The Hawk: A Highland Guard Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Absolutely the best romance novel I have ever read. Monica McCarty did an outstanding job!!! Loved the chemistry between the heroine, Ellie & the hero Hawk. After reading this book it was so totally hard for me to pickup any other romance novel and get into it. I might add I read after, Anne Stuart, Paula Quinn, Julia London and the list goes on. Congratulations Monica for giving us a read that is excellent from the beginning to the end.

I tend to enjoy Monica McCarty's Highland novels because they are thrilling with bigger than life characters. Her hero, Hawk fit this description aptly, he is bold, daring, reckless, handsome, charming and so very charismatic that he leaps off the page. He is a born leader and his actions matched his descriptions. I was sufficiently wowed by him but the heroine of this story, Ellie, was so very pale in comparison that I just never felt like they belonged together.

Hawk is one of Robert the Bruce's "Highland Guard", dedicated to assisting the Bruce in regaining his Scottish Throne. Hawk and the Bruce are in Ireland regrouping and on a mission to hire mercenaries to join forces with Bruce's own men, Hawk is in charge of obtaining the mercenary's cooperation and rendezvousing with the Bruce soon thereafter. His plans are disrupted when a woman is caught in the cave while he is negotiating with mercenaries. Fearing that the disreputable band of paid fighters will harm her, Hawk takes the woman into his custody intending on releasing her whenever he can safely do so.

Ellie is no ordinary woman, she is a daughter to one of the most powerful noblemen of Ireland, sister-in-law to the Bruce and she is no simpering miss. She lies to Hawk about her identity claiming she is but a nursemaid to the nobleman's children.

Ellie is described many times as a plain woman, thin, totally unremarkable so it must be her rapier tongue that holds Hawk's attention. Ellie is a bit impetuous and she seems to forget she is a captive going toe to toe with Hawk frequently. Elle is direct (except with her identity) and she is fascinated by Hawk but she almost blames him for her feelings because of his incredible looks and charms. Ellie is rather duty bound at home and secretly enjoys the freedom she has with Hawk and his band but Ellie just cannot get past her bossiness, she really is almost a nursemaid to her younger siblings and her take charge attitude doesn't really change with Hawk. Ellie is also engaged to an English nobleman and she intends to go through with the marriage as she is dutiful but she is not really ecstatic about the union.

For me, this couple did not seem to be an equal match. What really drew Hawk to Ellie? Perhaps it was just she was the lady who seemed the least charmed by him or a good amount of lust, although it was easy to discern why she loved him, bold daring Hawk was easy to admire. Ellie was distant, untruthful, prideful and illogical, a trait she even knew about herself when she realized how irrational it was that she wanted to marry someone she did not love over someone she did. Ellie is not really good at reading people's motives and intentions; she was oblivious to her sister, her fiancé and Hawk's feelings.

Ms McCarty's writing is, of course, well done, she drew me in completely with the opening chapters because of her attention to detail and her great descriptions of Hawk and her high actions scenes were intense and tension filled. It was only her heroine who did not strike a chord; she did not measure up to her leading man.

Excellent sequel to the first novel (The Chief), with lots of action, suspense and drama; definitely not an ordinary read. This book totally stood on its own; no need to read the first book in order to read this one. Monica McCarty definitely intrigues her readers by providing a good plot that is realistic within the historical facts of the time. She provides us with Author Notes and details that spark her imagination into providing an excellent historical romance. Although we all know Robert the Bruce's real life ending, this author captivates her readers with an excellent romantic tale around important events within Scottish history.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next installment within this series (The Ranger). Thanks for providing the excerpt for this next read.

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