Embrace the Highland Warrior (Connor Clan 2 ) by Anita Clenney

Hello to all,

                  It's a little late in the day to post a review and i had planned to post it yesterday in fact but my mother has been hospitalized in emergency this weekend and not for something to be taken lightly as you can imagine she has become my priority somy reading time has been inexistant since then but thankfully i had finished this one first and just had to put the last touch at teh review. i do hope to read again soon as she is getting better because i did join a reading challenge this month afterall but i can't make any promise all will depent on how she is doing and when she is back home. I'm sure you all understand.

Anyway to make you wait here is my opinion on Embrace the Highland Warrior from Anita Clenney and if you love it the next book just released so no need to wait for book 3 ( there are also some novellas available if you love to read them in order too but only in digital i fear)

Happy Reading

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  1402251262

Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: strong
Language: mild
sex: mild+
Public: 18+

Source: bought
 

Short description from goodreads :

 They were driven apart by a timeless secret…

Cody MacBain let the woman of his destiny slip away. A member of an ancient clan of Scottish warriors, he grew up beside Shay Logan as her secret protector, but his heart compelled him to become more. Until Shay’s true identity was revealed, and the fated pair’s chance was gone…

But danger will drive them back into each other’s arms…

Shay fell for the boy next door, suspecting nothing of the ancient secrets he guarded. After a stinging betrayal, she’s determined to banish the memories of her first love forever. But the past can’t let go, and the boy she once loved has returned to her a warrior determined to protect her from the unspeakable evil fate has planned…


But with all the Underworld after Shay, Cody will have to call in the entire Connor Clan to keep her safe.

My opinion:

          I love this universe; it has been a long time since I’ve read book 1 but I did fall back into it without problem.  I enjoy how the author links new characters to those we have come to love in precedent book so that we are not at all and even better there is enough information recounting that even if we haven’t read the first book to start we would understand this one perfectly.

 I loved to see the similarity between Cody and Faelan as both are really alpha male with an overprotecting instinct. It was also great to see how Faelan was adapting.

Now to focus on the main couple Cody and Shay, both were cute together and both had a misunderstanding in the past that hurt them more than each one imagined. So trust is a little problem at first when Shay discover that even more secrets have been kept from her but she is also guilty of some and that was the reason I got angry with her. Cody did his best to protect her and she jump to conclusion and try to drive him away ( then get jealous). Still, it was cute to see how deeply in love they both were.

Nina and Mathilda were both great secondary character and I do hope we will see more of them as a couple of women who make big warriors wants to hide is something I can’t get enough of.

I liked Jamie a lot less and I’m a little angry at how he bends the rules and even got against them when he knew Cody feelings….it seems he will be the next one so I do hope I will like him more than I do now.

The plot was well done it’s just the way the story is told that sometimes irks me and I felt lost…. The author sometimes move space and time without a real introduction so we are cut at big revelation for example, we don’t see the reactions of the characters like we would have hoped, and next paragraph we are in another country in another situation not linked to the last one… yes they were supposed to leave but still for me it gave me the sensation that something was missing. That’s the only downside I have with Anita Clenney ‘s writing style because I do love her stories anyway. There is humour, passion and a lot of action interlaced together to keep you on edge and smiling at several passage while biting your nails at others.

 In this book also a lot of other mysteries are announced, or brushed to add some tension like for example: what is Shay? What about her father? What emeralds but also what about Cam, Who is the prisoner and those are only a few among several. I would love to discover more about Ronan for example; yes I want the answers to the others mysteries but Ronan, Cam and the rest has me really intrigued now.

 It’s definitively a series I would recommend if you love paranormal historical romance. One, i do hope I will be able to follow up in its entirety .

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Midnight’s Master (Dark Warriors1) by Donna Grant

Hi!
 i won't be long because i'm really unwell but i had this ready and i wanted to give you something before i go back curling under the covers...

enjoy!

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  0312552483

Genre: paranormal romance, fantasy, time travel
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

Gwynn Austin has no idea why her father has disappeared on a mysterious trip to Scotland. When she goes on a desperate mission to search for him she finds more than she bargains for in a ruggedly handsome, wickedly exciting Highlander who exudes danger and mystery. And when she discovers her own link to Scotland, she’ll have to trust her heart to help lead her...

Propelled through time by powerful Druid Magic, Logan Hamilton uses his immortality and powers of the god inside him to help prevent the awakening of an ancient evil in the modern world. He never expects to find help in the form of a beautiful, alluring, and all too tempting woman whose passion and strength matches his own. Together, Logan and Gywnn must fight for their love—before a demon from the past destroys them both…

My opinion:

          Highlanders have become something I really enjoy and want more of it so when I discovered this series mixing them with paranormal I was curious and I had to try it. Let say that Donna Grant didn’t disappointed me. I loved how warriors and druids were linked together and the idea of old deities is always fascinating for me, I’m curious about their history and such.

I loved reading this book and I enjoyed the story a lot but I must admit that I didn’t relate to the characters as much as in some others series. I liked them, I want to learn more about them but I wasn’t exactly at their side during my reading. There was a kind of distance, perhaps because of the history between Gwynn and her father, I don’t know why. Still like I said I really enjoyed the story, the plot and the setting so I’m fully planning to read more about those dark Warriors. It was a novelty in my quest to discover new kind of paranormal creatures.

Gwynn is an American and while she always dreamed to visit Scotland it was never in the circumstances and dangers she is confronted to. While looking for her father, with whom she never had a really deep relation to start with, she meet Logan who tells her that she is a druid.  Gwynn remember her grandmother stories and the special abilities she has as a child but because she was considered strange and since her mother didn’t like that she ignored her magic and nearly forgot it until this day.   Now she has a destiny to accomplish and a warrior at her side but also strong enemies who know more than her.

Logan awakens in 2012 after having been sent forward in time from the seventeenth century in hope to fight a strong evil and to save one of his fellow warriors, Ian. However, he is rapidly drawn to a small city where he meets a woman who he instantly identifies as a druid despite her doubts.  As he vowed to protect the druids, he set his mind on protecting Gwynn while she searches for her father. After he told her the truth of his origin, he will have to adjust to our time with her help in the same way he helps her discovering her heritage, her magic. However, the enemy he came to fight is still strong and worse she isn’t alone anymore. And Gwynn magic could not be enough, so he will have to uses the power gives by the god in him despites his guilt and remorse.

I loved how they both had to learn from each other, it wasn’t  one who had a knowledge no each of them has the knowledge the other need so it created a links between them. The others warriors are really interesting to and I was concerned for Ian a lot. I learned of the druids and warrior at the same time as Gwynn but I would like more of the Macleods brothers and of the warriors without forgetting their wife, the druids.

It’s a book really enjoyable and I took pleasure in it even if it could have been even better. If you are looking for a new paranormal series different from vampire and traditional shifters, if you love highlanders it’s a good book to try.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

 

L’Insoumise et L’Irlandais (MacEgan 5) par Michelle Willingham

Bonjour à tous,

                           Comme je l'ai annoncé précédemment le mois de septembre sera principalement consacré à la découverte du genre " romance historique" avec des avis en français comme aujourd'hui et d'autres en anglais. Je fais dès lors une petite pause dans ma création de certains cadeaux pour vous présenter mon avis sur "L'insoumise et l' Irlandais" par Michelle Willingham, j'ai aperçu ce livre sur une étagère et je n'ai pas pu résister or en cherchant les informations précises pour rédiger cet avis j'ai eu la surprise d'apprendre qu'il s'agissait en fait du 5ème tome d'une saga, en effet aucune mention n'en était faite dans mon édition >_<.
Je vous rassure il peut être lu seul cependant je préfère lire une série dans l'ordre donc j'espère un jour mettre la main sur les tomes précédents.

Bonne lecture

 

 

Editeur VF: Harlequin, Col. Les Historiques 2011
Titre original:Taming Her Irish Warrior( edited 2009)
Genre: romance historique

Violence: élevé
Langage: normal
sexe: élevé
Public: 18+

Prix : 6,5euro
Obtenu par achat

Quatrième de couverture de l'éditeur Harlequin:

Angleterre, 1180. Frémissante, Honora s’abandonne dans les bras de MacEgan. Plus rien n’existe pour elle sinon le contact brûlant des lèvres de son ténébreux guerrier. Qui aurait dit qu’Ewan MacEgan, avec lequel elle a grandi, deviendrait ce conquérant si séduisant ? Ewan dont elle était follement éprise et qui n’avait déjà d’yeux que pour sa sœur, la douce et fragile Katherine, si différente d’elle… A cette pensée, Honora est brusquement ramenée à la réalité, et repousse le guerrier avec colère. Comment ose-t-il l’embrasser alors qu’il est de retour pour prétendre à la main de Katherine ? Alors qu’il convoite une autre femme ? N’a-t-il donc aucun honneur ? Bouleversée, Honora s’enfuit, déterminée à tout faire, désormais, pour résister à la scandaleuse attirance que le bel Irlandais exerce sur elle…

Avis:

          Très agréable, j’ai apprécié l’histoire sans savoir qu’en fait il s’agissait du 5ème tome d’une saga, il est donc tout a fait possible de lire cette série dans le désordre. L’époque et le fait de la différence entre la culture Normande et Irlandaise m’ont intriguée et j’ai pris plaisir à lire cette histoire et découvrir quelques aspects légaux de l’époque.

Honora est une femme très indépendante et son souhait secret est d’être une guerrière mais pour plaire à son père elle a accepté d’épouser une brute et en a énormément souffert. Si son estime de soi est pratiquement à zéro elle n’en a pas pour autant perdu son sens du devoir et de la justice. Raison pour laquelle elle est encore prête à de nouveaux sacrifices. Par contre, le personnage de sa sœur  ne m’a pas vraiment convaincu et encore moins le secret qu’elle cache car si pour Honora on explique comment elle en est venue à ce point là pour Katherine on dirait qu’elle était beaucoup plus surveillée et dès lors ça me paraissait moins vraisemblable.

Ewan lui veut s’affirmer, étant le plus jeune de 5frères il souhaite affirmer sa puissance et son indépendance pour ce faire il veut des biens et des terres et à ses yeux le plus facile pour obtenir tout cela est d’épouser une jeune et riche héritière. Mais voilà, alors même qu’il a grandit avec Honora et sa sœur, celle-ci ne cesse de le troubler. Vexé par des échanges passés, son honneur le pousse tout de même à veiller sur elle et à la protéger lorsqu’il apprends qu’elle est veuve et ce qu’elle a subit…mais vous savez ce qu’on dit parfois les enfants qui se disputent beaucoup enfant font les meilleurs couples mais il devra alors apprendre à faire confiance car elle n’acceptera plus d’être étouffée par les conventions.

J’ai aimé mais en même temps j’avais l’impression qu’il manquait un je ne sais quoi pour que j’adore ce livre, pas grand-chose mais quand même. Notamment le fait de la capture de Katherine à un moment, je ne vois pas trop comment cela a pu se produire sans que son père ne réagisse plus vite, un détail mais pas sans importance.Peut-être que si j’avais lu les tomes précédents auparavant je n’aurais pas eu cette impression car on fait beaucoup d’allusions à des évènement passés ainsi qu’à l’histoire personnelle des autres frères toutefois le style d’écriture et la façon dont le récit se développement ne donne pas vraiment le sentiment que cette lecture soit indispensable mais elle serait peut-être un bonus plus que respectable.

Je vais vraiment essayer de mettre la main sur le reste de la série en tout cas. A recommander aux amoureux de fins heureuses et romantiques assidus..

Score:  3,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge



Awaken the Highland Warrior ( Connor Clan book 1) by Anita Clenney

Hello to all,

                   today was really a bad day for the most part but i wanted to be positive so i decided not to wait and give you my review of a book that i adored. Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney.

Enjoy!

Editor : Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication : 2011

ISBN:  1402251238

Genre: fantasy  romance, paranormal romance
Violence: strong
Langage: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodread :

 He's had centuries to dream of her...

Mis-adventurous historian Bree Kirkland discovers a one hundred fifty year old warrior buried in a crypt behind her house. But Faelan, the warrior, isn’t dead. When this chauvinistic Scottish Warrior awakes, he has no choice but accept the help of this modern-day woman who’s rescued him, but she’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him. If he’s not careful, she’ll uncover every secret his clan has bled and died to protect.

My opinion:

          Wonderful! I loved the mystical power aspect of the book and the interaction with history and romance. The plot is captivating and the characters well constructed. I absolutely loved it.

Faelan is a proud warrior that knew his destiny was to fight one of the old demons to save the world. Wanting to save his family he went to fight alone and found himself sealed instead of  Druan , the demon he was assigned to.

More than 150 years later, when he is freed he discovers a world completely different and he has nothing to him anymore.  Because of that he has to rely on the woman, Bree, who freed him and housed and fed him. For him that something unimaginable because women should be frail, protected, cherished not living alone, fierce and so special.  He is attracted but afraid that’s a scheme from his old enemy. Bree could be a demon or a Halflings so he prefers to keeps what he is secret and he has to respect the rules of his clan too even if he starts regretting them a bit.

For Bree, treasures always have been a passion, so, when she find a old map in a journal of her ancestor she hopes for jewellery, gold anything but not a gorgeous old warrior trying to kill her. However, she can’t left him alone and hurt. Deciding to help him, after discovering he could be a warrior from the ancestral legends her grandmother told her, even with precautions like keeping him unarmed. She is appalled by this man who finds he has to protect her and the next minute tries to kill her or affirms she lied to him. However, in the same time she is attracted to him, feeling she knows him and some voices are telling her the same. Are her dreams or memories right?

The others warriors seem to be gorgeous too and so loyal, when Faelan has doubts they are certain that Bree is loyal and while respecting Faelan as their chief, they try to make him see things under a new light. The old fight is still on and the war near but this time, Faelan will accept help from his clan, descendants of his family, to face it.

The rhythm is good, the intrigue well done and you can be fooled by the identity of the bad guys. Really everything is creating a wonderful story with a touch of paranormal. So if you love romance and action, stubborn hero you will enjoy this book. I want the next book as soon as possible.

Score:  5/5

Challenges:

Book read for the Reading Challenge 2012



This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge



Book read for the 2012 TBR reading Challenge

This book enter in the Tales from the Crypt paranormal challenge