THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE (Hardy Heroines #2) by Cathy MacRae-Review, Giveaway and Excerpt Tour
THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE
Hardy Heroines #2
by Cathy MacRae
Release Date: May 22, 2017
Genre: adult, historical, Highlander, slightly paranormal, romance
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About the book: Release Date May 22, 2017
Calder MacGerry, laird of an impoverished clan, has resolved to end the bitter feud between the MacGerrys and Sinclairs. He jumps at Laird Sinclair’s offer of marriage to his only daughter, Katja, to seal the agreement between their clans—only to get more than he bargained for.
Katja’s chance to escape her father’s harsh treatment appears to be too good to be true. But becoming Lady of a clan that despises her because she’s a Sinclair, doesn’t make her life any easier. When the attacks turn deadly, she fights her way out, making a dangerous passage to the Shetland Isles for refuge with her Viking family.
Calder and Katja’s marriage, built on mistrust, rushes quickly into disaster. As Calder seeks to repair the damage, Katja discovers not another enemy, but a husband who pledges a new beginning.
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REVIEW: THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE is the second installment in Cathy MacRae historical, slightly paranormal HARDY HEROINES romance series. This is Laird Calder MacGerry, and Katja Sinclair’s story line. THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Calder and Katja) THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE follows Laird Calder MacGerry as he must make peace and end the feud with Clan Sinclair upon the death of his father. Without food or supplies for the upcoming winter, the new Laird is desperate for find provisions for his suffering clan. When Earl Sinclair offers a truce, the truce comes with a caveat-a proviso of sorts-Calder MacGerry must marry the Earl’s only daughter, and in doing so would be granted the woman’s dowry and everything that comes with. Enter Katja Sinclair, the mysterious and only daughter of Earl Sinclair, and the woman with whom Calder will fall in love. What ensues is the tepid but growing relationship between Calder and Katja, and the struggle for Katja to trust the man who has all but destroyed her heart and her soul.
THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE is a story of romance, betrayal, revenge and mistrust. Calder never thought about taking a bride but with his clan in total disrepair, Earl Sinclair’s offer is something he could not refuse. Katja is an independent young woman who has struggled all of her life to find a place in her father’s heart only to be rejected time and again. Her marriage to Laird Calder MacGerry comes with a promise of love but a love that will be threatened by sins of the past. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE, like many of Cathy MacRae’s previous Highlander tales finds our couple apart for a good portion of the building story line. Katja believes she is better off, away from the Laird and his clan, and finds herself on the run, searching for family she hasn’t seen in years. Meanwhile Calder MacGerry must go in search of his wayward bride. More time together would have increased my enjoyment of the overall story. The premise is entertaining and passionate; the characters are colorful, strong willed, and charismatic; the romance struggles in the face of mistrust and threats against the heroine’s life. THE HIGHLANDER’S VIKING BRIDE is a dramatic and energetic story where a young woman finds happiness against the odds.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
Katja reluctantly heeded her father’s summons to the great hall. She much preferred taking meals in her chamber, as constant criticism and scorn from her father made for poor company. Her only regret was not spending the time with her brothers. She remembered the days before her amma died when mealtimes were pleasant, even enjoyable. She did not remember the days when her ma was alive.
Everyone in the keep knew guests had arrived—rumored to be the hated MacGerrys. Her father would likely use the opportunity to dangle her as bait again for some sort of alliance, her hand in marriage as part of the bargain. She grimaced. The MacGerry laird was as old as her sire—as were all the men her da had presented as prospective husbands.
“I willnae marry a man thrice my age. Why does he keep bringing such old relics about, Freki? Has the man not made the acquaintance of anyone younger than two score?”
Her companion did not answer.
Katja hurried to the great hall with Freki at her side. If she allowed her sire to wait too long, he would add to her humiliation by displaying her like a freshly caught trout in front of his guests. Much as she disliked appeasing him, flaunting her disdain was far worse.
When they reached the door to the hall, she raised a hand, whispering a command for her companion to wait outside the door as she perused the people seated in the great hall. Pale auras of color surrounded each man, giving the room a festive look were it not for the unsettling tale each told her. The reds of anger and lust, the brown of dishonesty, gray and sulphur of dark thoughts and pain. From long practice, she ignored the pale green of pity she knew were aimed at her.
Skirting the red auras, Katja moved silently into the room, attracting no attention. Years of avoiding her father gave her the skill to move about the castle like a ghost, finding tremendous value in being invisible when the need called for it. It wasn’t until she stood near the foot of the lower tables that anyone noticed her. Laird Sinclair’s eyes gleamed.
“Ah, here is my daughter. Katja, meet the new MacGerry Laird.”
The sight of a young man instead of the old laird she expected startled Katja. Tall, lean of muscle with dark brown hair and fair skin, his deep blue eyes were the color of sapphires or perhaps the ocean on a calm day. A high forehead, strong jaw and full lips made for a very handsome face. Lips which curved into a kind smile at her.
His eager blue eyes stared at her, as if caught in a pleasant dream. Katja’s stomach twisted in a way she’d not experienced before. Heat scorched its way from her head to her shoulders, tingling along her breasts and descending lower. She didn’t recognize or understand the strange awareness. Her breathing picked up its pace as her heart beat tripled. How could one look from a man inspire such a reaction?
She averted her gaze in an effort to wrestle her body and emotions under control. Inhaling deeply, she raised her eyes again only to find the same sensations slamming into her anew. She needed a distraction.
Use the sight. It doesnae lie.
Looking past her normal ability to see, she glanced first at her father. The darkening gray aura surrounding him reflected his greed, his nature growing more corrupt with time. A band of deep brown layered on top of the gray was new today. She knew it as a sign of deceit and wondered what he was up to. Scanning the rest of the table, the light blue surrounding her brothers Bjorn, Christer and Patrik reflected
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Cathy MacRae lives on the sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains where she and her husband read, write, and tend the garden—with the help of the dogs, of course.
You can visit with her on facebook, or read her blogs and learn about her books at www.cathymacraeauthor.com. Drop her a line—she loves to hear from readers!
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