Defiant (MacKinnon’s Rangers #3)

Joseph speaking to Sarah: “You are new here, so I will explain. In this land, nobility comes not from one’s fathers or a title or from the land one owns, but from one’s actions.” His voice was hard-edged, and his words seemed harsh to her. “The MacKinnon brothers are the highest nobility to those who live on the frontier—true warriors, men who know how to fight and survive, men who put the lives of others before their own. Your family’s wealth, your title, your virtue—they mean nothing out here. They won’t fill your belly, and they won’t keep you alive. What matters most right now is your survival.”

"Och, Sarah, how shall I call augh’ beautiful again unless it be the sight of you?"

Joseph stood, his gaze traveling over Connor’s clean-shaven face and hairless chest, his lips curving in a grin. “What’s this? The cub is not so furry.”

“That devil woman’s granddaughters waylaid me, took me to her lodge, insisting they had to prepare me for the ceremony. They bathed and oiled me, shaved my face, then plucked every hair out of my chest and belly. God’s blood, it was torture!”

Connor’s skin still smarted.

Joseph chuckled. “You look good—just like a human being should look. Only animals have hairy faces and bodies.”

This was a familiar disagreeance, one they’d debated many times afore.

“Real men have hair on their chests,” Connor fired back. “You look like a lass wi’ smooth paps.”

But this only made Joseph laugh harder.

Connor’s temper snapped. “Dinnae be laughin’ at me. They went for my cods, so they did! I had to thrust them away, else they’d have plucked me bare there, too. I willna submit my bollocks to such abuse.”

Joseph bit his lip, clearly trying to rein in his mirth. “So you prefer to make women search the bush to find the snake?”

“My snake is no’ so small that the lasses must search for it.”

“My shoulders are broad, lass, my back strong. Let me share the weight of this.”

“My shoulders are broad, lass, my back strong. Let me share the weight of this.”

I love each of the MacKinnon brothers, Iain, Morgan and Connor along with their Mahican friend Joseph, who is more like a blood relative than mere friend. The closeness and camaraderie of the Rangers will endear you to these fierce loyal Scots. Pamela Clare's MacKinnon Series holds top place as my favorite among Historicals.

Connor MacKinnon is fighting demons from his past that tears at his soul. In addition to the guilt and regret, he also deals with his intense hatred for the man who forced this crusade onto himself and his brothers. William Wentworth is his commanding officer and with his threats he keeps Connor confined to this war. The stunts Wentworth has pulled are unforgivable and at times Connor is nearly consumed with his desire for revenge.

There are so many things I liked about Sarah Woodville. She may have grown up gently bred and in a completely different environment, but this smart young lady has a heavy dose of courage. Leaving her sheltered life behind, she is unprepared for the harshness of this land. Captured by the Shawnee, she soon learns her title and privileged life matter little in this wild country. And Joseph’s words gives evidence to the caliber of men that make up the MacKinnon brothers…..

“You are new here, so I will explain. In this land, nobility comes not from one’s fathers or a title or from the land one owns, but from one’s actions. The MacKinnon brothers are the highest nobility to those who live on the frontier – true warriors, men who know how to fight and survive, men who put the lives of others before their own. Your family’s wealth, your title, your virtue – they mean nothing out here. They won’t fill your belly, and they won’t keep you alive. What matters most right now is your survival.”

And what a journey Ms. Clare gives us in Defiant! It is nothing less than amazing! Brilliantly written and spell-binding in its intensity, each of my emotions were brought into play as I traveled along, lived and breathed the plight of Connor and Sarah! My heart ached, I cried, laughed, and at times became so angry I could easily do bodily harm. And the tenderness, the devotion Connor gives to Sarah had me holding my breath and sighing in pure bliss while the soul-rocking love scenes easily spoke the true depth of their love. This story drew me into their world so deeply that I felt each emotion; their happiness and despair; their desires and fears, guilt and loneliness, along with each threat they faced and it all became real. I was utterly enthralled!

Pamela Clare, you are an amazingly talented writer who not only gives a tender, passionate love story but one steeped in historical detail and wrapped in the perils and risk of that time period. The narrative is superb and the characters totally invaded my heart. It is heart-rending, funny, sensual, provocative, with smoldering hot love scenes and as always, an alpha hero that not only I admire and respect, but one that has me melting! I am often a hero driven reader and you never disappoint!

I highly recommend all Pamela Clare’s books. Her Historicals as well as her I-Team series are breathtaking!