Pam's Review: Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

Tamed by a Highlander
~Paula Quinn

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446552364
ISBN-13: 978-0446552363
ASIN: B004CFASZG

From the author's website:
Desire knows no bounds...

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.

England, 1685. Seven years ago in Scotland, Connor and Mairi were happy and in love. Then Connor broke the news to Mairi that he had to travel to England to serve his king who is also his kin. He asked Mairi to go with him, but Mairi thought that he didn’t mean it and that he wanted out of the relationship. Connor stayed in touch and was faithful for several years, but Mairi was angry with him for leaving and never asked him to come back, so he never did.

Fast forward seven years; they meet again in England. Connor is now a Captain of the King’s army and well known as a lady’s man, and Mairi is being pursued by an Englishman who is constantly at her side. These emotions cause them both a bit of jealousy and make them wonder if they still feel something for the other. They are both a bit angry, both wondering if the other feels the same, both possibly still in love.

My thoughts:
This was overall a good read, but here are the reasons why I rated it 3 ½ stars: In the beginning there were a lot of names thrown around that made me confused and caused me to reread certain paragraphs, and then I just decided that if they were important that they would be repeated later on. There were also a few times when I found myself having to revisit some sections just because I would lose interest. Thirdly, at about halfway through the book I just wanted to talk to Mairi and Connor personally and make them see that they both still loved each other, meaning that I felt that the relationship struggle between them dragged a little bit.

That being said, it was overall a good read, especially if you like historical fiction with a sexy highlander lead. Connor was a great male protagonist. He ended up doing some pretty romantic things for Mairi (can’t tell you without giving anything away), and he was the perfect combination of romantic, jealous, and aggressive. Mairi is a strong female lead as well, and she knows how to take care of herself. She is known to hide daggers under her skirts, and Connor might just know where those are located.

This was the second book I read by Paula Quinn, and I will continue to read others by her. She definitely knows how to tell a story.

My Rating:

Pam

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.