daughter and her freedom to her husband’s vengeance. Imprisoned with barbaric cruelty, she vows to reclaim her child, even if it means selling her soul and her body to a dark, lethal warrior whose eyes glint like steel, but who makes her skin tingle and her breath race. Together they embark on a rogue mission with sinister twists and turns that threatens not only Bella’s gamble to save her daughter but also her heart.

My Thoughts:

This novel had a nice twist: the most hated of the highlander guard we've met so far turns out to be a misunderstood sweetheart. We met Lachlan in the previous novels and he always seemed very surly and uncaring towards anyone but himself...but we also got a sense that he was very torn up over Bella's capture.  In this book, we finally learn a bit more about him.

Lachlan's good name was ruined when he was younger, and since he blames himself for the incident, he sees no value in correcting anyone's negative opinions of him. Thus, he is known as a heartless mercenary and is not trusted by many. When he is commanded to keep Bella MacDuff's safe, he finds himself wanting her to trust him--something he hasn't expected from anyone since his former wife's betrayal.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Lachlan and Bella. At the start, Bella knows only of his bad reputation and refuses to trust him at all. She has also learned to be wary of any male attention due to her husband's jealous nature and the reactions that her beauty generally garners from men. When there is a spark of attraction between Bella and Lachlan, they both try hard to fight it.While I was easily drawn in by both the plot and the delicious sexual tension between the hero and heroine, I was a little annoyed by how selfish Bella could be. Between her strong will and Lachlan's need to see her happy, she constantly sent him on missions that put him into danger, then generally rewarded him with a guilt trip for being attracted to her...I guess it was a nice change to be pissed off at the heroine instead of our highlanders.

This series continues to impress me. I can't wait to continue on and see what else McCarty has in store for our highland guard.  

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Monica McCarty

The Hawk by Monica McCarty (Highland Guard #2)

The Hawk by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: If you like seeing a cocky playboy finally brought to his knees, you'll enjoy this book. Oh, and the actual plot was good too. 

Highland Guard

1.  The Chief
2.  The Hawk
3.  The Ranger
4.  The Viper
5.  The Saint
6.  The Recruit
7.  The Hunter
7.5  The Knight
8.  The Raider
9.  The Arrow (August 26, 2014) 

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Handpicked by Robert the Bruce to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule, the elite warriors of the Highland Guard face their darkest days. When Bruce is forced to flee, his bid for freedom rests on the shoulders of one extraordinary warrior.

Erik MacSorley is a brilliant seafarer who has never encountered a wind he could not harness or a woman he could not win—until he drags a wet, half-naked “nursemaid” out of the waters off the Irish coast. Ellie’s ordinary appearance belies the truth: She is in fact Lady Elyne de Burgh, the spirited daughter of the most powerful noble in Ireland. Worse, this irresistible woman is determined to prove herself immune to Erik’s charms—a challenge he cannot resist.

Her captor may look every inch a rugged warrior, but Ellie vows that it will take more than a wickedly suggestive caress to impress her. Yet Erik will sweep away Ellie’s resistance with a desire that resonates deep within her heart. Still, he is a man driven by loyalty, and she is a woman with secrets that could jeopardize Bruce’s chance to reclaim his throne. As the battle for king and country sounds across the shores, will Ellie’s love be enough to finally tame the legend known as the Hawk?

My Thoughts:

Alright, I'm officially a fan of this series. It was a rough start with Tor "The Jerk" MacLeod in the first book, but I definitely enjoyed our second hero. McCarty has a way of taking obnoxious men and making me love them anyways. Erik "Hawk" MacSorley was chosen for Robert the Bruce's elite guard for his excellent seamanship. He's slightly crazy, way too cocky, and has never had to work for the attention of a woman in his life. Which is why I was oh so happy when he finally met his match in Ellie. Ellie is a nobleman's daughter, but decides to hide her identity from Hawk (who she believes to be a rugged pirate.) Ah, deception. Always makes for a great story.

Hawk was a major playboy. And while Ellie did her best to ignore his irresistible charms, she wasn't completely immune. Even after he realized that he felt differently about Ellie than the countless other women he had slept with, he was still way too cocky. And he kept mentioning how plain she was, and how grateful she would be for his attention! I would kick him in the face if I could. Maybe mess up his perfect bone structure a little bit. Really, some of these highlander hunks need to be brought down a few pegs. I certainly wouldn't characterize Hawk as "romantic" through the majority of the book, but my enjoyment in Hawk and Ellie's relationship came from seeing a man who had used his charm to get everything he wanted finally have to work to keep something he cared about.

I really like McCarty's writing. I think her stories really manage to pick at my emotions, and she's not afraid to stray from romantic heroes and give them a couple major character flaws. The heroes make me angry, but they also keep my face glued to the story. Nothing was half-assed in this story. The action was exciting and actually kept me interested in the politics behind the plot, which almost never happens. The tension between the characters was great and the sex was nice and detailed, if a little over the top at times (I'm looking at you boat-in-the-middle-of-a-storm scene...) I can't wait to continue on in this series and see what our next super secret highlander spy has in store!

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Monica McCarty

Forever His by Shelly Thacker (Stolen Brides #1)

Forever His by Shelly Thacker

Genre: Time Travel Romance

Bottom Line: A hot medieval time travel romance with an exciting plot. Perfect if you are in the mood for lots of sexual tension and a domineering hero.

Stolen Brides Series
1.  Forever His
2.  His Forbidden Touch
3.  His Captive Bride

Synopsis (Goodreads):

On New Year's Eve, she tumbles 700 years back in time--and into the bed of a darkly dangerous knight.

Sir Gaston de Varennes wanted a docile bride who would fit into his plans for vengeance and justice, but a trick of time finds him married to a thoroughly modern American lady who turns his castle, his life, and his heart upside down. Will her desperate secret tear them apart after only a few bittersweet weeks of stolen passion--or will they conquer mistrust, treachery, and time itself to discover a love that spans the centuries?

My Thoughts:

Prepare yourself for some alpha-male fun... Gaston is a french knight who has a vendetta against the Duc Alain de la Tourelle. The king attempts to put a stop to the feud by forcing Gaston to marry Tourelle's ward, Christiane; of course none of the parties involved are happy about this.  On New Years Eve, 1299, the moon sucks up Celine, a 20th century girl, and plops her into Gaston's bed (I'm sure that description accurately describes the physics of time travel.) Gaston assumes that Celine is Christiane and that she is plotting to seduce and murder him after their wedding, so Celine must struggle with surviving in the Middle Ages, convincing Gaston she is not his enemy, and finding a way back to 1993.

Gaston is a very tough, sensual guy. He is also a paranoid ass for the majority of the book, and has a nasty habit of punishing Celine for his attraction to her. Get ready for a love/hate relationship with Gaston. The sexual tension between Celine and Gaston is quite intense, and the story has a nice forbidden love feel to it. I will admit I was not a huge fan of Celine in the beginning. She seemed weak and a bit spoiled; but living in medieval France and dealing with Gaston quickly worked that out of her, and I ended up really liking her character.

There were certainly a few plot twists that I did not see coming, which I always appreciate. I wish that less time had been spent trying to convince Gaston that Celine was from the future.  I started to get a little antsy after a bit, but honestly, Celine didn't have much proof to support her claim. The one thing that really bugged me is that we have no clue what happened to Christiane. I don't know if she is wandering around in 20th century Paris or if she found a hunky French knight, but I need to know!      

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Shelly Thacker        

Loki's Daughters by Delle Jacobs

Loki's Daughters by Delle Jacobs

Genre: Historical Romance

Bottom Line: A medieval romance with sweet characters but a slightly tedious plot.

Synopsis (Goodreads):

For as long as Arienh can remember, her Celtic people have feared the deadly Viking raids. She knows their brutality first hand, having lost the men from her own family and village to their swords. When she encounters and wounds a Viking warrior one stormy night, she has every right to want him dead. Instead, she allows him shelter in her cottage. Although she fears him, his confidence and teasing manner give her pause. He acts as if she belongs to him. As if he knows her. 

Ronan didn’t expect Arienh to recognize him. Why should she? They were both just children when his uncle forced him into a raid against her village. But Ronan risked his life to protect the young Arienh from his marauding kinsmen. Now that the time has come for Ronan and the other warriors to choose wives, he has returned to claim the beautiful girl who captured his heart so long ago.

But for men accustomed simply to taking what they want, wooing the courageous, headstrong Celtic women is easier said than done. And for Arienh, who always sacrificed her own happiness for the sake of her people, trusting—and loving—a Northman may be impossible. By turns poignant and humorous, Loki’s Daughters is a stirring tale of unlikely lovers, forged in dangerously opposite worlds yet bound together by sacrifice, strength, and undeniable passion.

My Thoughts:

First off, this cover gave me nightmares.  I didn't notice Ronan standing in the background until I glanced at the cover at around 3 am.  It's like he's hiding in the shadows...always watching...*shiver*

Loki's Daughters is a historical romance set in the 9th century.  This is the first Viking romance I have read.  The basis of the story is that these Northmen (as they proclaim they are the happy, farming type of Vikings, not the angry marauding type) come to a Celtic town to claim wives and rebuild the village, led by a particularly handsome man--of course--named Ronan.  Ronan the friendly Viking has been in love with Arienh since he saved her years ago from an attack by his uncle's clan.  Arienh has been the head of her village since Viking raiders killed all of their men and raped and blinded her sister.  As such, she is reluctant to accept these men into their village despite her immediate attraction to Ronan.

This story was primarily a romance with a bit of action on the side.  The romance was cute most of the time--and a bit steamy when neccessary.  Ronan really was a good guy.  He tries very hard to woo Arienh, and most of his men also fall instantly in love with the other Celtic women...convenient.  Unfortunately, the 9th century Viking's way of wooing seems to resemble that of a caveman.  I've picked you to be my wife, here is a duck and shelter, you're mine now, yes?  It would probably piss me off if this book was set in a later time period, but this is the 9th century...what do you expect?  My issues with this book arose with Arienh.  She is absolutely determined to keep away from Ronan just because she thinks she is protecting her sister and the other villagers.  I could understand this for a bit in the beginning, but I swear this conflict went on through the ENTIRE book.  Every time she saw him it was "Oh golly, I could never love a Viking...they're all evil."  Ugh.  Move on.  He's a good guy.

Despite that little rant, I did enjoy the book as a whole.  It was a quick read, and Ronan was quite an adorable suitor, if a little bone-headed at times.  Maybe because he was a little bone-headed.  The secondary characters all had their own little stories and little side plots, but the didn't detract from the main plot.  I would suggest this book if you are looking for something cute and quick with a bit of a primitive romantic setting.

Find it on: Amazon | Goodreads | Delle Jacobs