Bound To The Highlander

My leisure reading rate has been very curtailed lately with many domestic issues sucking up what would be reading time, but  I have recently finished Kate Robbins'- Bound To The Highlander.

This is the first in her 'Highland Chief Series' and has won the 2013 TARA Award for Historical Romance. 

Here's what I thought when reading it:

For me historical fiction comes in all sorts of forms. Some novels are serious and very heavy on detail. Others are much lighter on detail and less formal in that they give a gist of the period, just sufficient to give the reader a feel for the era. I’ve read a lot of ‘highlander’ romances and they have varied tremendously in the amounts of inforamation added and in the accuracy of the period. I found Bound To The Highlander an interesting mix. From the outset, there’s a formality to the syntax which is in keeping with the period, yet there was also a contemporary feel in some of the phrases used – mainly during banter that is more light-hearted - which was different and, to me, not in keeping with the rest of the atmnosphere. I thought at first the plotline was going to be quite simple to follow but was delighted to find that wasn’t the case –there were some unexpected scenes which kept me engaged and wondering what was coming next p-though some of these bordered on the comedic. 

Aileana’s uncle having arranged a marriage with the MacIntosh clan sets James and Aileana on an emotionally rocky road as their future is revealed. Mutual desire wasn’t expected in such engagements, far less a deep and abiding love  - but it's a romance and is what the reader is looking for! How they work through the ties that bind them is quite a tale of political intrigue and potential disaster!

I was quite partial to James MacIntosh who has everything a highland hero needs, but I was also drawn to his brother, Calum, who counterbalances James’ tough, hard edges. Aileana’s maid, Gwen, is a forthright character I liked very much- probably more than Aileana herself who was a mix of modern woman and naïve maiden.

If you like Highland Heroes - then Bound to the Highlander will entertain you!  

Slainthe! 

Taurus - My thoughts

Taurus by Christine Elaine Black

 - a fine 5* read!

I really enjoyed reading this book. From the very beginning the characters were well portrayed- good development on the part of Taurus. He’s the sort of hero you know needs to mellow. He does, and is very likeable for it. I was aware of less development of character in Kallie, though the ending proves all people change a little according to their circumstances. She was a very accomplished young woman at the outset and remains so throughout the story. There’s sufficient historical detail to satisfy the average romance reader; I personally liked this second book in the series better because there seemed more detail to plunge the reader into the era. The plot is simple yet interestingly fresh. There are a few fairly predictable twists, but the pace is excellent throughout which propels the story, and the reader to keep on reading right to the end. The writing and editing are excellent.  

There's a third book in the series -  Magnus - that I'll be looking into in the near future. I can definitely recommend Taurus for a quick but satisfying romantic historical read. 

Slainthe!