Customer Reviews

The Pride of Lions

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3 star:		(3)
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None of the historicals I've read over the years could have prepared me for the emotional roller coaster that this book and its sequel put me through. I'm also left wondering why it has taken me so long to discover this incomparable author.

Beautiful, pampered, spoiled and aristocratic Catherine Ashbrooke is shocked to discover a tall, muscular half naked stranger bathing in a creek that runs through her father's lands. She's even more shocked to discover that this
breathtakingly handsome stranger is seemingly immune to her
charms. How dare he! does he not realize she's the toast of London. No matter that she's supposedly in love with Hamilton Garner, a handsome officer, no man alive has ever met Catherine and not fallen instantly to his knees in worship. She would certainly show him! and in the process she would finally bring the reticent Lieutenant Garner to propose. Except that Catherine's devious plan backfires and she finds herself both being kissed senseless by the raven haired stranger and the cause of a duel to the death between the dashing Mr. Montgomery and the infatuated Lt. Garner.

While Lt. Garner is an experienced swordsman he is no match for Mr. Raefer Montgomery and soon finds himself wounded but alive. Montgomery refuses to deliver the killing blow humiliating Lt. Garner and winning the hand of the pampered Miss Ashbrooke in the process.

The mysterious Mr. Montgomery does not want or need a wife and in his current situation it could prove to be deadly for both of them. He must keep his temperamental new wife from finding out his true identity so he must annul the marriage as soon as humanly possible. Except that the intrepid Catherine already knows his secret, her handsome new husband is not Raefer Montgomery but Alexander Cameron the legendary Dark Cameron of Scotland.

Exiled and wanted for murder,a spy for the Jacobite rebels with a hefty price on his head, Alexander can't risk having his pretty wife reveal his identity. So, Catherine is taken to Scotland virtually kicking and screaming the whole way. Meanwhile,Catherine makes a great show of her dislike for her husband and her circumstances but increasingly she finds herself flustered by his presence, burning for his kisses and admiring
the complex, enigmatic man she married. On the other hand, Alex has had to force himself to keep his hands off of his desirable wife. She's an unwanted complication, spoiled, selfish and vain and slowly working his way into his heart a heart he thought he had buried some fifteen years before.

This book is first and foremost a romance but it's also a historical novel rich in detail which some readers may not find quite as interesting as I did. The romance doesnt suffer from the detailed descriptions but is instead brought to life in such a way that you can almost see the wild moors of the Scottish Highlands and feel the tension of a country poised for war. The only bad thing about this book is that Ms. Canham has spoiled me for any other heroes. After reading about the larger than life Alexander Cameron I'm afraid every hero I read now or in the future will be sadly lacking because he's that unbelievable. She has also created a worthy heroine in Catherine. The reader is able to see the spoiled, pampered girl evolving slowly into a young woman in love. In short, I can't recommend this book enough, it has churned my emotions as no other book ever had. If you love historical romance do not miss this book. A piece of advice, buy this book along with the sequel you'll kick yourself in you don't (as I did). Highly recommended. :)

The Pride of Lions gives a different look at the period of history so magnificently written about in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. While Catherine and Alex do not capture the heart as Jamie and Claire did, they are intelligent, passionate and very much in love with one another and I found myself caring deeply about them. On the negative side: the main story is not concluded in this book but ends abruptly in mid-story. In order to have an end to the story, you must also purchase The Blood of Roses.

Beautiful and spoiled, young noblewoman Catherine Ashbrooke flirted with a handsome stranger at a ball to make her primary suitor, Lieutenant Hamilton Garner, jealous. Little did she know just how much the fire she was playing with would burn. The flirtation turned into a duel and she was forced to marry the winner, Raefer Montgomery, a wealthy English merchant. Furious at the outcome of her escapade, Catherine, a most unwilling bride, learned that her husband was not the man she believed him to be. He is, in fact, Alexander Cameron, the "Camshroinaich Dubh," (Black Cameron), a Scottish Jacobite, a spy, and wanted by the English and his many enemies. With promises to set her free, Cameron takes Catherine back to Scotland to his family home, Achnacarry, in the Scottish Highlands. Here, against the backdrop of the Jacobite rebellion, the couple, who began as enemies, actually falls in love.

The English are not the only ones who would like to have Alexander Cameron's head on a platter. The Campbell clan has sought to kill him for over a decade. Ms. Canham describes the fascinating clan rivalry, clan wars and the Scottish lust for vengeance that can continue on for centuries. Years before, three Campbell sons attacked, raped and murdered Alexander's young bride. In revenge he slew all three and was forced into exile in France. Now that he is back in Scotland the Campbells know that his weakest link is his new bride. And the adventure that began with a forced marriage, intensifies, taking many surprising twists and turns before it concludes.

As usual, Ms. Canham writes with style and captures the 18th century time period, the strife, battles and the intensity of the relationships with realism and passion. Her characters are three dimensional and seem to leap right off the page. Alexander Cameron is an extraordinary hero - dark, handsome and courageous, he is filled with the 'pride of lions' and a sense of honor that would put most men to shame. Catherine is blonde, beautiful and the exact opposite of the type of woman that Alexander would normally choose. However, she is also a complex, intelligent person and she grows and changes as she learns more about her husband and his cause. The secondary characters are wonderful also, including Aluinn MacKail, Cameron's best friend, Deidre, Catherine's lady's maid, many members of Clan Cameron, as well as a few vile villains.

This is a wonderful historical novel about a tragic period in Scottish history. The personal dramas of the characters add significantly to the richness of the plot. I highly recommend reading the sequel to "The Pride Of Lions," "The Blood Of Roses." Once you begin the first book you will not be able to stop reading until the last page of the second novel. ENJOY both!!
JANA

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series made a big impression on me. I especially loved the Jacobite history, and was so voracious for a historical novel set during that same conflicting period between England and Scotland that I bought Marsha Canham's The Pride of Lions. That was two years ago. The Canham novel sank somewhere in the heap of my TBR pile, never to be opened... until now. The moment I extracted the book, dusted it off (shamefully admitting that my TBR pile is not only huge, but some of the books have gathered dust as well) and began to read, I knew I had a special book in my hands. Full of history, adventure and sensual romance, The Pride of Lions is indeed a treasure.

The year is 1745. Catherine Augustine Ashbrooke, a young English debutante, has one thing in her mind: to marry Hamilton Garner, a lieutenant for the dragoons. When she meets a tall, dark and handsome stranger with gorgeous dark eyes and a mysterious countenance, she decides to make her suitor jealous by flirting with the strange man, a successful merchant by the name of Mr. Raefer Montgomery. She succeeds with her scheme -- so much so that Hamilton challenges Raefer to a duel. Montgomery wins the duel... and a marriage to Miss Catherine. This doesn't sit well with either party, but they have no choice but to oblige. It is only through their journey to their "marital home" that Catherine discovers that Raefer Montgomery is actually Alexander Cameron, a Scottish Jacobite who has assumed the identity of a merchant to spy on the English. Aghast, she makes every possible attempt to escape, but Alex is always one step ahead of her. But during the journey she discovers that the English aren't Cameron's only enemy. The Campbells have been a thorn in Alex's life for many years, and they are determined to make his life miserable and get even for past misdeeds at all cost. Amid all of the drama, something happens to Catherine. She falls in love with Alexander. Now how did that happen? And will she be able to embrace the Scottish lifestyle as her own?

Now THIS is a historical romance novel! You literary get a history lesson as the sexual tension between the protagonists grows with each passing chapter. You get action, adventure, intrigue, villains and romance throughout the book. You will not be bored! The early Georgian era has always been a bit iffy for me. Bewigged and corseted men have always put me off, but I somehow managed to enjoy picturing this time period as I read the book. Also, it helped that most of the novel takes place in Scotland. Men in kilts and tartans sound far more delicious, and Canham describes their traditional dress beautifully. The Jacobite history comes to life in this novel, and I see from the preview of Blood of Roses that the next installment will take place during the battle of Culloden. The scenes that center on political talk are very insightful. It first happens in England, then in Scotland, and it's nice to "hear" both sides of the argument. The one bad factor -- if you can call it "bad" -- is that Catherine is extremely annoying during the first half of the novel. Then again, it is realistic that an Englishwoman would be upset about being taken to enemy territory. All in all, The Pride of Lions is BRI-LLI-ANT! One of the best historical romances I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Marsha Canham deserved the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. I have ordered Blood of Roses and Midnight Honor and I look forward to reading them. Spring is here, which means I'll be reading more romances and lighter reads during the warm season. I hope to be wise and pick authors whose historical romances are in fact historical and not glaringly anachronistic trash.

I stumbled across this book by chance, browsing around Amazon.com as I looked for books to spend an electronic gift card on. After reading the blurbs for this novel, and its sequel, The Blood of Roses, I ordered both books. And I am very glad I did! As an individual who is an ardent fan of Gabaldon's Outlander series, I am constantly on the look-out for books set in the same time & place. Canham's novels are an awesome read! At first I feared another Gabaldon rip-off, but that is not the case here, not by far! I was further surprised to see the publish dates of both The Pride of Lions and The Blood of Roses is before the 1991 publish date of Outlander. Just a little tidbit to keep in mind when reading these books.

Anyway, Alexander Cameron is a remarkable hero. Brave, proud and handsome, he returns to his native Scotland after a 15 year exile in France. Posing as Raefer Montgomery, a wealthy English merchant, he accidentally meets Catherine on the grounds of her family home, Roswood Hall. Enroute to the Highlands, he wins the hand of Catherine Ashbrooke in a duel. As they venture cross country north, they encounter much drama, which serves as a catalyst to bring them together. Delightful secondary characters include Deidre O'Shea, Catherine's maid, and Aluinn MacKail, Alex's foster brother. These two characters eventually are drawn together despite a rather rocky beginning. Struan MacSorley is a gigantic, fierce Scot whose sister was handfasted to Alex 15 years ago.

Villains include the Campbell clan, especially Malcom Campbell, whom Alex almost killed years ago. In fact, he did kill Malcolm's two brothers as revenge for the death of his young bride, Annie, which is the reason he was in exile.

Lauren Cameron is an excellent she-cat villain. She hates Catherine on sight as she believes she was destined to be Alex's wife. She will stop at nothing to realize her goal, becoming Alex's wife or lover, and escaping her perceived confines of Achnacarry castle.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy a detailed histroical read, with an endearing love story mixed in. The ending of this book is no ending at all, but a weigh station before proceeding to the next book.
Which is another must read.

I can only agree with another reviewer here, in that it has taken me this long to discover this author. I hope her other works are as good as this!

Raefer Montgomery, a wealthy merchant, agreed to meet Damien, his lawyer and good friend, at his father's estate. While there, he became the unwitting victim of Damien's sister's plans to make her boyfriend Hamilton jealous. This was not the first time she's done this and, as before, Hamilton challenged Raefer to a duel, certain that he would win by killing Raefer for daring to put his hands on Catherine.

Raefer, however, won the duel but allowed Hamilton to live. Catherine's father decided that he'd had enough of Catherine's scandalous behavior and forced Raefer and Catherine to marry, literally at knifepoint. Catherine is appalled and is determined to get an annulment as soon as she's able. Raefer is of the same mind.

Raefer is not who he seems and Catherine soon discovers this on their way to Fort William. Their initial plan was to travel there and get an annulment. Raefer would send Damien a note to collect his sister and he would be on his way to the highlands. However, Raefer's past quickly catches up with him when he discovers that his enemies know he's back in England and are laying a trap for his capture.

Raefer and his traveling companions quickly ditch the route to Fort William and flee to Cameron lands where he's expected. He drags an enraged Catherine to the highlands where she eventually discovers that Raefer is really Alexander Cameron, a renowned warrior who, until now, has been exiled to France for the murders of the men who raped and killed his first wife.

Catherine and Alex eventually discover a strong love for each other. However, the winds carry with it the echoes of a coming war and Alex decides that the only way to keep Catherine safe would be to send her back to her father's home. Catherine is hurt and angered by his decision but obeys him, fearing that she may never him alive again.

In the beginning, I was prepared to not like this book because of Catherine. She is a very hard character to like because she is thoroughly spoiled, self-centered, and has hardly any sympathy for everyone. To her, the world revolves simply to do her bidding. I came very close to tossing this book aside for one with more likable characters. However, Catherine begins to redeem herself as she matures into her role of woman and wife. Alex has a lot of patience with her and I think it's with his love and guidance that allows Catherine to be more of a compassionate and courageous woman who deserves to be by his side.

This was a great tale, despite my reservations at the beginning of it. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Catherine Ashbrooke is beyond spoiled and pampered. For her 18th birthday, she is having a ball that will be the rave of English society. She is certain that her dream man, Lt. Hamilton Garner, will propose to her that night in front of all of her envious friends. However, when Garner spends time discussing war with the other gentlemen, Catherine decides to get his attention through making him jealous. She sends Garner to get her some water, while arranging a dance with another man. That man is Raefer Montgomery, a wealthy tradesman and friend to Catherine's brother. Her plan works... Garner is furious. He watches Montgomery dance Catherine outdoors, then walks out to find them kissing. Garner challenges Montgomery to a duel.

Montgomery is triumphant. Or at least he thinks he is, until Catherine's father forces them to marry after the duel. Montgomery gives in, with the thought that he will quickly annul the marriage in the first town they reach. Catherine plans the same. However, once they reach the town, Catherine overhears Montgomery talking with Scottish loyalists. She discovers his name is not Montgomery at all, but Alexander Cameron- a famed Scottish warrior. Now Alexander has no choice but to keep her with him. He knows she will run to the English army and turn him in. He takes her to his Scottish home with the intention of releasing her once he is safely over the border.

When Alexander arrives at his Scottish home, his kinsmen are outraged that he has taken a "Sassenach" woman to wife. He had hoped to send her home before anyone found out about her, but she has accidentally revealed their marriage to his family and friends. Now he must keep her for a while. Both act angry about the situation, yet they each are beginning to discover feelings for one another. Alex is terrified that his enemies will attack her, like they did his first wife. He is determined to send her home where she will be safe with her family. However, once she realizes her love for Alex, Catherine refuses to leave him. Alex's fears come true when she is kidnapped. He will risk his very life to get her back.

War is about to break between England and Scotland. With so many odds against them, how can Alex keep her safe? He makes a decision that devastates them both, but he knows it is the only way to save her. How will their love survive? The story continues from here in the sequel book, "The Blood of Roses." I suggest buying both books at the same time. You will have true urgency to find out what happens next. You won't want to have to wait for your next Amazon order to arrive.

My only gripes:
Catherine is extremely spoiled and even very selfish at times. She does, thankfully, begin to grow up as the story progresses. In the first 3/4 of the book, she can be very annoying. But her behavior was actually typical for the English of that time period.
There are a couple of places in the book where I skimmed over a page or two, to get me past unneccasry government info. (TMI, Ms. Canham... let's get back to the story.) However, the story was good enough to make me overlook this.

YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS BOOK WITH IT'S SEQUEL!!! The second book will send you reeling. Be prepared to be haunted and effected in a way that no other romance novel has ever done.
Here is the link:
Blood of Roses

I was swept away into a most intriguing and heartwarming tale. The characters, the battle scenes, the ancient Glens of Scotland and the love and heartaches all came to life. I laughed and cried and leave these books, Pride of Lions and Blood of Roses, highly recommended. Alex is a very proud man whose sensitivity and care will touch your heart. So vulnerable yet so brave, Alexander is someone with whom it easy to fall in love. Catherine, Deirdre and Aluinn were also presented as moving characters and I felt their happiness and pain. I will never forget these books!! Mrs. Canham did a wonderful job! If you enjoy being deeply affected by a story then this MUST BE READ!!!

I downloaded the sample of "Pride of Lions" to my kindle, and by the time I finished it, I said, "I can't read any more about this spoiled brat." Catherine was truly one of the most unlikeable, spoiled, self-centered characters I had ever come across. I didn't want to read any more.

And then I went back to the reviews, and I thought, "All these people really liked this book- there must be something to it." So I gave it a second chance and downloaded the whole thing, and about 10 "pages" in, I was hooked. Finished it the next day. Bookmarked and re-read MANY sections (not just the love-making scenes). And I am sure I'll re-read the whole book - just as soon as I finish "Blood of Roses."

The dialogue is incredible, the verbal parrying back and forth is very clever, and the imagery is phenomenal! You feel like you are right there, right down to the smells and the sounds. The character development is so well done - Catherine and Alex both evolve into something neither of them could have imagined - in fact, I wasn't always convinced that Catherine really could be anything more than the spoiled b**ch that she was, but she's only 18- anything is possible. She comes by her transition honestly - it wasn't easy for her to see how shallow her life was before, but she does it. Alex, traumatized by possibly the worst crime one could imagine, survives by wrapping his heart in an impenetrable shell, but Catherine's feisty spirit manages to crack it. Not to mention, they are both drop dead gorgeous- I am sure that was a factor. Speaking of which, I could have done without the depth to which Canham describes their love-making- a bit too dramatic for my taste, but I have to hand it to her - no two love scenes are the same. I never knew there were so many ways to describe basically the same thing. Canham has an incredible way with adjectives.

The history is very well done. I have ready many books about the '45 uprising, and it is never easy to read about the destruction of such a beautiful culture and its people. But Canham gives a very different perspective on the political climate at the time, from the Scottish rebels, from the Scottish chieftains who saw the calamity in the Prince's motivation, and from the English.

I truly loved this book, and was so happy to be able to dive right into the "Blood of Roses." You will need to read the sequel- the ending of "Pride" leaves you hanging. Uncomfortably so.

diana gabaldon is a true genius. ms canham comes close to replicating the depth of emotion and love between two characters but this more a traditional romance novel with a lot of history thrown in for good measure.
i loved the outlander series and this book and the sequel, "blood of roses" are good but not quite close to rendering the same emotional attachment to the characters.
very good reading for the most part.