The Chief (Highland Guard Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Monica McCarty is the queen of historical romance and this is one of her best. It is the first book in a new series about Robert the Bruce's secret highland guard, with each book focusing on a different guard member with different connections and different skills.

I won't divulge too much plot as that would really spoil it for you but, in brief: Tor MacLeod is persuaded to be the Chief of the secret highland guard and is bartered a bride, Christina Fraser, in order to seal the deal. She is keen to please him and cannot understand why he is so secretive, sneaking off during the day, leaving her alone, only to come to her at night and disappear again. Her desire to persuade him to love her properly leads them into trouble that she wasn't expecting...

Tor is the perfect gruff and challenging hero and Christina is very endearing and determined. The book is full of interesting plot and the romance is well-written with plenty of heat between the main characters. It definitely has you rooting for the couple and Christina's efforts to make Tor love her wholly do tug at your heart strings! The additional members of the highland guard are also introduced here, as Tor is training them, and it's enough to give you a flavour of what they are like, enough to make you want to read their own books when they come along.

It's a rare thing to find good quality, well-written romance that isn't too cheesy, but this is definitely an example. I would highly recommend it. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. Each member of the guard is going to get their own book and I look forward to them all!

NB/ No problems with the Kindle edition. Go ahead and download!

This is Book 1 in the Highland Guards series with Tor 'Chief' MacLeod and Christina Fraser.

Christina and Beatrix Fraser, the daughters of Andrew Fraser, wish to flee his cruelty and live in a nunnery. Beatrix, a weak, yet 'angelic' looking young woman, is the favourite of her father's to make her marry Tor MacLeod, aka The Chief, a huge, rugged Highlander, but it's Christina who steps up to protect her sister. Christina can secretly read and write, and enjoys the stories of Lancelot and Guinevere. In her romantic mind, she hopes Tor could be like Lancelot, but this intimidating man doesn't want to re-marry, since his wife is already dead and his two elder sons living elsewhere. He is content to enjoy the attentions of his leman, Lady Janet, but most of the time, he is training his men in secrecy. But when Andrew forces Tor's hand, Christina is happy to be married, but is saddened to learn her new husband only wishes for her to breed him children and run the castle. She wonders where her husband is, since he is only around to bed her at night. In the meantime, she makes friends with Brother John, who tells her about Lady Janet. Christina is hurt when she witnesses their intimate conversations; why can't he be like that with her? She pulls out all the stops to make him love her, but even as Tor begins to open up, he isn't happy with her prodding, and quickly throws himself back into the training. It is only when Christina leaves him and her life is in danger that Tor learns he can't live without her, and is determined to win her back.

Overall, the book was pretty good. There were a few moments where we had a few 'American-isms,' and there was a slight inaccuracy with regard to the location of Ardrossan Castle being in Ayr, (it's actually Ayrshire). It was quite a long book, but a couple of things were missed out which made me wonder.

SPOILERS

1) Tor's sons. He mentions them to Christina and she wants to meet them, but they never do and it made me wonder why they were mentioned to begin with. They aren't brought up again. Perhaps they are in another book?
2) Lady Janet. I thought she would have had a bigger role, since she was Tor's leman. Just as you think you might hear more, she suddenly disappears from the book.

It hasn't stopped me wanting to read the others, since they are relatively minor questions. I have already ordered book 2 with 'The Hawk,' and will read it when it arrives today.

3/5

It seems like I am in the minority here...

I have purchased this book, primarily for the good rating received at Amazon; however, I am slightly disappointed, due to some issues with heroin's immaturity and hero's inability to have feelings. The beginning was really interesting and pulled me in, but after reading, I found myself frustrated at the heroin's immaturity due to her young age and felt let down by the hero's luck of motivations to try to save their marriage regardless of the circumstances. All he did was moaning about his marriage and that she was from his enemy clan, but he could very well spend that energy on improving their relationship. That ultimately affected their romance, as it lacked profound, emotional connection that is the ultimate foundation for feelings to grow!
Needles to say, there was a lot of chemistry and sexual attractiveness between the two which is important too, however, for me to be really special it needed more dept. I certainly did not like the fact that the hero had a wife in the past, mainly for the purpose to bear him a child, which makes him less appealing, as the author did not explained much on that account like he did not care much less for her and their child.

This book could have been so much better if there would be deeper and emotional connection between the two and all I got was heavy description of how their were having sex, but I could not feel emotionally drown to it and I struggled to understand why the author put them together were it was evident from the start, he did not want to marry her and she was far too young for him and that they had little in common. It would be much improved if the heroin would show more maturity and independency and the hero to be more gentler and considerate.

I suppose, this is a matter of taste and some may agree or disagree, nevertheless, I am not giving up yet on this author!