To Tame a Highland Warrior

by Karen Marie Moning

#2 Read a book set in Scotland

rated 4 stars

pages 366

Back Cover:

Only her love could gentle his savage soul--He was born to a clan of warriors of supernatural strength, but Gavrael McIllioch abandoned his name and his Highland castle, determined to escape the dark fate of his ancestors. Hiding his identity from the relentless rival clan that hunted him, he called himself Grimm to protect the people he cared for, vowing never to acknowledge his love for ravishing Jillian St. Clair. Yet even from afar he watched over her, and when her father sent an urgent summons, "Come for Jillian," he raced to her side -- into a competition to win her hand in marriage.

Why had he run from her so many years before? And why return now to see her offered as a prize in her father's manipulative game? Furious, Jillian vowed never to wed. But Grimm was the man she loved, the one who urged her to marry another. He tried to pretend indifference as she tempted him, but he could not deny the fierce desires that compelled him to abduct her from the altar. She was the only woman who could tame the beast that raged within him -- even as deadly enemies plotted to destroy them both....

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid good story. Grimm was a great tortured hero. Jillian was not a pushover, but wasn't a b*!@h either. I liked Quinn although I think he could have been a little more developed. Ramsay, was ...I didn't like him too much at all. I'm not sure if Balder will get his own story since he seemed quite taken with Missus Twillow at the end of this one. I wish we could have seen a little more of the character's sense if humors. At least between Quinn and Grimm. I'll be reading more from this series. For Sure!!

DarkFever

by Karen Marie Moning

#8 favorite/5 stars from Friend's shelf

rated 3.5 stars

Back Cover:

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death-a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone-Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister's killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed-a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae....

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane-an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women-closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book-because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands....

My Thoughts:

So I was expecting a paranormal romance. I got a paranormal/suspense. It was a good book, but not was I was expecting. It's kinda like going to the drive thru and expecting a burger when you leave but getting a grilled cheese sandwich. Now, grilled cheese is good, but not satisfying when I want a burger. That's kinda how I feel about Darkfever. (Can you tell I'm hungry??) Anyway, it is a perfectly good book, but I really wanted some love connection. As far as I'm concerned there is no emotion whatsoever. Even the erotic scenes with Vlane left me wanting, because there was only manipulation and humiliation. Not passion, just again with the oogy factor.

Anyway, I'm really hoping the emotion and passion amp up in the next installment Bloodfever. I really (really really) hope Barrons is a good guy, and a love interest for Mac. Some or many of you have already read Bloodfever and will know the answer to that. It's a solid book, but a grilled cheese for me.

C'mon Ms. Moning I got a "fever" for some lovin'.

Beyond the Highland Mist

Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

Fall Reading Challenge/Book in a series 2

rate 4stars

Back Cover:

He would sell his warrior soul to possess her. . . . An alluring laird...He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart--until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland.

Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length--but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.A prisoner in time...She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side. . . .

My Thought:

Well, I think the premise was very good. Honestly I think a modern woman in 1600 Scotland would have had a much more difficult time fitting in. It could have made for some real fun! However that is not the route taken by Ms, Moning. To each his/her own. I had a hard time getting emotionally invested in Hawk. It wasn't until about 1/2 way thru that she explained why he was such a "horn dog" and how he really was more sympathetic than it would seem.

I liked Adrienne, but give me a break. If I was swooped back a coupla centuries and was faced with the best sex of my life, with the most beautiful man in the universe....I'd go to town. Maybe I wouldn't trust him with my love, but I'd by on him like white on rice!! (hypothetically speaking, being single and available and all that. ahem! fans self!

I liked it alright! This title did not make KMM an auto buy for me, but I liked it well enough to try her again!