Highland Hero by Cynthia Breeding – a Review

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Description:
If Juliana Caldwell said the sky was blue, Rory MacGregor would tell her it was gray with a storm due any minute. No man gets under her skin more than the arrogantly handsome Scot. When she is abducted by a rival clan, Rory is the last person she expects or wants to call her hero.

Rory is the best tracker the MacGregors have, so when his brother’s sister-by-marriage goes missing, he’s ordered to find her. But binding himself to the fiery English redhead with an opinion about everything is not how he saw this rescue going. To save her from the clutches of the villainous Cameron laird’s son, though, he must declare them handfasted.

When their escape goes horribly awry, Juliana and Rory are forced to take the long way home. Surviving blizzard conditions, meddling clanspeople, and a near-fatal ambush on the trail, nothing compares to the unexpected and unlikely passion that ignites between the rugged Highlander and his English warrior princess.

Each book in the Children of the Mist series is STANDALONE:
* Highland Renegade
* Highland HeroReview by Georgianna Simpson

Review:

Highland Hero is the latest in the Children of the Mist Series by Cynthia Breeding. This is the story of Rory MacGregor and Juliana Caldwell. If you read the previous novel, you will recognize many of the characters in or spoken of in this novel. Rory is the brother of Ian who has just married Juliana’s sister Emily. They are celebrating the wedding and the lifting of the proscription for the MacGregors. Rory and Juliana spar over every conversation. Both are strong willed and opinionated, and while neither will admit it, they love sparing with each other.

Rory is much more civilized and honorable than Juliana is willing to admit. He’s not the kind to treat a lady with less than some respect. Juliana has a dark secret that she hasn’t told anyone. As a young girl and living with Emily and her then husband, a count (although he was an opium and gambling addict, given to violence). She and her younger sister were home alone, when a nobleman who the count owed a gambling debt came to their castle to collect on the debt. She told him her brother-in-law wasn’t home just then and would he like to tell her what the problem was. They went to the library to talk. He locked the door and immediately began to tear her clothes off and rape her. He told her if she kept fighting, he would also take her little sister. To save her sister, she stopped resisting. She was hit, raped and humiliated, but never told anyone. To this day, she cannot stand too close to any man and plans never to marry.

When she goes outside to get some fresh air that night, she was abducted by Neal Cameron, a nasty little bugger from another clan. He intended to take her as a bride and bed her. She fought as much as she could, but they used a rag soaked in something to make her sleep while they took her away. When she was found missing Ian sent Rory out to track her and bring her back.

When Rory finds her, he tells the Cameron’s, they can’t have her for a bride, because she’s already handfasted to him. Juliana goes along with what Rory said just to get free. She has no idea that handfasted means legally married in all ways, at least for a year. Rory understands she doesn’t have a clue what she’s agreed to, but he intends to honor his part. However, he never intends to claim her against her will. Just as they take off, the Cameron’s find out that she lied. Neal and some of his men get saddled up and begin to pursue them. Rory is quite good about hiding and knows which way will get them to freedom.

Basically, that’s the gist. Now let me tell you what I found so entertaining. The conversations between the two main characters are witty and sometimes very funny. They irritate each other to the extreme, but slowly begin to find things that they actually admire about each other.  As they argue and face extreme weather and many other issues to get to safety, they slowly begin to fall in love…but neither will admit it, of course.

The misunderstandings are plentiful, the hidden desire is strong. This premise makes for a wonderfully exciting tale. There is danger, romance, and much more. My recommendation is to grab a glass of your favorite beverage (a cold glass of wine was my choice) and curl up for a unique story and a lot of fun.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher