Customer Reviews

The Hawk: A Highland Guard Novel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Absolutely the best romance novel I have ever read. Monica McCarty did an outstanding job!!! Loved the chemistry between the heroine, Ellie & the hero Hawk. After reading this book it was so totally hard for me to pickup any other romance novel and get into it. I might add I read after, Anne Stuart, Paula Quinn, Julia London and the list goes on. Congratulations Monica for giving us a read that is excellent from the beginning to the end.

I tend to enjoy Monica McCarty's Highland novels because they are thrilling with bigger than life characters. Her hero, Hawk fit this description aptly, he is bold, daring, reckless, handsome, charming and so very charismatic that he leaps off the page. He is a born leader and his actions matched his descriptions. I was sufficiently wowed by him but the heroine of this story, Ellie, was so very pale in comparison that I just never felt like they belonged together.

Hawk is one of Robert the Bruce's "Highland Guard", dedicated to assisting the Bruce in regaining his Scottish Throne. Hawk and the Bruce are in Ireland regrouping and on a mission to hire mercenaries to join forces with Bruce's own men, Hawk is in charge of obtaining the mercenary's cooperation and rendezvousing with the Bruce soon thereafter. His plans are disrupted when a woman is caught in the cave while he is negotiating with mercenaries. Fearing that the disreputable band of paid fighters will harm her, Hawk takes the woman into his custody intending on releasing her whenever he can safely do so.

Ellie is no ordinary woman, she is a daughter to one of the most powerful noblemen of Ireland, sister-in-law to the Bruce and she is no simpering miss. She lies to Hawk about her identity claiming she is but a nursemaid to the nobleman's children.

Ellie is described many times as a plain woman, thin, totally unremarkable so it must be her rapier tongue that holds Hawk's attention. Ellie is a bit impetuous and she seems to forget she is a captive going toe to toe with Hawk frequently. Elle is direct (except with her identity) and she is fascinated by Hawk but she almost blames him for her feelings because of his incredible looks and charms. Ellie is rather duty bound at home and secretly enjoys the freedom she has with Hawk and his band but Ellie just cannot get past her bossiness, she really is almost a nursemaid to her younger siblings and her take charge attitude doesn't really change with Hawk. Ellie is also engaged to an English nobleman and she intends to go through with the marriage as she is dutiful but she is not really ecstatic about the union.

For me, this couple did not seem to be an equal match. What really drew Hawk to Ellie? Perhaps it was just she was the lady who seemed the least charmed by him or a good amount of lust, although it was easy to discern why she loved him, bold daring Hawk was easy to admire. Ellie was distant, untruthful, prideful and illogical, a trait she even knew about herself when she realized how irrational it was that she wanted to marry someone she did not love over someone she did. Ellie is not really good at reading people's motives and intentions; she was oblivious to her sister, her fiancé and Hawk's feelings.

Ms McCarty's writing is, of course, well done, she drew me in completely with the opening chapters because of her attention to detail and her great descriptions of Hawk and her high actions scenes were intense and tension filled. It was only her heroine who did not strike a chord; she did not measure up to her leading man.

Excellent sequel to the first novel (The Chief), with lots of action, suspense and drama; definitely not an ordinary read. This book totally stood on its own; no need to read the first book in order to read this one. Monica McCarty definitely intrigues her readers by providing a good plot that is realistic within the historical facts of the time. She provides us with Author Notes and details that spark her imagination into providing an excellent historical romance. Although we all know Robert the Bruce's real life ending, this author captivates her readers with an excellent romantic tale around important events within Scottish history.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next installment within this series (The Ranger). Thanks for providing the excerpt for this next read.

I liked this book, but was not one of my favorites from her. Although i liked the heroine in this book, i like it when the hero and heroine are more equally matched in wit, humor and looks. The author just made her sound so plain in this book. I like romances to have fairy tale endings and beautiful heros and heroines. Other than that I think the author had such a wonderful way with words and story lines she truly is gifted and i love her books.

This is definitely NOT one of the better Highland Gaurd novels. The biggest problem is that the heroine is PLAIN and the author keeps mentioning that fact throughout the ENTIRE book!

I'm glad I found this book at a thrift store. If I'd paid full price, I'd be upset. I bought "The Chief" and promptly gave it away since I wasn't impressed. "The Hawk" didn't do it for me either. Maybe I've read to many highlander novels lately--but this book is as forgetable as the first one. Poor Ellie. Hawk repeatedly hurt her and spurned her love. Didn't like the hero at all.

This writer has a long history writing fanciful action-romances set in/around Scotland. Her mastery of this setting is superb and many times it's like you can feel the cold mist off the North Sea. Like so many writers in this genre, her male characters are memorable. Highly skilled warriors and military strategists, handsome and an obvious hit with many of the local ladies--considering the time period--it's impossible to find an equally matched female lead. This happens--again--in this book. Historically it is accurate that women had little to do but create children and their biggest "selling point" was the size of their dowry. Still we can bend so many rules in the service of story, can't we improve the female characters? Worthwhile use of time, but not close as a keeper.

As always Monica McCarty comes through! Erik and Ellie offset each other perfectly and the author gives us more insight to the conflict between England and Scotland and Robert the Bruce rise back to the crown. I absolutely can't wait until December for the Ranger to come out.

fast paced novel full of action. hero and heroine very likeable. some steamy love scenes.

This was a fantastic read. The chemistry between Ellie and the Hawk was fabulous. After reading the Chief and the Hawk I have become a major M Mccarty fan. If you are trying to decide on whether this is worth purchasing, I can tell you - it is, read it you will LOVE it!