Highland Hero (Scottish Knights Trilogy, #2)

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Highland Hero (Scottish Knights Trilogy #2)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 120 ratings · 24 reviews

LADY IN DISGUISE
Lady Marsi Cargill refuses to marry a man who wants her land rather than her love. To escape her arranged betrothal, she disguises her noble lineage and accompanies her young cousin--the future King of Scots--on a secret journey across the Highlands. Their guide is a mysterious knight known only as Hawk. Heat flares between the beautiful maid and the broodi...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published October 1st 2011 by Forever

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Nov 18, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-scotland

HIGHLAND HERO by Amanda Scott is an exciting historical romance set in 1402 Scotland. It is book #2 in the “Scottish Knights” series,but can be read as a stand alone. See “Highland Master’. This is the story of Lady Marsi Cargill and Sir Ivor “Hawk” Mackintosh.Lady Marsi disguises herself as her young cousin’s maid to escape an arranged betrothal. Sir Ivor is one of the King’s loyal Knight’s he summoned to guard and protect his young son. Together Lady Marsi and “Hawk” must protect England,the K...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Laura Ashlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, romance

My initial reaction upon finishing was that it was good, but there were some moments when I felt like I was trudging. I have to give Amanda Scott credit for making Scotland feel so authentic. However, I’m much more interested in romance and less in navigating the country. When it came down to what I didn’t like, that was pretty much it. There was just so much discussion about where they were going and how they should get there. I’m not sure if all of that was made up or what, but I could barely...more My initial reaction upon finishing was that it was good, but there were some moments when I felt like I was trudging. I have to give Amanda Scott credit for making Scotland feel so authentic. However, I’m much more interested in romance and less in navigating the country. When it came down to what I didn’t like, that was pretty much it. There was just so much discussion about where they were going and how they should get there. I’m not sure if all of that was made up or what, but I could barely follow any of that talk. More importantly, I didn’t care. I just wanted romance and plot development.

Now that I’ve gotten that one complaint out of the way, let me explain what Amanda does well. First of all, she writes stellar characters that are easy to connect with. I was honestly invested in all the central characters: Ivor, Marsi, Hetty, Jamie, and Will. All of them! Ever Jake won me over, which is good since the next book is about him. Ivor is a great hero. He’s strong, dominant, but also gentle toward Marsi. Marsi is brash and willful heroine commonly found in romance novels. She never felt cliché though. I still liked her because she was exactly what I wanted her to be. The other three were just a treat. I just adored the boys and Hetty was around for some words of wisdom here and there.

Another thing Amanda does well is create conflict and build to the climax. By that point, I had to know what happened. I was so worried for the future of Marsi and Ivor. All the things that could have gone wrong for them were eating me up. It’s funny how that happens when I’m reading. I mean, this is a romance novel. Things are probably going to work out just fine, but I still bent out of shape when things go awry. I still worry.

My favorite thing about this particular Highland romance is that a lot of the speech is written in dialect and the language doesn’t often stray from the language of the time in which it’s written. It made everything seem that much more authentic. Even with the dialect, it was still easy to understand.

It’s a good book. I recommend it to lovers of historical Scottish romance. It’s one of my favorite genres. It just dragged a little during the discussions about navigation. I’m willing to pick up the previous book in the series (which I assume is about Ivor’s sister and brother-in-law) just to see if I like that one a bit better. I’m also a little interested in the next one involving Jake.(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, highlander

Lady Marsi is attempting to get herself out of a marriage with a man who only wants to marry her for her lands. Meanwhile the King is sending his son, Jamie, away for safe keeping at St. Andrews because he fears his brother the Duke of Albany will try to harm him. The King hires “Hawk” or Sir Ivor, to get Jamie to St. Andrews safely. Marsi goes along with Hawk and Jamie masquerading as a maidservant. Along the way Hawk and Marsi fall in love.

This was a good novel and I found myself engrossed wit...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Myla Abujan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I hated it. Which is actually very strange since i usually enjoy these kinds of books. Maybe it's because i haven't read a romance novel in a while or i just disliked this book but either way, i know i was not a huge fan of it. First of all, i felt the author was trying too hard to make it authentic. Scottish people in real life might actually talk like this but on the pages of the novel it seemed too forced to me. I love Scottish-themed books as much as the next girl so, of course, there needed...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge, highland-books

Romance between Sir Ivor ( the Hawk) and Lady Marsi Cargill ( The niece of theKing of Scotland ) .Sir Ivor is called to the Kings service;the King wishes him to escort his youngest son to St Andrews and the safety there under Bishop Traills protection; but the trick will be to do it without the Kings controlling brother the Duke of Albany finding and taking charge of young James Stewart in his greed to control it all. Lady Marsi also figures heavily in Albany's plans to secure himself control of...more

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May 01, 2012 Crystal (Redheads Review It Better) Cuffley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Lady Marsi did the last thing anyone thought she would do...she disguises herself as a nursemaid and leaves with her cousin to avoid being forced into a marriage she wants nothing to do with. It just so happens that the person she is betrothed too would be willing to do whatever he can to gain the king's seat, including get rid of her young cousin, the future King of Scots. She will do what she can to protect her aunt's (the person she was closest to) son including hiding her desire for the sexy...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Gaby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Highland Hero gives us a likable hero in Hawk. One of the bravest and most skilled warriors of his generation. Hawk is deeply loyal to his King and agrees to hide the young prince to protect him from the the King's younger brother, the Duke of Albany. As Hawk risks everything to protect the young prince, his attraction to the mysterious Marsi adds just enough humor to the story.

Highland Hero delivers politics, intrigue, and romance. With Hawk and his circle of Scottish warriors Amanda Scott begi...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Lisarenee rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Come with us, Marsi."

She was a ward of the King and the Queen's own niece. Just before Queen Annabella died, she made two requests. The first was that her youngest child, Jamie, be spirited away to someplace safe. The second was that her niece, Marsi, not be forced to marry someone against her will. The King's younger brother, Albany, had a way of getting the King to bend to his way of thinking. The Queen feared he'd use both Jamie and Marsi as pawns to gain power. He was after all third in lin...more "Come with us, Marsi."

She was a ward of the King and the Queen's own niece. Just before Queen Annabella died, she made two requests. The first was that her youngest child, Jamie, be spirited away to someplace safe. The second was that her niece, Marsi, not be forced to marry someone against her will. The King's younger brother, Albany, had a way of getting the King to bend to his way of thinking. The Queen feared he'd use both Jamie and Marsi as pawns to gain power. He was after all third in line to be King. When Marsi learned Albany was on his way to the castle and most likely would attempt to force her hand against her aunt's wishes, she feared the worst. The man he'd chosen for her was old enough to be her father and only wanted her for her inheritance. When she learned the King was sending her cousin Jamie and her former nursemaid, Hetty, away she despaired. When her cousin posed a simple solution that she come with them, she thought perhaps her fate was not sealed after all. The plan was simple enough--to pose as Hetty's assistant who would help take care of the young prince. She didn't take into account that if Albany found her she'd face his wrath, nor that being with the young prince would make Albany that much more determined to find them. He might be able to afford loosing one of his pawns, but not both. She also didn't anticipate the feelings she would end up having for a certain Knight...

He was the man whom the King charged to escort his son to St. Andrews. He was assured Bishop Triall could keep Jamie safe. Known as the Hawk, Sir Ivor Mackintosh, was part of a secret group called the Brotherhood of St. Andrews. While he was prepared to escort Prince Jamie and protect him, he wasn't prepared for her...

This is the second book of the Scottish Knights Trilogy. I must confess I haven't read the first book, but will need to add it to the books I wish to read. Not reading the first book, 'Highland Master', in no way took away from this book. I didn't feel lost or confused. I found 'Highland Hero' to be a delightful tale that kept my attention and made me smile. From the first meeting of Hawk and Marsi, in chapter one, I knew this would be a fun book. Seeking the comfort of her former nursemaid, Marsi climbs into bed with her like she did when she was little only to find that the person she thought was in the bed wasn't. In Hetty's place she finds a naked male in the midst of a steamy dream for which he mistakes her for the lass who's the star of it.

Marsi is smart but somewhat naive because she's led a sheltered life. Her friendliness is often mistaken for flirting and has the potential to cause trouble especially while traveling incognito with a bunch of males. Not used to doing what others tell her, she is at times reckless. Plus, her attempt to pull off the disguise of a maidservant is not easy. She needs to speak differently and do things she's never done before like cater to the needs of others.

Hawk is a fun character who finds himself in the difficult position of guarding a woman he is very attracted to. Had he realized Marsi was a ward of the King he probably would have curbed his feelings for her. Plus, his main objective is to protect Jamie, the young prince. So he needs to try to not let Marsi distract him from that endeavor. He's loyal, fierce, and knows, once he finds out who she is, that he'll make himself an instant enemy of Albany if he decides to act on his feelings for Marsi.

The attraction between the two is instantaneous and fun to watch. Somehow Ms. Scott magically makes the relationship seem to take it's own sweet time and not feel rushed while at the same time not making it feel dragged out. There are some fun twists, bumps in the road, and I always love a little bit of a tension brought on in a relationship by a forbidden love. The drama created by Albany's attempt to use Marsi to gain the loyalty of another key player adds a little more substance to the story. If you're wondering, Ms. Scott can conjure up a darn good bad guy. So be prepared to take a step back in time and lose yourself within the pages of this delightful tale.

On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one get a Steam rating - too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. Overall, this one gets a 4 out of 5 roses.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, received-for-review, sweet-romance, hunky-highlanders

This was a really enjoyable highlander tale. As a background to the romance storyline, which was very sweet, the main plot is based on the political manoeuvring and power plays of the royal family, and it was interesting to read. After the death of Queen Annabella, Scotland is left with a King in rule who has no interest in doing so. But a brother with other ideas, who seeks to implement his wants and wishes through his weak-willed sibling. Including marrying off his niece if it furthers his pol...more This was a really enjoyable highlander tale. As a background to the romance storyline, which was very sweet, the main plot is based on the political manoeuvring and power plays of the royal family, and it was interesting to read. After the death of Queen Annabella, Scotland is left with a King in rule who has no interest in doing so. But a brother with other ideas, who seeks to implement his wants and wishes through his weak-willed sibling. Including marrying off his niece if it furthers his political ambitions.

I was drawn initially to this book by the prospect of the subterfuge mentioned in the blurb. And indeed, our heroine, Marsi, does try and pass herself off as the nursery maid in order to escape a planned wedding to a repulsive man three times her age, who only covets her inherited lands. She is...unsuccessful at impersonating the help, shall we say?

Our hero, and the man she is trying to fool into protecting her, is known initially only as The Hawk. A warrior and strategist, he makes the perfect bodyguard. I found his character a little boorish at the beginning, especially when he thought her only a maid. But in reality I don't doubt his actions and opinions are only reflective of the times. Indeed, I believe the author tried to be as authentic as possible in most areas. Including the bedroom scenes. It was a refreshing change, in a way, to see a sex scene involving a virgin that was believable and not totally romanticized and perfect. But then, on the other hand, I wouldn't have minded a few more scenes after that that upped the heat a little. On a smut scale, this was maybe a two out of five, but the lead up and tension was nice and I believed that they cared about each other.

And I really liked both main characters, which, in the end is the most important thing in a romance novel for me. If there's an overbearing hero or a TSTL heroine, it's game over, so I am happy to report that both characters were very endearing.

I plan on reading the rest of the books in the series (including going back to read book one).

4 Stars! ★★★★(less)

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Dec 03, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I reviewed this book for my blog at www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com

Amanda Scott is yet again one of the authors that’s ‘new to me’ even though she’s been around for a while.

This is the first of her books that I’ve read, and a second book of her ‘Scottish Knights’ Trilogy in which men of Brotherhood of St. Andrews find their HEA’s. They met at St. Andrews while studying under Bishop Traill, the chief bishop of Scotland. To avoid clan fights among the young and hot-headed students, he made th...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Wicked ♥ (Wickedly Bookish Reviews) aka Bat-Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, 2011, historical-romance, netgalley, romance, highlander, fall-reads, pre-release-review, smut

Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

Sir Ivor Mackintosh, known as Hawk, is summoned by His Grace the King of Scotts to secretly escort his son Jamie to safety from the greedy Duke of Albany. Little does he know that Jamie's nursemaid is actually the young prince's cousin Marsi, a ward of the crown fleeing from the prospect of a forced marriage.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have been looking for a long time for a series that gave me a similar feeling to the O...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Alexia Chantel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dreams in which the line between reality and dream is blurred always end before you want them to. And for Hawk his real dream ended much too soon, but it also ended up bringing him the love of his life.

Hawk is a knight and everything that goes with it, handsome, honorable, and talented. He isn’t afraid to take on a dangerous mission to protect the future king. He even sacrifices his bachelorhood protecting Jamie, although ulterior motives might also have had a hand.

Marsi is a young noble; appa...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Kristen Robison rated it 1 of 5 stars

Okay, so I usually love books about Scottish Lairds/England Lords, but I didn't like this one. There was a glossory in the front of the book for some words, but for other words used more frequently there wasn't a guide. The language used by Marsi was more proper than even the prince, which was weird. The constant change in language made me slow down to try and decipher which was annoying. And I really don't enjoy books with all of the sex...is it really necessary to spell all of this out?

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Nov 03, 2011 GONZA rated it 2 of 5 stars

A little bit boring, and I think I will not keep on reading the last chapter or buy the first one. Even if it's the history of 1400 Scotland is carefully reconstructed the carachters lack in personality and the story of the couple is never fetching, in my opionion of course.
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the preview.

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Apr 08, 2012 Linda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Very blah. Somehow I didn't like the story, I found it extremely tedious & was flipping a lot towards the last 1/3 of the book. Didn't fancy either characters & didn't feel any connection either btwn them or towards them.

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Apr 06, 2012 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-romance

Most of the plot this book is the characters arguing about which direction to go. I was bored throughout and skimmed through the latter half.

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Sep 16, 2011 Noah marked it as to-read

Shelves: first-reads

Won this on First-Reads! Will probably give it to my girlfriend, as it's more her cup of tea. Still love these giveaways! Thanks.

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Nov 03, 2011 Paula rated it 3 of 5 stars

A soft hearted romp thru the Scottish landscape, with political intrigue, romance, deception and true love.

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Aug 05, 2011 TJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adc-reviews, scotland, historical-romance

*Yawn*

For a complete review, visit Affaire de Coeur magazine, hard copy or online at http://affairedecoeur.com/
October 2011 issue.

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Feb 07, 2012 Jenn Cunha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: won, own

More like 3.5. Once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it. There was adventure and dastardly villains and it made me want to read the next book in the series. The problem was that in explaining all the lineage and giving everyone's names and how they're connected, the story had to hold for a while while I wrapped my head around it all. Maybe if I had read the first one about Fin and Cat, I would have understood it more, but I didn't realize this was a second in a series. All in all, good.

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Jan 20, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this novel... good history, highland stories, good adventure. I really got into it.

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Sep 23, 2011 Sia McKye rated it 4 of 5 stars

I feel like I stepped back into Scotland circa 1400's. Review to follow...

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Jan 12, 2012 Chrislin rated it 2 of 5 stars

i was a little suprised by my reaction to this book usualy i like this kind of story but with this book i didnt i liked her other books better than this one I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads

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May 12, 2013 Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 11, 2013 Joanne Lyons rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 10, 2013 Wendy Graue roland rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 08, 2013 Anrie marked it as to-read

May 06, 2013 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 05, 2013 Aram rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 04, 2013 Judy Owens rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Highland Hero (Scottish Knights Trilogy #2)

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