Book Review: The Immortal Highlander (Karen Marie Moning)

BEWARE: lethally seductive alpha male of immense strength and dark eroticism, do not look at him. Do not touch him. Do not be tempted. Do not be seduced.

With his long, black hair and dark, mesmerizing eyes, Adam Black is Trouble with a capital T. Immortal, arrogant, and intensely sensual, he is the consummate seducer, free to roam across time and continents in pursuit of his insatiable desires. That is, until a curse strips him of his immortality and makes him invisible, a cruel fate for so irresistible a man. With his very life at stake, Adam’s only hope for survival is in the hands of the one woman who can actually see him.

Enter law student Gabrielle O’Callaghan, who is cursed with the ability to see both worlds: Mortal and Faery. From the moment she lays eyes on this stunning male, Gabby is certain of one thing: He could be her undoing. Thus begins a long, dangerous seduction. Because despite his powerful strength and unquenchable hungers, Adam refuses to take a woman by force. Instead, he will tease his way into Gabby’s bed and make her want him just as he wants her.

Now, no matter how hard Gabby tries to avoid him, Adam is everywhere, invisible to all but her—perched atop her office cubicle in too-tight jeans, whispering softly from behind the stacks of the law library, stealing her breath away with his knowing smile…all the while tempting her with the promise of unimaginable pleasure in his arms. But soon danger will intrude on this sensual dance. For as Adam’s quest to regain his immortality plunges them into a world of timeless magic and the deadly politics of the Faery queen’s court, the price of surrender could be their very lives. Unless they can thwart the conspiracy that threatens both mortal and Faery realms…and give them a shot at a destiny few mortals ever know: glorious, wondrous, endless love.

Out of all the books in Karen Marie Moning's Highlander Series, this is the book I was most excited about. The Immortal Highlander is the (great) Adam Black's story. First introduced in Beyond the Highland Mist, Adam Black's incredible charm and unbelievable arrogance hooked me to him. So of course, now stripped of his powers, invisible to both mortals and fae and in a (very puny, very needy) human body, Adam attempts to save his queen, seduce Gabrielle O'Callaghan and evade an old enemy all in one go. I just had to read this book!

This series is already my favourite, and despite ridiculously high expectations for this particular book, I'm pleased to say it did not fail me. Adam Black is as arrogant as ever, just as gorgeous and all the more drool-worthy. His antics in this book are beyond hilarious, so much so it actually hurt to read it! God I was laughing so hard. There's nothing funnier than Adam Black asserting his prowess to a very cynical modern woman! Despite his ever-present arrogance, readers see deeper into him in this book. Although not a typical bad boy with a good heart, Adam has his selfless moments. Gabrielle herself is a loveable character, and is the perfect match for him in every way. Just as defiant and raised to hate the Fae, she is the one person who does not bow down to him and is therefore his equal. I love the way these two interact with each other. Adam is perpetually seducing her and Gabrielle is resisting just as much. Every bit of development means a lot in this book, I love it!

Another strength is the suspense in the plot. As this series progresses, more suspense is infused in the books, which results to a romance/adventure thrill which I can never say no to. Add Adam Black to that and you get the most amazing quotes. Romantic, arrogant, pure male and completely and utterly drool-worthy!

Fans of previous books will also delight in there are recurring characters, and I do think it's best to read the previous books as it will give you better platform to understand Adam and the plot. Amazing book!

And so, in letters as big and as bold as Adam Black:

FIVE STARS.

Book Review: Kiss of the Highlander (Karen Marie Moning)

A laird trapped between centuries...

Enchanted by a powerful spell, Highland laird Drustan MacKeltar slumbered for nearly five centuries hidden deep in a cave, until an unlikely savior awakened him. The enticing lass who dressed and spoke like no woman he’d ever known was from his distant future, where crumbled ruins were all that remained of his vanished world. Drustan knew he had to return to his own century if he was to save his people from a terrible fate. And he needed the bewitching woman by his side....

A woman changed forever in his arms...

Gwen Cassidy had come to Scotland to shake up her humdrum life and, just maybe, meet a man. How could she have known that a tumble down a Highland ravine would send her plunging into an underground cavern — to land atop the most devastatingly seductive man she’d ever seen? Or that once he’d kissed her, he wouldn’t let her go?

Bound to Drustan by a passion stronger than time, Gwen is swept back to sixteenth-century Scotland, where a treacherous enemy plots against them ... and where a warrior with the power to change history will defy time itself for the woman he loves....

This is by far the most engaging novel in the series, and one of, if not my favourite in the whole series. While the first three couples have been perfect for each other in the classical sense, our hero Drustan and our heroine Gwen engaged in a romantic play with unconventional roles. In general I prefer the latter, but in a novel where the protagonists are centuries apart, the female being in the later century, I expected a fiesty heroine and Gwen is exactly that! Which is why I love the role reversal in The Highlander's Kiss so very much.

I always love Karen Marie Moning's characters and both Gwen and Drustan have a special place in my heart. I admire Gwen's firmness in her stance, her persistence and her bluntness. Despite her inexistent love life, rift with late parents and tumbling career, she can still spare Drustan a piece of herself. Drustan MacKeltar is a persistent man himself, but with a more stubborn, arrogant edge. First born, laird and with an ego the size of Scotland, waking up beneath Gwen in the middle of the twenty first century is one hell of a surprise for him. Despite the challenge, he takes everything in his stride and maintains his dazzling charm. Drustan also comes up with seriously funny things in this book, and that alone should be read by anyone! There are no limits to masculine pride and testosterone in Kiss of the Highlander, so prepared to be charmed!

The Highlander's Kiss is a plot-driven novel, really. It has dramatic irony, so part of it is predictable from that viewpoint. However, it's still such a real roller coaster ride; just when I thought I knew the plot, it twists and turns and surprises me. More than once too! Out of all the books in the series, this one has more intellectual motifs as Gwen is a physicist. She analyses the plot in her own terms and produces academic explanations of her adventures. In a way, her scientific reasoning adds colour to the plot and explains the sudden twists well. Of course, need I mention how romantic it is? Especially the oath and the ending? Well heck, it's romantic!

Like the rest of the highlander series, The Highlander's Kiss has vibrant secondary characters bound to recur in the succeeding books. It ends perfectly to set up the next book, which revolves primarily around Dageus, Drustan's brother. Although it closes the Gwen and Drustan's chapter well, it also leaves a gripping cliffhanger which will have readers demanding the next book.

Besides, don't you just love those sexy, luscious lips on the cover ?

FIVE STARS.

* I received this copy for review. 

Book Review: The Highlander's Touch (Karen Marie Moning)

A Warrior Of Immortal Powers

He was a mighty Scottish warrior who lived in a world bound by ancient laws and timeless magic. But no immortal powers could prepare the laird of Castle Brodie for the lovely accursed lass who stood before him. A terrible trick of fate had sent her 700 years back in time and into his private chamber to tempt him with her beauty—and seduce him with a desire he could never fulfill. For this woman he burned to possess was also the woman he had foresworn to destroy.

A Woman Caught In The Mists Of Time

When Lisa felt the earth move under her feet, the fiercely independent 21st-century woman never dreamed she was falling...into another century. But the powerful, naked warrior who stood glaring down at her was only too real...and too dangerously arousing. Irresistibly handsome he might be, but Lisa had no intention of remaining in this savage land torn by treachery and war. How could she know that her seductive captor had other plans for her...plans that would save her from a tragic fate? Or that this man who had long ago forsaken love would defy time itself to claim her for his own...

Third in Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series, The Highlander's Touch is the most complex of the three I've read. Each of the book in the series has a very different feel to them, with different strengths and weaknesses, and this one is particularly infused with extra twists. Funny enough, all of them are connected - for instance The Highlander's Touch, which occurs a century prior, is connected to the first two by its characters.

Let me begin with the characteristics that it shared with its predecessors: it's hilariously funny, it has a drop dead gorgeous hero and the chemistry between the protagonists sizzles (swoon!). It has very loveable secondary characters - and as always, there are some seriously drool-worthy male foils.

I adored (or more like drooled over) Sidheach 'Hawk' Douglas from Beyond the Highland Mist, and Circenn Brodie is much like Hawk in this book. Devastatingly sexy and domineering, Circenn is a man of honour, a natural born leader who lived by his rules. (Un)fortunately for him, his curse on a religious relic misfires and transports the twenty-first century lass Lisa Stone into his lap - literally. She turns his world upside down; makes him break his oaths, lie and deceive. I had a good laugh at this, which saved what would have been a boring characterisation. Circenn, despite his allure, is a slightly inadequate character and much overshadowed by a foil, Duncan Douglas.

However, Lisa is a wonderful character. Strong, vivacious and determined, she works not for herself, but for her mother dying of cancer. She is understandably devastated when she finds herself in a war-torn country in the fourteenth century, her life threatened by the very person who can tempt her into staying. Again, while I like her character, she doesn't seem to have adequate focus, and less-developed characters are a boon in novels, really. Not good.

What makes this stand out in the series are these: several sub plots never fulfilled, a twist that is hard to foresee in the end, and an ending too polished for its own good. The first is annoying, because one of it involved Duncan Douglas, which is the superior character I found in this book. The twist is satisfying as I never could have seen it coming! Finally, the ending is such a classic. I thought it took happily ever after to the extreme, but I can't deny that I didn't like it. My inner child is forever screaming for a happy ever after in all of the books I read and was extremely satisfied with The Highlander's Touch.

Not the best in the series (or at least the three I have read so far), but pick this one up if you're looking for a sexy warlord to drool over, a happy-go-lucky protector to admire and to enjoy the company of the Knights of the Templar.

Three stars.


* I received this e-book for review. Thank you Mel!

Book Review: Beyond the Highland Mist (Karen Marie Moning)

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 irresistibly 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 in her. Not even the barriers or time and space could keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about flowing the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side...

I was thirsting for historical romances lately so a friend recommended this series and I was very fortunate to be offered the whole series for review. Beyond the Highland Mist introduces us to Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series and what an introduction it was! Now I understand why many recommend this so much. It's the perfect historical romance!

Our (insert all words synonymous to sexy here) hero is Sidheach 'Hawk' Douglas, who has been ordered by the King to marry Janet Comyn, known to be a madwoman. Fortunately for Hawk, Janet is now dead and in her place is Adrienne, who has recently been transported from the future by Adam Black, a Fairy fool seeking to torment our hero. Being the legend that he is, Hawk's ego takes a heavy stomping under Adrienne's denial of his seduction. To make things worse, Adam is present to distract Adrienne further, and his every move irritates Hawk to no end. What I found most hilarious about Hawk is the way he acts. He may be a fearless laird, but when it comes to Adrienne he really takes a bruising and frets like a toddler. Hilarious!

For her part, Adrienne plays the perfect heroine for Hawk. As an orphan, she has lived a lonely life in the twentieth century. Worse, her ex-fiancee Eberhard has only used her for his illegal activities. She has sworn off handsome men only to be so suddenly transported into the past and married to the most tempting man she has ever seen. Her denial of him makes some very interesting results and I loved reading every bit of it! Their characters are moulded well to fit each other and the romance is just as sizzling!

Beyond the Highland Mist should really be sold with a fan because it will drive you crazy from its very first pages. Karen Marie Moning's choice of words are seductive at the very least. I'm sure readers - female readers especially - will enjoy imagining their own version of Hawk, and if one is not enough, there are at least two other sumptuous heroes for you to drool on in this highland romance! I particularly love how all of them practically drips of masculinity. Strong, protective, competitive and arrogant - you can just imagine what happens when any two of them clashes.

Not only are the secondary characters noteworthy, they are also involved in subplots which were given enough attention to not be entirely distracting in the flow of the plot. It has recurring characters that will later be useful should you continue reading the series too. Beyond the Highland Mist is a wonderful blend of paranormal and highlander romance, with to drool for characters and is an undeniably excellent start to a fantastic series!

FIVE STARS.


*My E-book copy is received for review.