Customer Reviews

Highlander in Love (Wheeler Romance)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

From the very beginning of this story, I wanted to toss the book aside. I hated the leading female character (Mared) from the get- go. She only got worse as the story unfolded. At one point, she seems to finally come around. Then, she receives a large inheritance and decides she doesn't need the leading man (Payton) any more. She runs off and flirts with every man she meets.

Mared is selfish, spoiled, mean- spirited, and ungrateful. She is also lazy and spiteful. Payton, on the other hand, is generous, romantic, thoughtful, patient, and loyal.

By the end of the book, I was really wishing he would tell her off. I would have loved to see him get a stronger back- bone and find a woman worthy of his devotion.

I gave the book 2 stars, because the writting was vivid and fluid. It was enough to keep me reading to the end.

Over all I think it is well worth a read. Very enjoyable but for one thing. Toward the end, Mared starts to really annoy me. Through the whole book it seems as if Payton begs for her love and she just keeps throwing/pushing it away. For me the end would have been a bit more solid had she been made to "grovel" for more then two seconds. I know this sounds harsh but I think people will understand once they've read the book. To be honest, I hurt for Payton so much, that at certain points in the book I really believed he deserved better than Mared.

So for me, it was a good read. But I perfer better balance of "power" with the two main characters.

First of all, let me say that I really liked this book. But, I was so frustrated with Mared, the female lead. She was so dense. I may be super critical of the heroines in the books I read, but, come on, she had this hunk (and aren't they all in historical romances) who absolutely adored her and she couldn't decide until almost the very end of the book that she wanted him. If that had been me, the book would have ended about the 3rd chapter. It was a no-brainer. He had money, looks, was crazy about her. Come on!! Anyway, it was a very enjoyable read, all that aside. Mared was funny. I really liked her spunk and sense of humor. I have already described my thoughts on Payton.

This was a very well-written book, had interesting characters, and lots of spice. It also had, unfortunately, a "couldn't see the forest for the trees heroine". Ultimately, I give it 4 1/2 stars. Naturally, the deduction is for that goofy Mared.

I was really looking forward to this one but I have to say that it is a complete letdown. The part that I especially did not like was at the end when the heroine goes to the city and leaves are hero behind. Anyway are heroine trys to catch herself a husband and it is not the main hero! So I just could not belive that she was actually in love with him I mean at the very end she is contemplating marrying a man who just wants some fun on the side.He announces his engagement to someone else and then our heroine sees that she is not going to get that one so then she runs back to the man with the broken heart! Please! this was so not a romance in my opinion she only got with the main hero becasue the other guy at the end announced his engagement. I felt so sorry for the guy I mean he is the second choice for God's sake!

The story starts out with the old plot of forced-into-marriage-to-save-the-family. When Mared resists that, Payton Douglas settles for forcing her into servitude as his housekeeper.

This looks like a set up for The Taming of the Shrew. Some humor helps this stage of the period romance, but it is undermined by the sexual harassment by the hero. The lady says "no" repeatedly, yet he continues forcing his attentions on her. Gradually she comes to care for him despite his efforts to humiliate her. Throughout this section, Mared shows her spoiled brat side, when she had a chance to impress with some effort on her part.

When Mared's family recovers their fortune, she hies off to Edinburg leaving him bewildered. This part of the book has Rhett and Scarlett overtones so the reader isn't surprised when the heroine chooses dances and society over Douglas when he pursues her again. The woman doesn't seem to have a clue.

Being a romance, you know it all works out with them living happily ever after. By that time, the reader is thoroughly confused by Mared's behavior swings (high spirited, foolishly proud, whiney, self-centered, fun loving, etc.). Payton emerges as much too good for her, but has his moments of being too rakish, vengeful, proud, and overbearing.

I had to force myself to finish the book as I grew impatient with it all. In future, I'll stick with Ms London's chick lit titles like Miss Fortune which are fun and romantic.

With HIGHLANDER IN LOVE London gives the reader another witty and passionate tale in the final conclusion to her Highlander series featuring the Lockhart family siblings. Mared Lockhart had endured having to live with the knowledge that she'd most likely never wed, or for that matter, never love because of the consequences that would ultimately take the life of any man she would love enough to become betrothed. Since most people knew of the curse, and the family finances were such that supporting Talla Dileas took all available funds, Mared had no opportunity to go to a bigger city where there might be better prospects.

Payton Douglas, Laird of Eilean Ross had known Mared Lockhart all her life, and even though she'd pummeled him quite nicely when at the age of ten he thought to take away the six year old Mared's sweetmeat - he still held her in esteem. That same esteem, had over the years, grown and though Mared had grown up hating all things Douglas, Payton still held out hope. When the Lockhart's borrowed three thousand pounds, he gave it with the understanding and agreement that should they not be able to pay, Mared would consent to be his wife. The day the loan was to be repaid Mared refused to honor the debt - in spite of Payton's monumental effort to court her. When all his efforts came to naught, Payton demanded she come to his home for a year in order to repay the debt and to serve as his housekeeper. Much to Payton's dismay, he discovered that having the proud beauty under his very nose turned out to be more of a penance for him rather than for her, even as Mared's heart finally began to see Payton, not so much as a `Douglas' but more as a very potent and highly desirable `man'!

___ With her trademark blend of sensuality and humor, Julia London never disappoints her audience in this latest novel as Mared and Payton learn to look past their differences and discover their sizzling affinity for each other. Once the Lockhart curse was exposed and explained away; and while I could understand Mared wanting to shed the shackles of the curse and walk proudly for the first time with head held high in Edinburgh; I did have trouble with her leaving Payton. I FELT Payton's devastation at Mared's refusals as he all but opened his heart and bled for Mared. I did love the epilogue and loved the way the author advanced the future to include all the previous characters lives as well. As a stand-alone book, this HIGHLANDER IN LOVE is wonderful, and I can, and do, recommend the entire series (HIGHLANDER UNBOUND and HIGHLANDER IN DISGUISE) as well for an amusing and truly sensual reading experience! -- Marilyn,(...)

There has been generations of battles between those named Lockhart and Douglas. Yet highlanders stick together in time of need. Thus Payton Douglas gave the Lockharts a huge loan when they needed it most. The deal was that the Lockharts would repay the loan, with interest, in one year's time or give the hand of their daughter, Mared, to Payton in wedlock. Everyone expected the loan to be repaid with time to spare. But when the end of the year was almost over, the loan could not be paid.

Payton has long admired Mared and is very happy to wed her. Her fiery attitude and bold nature drew him toward her for as long as he could remember. Everyone in the Highlands knew that Mared is under a curse. The legend claims that if any man courts her, he would have bad luck and possibly lose his life. Payton plans to prove the curse a lie. These little accidents around her are just coincidence. First though, he has to convince Mared that a marriage between them would be wonderful.

Mared had been raised to despise the Douglas name. She did not want to marry Payton, no matter what. When she pushes him too far, he agrees to let her pay the debt in another way. Mared must be his new housekeeper for a full year. She has no choice but to agree. Once she deals with her humiliation, she finds that Payton is very attractive in many ways, even if he is a Douglas.

***** This story drew me in quickly and held my attention until the end. The main characters are strong willed, each with their own unique quirks to keep things interesting. I could not help but fall in love with them! This tale will leave you with a warm feeling and dreams of romance. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I must said I was expecting more from this book. It had so much potential, really. Highlander Unbound was the worst one of the series though. I had already bought the entire series, so I could read them in order and became very disappointing with each passing book. Julia London is one of my favorite regency romance writers and this series was so... not like her. Highlander in Disguise was actually not so bad. It started out interesting but then it seems like it was going in circles, trying to fill pages until the climax came along. The end was very precipitated and the fact that is his best friend that betrays him really made me hate the ending. I get that they needed to lose the goddamn beastie for there to be a third book and all but really? And then I read the small look into the 3rd book at the end of the 2nd and thought Hey this looks promising!. And it could have been, but Payton... at moments my heart went out to him, lusting and loving after this spoiled, selfish, girl (Mared); and then I thought this guy is so pathetic! If he had made it harder for her, meet her step and selfish behavior with his own, make her life impossible and at then end made her fight for it, this story would have been so much better. The worst part was when very immaturely she went on to flirt with every man she could find, and then after the man casts her aside she returns to Payton, as if he was some sort of secondhand price! Horrible! This reminded me of Gone With the Wind a bit. Never wanting him, going after another man while the man that wants her gives her everything she asks for.......... the thing is it would have been better if Payton had demonstrate some of the spine Rhett Buttler (Clark Gable's character) had. Obviously with a much happier ending. It was sincerely not Julia London's best work. Where's the balance, the battle of wits, actions that ends in lust, suffering and that inevitable feeling we get to actually have the main characters end up together? Come half the book, I wished for some sort of Gothic ending where Mared would end up alone like the curse had foreseeing and Payton was "rescue" so to speak, by a woman worth of him!!!!!!!!!

P.D. Gave it 2 starts because it had potential and its moments, but overall... disappointing!

I actually read all these reviews a few months ago after a friend gave me this book and so it went on my o'nly read when seriously bored' pile and I forgot about it until I was reading another London book and noticed I hadn't read this one yet and I totally forgot the reviews. Well, I wish I hadn't.

Yep, Mared seriously grates on the nerves. Here's the hero, wonderfully in love with her and giving her a ridiculous number of opportunities to show she loves him and she shoots him down every time. She never really shows her love for him. We just have the author's telling us she loves him.

She only returns to him after being rejected by other suitors. It's like he's her fall back guy and she's just stringing him along in case something better comes along. And the way she reacts to having to be his housekeeper is so infantile and she never seems really sorry even though asking her to be a housekeeper in return for 3000 pounds would seem to have been a generous offer.

Ugh, so she is the worst type of romance novel heroine, strident, immature, selfish, never learns any lessons, arrogant, convinced of her own superiority, etc... You get the idea. If an annoying heroine can make or break a book for you, avoid this one.

That said, it is the end of the series, so you may want to read it just to finish that up. That's why I finished it.

Also, I was just skimming near the end and am still not certain if we ever find out why that Hugh character takes the Beastie for a year and conviently returns with it. The author has the character give some foderol about an Irishwoman stealing it and him getting it back, but it's stated in such a way, that I'm not certain if the author is saying that that is what happened or not.

I enjoyed reading this book to ''finish up'' the 3 book series. But, it is not as well written as the 1st two books. The characters are not as well developed. They don't feel ''real'' and the plot seems long. A little way into the book, I skipped ahead to read the last third and have it done with. Nevertheless, if you have read the first 2 books, about Mared's brothers, then this book is probably worth reading if only to find out what happens to the characters from the 1st two books and to see if they ever retrieve the ''beastie.'' This is really not the author's best work, but it is still better than a lot of historical romance novels on the market today.