Customer Reviews

How to Abduct a Highland Lord

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Karen Hawkins delights fans of Scottish Romance once again in this first of a new series about the highland MacLean Family. Black Jack Kincaid had his roguish heart broken years ago when the beautiful green-eyed Fiona MacLean refused his offer of marriage. After years of drinking and wenching he wakes up from being drunk and unconscious on a road to London to discover he is now wed to Fiona. When her brother Callum is murdered and a Kincaid is blamed, Fiona has no choice but to abduct and marry this handsome auburn-haired, blue-eyed rogue in order to halt the MacLean-Kincaid life-long feud. After all, the MacLean's only power, other than their good looks, is the ability to make it rain and thunderstorm! When Jack is determined that his marriage will not affect his rogue lifestyle, he flees with Fiona to his London home in order to be in control of the relationship. Once there Fiona's beauty, passion, and kindness begins to warm Jack's cold heart. London experiences a stormy season as the MacLean brothers follow to make sure their little sister is happy in her new marriage. An ex-lover of Jack's who wants him back in her bed and a member of the Campbell family who wants revenge, get in the act to make trouble. When attempts on Fiona's life are made, Jack and Fiona return to Scotland, where the mystery of Callum's death and attempts on Fiona's life are unveiled. The story is sexy, witty, fast paced and pure regency highland fun!

This is the first book I've read by Karen Hawkins.
I just did not like this book. Fiona seemed too selfish, I really tried to like her, but she just annoyed me (the way she was mad at Jack for not changing for her after shes forced him to marry her). The family curse seemed interesting but it got tiresome and Fiona's brothers just seemed to get in the way too much. I thought maybe the curse would play a bigger role towards the end of the book and it started to, but it all just died out. I didn't buy Fiona and Jack's love for each other either. I was more interested in Lucinda than any of the other characters. The end of the book is the worst, there was hardly any resolve, it all seemed rushed and ended too abruptly. Some people really liked this book, I just expect more from a historic romance.

Reading through the other reviews I almost let this little gem slip away. So jump back in and grab this charmer for some smart, fairly reasonable, silly fun. Knowing the history of feuding families, I can understand why a lady would make such a desparate attempt at a solution by kidnapping and marrying the male of the opposing family. What makes the story enjoyable is the couple have a pleasant past and so their marriage is really not so--tedious! Finally, a touch of paranormal creates images you can just imagine explaining to the rest of the neighbors and servants--like why is it raining--err, hailing--in just one spot?! Relax and enjoy with some lemon tea and a chocolate chip scone and dream of kidnapping your own rich, handsome, skilled English lord.....ahhh Spring!

I've liked all Karen Hawkins' stories but this one was difficult to get through. Fiona MacLean wants to prevent a war between her family and the Kincaids following the death of her brother Cullom. This might have been better suited placed in a Medievil England setting instead Regency England it was hard to understand imagine a Scottish clan war a mist the gaming rooms of London High Society. Fiona thinks by marrying Jack Kincaid known as Black Jack, once they have a baby Fiona thinks it will prevent the MacLeans from taking revenge on the Kincaids. Fiona does this by kidnapping Jack and marry him without his consent while the "kidnapping" was amusing but there's also a thin line Karen Hawkins is walking having her hero kidnapped and married without his consent. I was curious to see how she got passed it. Unfortunately she doesn't. When Jack finds out he is understandable outraged and intents to find away out of the marriage in London. Fiona is outrage to learn Jack intends to contiune life the same as always going out gambling and carousing while I understand Fiona doesn't want an unfaithful husband what I don't understand is how she feels she should expect and demand a faithful husband from Jack considering she kidnapped him and married him without his consent. If you can get passed that part you'll probably enjoy the book but unfortunately for me I wasn't able to.

I loved this book. It is fast and fun and Fiona is a great heroine. The sexual tension was thick and the intiguing element of the curse added some great fun to the story.

Fiona MacLean is a member of the cursed MacLean family. Long ago, she had a lost love relationship with notorious Black Jack Kincaid. Now, she needs his help to avoid a family fued. That's when the fun begins -- can Jack help Fiona without falling back in love with her? Can she resist him?

If you haven't read this book, you'll want to! It's a terrific story with laugh out loud funny moments and a very tender love story.

Even though I read this book A few months ago I wanted to show my support for it by writing A review because it was an enjoyable read. Karen Hawkins is one of those authors that does A good job portraying A rake. I loved Jack's personality! He was A fun loving rake that was hurt by fiona when they were younger, so his character and his actions were belivable. I also loved the fact that his mistress was in love with him. That's something you hardly ever see in A romance novel and that's A pity because it is so much more believable and realistic. I also enjoyed the role the mistress played in the book because it made the story fun and entertaining. My only problem with the book was that the curse thing was just too far-fetched for me, but it was easy to ignore with such an interesting storyline and the very sensual love scenes. This is the type of book that you can't take too seriously, but it was still an enjoyable read. I've been reading romance novels for A long time now, so it takes A good book to keep me interested, and if A book does that for me, then it was A good book in my eyes! I recommend this book to those who want to read something fun!

One thing about this book is that if you don't take it too seriously you will enjoy it just fine. Jack Kincaid, Black Jack, is a womanizing wastrel who is enjoying going through his late grandfather's money by gambling, drinking and carousing. Leaving the bed of one of his married conquests, a drunken Jack is thrown from his horse and thinks he is dreaming when he finds himself in front of a priest getting married to his childhood sweetheart Fiona MacLean. He still carries the wounds of a heart broken when Fiona refused to marry him after he took her virginity when they were teenagers.

Fiona is heartbroken over the death of her youngest brother Callum as the result of the centuries long feud between the Kincaids and MacLean's and knows the only way to stop the feuding is a marriage and child between her and Jack. She takes the oppurtunity when a drunken Jack thinks he is dreaming of her and gets him to the altar, to seal the deal she tells everyone she is already with child. When Jack regains consciousness he is understandably angry but when he finds out the marriage cannot be annuled decides to make the best of the situation and agrees to Fiona's suggestion that he get her pregnant and then she will leave and let him resume his life. The problem is that Fiona and Jack start developing feelings for one another but Jack is determined that this marriage will not alter his lifestyle. Fiona knows she will not accept an unequal marriage and so she starts going out on the town to gambling halls as well much to Jack's horror. Adding to their problems is one of Jack's jealeous ex-mistresses and a family enemy of the MacLean's. Just to keep things interesting Fiona's brothers arrive on scene to make sure Jack treats her right and the entire family seems to have a magical talent, controlling the weather by their emotions.

This was a light, fun book but if you want something with more emotional depth, look elsewhere.

This book begins well - it has an interesting premise (a woman kidnaps a man and forces him to marry her), excellent humour, and interesting details and history surrounding the main plotline (like the MacLean curse of triggering storms with their temper and the hero and heroine's past relationship). The male lead, Jack Kincaid, is fairly typical but nonetheless likeable, as is the female lead, Fiona MacLean. Ms Hawkin's writing style throughout is very readable and engaging, and she writes great humour as well as really hot scenes, which I greatly enjoy in a romance novel.

These strengths alone carry the reader smoothly to the end of the story, which, even if it is a teensy bit anticlimactic (there is little drama despite Jack's bold declaration of "unleashing the full MacLean powers", we are never told much about Fiona's injury, and the capture of the villains seems a little too pat), is suitably heartwarming.

However, the novel has its shortcomings too, and they left me rather unsatisfied at the end of it. My chief grouse is that Fiona and Jack never really seem to interact as personalities (as opposed to objects of lust) or get to know each other - and because of this, I'm convinced they have a white-hot passion going between them, but unconvinced that they know each other well enough to actually be in love. Much of the novel also revolves around a singular point - that she doesn't want him to go out "carousing" like he used to as a bachelor. While this provides very interesting scenes where she goes out carousing as well, after a while it gets a bit tiring, especially since we're given very little grounds for this battle except that she doesn't like it and that he wants to prove a point.

All in all, though, the book is worth at least one read (or maybe two), although I'd advise against buying it to add to your collection because it doesn't have the emotional depth to hold up well to repeated readings.

I found this book engaging. Fiona is a true gem and I would enjoy reading more about the MacLean Family. I couldn't put it down. Karen Hawkins has a wonderful talent of mating strong willed women with just the right type of men. The weather touch was a wonderful add on. By the end of the book I was wondering what kind of weather I should expect next. Good job Karen!! Keep up the great work.

During a feud between the Kincaids and the Macleans, Fiona's youngest brother Callum was killed. Distraught and worried for her four other brothers, she kidnapped a drunken Jack "Black Jack" Kincaid and forced him into a marriage with her. When Jack regained consciousness, he was livid to find, he didn't dream the marriage, but was indeed married, to the woman who jilted him many years earlier. He got more enraged, when she further informed him, everyone knew about thier marriage and believed the reason for it, was that she was with child...his child. His anger did fizzle, when she told him of Callum's death and and the reason she forced the marriage.

When he discovered the marriage could not be annuled, Fiona made a deal with him. If and when she carried his child in truth, she would leave and never return. Yet, even though the deal was struck, Jack refused to give up his drinking, gambling and carousing ways. While he went out, Fiona was stuck at home waiting and wondering. Having had enough, she was of the mind set, 'if Jack could go out and have a good time at the gambling halls or whatever, then so could she'. Yeah...You Go Girl! Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with the reluctant husband. It soon became a battle of wit, wills and matter of the heart.

I loved the chemistry between Fiona and Jack. While Jack was determined not to let his new marriage effect his lifestyle, it was obvious to this reader, that he still harbored lingering feelings for her. Fiona had always loved Jack. Years ago, she called off thier engagement, when it became apparent, Jack wouldn't have given up the mistresses. Hell, I don't blame her. Once more, the spark had been ignited, and Fiona and Jack had a second chance at love. That was if Fiona's four angry brothers, whose tempers cause drastic weather changes, a jealous ex-mistress , and a man scorned didn't cause problems...Yeah, right!

Overall, How To Abduct A Highland Lord was sexy, witty and a light-hearted guilty pleasure. It tickled the funny bone, compelled the heart and entertained the imagination. I had a great time reading this book. If you want to read, where you don't have to think, but just relax and enjoy a fun regency highland romance, then I think you will love it too.