The dawning of desire...

1806, Scotland: Wild, reckless Callum MacCreath is in no hurry to become someone’s husband. But when his responsible, steady older brother Ian announces his engagement to their childhood friend Rebecca, Callum makes a startling discovery: he wants the lovely young lass for himself. But it’s too late, and when Ian banishes him for his duplicity, he’s only too happy to leave Scotland forever…

...is delicious and dangerous.

1816: Marrying Ian was the practical, logical thing for Becca to do. But once Callum sailed away to America, she missed his rakish charm and lust for life. Now, ten years later, Becca is a widow when a much-changed Callum returns to his Scottish homeland. Will he remember their spirited, fiery connection, or does he blame her for his brother’s unexpected death? This time neither of them can deny their scorching attraction, but will their hearts be burned in the blazing heat of scandal?

Callum is a young 20-year-old man and enjoying his drink and his women.  His best friend, besides his brother Ian, is Becca.  When he finds out that she’s agreed to marry Ian, he’s despondent and says some mean things. He also finds out that night that his brother and Becca’s father are going into business with the Duke of Dunncraigh and his son, and Callum warns Ian that it won’t turn out well as he knows that Dunncraigh and Stapp are not good men.  Ian tells Callum to leave and never return.  Callum takes him at his word and leaves not only his home, but Scotland.

Ten years later Callum is a man who is nothing like the youngster he was.  He has grown emotionally and physical and has stayed away from alcohol.  He has his own distillery and it’s becoming well known.  He’s a rich man in his own right and needs nothing from anyone.  When one of his workers comes across a newspaper stating that Ian drowned the previous year, Callum immediately sets sail for Scotland.

Becca is shocked to see Callum and wants him gone.  She is being courted by the Duke of Dunncraigh’s son, Lord Stapp, and has a good life which she doesn’t need interrupted.  She is just coming out of mourning for her husband and her father, who died not long after Ian, and wants nothing to do with Callum.  Of course, that’s what she says but down deep she’s a little bit thrilled that he’s there.  There were always feelings that she harbored for Callum but she knew even ten years earlier that he wasn’t the steady man she needed.  Now Callum is in MacCreath house and making accusations – saying that Dunncraigh and Stapp killed both Ian and her father.  On top of that he has claimed guardianship of Becca’s 6-year-old daughter, Maggie, and refuses to let her leave with Becca.  Not about to leave her daughter, Becca stays.  She must prove to Callum that she had nothing to do with the deaths in her family.  She also starts to believe Callum when he says that the deaths weren’t accidents.

I really love Enoch’s books and this one is another great one.  Callum, when he returns to Scotland, is such a different man than when he left.  Although we only saw him in one scene before the time jump I could tell he was a bit of a rogue.  Ten years later he is a man of action and is not afraid to step on toes to get what he wants. I normally don’t care for men like that, but Enoch wrote Callum in a way that I couldn’t help but like him.  He was so determined to find his brother’s killer. He felt guilty that he had ignored his brother’s letters when he was alive and even had them burned.  It was a bit heartbreaking to see his guilt but I thought he avenged his brother beautifully.

With Becca it took me some time to like her.  I couldn’t get a grasp on her personality in the short scene at the beginning of the book.  When we see her again she’s so determined to get Callum gone that I couldn’t help but think there was something going on with her.  There was – her repressed feelings for him.  As the story moved on I could see the person she had become and I liked her a lot.  She was a great match for Callum and I liked them together.

Overall the story was a good one.  Of course Enoch added the cute when she wrote in Maggie, her dog Reginald and Callum’s wolf, Waya.  Those three had me smiling a bunch of times during the course of the book and I loved it.  If you read the other two books in the series you won’t want to miss this one.  If you haven’t started the series, it’s one I recommend.

Rating: 4 out of 5

No Ordinary Hero Series

WILD AT HEART

Scotland, 1812: He’s ferocious and rugged to the bone, an English soldier more at home on the battlefield than in any Society drawing room. And when Major Gabriel Forrester learns that he’s inherited the massive Scottish Highlands title and estate of a distant relation, the last thing he wants to do is give up the intensity of the battlefield for the too-soft indulgences of noble life. But Gabriel Forrester does not shirk his responsibilities, and when he meets striking, raven-eyed lass Fiona Blackstock, his new circumstances abruptly become more intriguing.

Like any good Highlander, Fiona despises the English—and the new Duke of Lattimer is no exception. Firstly, he is far too attractive for Fiona’s peace of mind. Secondly, his right to “her” castle is a travesty, since it’s been clan Maxwell property for ages. As the two enter a heated battle of wills, an unexpected passion blazes into a love as fierce as the Highlands themselves. Is Fiona strong enough to resist her enemy’s advances—or is Gabriel actually her hero in disguise?

Gabriel is a soldier.  That’s all he knows how to be and all he ever wants to be.  When he’s told that he’s inherited a dukedom for an uncle once removed that he didn’t even know he had…he’s not thrilled.  He heads to London to get things worked out and then plans on returning to the Continent and the war.  When he talks to his solicitors he finds out that the property he owns in Scotland.  He also has a steward for that property that won’t give a full reporting of the ledgers.  He plans on heading up there, firing the current steward – hiring his aide-de-camp into the position and then leaving.  Except once he gets to Scotland he find a woman doing the stewards job and very well.  He knows she’s hiding things so that he’ll leave, and quickly (the old Duke hadn’t been there in 20 years) but Gabriel’s got other ideas about handling what’s going on in his home – and dealing with the supposed curse.

This was another wonderful book by Suzanne Enoch.  I just love her stories and characters and this was no different.  Gabriel was a man who knew what he wanted and didn’t beat around the bush to get it.  He told it straight out and I loved him for it.  He was a bit put off by Fiona because of her straightforwardness but he realized very soon that he loved that about her and loved her.  The way that Gabriel’s character grew throughout the book was beautiful to read.  My heart went out to him when he finally realized he couldn’t go back to being a soldier and the pain that caused him.  He found a new battle to fight however and it was one that ended up being close to his heart.

Fiona was awesome.  I loved how she put Gabriel in his place time and again.  She tried to hold herself back from being attracted to him but Gabriel was such a force of nature she ended up looking forward to his kisses.  I realize that some people might be put off by her personality but she had to be strong to show everyone that she could do a man’s job – and do it well!  She had too many doubters – even within her own clan to be missish.  When an English soldier came along – you better believe she was gonna give him a piece of her mind.  She wasn’t a mild miss – I would have thought less of her if she’d not said anything.

Overall I really liked the book a lot and was thrilled with the story.

Rating: 4 out of 5