Thursday, October 27, 2011

New Review: Paula Quinn’s TAMED BY A HIGHLANDER - Another Great Romance in the Children of the Mist Series!


Tamed by the Highlander is the third in the Children of the Mist series and the fifth in Quinn's Highlander romances that include the first two MacGregor/Grant romances (see full list below). It's a good one and continues the romances of the children of Callum MacGregor and his friend, Graham Grant.

This one carries us into the reign of King James II, who at age 51 in 1685, ascended to the throne of England upon the death of his brother, Charles I. Connor Grant, son of Graham Grant (A Highlander Never Surrenders), faithfully served King Charles for seven years and is now a Captain in the army of the new Catholic King James. The girl Connor loved and left back home in the Highlands, Mairi MacGregor (the girl who told him she loved him when she was 6 and he was 9), considered his devotion to an English king a betrayal and refused to join him when he asked her. For seven long years, the two have been separated, each believing the other at fault. Connor has racked up his victories on the battlefield and in the bedroom, the latter much to Mairi's chagrin. Now they are reunited in the court of King James where Mairi has come for information on the Covenantors. The love they still feel will be revealed amidst treachery surrounding the new king. Already there is a cloud over the throne cast by the Protestants and William of Orange.

As always, Quinn's story is true to history and weaves the characters' lives into the events that affected the times. Unlike some "historical" romance, Quinn actually gives you real history, not just a general background setting. Her characters are well developed and believable. Connor is a wonderful Highlander, a warrior son of a warrior, who has seen the wisdom of serving the English king, even though his heart is still in the Highlands. Mairi comes across as a stubborn young woman bent on having her way and fighting for a cause (Catholic Scotland), above the love of a good man. At times it was hard to sympathize with her but she comes out ok in the end.

If you aren't familiar with the history of James II's reign, or the Catholic-Protestant struggle, I recommend taking a look at some online research before reading the book or you might be left wondering what are Covenantors (Scottish Presbyterians) and Cameronians (radical Presbyterians) and why they were such a concern of Mairi's.

I recommend this one and all of Quinn's Highlander romances (full list below). The first one, Laird of the Mist, is a particular favorite of mine.

The MacGregor Series:

Laird of the Mist (Callum MacGregor and Kate Campbell)
A Highlander Never Surrenders (Graham Grant and Claire Stuart)

Children of the Mist Series:

Ravished by a Highlander (Robert MacGregor and Davina Montgomery)
Seduced by a Highlander (Tristan MacGregor and Isobel Fergusson)
Tamed by a Highlander (Mairi MacGregor, Connor Grant)
Conquered by a Highlander (due out Summer 2012 - Colin MacGregor and Gillian ...)

Conquered by a Highlander, the next one in the series, begins 3 years later. It's the romance of Mairi's brother, Colin MacGregor, who is featured in Tamed by a Highlander as a loyal brother and able young warrior just joining King James' army. As the historical events around King James grow ever more tumultuous, it should be an interesting tale.

No comments:

Post a Comment