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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
She does it again!!, September 7, 2009
This review is from: Highland Rebel: A tale of a rebellious lady and a traitorous lord (Mass Market Paperback)
In her second book, Judith James has written another wonderful story.
First off, anyone expecting this to be an ordinary romance may be disappointed. Highland Rebel is different. When I started reading, they didn't have the same kind of romance they do now. I grew up reading Daphne Du Maurier's King's General and Frenchman's Creek, Raphael Sabatini's Captain Blood and The Black Sway, Anya Seton's Katherine and Green Darkness as well as most of Mary Stewart and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
I loved these books; their sense of adventure, their all encompasing stories and wiled away many an hour reading and rereading over and over again. But as much as I loved them, there was something missing. Although they are all very romantic, there just wasn't enough romance, even though they were romance. They have stayed with me for years
And then the romance genre in it's present form came into being and I love it. But I really miss those sweeping sagas I used to read; the 'swashbucklingness' of many of the romances of yesteryear; the real sense of the times that is often missing in historical romances of today. There are very few historicals I read anymore that make me want to look further into the history of the times they were written in. I used to do that all the time in my beginning romance days.
And then I read Highland Rebel and it is an incredible hybrid of both. Ms. James has created a story and time that is vivid in it's richness. Very seldom anymore am I pulled so deep into a different time. Highland Rebel is a sweeping epic that takes the readers from the Highlands of Scotland to the court of James II to the island of Ireland. The research is amazing and the author incorporates into the story of Catherine Drummond and Jamie Sinclair is a seemless and amazing way.
Along with the wonderful setting, the characters of Cat and Jamie are so richly and lovingly created. We meet them both after a battle. Cat has been captured and Jamie decides on a lark to save her life by claiming her with marriage but she escapes shortly after that. Jamie follows and is captured by her clansmen. You see Cat just isn't any ordinary woman of the highlands. She has been raised to be the new clan leader. Intelligent, shrewd, beautiful, strong, she is a wonderful heroine; the kind you don't often seen in historicals - a person in her own right and not just the daughter of her father or the love interest of the hero. When I noticed that Wendy was also reading Highland Rebel, I emailed her, knowing that she's all about the strong heroine, but she wasn't far enough into it to offer an opinion. Athough, she did keep it with her when the late summer fires of California struck. She did the same thing with Broken Wing last year.
And Jamie - what a truly fascinating character he is. Although he grew up abused by his father and deserted by his mother, he has retained a joie de vivre that makes him totally irresistable.
After Catherine escapes, Jamie takes off after her as he really doesn't want to remain married. He's lived a life of genteel poverty and King James has a bride that will help him out of his 'situation'. But things don't go as he planned.
The book follows the story of Jamie and Cat as they bicker and plan to divorce each other - at their own convenience. Wem the readers, see early on that these two are perfect for each other, but it takes them, especially Jamie, much longer to see the thing that is the very best for him is right in front of him. We see them develop a deep and enduring friendship. Catherine is frustrated once she gets to England with the restrictions put on her because of her sex, but Jamie makes her his boon companion and shows her a side of life she never would have know. He recognizes and respects her for the person she truly is and in return, Cat becomes his best friend, someone who has his back, even literaly in one scene. She stands by him when all others abandon him. She rescues him and rather than being resentful, he appreciates all that she is.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wildly Romantic and Suspenseful, August 28, 2009
This review is from: Highland Rebel: A tale of a rebellious lady and a traitorous lord (Mass Market Paperback)
There's nothing like a deliciously handsome bad boy and a wonderfully strong heroine to kick the day up a notch. For that matter, this pairing tends to kick the evening up a notch as well. HIGHLAND REBEL by Judith James was a wonderfully passionate and action filled romance that left me flipping back through the book, searching for more. Her writing flows nicely, her characters come alive and the story was so beautifully developed that the pages would just fly by without me even noticing.
Jamie is the hero of this story and what a hero he is! He's definitely not your typical knight in shining armor. He can be polite and chivalrous, but typically his demeanor can be described as that of a rogue. Growing up in a tough environment, Jamie had to learn early how to detach himself from the world. He lives his life attempting to create something for himself out of nothing. Jumping back and forth between religions and political side, the only thing he cares about is his self and his own advancement. That is until the day he sees a helpless woman get captured by the band of bloodthirsty and cruel soldiers he is supposed to supervise.
Catherine was her father's favorite child and often reminded that it was a shame she was born a female. Nevertheless, she spent her childhood in her father's footsteps and has grown up into something of a tomboy. She accompanies the men on fishing trips and raids, much to the disappointment of her brother and cousin. It's the latest mission, a mission to rescue one of her kind caught in a battle with the English that might spell Catherine's demise. Surrounded by men looking for a bit of entertainment, the only prayer in sight is the strange gentleman with the hard eyes and devious scheme. Before she knows it she's free of the men after her flesh yet she finds herself in the worst place of all: married.
James has written a great story full of so many twists and turns that it was impossible to not stay engaged with the characters. The marriage between Jamie and Catherine occasionally flip flops between being beneficial and a nuisance between one party and the other. This adds a bit of humor to the book at times and suspense at others. The underlying political intrigue is wonderful as we watch Jamie attempt to make a life for himself and Catherine attempt to take back her lands from her overbearing male kin. With a pair so oddly matched, James has really created a great story in making the two rely on each for the solutions to the many problems that arise.
HIGHLAND REBEL is quite the passionate romance and I think a large part of this is due to the fact that James's characters were so well developed. By the end of the second chapter, Jamie and Catherine already come to life and the reality that they create continues through to the very last page. It's not easy to create fictional characters with a feel of authenticity, but James has accomplished this in HIGHLAND REBEL and the story is better for it.
Outside of great characters, another thing that really makes a book wonderful to me is the tension. The story needs to have tension - a feeling of being pulled along - in order to capture the readers' interest and keep them turning the pages. This feeling of tension is what makes you say, "Okay, one more chapter," and then makes you continue turning the pages after that chapter. I am pleased to say that James did a wonderful job with the tension in HIGHLAND REBEL. I love to read so it's already difficult for me to put books down but I have been known to do it. With HIGHLAND REBEL, as with a few others, I found myself making excuses to stay up late to read or get up early to get a few extra hours in. Even though I was finally able to put the book down for the night, it haunted my dreams and inevitably would find its way into my hands in the morning. That's the sign of an awesome book.
Fair warning time: This book has adult themes and adult scenes. I would give it a sensuality rating of 4 out of 5.
I definitely have to give HIGHLAND REBEL top marks. I figured the book might be good from the synopsis, but fell in love with it by the second page. The emotion that James writes with and the ability she has to draw you into the story, making your heartbeat rapidly was just amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great Romance or a great Action. This book encompasses the best of both of those worlds.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy and funny romance, December 28, 2009
This review is from: Highland Rebel: A tale of a rebellious lady and a traitorous lord (Mass Market Paperback)
In Judith James' Highland Rebel Jamie Sinclair is a solider, a master of disguise, a little bit of a rogue, and almost penniless. Nevertheless, the ladies love him and he has a promising future with a woman waiting for him back home in England who has money. His hopes of a well off and comfortable future are dashed in the heat of battle when he meets and marries a young Scottish girl- Catherine Drummond. Jamie does not know it at the time, but she is rich... very rich. Jamie's intention for marrying her is to save her from the evil thoughts and hands of his bored, blood thirsty soldiers. Catherine soon pays him back for his `kindness' by nursing him back to health when he is all but beaten to death trying to get her back once she inevitably runs from the marriage. Beaten over the head and sent back to England in disgrace, Jamie is left penniless again and falls out of favor with the King for snubbing his former soon-to-be wife for a Scottish rebel girl.
Catherine, however, finds that she quite likes being married without the burden of having a husband around. Years pass, but circumstance takes Catherine to England to meet the King and hopefully begin to sell her people's whiskey to the court for a profit. When she sees Jamie again, they come to an understanding that they will pretend to be married for a while before splitting amicably. Catherine promises Jamie that she will pay him handsomely for playing his role.
Problem is, they soon begin to develop a powerful attraction toward one another. It is hard for Catherine to endure Jamie playing his charms on other women and not her, and Jamie feels increasingly possessive of the beautiful and charming Catherine. Because the two of them knock heads relentlessly, they convince themselves that they should not pursue one another, which only causes more confusion and anxiety. And, of course, more attraction.
If you do not like the typical "gasp and passion" romances that populate bookstores, Highland Rebel is a book that you will like. The characters are well relayed and have depth, each with their own personality and motivating forces. The romance itself is slow moving and complex, so there is a realistic and often times wonderfully frustrating progression from disdain to friendship and ultimately to love. Jamie and Cat do not fall all over each other, so the plot is not cliché as so much romance fiction is.
Judith James knows her history and it shows in the elegant way she presents the English Royal Court of James, as well as the harsher but beautiful Scottish Highlands of Catherine's heritage. My area of history, as anyone knows, is Rome, so I fully enjoyed what I was able to learn from Highland Rebel. Subtle beneath the passion and romance is a variety of great, valuable historical information. I was absolutely delighted by the matter of fact way James presents her world such that we absorb without feeling inundated by details and facts.
Highland Rebel is also very well written and I like how it plays out the way that Jamie and Catherine slowly come together. I dislike the brand of romance that has the heroine in the arms of the man as soon as they meet. The best female counterparts are strong willed and resistant. The greater the conflict, the greater the reward at the end when all differences are mended and the couple finally comes to accept the feelings they have. Jamie seems to be worth it, though, because he is the right kind of rogue- rough, smart, and misunderstood. And Catherine defies the expectations placed on women to achieve independence as much as any woman can. I can't say that I blame her. Naturally, this makes her the perfect fit for the unconventional Jamie.
Too bad they didn't see it earlier!
You will quite like Jamie at the end, rogue though he is. You come to understand why he is the way he is due to his own father and upbringing. Cat, too, comes across as a bit cold. However, once her character comes out, you really learn to respect her for her boldness, her wit, and her strength. She is a take charge kind of girl, but not kick butt; Cat is weak and flawed in her own way, which makes her more of an engaging and believable character. There are some definite character changes that occur toward the end, as the two of them change each other enough to allow love to take hold and come to fruition. Highland Rebel is a truly entertaining story, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes heated, sometimes absolutely frustrating. A page turner, for sure.
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