Guest Review: Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

Tracy’s review of Tamed by a Highlander (Children of the Mist #3) by Paula Quinn

A LOVER’S PROMISE

Connor Grant left his first love in the Highlands, vowing to return after serving in the king’s army. Seven years later, he is still fighting for the crown, and his victories are legendary-both in the battlefield and in the bedroom. Yet he’s never forgotten his bonnie lass. And he certainly never expected to see her amidst the splendor of the British royal court: beautiful, breathtaking, and tempting him past the point of no return.

A LADY’S DESTINY

The night he left, Mairi MacGregor banished Connor from her life forever. Now her heart belongs only to Scotland. As part of a secret alliance, she journeys to London in search of information . . . only to find herself face to face with the one man she swore she’d never trust again. Though Mairi’s body still craves Connor’s touch, she can’t forgive his betrayal. But a traitor lurks in their midst and to protect her beloved Highlands, Mairi must make a leap of faith and join forces with Connor-even if it means losing her heart to him again.

Mairi MacGregor is in England for King James’s coronation. She wants to leave before Connor Grant returns because the last thing she wants to do is see the man she one loved again. She hates the man with a passion for betraying her love when she was but 15 years old.

Connor has loved Mairi for what seems his whole life. When he left the Highlands he begged Mairi to leave with him but she refused. His many letters home still begged but all Mairi told him was to never come back. Heartbroken Connor threw himself into his service to the king and tried to live the best he could. Now that he’s seen his one and only love once again he wants nothing more than to be with her in every sense of the word. But loves path never runs easy and they end up having more obstacles than ever to be together.

I have really liked all of Paula Quinn’s books and once I open them I never have a problem getting right into the stories and wanting more, more, more. This book was not like that. Mairi made me want to dive through the pages, slap her upside the head and do her some damage for being such a pig-headed woman. I seriously considered putting the book down and not picking it back up. As I was putting the book down I argued with myself. I thought – you know, Quinn hasn’t ever let me down before, maybe I should give the book more time (granted I was already 100 pages in but whatever). I decided to keep reading and let me say that I’m glad I did.

Mairi felt betrayed by Connor. They had sworn there love for each other and then he went off and left her. I understand how she might be heartbroken but she was so stubborn she never had faith in Connor and told him to just never come home. Connor wanted to make Mairi happy and so stayed away – in the meantime making himself miserable. Mairi’s heartbreak turned to hate over the years and this is what really got me. I understand heartbreak and loneliness and feeling betrayed but for that to turn so strongly in to what she considered hate was just beyond me. Dislike the guy? Sure. But hate? IDK it just didn’t set well with me. Now Mairi truly didn’t hate him but if Connor hadn’t decided that enough was enough she might have gone through her life being a miserable sod.

Connor was a romantic. He was just a big beefy guy that had the equivalent of hearts and rainbows coming out of every orifice but damn, it worked for him. I think what I loved most about him was that he loved everything about Mairi, despite her surliness. In fact when she was a spitfire it made him smile. He didn’t like her fighting but what man wants to see the woman he loves hurt in a battle? None I know.

During all of the romance there was some political intrigue going on and while my knowledge of English royalty is kinda sketchy I was able to follow along just fine. (Luckily I was a bit familiar with King James and his issues). The romance is definitely the key in this book even with the politics swimming around in the background. Connor and Mairi had a tough road but it all worked in the end. I really liked the book and would definitely recommend it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from ForeverPublishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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