The Craving (Rogues of Scotland) (Volume 1)

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Meg Alpin has just had her heart broken by the man she was supposed to marry. He left her on the day of their wedding, running off with someone else, and taking her dowry with him!! Meg has accepted that she is now unwedable. Her aunt has offered her the use of her castle to stay at while she licks her wounds. But while going through the furniture in the tower, Meg finds a strange mirror that instead of a reflection, all you can see is complete darkness. Imagine her surprise when a man pops out of that very mirror!

Ronan has led a carefree life, taking what he wants, when he wants it. But after witnessing his mother and sister manipulate men to get what they want, he doesn’t believe in love or even like women all that much. They are good for one thing, sating his desires. And, when a gypsy caravan comes to the nearby lands, the saucy Ana catches his eye. But when he refuses to marry her, she takes her own life, and her grandmother curses him to live inside the very mirror that Meg has just found. But what must Ronan do to earn his freedom for good?

I wanted to like this novella, but honestly I found it a bit cheesy, ok, a lot cheesy, and I just couldn’t get into it at all.

The storyline with the rogue commitment-phobe being cursed to live in a mirror was interesting enough. But the execution was off and the story went downhill fast!

These two characters, Ronan and Meg, were one-dimensional and boring. There really was nothing interesting about them. And, you could see how the plot was going to go from the very beginning … that Meg’s love would overcome Ronan’s fear of being tied down and it would break the curse. Similar stories have been done throughout the ages, and nothing really separates this one from the pack.

The Craving is a steamy and quick romance story with magic, love and adventure. This is a nice start to a new series.

The Craving is the first book of the Rogues of Scotland series, a story of 4 best friends that are cursed. The curse is their punishment for a causing harm to a Gypsy. The Craving is the story of Ronan, who is the main cause of the curse. After 200 years of being trapped in darkness he is released by Meg Alpin. Meg has been living a lonely life after a betrayal. The loneliness and lack of trust are what Ronan and Meg have in common. But the curse brought them together and they both must accept the past and have courage to move forward.

I am a huge fan of author Donna Grant and The Craving has the romance and excitement that I expect from her books. But because it is a novella I did feel there was some passion in the story missing. Perhaps if it was a little bit longer there would have been the sizzling chemistry of the characters that I loved from her Druid’s Glen series.

Overall I did like the story. This is perfect for romance fans that want a quick read to add some excitement for their day.

There's magic in Scotland where ever you look good and evil. So when you wrong a gypsy beware. Ronan is cursed for a death he didn't commit. Meg has had her heart and her giving, trusting nature broken. Can a curse heal two people or condemn them to loneliness forever? This short story is a fabulous start to a new series. I can't wait for "The Hunger".
I was given this book by the author in return for my honest review.

4 1/2 Stars

The Craving is a historical romance with a magical twist and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Ronan is your typical happy go lucky guy, a man out for a good time with no thought to the consequences of his actions until one day when he crosses a Gypsy family and he is subsequently cursed. Meg is a young girl with issues and when fate brings her and Ronan to each other they both must left go of the past if they want to achieve happiness together.

I truly enjoyed this tale, both characters have been wronged by the consequences of others actions and they need to move past it if they want to have a future together, if such a thing is even possible. I don't really want to give anything away but when you have Donna writing a Scottish tale with hints of magic you know you are in for a treat and this was a strong introduction to a new series that has me eager for the next instalment!

Kilted Scottish warriors, and a gypsy curse set the ground for a great new series by Donna, "The Rogues of Scotland." In this first installment "The Craving", we meet Ronan who is inevitably responsible for the curse and Meg the woman who has the power to break Ronan from his mirrored prison.

I really enjoyed reading this. I found myself feeling bad for Ronan who never meant to hurt anyone but ultimately is responsible for the curse. It leaves me wondering what happened to Daman, Morcant, and Stefan the men Ronan sees has brothers and if they too suffered his fate. Overall, this is a great new series that takes us back to the Highland's of Scotland and its magnificent warriors. I can't wait for the next one!

Correctly titled....because I am certainly craving the next book. Donna does it again, her imagination is endless. I love the combination of her sexy Scottish highlanders and her vivid imagination of the paranormal situations, once I start reading I can not stop. The Craving is another one that I picked up and could not put down....Donna knows how to draw you in with her dynamic characters and the trouble they seem to get themselves into. And is has one of her other unique talents...creating a romance story that just makes you smile inside and sigh....I LOVE IT!! Can't wait for the next one...

I really liked how this series is starting off. Ronan and his friends go to a gypsy camp where he has a young woman he has been meeting with for sex. She thinks he will marry her and he says he won't, something terrible happens and he is cursed. Two hundred years later, Meg stumbles across his prison and frees him. She promises she won't send him back. Meg is suffering from her own heartbreak and finds that she enjoys Ronan and begins to fall in love. It is a great story of falling in love, finding forgiveness and trust. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*copy gifted for an honest review

The Craving was a sweet and sexy tale - Gypsy curses, hot men in kilts, medieval castles, and the kind of love that comes as a surprise, burrows deep within without being recognized, and then blossoms unexpectedly in breathtaking fashion.

I loved that both Meg and Ronan had some major issues with trust, and yet they grew with one another and learned to let someone else in while healing along the way.

I also loved that though this was a novella, it never once felt rushed to me. The story was gripping, and the flow perfectly paced to a wonderful story.

An easily earned 4 skulls!