The Striker (Highland Guard)

The Striker is bk 10 in the Highland Guard series. Its Eoin MacLean and Lady Maragret MacDowells story. Eoin and Maragret fell in love at the beginning of Robert The Bruce take over of Scotland. They marry Maragret was only 18 and her father takes sides with King Edward of England. What Maragret doesn't know is that her new husband is already a Highland Guard for Robert. Eoins takes Maragret to his home at Gylen Castle. Maragret is cruelly treated by Eoins mother, sisters and his Clan even his best friend Fin tries to rape her. Maragret really tried to get alone and be accepted but because her father and brothers were considered traitors to Robert, she is despised. She gets feed up and leaves, goes home to her father and brothers. Eoin finds her there while on reconnaissance and they have one last hot sexy encounter. Six years later after Eoin believes Maragret betrayed him and Robert in the worst way resulting in King Roberts 2 brothers being killed and is Army decimated. Robert and his HG take there revenge on the MacDowells and there holdings. Maragret has thought and been told for past 6 years that Eoin is death and was killed in the battle. Now she is standing at the alter taking her marriage vows to Sir John. But the wedding is stopped when Eoin steps forwards and declares he is her husband. But instead of Eoin setting his trap to capture the MacDowells he finds out he has a 5 year old son.

This is a good story, but it is a bit all over the place tying in all the other 9 books and finishing some storylines. I also, wasn't impressed with Eoin. There was way to much Angst in the story. I would have liked to have seen more interaction of Eoin and his son Eachann/Hector. There just wasn't enough time spent on this part of the story.

Eoin, Maragret and there son Eachann finally get there HEA. This is a very erotic story. There is action and funny scenes. Also at times its very sad. Overall I really enjoyed the story.

Eoin MacLean's decision to become one of Robert the Bruce's strike force team, The Highland Guards, plays havoc with his personal life. But then Eoin wasn't expecting to be captivated by a wild, red headed, bewitching young woman, Margaret MacDowell, whose father's enmity is legend.
Happiness is replaced by anger. Eoin's promise to not reveal the secret of the Highland Guards is ripe ground for mistrust between himself and Margaret to erode to the point of no return. Margaret is all that is admirable in the way she seeks to support and understand him, but perceived rejection and frequent snubs worms away at her self confidence.
Convinced he has been betrayed by Margaret, Eoin turns his back on their marriage and takes up the mantle of his reported death. Some years later, when he learns that Margaret is about to remarry, Eoin has second thoughts, particularly as his Lazarus reappearance behind the English lines, will cause consternation for Bruce's enemies.
What his return causes for Margaret, and the surprises Eoin will face, are very different from the outcome he anticipated, leaving them both shaken and reeling in shock.
Filled with surprises, treachery, misunderstandings and heart throb moments, this addition to the Highland Guards series is just as addictive as it's running mates. Once again the midnight candle burned brightly. I couldn't put Eoin and Margaret's story down until I'd reached the very end.

A NetGalley ARC

This is book 10 in the Highland Guard series.

Eoin "Striker" MacLean and Margaret MacDowell are on opposite sides in a broken Scotland, but they can't seem to fight the attraction they feel for each other. Soon married, Eion must go fight for the Bruce and leave his wife with his family.

Margaret is miserable living with Eoin family and eventually returns to her own family. But with misunderstanding on both sides, Eion and Margaret are soon torn apart.

Six year later, they reconnect. Can this second chance bring them the happiness they deserve?

I LOVED THIS STORY!! If was very hard to do the write up without giving up too much of the plot…so that is why it is one of my shorter ones.

The story starts at the time of their reunion and then goes back to their meeting. We see their struggles to make their marriage work and how tragedy ends it. When they are given a second chance, you can't help but cheer them on!

This is definitely one of my favorite series (even though I haven't read them all…must do that!!) The next book in the series, The Rock, is out on Dec. 29th.

Thanks go out to Pocket Books via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

I quite enjoyed this book! Monica does have a way with words that draws the reader in! She's descriptive and helps visualize what she's referring to, but not shoving too much down your throat where you begin to want to skim. I liked how the first chapter was in the "present" (for the time frame of the book), but the next several chapters went back to how Maggie and Striker met, then eventually went back to the "present".

I adored Maggie from the get go! She was different, wild, fun, and someone I would enjoy spending time with! What was done to her thoroughly pissed me off and made me want to throat punch people whenever they were rude to her. There were times though I wanted to shake her and make her see reason on a couple things.

Striker, hmmm. I really loved him at the beginning of their relationship. He was sweet with her, protective, and possessive. He upset me plenty during their marriage though that I wasn't sure he'd be redeemable, but Monica did it. I loved seeing his sweet side (didn't get to see it often)!
This was a great addition to be series!

ARC received from NetGalley for an honest review.

I first discovered a Monica McCarty historical romance novel in my local library, a few years back. And boy, did I love it! I think that was the start of my love for Highland warriors and this genre.

So, I jumped at the opportunity of reading this one. And I'm not sorry. The many feels it gave me, it gripped me from the very beginning. It's rich in historical facts and details, transporting you back to those times. These make it real, yet you can still feel the fact that it's fiction and no, that's not bad. At all. I loved it, I loved the characters - especially the brooding and moody hero!

Eoin and Margaret are perfect for each other. I love how we get the present, but also the past. How they met, how they fell in love - you can feel the lust between them and I was a little surprised by the naughty bits and scenes because I didn't recall reading them in Ms. McCarty's previous books, hah - and how they ended it, before reuniting in the present.

I'll be checking out the other books in the series and I highly recommend this one. 5 stars.

***Copy was provided through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you ***

As usual Monica McCarty doesn't disappoint. I must admit I liked the part of the book playing off in the "present time" better than when they went back in time. I suppose it's because I've reached the point in the story-line where I want to know how Robert the Bruce's campaign is progressing and what happened to the rest of the Guard. It was a bit disappointing not having much of either the Guard or Bruce in the book. And the bit that was written was all negative - all the heart wrenching defeats, injuries and deaths. I suppose as a great deal of the Bruce's early campaigning involved heartbreak and death, one cannot always expect heroic feats and victories. Especially as Monica's books follow accurate historical events. Nonetheless, Monica focused more intensely in The Striker on just one Guard member, Eoin and the love of his life, Margaret. I missed the closeness of the other Guard members, but The Striker is nonetheless worth it's 5 Star rating. This is one series I would recommend you read in order.

Most well-developed characters McCarty has yet written. This author is hands down the best when it comes to Scottish romance. The plot is seamlessly woven around the characters that is both believable and exciting. I really appreciate how we get to know H/h through the span of 6-7 years. Both characters' POV are so well fleshed out that there wasn't a moment of questioning their actions. The conflict was resolved in such a smooth and flawless way. Didn't drag, but wasn't an easy HEA either. It made the story that much more believable. All in all, just superb writing. Of course, underlying all this excellent plot development is intense sexual chemistry btwn the main characters.
The Raider has been my fav up to this point...Striker beats it in its level of complexity. I can't wait to read The Rock!!!

Ms. McCarty, a proven fan favorite, excels in her most recent work! The tenth book in the Highland Guard series, The Striker, is as fresh and intriguing as the first. Reading a book by Monica McCarty is like stepping back to Medieval Scotland with her multidimensional approach to writing. From her rich historical backdrops to her detailed plots, this work was one fantastic read! The sexual tension and overall sensuality that existed between the hero and the heroine was vivid and arresting. This author’s writing is right up there with the best of them and defies genre boundaries making this the perfect book to disappear in for anyone!
*I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*While part of a series this book can be read as a stand alone.*

How I love this series! Each book takes The author takes actual events and real characters from Scottish history and transform them into wonderful stories with the right amount of love and romance!!! This book is also full of danger and anguish!
The Highland Guard is a secret group of a skillful warriors in favor of their rightful King.
Eoin is a young warrior very devoted to his king. When he meets Margaret he falls deeply in love. Eoin and Margaret are great characters. The story is complex and very interesting. I couldn't put this book down!

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another awesome read by Monica , have read the Highland Guard series from the beginning and have loved each one ,love Maggie's character she is wild and funny and not afraid to speak her mind and that is why Eoin falls so hard for her , but things don't go smoothly for them, lots of adventure ,love and some heavy heartbreaking moment. This book is a roller coaster of emotions , Monica's writing is amazing and her research into this time period is stunning , couldn't put this book down, next book The Rock, thanks Monica for such fabulous reading , love going into history with you.

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you just sink into a well-written read? Well, I totally got that with this book. The writing style is strong, fluid and evocative and draws you right into the story.

I stayed up all night reading this book and it was well worth the exhaustion. This series is highly addictive as it leaves you craving more. I could go on and on about how this book is amazing (it is brilliant), but I have learned the only way to discover the truth is to get the book and read it. I DARE YOU and I guarantee you will not be disappointed!!

The Striker starts off with Striker getting ready to crash a wedding in order to take down the bride’s father. He’s also looking forward to ruining the bride’s night as well. Considering it’s his treacherous wife who’s marrying another man. The moment he priest asks if there are any objections to the wedding, he makes his move and reveals himself to his wife. That’s when the story goes back in time to how they first met, fell in love, and how it all ended in betrayal.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I’ve enjoyed all the books from the Highland Guard series that I’ve read. I haven’t read all of them though, so this can be read out of order if you wanted to. However, with reading some of the previous books, I had an understanding of who some of the other players were in the book. But unlike the other books where the characters are already part of the Highland Guard, The Striker takes you back to before it even existed as Eoin tries to prove himself worthy of getting a slot on the elusive team.

The majority of the book is set in the past as we learn about Eoin and Margaret and how they met. Both were betrothed to another and each where from opposing sides of the upcoming war. However, they fell in love, married in secret, and started a new life together. Except the moment they got married Eoin joined the Highland Guard and was always away, and Margaret was obviously an outcast at his estate considering she was the enemies daughter and she was completely in the dark as to what Eoin was doing. Needless to say their love story was not an easy one. It gets worse when Margaret lets slip a piece of information that not only claimed the lives of Eoin’s fellow brothers in arms, but almost killed him as well. So, there’s some animosity there afterwards. Margaret thinks he’s dead–which is why six years later she’s marrying another man–and Eoin still harbors some harsh feelings towards his wife for betraying him.

Once their background story is out of the way, we go back to the present time and see how everything wraps up. I had no idea that the majority of the story would be set in the past but I thought it was perfect. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it even if we don’t go back in time to how everything happened because Monica McCarty is an amazing author, but it just helped you understand these two characters much more and helped you realized how much in love they truly are. You didn’t feel like any of the rekindling was too fast or fake.

Before I wrap this up, I’d also like to point out not only the very steamy scenes but the humor this book has as well. I’m not joking, Monica McCarty knows how to tell a story. She had me all over the place. One moment I was laughing my butt off and the other I needed a cold shower. Let’s just say that Eoin and Margaret are two passionate people. Not to mention that Margaret was a complete riot. When she first met Eoin she was viewed as a heathen. She was wild and free-spirited. She didn’t play by the rules of society. She didn’t always say the right thing and most times had no idea how her words could be taken out of context. For instance there’s talk about how her craziness would get her in trouble with the priest and have her saying “Hail Mary’s” and her response is, “I must admit that I’ve spent more time on my knees than most.” She had a lot of moments like that and they were hilarious.

The Striker hit all the marks for me. It was an all around enjoyable read from start to finish. It’s not only a great addition to the series but it can hold it’s own as a stand-alone as well. This series is a must for anyone looking for a historical fiction that has suspense, romance, steamy scenes, and humor.

This Scottish historical romance series has been one of the best romance ones I've ever read. The novel is book #10, and each one gets better and better. The writing flows easily, the characters are developed well, and the historical Scottish setting is researched nicely. I love the strong and independent female leads (again I think this was my favorite) and who doesn't love the rugged and manly Scottish warriors. For historical romance fans. Read this series!

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Another great installment by McCarty. I should say, that I thought this would be the end of the series- but after finishing The Striker I discovered to my utter delight, that there will be at least two more novels to come!

I am still a bit shocked at how much I like this series. I mean, I am miss-why-read-those-highlander-novels-cause-they-are-so-far-off-reality-they-might-as-well-be-called-fantasy-without-worldbuilding.
Then I stumbled over the Highland Guard Series and ate humble pie.
So I thought, I was so wrong, I've read quite a few books in this genre, but somehow, so far at least, they all a tad disappointing. First they all seem to have no clue about the Scottish climate. NO ONE runs around the highlands in thin frocks people! It's mission impossible.. and why does the sun always shine in those novels? Which alternative universe are they talking about.... But I am getting off track.

My point is that after reading The Striker two things became really clear to me:

McCarthy does describe the Scotland I know- and love. And she does a really amazing job at it. I feel like I've revisited my former home, when I come up for air in between reading. Her descriptions are accurate, realistic and capture the beauty of Scotland amazingly. Which speaks for her amazing skill as a writer but I keep wondering how much time McCarthy has spent in the Highlands. Her descriptions of places ( that I know really well) are just amazing. I simply don't have another word. They are evocative and exact. I am sadly not good with words so I fail at describing the incredible beauty that McCarthy creates with hers.

The historical setting is brilliant. I love the authors notes at the end of each book. And while I am quite knowledgeable in this particular part of history, I am always amazed by McCarthy's research. Even more by how she takes historical facts and creates characters that seem real. Again a tribute to McCarthy's great skill at her craft. This novel is cleverly interwoven in the historical setting, pivoting around the battle of Loch Ryan.

The story line goes over several years. I actually love how there was a back and forth. Slowly we could reconstruct the events- some of which we already knew from previous books in the series, but revisiting them from a different POV and with additional details.
This is definitely a second chances romance. It all starts with total insta-lust. And ooooh all the sizzles, I tell you the chemistry between Eoin and Margaret is palatable- and that keeps up until the end of the book. Which leads me to the smut. Just as always McCarty does not dissapoint when it comes to the smexy stuff. It's hot hot hot.
And then the two MCs behave totally annoyingly stubborn and immature and all goes to hell. My heart was breaking for most of the book. This is not a sweet little insta to HEA ending novel. No, this is heart wrenching, sad and utterly infuriating. In all the best ways. In one word: It's intense. Very intense. I felt every turn of their journey. I wanted to console them and shake them - actually smack them most of the time. And I totally enjoyed the ride. Just be warned it's not your easy going and sweet romance story line
I honestly did question their love. It was all a bit too insta for my taste. I kept thinking this is all just lust- they completely mistaking sexual attraction with love. And to McCarty's credit they do question it themselves. Though I do believe they end up caring for each other now after finishing it, I found myself doubting them until the epilogue really.

I think Eoin and Margaret are two of the most flawed characters ever written in a Highland romance, ever! And I totally adore that. They behave like utter idiots at times, but I understood where they were coming from. I like both of them and believed their mistakes were at times to do with immaturity. I also believed when they reformed some of their faults. Both, Margaret and Eoin feel like real people, probably exactly because they are flawed. They are also complex and interesting - and I like them both, I could identify with both of them.
Just like the previous novels, this one is character driven as well. And in my opinion it's intensity (and stupidity) is bearable because of the character growth the two MCs go through. And just like always I really enjoyed revisiting the other members of the crew. They all feel so real. It's amazing to see the characters from a different POV in each book. I love how one sees a different side of them, but how familiar they have all become.

So another AMAZING installment to my favorite Highlander series. And as I said the good news there will be at least two more books. In fact I already read The Rock- and well, let me just say it is good...(I shall post my review next week) and I am waiting to get my hands on The Ghost, desperately, while hoping that there will be MORE.

Until then: Get your hands on The Striker, find a quiet corner and go to the Highlands for a few hours. You won't regret it. I promise.

The latest Highland Guard novel has all of the delicious emotional highs and lows indicative of a Monica McCarty romance. There are times your throat chokes up and you feel close to tears along side the heroine, Maggie. You feel Eoin's sense of betrayal and anger towards her betrayal at the battle of Loch Ryan. The structure of this installment is set up differently from the other novels. We are first in the year 1313 where Eoin crashes his wife's attempt at a new marriage. She has believed him dead for six years and seeing him at her wedding is a shock, to say the least. It becomes clear that he has grown to hate her, due to her actions six years ago. Then we flash to the year 1305, and we watch as Eoin and Maggie are drawn to each other and how they get married in a very passionate and private moment. The story progresses to that point where Maggie betrays Eoin, and then we flash back to the "present" 1313 and watch them come back together. The details of what truly happened six years ago come to light for Eoin and he realizes that he has never stopped loving her; that though he has tried hard to hate her, he has not been able to stop loving her. The story has all of the hallmarks of a great Monica McCarty story. The struggle between the two main characters is intense and the moment near the end where Eoin makes his last mistake in not trusting Maggie, he realizes too late what he has truly lost. But Maggie also has an epiphany that leads to her not repeating her past mistakes, and the story ends with a happy ending and a great epilogue giving us more glimpses of what the future after the war will look like. I enjoyed the story, I don't think it was my absolute favorite in the series, but it doesn't disappoint. Entertaining and enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next one, The Rock. :-)

Monica has out done herself with the Highland Guard series. It is one of the best series in historical romance EVER! These stories even intrigued my (non loving of romance novels or chick flicks), history buff of a husband! If your looking for a great series or just a fabulous book, you will be thanking me for the suggestion... Happy Reading!!!

I absolutely LOVE Monica McCarty's Highland Guard Series. The Striker, Book 10, is just as fabulous as the rest. She writes her books in a way that pulls you into the story and makes you want to come back for more. I'm going to cry when book twelve comes out.... I'll miss all of those guys in the Highland Guard... Reading about their friendships in the books is like seeing something magical occur....something that only happens once in a lifetime.