Highland Savage [Paperback]

Hannah Howell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Beaten and left for dead, Sir Lucas Murray is a man wounded in body and soul. He has brought himself back to becoming the warrior he once was - except for his ruined leg and the grief he feels over the death of the woman he once loved...the same woman who led him into his enemies' hands. Dressed as a masked reiver, it is Katerina Haldane who saves Lucas as he battles for his life - and for revenge. Shocked that she still lives, Lucas becomes desperate to ignore the desire raging through his body. And Katerina becomes desperate to regain his trust, trying to convince him of her half-sister's role in his beating. Lucas is reluctant to let down his guard, but his resistance melts once Katerina is back in his arms...and his bed. Now he must learn to trust his instincts - in battle and in love...

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zebra; First Edition edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821779990
• ISBN-13: 978-0821779996
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Howell, Hannah

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You just gotta love a Highlander story!, May 1, 2007

By 

C. Dionne "Chrissy Dionne" (Cloverdale, OREGON USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Highland Savage (Paperback)

It's been a year since the betrayal that almost cost Lucas his life. He'd been beaten and thrown off a cliff while his lady love, Katherine, watched. He's recovered from his injuries and worked hard to rebuild his body to its battle ready condition - and now he's ready to enact revenge and prove himself worthy of being the heir to Donncoill.

Katherine almost lost her life that fateful day as well. She's mourned Lucas's death and tried to carry on the best she can under harsh circumstances. Katherine has allowed all but a few trusted friends to believe that she's dead while she secretly battles against her half-sister, Agnes, and her henchman's plot to obtain all of Dunlochan.

The laird, Katherine's father, stipulated before his death that a council of five men must approve Katherine's or Agnes's choice of husband. If they disapprove and she marries him anyway, then she'll receive a small dowry and tiny plot of land. Lucas would have been approved by the council. Katherine has no doubt that Agnes is behind the attempted murders of Lucas and herself. She's ecstatic when she learns that he's still alive and assumes that he'd know her well enough to know that she would have never wanted any harm to come to him.

Lucas has spent a whole year nurturing his anger and broken heart, will he be able to accept her word that she wasn't involved in the attempt on his life? Regardless of how he feels about her now, it's obvious that they're fighting the same enemy - joining forces makes more sense than fighting alone. Lucas admits to himself that he's still very much in love with Katherine, but will that be enough to build on now that he's scared to trust her again?

I love a good Scottish Highlander story and Hannah Howell's HIGHLAND SAVAGE definitely kept me flipping pages to find out what would happen next. Lucas is everything I've come to expect in Scottish heroes. He's daring, brave, sexy and is willing to fight for what he believes is right. I was very impressed by Katherine's determined spirit and the ingenious way she's hiding out right beneath Agnes's nose. Together, I just knew that Lucas and Katherine would be a force to be reckoned with and I cheered each of their triumphs.

Be sure to visit Ms. Howell's website to check out her backlist of books. Also keep an eye out for her September 2007 release HIGHLAND THIRST.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good story, but much longer than it should have been. Many chapters repeated the same ideas., August 30, 2007

By 

Alyce In Wonderland "The Looking Glass" (Over the hill or underland, or just behind a tree) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Highland Savage (Paperback)

Lucas is on the hunt for revenge against the people who tried to murder him a year ago. He is devastated that one of those people is the woman he had loved so deeply, but he's determined not to let his emotions stop him. When he is attacked from all sides by the same group who tried to murder him before, Katerina and her band of renegades race into the fight to save him. Although he is reluctant to believe Katerina's claims of innocence, Lucas decides to work with Katerina and her men to get revenge on the people who have stolen her castle... the same people who thought they had beaten him to death a year ago. Katerina is determined to convince Lucas that she took no part in that plot to kill him. Lucas is determined to find the truth. Despite their differences, Lucas and Katerina can't deny their hunger for each other.

Hannah Howell's books tend to run either hot or cold. This one was lukewarm. I liked the fact that the story took place in a unique setting. Throughout most of the book, they are living in underground caves. A nice switch from the usual castle scenery. Also, the hero and heroine are both strong, but they are not written to be invincible. Both suffered physical and emotional injuries in their pasts and during the story itself.

Unfortunately, Hannah Howell tends to drag out the "He doesn't really love me."/ "She doesn't really love me." theme in her books. This one took it to an extreme. Lucas spends weeks next to Katerina's bed while fighting to keep her alive as she is racked with fever from injuries, but she can't decide if he really cares. Katerina rides into a sword fight to take Lucas to safety, but he's sure she doesn't really love him. After the villains are killed, there are actually 4 whole chapters spent on dragging out the idea that Lucas and Katerina each think the other doesn't really care. I skimmed the last 3 chapters, but I could tell I didn't miss anything when I read the epilogue.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Plotline but Romance Leaves me Cold, June 13, 2007

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Highland Savage (Paperback)

I adore stories set in medieval England, Ireland and Scotland - as long as they have a strong female character who stands her ground and preferably wields a sword. I thought I would love Highland Savage. The main character, Kat, is in hiding with her band of compatriots. The group races out in the night to help those in need. The cruel half-sister has taken charge of the area, and the struggle for power is dire.

Into this mix comes Lucas. Here's the first problem. "Off-stage", a year or so before this story begins, apparently Lucas met Kat and the two made love. Then Lucas was beaten up and thrown off a cliff by a group of bandits, while Kat was held nearby. Lucas was told - by these cruel bandits - that Kat ordered the beating. Of course, Lucas believes the nasty bandits and immediately condemns the woman he was infatuated with, simply on their say-so. He returns to the scene of the crime for revenge.

I really would have liked to have a "prologue" laying out their love for each other, the situation of the attack, and then had it say "a year later ..." As it stands, as a reader I have no connection at all to these two people, an no real sense of why they adored each other. How long were they courting before they made love? Was it a one time thing before this bandit attack? Why did she love him? We don't know. All we know is that he's back for vengeance, she jumps in to rescue him, and now they're hiding out in caves together. He blames her for his damaged leg and heart. She's pouty because her true love has turned on her so easily.

This leaves the rest of the story to work through that damaged pride. He cares for her tenderly when she's injured - but she figures he doesn't love her. She moons over him every chance she gets, but he still doesn't trust her. I understand of course that romance novels are all about these sorts of misunderstandings, but it just didn't seem "real" here. I really have to believe that it's because the context was never laid down. We never got a chance to see the great connection that was damaged. We only get to see them trying to repair the harm, and even there it seems on-again, off-again.

I could complain about the heavy Scottish accent put into every line, but that happens in a number of books. You just have to settle in and accept the "Weel, I dinnae ken what that mon did ..."

An OK read, but not one I'll keep on my shelves.