Customer Reviews

Highland Vow

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In this first installment in Hannah Howell's second Highland series, meet Elspeth Murray, the beloved daughter of Balfour and Maldie Murray from HIGHLAND DESTINY.

On her ninth birthday, she stumbles upon a wounded lad on the run from a powerful clan. Instead of being afraid, Elspeth Murray was mesmerized by the beauty of the seventeen-year-old Cormac Armstrong. Having inherited her mother's gift of healing, she tended to him and convinced her family to take him in until he was recovered. And as that day came and Cormac was giving his thanks to the Laird and Lady of Donncoill, the tiny, dirty hand of Elspeth was thrust forward to him offering to be kissed. Little did he know that the brief kiss that he had bestowed on little Elspeth's hand would forever leave a mark on her.

When a rejected suitor abducted nineteen-year-old Elspeth, she never expected that the man she has dreamt of for the last ten years would rescue her. Face to face with Cormac who has haunted her maidenly dreams, she knew that fate brought them together for a purpose: for her to rescue him from the clutches of Isabel, the woman he had vowed to love and had waited for since he was sixteen, the woman who had so blinded Cormac that he's the only one in Scotland who thinks her a victim of her family's greed.

When Cormac saw Elspeth for the first time since he left Donncoill, he was astonished to find that his tiny, begrimed savior is now a disarmingly beautiful woman. And for the first time in ten years, he could not bring a clear image of Isabel in his mind and found himself in a state of confusion over the vow he made to Isabel as a boy, a vow that he swore to keep to prove to the world that not all Armstrong's were like his lying, thieving parents, and a vow that his heart is telling him to break so he could be with Elspeth.

HIGHLAND VOW is the first in the trilogy featuring the daughters of the Murray brothers (HIGHLAND DESTINY, HIGHLAND HONOR and HIGHLAND PROMISE). It is quite an enjoyable read with likable characters. Elspeth, like her mother Maldie from Highland Destiny is sharp-tongued and spirited with a heart of gold. She will pick up any stray creatures she stumbles upon and tend to them until they are well. Cormac is a man of such honor that you cannot help but sympathize with his predicament and sometimes even want to smack him for being such a fool. Despite being good-looking, he lacks the arrogance that typifies the alpha-male regularly featured in historical romances.

I did find the book seemed to wander aimlessly at some parts and couldn't wait for the more interesting scenes. But I loved the way Elspeth declared her feelings for Cormac just before she went back to Donncoill. The way she hurled the words at him, calling him a fool for his blindness to Isabel's faults was perfectly worded.

If you have read and enjoyed the first Highland Series, you will still find the new Highland Trilogy enjoyable. The two books after these are HIGHLAND KNIGHT featuring Avery and HIGHLAND BRIDE with Gillyanne.

I've read hundreds of historical romances and this was one I could not put down. It's rare to have such a good combination of humor and excitement.

This was also my first Hannah Howell book and I am going back and buying every other one I can find. She's one of the best.

Hannah Howell is a great writer if you are looking for a wondful scottish romance novel you have found it!!

This is the frist book in a trilogy that captures the lives of the children of the Murray brothers. That trilogy starts with Highland Honor.

9 years old Elspeth Murry rescued a wounded knight by the name of Cormac Armstrong who was 17 years old and on the run. Elspeth lost her heart forever to him.

Now ten years later she will risks everthing to win the heart of the man who captures hers. They are reunited when Cormac saves her from an unwanted suitor who will stop at nothing to get her. Along the road a passionate desire grows between them, However Cormac is pledge to another and is torn by it beacuse he is a man of honor, but he has a growing need for Elspeth.
His duty is blinding him and he dose not see that he is a pawn in deadly trap set by the woman the he pledge hinself to when he was very young, Elspeth is desperate to save him, However by the time he understands the trap that was set for him and that he really dose love Elspeth she has left him so now he needs to try to win her back!!!

Once you pick up this book you will not be able to put it down you will love it for sure!!

I was hooked from the start, but quickly became disappointed when Cormac crumbled and became a real [...] because of a vow he made to cold hearted Isabel. I am so glad that I read a few other Hannah Howell highland books before this one, or I would have given up on this author. It was a painful read while trying to digest the core of this book, which revealed layer after layer of Cormac's weak persona. I wanted to beat Cormac over the head because he was such a fool, and wished Elspeth would have found another man worthy of her undying love. Elspeth was spectacular...Cormac was too weak. Highland Knight...Highland Warrior and Higland Bride were all captivating. This one Highland Vow....was a big let down.

I love all of Hannah Howell's books. She has a way of making the Highlands come to life for me! This book was no exception. I loved Cormac and Elspeth! Cormac was such a strong man, yet not quite the Alpha male that I have come to get used to in HH's books. Their romance and love is so sweet that when she went back to Donncoil I wanted to literally cry! I loved the addition of the Armstrong men and Christopher and his nurse. I hope that this means that HH will be writing books about the Armstrongs next!!!!

Elspeth Murray rescues a wounded knight Cormac Armstrong ten years ago and falls in love with him. Fast forward ten years, Cormac rescues Elspeth from an unwanted suitor and is stunned that seeing her has awakened his own romantic feelings for her. Gilly (Highland Bride) and many Murray cousins from other books are mentioned in the beginning of the story.

This was my first Hannah Howell book and it was a pleasure to read. The characters were delightful and I could not put this one down.

I love romance books. Contemporary, historical, some paranormal. I don't mind alpha males, or 'normal' males, or even (sometimes) alien males. But I really like my men to be MEN. He fell so short of that description, that, were I Elsbeth, I'd check to make sure he still had his....spine, and not the word "WELCOME" down his back. I can understand a man pining for a woman. It can even be made believable to a point. But this story dragged on so much, and belabored his "love" for a woman who so clearly didn't deserve it, that I, frankly, wouldn't have him even if he came covered in gold.

And, please, if authors ever read these comments, please, please, please quit writing with an accent-doesn't matter which one - Highland, Southern, French, Spanish, bad, unbred historical English. It is so distracting to the plot line, and sometimes annoying to decipher that I've started to flip through pages while in the store to make sure that little annoyance is kept to a minimum.

Elspeth Murray first meets Cormac Armstrong when she is nine years old and he is a youth accused of murder and on the run. She falls in love with him then, and the love grows though she doesn't see him again for ten long years. Cormac saves her from a crazed would-be suitor whom Elspeth rejects. They head toward court, and on the way, she makes every effort to seduce him. But Cormac has a strong sense of honor, and honor demands he stay faithful to Isabel, the woman he vowed to wed ten years before. She has since married and buried four husbands, and had many lovers besides, but Cormac is blind to her faults and thinks Isabel is an innocent victim of her family. Characterization sparkles in this gem. Great secondary characters complete this Scottish medieval tapestry.

There is a ton I could say about this book but that would include way too many spoilers. My favorite scene is where Cormac is crawling on his knees and his brother has repeatedly tried to stop him, to salvage his pride. Then his brother says, "Is that your Elsepth?" Cormac leans up on his knees and says "Aye." His brothers shoves him back down and says "Keep crawling you fool!" LOL loved it. Hilarious, suspenseful, heartfelt,