Customer Reviews

Highland Fire

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

 

 

Scotland, 1815 opens this tale when Caitlin Randal after delivering a shipment of smuggled whiskey is mistaken for a `lady of the night' by Iain Randal, the new laird. The very inebriated Iain might have had his way with her, if not for his cousin David, who whisked Caitlin away before a kiss turned into something else. But, Rand could not forget that one very passionate kiss he had which would haunt him for some time and David knew but would never divulge the name of the girl to Rand. Some time later, on the battlefield at Waterloo, Rand, vowed to the mortally wounded David, who had just saved his life that he would return to Scotland and take care of his friend, the mystery girl of his dreams, Miss Randal of Glenshiel after David finally divulged her name.

Caitlin had sworn to hate and despise this dandy - this English raised laird and she and her smuggling friends were out to make mischief only they underestimated the golden-haired hero of Waterloo. Rand would not be easily bested and would run to ground the young man, Dirk Gordan, who was really Caitlin in disguise.

Having met Caitlin, Rand was enthralled with her startling beauty, this free spirited and independent slip of a girl, would tempt him as no other woman ever had. It soon became apparent that he and Caitlin, with her wicked and saucy tongue would need to be tamed and he would be just the man to tame her. Caitlin, could no more control her responses to Rand - then he could with her - yet the ... granddaughter of the Randal of Glenshiel was sworn to hate the upstart English raised laird.

This was a marvelous romantic and extremely sensuous story of two very passionate individuals - Caitlin sensitive, strong, Scot to the core, and caught up in the everyday struggles of living as a highlander under an oftentimes absent English laird who couldn't or wouldn't commit to the responsibilities of being the laird Randal. The story was very rich in historical content and also had the element of suspense as old and new murders had to be solved in order to right the wrongs of the past and end the feuds that continually tore the highlands and kept Iain and Caitlin from achieving a true and lasting love. This story had outstanding sensual imagery and very fast moving action. Great story - surprising ending.

From the back cover:

From Elizabeth Thornton, bestselling author of THE PERFECT PRINCESS and ALMOST A PRINCESS, comes a tempestuous story of two nations, two legacies, and two hearts that clash in the Scottish highlands...as a dangerous destiny drives a bold young woman into battle with her most confounding enemy--her new husband.

A worthy opponent...

A hero of Waterloo, Lord Iain Randal promises his mortally wounded cousing that he will return to claim his lands in Scotland. But as the new English Sassenach in the rebel-torn Highlands, Iain's arrival meets dangerous resistance--especially in the embrace of beautiful, brazen Caitlin of Glenshiel...a woman he vows to possess at all costs.

A heated surrender...

While she would happily take his life when they collide in a fit of temper, Caitlin cannot deny the powerful sensuality of this English laird or the desire he awakens. But when she is forced to become his wife in a daring gambit to bring peace to the Highlands, Caitlin's resistance all but melts in the heat of the reckless, impossible passion of her husband's searing kiss.

A priceless love...

As ancient blood feud threatens to shatter her world, Caitlin must trust her heart and her life to the man she's never vowed to love, but can no longer live without...

And my review:

This book only served to remind me why I'd put this author on my "do not buy" list. Her heros are all the same--arrogant jerks that you want to slap some sense into. The hero in this story is no different. He takes the alpha hero thing way too far, and acts like a domineering jerk towards the heroine. (I'd use a stronger word to describe him, but Amazon doesn't allow profanity).

And even if I could get past that, the story was boring. It took forever to really get going. The author would often go off into rambles, as if she was trying to reach a certain page count. A lot of times, the battles and political struggles ended up overpowering the romance. I like those kinds of elements, but not as the main story. I read romance for the relationship; everything else is secondary (icing on the cake). But when you don't get to see enough of the relationship, and the stuff you do see makes you want to scream at the hero, the book is not worth your time.

I read many romances and have enjoyed many of Ms. Thornton's other books. However, the hero in this book is not very likeable. He is a bit of a bully and doesn't seem to care very much for how anyone else feels. Alpha males are great--but they have to have some good qualities (and handsome doesn't count).

Highland Fire is another strong romance by the late Elizabeth Thornton.

Thornton does a fantastic job of creating fully rounded characters who are both intriguing and imperfect. Other reviewers have rated the book poorly, citing their distaste for the hero who is arrogant and controlling. But what they neglect to notice is that the heroine is equally stubborn, unruly, and haughty. The heroine needs a man with this strength of character to control her-- Watching the battle between the two strong wills is part of the great fun of the novel. It is also clear that between the two of them, she is the more out of hand. While he can tend to be chauvinistic, this is not glossed over, it is recognized as a flaw and of course the eventual outcome of the novel softens him and finds the couple in balance.

The story is STRONGLY reminiscent of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, even the heroine's name is Kate. When you think of that story, you recognize that while the hero is overly arrogant, his strong handed tactics are the only thing that could tame the wild heroine. It is the same thing here. Caitlin is a young woman who answers to no one, dresses as a boy, and cavorts all over Scottland on her own with a band of smugglers--- obviously to give her a romantic interest any less essentially masculine would find him unequal to the challenge.

While this is not my favorite Thornton novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is longer than most of her others and those extra pages are put to good use. The reader is able to follow the couple further into their relationship than usual and it's a great treat.

The last thing I'll mention is that it was a great relief to read a romance with an intelligent, strong, and well rounded heroine. Thornton usually doesn't disappoint in this area but often times with other authors I find that in an attempt to make the heroine appear more innocent and inexperienced, they err on the side of making her idiotic and/or childish. It's a relief to see a writer who can create a character who is very intelligent but manages to also be believably new to many of the experiences in the story.