To Tame A Highland Warrior (Highlander #2)

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To Tame A Highland Warrior (Highlander #2)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 15,013 ratings · 638 reviews

A Woman's Tender Touch

He was born to a clan of warriors of supernatural strength, but Gavrael McIllioch abandoned his name and his Highland castle, determined to escape the dark fate of his ancestors. Hiding his identity from the relentless rival clan that hunted him, he called himself Grimm to protect the people he cared for, vowing never to acknowledge his love for ravis...more

Paperback, 366 pages

Published December 1st 1999 by Dell

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Mar 07, 2012 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-romance

I loved this book.

Really, I don't get why people say that you could skip the first two books in the series and it wouldn't matter. This first 2 books may not be as good as the rest but IMHO they are still worth of being read. The first one was good, but this one was awesome. I know that this will be another series to add to my favs list soon. I'm not adding this book to that list, but if the rest of the books in the series are even better than this one they'll end up there because this one almo...more

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Jun 28, 2011 ♥ Sam ♥ ~S2~Im made of awesomness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: highlanders, historical-romance, buddy-read, blog-reviews-for-my-wenchy, kilt-wearing-babes, paper-back, regency, romance

http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...

To Tame a Highland Warrior -

The second book in this series, I have to say was maybe a little better than the first. I loved the berserker aspect. I thought it was HAWT, but I wish he used his berserker just a little more. I didn’t even see Grim portrayed as anything than a butler in the first book so I was completely taken off guard when it was revealed he was a berserker.

So Grimm turned Berserker at a very young age and with a huge fear of hurting the on...more http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...

To Tame a Highland Warrior -

The second book in this series, I have to say was maybe a little better than the first. I loved the berserker aspect. I thought it was HAWT, but I wish he used his berserker just a little more. I didn’t even see Grim portrayed as anything than a butler in the first book so I was completely taken off guard when it was revealed he was a berserker.

So Grimm turned Berserker at a very young age and with a huge fear of hurting the ones he loved, purposely built no physical attachments to anyone. Grimm is called back to his Foster home to watch over and ensure the safety of the daughter of the man he called his father. Unbeknown to him he is actually in the running to win the heart of Jillian St. Clair.

Grimm and Jillian clash like cats and dogs! And somehow Jillian ends every conversation with the three words ‘I hate you!’

Both characters were great and funny – one minute they hate each other the next they question their feelings. In the end you could have cut the tension with a knife!

So when these two finally do get down and dirty – oh baby, its BERSERKER STYLE!

I felt the story lingered a long time of them both wanting each other but not actually acting on it. Tortured heroes are always great, but I think the veil needed to be lifted a little sooner in this one.

So what didn’t I like about the book? I hated that Grimm just assumed that Jillian wouldn’t love him if she knew what he really was. He just assumed he would lose control of his berserker and hurt her like his father presumable hurt his mother. Which leads me to my next cry baby whinge – he made WAYYY to many assumptions without thinking things thru. I was pissed thru a lot of the book thinking he needed to just get of his pedal stool and ask some questions.

Oh and this one is the only one in the series so far that I have read that didn’t involve time travel.

Otherwise a well written story, with only better books to come.
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Apr 12, 2011 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-karen-marie-moning, highlanders, highlander-super-strength, series-highlander-moning, starts-with-q-thru-t, 4-stars, 2011-reads, reviewed-by-me, time-travel-not

I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. After reading the first one and being underwhelmed by the time travel aspect, I assumed this one would be much the same, however, in my opinion, this book is much better than the first. With the exception of the mention of a few characters from the first book in the series, To Tame a Highland Warrior can easily be read as a standalone novel.

Why did this one work for me? Well, no time travel, for one thing. Another important factor is the...more

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Mar 24, 2011 LL rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr

I'll be very honest upfront, that I much prefer KMM's Fever series than this Highlander series. Perhaps it may have to do with the fact that the two series are slight different genres - Fever is more UF while Highlander is more PNR, and I'm usually more of an UF fan... Anyway, I still thought that this was an easy read.

Sometimes I thought the stubbornness of Jillian, the female lead, was actually quite funny. Her initial interactions with Grimm were always bickering and bantering, but meanwhile...more I'll be very honest upfront, that I much prefer KMM's Fever series than this Highlander series. Perhaps it may have to do with the fact that the two series are slight different genres - Fever is more UF while Highlander is more PNR, and I'm usually more of an UF fan... Anyway, I still thought that this was an easy read.

Sometimes I thought the stubbornness of Jillian, the female lead, was actually quite funny. Her initial interactions with Grimm were always bickering and bantering, but meanwhile it was obvious that she was still immensely attracted to Grimm regardless of his aloof attitude. The internal struggles that Grimm experienced were also well described. I think KMM had a way with words, which captured the readers' attention and enabled vivid imaginations... Also, given that this is a PNR book, it certainly fulfilled its share of hot romance...

Even though I enjoyed this book and will definitely continue onto the next installments in the series, I could not bring myself to giving it any higher rating than 3 stars (I was actually tempted to only give 2.5). The plot was extremely predictable and the "hidden" villain was so obvious that the hints literally screamed in your face! So there were no surprises and excitement from a plot perspective.

Furthermore, perhaps it was my logical mind at work again, or may be I was just being picky with things in general, but I found the following issues with the book...

(1) Errors - there were glaring editing errors in several places. They were so conspicuously wrong that I couldn't just forgive and move on... Seriously, how can you ignore a sentence when the subject should be a "he" but it got printed as a "she"??!! There were a few similar editing errors found throughout the book and they really bothered me.

(2) Inconsistencies with the characters... So let's see, the book prologue opened in year 1499, when Grimm was in a battle and at the time he was only 14 years old. Then it was forwarded to present-day year 1515. So, by simple addition Grimm should be 30 years old (or at the very least 29 years, since the book kept mentioning that he had been away from home for 15 years since the battle). Now, let's look at Jillian, a beautiful girl who grew up with Grimm and she was 21 years old in present-day year 1515. So again, simple math tells me that Grimm and Jillian should be AT LEAST 8 years apart in age, right? But no, wait, in the middle of the book, Jillian recalled a kiss that she shared with Grimm when she was 16 years old and he was supposed to be 22 years old at the time... Okay, guys, does this make any sense? So they were supposed to be 6 years apart in age then? But hey, didn't I tell you already that he should be at the very least 8 years older?!?!? Like, how does this add up?!?!? I know this seemed like a trivial thing and most people probably wouldn't even notice, but sorry, this really bothered me... Why? Well, that would lead me to the third issue that I have...

(3) Moving on, to talk about my last issue... So, for the moment, let's presume that these two characters were only 6 years apart (instead of 8 years). Grimm met Jillian when he was 15 or 16 years old. And they supposed to have fallen for each other then (according to the story)... Ewwww.... that's just gross!!! Jillian would have been only 9 or 10 at the time, doesn't this seem a little odd to you?!? Yuck! I would have felt better if she were only a year or so younger, but not THAT MUCH younger!!! Geez... Honestly, I had to consciously tell myself to just ignore that "growing up together" bit because it was just, kinda... ewww...

Really, I'm not complaining... I really thought that this was an easy, fun read, aside from those little itsy bitsy things that buggd me...

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Apr 18, 2011 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

AUTHOR: Second time reading a book by Karen Moning. She is now on my TOP FIVE list of favorite Romance Authors. Her books are adventurous and passionate.

SYNOPSIS
Grimm, short for Gavrael Roderick Icarus McIllioch, with an extra "m" of course, witnesses many deaths and wants vengeance at a very early age. He calls on a power that whispers in his ears. Seeing his mother amongst the dead, he runs away from home taking a secret about himself with him. Hungry and dirty, he is taken in by the St. Clair...more AUTHOR: Second time reading a book by Karen Moning. She is now on my TOP FIVE list of favorite Romance Authors. Her books are adventurous and passionate.

SYNOPSIS
Grimm, short for Gavrael Roderick Icarus McIllioch, with an extra "m" of course, witnesses many deaths and wants vengeance at a very early age. He calls on a power that whispers in his ears. Seeing his mother amongst the dead, he runs away from home taking a secret about himself with him. Hungry and dirty, he is taken in by the St. Clair family. Jillian St. Clair as a young child loves him at first site. Years later a constant pursuing enemy intent on destroying Grimm finds him living with the St. Clairs. They attack the castle home. After doing battle, Grimm leaves with the intent of protecting the St. Clair family, leaving broken hearted 16 year old Jillian behind. Time passes and at the age of 21 years, Jillian is continuously pressed by her father to get married. He forces her into a situation to make a choice by inviting (3) warrior suitors to win her as a bride. Grimm is among them, still carrying his secret. He has always found Jillian a bother and a source of irritation. The story will eventually lead to him returning to his original home that he no longer thought existed.

SEX SCALE: Of the following five options: 1) NOT very descriptive and requires imagination' 2) WILL make you wiggle a little) 3) WISH it was me; 4) OH boy, do not have to use my imagination at all; 5) EROTICA and well over the top
******THIS BOOK GETS A THREE for "WISH it was me" rating because when the emotion of love finally comes to a realization, and a FOUR for "OH BOY I WISH IT WAS ME". Sexy, loving, caring******

FAVORITE PART: Return to the village of Tuluth and to Maldebann Castle

LEAST FAVORITE PART: Felt author carried out the bickering between Jillian and Grimm for too long. After a while, it was really annoying to read.

YOU WILL LIKE THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE: Hidden secrets and hidden love. Men competing over one woman. When the passion spicket is turned on, boy does it run! Misunderstandings and unhappiness that takes many years to get sorted out.(less)

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Mar 14, 2008 Eastofoz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: time-travel, highlander

This book was ok like the first one. It's more of a 3.5 stars than a 4. It's a bit ho-hum in terms of highlander stories. The writing is not always "historical" which takes away from the historical feel and the stories aren't all that original. Several people say it's a fantastic series so I'm hoping they'll get better.

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Dec 16, 2012 Vika S - ♔ of GIF according to Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha, badass-hero, buddy-read, paranormal, series, romance-angst, apart-too-long, scots-in-kilts, time-travel, h

I think it is safe to say that I am developing a fetish for kilts because of this series. Currently I have about 10 tabs open of hot men wearing kilts

Grimm with a sad past...
description

Gets saved by a beautiful girl when he is 14 years old - Jillian St Claire. But his past haunts him and he must leave her behind as he thinks that is the best way to keep her safe. Stubborn ass! I never wanted to throttle a man more than Grimm. For a man who raised himself from a "wee lad" into a true bad ass alpha with lo...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Estelle V. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Personnellement, je dois dire que mon avis est assez mitigé. Jillian est une amie d’enfance de Grimm et est totalement amoureuse de lui, bien qu’elle essaie de le lui cacher au début. Grimm, quant à lui, est un Berserker qui ne s’assume pas. Il est aussi amoureux de Jillian mais fait tout pour qu’elle le déteste. Dès le départ, le lecteur sait que ces deux là vont finir ensemble avant la fin du bouquin, c’est cousu de fil blanc.

Mais là où le bas blesse le plus, c’est qu’au moment où on se dit “c...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Zeek rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: hist-rom-scottish, romance

Turned berserker at a young age- Grimm Roderick managed to avoid any firm emotional attachment for years for fear of him hurting the ones he loves while in a rage. Called back to the place that he called home after leaving his birthright- his only reason for returning now is to keep a vow he made to a man who raised him as son. Well that and the fact he couldn’t resist seeing the laird’s beautiful daughter just one more time- and ensure her safety.

But once there he did his best to avoid her, bec...more Turned berserker at a young age- Grimm Roderick managed to avoid any firm emotional attachment for years for fear of him hurting the ones he loves while in a rage. Called back to the place that he called home after leaving his birthright- his only reason for returning now is to keep a vow he made to a man who raised him as son. Well that and the fact he couldn’t resist seeing the laird’s beautiful daughter just one more time- and ensure her safety.

But once there he did his best to avoid her, because Jillian St. Clair had turned into a beautiful woman he couldn’t resist and just as she knew the tall and noble Grimm was supposed to belong to her, he knew she was the last person he could ever attach himself too, for she could tear down every defense he had built bolster his raging emotions. Besides one man would stop at nothing to destroy any berserker he came across and it seemed it had found Grimm Roderick nee Gavrael McIllioch once again.

Grimm would have to go home- his birth home- before he would complete his journey and it’s the last place he ever wanted to go. But there he must go to reunite with his own berserker father- the father who had murdered his mother before his eyes. Because only his father will help him get to the truth as well as finally defeat his fiercest enemy- before he destroys Grimm and everything he has ever loved.

Well I made it thru this one, although it seemed to go on forever. When I tried to read this yrs ago I gave up before page 20 but a friend gave me this one and a few others on Audio so I gave it another try. The story lingered far too long on Grimm and Jillian wanting each other whilst Grimm fights the attraction and then later with the big misunderstanding between Grimm and his Father and also the truth of Grimm’s berserker status which he keeps from Jillian. The other issue for me was the reader for the Audio book- Phil Gigante has a beautiful voice but to hear him speak the horrendous euphemisms Moning uses for manly parts and talk about Gillian’s aroused nipples made me wince and laugh in embarrassment as if I was sitting in the room listening to him record it. He also gave the heroine a whiny voice- and considering Moning already wrote her as such- I wanted to pull my hair out at the overload.

Anyway, it ends quite Happily Ever After of course, babies and all- unfortunately it took far to long to get there and by then I actually was wishing for a NON h.e.a just to alleviate some boredom.

There's nothing in this that connects to Moning's Fever series so if you're reading it for hopes of that- you can save yourself the torture. Wish I had.
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May 13, 2011 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

An engrossing read for all Paranormal Romance lovers.
I've been a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning for the last few years and each time I find a novel by her that I haven't read, I immediately pick it up. I happened to miss this one, so I knew I had to read it asap.

'To Tame a Highland Warrior' is the second installment in the sexy 'Highlander' series by Karen Marie Moning. My first KMM novel was 'Darkfever', which is a different series than this, but the worlds do connect from time to time. Once I...more An engrossing read for all Paranormal Romance lovers.
I've been a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning for the last few years and each time I find a novel by her that I haven't read, I immediately pick it up. I happened to miss this one, so I knew I had to read it asap.

'To Tame a Highland Warrior' is the second installment in the sexy 'Highlander' series by Karen Marie Moning. My first KMM novel was 'Darkfever', which is a different series than this, but the worlds do connect from time to time. Once I realized she wrote a Highlander series, I was running to the book store. Anyways, on to the review!

Gavrael McIllioch (aka Grimm) is...all male. *fans herself* Each Highlander novel I think, "This is my favorite highlander yet!" and then I read the next one and I just keep adding them to my list. She really does know how to write a sexy male I can tell you that!

Grimm was in the previous novel 'Highland Mist' as Hawk's best friend. I couldn't wait to read his story. 'To Tame a Highland Warrior' starts out in 1499. After he whiteness an awful tragedy at an early age, he runs away. He's determined to escape his fate and tries to erase all memories of his past. What he can't seem to forget is Jillian. But as the berserker, he can't trust himself not to hurt Jillian, so although it's hard, he tries to do the best for Jillian- avoid her.

Jillian St. Clair was a fun character. She's 21 and never wed. Her heart was broken as a young woman by the only man who seems to make her furious and hot all at the same time. One minute he seems to look like he returns her feelings and then the next his indifference is a stab in the chest.

I love the tension between Jillian and Grimm. Usually I wouldn't love how many times the female has to beg for the males attention, but since you know how much Grimm really does love her but wants the best for her, you can really get into it. It pretty witty.

This series is a MUST read. I recommend it to everyone and once you start it you'll more than agree. (less)

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May 09, 2013 Lord Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: celibate-or-inexperienced-hero, era-tudor, genre-historical-romance, place-scotland, romance, warrior

I have to say, the whole Viking thing seemed rather bizarre.

The timeline seemed to have problems, too. The heroine is 21. The hero was 14 in 1499, and the book is set in 1515, 16 years later. The hero says he was 22 when the heroine was barely 16. That is later changed to not even 16. However wen you put this together, the first statement implies the hero is 30. The second implies that he's 6 or 7 years older than the heroine, putting him at 28 or 29. Something does not line up here.

I did really...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Cassandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: karen-marie-moning, romance, all-time-favorites

Review by Cassandra from Book Talk

Grimm changed his name and hid himself along with his past to protect those he loves. Now he’s going back to where the one woman who can steal his heart resides. Unbeknown to Jillian, she is about to be wooed by suitors who will not be deterred with her aloof personality. One of them being the man she has been in love with since she discovered him as a child. Grimm refuses to give Jillian the life of hell she’s sure to find with him so he tries to push her to we...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Lia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ugh. I'm only 15 pages in and I already don't want to bother going any farther. I know we've met these characters before, but jeez, some character development rather than backstory word vomit would be nice. It's like the characters don't even live their lives, they just talk about it and get mad/frustrated. The only intriguing thing about the premise is the legend of the Berserker (which wasn't even in the blurb!).

42 pages in and we already have several instances of "it's super manly to ignore...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Laura Ashlee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, books-i-own, audiobooks, print, purchased, romance

This is another good one. It sucked me in just like the last. Though there was a little less humor in this one, I still really enjoyed it. Grimm is a little more serious and brooding than Hawk. Still, he’s likable. I really love that this one was connected to the last one. I hope they’re all like that.

Grimm has been hiding some things. He tries desperately to keep them hidden in this one, but it’s not so easy with another clan hunting him down. His banter with Jillian is pretty funny. She basica...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Lirajean rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical

Having finished this book I went to put it on one of my digital shelves and found I didn't have an obvious shelf for it. I don't have a 100 different ones, I like things a little simpler than that. It didn't have enough of the supernatural for my pnr shelf, I didn't find this seies overwhelmingly historical in nature, so I finally dumped it into 'romance.'

And then I realized that was why I didn't really love this book. It's not strongly enough anything. It's kinda wishy-washy, a little dull. The...more

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Jun 17, 2012 CriCra CriCra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: scambiato

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Torna da me è il secondo romanzo della serie historical romance fantasy per adulti Highlander dell’autrice Karen M. Moning. In questo nuovo appuntamento di questa serie, la storia parla di due nuovi personaggi : Gavrael McIllioch il leggendario Berserker delle Highlands e la splendida Jillian St Clair. La storia man mano che prende vita, ci fa rivivere flashback di eventi passati, vissuti dai protagonisti, facendoci capire come si siano incontrati, con la conseguenza romantica di un innamorament...more Torna da me è il secondo romanzo della serie historical romance fantasy per adulti Highlander dell’autrice Karen M. Moning. In questo nuovo appuntamento di questa serie, la storia parla di due nuovi personaggi : Gavrael McIllioch il leggendario Berserker delle Highlands e la splendida Jillian St Clair. La storia man mano che prende vita, ci fa rivivere flashback di eventi passati, vissuti dai protagonisti, facendoci capire come si siano incontrati, con la conseguenza romantica di un innamoramento quasi istantaneo, ma come ogni storia d'amore che si rispetti, costretto ad affrontare grandi ostacoli, pene e pericoli.

Gavrael da piccolo vede assistere alla quasi totale distruzione del suo clan e si trova ad assistere ad una scena orrenda, che lo fa cadere in errore per più di quindici anni, dando la colpa a suo padre, della morte di sua madre. Lui invoca il potente Odino, per concedergli la forza di distruggere i suoi nemici, diventando così un leggendario Berserker, un essere dalla forza incredibile, capace di annientare chiunque si metta sulla sua strada. Dopo una sanguinosa battaglia, decide di abbandonare la sua terra e di andare in un luogo lontano, dove nessuno sa chi lui sia, per cercare di dimenticare e di ricominciare a costruire la sua vita. Proprio in uno di questi suoi viaggi incontra Jillian e tra loro scatta subito qualcosa, che li fa avvicinare. Con una nuova identità, Gavrael ora si fa chiamare Grimm Roderick e vive accanto alla famiglia di Jillian, promettendo al padre di lei, che l'avrebbe sempre protetta; ovunque lui si fosse trovato, sarebbe tornato per mantenere la sua promessa.

Come per il primo libro di questa serie, devo dire che anche questo, non riscontra molto la mia opinione positiva. Il lato soprannaturale della storia è molto limitato, restringendosi soltanto sulla figura di Gavrael. Si, posso definirlo carino, in alcuni punti anche divertente, ma sinceramente anche qui, la storia è caduta in esempi di errori anacronistici di espressioni di dialogo.

Di sicuro nel 1500, le persone non si esprimevano con termini come "analisi scientifica" o “ragionamento deduttivo”. E poi dai, si cade nella banalità, un semplice bacio, di sicuro non potrebbe mai in maniera letterale, far muovere la terra;

Lui che ama Lei, ma convinto di non poterla avere, fa di tutto per avvicinarla agli altri contendenti, crogiolandosi allo stesso tempo, nella più sfrenata gelosia, ma non facendosi mancare piccoli momenti di intimità e di continue ripicche e frecciatine come tra fidanzatini; è un po' ridicolo a mio parere.

La caratterizzazione dei personaggi c'è, capiamo che Gavrael è un uomo molto combattuto nel suo intimo, un uomo che ha paura di svelare i suoi veri sentimenti; paura di poter fare del male, in qualsiasi modo, alla donna che lui ama da tutta una vita; paura di non poter accettare anche un semplice sguardo di commiserazione o di angoscia negli occhi di Jillian, quando lei dovesse infine scoprire la verità su di lui.

E Jillian allo stesso tempo è una donna,oltre che bella e intelligente, molto orgogliosa e caparbia, convinta nel suo intimo, del suo profondo amore per Gravael/Grimm e capace di affrontare ogni ostacolo, per farglielo capire.

Una semplice storia d'amore, ma da leggere tranquillamente per una volta soltanto.

La mia recensione, di questo episodio sul blog, sognandoleggendo:

http://sognandoleggendo.net/blog/?p=6160 (less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, highlander-series

Karen Marie Moning did better with her second book in the Highlander series, the first was a ho hum romance with an element of fantasy being pushed more than weaved into the story. This book she wove the story better and the characters were much more palatable.

A few things I didn't quite understand and it may have been the way I read it or the way it was written, I'm not going to re-read the entire book to figure it out either, I thought we were told that Grimm was an adept lover and had honed h...more Karen Marie Moning did better with her second book in the Highlander series, the first was a ho hum romance with an element of fantasy being pushed more than weaved into the story. This book she wove the story better and the characters were much more palatable.

A few things I didn't quite understand and it may have been the way I read it or the way it was written, I'm not going to re-read the entire book to figure it out either, I thought we were told that Grimm was an adept lover and had honed his bedroom skills on many a lass but later it was implied that he didn't touch another woman after he kissed Jillian the first time six years ago. So I'm a little at a loss as to how he can be such a proficient lover without being someone's lover.

On another note, why is everyone so tall and beautiful? I thought the average European man in the 15th century was about 5'8" tall, where did all these 6'5" men come from? Why do the writers always say the men and women smell good? I know for a fact (even now with daily showers, cologne/perfume, body sprays, and deodorant) people stink after they've been doing anything remotely physical much less no air conditioning in the summer. What's with all the men being hung like horses too?
I don't know, I like imperfection in people and I like them in my romance characters too.

Sorry for the digression, back to the story. The male protagonist, Grimm, is a preternatural warrior called a Berserker; as a young man he saw and did things he feels ashamed and angry about and has not worked them out as an adult. Jillian is the female protagonist, she's the daughter of Grimm's foster father and she is smitten, love struck, googley-eyed over Grimm; has been since she met him.
Jillian's daddy wants her to get married so he sets her up to choose from three men, Grimm is one of them.

I did find the first half of the book to be a rote romance novel with a touch of fantasy due to the berserker angle but when Grimm meets his Uncle Balder, well, that scene did it for me; in my eyes it saved the book. I found the scenes with Ronin, Grimm, and Balder to be some of the best ones in the book, even if they were near the end.

All in all a good book, I enjoyed the dialogue between all the characters. Jillian was a little too Snow White for me; all doe eyed and good cheer all the time but she grew on me. Grimm was the only real likable character from the first book & I'm glad he got such a good story in this one. I actually laughed out loud a couple times while reading this one. I liked it. (less)

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Jan 30, 2012 ChiaraRouge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-2012

Pensavo meglio.
Ho ricevuto questo libro come regalo di Natale per "errore": la persona che me l'ha regalato, infatti, mi aveva visto leggerne l'introduzione pensando che volessi acquistarlo mentre volevo regalarlo a mia sorella.
Io amo i romanzi, e nonostante non fosse propriamente il mio genere, l'ho iniziato con una certa curiosità, dato che avevo letto critiche incoraggianti.
Che dire? La prima parte mi ha rapito, non riuscivo a smettere di leggerlo.
Non amo particolarmente i libri narrati in 3...more Pensavo meglio.
Ho ricevuto questo libro come regalo di Natale per "errore": la persona che me l'ha regalato, infatti, mi aveva visto leggerne l'introduzione pensando che volessi acquistarlo mentre volevo regalarlo a mia sorella.
Io amo i romanzi, e nonostante non fosse propriamente il mio genere, l'ho iniziato con una certa curiosità, dato che avevo letto critiche incoraggianti.
Che dire? La prima parte mi ha rapito, non riuscivo a smettere di leggerlo.
Non amo particolarmente i libri narrati in 3 persona, eppure sembrava il modo perfetto per narrare questa storia.
Credo di aver amato la prima parte per la sua "lentezza" piacevole, non esasperante: tutto veniva descritto, non mancavano certo i dettagli.
Ho "fangirlato" come una stupida nelle scene d'amore, sensuali ma dolci, invidiando in un certo senso Jillian.
Dalla fuga di Grimm in poi, invece, l'ho odiato.
è divenuto troppo frettoloso, quasi freddo: come una lista della spesa.
Non mi piace la narrazione in 3 persona proprio per questo: a meno che un'autore non sia davvero, davvero bravo, c'è il rischio di pubblicare una lista della spesa, e le ultime 100/150 pagine sono state così.
Penso che il libro avrebbe potuto avere un centinaio di pagine in più se l'autrice si fosse fermata un secondo a pensare e avesse ampliato le descrizioni e reso la narrazione meno frenetica.

Avrei gradito se l'autrice avesse dato un maggiore spessore alla storia dei McKane, se avesse spiegato molto più chiaramente e lentamente tutti i contrasti/l'odio per i Mchillioch.

Un personaggio che mi ha incuriosito moltissimo è quello di Kaley Twillow, la balia di Jillian.
è una figura materna e dolce, figura importante nella vita della ragazza e mi sarebbe piaciuto saperne di più su di lei.

Considerazioni finali:
Nel complesso il libro mi è piaciuto, è stato un regalo apprezzato.
Non rimpiango il tempo impiegato per leggerlo (troppo, purtroppo, a causa di tutti gli impegni/momentacci che hanno caratterizzato questo Gennaio 2012).
Non so se leggerò anche gli altri libri sugli Highlander, sarò sincera, ma se tornassi indietro leggerei comunque questo piccolo libro.
è molto originale, questo è un complimento che faccio alla giovane autrice: di questi tempi è raro trovare un libro così originale.
In sintesi, avrei amato il libro se le ultime 100 pagine non fossero state così restrittive.(less)

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Jun 11, 2011 Michelle (MsRomanticReads) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: highlanders, paranormal, romance, favorites, a-keeper, favorite-series, heroes-you-want-for-yourself, worth-re-reading, historical, tuatha-de-danann-fairies, time-travel

And my love for Highlanders continues. This book is about Gavrael "Grimm" who we met briefly in Beyond The Highland Mist. I loved his character in that one, so at the end when Adrienne made her wish upon a star which totally frazzled him, I knew I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to him.

Fourteen year old Grimm witnessed the massacre of his village at the hands of a rival clan. In anger he begs the God Odin to turn him into a Berserker so he can have his revenge. It works, but the vil...more And my love for Highlanders continues. This book is about Gavrael "Grimm" who we met briefly in Beyond The Highland Mist. I loved his character in that one, so at the end when Adrienne made her wish upon a star which totally frazzled him, I knew I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to him.

Fourteen year old Grimm witnessed the massacre of his village at the hands of a rival clan. In anger he begs the God Odin to turn him into a Berserker so he can have his revenge. It works, but the villagers now fear him and he thinks his father killed his mother during the Berserker madness. He flees his clan and finds a home with the St. Clairs. Grimm has loved Jillian since they were children, but he refuses to act upon it because of his secrets. When Jillian begins to profess her love to him, he flees. Years later a mysterious message from Jillian's father brings him back. Once again he has to fight temptation and keep Jillian at arm's length.

Jillian's parents, Gibraltar and Elizabeth are hilarious. He is a meddling, sly old fox and she is a mother hen. Gibraltar summons three men who he thinks are worthy of his daughter and hopes that she will pick one of them - Quinn, a childhood friend, Logan, a cad, and Grimm. It's so cliche, but I suppose jealousy works wonders to spur a man into action.

Jillian is a rather likable character. She never does as she's told, she's feisty, confrontational and very persistent. Naturally Grimm is the target for all of Jillian's traits which slowly chip away at his resolve. They have so many moments where they try to express what they feel with harsh words and actions. Pretty much 3/4 of the book deals with the push and pull between them.

Grimm is brooding but he has a really good heart. He's often told that he's clueless when it comes to Jillian, but I can't really fault him for that because women often tend to play "games" instead of just stating what they want. He's just not the "read between the lines" type of guy. I felt myself flush at every mention of him in his tartan and war braids. There's nothing hotter!

I'm giving it 5 stars because I'd definitely read it again for the laughs. (less)

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May 09, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-for-night-owl-romance

Review: Moning’s skillful storytelling abilities take the reader through the hills of Scotland with a tale of lore and love that you’ll never forget. To Tame a Highland Warrior has a captivating plot of page-turning adventure with memorable characters you’ll keep forever in your heart. Gavrael is a legendary Berserker. A warrior with blood on his hands and a desire for one woman he believes he doesn’t deserve. Jillian has known him since childhood and never understood why he treated her so coldl...more

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May 06, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-paranormal-romance

Too much pondering and filler. If a few people would talk to each other truthfully there would be no story.

STORY BRIEF:
Grimm is a berserker. When he sees blood, he turns into a super warrior – stronger and faster than others. His wounds heal magically. It is close to impossible to kill him. His father is a berserker, it’s inherited by males. The McCanes have hated the McIlliochs for generations. When Grimm was 14 he had not yet been told he was a berserker. At that time the McCanes attacked his...more Too much pondering and filler. If a few people would talk to each other truthfully there would be no story.

STORY BRIEF:
Grimm is a berserker. When he sees blood, he turns into a super warrior – stronger and faster than others. His wounds heal magically. It is close to impossible to kill him. His father is a berserker, it’s inherited by males. The McCanes have hated the McIlliochs for generations. When Grimm was 14 he had not yet been told he was a berserker. At that time the McCanes attacked his family. Grimm saw his father kill his mother. Then Grimm became a berserker for the first time and killed most of the McCanes. Grimm didn’t understand what he had become. Grimm ran away from home never to return. He thought his father was insane. He also thought he should never marry because he might kill his wife the way his father did. Soon Grimm met Jillian. They fell in love but Grimm left her because he didn’t want to hurt her.

Fifteen years later Jillian’s father sends a letter to three men asking them to come to his home “for Jillian.” The three men were Ramsey, Quinn, and Grimm. The father wanted Jillian to choose one of them to marry. Grimm comes but knows he will never marry Jillian. It’s obvious that Jillian and Grimm love each other, but Grimm insults her, rejects her, and hurts her over and over. He repeatedly tells her to marry Quinn.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is book 2 in the Highlander series. In book 1, the couple loves each other but the female rejects and hurts him for most of the book. In book 2, it’s the male who rejects and hurts her for most of the book. I was unhappy with this plot for both of these books. The following comments are about book 2 only.

A common plot device in romance novels is to create conflict between a couple based on vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. It’s overused in this book.

I hated the way Grimm made false assumptions about other people and then rejected those people. He assumed Jillian would never love him if she knew he was a berserker. That was false. He assumed he would harm her because he was a berserker. That was false. And then for almost the entire book I watch stupid things. For example Jillian comes up to Grimm and starts to rub his back. When he turns around a few minutes later. He tells he to go away. She said I thought you liked the back rub. He says he thought it was a tavern wench doing it. That was a lie. He knew it was Jillian. He tells Jillian she should marry Quinn. Then a little while later he thinks she and Quinn are having sex, so he is in a rage and jealous and breaks down the door to stop them. After he has sex with Jillian for the first time, he says you must marry Quinn. You are not safe around me. When Jillian asks Quinn about things, he won’t answer. One time his answer was “not so many questions. Give me time.” So many conflicts based on not communicating. I wanted to throw this. I suffered through it. I did not enjoy it. Most of the book was pondering and filler about nothing. Very little plot.

The narrator Phil Gigante has a wonderfully deep voice and does the men well, but I don’t like the way he does female characters. He uses a high-pitched voice that tends toward weak and whiny.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 23 mins. Narrator: Phil Gigante. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Setting: 1499 and 1515 Scotland. Copyright: 1999. Genre: historical paranormal romance.(less)

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May 05, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, audio

The second book in Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series follows Gavrael (aka Grimm) and Jillian. Gavrael had a bit part in Beyond the Highland Warrior, so it was nice to see him get his own story.

The story starts out with Grimm getting a summons to Jillian's family home. When he arrives, he learns that her father has invited three men to come and vie for Jillian's hand in marriage. However, as much as Grimm is drawn to her, he's not looking to get married. Meanwhile, Jillian has been in love w...more

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Feb 01, 2011 (´*•.¸ღBexღ¸.•*´) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, own

4.5 loved this one :)

This is the story of Grimm (Gavrael Roderick Icarus McIllioch) and Jillian. They have been in love since they were children but Grimm refuses to fulfil this love because he is a Berserker. A legendary warrior of Odin with mythical power. He is afraid to show her what he is for fear of hurting her and rejection.
He is called with two other suitors to compete for Jillian's hand in marriage but vows to let one of the others have her. In the end this is an empty vow for on her w...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Bronwyn Rykiert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, series

I enjoyed this book, part of the Highland Series by Karen Marie Moning, this is book 2. I have not yet read book 1 but this story stands alone quite well.

Gavrael McIllioch hides a secret that terrifies him - he is a Berserker. When he is extremely angry or the sight of blood tap supernatural strengths within him and risk him spinning out of control into violent mayhem, over the years he has learned to control the Berserker in him for most of the time. Something happened when he was 14 and he ran...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Joy by: Lian Cuyco

Shelves: historical-romance, ebooks, timetravel

This is Grimm's story and what a past he has! I was intrigued by the prologue and I kept on reading until I finished it - in one sitting.

Like the first Highlander book, this one is also paranormal. Gavrael (Grimm) is a Berserker (shapeshifter with superpowers) and it's amazing how Ms Moning weaved Norse fiction in this story. Berserkers are what heroic stories are made of, they're sometimes feared, sometimes envied, thus hated.

Because of Grimm's past in his childhood (which I won't spoil here),...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Shen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book!

Although I read the entire Highlander series before, it's such a treat to re-read the books and become reacquainted with the characters.

Grimm has been fighting his love for Jillian since she first found him living like an animal in the woods when they were children. To protect her from the beast within him, he was cruel to her. Now they are both adults and her father had sent him an urgent yet cryptic message "Come for Jillian". Grimm immediately sets off to find and protect h...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Krystle ~A Booknatic~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, paranormal-romance, dangerous-heroes, owned

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Once again, here’s another Karen Marie Moning book that I loved! It will capture you with its sensuality and humor. This book picks up after “Beyond the Highland Mist”.. We will learn all about The Hawks friend Grimm….

Takes place in the 16th century in Scotland. We find out that Grimm left his family and everything he knew when he was a young lad. He accuses his father of doing something unforgivable. After he left home he was on his own out in the forest, until a beautiful young girl named Jill...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Elecktra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Non credevo che potesse eguagliare il primo...anche questo secondo capito dedicato agli Highlanders è davvero poesia per i miei sensi....
Una favola per ragazze che amano e sognano ad occhi aperti, una favola per adulte, perchè un pizzico di passione e sensualità non fa mai male ;).
Grimm prode Highlader ma con una gran pecca...non vuole cedere ai bisogni del suo cuore e la bella e dolce Jillian sono una coppia formidabile.
Lei fa quasi più paura di lui quando si arrabbia...credo che anche un Berse...more

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May 01, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
Jillian is 21 years old and her father has decided that it's time for her to marry, so he sends for three Scottish warriors to win her heart...Ramsay, Quinn, & Grimm. All three men are in love with her, but only 2 are pursuing her- Ramsay & Quinn. The problem is, she wants Grimm.

Grimm loves and wants her too, but he refuses to give into those feelings. He's a Berserker, a fabled warrior with a beast that lives inside of him that lives only for killing and blood. Grimm also beli...more My Review:
Jillian is 21 years old and her father has decided that it's time for her to marry, so he sends for three Scottish warriors to win her heart...Ramsay, Quinn, & Grimm. All three men are in love with her, but only 2 are pursuing her- Ramsay & Quinn. The problem is, she wants Grimm.

Grimm loves and wants her too, but he refuses to give into those feelings. He's a Berserker, a fabled warrior with a beast that lives inside of him that lives only for killing and blood. Grimm also believes that madness runs in his family after seeing his father murder his mother when Grimm was only 14. Grimm is afraid that if he marries Jillian, then he would eventually kill or hurt her and he will not allow that to happen.

This is a great book. There is no denying that Jillian & Grim love each other from the very beginning and as a reader, it makes this book very emotional. These are both really strong people that you can't help but admire and pull for their happily-ever-after.

Both Jillian & Grimm are totally self-sacrificing and strong in the level of their love. Here's a passage from Jillian that shows it brilliantly...
"Kaley, if I knew that I could only have a few nights in that man's arms or nothing,
I would take those magic nights and use them to keep me warm for the rest of my life."
Chills! Jillian's parents have a marriage of passion and love and she simply will not accept anything less. Like I said, they are both really strong and courageous characters.

Another thing that I loved about this book was the strong sense of camaraderie between all the men in the book. Quinn & Grimm are best friends and that friendship shines out of the pages of the book, even though they are basically in competition with each other. Even the scenes early in the book with the 3 men (Ramsay, Quinn, and Grimm)- they really are fun to read with the joking around and mutual respect and honesty that the scenes show. And then later in the book, you see the same thing with Ronin and Balder. They are brothers, but also friends. They rely on each other for advice and support- it's just really nice to read about these types of relationships between men.

I think that may be part of what sets the writing in these books apart. There are conflicts and disagreements about feelings and you have to have that so that there is conflict in the novel. But the way that Karen Marie Moning writes this conflict is with a great sense of respect- both in the maturity of the characters and in their relationships with each other. It's an amazing writing skill that few authors can pull off and she does it brilliantly.(less)

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Mar 19, 2011 Susinok rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, scotland-or-ireland, romance

OK after a very bumpy start, I did end up enjoying this book. I listened to the Audible.com version, with Phil Gigante narrating.

I had a few problems with the story. One - lots of bickering early on. I really do not like my hero and heroine to be constantly bickering at each other like 14 year olds.

Heroine acted pretty immature early on, though she did improve a little bit.

There were loose ends. What happened to the starving boy in town? What happened to the butcher? Was he the one that actual...more

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About Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning (rhymes with 'awning') is the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 novels, including the Rita-award winning Highlander novels and the internationally bestselling urban fantasy Fever series. Her books have been published in 21 languages, and her events draw fans from all over the world.

She divides her time between the mountains of Georgia and the beaches of Florida.
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“And there you have it...if I knew that I could only have a few nights in that man's arms or nothing, I would take those magic nights and use them to keep me warm for the rest of my life.” — 46 people liked it

“She's my baby girl, Quinn. I want love for her. Real love. The kind that makes a man crazy inside.

-Gibraltar to Quinn” — 29 people liked it

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