Author: Pamela Clare

Summer Reading Challenge Review: Untamed by Pamela Clare

Posted September 12, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Summer Reading Challenge Review: Untamed by Pamela ClareReviewer: Rowena
Untamed (MacKinnon's Rangers, #2) by Pamela Clare
Series: MacKinnon's Rangers #2
Also in this series: Untamed (MacKinnon's Rangers, #2)
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Format: eBook
Point-of-View: Alternating Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 369
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: five-stars

In the breathtaking tradition of The Last of the Mohicans...

MacKinnon's Rangers

They were a band of brothers, their loyalty to one another forged by hardship and battle, the bond between these Highland warriors, rugged colonials, and fierce Native Americans stronger even than blood ties.

Though forced to fight for the hated British, Morgan MacKinnon would no more betray the men he leads than slit his own throat—not even when he was captured by the French and threatened with an agonizing death by fire at the hands of their Abenaki allies. Only the look of innocent longing in the eyes of a convent-bred French lass could make him question his vow to escape and return to the Rangers. And soon the sweet passion he awoke in Amalie had him cursing the war that forced him to choose between upholding his honor and pledging himself to the woman he loves.

Untamed is the first book that I tackled from Casee’s picks for my Summer Reading Challenge, it’s also the second book in the MacKinnons Rangers series by Pamela Clare and it’s got the whole Last of the Mohican feels to it, which I’ll admit, I wasn’t all that interested in reading before I picked it up. I’m so glad that I forced myself to get over myself and get this book read because it was good stuff. Thanks for the recommendation, Casee! 🙂

So this book follows the MacKinnon Rangers Leader, Morgan MacKinnon, as he is injured in war, taken captive by the enemy and then falls in love with the woman that nurses him back to health (while in enemy hands). Morgan has stepped up to be the leader of the Rangers when his older brother stepped down from military service and is now living the farmer’s life with his wife and young son. On a scouting mission, Morgan is shot trying to save one of his Rangers and because he knows that he’s dying, he sends the Rangers to safety knowing that his younger brother Connor will lead their men against the enemy. The Rangers were forced to fight with the British Army because the leader of the British Army is a lying piece of shit but to ensure that Iain and his family is safe, the Rangers fight. So for now, the French are the enemy.

When the French take Morgan captive, they nurse him back to health in hopes that he’ll give them the answers they need to defeat the British Army and end the war. Amelie Chauvenet is tasked with nursing Mogan back to health and she is not at all happy to know that once Morgan is healthy, the French Army plans to send him to his death. Each day that she nurses him back to health, she gets to know the Rangers Leader and the closer she gets to him. She doesn’t want to like him because she holds him and his Rangers responsible for the death of her father but she can’t stop her heart from feeling what it feels for Morgan MacKinnon and before she knows what is what, they’re married and loads of drama is still waiting for them.

There’s a lot going on this book with Morgan’s injuries, his developing relationship with the forbidden Miss Chauvenet and once they’re together, they’re still not out of the woods because Morgan has to get Amelie to the safety of his home with Iain and Iain’s wife Anne but he’s also got to prove he’s innocent of treason. Things happen quickly once they’re married but I will say that the beginning was a little slow for me. It took me a while to get into the story but once I got a sense of who was who and what was going on, the story picked up and my enjoyment went right up with it.

Morgan was a fantastic hero who led with heart and genuine care for his men. They were all brothers to him and there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for any of the Rangers. I liked that. I liked seeing how loyal his men were to him and I really enjoyed seeing the love he had for his brothers and to see that love and loyalty returned right back to him from them. He did what he had to and I loved seeing how much he loved Amelie.

Amelie was a great heroine but there were times when I wished she thought more of what she wanted from Morgan than she did. She wanted him to join the French army so that it would be okay for her to love him, not even thinking what becoming a traitor would be for him. She didn’t think at all about how him joining her cause would pit him against his brothers because they had already given their word to fight for the other side. But aside from that, I thought she was a great heroine. She was strong, brave and she loved fiercely. I was super happy that she finally got the family and the home that she wished for because she did deserve it.

Overall, this was a fabulous romance that I came to adore. I’m mighty interested in going back and reading Iain’s book and then finishing up the series with Connor’s book. I enjoyed getting to know both brothers very much in this book and so they’re on my TBR list at the very top. Let’s hope that I get to them soon. This book was great and I definitely recommend.

Grade: 4 out of 5

MacKinnon’s Rangers

four-stars

2 Comments

Tagged: , , , , , ,

Review: Untamed by Pamela Clare

Posted February 9, 2009 by Casee in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Untamed by Pamela ClareReviewer: Casee
Untamed (MacKinnon's Rangers, #2) by Pamela Clare
Series: MacKinnon's Rangers #2
Also in this series: Untamed (MacKinnon's Rangers, #2)

Publication Date: January 1, 2008
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 347
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
five-stars
Series Rating: five-stars

In the breathtaking tradition of The Last of the Mohicans...

MacKinnon's Rangers

They were a band of brothers, their loyalty to one another forged by hardship and battle, the bond between these Highland warriors, rugged colonials, and fierce Native Americans stronger even than blood ties.

Though forced to fight for the hated British, Morgan MacKinnon would no more betray the men he leads than slit his own throat—not even when he was captured by the French and threatened with an agonizing death by fire at the hands of their Abenaki allies. Only the look of innocent longing in the eyes of a convent-bred French lass could make him question his vow to escape and return to the Rangers. And soon the sweet passion he awoke in Amalie had him cursing the war that forced him to choose between upholding his honor and pledging himself to the woman he loves.

I thought long and hard about what grade to give this book. After our Getting Back to Basics pledge, I’ve been very careful in the grades I give. 2009 has gotten off to a great start for me as far as reading goes. Still, until I read this book, there wasn’t a particular one that stood out and said “READ ME!”. I’ve read Pamela Clare since she came out with her first book. Her contemporaries are amazing and her historicals are just as amazing, but in a different way. There has been quite a wait between Surrender and Untamed, yet it was worth every.single.minute. I adored this book. That’s why it’s my first 5 of 2009.

As the Captain of the MacKinnon Rangers, Morgan can’t leave a man behind. Which is how he finds himself at the mercy of the French. Reviled by the French and Abernaki, Morgan knows that he’s going to meet a long and painful death. The last thing that Morgan expects to find while in French custody is Amalie Chauvenet. Morgan is drawn to her as he has been drawn to no other woman. He’s not the type to dwell upon what is, yet for the first time Morgan finds himself wishing that he could be fighting with the French against the British. Forced into service by Lord William Wentworth, Morgan and his men have a simple choice. Fight for the British or die by the noose.

Nothing in Amalie’s life prepared her for the vitality of Morgan MacKinnon. She knows he’s the enemy. She knows he led the men that eventually killed her beloved father. Yet as she nurses him back to health, she finds that she can’t hate him. Even more, she starts having feelings for the rugged Irish man. Amalie knows that she can’t bear watching Morgan be turned over to her Abernaki cousins only to be burned alive. She comes up with a daring idea of using Morgan as a spy for the French. To Amalie, it solves almost everything. Morgan won’t die and she can still be near him.

Pamela Clare did such a great job of getting Morgan’s feelings across. The last thing Morgan wants to do is fight with the British, yet his loyalty lies his men who have little choice. Morgan knows that Amalie is The One for him, but he also knows that they will never be together. In Morgan’s refusal to betray his men, he is betraying Amalie, something he knows she will never forgive.

Amalie was such a courageous heroine. She was raised in an Abbey, but willingly helps nurse wounded men and help anyone she can. Even after she learns of Morgan’s true intentions, she still can’t hate the man. Hating him for his fierce loyalty would be hating who he is, which is something she can’t do. She’s willing to do anything to be with this man she loves, even though they are technically against each other in the war.

This was an amazing love story. The odds were so against Morgan and Amalie being together, yet they wouldn’t give up. Even when it seemed like there was no hope, they both held onto their love. It sounds sort of cheesy, but it wasn’t. From cover to cover, this book was amazing.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

MacKinnon’s Rangers

five-stars

5 Comments

Tagged: , , , , ,

Review: Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare

Posted April 15, 2008 by Casee in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Unlawful Contact by Pamela ClareReviewer: Casee
Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare
Series: I-Team #3
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: April 1st 2008
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
five-stars
Series Rating: five-stars

Taken hostage by a convicted murderer while reporting at a prison, Sophie Alton has no idea that the man holding the gun to her head is the bad boy who was her first love in high school. Condemned to life without parole, Marc Hunter finds himself with no choice but to break out of prison after his younger sister disappears with her baby.

Though he regrets what he has to put Sophie through, he can’t let anything get in the way of his stopping the corrupt officials who are set on destroying what’s left of his family. But being near Sophie rekindles memories for both of them. As the passion between them heats up, so does the conspiracy to put both of them in their graves.

Sometimes I have this problem with reviewing. It usually happens when a book just blew me away or surpassed my expectations. When that happens I usually have a hard time reviewing it without sounding like a moron (see: Jo Goodman). That is the case with Unlawful Contact. I read it about a week ago and every time I tried to review it, the words just wouldn’t flow. That is super annoying.

I met Pamela Clare last year at RWA. She is the one of the nicest and funniest people I met on that trip. A friend that I was dragging around got dragged right up to Pamela’s table where she proceeded to make us laugh like loons. If I remember right, even her autograph to my friend was funny.

I picked up Extreme Exposure on a whim after it first came out. I haven’t looked back since. Though I didn’t like Hard Evidence as much as Extreme Exposure, Unlawful Contact more than made up for it. This book was amazing. Utterly and completely.

As an Investigative Reporter, Sophie Alton strongly believes in what she does. Through her years as a reporter, Sophie has had the opportunity to help a lot of people. Lately she has been trying to help a woman named Megan. A recovering drug addict, Megan is on parole and fighting to get her seven month old daughter back. Sophie has been following Megan’s story from the beginning and plans to be there when Megan is reunited with her daughter at last. Of course the unthinkable happens…Sophie arrives to find out that Megan has taken her baby and run. Determined to track her down, Sophie requests to see Megan’s brother who is in prison for murder.

When Marc Hunter finds out that Megan has run, he knows exactly why. Conceiving a plan that will either get him out of prison or get him killed, Marc lures Sophie to the prison with the promise of information about Megan. To Marc’s disbelief, Sophie doesn’t recognize him. After dreaming about her for years, he’s thrown a little bit off by that fact. That doesn’t stop him from doing what needs to be done. Taking Sophie at gunpoint, Marc escapes prison in a hail of bullets with Sophie at his side.

It doesn’t take long for Sophie to realize that Marc Hunter is the boy she only knew as ‘Hunt’. The boy that took her virginity all those years ago that she has never forgotten. Although her first instinct is to help Marc and Megan, they are both fugitives. It’s not until she begins uncovering the real reason that Megan on the run that she realizes she’s too far in to back out.

Unlawful Contact was an amazing book from cover to cover. Clare did such a great job of writing Marc’s desperation to find his sister. You could literally feel it coming off the pages. What started out as Marc determined to help Megan on his own turned into both him and Sophie racing to find Megan and her daughter before someone else does. The feelings between Marc and Sophie were both sweet and hot at the same time. You can’t help but root for these two and wonder at the same time how in the world Clare is going to give Marc his HEA. Rest assured, she most definitely did.

5 out of 5

five-stars

5 Comments

Tagged: , , , , , ,