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Marriage was her only means of escape . . .
Though Honora Tannach came of age amid the misty moors of the Scottish highlands, where warring clans battled to the death for the future of their wild land, nothing frightens her so much as a lifetime trapped in the castle of her cruel stepfather. She is thrilled when a marriage is arranged to the son of a Scottish laird . . . until her betrothed is revealed to be Cavan Sinclare. Though the savage warrior once saved her life, Honora knows no one can tame the heart of such a brute, no matter now finely chiseled his features or how enticing his eyes . . . .
After escaping his captors, Cavan’s only concern is protecting his clan from the menacing invaders who threaten at every turn—and his beautiful wife is a dangerous distraction. But in the face of fiery passion, their reluctance will fade . . . and Cavan will discover that there is no greater strength than the power of true love.
I'm not exactly sure how Return of the Rogue ended up as my afternoon read but I do know it probably took the expressway. I simply wanted a romance novel to spend my afternoon with and found myself attached to the story of the Sinclare brothers. As you may have guessed, the fact that this has diverted me from my official to-be-read pile means I favour this book!
Return of the Rogue is a charming highland romance novel - not that I read many, mind you - and set my standards for the succeeding books in this particular series quite high. It follows the story of Cavan, the olders of the Sinclare brothers and the joy and upsets of his unexpected and unwanted marriage to Honora Tannach, a 'mousy' woman he so thoroughly dislikes. Scarred and broken from his being captive to the Barbarians, Cavan is riddled with guilt at failing to save his younger brother Ronan from the same hands. The novel follows Cavan's marriage and his family's attempts to rescue Ronan from the barbarians' hands.
As already mentioned, Cavan Sinclare is a broken man - the novel is lengthy at its description of Cavan's tumultuous thoughts, of his guilt and the effects of both on his character. There were moments where I wanted to skim read over his reveries but reading through proved useful as the plot progresses; mind you, these were merely at minor times as I did enjoy Cavan's thorough development. In fact, all characters are well developed; Honora for her part is provided with sufficient history and uniqueness I have no complaints whatsoever. The rest of the Sinclare brothers are also very well described; they are easy to relate to and are quite an entertainting company. Their bond - brotherhood - is evident and is a huge driving force in the plot.
The plot itself is amazingly generous. Mostly, it paves way for a complete development of character and builds the essential foundations for a romantic storyline. It strengthens the chemistry between the main characters, so I was rooting and cheering and hoping for their love to be known to each other. I also enjoyed the sub-plots, which are not too many to be overwhelming. I'm surprised at how the book quite easily took me to a different time in history; most of the time I grapple with such change but it was easy with this book. Wonderful!
The only negative thing I can comment on is the limited array of characters. With such small number of characters - mostly the Sinclare clan - readers are able to familiarise quite intimately with each and every one, which I have no doubt will suit many. It develops these characters very well and each are bountiful in their individuality. However, this also causes the plot to become more predictable. Given the numbered characters it was easy for me to pin-point who the culprit behind it all; the clues that are showered within the plot are no help either - they were too well-timed to be dismissed, which might probably leave readers with too little to guess.
Overall though, this is a really good book. For romance lovers, grab this and enjoy the Sinclares! I am personally reading the next in the series.
Four stars.
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