To Conquer a Highlander: Scottish Highlands Trilogy, Book one [Mass Market Paperback]

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To Conquer a Highlander is an utterly fantastic book with characters that steal your heart. Author Mary Wine has penned a story that excites and captivates, ensuring the reader doesn't want to forgo the journey even after it's done.

The heroine, Shannon, is someone you'll cheer for. Prideful and strong, she has been born to a family that doesn't appreciate her as she deserves. When things turn sour, she finds herself engaged to a man who would be the new king of Scotland. Through no fault of her own, she becomes an enemy to her own kind, her clan a travesty that would see warring amongst their neighboring clansman. Resigned to her fate, she travels to meet her promised only to be taken by a highlander who is as hard and beautiful as the land he hails from. Torin is more than she anticipates. He is kind where she has only known cruelty, soft where she has only known hard. As he breaks down the walls she's constructed to protect herself, the story take life that is impossible to turn from.

From the moment I started reading, I was unable to put To Conquer a Highlander down. Tensions run high, ensuring you can't look away. Torin is determined to avenge his clansmen but refuses to use Shannon as a means to an end while she is determined to meet the fate that has been chosen for her. Yet, their chemistry as enemies that are attracted to one another is palpable, so intense that at times it's difficult to breathe. As their relationship progresses, you'll ache for her while you hurt for him. Ms. Wine weaves a very emotional story, and although there are moments I thought I couldn't handle the intensity, she kept luring me back with the promise of something more. The result is a story, and characters, that you positively love.

To Conquer a Highlander is a definite must read for historical fans. This is the first story I've enjoyed by Mary Wine but it will not be the last. She writes with depth and emotion, which is something die hard romance fans will appreciate and cherish. Be sure to pencil this title onto your TBR list.

I liked this one. Must have been that whole bride stealing business, those highlanders are such barbarians ;)

This is set at the backdrop of a troublesome time in Scotland. The king is murdered and the heir in hiding. Shannon Boyd's father is rooting for the bad guy and wants to marry her off to him, but first he slaughtered some people on his neighbours land. On top of a clan war there could be a civil war coming. But Laird Torin McLeren kidnaps the bride to be and takes her away to his castle. Soon he realises that she is a wildcat.

Shannon has played the obedient daughter all her life but for that she has only got pushed around, her father does not care for her at all. She is at an age that she has started to feel she will never marry and leave his rule. Her lifer has not brought her to her knees. No, she has got spirit and a fiery tongue. But then she gets captured by a sexy highlander and starts thinking things she has never thought before. She is well aware his people hate for what her father has done, and that if her father is branded a traitor she hangs with him. Still through out the book she keeps that fiery tongue and is not afraid to stand her ground and not let anyone walk on her any more.

Torin is the Laird, but with no heirs and a cousin breathing down his neck. Shannon was only meant to be a prisoner, one that would be treated fair, but not thought about until the time came. Of course the first time they meet words fly and he can see that she has got spirit. A lowland wildcat. Soon he also realises that she was not well treated at her father's home. She is not like other women that would throw themselves at home because he is laird, or to save their lives from the noose.

There is a dance between these two, with banter, but there is never mistrust. He wants her, she realises that she wants him, but can't have him. I love that he does not back down, he know what he wants, it may be difficult to achieve but hell he will fight for it. He is one sexy alpha highlander, sure there was one thing that got me a bit angry at him. But I understood it, and it was nothing bad, now he wanted to show that he cared. I will not say more, you will find out when you read it. Most of all I like how well he does treat her, and tries.

A strong woman, and man not backing down, and untamed passion when sparks fly. A stolen woman belongs to the capturer and this Highlander will fight for his love.

There was also this other guy, and my eyes went wide and I had to go and check the computer at once. Yes Connor is getting a book of his own. I am sure that one will be good too.

Final thoughts: A highland romance with a sexy Scot, and the bride he has stolen. Sounds like a good recipe for love.

I feel like I must have read a different book then the other reviewers. Shannon, the herione, is described over and over again in the story as stubborn but she wasn't stubborn, she was childish and idiotic and completely annoying. I don't know why so many authors feel like in order to have a strong female lead that she must argue with anyone over absolutely everything. I could not see how the hero would actually have fallen for her. He was wonderful--she was not. I am all for a feisty leading lady but this was definitely not the case. She absolutely ruined the entire book for me. She truly argues and is angry at everyone and everything. Even the end when she has a son she is mad because, by God, she wanted to always have everything done her way and she had informed her husband that she was having a daughter. Why did she decide this? Because everyone kept telling her how much a son would HELP her husband so she decided she should have a daughter because she didn't want people telling her what to do. Right because a loving wife decides that she should never help her husband.

Another aspect of Shannon's character that I didn't buy was that she grew up in an abusive home. I help and counsel abused women and it always frustrates me when authors seem to throw this into the story for who knows what reason and then create a character that is the antithesis of an abused woman. Not all abused women are cowed women but they are not this character at all. Nothing in her character showed her to be what the author tried to make her out to be in the first couple of chapters.

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