Customer Reviews

Highland Rebel (Berkley Sensation)

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

 

 

I bought this book based on the 4 and 5 star reviews. Boy were they wrong. This story just did not hang together for me. I even found myself skimming which I never do. The beginning dragged and I nearly set it down. When finally the story progressed to 14th century Scotland, it presented a tale that became less believable. For example, in what Scotland would the eldest son of a laird be sent to bagpipe school? I don't think so. Maybe a 3rd or 4th son but not the eldest. And how is it that Ian never felt the responsibility of the eldest? Her attempts to explain this did not seem believable. The romance between Ian and Ellie wasn't well developed either. There should have been more sexual tension between them during their six months on the road when he was the Celtic rock star. Then there was the small matter of Ian's continuing to sleep with Ellie for weeks with no concern of a pregnancy and no mention of marriage in old Scotland or the future. No other highland romance I've read has the "honorable" hero so unconcerned about his love's reputation or the possibility of her birthing a child out of wedlock. She might be a modern woman but he was a 14th century man. So, that just wasn't realistic. And his thought of marriage at the end was just that...a thought at the end. The ending was predictable, especially given Ian's vision of himself at a concert with Ellie and his daughter at his side. Oh well....

I have read all of Tess Mallory's books and this one is my favorite yet! It is funny and passionate and sexy and...well, just read it!

Highland Rebel


Tess Mallory never fails to entertain and her imaginative storytelling really shines through in "Highland Rebel." It really is unlike anything I've ever read (and I read A LOT). It's a non-stop adventure through history that makes you hold your breath til you finish the epilogue! It almost felt like a movie playing in my mind! The imagery is so detailed, the writing is beautiful, and the characters unforgettable! If you like sex, humor, and adventure (and who among us doesn't!?), this book is a must-read that is a keeper for sure!

I could not get into this book, though I made myself finish it. I did not feel the connection with Ellie and Ian, I found the story to be quite repetitive. Very disappointed.

The Highland Rebel Ian MacGregor is the hottest rock star with his songs dominating the charts and air waves. He finds his fame and fortune amusingly ironic since he is an original Highland Rebel having traveled through time from the eighteenth century. Although he plays the groupies as the "Celtic Casanova", he is attracted to band manager Ellie Graham.

Ellie loves Ian, but since her parents died she fears strong emotions so she hides her feelings from the singer and to a degree herself. When Ellie accidentally travels back three centuries, Ian follows to save his beloved. Only fate picked a time and place that leaves them between a rock of Highland rebels and the roll of the armies of the English king.

The Queen of Highlander time travel romance (see HIGHLAND MAGIC, HIGHLAND DREAM, HIGHLAND FLING and HIGHLAND ROGUE), Tess Mallory writes another whimsical tale as the roguish hero follows his love back to the era he left behind. Part of the pleasure in this delightful entry is the reaction of Ian's brother Angus to his siblings' return after his being away over two decades from home as he sets the tone and invigorates the saga.

Harriet Klausner

Ian MacGregor has traveled through time with friend Quinn from 18th century Scotland to present day. While he used to be the eldest son with great responsibilities back in the 1700s, he's currently the front for the Scottish rock band Outlaw, wooing the lassies with his beautiful eyes, sexy kilt and bagpipes.

Ellie Graham is his tour manager. Her parents died when she was young and since then, she's had to maintain her cool exterior. Nothing seems to get under her skin; well, nothing except the sexy-as-sin rock singer. When Ellie accidentally steps on an oddly shaped spiral in a cave near her sister's home, she and friend/scientist Davey catapult through time, back into the 1700s, where she comes face to face with Ian's past.

When Ian returns to his own time to save Ellie, he finds that the world he left behind is in dire straits. Will he want to remain in his own time, or will he return to present day to be with Ellie and the future he sees with her?

Highland Rebel is a wonderful story of a trio's amazing journey back and forth through time. When Ellie and Davey are sent back in time, they not only don't know where they are, they don't know when they are. Thankfully, Ian is there to rescue them a short while later. Then he really shocks the pair: not only have they gone back in time, but he's originally from this time period.

Their journey about the Scottish countryside includes battling the evil forces of the Black Watch, the English occupation. However, unrest was not only found in Ian's country, but also in his own home. There, Ian, Davey and Ellie meet his new half-sister, brothers and ailing father. Thinking Ian dead the long years he's been away, they're suspicious of his return.

Ian's conflicted. Should he remain in his own time and try to mend all the broken pieces, an act that could alter history, or should he return back to present day with Ellie, the woman he's grown to love? His conflict really compels the reader to continue turning page after page. The sexual tension between Ellie and Ian is incredibly palpable. The secondary characters are delightfully complex, especially Davey and his own adventures. The reader also meets characters from Ms. Mallory's previous novel, Highland Rogue, sure to satisfy fans of that novel.

Highland Rebel is a thoroughly entertaining read, sure to delight historical fans, time-travel novel aficionados, and simply those who want to escape from every day life for a few short hours.

(By the way, to the reviewer who thought the five star reviews were 'wrong', please recognize that different reviewers have different tastes. They're not wrong, they are just individual...just like you.)

Courtesy of Fallen Angel Reviews ([...])

Ellie Graham is the tour manager for Ian MacGregor, Celtic rock star. She's trying desperately to resist his considerable charms. He's not only beautiful, but he's a nice guy and she knows she has started to fall in love with him. That's why she has to quit working for him and leave as soon as the tour ends. There's less chance she'll get hurt that way.

What she doesn't know is that Ian has been magically transported to the present day from the year 1711. He felt an instant attraction to Ellie right from the start, but when he tried to take their budding friendship into flirtation, she pulled away. She has serious self-esteem issues, and hides herself under layers of black clothing. I can't help but love a heroine in Doc Martens.

As Ellie is running, quite literally, away from her feelings for Ian, she ends up at the cairn where her older sister Maggie was transported to the past. She doesn't know anything about that though, so she isn't aware of the repercussions of walking along the spirals found within. Upon discovering Ellie has disappeared, Ian knows he must travel back in time to rescue her.

Ian left behind his responsibilities when he traveled to the future, and Ellie is experiencing the same feeling of freedom in the past. But having returned to the past to save Ellie, Ian realizes he must stay in his own time and face his responsibilities. Maybe even alter history for the better. That means he'll have to let go of Ellie and his feelings for her.

Highland Rebel by Tess Mallory is a fantastic blend of romance, adventure and history, with a well-crafted plot, a comfortable pace, and likeable and intelligent characters. I had read good things about Ms. Mallory's other time travel romances, and now I'm looking forward to reading more of her work. This can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, but if you're like me you'll want to read the first book as well. Anyone who likes time travel romances and hot men in kilts will love this one. Definitely recommended.

4 1/2 Kisses, 1 Pepper

~Lindy
Reviewer, TwoLips Reviews, LLC
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