Book 2), To Tame a Highland Warrior (Highlander

I really enjoy her story telling ability/style. Her characters come alive and jump off the page and her men are ultimate "hunks" Please keep this series going so I don't have to go a Highlander hunting in Scotland.

Great read. Love the romance. A lot like Outlander series, but still a good read, and worth reading the entire series. I'd recommend reading out of order though, as each stand alone. I also don't know that I'd want to read all of them in a row.

The language used in some of the conversations was far too modern. It actually made me laugh in some passages because it was so far out of place for the time. I admit, it bothered me more and more as I continued reading.

The heroine was pretty one-dimensional. Her only goal was to "get her man". Geesh! Get a life! How 'bout a bit more depth to this poor woman?

It was a quick read and only mediocre for a romance.

I enjoyed this one better than the first, but have to admit the characters weren't perfect. And it wasn't until we get to meet Grimm's father that I got it. I understood his fear, but not his revulsion with who he was. He didn't hurt anyone around him. In fact, he was pretty much revered for his abilities. Unfortunately, so much misunderstanding at the beginning that he never got the chance to learn about his heritage.

When called back to the place he was happy for the only woman he's ever cared about, he goes, but is adamant that he would keep his distance and only be their to protect her. He was honestly lucky that Jillian had not moved on given his treatment of her in the past nor how he behaves towards her throughout most of the book. BUT, knowing she was his mate he probably should have realized sooner that getting her to let go probably wasn't in the cards either. Definitely a lot of angst where there did not need to be, but still, I found myself going with it for most of the book and surprisingly, ok with it. I think after he runs away I did start to get frustrated with him, but by the end, he redeemed himself and I found that I still liked him. Kind of reminds me of that part in the first book when he lies to Adrienne to protect Hawk. Gotta love a loyal man.

Like the first book, there is that paranormal aspect. In the first it is time travel. In the second it is he is a Berserker. All in all, I am not disappointed in the series. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

3.5 helms

Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages

Our mysterious Grimm from the first book gets his story now and I was really excited to start it as he really piqued my curiosity from the first book!

There is no time travel in this romance, but a play on an ancient Norse legend of the Bersekers, who are legendary warriors fabled for their trance-like fury and prowess on the battlefield. Gavrael McIllioch vows never to return to his home and forsakes his name, castle, clan and identity after witnessing his father murder his mother in a Berseker rage. Changing his name to Grimm to protect his identity and to avoid detection from the rival clan intent on killing off the Bersekers, he travels far and wide from the highlands, determined to escape his ancestor's curse and to not give into the temptation of falling in love, with Jillian St. Clair, although protecting and watching over her from afar. "Come for Jillian" is the urgent summons Grimm receives one day, which Grimm cannot ignore and races towards Jillian's home to find himself embroiled in a competition to win her hand in marriage.

Jillian St. Clair has always loved Grimm and there has never been another in her heart, even after he left her suddenly and without explanation all those years ago. Now he was back, thanks to her father's game, urging her not only to wed but to choose another other than himself for her hand in marriage! Grimm had never disclosed his true nature to Jillian, as he feared not only her rejection but his inability to control his actions under the influence of the Berseker rage and cause her harm unknowingly. But with Jillian in such tempting close proximity, Grimm struggles with his vow of not giving into his love and desire for her and Jillian proves that she is the only one who can tame Grimm, his fears and his true Berseker nature.

The story sounded promising and Grimm seemed quite an enigma in the first book but I felt like the story was slightly anticlimactic at the beginning. It also only picked up for me and got interesting in the last 60% of the book. We also have another love trianglish sort of situation (similar to the first book) where the heroine has her choice of suitors (3 suitors!). Jealousy in this instance felt a bit more manipulated and calculated and I didn't find it cute at all. It also got really frustrating how Jillian and Grimm kept getting into misunderstandings and bouts of self-pity and moments of "oh does Jillian really love me? I didn't know that!, But she must marry someone else I cannot be the one for her, Oh Grimm I love you, but you don't, but I think you do". Jillian was also very hard to like at the beginning as she just sounded shrewish, whiny and immature and Grimm was portrayed as a strong brooding, tortured alpha hero but with a lot of self loathing thrown in.

Again this book is similar to the first and has historical inconsistencies, unscottish modern language and interesting character name choices. Despite the cons, KMM always proves she can write well, as this deceptively light hearted story had humor as well as danger peppered within. She also manages to keep the ending sweet and satisfying and it was nice to see Grimm at peace with himself and Jillian finally get her man without all the drama! This is a keeper as it is part of a keeper series for me :)

To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning
Book #2: Highlander Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

To Tame a Highland Warrior, book two of Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series opens with Grimm Roderick wondering just what in hell the Hawk’s wife wished for him and him receiving a letter from his old friend, Gibraltar St. Clair. Few things in the world have the power to tear Grimm from the Hawk’s side but the missive “Come for Jillian” is indeed one of those things.

Jillian St. Clair has had enough of this s***!! She loves both her father and mother dearly but their insistence that she marry is just getting out of hand. The one man Jillian would have married with no protests or complaints made it clear years ago he was not the man for her and would never marry her. From that moment forward, Jillian has done everything in her power to discourage any and all suitors. To date, her gambit has worked but now her parents are travelling and she has been left in the care of three men, one of whom she is to take as her husband. Well played, parentals, well played.

Grimm wasn’t sure life could get any worse but his arrival at Jillian’s home and the discovery that he is meant to be one of her suitor’s pretty much pushed it all over the edge. No matter how much Grimm cares for Jillian, and he does, he won’t subject her to his secret torment. Grimm is a berserker and when the rage overtakes him, he has no way of controlling himself or his actions. He is a legendary warrior and more than capable of protecting himself but to harm Jillian would be unthinkable. Grimm refuses to allow Jillian to remain unprotected and though he has vowed not to compete for her affections (he already has them!) he will stay with her until her parents return. Or until his enemies attack and he is forced to leave. You know? Whichever one comes first.

Jillian is constantly perplexed by Grimm. One minute he is by her side and barely controlling his attraction to her and the next he is turning away from her. Jillian wants Grimm with every fiber of her being and so, with the help of her father and one of the other suitors, a plan is hatched to bring Grimm around, to make him her own. True to form, Grimm waits until the last possible and most dramatic minute to claim what is his. Unfortunately, a leisurely life is not meant to be for Grimm and Jillian as the two ride fast and furious toward Grimm’s ancestral home. The enemy is at the gates and it is time Grimm had some answers. Going home was never in the cards for Grimm but that is where the enemy is leading him and where he will finally be able to lay old ghosts to rest.

The Bottom Line: I enjoyed this read far more than the first installment of the series. Grimm is a legend among the living and to hear of his exploits is to both fear and respect him. Unfortunately, misconceptions and misinformation have kept him away from his ancestral home and his family for too many years. With Jillian by his side, Grimm is able to face his past, forgive his father, and fight for the future he desperately wants to embrace. Jillian is my favorite kind of heroine, a strong, intelligent woman who is well ahead of her time and place. Jillian doesn’t fear Grimm but fears for him and knows if he will only accept her, she can help him heal and move forward. The legends of the berserkers, the meeting of the past and the present, the complications and battles, the solidly written characters, and the naughty bits all come together in a most entertaining way in this read.

The second book in the Highlander series is a more straightforward historical romance with a few fantasy elements. This meant the storyline was simpler and more straightforward than Book 1, and for me, less interesting.

SPOILER ALERT:

I had a few issues with the story including my inability to accept that Grimm didn't know his family and village were alive and well. With his boyhood home less than a two-days ride from Jillian's home, it is unlikely that Grimm, Jillian, and her family, didn't know they were still there.

Still, the story is well written and enjoyable. I just would have liked more depth to the story and less predictability.

This book was different from all the others in the series and I think that was the biggest let down. Grimm and Jillian were from the same century so the only time travel aspect was the minor mention of the first book. I really missed that and it made this book feel like it lacked something all the other books had. There was also no mention of Druids or the Fae, but a Berseker that seemingly had no correlation to all other 7 books. I loved how books 3 onward were all connected but still standalone stories. This one seemed like an island unto itself and left me feeling like I wasn't reading the same series.

I also had a hard time staying invested in the story. The story didn't pick up until about the 70% mark. Before that it was basically the two main characters in a repeating conflict. It could have been much better than it was if it hadn't been dragged out. I started with book 4 of the series and I would suggest that to anyone who wants to read this. (Although who knows maybe I would have liked this better had I read it before.) I would then read book 3 finishing with the first two.

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

I am not sure if I am being fair with Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series or not. Let me explain.

When I picked up and read the first book in the series, "Beyond the Highland Mist", it was directly after I finished reading the entire Outlander series. Outlander was my first ever Scottish/Highland based book. When I read as far as I could go and I was waiting for Echo to the Bone to be released, I picked up "Beyond the Highland Mist" to fill a gap, a void, anything to bring me back to Scotland. The books were so highly rated on Goodreads and the store that I purchased every single one of KMM's Highland books. I read "Beyond the Highland Mist" and was so disappointed. It was not what I was expecting at all. It didn't "feel" Scottish to me and I really didn't like the female protagonist Adrienne at all. I rated it low and promptly put the books aside.
Looking back and reflecting, was that very fair of me? I mean I just finished the epic Outlander series and perhaps I was looking for something that the bar was set to high for.

Fast forward a few years to present day and the Highland books are still sitting there on my shelf. I have just finished the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning and I was blown away. I can not tell you how much I loved that series. It was written to near perfection and it had everything I loved about books and series. So I thought to myself, 'hey maybe this is a good time to try one of her other Highland books'. Also, this weekend I am heading out a huge Highland Games festival so I wanted a book to take me away and get me into a Highland frame of mind. So I did and that is where "To Tame a Highland Warrior" comes in.

Geez now I am once again wondering, is this fair? Even though it is the same author, I just didn't care all that much for "To Tame a Highland Warrior".
As with the first book, I did not like the female protagonist Jillian at all. I thought she was a spoiled little brat. In fact I like what Grimm calls her, "peahen". She did nothing for me. There were no enduring qualities except that she likes children. I wished she had wit or had some sort of sweet cunning plan to get Grimm to pay attention to her but all I got was a whining, spoiled little peahen of a woman. I have no use for them.

And then there is Grimm. No connection with him at all. The circumstance to which he ended up at Jullian's home was a great idea but it all just fell flat for me. No drama, no angst and really there was nothing there for me rooting for the characters to get together.

The storyline for the McKane clan left me with so many questions. I can't list them here because that would be spoilers but there are holes that need explaining. Why this and why that is making me scratch my head and I really don't want to think about it anymore. Book done and perhaps in another while I'll pick up the next one and this time go at it with no expectations.

STORY BRIEF:
Grimm is a berserker. When he sees blood, he turns into a super warrior - stronger and faster than others. His wounds heal magically. It is close to impossible to kill him. His father is a berserker, it's inherited by males. The McCanes have hated the McIlliochs for generations. When Grimm was 14 he had not yet been told he was a berserker. At that time the McCanes attacked his family. Grimm saw his father kill his mother. Then Grimm became a berserker for the first time and killed most of the McCanes. Grimm didn't understand what he had become. Grimm ran away from home never to return. He thought his father was insane. He also thought he should never marry because he might kill his wife the way his father did. Soon Grimm met Jillian. They fell in love but Grimm left her because he didn't want to hurt her.

Fifteen years later Jillian's father sends a letter to three men asking them to come to his home "for Jillian." The three men were Ramsey, Quinn, and Grimm. The father wanted Jillian to choose one of them to marry. Grimm comes but knows he will never marry Jillian. It's obvious that Jillian and Grimm love each other, but Grimm insults her, rejects her, and hurts her over and over. He repeatedly tells her to marry Quinn.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
This is book 2 in the Highlander series. In book 1, the couple loves each other but the female rejects and hurts him for most of the book. In book 2, it's the male who rejects and hurts her for most of the book. I was unhappy with this plot for both of these books. The following comments are about book 2 only.

A common plot device in romance novels is to create conflict between a couple based on vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. It's overused in this book.

I hated the way Grimm made false assumptions about other people and then rejected those people. He assumed Jillian would never love him if she knew he was a berserker. That was false. He assumed he would harm her because he was a berserker. That was false. And then for almost the entire book I watch stupid things. For example Jillian comes up to Grimm and starts to rub his back. When he turns around a few minutes later. He tells he to go away. She said I thought you liked the back rub. He says he thought it was a tavern wench doing it. That was a lie. He knew it was Jillian. He tells Jillian she should marry Quinn. Then a little while later he thinks she and Quinn are having sex, so he is in a rage and jealous and breaks down the door to stop them. After he has sex with Jillian for the first time, he says you must marry Quinn. You are not safe around me. When Jillian asks Quinn about things, he won't answer. One time his answer was "not so many questions. Give me time." So many conflicts based on not communicating. I wanted to throw this. I suffered through it. I did not enjoy it. Most of the book was pondering and filler about nothing. Very little plot.

The narrator Phil Gigante has a wonderfully deep voice and does the men well, but I don't like the way he does female characters. He uses a high-pitched voice that tends toward weak and whiny.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 23 mins. Narrator: Phil Gigante. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Setting: 1499 and 1515 Scotland. Copyright: 1999. Genre: historical paranormal romance.

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***

Fifteen years ago Gavrael McIllioch left his home a monster and a broken child. He lived in the wilderness more beast than boy until a little blond girl coaxed him out of the woods, took him to her father and asked "Is he an animal Da? May I keep him? Please? He's an ever-so glorious beastie! He'd be fiercer than my Savanna TeaGarden Da! He'd protect me well, Da, I know he would!" And from that day Gavrael McIllioch, who changed his name to Grimm Roderick and hid his tragic past, vowed to protect the young Jillian, even from himself. When he began to develop more than brotherly feelings for her he pushed her away and when his past troubles followed him to her home, unleashing he beast inside him yet again, he walked away. But Grimm never forgot young Jillian, nor did he stop watching out for her from afar. When he receives a summons from her father at Dalkeith-Upon-the-Sea which stated nothing more than Come for Jillian he can do naught but obey. But Jillian St. Clair isn't a little girl anymore and her Da has summoned him and two others in order to find a husband capable of handling her. The twenty one year old beauty has convinced all her suitors she's too beautiful, too perfect to pursue and the three warriors summoned are her father's last hope of a marriage for Jillian.

Jillian St. Clair has never loved anyone but Grimm Roderick even when he treated her with disdain, picked on her and called her names. She hasn't forgotten the kiss he gave her before he walked away and she's never forgiven him for leaving in the first place. Now she can't decide whether she loves him or hates him, but whatever the cost she isn't ready to let him walk away from her again. But when Grimm's past comes back to haunt him at the risk of not only his, but Jillian's life can she convince him that their love is enough to fight for? If she learns Grimm's secrets will she still want him?

My main issue with this book is not the book itself, but the fact that it's part of the series. I've always viewed the Highlander series as part of the build to the Fever series which though unexpected coming from Moning was phenomenal, the kind of series readers will talk about many many years after they've been published. The Fever series was shocking and intense and unlike anything I've seen before. But though not the same it tied in with the Highlanders series, characters crossed over, and reading many of the highlander books you can see where the stones were being set for the Fever series. While Beyond the Highland Mists didn't contain the MacKelters who exist in both series, it did introduce the Fairy Queen and the idea of the compact. It also gave a clear picture of how the fae saw the world and humanity as toys to be played with. That book begins the world building, so even though the characters who fall in love during that story aren't really seen again outside of these two novels (or maybe three I haven't read books 3 or 8 in this series and I'm rereading the rest both for enjoyment of the story and because I like the idea of reviewing every book I own.) it does serve a purpose in setting building blocks for the world and the rest of the series. This book however while it features some of the human characters from the previous novel doesn't feature the fae at all and instead moves into the Norse legend of the Berserkers. Don't get me wrong the Berserkers are a fascinating creature and Norse myth equally as intriguing as Celtic Myth however other than Grimm having been a secondary character in the previous novel and moving to a main character in this one it does not fit with the rest of the series. I truly enjoyed this book and had it been listed as a spin off series or a standalone title I might have considered giving it a five stars but as it doesn't fit into the overall build of the series I can't give it a five stars because it's listed as part of a series. It's a fast paced, well written close third person historical/paranormal romance. One thing I didn't like though it seems we're living the scene where Grimm first calls the Berserkgang and hearing Odin in that scene it's later explained that it was basically all in his head and it's hereditary. Why would his father bother to tell him myth of calling Odin if that scene was all a product of Grimm's imagination? Additionally though a lot of the love story is the main characters having history and shown in flashbacks sex is used pretty heavily in this book. Don't get me wrong I like a good sex scene; I just get bored when I read a lot of them especially when they're close together. The characters don't just jump into bed together by any means and probably at least the first half of the book there isn't any sex, but once they start having it there are quite a few sex scene in a short amount of time. It almost felt like there was some sort of romance sex scene quota Moning was trying to fill so you'd only get a few pages in between each scene. It was probably more than that, but that's what it felt like to me as a reader. Had they been spaced out a little more I might not have noticed, but it seemed like one had just finished before the next began. After having read over half a book filled with just tension between the leading characters to then get that I don't know, it just kind of put me off. In addition to the love story there's a secondary plot that Grimm is a Berserker who after thinking he's witness his father murder his mother, then having his clan attacked and almost decimated leaves his clan, his people, changes his name and never looks back. He became a Berserker to save his clan and in his mind all they showed for him was disdain for his troubles. He hasn't come to terms with who he is and has spent his adult life hunted by a clan hell-bent on killing all berserkers. Because of both what he is and the people hunting him he's outright mean to Jillian to try to keep her away while the other two called to court her are determined to win her hand. But isn't that always the way it goes that you don't want the ones who chase you, you want the one that doesn't. So she brings a male lead with some serious baggage to the table in this novel and who definitely fills the angst quota for the book. If the male lead and his history weren't enough to keep your turning the pages, the assassination attempts, the love story and everything else going on would be. As a standalone title this book is excellent, their main issue in my opinion is being brought into the series.

I mention Grimm's very angst like personality earlier, he spend much of the book waging and internal war with himself. He doesn't dare have Jillian because he believes his father murdered his mother and then claimed it was in his blood to do so. Even without being a Berserker that kind of hereditary madness would threaten her safety. Add to that he feels he's a monster and believe if she were to ever learn the truth about him she would too. In his mind her rejection would be the one thing that would destroy him. At the same time as much as he rejects her he can't walk away either because if he admits the truth to himself there's nothing he wants more than to have Jillian. He has a reputation of discipline, honor and control, but since he loses time while in the Berserkgang he feels he's dangerous and uncontrolled. The truth is that Grimm hasn't come to terms with himself and if this were the real world he wouldn't really be able to come to terms with anyone else until he accepted himself. But since it's not the real world and it's romantic fiction he takes Jillian even though he shouldn't and allows her to give him that acceptance that he really should have found alone. Jillian could have pretty much any guy she wanted, she's hailed as the most beautiful lass in Scotland. The thing is she's never wanted anyone other than Grimm who constantly rejects her. In some ways she's outright blind to what's right in front of her eyes, but she's got a heart of gold and an incredible curiosity. Both characters are realistic for the most part, having positive and negative attributes. I mean they have some characteristic that are less than normal, but if you accepts that Berserkers existed these are definitely some fleshy characters. Many of the secondary characters are extremely well developed as well, though not to the same degree that they were in the first novel. The characters aren't one dimensional by any means but you just don't feel like you know them as well as the secondary characters in Moning's first novel.

Overall I'd definitely say the story is worth reading as is the overall book. Both are filled with memorable characters, interesting plots and romantic love stories. I'd recommend this to readers of historical and paranormal romance.

Once again, here's another Karen Marie Moning book that I loved! It will capture you with its sensuality and humor. This book picks up after "Beyond the Highland Mist".. We will learn all about The Hawks friend Grimm....

Takes place in the 16th century in Scotland. We find out that Grimm left his family and everything he knew when he was a young lad. He accuses his father of doing something unforgivable. After he left home he was on his own out in the forest, until a beautiful young girl named Jillian discovered him. Her family raises him pretty much as their own until he is 22 years of age then he leaves after a clan battle between his foster family and the McKanes. He feels guilty because the opposing clan was searching for Grimm.. His departure breaks Jillians heart because she's loved him since she laid eyes on him.

15 years go by...

Jillians father is tired of his daughter pushing her suitors away by acting crazy or saying she's going into the nunnery.. So he takes matters into his own hands and sends out for 3 men of his choosing to come stay at the castle while he and his wife go stay with their son to see the birth of their babe.. He wants Jillian to choose one of these fine warriors for marriage. In Grimms message it said, " Come for Jillian" ... Hot right? I thought so .. =)

But.. Grimm doesn't and will never feel worthy enough for his Jillian because of his past and the beast that resides within ...

I also loved the 2 bickering brothers Ronin and Balder in this story, I found them highly amusing! The way she wrote this story, it was like watching a movie. She describes her scenes so well you feel like you're immersed in Scotland. All I needed was the soundtrack to Braveheart playing in the background and I would have been set!

Five stars from me !

I read a review on the store that described this book as cheesy. I went all defensive - I wouldn't say cheesy! "Slang: inferior or cheap". "Of poor quality; shoddy". Nah. Silly? Sure. Guilty pleasure? You don't see me toting KMM to work to read on my lunch break do you? Guilty pleasure: check. Fun as all get out? Yes. Cheesy? Noooo.

There are so many reasons I should hate KMM's books. These, the "Highlander" novels ... Well, the series title probably capitalizes on whatever lingers of the Highlander TV show fan group; the Scotsmen involved aren't all highlanders (and in fact the bad guy is the only one explicitly called a highlander). But more, the first one of the series, her first published novel, completely rips off Diana Gabaldon: modern woman gets yanked back in time to be the perfect mate of a magnificent Scottish warrior. And the language ... Foul? No. I could handle a few soap-in-mouth-worthy pages. No, what it is is über modern - the heroine of TTaHW, who was born into the time in which the book is set, could in any given scene be pulling on jeans and slipping on her Jimmy Choos and dealing with her Berserker boyfriend after her three o'clock focus group meeting. And in a couple of memorable paragraphs the eyes of the Berserker, who calls himself Grimm (awww - 'cause he is. And it's his initials. So cute!) are described as "incandescent". Incandescent? Really? They had light bulbs in 16th century Scotland? I knew the Scots were brilliant. (Seriously, the word was coined, afai can tell, in the mid 1700's. It probably wasn't very widely used until the light bulb came about.)

"Incandescent" is even worse than "okay". An anachronistic "okay" will generally make me at least want to throw a book across the room (and occasionally I do it). I never do understand why writers - and, apparently, editors - don't remember that the word didn't exist in the Renaissance or Restoration or whenever, pre-1830's. But incandescent is so closely related to technology that I can't believe a) it made it into the book (candescent would have been, er, okay, though) and b) I *didn't* want to throw the book.

Another reason I should want to fling the book is the half-hearted glancing blow at the brogue. There is very little attempt at dialect, which when all's said and done is preferable; there's a word here and there, and Jillian is pretty consistently "lass" - but the brogue is mostly represented by people saying, instead of "do not" or "don't" ... "doona". Now, in other books where the writer is going for a brogue I've read "dinna" - "I dinna ken, lass" - but "doona"? That doona compute. (I unfortunately don't know enough Scots to know if it is remotely phonetically correct; I don't think so, but sadly I'm no expert. Just an enthusiast.) But I still didn't want to throw the book. The dialogue makes very little attempt at authenticity for the time period or location. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, really ... Better to avoid entirely than to do it badly. Fantasy and historical romancers could learn something here.

Oh, they talk about invading one's space, too. My semi-educated guess on the earliest appearance of that one as a phrase is the 1960's. I could be wrong, of course, but it has that smack to it: it was popularized then, at least. Eyes: rolled. Book: still not flung.

The premise is ridiculous: Jillian St. Clair's father is tired of her scaring off all the men, because after all she is nearing spinsterhood at 21, and so as he and his wife go off on a months' long visit to a new grandchild he sends off messages to three hunky rogues - "Come for Jillian", more or less. Grimm Roderick, the Berserker, fostered with the family, apparently (though not really) as a landless, homeless, nameless waif; another foster son, Quinn de Moncreiffe, is also invited, along with a third man famous for his virility, Ramsay Logan. Off go the parents; in come the three studs; and into a tizzy flies Jillian, who wasn't told about the competition her father incited. Interestingly, her father doesn't much mind if one or more have bedded her by the time he and his wife; as long as the wench is married at some point soon, that's fine by him.

But I don't hate the book. I actually have a deep, if furtive, fondness for KMM's books, including this one. I like Jillian, anachronistic as she is. I like Grimm, thick as he is; the thickness is kind of sweet. I like the minor characters. They're all a step above the moronic cardboard cutouts in the few typical romance novels I've dipped into. Yes, they're all, every one, smokin' hot - but they have at least rudimentary personalities, and the writing, while not the Best Ever, is extremely readable. "Doona"s and space invasions and "incandescent"s and all. At least Jillian has amber eyes, which is doable, instead of lavender or some such nonsense. And while the other romance novels I've looked at (you can't really call that "reading") used absolutely mortifyingly horrendous language in describing love scenes, KMM manages to avoid many of their anatomical euphemisms. Usually.

I'm a little hazy on why she would insist on setting the books in 16th century Scotland when absolutely no notable use of that time is made in the stories, and the only use the place is put to is to underscore that these men must be gorgeous because they're Scots Highlanders. They certainly don't behave like the 16th-century men most romances throw around, praise be; again, they're far too modern. As stories, I think they would be better served by being set in a fantasy place and time ... but then the publisher wouldn't be able to throw them on the Outlander bandwagon, of course. Silly me.

So, in the end, will I keep reading KMM? You bet. Will I use her books as reference material in any way, shape or form on any topic at all? Not a chance. Will I admit my guilty pleasure outside this blog? Heh. Probably not. Do I recommend them as a fun, unchallenging read, sort of sexy comfort books? Yeah, actually, I do.

Five stars for the superb performance by Phil Gigante of this title, originally published in 1999. In my opinion, the book content is a decent 3 1/2 stars.

This book is Moning's second in her Highlander series. The books begin with the premise that fairies (the fae) exist and sometimes mess with humans, sometimes for fun, sometimes for more nefarious reasons. Grimm, the hero of this title is a wonderfully fleshed out character even though Moning had to unfortunately change or eliminate some of the magical parts of the story to make it *less magical; something her editor thought would be good for some reason. Nevertheless, Grimm is a terrific 15th century hero (even though he uses a few 21st century idioms). There are a few inconsistencies between this book and the first of the series (Beyond the Highland Mist), but again, the hero and heroine in this book are both likable characters struggling to deal with events that seem to be beyond their understanding.

Award winning Gigante breathes life into the characters with spot on accents and makes the 10 hours of play time well worth your time and money.

Gavrael McIllioch left his home and changed his name to escape what he believed to be his curse and a betrayal by his father. He also needed to hide his identity from a clan determined to hunt him down so he became Grimm to protect the people he cared for, including Jillian St. Clair. When she was a young girl, Jillian discovered him hiding in the woods following the massacre of his clan and was taken in and raised by her family. He never let her know how he felt about her and later left the family to protect them. When her father sent an urgent summons, he raced to her side only to find out he was in a competition to win her hand in marriage.

Grimm was a favorite character from the last story and he doesn't let you down in this one. He continues to be an honorable and attractive Highlander who is determined to shield Jillian from who he believes himself to be...someone who could endanger her. She has been in love with Grimm since she was a teenager and resents his offhand treatment of her. This is the traditional conflict of the hero trying to hide his feelings to protect the heroine and the banter gets annoying after awhile and the dialogue pretty juvenile. However, the story surrounding Grimm is extremely compelling and keeps you into the story until the two of them decide to be honest about their feelings. Jillian's father proves to be a cunning sort and increases the level of interest. The other two suitors also provide comic and sinister relief, making this a layered tale.

I'm rating this 3.5 stars because of the protracted conflict between Grimm and Jillian that just made me weary. Otherwise, it was a good story with some pretyy exciting elements.