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

For those of you who haven't read The Chief or The Hawk, this is a new take on our Highlanders, and a new take on Highland Warfare. Imagine "special ops in kilts." Now that we all have that lovely image in our minds, (I know I'm imagining a Navy SEAL in a kilt, and yummmm)..I'm sorry, where was I?

After William Wallace was killed, Robert Bruce finally steps up to the plate and looks at what is best for Scotland. In this series, he finds the best warriors in Britain, and uses their specialties; so about a dozen men, all trained in different skills, but trained to work together. It's not easy.

Arthur Campbell has a special skill of having heightened senses. He gets a feeling, he can hear things before others can, and he's a damned good fighter. He is also deep undercover, part of the Highland Guard loyal to the Bruce, but on the surface, he's working for the English. One night, Arthur accidentally saves a lass from an ambush by his men, and in doing so, seals his fate.

A year later, he is sent by the Bruce into his enemy John of Lorn's castle as a spy. And finds out the beautiful lass he'd saved was his mortal enemy's daughter! What happens next is such an intriguing, suspenseful ride that I almost wish it could also be marketed as a romantic suspense. Obviously it can't be as simple as boy meets girl, they fall in love, happily ever after. Oh no, it has to be not only are they on opposite sides of the war, but they can't even tell each other that much. Between the secrets, and the passion, and stress of remembering which side he's really on, Arthur is trying his hardest to keep Anna at a distance. But her father has asked her to keep a close eye on him. In other words, she follows him around til the men are poking fun at Arthur. One of the hardest parts in the book for me to read was where Arthur saved Anna and her brother from an attack, only to find out he'd killed 9 of his own men. My God, how does he live knowing he saved the enemy at the cost of his friends' lives?

At one point in the book, Anna has been utterly rejected by Arthur, who can't let her get close to him, and she agrees to marry a former suitor and potential ally. Her father sends Arthur with her as a scout, and Arthur goes crazy with jealousy. One of my favorite scenes happens after Anna tells Hugh Ross she'll marry him. I think that watching Arthur realize he's in love with her was wonderful, but being an alpha male, he pulled the whole, "I can't have you, but I won't let anyone else have you either" crap and it drive me nuts!

Anna is blunt, caring, feisty and sweet. She is the perfect match for Arthur who just needs someone to love and understand him. That his solitary existence has been to protect himself from getting close to anyone, that he's not a freak with unnatural abilities. He's just a man who loves a woman so much he won't do anything about it, so that when the war marches to her door, and her world falls apart around her, and she sees he's betrayed her, that maybe it will save her a bit of hurt.

I loved the way Anna was able to see through Arthur's exterior and love him despite his attempts at pushing her away. I loved how Arthur couldn't let her marry Ross. And I loved how Anna handled the discovery that Arthur was a spy and her father had him tortured.

I urge you all to read the author's note, because it's so full of the real names, histories and clans that Monica McCarty uses in her series. It's amazing how much true history is woven through this Highland Romance. I love how easily it is to visualize the descriptions and how realistic everything feels as you read.

STORY BRIEF:
During battle Arthur's father could have killed Lorn but allowed Lorn to live if he surrendered. The fighting was over, the father turned his back, then Lorn stabbed and killed him. Arthur was a boy when he saw this. He vowed to kill Lorn for revenge.

It is now years later. Arthur is one of the Highland Guard, a group of special warriors serving King Bruce. Most of the Scottish clans are united under Bruce except for about two. One of them is Lorn's. Lorn is recruiting fighters to join him in fighting Bruce. Arthur joins Lorn as a spy. The problem is he falls in love with Lorn's daughter Anna. She wants him and lets him know it. He tries to be cold and insulting to her. He knows she will hate him when she discovers he is a spy.

Arthur's uniqueness includes a psychic intuition knowing what is going to happen a few moments before it happens. He also has great skills with a sword and spear. When a spear is thrown, he can grab it out of the air before it hits the target. He's the strong, silent, observant, loner type. Anna is smart, perceptive, determined, kind, and smiling. She wants to help others.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
Most of the story is Arthur's approach-avoidance conflict. He loves her but has to act like he doesn't. After their first passionate sexual encounter she tells him she loves him, but he acts like he doesn't care. He says "You see what you want to see - not reality. Little girls who believe in faerie tales only grow up to be disappointed" (page 248). By this time I was tired of his act. I wanted him to say yes I love you but let's not do anything until after the coming battle. So my summary: his hurting her and reluctance went on for too long. It was no fun after a while, and I skimmed a few parts.

There was some torture in the book which was unsettling, but not as bad as it could have been. The rest of the story was ok but like many others. There were some good battle strategies and action and some good parts in the end. The author's note in the back of the book was impressive. She was historically accurate as much as possible regarding clans and battles.

Sex scenes were ok but might have benefited from a little more emotion.

Unfortunately I'm annoyed with the publisher's cover picture not matching Arthur who has dark hair curling in loose waves at his neck and forehead. Cover guy has no hair below his ears.

DATA:
Story length: 406 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 17. Setting: 1307-1308 Scotland. Copyright: 2010. Genre: historical romance with a little paranormal.

This heroine is silly and vacant, but we're supposed to find her "adorable" (omg - how many times did I read that in the first 50 pages?) Long pages describe how happy she is, how sweet...like a "kitten". When she falls down twice within a few pages we're assured her clutziness is adorable because it makes her laugh, when men are trying to prepare for war she insists on dancing, feasts and games. I found her completely annoying and empty headed. At one point she has an internal dialogue lasting 11 pages (47-58) interrupted only very briefly by two conversations lasting less than a page each - the entire time she is trying to figure out why Arthur doesn't like her. We're subjected to all of her thoughts of her admirers opinions of her, her very many attributes and her few failings (one of which must be vanity she admits because she can't get over Arthur's apparent dislike for her, really she supposes, nobody is really liked by EVERYONE)...blah, blah, blah... seriously, 11 pages of this. In addition she abhors spies but spying for her father is apparently fine... as much as the rest of the story may have been interesting, I can't take anymore. Plus, I don't want to see Ranger stuck with such a simpleton.

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