The Ghost (Highland Guard #12) by Monica McCarty-Review and Giveaway

The Ghost (Highland Guard #12) by Monica McCarty-Review and Giveaway

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The Ghost
Highland Guard #12
by Monica McCarty
Genre: adult, historical, Highland, romance
Release Date: May 31, 2016

The Ghost

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Joan Comyn swore allegiance to Robert the Bruce the day she witnessed England’s barbarous king torturing her famous mother, Scot patriot Bella MacDuff. Now the mysterious beauty slips into men’s hearts like a specter and entices England’s most illustrious barons to unwittingly divulge their secrets, then shares them with her king. Known only as the Ghost even among her Highland Guard brethren, Joan has become the most wanted spy in England.

The man determined to uncover her identity poses her biggest threat yet. Alex Seton once stood with Bruce but now fights for the enemy. Though Joan knows she must avoid the handsome warrior or risk discovery, his knightly chivalry touches a place in her long since buried. When his suspicions grow apparent, Joan realizes she must do everything in her power to stop Alex from revealing her mission and convince the powerful fighter to join forces with the Highland Guard once more. But as the ultimate battle in the great war approaches, will Alex chose love or honor?

••••••••••

REVIEW: 5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

I almost don’t want to write this review. If I finish writing this review, it means that it’s over. This is the final book in what I wholeheartedly believe is one of the best historical highland romance series out there. The Ghost by Monica McCarty is the 12th and final book of her Highland Guard series. She tied this entire series up in a package and set everything to right. I am so sad it’s over, but what an incredible journey I have had the past few years with all these characters.

The Ghost is Alex Seton’s (remember good ole Alex .. he left to go back to the English in one of the earlier books) and Joan Comyn’s (remember her mother is the lady that the English punished and who ended up with Viper) story. I always wondered about Alex as he was a complex man. He is a true English Knight, who once stood with The Guard, but opted to return to his homeland and is now considered a traitor by The Guard. Joan, has grown up now, has become a member of The Highland Guard and given the code name “The Ghost”. She specializes in obtaining vital information from the English to pass to the Scots. She will use whatever means to get this information, and that includes seduction. When Alex and Joan meet, their chemistry in instant, and the burn is very hot. Both are equally passionate about their causes, which leaves us readers wondering how Monica is going to write these very different characters a happily ever after.

SHE NAILS IT!

It is very much a cat and mouse game these two play with each other. The only thing is, they are uncertain who is chasing and who is getting caught. They both suspect each other, flirt with betrayal to their countries and to each other. Wounds fester, and some heal. As per usual, the love is brilliantly written, and the scenes are smoking hot. You feel the devastation of despair and the elation of true happiness. Truely, I am not giving you any actual story in this review .. I just refuse to spoil it for you .. like at all! LOL

The story/series finishes with a final battle that we knew was coming. Monica weaves together all the characters from previous books and we get to see where their lives have taken them since we last met. I LOVE THAT. This ending was very bitter sweet. What I have said in many past reviews of this series, Monica writes her stories around actual events and actual characters in history. There is always a little blurb at the end that fascinates me.

Full of action, history, emotions, betrayal, lust, mystery and suspense, every single one of these books has hit it’s mark. No two characters are the same, and all are well matched. Monica McCarty has a talent for knowing which characters should be paired, which should be enemies, which should be playful and/or serious, which is awkward, it’s rather brilliant really. LOL

Thank you Monica for this journey. Thank you for providing me hours of entertainment and nail biting moments. I love your writing style and again I am so sad it’s over. Although, I just realized that I can go back and reread/revisit any of these amazing couples whenever I want .. that makes writing this review a little easier! LOL

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T.

giveaway

Monica’s publisher and The Reading Cafe are offering a paper copy of THE GHOST to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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The Rock (Highland Guard #11) by Monica McCarty-Review and Giveaway

The Rock (Highland Guard #11) by Monica McCarty-Review and Giveaway

The Rock Banner

THE ROCK
Highland Guard #11
by Monica McCarty
Genre: adult, historical, Highland romance
Release Date: December 29, 2015

the Rock

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 29, 2015

The first time he caught sight of Elizabeth Douglas, Thomas MacGowan thought she was a princess. To the son of the castle blacksmith, the daughter of the powerful Lord of Douglas might as well be. When it becomes clear that his childhood companion will never see him as a man she could love, Thom joins Edward Bruce’s army as a man-at-arms to try to change his lot. If he’s harbored a secret hope that he could close the gap between them, he faces the cold, hard truth when Elizabeth comes to him for help. She might need the boy who used to climb cliffs to rescue her brother from the hands of the English, but she would never see the son of a smith as a man worthy of her hand.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: 4.5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

I cannot believe I am not giving a book belonging to Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series a perfect 5 out of 5! It really bothers me because this was not a bad book and I highly recommend this series and this book to everyone. It is simply because Monica has delivered so high in her past books, that this one doesn’t shine as bright. How in fairness to this author and readers can I say that this rating should be at the same level as her last book “The Striker”? I just can’t. Let me be very clear however, this series rocks my historical highlander romance world.

Ok … now that I have gotten that out of the way, let’s get on with the review!

In the early 1300’s Robert the Bruce has his elite team of highland warriors doing all they can to take back what the English have taken from their Scottish people. Highlighted in this story, is Thomas MacGowan, code name “The Rock”. Thom is the son of the village’s blacksmith, and therefore considered lower class. In his childhood, he befriends the noble Elizabeth Douglas, and the two become best friends despite their class difference. Thom knows his class eliminates him as a prospect husband for Elizabeth but he just can’t seem to hold his heart back. He falls madly and deeply in love with her.

Elizabeth has grown up in privilege, and as a child, she desired adventure. Years later, she is still that lovely young adventurous soul, but growing up has made her absolutely clear on what is expected of her. Marrying a blacksmith’s son is not an option.

Hoping to elevate his status, Thom joins Bruce’s elite team and is swept up in his missions and saving the Scottish people. Yet, Elizabeth still doesn’t see him as anything more than a friend and certainly not a husband. It will never be … or will it?

Much more to this story obviously but I am sure you can understand the basis. Monica McCarty did something a little different with this book. She really addressed the separation of class in the 1300’s. Her emphasis on this really threw me, and made me reflect on times that I just cannot understand. I did understand that Elizabeth has a duty, and must obey rules .. I do understand that people were perceived in certain way for certain reasons .. but I cannot imagine the heartbreak to deny one’s feelings .. one’s heart, because someone says it must be so. I really disliked Elizabeth always having to say no, and Thom fighting for her to say yes. She wasn’t playing hard to get .. this is how her life was paved out for her.

I love all the action and banter we get from these elite hotties. I love the strong true history the author uses to support her fictional stories (I have always said one of my fave parts in her books is the blurb she gives at the end), but I do not like the separation of class during this time. It broke my heart and made for senseless angst (again, true to the time).

WELL DONE Monica … I loved the different approach, while staying true to your warrior antics. I am in complete and utter denial that the end comes with the next book!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T.

excerpt

 

Douglas, South Lanarkshire, February 1311

hom (no one called him “wee” anymore) had waited long enough. He struck one last blow with the ham-
mer before carefully setting aside the hot blade.
Wiping the sweat and grit from his brow with the back of his hand, he pulled the protective leather apron over his head and hung it on a peg near the door.
“Where are you going?” his father asked, looking up from his own piece of hot metal—in his case a severely dented helm. The Englishman who’d once worn it must be suffering a foul headache. If he was still around to be suf- fering, that is.
“To the river to wash,” Thom replied.
His father frowned, the dark features made darker by the layers of grime that came from toiling near the fires all day. Every day. For forty years.
Though no longer the tallest man in the village (Thom had surpassed his father in height almost ten years ago), Big Thom was still the most muscular, although a few more years of Thom wielding the hammer might force his father to cede that title as well. Physically the men were much alike, but in every other way they were opposites.
“There is still plenty of time before the evening meal,” his father pointed out. “Captain de Wilton is anxious for his sword.”

20 Monica McCarty

Thom gritted his teeth. Although the villagers in Douglas had no choice but to accept the English occupation of their castle—with the current Lord of Douglas a much hunted “rebel”—it didn’t mean he had to jump to their bidding. “The captain can wait if he wants the work done properly.”
“But his silver cannot. Those tools aren’t going to buy themselves.”
Though there was no censure in his tone, Thom knew what his father was thinking. They wouldn’t need the coin so badly if Thom wasn’t being so stubborn. He was sit- ting—or more accurately sleeping—on enough silver to replace every tool in the forge and expand to take on a handful of apprentices if they wanted them. But that was his father’s dream, not his. His mother had left him the small fortune, and Thom wasn’t ready to relinquish it—or the opportunity that went along with it.
They wouldn’t need coin at all if the current Lord of Douglas wasn’t so busy making a name for himself with all his “black” deeds that he actually gave thought to those who were left in his wake and bore the brunt of English retaliation. Thom tried to push back the wave of bitterness and anger that came from thinking of his former friend, but it had become as reflexive as swinging his hammer.
The last time Sir James “the Black” Douglas had at- tempted to rid his Hall of Englishmen—about a year ago when he’d tricked the then-keeper, Lord Thirlwall, from the safety of the castle into an ambush but failed to take the castle—the remaining garrison had retaliated against the villagers, whom they accused of aiding the rebels.
“War is good for business,” his father liked to say. Ex- cept when it wasn’t. Big Thom MacGowan, who’d never been shy about his loyalty to the Douglas lords, had paid for that loyalty with a nearly destroyed forge and the loss of

The Rock 21

some of his most expensive tools. Tools that were probably in some English forge right now.
Fortunately the garrison and commander who’d re- placed Thirlwall, De Wilton, seemed a more fair-minded man. He didn’t blame the villagers for the actions of their rebel laird, and he and his men were frequent custom- ers of the village smith, or as the wooden sign not-so- imaginatively proclaimed it, The Forge. His father might not like the English, but he was happy to take their silver, especially at his special English rates.
“I’ll finish it soon enough,” Thom said. “And Johnny is almost done with the mail, aren’t you lad?”
His fourteen-year-old brother nodded. “A few more rivets and it will be as good as new.” He grinned, his teeth a flash of white in his blackened face. “Better than new.”
Thom grinned back at him. “I don’t doubt it.”
Although more like their father in his even-keeled, con- tented temperament, Johnny possessed the same instinctive skill with the iron as Thom. Big Thom liked to say his lads were born to it, which made Johnny beam and grated on Thom like emery under his plaid. The instinctive skills such as knowing just when to pull the metal out, where to strike it with a hammer, and how to make it strong enough to do its job without being so hard that it shattered or broke that made his father so proud felt like a chain wrapped around Thom’s neck.
It would have been far easier if he’d never showed any talent for the work. If he’d shattered one too many blades by cooling the metal too quickly or striking it in the wrong place while hardening. If he were less precise in detail, couldn’t fit a handle to save his life, a poorer judge of tem- perature, off on his proportions . . . anything.
His father didn’t understand how someone with Thom’s

22 Monica McCarty

“God-given talent” wasn’t content. Skill like theirs was meant to be used.
Which was part of the problem with Johnny. Johnny was too good with the hammer to haul coal and operate the bellows, the tasks normally given to a young apprentice. With Big Thom handling most of the day-to-day smith- ing work, from repairing cast iron pots to shoeing horses, and Thom with more sword work than he could handle, they were turning away jobs as it was. Big Thom wanted Johnny at the forge, which meant they needed someone to do the apprentice work. But Thom couldn’t bring himself to give up the one chance he had to change his destiny. His mother had wanted to give him a choice.
Thom opened the door and—ironically—coughed at the breath of fresh air. His lungs were so accustomed to the black smoke it was as if the purity somehow offended them. Day- light at this time of the year didn’t last long, and night was already falling. The mist, however, was not. The stars would be out tonight in full force. That was what he was counting on.
He wasn’t all that surprised to hear the door open be- hind him. “Son, wait a minute.”
Thom turned, seeing the features so like his own aged by time, hardship, and loss. He knew his father had a woman in town he sometimes saw, but no one had ever replaced Thom’s mother in his father’s heart. Not that you’d ever hear his father rail or complain about the injustice fate had handed him. Like everything else, Big Thom had taken his wife’s death with unquestioning, stoic acceptance.
Thom never accepted anything. It was his curse, and the source of his discontent. He envied his father and brother sometimes. Life was simpler when you didn’t question. When you didn’t want more than what birth so capri- ciously allotted.

The Rock 23

He met his father’s worried gaze. “Don’t go, son.”
“I’ll finish the sword—” “I know she’s back.”
The words fell with the weight of an anvil between them. Thom stiffened, his jaw clamping down like a steel wall, an implicit warning that beyond there be dragons. The subject was not one he wanted to discuss with his father— ever. It was a subject upon which they would never agree.
But his formidable father wasn’t one to back down from dark looks—or dragons. “I know Lady Elizabeth is back, and you are going to try to see her tonight. But don’t go, Thommy. No good will come of it. Leave the lass be.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about.” His father had never understood about him and Ella—or Jamie for that matter, when they were still friends. From the first time he’d come home after rescuing Ella from that tree, his father had tried to discourage his friendship with the Douglases, warning him not to get too close. But the four of them had been inseparable before Ella had been sent away to France for her protection at the start of the war— and Jamie had discovered Thom’s secret. He’d lost the girl he loved and his best friend in one day.
Thom tried to turn away, but his father took hold of his arm. “I know more than you think. I know she’s been back for the better part of a fortnight. I know she’s staying at Park Castle with her stepmother and younger brothers. I know that she could have come to see you, if she wanted, but she hasn’t. I know you’ve loved her since she was a little lass, but she’s not a little lass anymore. She’s a lady. A noble. The sister of our laird. She’s not for you. She’s never been for you, and there is nothing you can do to change that. I wish it were different, but that’s the way it is.”

24 Monica McCarty

“So I should just give up, is that it? Accept it?” Thom shook him off. “That isn’t me, that’s . . .” You.
He stopped before the word was out, but it was too late. He saw the flinch reverberate through his father’s big frame. His father, who was one of the toughest men in the village, who’d broken up more fights in the alehouse be- cause no one was fool enough to strike him, could be hurt by his son’s unthinking words.
“I’m sorry,” Thom said, raking his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. “Don’t listen to me. I’ve no right to take my foul mood out on you. I just wish you’d try to under- stand.”
“I do, Thommy, more than you know. I was in your place once. But the daughter of a household knight is a far cry from the daughter of one of Scotland’s leading nobles and sister of one of Robert the Bruce’s chief lieutenants. The lass has spent the better part of the last five years in France; can you honestly see her happy with the life you could give her?” His father’s words struck too close to the mark, raising fears Thom didn’t want to give voice to. “Ella isn’t like that.
You know her.”
His father’s eyes leveled on him somberly. “I knew a chattering magpie of a ten-year-old lass who I had to ban from the forge so you could get some work done, and I knew the sweet, teenage lass you used to sneak out to go visit at night.” He paused at Thom’s look of shock. “Aye, I knew about that. Just as I knew that if I tried to stop you, you would only find another way. The lass looked at you like a brother, I didn’t think there would be any harm. But I was wrong. The Douglases put ideas in your head. They made you think this wasn’t good enough.” Thom started to protest, but his father put up his hand to stop him. “Maybe not in words, but by bringing you into their world. A world

The Rock 25

in which you don’t belong. Not even your mother’s coin will raise you high enough for a Douglas—whatever you try to make of yourself. You’ve a God-given gift, son. With your skill you could be making swords for a king one day; don’t waste it by chasing a foolish dream.”
Thom tightened his jaw. It wasn’t foolish. The bond be- tween him and Ella was special—different.
Acceptance. Fate. He didn’t want to hear it. “So I can stay here and chase your dream instead?”
Thom regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. But it was too late to retrieve them.
His father stilled, his expression as tight as steel hard- ened right to the shattering point. After a pained pause, he stepped back. “Perhaps you are right. I’ve no right to in- terfere. You’re a man now. Three and twenty is old enough to make your own decisions. I’ll not try to hold you here if you wish to leave. But make sure you are doing so for the right reasons. Leave because you don’t like being a smith, not because you think it will give you a chance with Lady Elizabeth.” He paused and held Thom’s gaze. “I know how you feel about her, lad, but if she feels the same way, why hasn’t she come to see you?”
It was a good question, and one Thom would have an- swered tonight.

The old stone peel tower of Park Castle wasn’t as easy to climb as Douglas Castle. Or maybe it was just that Thom was out of practice. It had been nearly five years since he’d scaled the walls of the tower house of Douglas Castle to meet Ella.
Their rooftop meetings had started not long after his father barred Ella from the forge, where she would some- times (often) “drop by” with some excuse to watch him

26 Monica McCarty

finish his work. His father was right. The lass could chatter for hours. But Thom had never minded. He’d listened to her stories and her silly jokes and even cleaning up had sped by.
Knowing how disappointed she was, and missing her company more than he’d expected, one night he’d decided to surprise her. She’d mentioned that sometimes when she couldn’t sleep, she climbed up to the roof and sat on the battlements, looking at the stars. He had to climb the tower five nights in a row, but on the sixth she finally emerged.
She’d been shocked, excited, and amazed. Not just at his ability to climb the keep, but also that he could do so while evading the castle watch. It hadn’t been all that dif- ficult—although he certainly didn’t tell her that (even back then he wanted her admiration)—people didn’t look where they weren’t expecting to see anything. All he had to do was watch the guardsmen on patrol, figure out their pat- tern, and stick to the shadows. The castle itself, although “enceinte,” and fortified by a stone wall, was of wood frame construction, giving him a virtual ladder to climb.
For the next handful of years, a few times a month on the nights the mist permitted the stars to shine, Thom would wait in one of the outbuildings for the castle to quiet and then climb the tower where Ella would be waiting for him. They’d talk for hours—actually, Ella would do most of the talking, except when he’d point out the constella- tions and tell her the old stories his mother had passed on to him before she’d died. He didn’t know how many times he’d had to retell the one about Perseus and Andromeda, but the lass never grew tired of it.
Those nights on the tower were where their friend- ship had turned to something more—at least for him.

The Rock 27

The meetings had been their secret, until Jamie discovered them right before he’d marched off to join Bruce. Or so Thom had thought. He still couldn’t believe his father had known this whole time and never said anything.
Thom’s arm muscles strained as he reached for a gap in the rock big enough to grab on to in the rough surface of the stone wall. He made sure his grip was solid before moving his right foot and then his left up another couple of feet. Finally, with the next handhold he was able to reach the edge of the crenellated parapet wall and lift himself over and onto the battlements.
Christ, that had been harder than he’d anticipated. His arms were burning as he took a moment to look around and catch his breath. It hadn’t looked that difficult, but the jagged stone walls of Park Castle didn’t provide as many foot- and handholds as the wooden framework of Douglas Castle. Although the tower was small and no more than thirty feet high, he might not have been able to climb it at all had it not been neglected for years, with much of the lime-rendered harling—meant to even the surface and protect the stone from weather—cracked and worn away.
Park Castle had been built as a watchtower years ago by the church, but was purchased some years back by the English knight Lady Eleanor Douglas had married after the death of the old laird. William the Hardy had died in the Tower of London about two years after Thom’s mother for rebelling against King Edward again. Ella had been forced to leave Douglas Castle for a couple of years then as well. It had been a difficult time for her, one that she didn’t like to talk about.
With the English and Sir Robert Clifford in possession of the old Douglas lands, Park Castle now served as home

28 Monica McCarty

to Lady Eleanor (recently widowed for the third time), her stepdaughter, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s two half brothers, Archie and Hugh.
He looked around. The pitched wooden roof and sur- rounding battlement were deserted. Thom tried not to be disappointed. It was early yet. Ella usually waited until well after everyone went to sleep, making it easier to sneak up to the garret to access the small door.
Despite the clear night, it was cold, and Thom was grateful for the extra plaid he’d tossed into his sack as he sat to wait. He’d been right. The stars were out tonight. Cou- pled with the nearly full moon, a soft glow had been cast across the quiet countryside. It seemed so peaceful it was hard to believe they were in the midst of a long, brutal war.
The village of Douglas had seen more than its share of conflict, and as long as the English occupied its castle, Thom knew it would see more. If James Douglas had to destroy the entire town, he would to rid Douglasdale of the English for Robert the Bruce. Thom wanted the English gone, too, but Jamie’s vengeance went too far. His former friend had changed.
Had Ella?
Thom didn’t want to think so, but why hadn’t she come to see him? When she’d left, he’d been so certain that she’d begun to feel the same way as he. “Will you wear my rib- bon around your sleeve when you are a knight in a tourney, Thommy? ” or, “I know you hate it, but how will we go to France when we are older if you don’t learn to speak French? ” She’d been thinking about a future with him, even going as far as telling him one of the rare times he lost his temper with her that if he were her husband, she’d put spiderwort in his soup (which was known for its digestive effect), and give him cause for his black mood, if he ever snapped at

The Rock 29

her like that again. He’d been chastened and enchanted. His little princess had some fire.
If only Jamie hadn’t sent her away, damn it.
Time passed slowly while Thom waited. After a few hours, he was forced to concede that she wasn’t coming. He stood and started to stuff the plaid back into his sack. He was a fool. His father was right. Five years was a long time. She’d probably forgotten—
The door opened, and his heart dropped.
He glanced up as she stepped over the threshold, a beam of moonlight catching her in its hold and taking his breath along with it.
Jesus.
He might have jolted. The glimpse he’d caught of her with her stepmother, as she’d ridden through the village a couple of weeks ago, had not prepared him for the vi- sion before him now. Long, shimmery waves of flaxen hair tumbled around her shoulders in a silky veil down her back. Her features were small and even, perfectly positioned in an oval canvas of snowy white. Her mouth was red, her cheeks pink, and her chin delicately pointed. Dark arched brows and long feathery lashes framed round, wide-set eyes the unusual blue of peacock feathers. She was gowned in an ice-blue dressing robe lined with white fur, the thick gold braid belt around her waist emphasizing its trimness as well as the softly rounded curves above and below. Her breasts were firm and generous, her hips slender, and her legs long.
Ella had always been beautiful, even as a child. But it had become so commonplace to him that he stopped thinking about it. The last time he’d seen her at a just- turned-sixteen, she’d still possessed the vestiges of the girl who’d traipsed all over the countryside with him and Jo. But the woman standing before him didn’t look like

30 Monica McCarty

she’d ever traipsed anywhere—she floated. She didn’t look real; she looked like a figment from a faerie tale or an ice princess from the lands of the Northmen. Refined, sophis- ticated, and utterly untouchable. She looked nothing like the girl he remembered.
Thom didn’t second-guess himself very often, but he did so now.
It was only when he looked down on her wrist and saw the faint edge of brass that he felt some of his confidence return. She still wore the bracelet he’d given her right be- fore she’d been sent away. She hadn’t forgotten him.


 

About The Author Black and Red

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Monica McCartyMonica McCarty is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the widely acclaimed, award-winning Highland Guard series, as well as the MacLeods of Skye trilogy, and the Campbell trilogies. Her interest in the Scottish clan system began in the most unlikely of places: a comparative legal history course at Stanford Law School

After realizing that her career as a lawyer and her husband’s transitory life as a professional baseball player were not exactly a match made in heaven, she traded in her legal briefs for writing about sexy Scottish alpha heroes. Monica McCarty lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

www.monicamccarty.com

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Monica’s publisher SIMON AND SCHUSTER is giving away a paper copy of THE STRIKER and THE ROCK to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

the Rock The Striker

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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The Striker (Highland Guard #10) by Monica McCarty-Review and Giveaway

The Striker (Highland Guard #10) by Monica McCarty-Review and Giveaway

The Striker Banner

THE STRIKER
Highland Guard #10
by Monica McCarty
Genre: adult, Highlander, historical, romance
Release Date:November 24, 2015

The Striker

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 24, 2015

Six years ago, Eoin “Striker” MacLean endured the greatest betrayal of his life, a disaster that led Robert the Bruce to a crushing defeat and left Eoin without the spirited woman who ruled his heart. Eoin knew that falling in love with his sworn enemy’s daughter was risky, dividing him between a possessive desire for beautiful Margaret MacDowell and an undying loyalty to his king. He promised Bruce that he would keep his fiery bride in the dark about the elite Highland Guard, but he could not predict the dire consequences his secret would have on his young marriage. Nor could he foresee how surrendering to temptation could cripple Bruce’s cause, forcing Eoin to blame his wife—and himself for trusting her.

Now, as Bruce prepares to challenge the resistance’s remaining strongholds, Eoin finally has his chance for revenge against the woman he once loved so fiercely and her entire clan. But when ferociously independent Margaret reveals a surprise that unites her with Eoin, neither of them will let their love go down without a fight.

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

OH YEAH .. Monica McCarty nails another one out of the park. WOW .. TOTALLY LOVED! 🙂

You know when you read a series and you expect by book 10 it will start to fade a little … UUMMM not so much with Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series. The Striker is book 10 and it is right up there as one of my faves. Always full of action, history, yummy alpha highlanders, deception, and love, I was so sad when I flipped the last screen page because that meant it was over. SNIFF!

Eoin “Striker” MacLean has had one goal in his life. To become one of Robert the Bruce’s elite Highland Guard members. Despite being The Bruce’s kin, Striker had to prove himself over and over again. Known for his cunning pirate like strategy, Bruce agrees that Striker would bring a unique gift to share with his warriors .. only one small problem. Striker fell in love with the wrong woman at the wrong time, and married her.

Margaret MacDowell is a wild one, especially in her youth. As the youngest of many brother’s and the only girl, she has had to learn to live in a man’s world and to hold her own to be respected. In the fine courts however, and despite her innocence, she is cast as a whore and something despicable. Both Eoin and Margaret feel this strong pull to each other and decide on the spur of a moment that they are meant to be. A hurried marriage and consummation seals the deal, but neither of them truely know what it means for them to be together. Maggie is a member of a family that is the sworn enemy of The Bruce. How can a man who is to become a Highland Guard suppose to have a trusted marriage with such a woman. Sworn to keep his identity secret by The Bruce, Striker must walk a fine line with his Maggie. When they return to his home as a married couple, her reception is less than kind. With Striker constantly leaving her for missions and not telling her what is going on, it’s only a matter of time that she feel cast aside and runs away .. but not before accidentally betraying her husband.

Many years have past and Maggie believes Eoin to be dead. Now living with her family, she is raising her son (yup that’d be Striker’s son), and about to remarry. When Striker makes his appearance, Maggie is shocked .. relieved and fearful, she must ensure that Striker knows that she never intended to betray him. With so much hurt, a son, and another chance at love, can these two finally get their own heads out of their you know what’s and lay it all out .. or will their families and secrets once again tear then apart? Can forgiveness truely happen and can love conquer all?

OH ME OH MY .. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Monica really writes a great story. I am not usually a fan of books that start in the present and then fire back to the past, but for this book to be this good, it needed to be this way. Maggie stole my heart right from the beginning, and I love how strong and capable she was. Eoin (Striker) was most assuredly Highland Guard worthy. Their fast romance was captivating, hot, and so endearing. When they separate you wonder how they will find their way back to the other. Well Monica didn’t disappoint there either .. LOL Characters you love to hate, but also honestly feel sorry for were present and this entire story was wrapped around a landscape and history that was so rich and believable. My fave part of all the Highland Guard books is the end where Monica writes a little blurb on the true history that inspired her story. It amazing how much research goes into her novels.

I am not one to reread many books, but I would reread this series in a heartbeat. Please do yourself a favour and start with the first book The Chief .. I promise you, if you love a great highland historical romance, you will be very happy with this entire series!

Cannot wait for the next one!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T

giveaway

The Reading Cafe and Monica’s publisher are offering a paper copy of THE STRIKER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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9. Giveaway runs from November 27 to December 1, 2015

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The Arrow (Highland Guard #9) by Monica McCarty-a review

The Arrow (Highland Guard #9) by Monica McCarty-a review

The Arrow

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Release Date: August 26, 2014

As King Robert the Bruce of Scotland plots to retake his English occupied castles, he needs the stealth and skill of his elite soldiers, the Highland Guard. Fearless and indomitable, no men are more loyal to their king, or cherished by the women they love.

The talents of legendary marksman Gregor “Arrow” MacGregor are crucial now, as Bruce moves to reclaim his Scottish holdings. Gregor is considered the most handsome man in Scotland, and his fame as an archer is rivaled only by his reputation with the lasses as a heartbreaker. But when his infamous face is exposed during a covert mission, Gregor is forced to lay low. He returns home only to find a new battle waiting: a daring game of seduction involving his now very grown up and very desirable ward, Cate of Lochmaben.

A born fighter, Cate was clinging to life when Gregor rescued her after a vicious English raid on her village left her mother dead. But five years later, the once scrappy orphan Gregor took under his protection has become a woman. Brave, strong, and skilled in warfare, Cate is determined to lay claim to the warrior who refuses to be trapped. The heat in his eyes tells her she has his attention . . . and his desire. But will Gregor allow his heart to surrender before danger finds them, and the truth of Cate’s identity is revealed?

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Well … she did it again. Another fabo book in Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series. If you are a highlander historical romance fan this series a MUST READ. Monica weaves in real historical facts and characters into her stories and if you are a history lover like I am, you will appreciate how that can make a book really come to life in your mind. She is a very descriptive writer as well, never leaving you to question what you are seeing in your mind while reading. Many authors at this point in a series (this is the 9th book) tend to go off track, or take a series in weird places hoping to keep their reader captivated .. well there is no need to try anything like that with this series. The backdrop for her story lines keep the momentum going and she always matches her lead characters perfectly. No gimmicks or tricks, just pure old fashion romance/wit with a side of action. PERFECT BLEND! 🙂

Gregor “Arrow” MacGregor is one of Robert the Bruce’s famed Highland Phantom Guard Warriors. Exceptionally handsome (he is always getting digs at his male beauty), trained as a brutally accurate bow and arrow marksman, strong and loyal, Gregor finds himself in a rut of sorts and is ordered back to his own personal castle after a botched mission. He is to rest, relax, indulge and push his reset button. Well little does he know that his reset button is NOT the only button that about to get pushed.

Many years ago, Gregor came upon a wee lass at the bottom of a drained well. Seeing as she is clearly traumatized, he decides to take guardianship over her and sends her to his castle. Now, the wee lass is no longer .. wee! Cate has bloomed into a beautiful young woman and is fierce despite her size. She is well trained to defend herself and has taken to mothering orphans. She is also madly in love with Gregor and is hoping he will now see her as a woman.

Gregor certainly sees the woman inside and tries all he can to fight it. Cate is a wise woman who knows what she wants, and she goes after it with no regret. Secrets are being kept on both sides however that may change the course of their relationship. Menacing and scheming parties also add turmoil to the mix setting our couple up to fail. Well brutal truth is served on a big ole platter and watching how it is dealt with is a whole lot of fun …LOL

Revenge, love, lies, lust, sweet, erotic, disgust, action, history .. these are just a handful of words that describe this book. It is in the readers best interest to read this series in order. I suppose you could read it out of order but there is so much you will miss if you did! Again, one of the BEST highlander historical series out there and another direct hit by Monica McCarty. Can’t wait for the next one!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T.

Read the reviews for:

The Saint
The Recruit
The Hunter
The Raider

Highland guard

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The Raider (Highland Guard #8) by Monica McCarty-a review

The Raider (Highland Guard #8) by Monica McCarty-a review

The Raider

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 24, 2014

After consolidating his gains against the enemy English, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland sends his best soldiers to fortify the lawless borders. These legendary warriors of the Highland Guard let nothing come before king and country – except the calling of their heart.

Of all Bruce’s elite warriors, Robert “Raider” Boyd is the most formidable. A true patriot whose bare hands are a deadly weapon, Robbie is the fierce enforcer of the Guard, and his hatred of the English has been honed to a razor-sharp edge. But vengeance proves bittersweet when his enemy’s beautiful sister falls into his hands and he finds himself fighting temptation – a battle he badly wants to lose.

Lady Rosalin Clifford barely recognizes the rebel prisoner she saved from execution six years ago. Though her girlish ideals for fairness have matured into a passion for justice, Rosalin believes she betrayed her brother when she helped this dangerous man escape. Now her traitorous act has come back to haunt her. But she can’t deny the longing this tormented warrior ignites in her, or deny the passion that turns sworn enemies into lovers. Is the gentle love of a true English Rose enough to free Scotland’s most brutal warrior from a path of vengeance – before it’s too late?

REVIEW
5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Man oh man. Monica McCarty knocks it out of the park once again, and goes on to prove she is my fave highland romance author of all time. This series is INCREDIBLE! Raider … OH RAIDER! SWOON and SLAP!!!!!

The Raider by Monica McCarty is the 8th book in her Highland Guard series. This series chronicles the war that waged Robert the Bruce against the English in the 1300’s and the elite special ops team called “The Highland Guard” that assisted in establishing Scottish independance . While some of these characters and battles are real historical facts and figures, the way Monica weaves a story full of fiction and romance is brilliant.

Robert Boyd (aka Raider) is about as patriotic and hard core as it gets. He hates the English with a passion that constantly drives him to conquer. He is known for his hand to hand combat, hard nature, supreme strength and many shake at the thought of facing him. One English Lord however (Lord Clifford), seems to consistently cross his path and has become his ultimate enemy. When the English play dirty, Raider finds himself captive with some of his fellow men. Certain to be hanged, it comes as a shock when a sweet English lass helps him escape his chains and assists in his freedom. Captivated by the kindness of the English beauty, Raider can never forget the kindness she showed nor the lingering kiss they shared.

Lady Rosalin Clifford is the epitome of kind, sweet and trusting. She is also the sister of Lord Clifford, and the once young lady who assisted the highland monster to escape. She now lives with a heavy heart, understanding she assisted in saving a man who has butchered her people, but troubled that she feels no regret in her actions. She dreams of this prisoner constantly.

Once again, Rosalin and Raider reunite when she is abducted with her nephew by the Guard members. Intent on using her nephew as collateral to force Lord Clifford into a peace treaty, Rosalin begs Raider to show her the kindness she once showed him and let them go. Years of battle have hardened Raider’s heart though, and his patriotic duty must come before his morals and virtue. Through much adventure, Raider and Rosalin once again begin to see beauty in the other. Rosalin continues to show trust and kindness consistently despite Raider’s constant degrading of her people. Raider battles his heart, unable to accept that he is falling in love with his enemies sister, and is certain there is no future.

This book was fabo! Full of action, intrigue, love, push and pull, anticipation, frustrations and smiles and some smexy scenes! I love it when a book makes me feel so much! I tell you though, Raider was really starting to tick me off and I would of loved to kick his rear end. Rosalin gave him chance after chance, integrated herself in the highland environment, and even felt empathy and compassion for the Highlander’s that have been oppressed by her people. Seriously the woman was somewhat of a saint. She was lovable and incredible and when she comes to the end of the tolerance level, it was hard to feel bad for Raider.

So .. will love be enough to over come years of battle? Is it possible for an English lass and a Highland Hero to put aside their differences long enough to understand that there is more to gain than there is to lose?? Flip that page! 😉

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Read the reviews for:

The Saint
The Recruit
The Hunter

Highland guard

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The Highland Guard Series by Monica McCarty-The Saint, The Recruit and The Hunter-combined review

The Highland Guard Series by Monica McCarty -The Saint, The Recruit and The Hunter-combined review

Highland guard

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

So before I get into this combined review I need to give you a brief synopsis of the previous books. This review consists of books 5, 6 and 7 but to appreciate these books, I do think that the reader should indulge in 1 through 4 first. That being said, Monica McCarty does give brief explanation in each book when other characters from previous books are included.

Our setting is early 1300’s, medieval Scotland/England just after William Wallace was executed. Robert the Bruce is trying to win control of the Scottish crown and has decided to form an elite warrior army. These warriors are the best of the best and each warrior possesses their own particular skill that is crucial to the team. These warriors are not all friends, and truth be told, they come from warring clans. However, to ensure that “The Bruce” wins this war, they put their differences aside. This elite army is top secret, and they are known as phantoms who attack in the curling mist and disappear just as quick. When they strike, it is quick, precise and DEADLY!

Here they are (the warriors that have their own book so far, with more to follow)!

THE CHIEF – Tor MacLoed, team leader and expert swordsman
THE HAWK – Eric MacSorley, seafarer and swimmer
THE RANGER – Arthur Campbell, scouting and reconnaissance
THE VIPER – Lachlan MacRuairi, stealth, infiltration and extraction
THE SAINT – Magnus MacKay, survivalist and weapon forging
THE RECRUIT – Kenneth “Ice” Sutherland, explosives and versatility
THE HUNTER – Ewen Lamont, tracker and hunter of men

Of course it goes without saying … behind every great warrior is a great woman! WINK! LOL

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The SaintTHE SAINT – Book 5 of The Highland Guard Series

DESCRIPTON

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Magnus MacKay is the ultimate Highlander: tough, proud, able to master any terrain and to best his enemies. Called “the Saint” for his refusal to discuss women, as well as for his cool and steady leadership, Magnus hides a painful truth. It isn’t virtue or piety that keeps him silent, but a wound of love and loss that cuts so deep he cannot bear to speak of it. But when the woman who refused him is betrothed to his friend and fellow Guardsman, Magnus is tested by love’s battle cry.

A wild and innocent beauty, Helen chose family duty over her desire for Magnus. Now the anger in his eyes mirrors the tormented regret in her heart. But as deadly subterfuge stalks the King and his Guard, Helen vows to right her youthful mistakes with a woman’s determined spirit. Still, Magnus harbors secrets and an iron will not to weaken to temptation—or heartache—again. But as danger looms, it’s the kiss not of a saint, but of a sinner, that can save them.

REVIEW

Oh Magnus, bless your saintly heart my dear … you never had a chance with a woman like Helen! LOL

Magnus Mackay, the quiet saintly warrior of the bunch, holds a secret injury close. His broken heart. Years ago before this war, he met Helen Sutherland (the MacKay’s and Sutherland’s are warring clans) at the Highland Games. There is an instant connection that leaves a serious imprint. Through many years they secretly meet and fall in love, never consummating their love and leaving it honourable. Magnus proposes to Helen in front of her brother (whom he hates) and Helen is stuck making a quick decision that will alter their entire lives. She says NO! Her father is ailing and she cannot leave his side nor go against her families wishes. They are both heartbroken!

Years pass and Magnus is attending his fellow warrior and best friend William’s wedding. He is completely gobsmacked when he learns it’s to his beloved Helen (Helen is just as gobsmacked to learn her betrothed is BFF’s with her one true love). However, in true honourable warrior fashion, Magnus tells Helen that he doesn’t love her and her future belongs with William. She marries William.

William ends up dying in battle and has Magnus promise to watch over Helen (no one knows that the marriage was never consummated). Magnus reluctantly agrees. Off we go in the cat and mouse chase that these two engage in. However, what I loved about it was that the roles were reversed. Helen does everything she can to chase Magnus and make up for the wrong decision she made years ago. She is a strong girl who knows what she wants and uses her sensuality, healing capabilities to make her a commodity of the elite team, and favour of the king to seduce Magnus.

Secrets are revealed, lust if fed and a love stronger than both of them takes root all in the midst of a deadly war.

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The RecruitTHE RECRUIT – Book 6 of The Highland Guard Series

DESCRIPTION

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Fiery, aggressive, and bold, Kenneth Sutherland is a true champion—skilled with any weapon and driven to win. Now Kenneth is ready for his greatest challenge: joining Robert the Bruce’s secret army to fight among the elite. Kenneth’s best chance to attain that honor is by winning the Highland Games. Focused and prepared for victory, he is caught off guard by a lovely wisp of a woman—and a stolen moment of wicked seduction. Her innocent arousal and her shameless hunger fire his blood. He will win his place in the guard—and in Mary of Mar’s bed.

The ruggedly handsome hero-in-the-making stirs a heart that should know better. Mary vows that her surrender will be sport only—no promises, no heartbreak, just one night of incredible passion. Nothing, she swears, will persuade her to give up her hard-wrought independence and put her fate in the hands of another powerful man. But with every gentle touch and heart-pounding kiss, Kenneth makes her want more. Now Mary wants his heart. But is this determined champion willing to surrender everything for love?

REVIEW

Next to THE HAWK Eric, The RECRUIT was my next fave. There was something about Kenneth Sutherland that made me crave more. We first met Kenneth Sutherland in The Saint, as he is Helen’s brother. Throughout The Saint, Kenneth begins to put the pieces together and discovers that this elite army is exactly his calling. He begs The King to give him a chance, but it’s his brother in law (Magnus MacKay) who stands in his way. Magnus lays it on the line and tells Kenneth if he wins the Highland Games he’ll petition the King on Kenneth’s behalf to consider allowing Kenneth to become a member of the team. Magnus has no intention of letting Kenneth win anything (and plays dirty in the process). Magnus doesn’t end up getting what he wants and Kenneth ends up going through recruit training (seriously harsh) and proves that he can be a contributing member.

While at the highland games, Kenneth is spied upon by Mary of Mar while he is having a “role in the hay” with another lady. There eyes meet and something explosive happens between them. When Kenneth tracks her down she agrees to one night of passion. Well one night isn’t enough and Kenneth is beside himself when he awakens to discover Mary is gone.

Mary of Mar was previously married to a Lord who neglected his family (Mary has a son with this Lord who is removed from her home to squire for an Englishman), while placing them in serious danger so he could participate in the war. Once he was killed, she vows never to marry again and live her life unnoticed. Well once Kenneth finds her, that all goes to the wayside.

The King has announced she is betrothed to Kenneth an it just so happens their brief night of passion has resulted in pregnancy. Slowly, Kenneth begins to peel back the barrier of Mary’s heart and makes her believe that marriage is possible. His secret of being an elite member of this phantom guard however just may change all that!

_____________________________________________________________

The HunterTHE HUNTER – Book 7 of the Highland Guard Series

DESCRIPTION

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Prized for his unbeatable tracking skills, Ewen “Hunter” Lamont accepts a dangerous assignment: locate a missing undercover courier. But this is no ordinary target. Ewen has met his prey before as “Sister Genna,” a fiery, forbidden woman forever etched in his memory after one stolen, sinful kiss. Now that he knows her real identity, he’s more determined than ever to keep her safe. But without the protection of the veil between them, fighting the allure of the beautiful lass may be the toughest battle this extraordinary warrior has ever faced.

After her ill-fated attempt three years ago to rescue her twin sister, Janet of Mar has found salvation acting as a royal messenger—until she surrenders to a darkly handsome warrior whose rough, sensual kisses stir feelings the woman in her can’t deny. But when betrayal leads to danger, and a crucial communiqué is put in jeopardy, Janet has no choice but to put her faith in the hunter who can find anything—perhaps even her heart.

REVIEW

Ewen Lamont comes from a scandalous marriage that forever has foreshadowed his own life. He is the son of “WILD” Lamont. A man who lived to beat of his own drum, was a drunk and never backed away from a challenge. After his sudden death, Ewen assumed responsibility of a small strip of land and a clan that has been neglected. In order to provide for his people, Ewen becomes a member of the guard. He is obedient, tight lipped and lives to correct his father’s errors.

Ewen is asked to track down “Sister Genna” who is actually Janet of Mar (Mary’s sister) whom is presumed dead after trying to rescue her sister (this is all in the book The Recruit). She has been a courier for the King, passing along top secret intelligence and using the cross as her cover. After a passionate embrace, Ewen kicks himself for compromising a nun. Once he finds out that she is not a nun however, but the twin sister of Mary, he is FURIOUS. Again he is called upon by the King to bring her to him so he can tell her that she is betrothed to another. While Ewen knows this information, he neglects to tell Janet as he knows she’ll fight going with him.

Through their journey, Janet tries to seduce her way into Ewen’s heart. Ewen does all he can to fight her off knowing that is he indulges in his lust he has more to lose than Janet. He is fearful the King will strip him of his land and force his clan into perish.

Throughout the highlands, these two get to know each other and the attraction only grows. Ewen also makes his position on Janet’s part in the war known and she will not give up the only thing in her life that makes up for past mistakes. A war of wills follows!

So Monica McCarty is by far one of the best highland romance writers I have ever read! She can write a beautiful love story but that isn’t what stuck me in this series. She is basing her love stories off real people and real events. At the end of each story, she includes an authors note. This note consists of her historical research, who is fiction, who isn’t, what battles occurred during that books time, how the English and Scottish worked apart and together. IT WAS FASCINATING to read how she brings it all together. Her books are full of battle and history and so much ACTION. While the fluff is amazing, and the sexual tension between hero and heroine is intense, I was captivated by the war and who stood where and why!

If you love the highlanders, do yourself a favour and snag this series. I have rated every book thus far a 5 out of 5. I have never been disappointed!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel T.

Copies supplied by Netgalley

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