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Clan Grant #1
Rescued by a Highlander
Madeline MacDonald has been a victim of her stepbrother’s cruelty ever since her parents’ death in a fire two years ago. Forced into a betrothal to a man she hates, her only way out is to escape to a convent.
Laird Alexander Grant is honor bound to rescue Maddie after seeing the bruises on her face. What he doesn’t realize is that once he holds the beaten lass in his arms, his heart will never be the same. He vows revenge for the abuse she was forced to endure and yearns to make the sweet woman with an iron will his, but can he help her fight the demons in her mind left behind by her abusers’ horrid treatment?
Laird Alexander Grant is honor bound to rescue Maddie after seeing the bruises on her face. What he doesn’t realize is that once he holds the beaten lass in his arms, his heart will never be the same. He vows revenge for the abuse she was forced to endure and yearns to make the sweet woman with an iron will his, but can he help her fight the demons in her mind left behind by her abusers’ horrid treatment?
228 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2013
3297 people are currently reading
2479 people want to read
About the author
Keira Montclair
74 books518 followersKeira Montclair is the pen name of an author who lives in South Carolina with her husband. She writes fast-paced historical romance, often with children as secondary characters.
If she’s not writing, she prefers to spend time with her grandchildren. She’s worked as a high school math teacher, a registered nurse, and an office manager. She loves ballet, mathematics, puzzles, learning anything new, and creating new characters for her readers to fall in love with.
She considers her work done well when her readers shed tears over her stories, but there’s always a happy ending! Her bestselling series is a family saga that follows two medieval Scottish clans through three generations and now numbers over fifty books.
Contact her through her website, www.keiramontclair.com.
If she’s not writing, she prefers to spend time with her grandchildren. She’s worked as a high school math teacher, a registered nurse, and an office manager. She loves ballet, mathematics, puzzles, learning anything new, and creating new characters for her readers to fall in love with.
She considers her work done well when her readers shed tears over her stories, but there’s always a happy ending! Her bestselling series is a family saga that follows two medieval Scottish clans through three generations and now numbers over fifty books.
Contact her through her website, www.keiramontclair.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
April 12, 2015
Oh my!
It really doesn't give me pleasure to leave negative reviews but I firmly believe in HONEST reviews and this book was not at all to my liking so, if you're the author who's just happened on my review, I urge you to look away now. This is NOT going to be pretty!
This really was THE most overblown, melodramatic, sentimental piece of romantic claptrap that has been my displeasure to read these past couple of years. It is seriously cheesy and I mean MASSIVELY CHEESY and it has the feel of something Mills & Boon might have churned out thirty years ago without any consideration for the expectations or sensibilities of the modern reader. There are some really good Highlander romances out there and this ain't one of them!
I will give credit to the author that the idea of the story was good but the way it panned out was fairly preposterous. The characters were so one dimensional and wholly without depth that I hardly knew them by the time the story limped towards it's ridiculous conclusion and, for the most part, I just wanted to bitch slap the heroine. There's not great attention to historical detail either which I could just about live with until the author referred to 'garbage'. That's such an Americanism, it's not true, and it's not even a word commonly used in the modern day British vernacular let alone that of medieval Scotland.
The story begins with our heroine Madeline MacDonald living with her step-brother, Kenneth, the Laird after her parents have died. Kenneth wants her to marry a neighbouring Laird, Niles Comming, and she refuses and he regularly beats her to within an inch of her life for her refusal. In fact he's almost killed her twice we find out as the story continues. Niles has subjected her to a tortuous rape and Madeline just takes all this stoically without a whimper, accepting this as her lot. I think this is meant to show strength of character but she just comes across as a doormat. She's painted so good, so kind and so gentle that she just irritated the hell out of me - she's so amazingly wonderful and without fault that she should be sainted. She even rescues a couple of fallen children through the agony of a broken arm. *rolls eyes* I did mention the melodrama, right? I wanted to rip her halo right off and batter her with it.
Her hero, another neighbouring Laird, Alexander Grant rescues her from her step-brother and intends to claim her as his bride. He, of course, falls in love with her sainted beauty the minute he sets eyes on her but I really couldn't see what he saw in her. He's portrayed as the big, alpha, protective hero and she is such a wimp - she would hardly be suitable for him. Of course, he's shown as wanting to claim and protect this delicate little flower. I never really felt that I got to know Alex at all - he's yet another one-dimensional character in this sorry saga.
And, as for the villains -purrlease! Both Kenneth and Niles are bad to the bone, bad for sake of being bad and the nearest thing to a pantomime villain that I think you'll find in romantic fiction. They're pretty much like a stereotypical ACME villain from a looney tunes cartoon. They appear to have very little motivation for the extreme evilness, they just want to torture our poor feckless heroine and, when that motivation is finally revealed, my eyes just rolled out of my head! GAH!
Books usually play out vividly in my imagination as I read like a movie but this one completely failed to do that for me - they were just shadowy figures that never really took shape. There's absolutely no character development and the entire story revolves around Madeline and her plight and absolutely nothing else. Everyone either wants to batter her or adore her and no one else has any background to their story other than her. It all feels horribly contrived and it's totally a cookie-cutter historical romance - alpha hero, delicate heroine who must be protected from the evil henchmen on her trail.
As you can probably tell, it really didn't work for me.
1.5 dismal stars
It really doesn't give me pleasure to leave negative reviews but I firmly believe in HONEST reviews and this book was not at all to my liking so, if you're the author who's just happened on my review, I urge you to look away now. This is NOT going to be pretty!
This really was THE most overblown, melodramatic, sentimental piece of romantic claptrap that has been my displeasure to read these past couple of years. It is seriously cheesy and I mean MASSIVELY CHEESY and it has the feel of something Mills & Boon might have churned out thirty years ago without any consideration for the expectations or sensibilities of the modern reader. There are some really good Highlander romances out there and this ain't one of them!
I will give credit to the author that the idea of the story was good but the way it panned out was fairly preposterous. The characters were so one dimensional and wholly without depth that I hardly knew them by the time the story limped towards it's ridiculous conclusion and, for the most part, I just wanted to bitch slap the heroine. There's not great attention to historical detail either which I could just about live with until the author referred to 'garbage'. That's such an Americanism, it's not true, and it's not even a word commonly used in the modern day British vernacular let alone that of medieval Scotland.
The story begins with our heroine Madeline MacDonald living with her step-brother, Kenneth, the Laird after her parents have died. Kenneth wants her to marry a neighbouring Laird, Niles Comming, and she refuses and he regularly beats her to within an inch of her life for her refusal. In fact he's almost killed her twice we find out as the story continues. Niles has subjected her to a tortuous rape and Madeline just takes all this stoically without a whimper, accepting this as her lot. I think this is meant to show strength of character but she just comes across as a doormat. She's painted so good, so kind and so gentle that she just irritated the hell out of me - she's so amazingly wonderful and without fault that she should be sainted. She even rescues a couple of fallen children through the agony of a broken arm. *rolls eyes* I did mention the melodrama, right? I wanted to rip her halo right off and batter her with it.
Her hero, another neighbouring Laird, Alexander Grant rescues her from her step-brother and intends to claim her as his bride. He, of course, falls in love with her sainted beauty the minute he sets eyes on her but I really couldn't see what he saw in her. He's portrayed as the big, alpha, protective hero and she is such a wimp - she would hardly be suitable for him. Of course, he's shown as wanting to claim and protect this delicate little flower. I never really felt that I got to know Alex at all - he's yet another one-dimensional character in this sorry saga.
And, as for the villains -purrlease! Both Kenneth and Niles are bad to the bone, bad for sake of being bad and the nearest thing to a pantomime villain that I think you'll find in romantic fiction. They're pretty much like a stereotypical ACME villain from a looney tunes cartoon. They appear to have very little motivation for the extreme evilness, they just want to torture our poor feckless heroine and, when that motivation is finally revealed, my eyes just rolled out of my head! GAH!
Books usually play out vividly in my imagination as I read like a movie but this one completely failed to do that for me - they were just shadowy figures that never really took shape. There's absolutely no character development and the entire story revolves around Madeline and her plight and absolutely nothing else. Everyone either wants to batter her or adore her and no one else has any background to their story other than her. It all feels horribly contrived and it's totally a cookie-cutter historical romance - alpha hero, delicate heroine who must be protected from the evil henchmen on her trail.
As you can probably tell, it really didn't work for me.
1.5 dismal stars
January 12, 2014
Where do I start?
Where do I even start?
I had wondered if anyone had yet written a highland romance featuring an irritating Mary Sue heroine. By the gods, I have my answer!
Madeline is just perfect. She's beautiful and strong and good with children and artistic and sweet and nurturing and loyal and smart and brave and
She suffers severe abuse (including a rather horrifying torture rape), but still doesn't want anything bad to happen to the people who hurt her. Because she's just that fucking amazing. Rescuer of children, stoic bearer of unjust prejudice, friend to all, and a lovely artist and woman to boot.
I wanted her dead. But not at the hands of her torturers because those characters were just as terrible. Should I even touch on the rather glaring insult to homosexuality in this book? Do I dare?
I don't think I have the strength.
Where do I even start?
I had wondered if anyone had yet written a highland romance featuring an irritating Mary Sue heroine. By the gods, I have my answer!
Madeline is just perfect. She's beautiful and strong and good with children and artistic and sweet and nurturing and loyal and smart and brave and
She suffers severe abuse (including a rather horrifying torture rape), but still doesn't want anything bad to happen to the people who hurt her. Because she's just that fucking amazing. Rescuer of children, stoic bearer of unjust prejudice, friend to all, and a lovely artist and woman to boot.
I wanted her dead. But not at the hands of her torturers because those characters were just as terrible. Should I even touch on the rather glaring insult to homosexuality in this book? Do I dare?
I don't think I have the strength.
November 8, 2015
She enjoyed kissing Alex. Maybe he would allow her to kiss him whenever she wanted after they were wed.
Hell, yeah! KISSING!!!!!!
Maddie is under the protection of her evil stepbrother, Kenneth. He beats her frequently, and tortures her. He also gives her to the neighbor to be raped and promises him her hand in marriage. She's permanently scarred and also branded. Alex, a good man, sees this abuse while visiting and rescues Maddie by spiriting her away. They fall in love.
I honestly don't know what to think about this. I'm going to have to break it into Good and Bad.
WHAT I LOVED!
- I am a sucker for abused-woman-find-happiness-in-the-arms-of-a-kind-man trope. Love this trope. So the book has already hooked me. I adore these kinds of stories!
- The way abuse is handled in the novel. Maddie doesn't instantly, unrealistically get over her fear of men and sex. It takes a really, really, really long time for Alex to coax her into enjoying herself. Most romance novels don't portray this as realistically as I think is done here. The doubts she has, the questions she asks herself - it's very well done.
Also, highest marks for what's going on in Alex's mind. Trying to be in a relationship with an abused person is very difficult. I felt the book did a wonderful job showing Alex's fears and concerns. What if Maddie never learns to trust him? What if he can never have a sexual relationship with his wife? What about the other side effects of abuse? Will she ever abuse others? Can he trust her with their children, if and when they have some? This is usually COMPLETELY ignored in romance novels, this is honestly the first time I've seen this dealt with in a romance. Extra points.
- So emotionally gripping. I felt like I had a fist around my heart the whole time I was reading this book like "OMG. OMG. OMG." Loved that.
- The Christianity is so very subtle, you'd hardly notice it's there.
- Consent. Not only is consent important to me as a feminist but as a woman I find it very erotic. Especially when it's long, drawn-out, and turned into a sexual game. So fun.
- Patient men. Seriously the hottest thing ever.
- It's always fun to traipse around the Scottish Highlands in historical romances with the "ayes" and "nays" and kilts, and lairds and bairns, and lasses, and lads, and stuff. So fun.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
- The villain, in the end, turns out
- The writing. The dialogue is stilted (even for a romance novel) and the transitions (of characters going from one activity to another in the same scene) are forced and strange.
- The sex (and kissing) could have been a lot better. I feel like I'm always saying this. :( And Maddie has a tendency to say "Oh, my!" in bed which makes me cringe. o.O Please don't say that during sex. What else? OH YEAH. The most terrible thing that made me scream out "WTF?" right in the middle of a sex scene, I can't even... I don't even... Why in the name of all that's holy would an author do this!?!?!?!?!? What was she thinking!?!?!?!?! That level of creepiness is off the charts. o.O I have no words.
- Alex keeps raising his voice at Maddie. Ugh. I'm like, "Dude. She just got out of two years of being beaten, tortured, and raped. Do you think you could stop yelling at her?!?! If you want to argue and disagree, please do it in even tones." He works on this, but it happened often enough to piss me off.
Tl;dr - I really thought this was going to be a 5-star romance (5 romance stars). But stuff like really made me reconsider that. Not to mention the angle. But the plot was great and kept my hand on my pearls ready to clutch them at any moment. LOL :)
3 REAL STARS, 3 ROMANCE STARS
P.S. I got this free on Kindle by wandering around Amazon, but it is NOT part of my Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day.
Hell, yeah! KISSING!!!!!!
Maddie is under the protection of her evil stepbrother, Kenneth. He beats her frequently, and tortures her. He also gives her to the neighbor to be raped and promises him her hand in marriage. She's permanently scarred and also branded. Alex, a good man, sees this abuse while visiting and rescues Maddie by spiriting her away. They fall in love.
I honestly don't know what to think about this. I'm going to have to break it into Good and Bad.
WHAT I LOVED!
- I am a sucker for abused-woman-find-happiness-in-the-arms-of-a-kind-man trope. Love this trope. So the book has already hooked me. I adore these kinds of stories!
- The way abuse is handled in the novel. Maddie doesn't instantly, unrealistically get over her fear of men and sex. It takes a really, really, really long time for Alex to coax her into enjoying herself. Most romance novels don't portray this as realistically as I think is done here. The doubts she has, the questions she asks herself - it's very well done.
Also, highest marks for what's going on in Alex's mind. Trying to be in a relationship with an abused person is very difficult. I felt the book did a wonderful job showing Alex's fears and concerns. What if Maddie never learns to trust him? What if he can never have a sexual relationship with his wife? What about the other side effects of abuse? Will she ever abuse others? Can he trust her with their children, if and when they have some? This is usually COMPLETELY ignored in romance novels, this is honestly the first time I've seen this dealt with in a romance. Extra points.
- So emotionally gripping. I felt like I had a fist around my heart the whole time I was reading this book like "OMG. OMG. OMG." Loved that.
- The Christianity is so very subtle, you'd hardly notice it's there.
- Consent. Not only is consent important to me as a feminist but as a woman I find it very erotic. Especially when it's long, drawn-out, and turned into a sexual game. So fun.
- Patient men. Seriously the hottest thing ever.
- It's always fun to traipse around the Scottish Highlands in historical romances with the "ayes" and "nays" and kilts, and lairds and bairns, and lasses, and lads, and stuff. So fun.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
- The villain, in the end, turns out
- The writing. The dialogue is stilted (even for a romance novel) and the transitions (of characters going from one activity to another in the same scene) are forced and strange.
- The sex (and kissing) could have been a lot better. I feel like I'm always saying this. :( And Maddie has a tendency to say "Oh, my!" in bed which makes me cringe. o.O Please don't say that during sex. What else? OH YEAH. The most terrible thing that made me scream out "WTF?" right in the middle of a sex scene, I can't even... I don't even... Why in the name of all that's holy would an author do this!?!?!?!?!? What was she thinking!?!?!?!?! That level of creepiness is off the charts. o.O I have no words.
- Alex keeps raising his voice at Maddie. Ugh. I'm like, "Dude. She just got out of two years of being beaten, tortured, and raped. Do you think you could stop yelling at her?!?! If you want to argue and disagree, please do it in even tones." He works on this, but it happened often enough to piss me off.
Tl;dr - I really thought this was going to be a 5-star romance (5 romance stars). But stuff like really made me reconsider that. Not to mention the angle. But the plot was great and kept my hand on my pearls ready to clutch them at any moment. LOL :)
3 REAL STARS, 3 ROMANCE STARS
P.S. I got this free on Kindle by wandering around Amazon, but it is NOT part of my Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day.
May 8, 2024
2 🙄🤔⭐️s
If there had been some depth and character development, and if the romance had been deep rather than cheesy, it would have been a great read.
If there had been some depth and character development, and if the romance had been deep rather than cheesy, it would have been a great read.
October 6, 2014
While I PERSONALLY loved this book I will admit first and foremost it is not a book that is going to appeal to everyone. It's hard for me to describe exactly who this book is for, but I will try.
* Do you like heroes saving damsels in distress?
* Do you like a romantic pair healing each others emotional scars?
* Do you love watching a romance develop slowly over time?
GOOD NEWS! This IS a book for you.
x Do you NOT like your characters to be too "perfect?"
x Do you NOT like historical plots that focuses more on the plot created then getting the time period 100% accurate?
x Do you NOT like to read about abuse?
MOVE ON! This REALLY might NOT be the book for you.
The biggest thing I have to warn against here is that yes, there is description of abuse. There is a lot of that, but it's never between the main pairing. The heroine has got a lot of emotional and physical scars that she carries from her past. The book is very open about this. Very VERY open. It doesn't sugar coat anything. But the thing that makes the book not only bearable but a downright enjoyable read to me even with so much ugliness is the healing process.
Never before have I seen a heroine with such baggage paired with a man that is so understand, gentle, loving, and devoted to her and the obstacles she must overcome to be able to love him fully. He is happy to take things slow because his focus if fully upon helping her to heal. He never EVER pushes her and is always 100% supportive and protective of her. That is super romantic to me.
I have seen books attempt to tackle the idea of abuse before but I've never seen it done to such an extreme level of abuse BUT at the same time with such care given to make the recovery process seem logical and genuine.
* Do you like heroes saving damsels in distress?
* Do you like a romantic pair healing each others emotional scars?
* Do you love watching a romance develop slowly over time?
GOOD NEWS! This IS a book for you.
x Do you NOT like your characters to be too "perfect?"
x Do you NOT like historical plots that focuses more on the plot created then getting the time period 100% accurate?
x Do you NOT like to read about abuse?
MOVE ON! This REALLY might NOT be the book for you.
The biggest thing I have to warn against here is that yes, there is description of abuse. There is a lot of that, but it's never between the main pairing. The heroine has got a lot of emotional and physical scars that she carries from her past. The book is very open about this. Very VERY open. It doesn't sugar coat anything. But the thing that makes the book not only bearable but a downright enjoyable read to me even with so much ugliness is the healing process.
Never before have I seen a heroine with such baggage paired with a man that is so understand, gentle, loving, and devoted to her and the obstacles she must overcome to be able to love him fully. He is happy to take things slow because his focus if fully upon helping her to heal. He never EVER pushes her and is always 100% supportive and protective of her. That is super romantic to me.
I have seen books attempt to tackle the idea of abuse before but I've never seen it done to such an extreme level of abuse BUT at the same time with such care given to make the recovery process seem logical and genuine.
dnf-too-early-to-mark-it-read
July 25, 2024The writing wasn't what I expect from medievals
The writing was too simple and the sentences sort of choppy.
The narrator was also a bit wooden which just exacerbated the problem with the dry text.
The writing was too simple and the sentences sort of choppy.
The narrator was also a bit wooden which just exacerbated the problem with the dry text.
May 4, 2018
Somehow, this book feels as though it was written by an amateur. Maybe more amateur towards the time period than the actual writing. Maybe it's due to the inner dialog of the hero, because it doesn't read "leader alpha guy" at all. Maturity level is off. I have only made it to chapter 9 and it is rankling on my nerves that I paid $5.00 to read it.
August 7, 2013
First off I totally enjoyed this book and fell in love with Alex from the moment he was introduced. Any male that is totally hot, lethal, brutal when necessary in battle yet tender towards the female gender rates high in my book. I felt for Maddie as she struggled with her trust of men after the abuse she had suffered. She was not a weak heroine but one who had learned to adapt to the awful situation she that had been forced upon her without losing the decency of her humanity. In a time era where men took what they wanted Alex was increasingly kind and patient with Maddie as she was forced to deal with her fear of men in general. It is a wonderful love story that will leave you smiling in the end. Because I did enjoy the book, was pulled into her main characters and finished it in one day I gave the book four stars.
So why not a five star? I have to agree with other readers when it came to certain issues in the story. Again the character of Jennie was not consistent. In the beginning I did picture her much younger than her true age and later she seemed older. However to me this was a minor flaw. The only true flaw I had was between her brother Kenneth and Niles. After spending so much time in the beginning detailing the relationship between them and Maddie, hinting at some type of an agreement I felt the ending was rushed as if she just wanted to end the book. That part did not work for me. However I still enjoyed the book especially since it was her first book and will definitely put her on the radar for any upcoming novels in the future.
So why not a five star? I have to agree with other readers when it came to certain issues in the story. Again the character of Jennie was not consistent. In the beginning I did picture her much younger than her true age and later she seemed older. However to me this was a minor flaw. The only true flaw I had was between her brother Kenneth and Niles. After spending so much time in the beginning detailing the relationship between them and Maddie, hinting at some type of an agreement I felt the ending was rushed as if she just wanted to end the book. That part did not work for me. However I still enjoyed the book especially since it was her first book and will definitely put her on the radar for any upcoming novels in the future.
January 12, 2015
Well that was completely ridiculous.
August 6, 2013
Sadly disappointing...
I find leaving critical reviews hard and distasteful most of the time...but I felt I needed to point a few things out with this story. Hopefully it doesn't come across as overly critical...I do enjoy nice people so I try to be one myself. ; )
This story started out great but quickly went sour. I found the characters to be one dimensional, and not that engaging. The heroine Maddie has been sorely abused and at first I really liked her. She had an innocence that was sweet. She is also brave with a core of iron strength for all that she has endured. But after a while the innocence became almost too child like. The hero Alex knew she was 'his' from the beginning THEN he says he doesn't want her and has no time for marriage...then he wants her again. But he runs her off by yelling at her and scaring her. Back and forth back and forth...I also found the story as a whole {and I honestly can't believe I m saying this because I love sweet stories and characters} too sickly sweet. Don't get me wrong there are some horrifying things done to Maddie and that is defiantly NOT sweet, but its the other little things that were too much. The little sister Jennie is a doll but she acts more like shes 4 or 5 not 8. Yes, shes immature and parentless but to act HALF her age... it is a little extreme.
I also found the price too high for the length and the quality of the story. I have read many free or less priced stories that I enjoyed better. And frankly Im kind of bummed I paid $4.99 for it.
Why, after all that did I give it three stars? Because I thought It started out really engaging, the characters were believable at some points and the plot was good. I also thought the ending was fairly fulfilling. It had all the makings of a good story it just didn't follow through. She is also a debut author and I took that into account.
This author has a lot of potential I think...but for this particular story I'm sorry I don't recommend it. I found it not worth the time or money.
***I also just want to take a second to mention that on amazon for this book negative reviewers are getting harassed for their reviews. One in particular especially... I am by NO MEANS saying this is the authors fault. I will REPEAT NOTHING to do with the author. I just want to warn potential reviewers who are reading this... = )
I find leaving critical reviews hard and distasteful most of the time...but I felt I needed to point a few things out with this story. Hopefully it doesn't come across as overly critical...I do enjoy nice people so I try to be one myself. ; )
This story started out great but quickly went sour. I found the characters to be one dimensional, and not that engaging. The heroine Maddie has been sorely abused and at first I really liked her. She had an innocence that was sweet. She is also brave with a core of iron strength for all that she has endured. But after a while the innocence became almost too child like. The hero Alex knew she was 'his' from the beginning THEN he says he doesn't want her and has no time for marriage...then he wants her again. But he runs her off by yelling at her and scaring her. Back and forth back and forth...I also found the story as a whole {and I honestly can't believe I m saying this because I love sweet stories and characters} too sickly sweet. Don't get me wrong there are some horrifying things done to Maddie and that is defiantly NOT sweet, but its the other little things that were too much. The little sister Jennie is a doll but she acts more like shes 4 or 5 not 8. Yes, shes immature and parentless but to act HALF her age... it is a little extreme.
I also found the price too high for the length and the quality of the story. I have read many free or less priced stories that I enjoyed better. And frankly Im kind of bummed I paid $4.99 for it.
Why, after all that did I give it three stars? Because I thought It started out really engaging, the characters were believable at some points and the plot was good. I also thought the ending was fairly fulfilling. It had all the makings of a good story it just didn't follow through. She is also a debut author and I took that into account.
This author has a lot of potential I think...but for this particular story I'm sorry I don't recommend it. I found it not worth the time or money.
***I also just want to take a second to mention that on amazon for this book negative reviewers are getting harassed for their reviews. One in particular especially... I am by NO MEANS saying this is the authors fault. I will REPEAT NOTHING to do with the author. I just want to warn potential reviewers who are reading this... = )
January 24, 2014
I am so very sorry to be doing this....I don't think I've ever given a poor review, but I can't help it here. I didn't realize this was a debut effort-I learned that from another reviewer, but it makes total sense. I agree with other reviewers that it was a very amateurish attempt.
It started out okay enough and Alex was a little interesting, but Madeleine, albeit strong, was very immature and had a very elementary vocabulary. Also, there just wasn't any depth. I am a fan of Highland imagery, the scenery, the clothing, the accents, the everything:) There wasn't much...
Perhaps I've been spoiled by the likes of McCarty, Howell, and Quinn, but there wasn't much that was attractive about this hero and when it got to the point that he was saying things akin to: 'you're mine, you belong to me, the end' I just didn't care for it. I know they all do that-but the way he did it was just different to me....
I will say there were a couple of things Alex did that I just loved!
-When he took care of Alice and told her she was important because she takes care of someone important to him-very romantic. Also, when he realizes 2 things about Maddie before attacking the bad guy-one, that she would give him the strongest lads in the land and second, that the bad guy isn't going to make it to the dungeon (because of what he had done to her).
I must say that actually by the 50% mark, I had to abandon it completely, because I was a little freaked out and disgusted by what happens when Alex is trying to get Madeleine to be comfortable with his touch since she was raped and abused so horribly.
After she jumps out of his lap and he says he won't touch her again until she is ready and she asks for it, he is patient (for about 5 minutes) when she then decides she's ready to sit on his lap again and THEN- he coaxes her by running his hand up her leg little by little and convincing her that she should should like it and it's so nice, "isn't that nice? don't you like it? now I'm going to move my hand further up your leg...there isn't that good?" Really?? I found it to be super 'little girl on an old man's lap' CREEPY!
Did anyone else think so??
Sorry!
It started out okay enough and Alex was a little interesting, but Madeleine, albeit strong, was very immature and had a very elementary vocabulary. Also, there just wasn't any depth. I am a fan of Highland imagery, the scenery, the clothing, the accents, the everything:) There wasn't much...
Perhaps I've been spoiled by the likes of McCarty, Howell, and Quinn, but there wasn't much that was attractive about this hero and when it got to the point that he was saying things akin to: 'you're mine, you belong to me, the end' I just didn't care for it. I know they all do that-but the way he did it was just different to me....
I will say there were a couple of things Alex did that I just loved!
-When he took care of Alice and told her she was important because she takes care of someone important to him-very romantic. Also, when he realizes 2 things about Maddie before attacking the bad guy-one, that she would give him the strongest lads in the land and second, that the bad guy isn't going to make it to the dungeon (because of what he had done to her).
I must say that actually by the 50% mark, I had to abandon it completely, because I was a little freaked out and disgusted by what happens when Alex is trying to get Madeleine to be comfortable with his touch since she was raped and abused so horribly.
After she jumps out of his lap and he says he won't touch her again until she is ready and she asks for it, he is patient (for about 5 minutes) when she then decides she's ready to sit on his lap again and THEN- he coaxes her by running his hand up her leg little by little and convincing her that she should should like it and it's so nice, "isn't that nice? don't you like it? now I'm going to move my hand further up your leg...there isn't that good?" Really?? I found it to be super 'little girl on an old man's lap' CREEPY!
Did anyone else think so??
Sorry!
July 20, 2014
Passionately touching!
This is my first Keira Montclair book...and it will definitely not be my last. Maddie MacDonald 's young life has been filled with horrible, horrible abuse by her stepbrother and betrothed. To the extent she does not express her pain, whether it is physical or emotional pain. Laird Alexander Grant (Alex) is Laird of his clan and overseer of his two brothers and two sisters who he love immensely. When he is suddenly witness to Maddie's bruises, he makes it his mission to protect her. As time goes by he finds out horrific things. Maddie is so uncontrollably fearful to a man's touch...Will she be able to ever have a true loving relationship in her life or will she forever cringe and pull away?
Discovering the answers to these questions throughout my reading journey was great, it made the book a page turner for me.
I have now bought book two. I know you will love it.
This is my first Keira Montclair book...and it will definitely not be my last. Maddie MacDonald 's young life has been filled with horrible, horrible abuse by her stepbrother and betrothed. To the extent she does not express her pain, whether it is physical or emotional pain. Laird Alexander Grant (Alex) is Laird of his clan and overseer of his two brothers and two sisters who he love immensely. When he is suddenly witness to Maddie's bruises, he makes it his mission to protect her. As time goes by he finds out horrific things. Maddie is so uncontrollably fearful to a man's touch...Will she be able to ever have a true loving relationship in her life or will she forever cringe and pull away?
Discovering the answers to these questions throughout my reading journey was great, it made the book a page turner for me.
I have now bought book two. I know you will love it.
April 13, 2016
It's been over a year since I read this, and I am back to give my written review.
This was my very first HR, and I loved it so much I continued to read more of this genre (and this series).
My memory is a bit weak, and I will one day reread and rewrite this with more clarity, but of what I can remember, I certainly know that I LOVED ALex. He was so patient and protective of Maddie, he truly made my heart melt.
I remembered loving the h, as well as all the characters. The story kept a good pace, and there was a HEA.
Warning I believe there is insta love or insta lust, I personally don't mind that, after all, if there is no inital attraction, there is no story.
For those who like clean reads, this is not for you.
This was my very first HR, and I loved it so much I continued to read more of this genre (and this series).
My memory is a bit weak, and I will one day reread and rewrite this with more clarity, but of what I can remember, I certainly know that I LOVED ALex. He was so patient and protective of Maddie, he truly made my heart melt.
I remembered loving the h, as well as all the characters. The story kept a good pace, and there was a HEA.
Warning I believe there is insta love or insta lust, I personally don't mind that, after all, if there is no inital attraction, there is no story.
For those who like clean reads, this is not for you.
June 18, 2014
If you have issues with rape scenes or women being brutishly beaten then this is not your book, But if you are like me and realize this happened back then and was part of life, then this is your book to get.
I loved this book. I was so consumed the more I read. I felt like I was there feeling everything she felt. This book still remains with me to this day. I bought this book and read it last summer. It happens to be one of my Favorite and I don't have many on my FAV list. I am picky when I add them to my Fav list. The H/H were types you fell in love with and understood. The way the Clan leader protects and the honors her. I cannot say enough. The understanding how she reacts to men and how he is confused with his feelings.
I want to write so much more. To help you understand how great this book is. I would suggest this book to ANYONE. Its a must read. I am so happy to see the next book and have bought it. I can't wait to start reading it.
I loved this book. I was so consumed the more I read. I felt like I was there feeling everything she felt. This book still remains with me to this day. I bought this book and read it last summer. It happens to be one of my Favorite and I don't have many on my FAV list. I am picky when I add them to my Fav list. The H/H were types you fell in love with and understood. The way the Clan leader protects and the honors her. I cannot say enough. The understanding how she reacts to men and how he is confused with his feelings.
I want to write so much more. To help you understand how great this book is. I would suggest this book to ANYONE. Its a must read. I am so happy to see the next book and have bought it. I can't wait to start reading it.
April 13, 2015
I really liked this book. The characters were great and the story was great. It did have quite a bit of abuse in it, and some of it was hard to read, but it was still a really enjoyable book. I loved Alex and how patient and sweet he was!
August 8, 2022
Reead:2021
Very serious material dealing with thr rape of the h from the villian. The book handles it well. The H saves her more than once.
Very serious material dealing with thr rape of the h from the villian. The book handles it well. The H saves her more than once.
March 15, 2024
Not my type of romance novel. Too much violence against the heroine. Beatings such as punched in the face and mouth until bleeding. Punched in the stomach, kicked in the ribs, whipped and raped. I don't think I will read any more books by Keira Montclair if this is how she gets down.
January 31, 2014
Ugh... where to start with this... I don't usually like to give books a bad review but COME ON!!!
For a first time out... at least the editing was pretty good... just a couple of mistakes ... wrong words in wrong places but I've seen way worse. The premise was good... the description of the tortures that Maddie went through are horrific (almost on the borderline of unbelievable)and the final twist was absolutely ludicrous. So here we go:
Oh holy hell... the characters drove me up the wall!
Maddie is our main character and it is well established she is perfect (to the point of nausea). Her Evil step brother is a maniacal bastard who should have been drowned at birth but apparently the tavern wench mother was able to convince Maddie's father that the baby was his so he lived. He beats her because she refuses to marry the sadistic bastard next door (who's already raped her too). So she's been traumatized but still the author wants us to believe that she hates them but doesn't want anything bad to happen to anyone... REALLY???
So in comes our hero Alex who is supposed to be this yummy strong highland laird but really, with all of his internal dialogue and thoughts he's just comes off as horny... sappy... and FLAT!!
All of the characters in this book are flatter than a wafer cracker. There is basically no character development, Maddie's dialogue is elementary at best, the hero is a pathetically sappy nitwit... the evil is over the top and the ending leaves you saying WHAT? Are you Serious? You went THERE? Good Grief.
On top of all of that... There is little to no imagery established. Yeah, there are some descriptions of rooms or the basic layout of the keep, but HELLO!!!! this is supposed to be a highland story!! Imagery is important! Give me a mental picture of what it really looks like, smells like and not just vague terms.. I need details in order to picture where I am.
Seriously... this author needs to study Monica McCarty, Diana Cosby, Karen Marie Moning, and Paula Quinn to get an idea of what a good highlander book looks like. I didn't get any feel of accents, traditions, or ANYTHING.
I got to a point where I just wanted to finish the damn thing to see if it got any better... I'm actually mad at myself that I didn't check reviews here on GoodReads because I don't know what Amazon reviewers are smoking but the reviews there are completely off!
Seriously... I want the time that I spent reading this back...
For a first time out... at least the editing was pretty good... just a couple of mistakes ... wrong words in wrong places but I've seen way worse. The premise was good... the description of the tortures that Maddie went through are horrific (almost on the borderline of unbelievable)and the final twist was absolutely ludicrous. So here we go:
Oh holy hell... the characters drove me up the wall!
Maddie is our main character and it is well established she is perfect (to the point of nausea). Her Evil step brother is a maniacal bastard who should have been drowned at birth but apparently the tavern wench mother was able to convince Maddie's father that the baby was his so he lived. He beats her because she refuses to marry the sadistic bastard next door (who's already raped her too). So she's been traumatized but still the author wants us to believe that she hates them but doesn't want anything bad to happen to anyone... REALLY???
So in comes our hero Alex who is supposed to be this yummy strong highland laird but really, with all of his internal dialogue and thoughts he's just comes off as horny... sappy... and FLAT!!
All of the characters in this book are flatter than a wafer cracker. There is basically no character development, Maddie's dialogue is elementary at best, the hero is a pathetically sappy nitwit... the evil is over the top and the ending leaves you saying WHAT? Are you Serious? You went THERE? Good Grief.
On top of all of that... There is little to no imagery established. Yeah, there are some descriptions of rooms or the basic layout of the keep, but HELLO!!!! this is supposed to be a highland story!! Imagery is important! Give me a mental picture of what it really looks like, smells like and not just vague terms.. I need details in order to picture where I am.
Seriously... this author needs to study Monica McCarty, Diana Cosby, Karen Marie Moning, and Paula Quinn to get an idea of what a good highlander book looks like. I didn't get any feel of accents, traditions, or ANYTHING.
I got to a point where I just wanted to finish the damn thing to see if it got any better... I'm actually mad at myself that I didn't check reviews here on GoodReads because I don't know what Amazon reviewers are smoking but the reviews there are completely off!
Seriously... I want the time that I spent reading this back...
November 15, 2013
I was only able to get about 1/3 of the way through this book. We are told many, many, many, many times that Keira has been abused and traumatized throughout her life, but she doesn't act like it, other than to lament about it. The first chapter or so are good, but then it just gets worse and worse, so I had to quit.
January 14, 2023
Maddie and Alex
This was good. Definitely not for the faint of heart though because of the things Maddie goes through. It reminded me of some old school bodice rippers.
This was good. Definitely not for the faint of heart though because of the things Maddie goes through. It reminded me of some old school bodice rippers.
December 28, 2021
#Medieval
HistoricalRomance
A mi me gustan la historias de las tierras altas, he leído libros realmente buenos como el valle de las lágrimas, uno de mis favoritos aunque me hizo sufrir. El domingo empecé éste. lo voy a terminar pero no leeré la saga completa, me acabo de enterar que es una saga familiar y van 30 libros. Escocia año 1200. La protagonista sufre mucho, no solo emocional sino físicamente, no sé porqué éstas historias son tan fuertes y duras eso me desespera.Madeline MacDonald queda huéfana, a cargo de su hermanastro que es jefe del clan (Keneth MCDonald) Madeline McDonald , este por alguna razón la odia y la golpea, además la promete con el jefe otro clan vecino (Niles Coming) que es igual o peor que él. Tratan mal a todos, castiga sus sirvientes. Le sirven por miedo no por lealtad. Lord Alex Grant jefe de otro clan (cuyo tartán es rojo con verde) es jefe de otro de los clanes, vive junto a sus hermanos y hermanas, sus padres murieron. él por el contrario es un laird bueno con su gente, su clan lo quiere, lleva buena relación con sus hermanas. Por casualidad o por curioso ve a Madelene golpeada, no sabe quién es pero le resulta dificil creer que golpen una mujer asi. Eventualmente rescatan a Madeleine y ellla es llevada a la torre de Alex. ahi se encuentra son sus amigas de infancia y empieza a sonar sus heridas. la verdad la manera que las describen es horrible, le daban latigazos, tenia marcas, su recuperación es lenta y debido a lo que vivió se le hace dificil confiar y dejar que se le acerquen hombres. Ya saben estos libros, peleas, luchas sangrientas, muy gráficas. me gustó la historia de las niñas, según lei ella también tienen libro. Después de muchas cosas Madeleine empieza a sanar y a entender que no todos los hombres son violentos. Cuándo todo parece que va saliendo bien pasa algo una sorpresa que nos mantiene en vilo. Al final y después de tanto sufrimientos Maddie encuentra su lugar.
HistoricalRomance
A mi me gustan la historias de las tierras altas, he leído libros realmente buenos como el valle de las lágrimas, uno de mis favoritos aunque me hizo sufrir. El domingo empecé éste. lo voy a terminar pero no leeré la saga completa, me acabo de enterar que es una saga familiar y van 30 libros. Escocia año 1200. La protagonista sufre mucho, no solo emocional sino físicamente, no sé porqué éstas historias son tan fuertes y duras eso me desespera.Madeline MacDonald queda huéfana, a cargo de su hermanastro que es jefe del clan (Keneth MCDonald) Madeline McDonald , este por alguna razón la odia y la golpea, además la promete con el jefe otro clan vecino (Niles Coming) que es igual o peor que él. Tratan mal a todos, castiga sus sirvientes. Le sirven por miedo no por lealtad. Lord Alex Grant jefe de otro clan (cuyo tartán es rojo con verde) es jefe de otro de los clanes, vive junto a sus hermanos y hermanas, sus padres murieron. él por el contrario es un laird bueno con su gente, su clan lo quiere, lleva buena relación con sus hermanas. Por casualidad o por curioso ve a Madelene golpeada, no sabe quién es pero le resulta dificil creer que golpen una mujer asi. Eventualmente rescatan a Madeleine y ellla es llevada a la torre de Alex. ahi se encuentra son sus amigas de infancia y empieza a sonar sus heridas. la verdad la manera que las describen es horrible, le daban latigazos, tenia marcas, su recuperación es lenta y debido a lo que vivió se le hace dificil confiar y dejar que se le acerquen hombres. Ya saben estos libros, peleas, luchas sangrientas, muy gráficas. me gustó la historia de las niñas, según lei ella también tienen libro. Después de muchas cosas Madeleine empieza a sanar y a entender que no todos los hombres son violentos. Cuándo todo parece que va saliendo bien pasa algo una sorpresa que nos mantiene en vilo. Al final y después de tanto sufrimientos Maddie encuentra su lugar.
April 25, 2016
I liked this book. It was a good beginning with a really likeable H/h pairing. The hero was a really kind hearted leader and the heroine wasn't really a damsel in distress. She was had so much inner strength that she withstood repeated attempts by her stepbrother to break her spirit.
Madeline MacDonald was an orphan left to the care of stepbrother who hated her. Kenneth physically and emotionally abused Maddy as many times as he could. She was finally rescued after the Grant clan came through for a visit, and Laird Alexander Grant got a hidden note from a maid begging for Maddie's rescue.
This began the journey to love and security for the lonely Maddy.
I can see why the reviews are either high or low for this book.
The good characters were really likable and almost saintly perfect. the villains (Kenneth & neighbor Niles) were really vile and evil for no real reason. So there was a one-dimensional quality--lack of character development in this book.
But it was still nice and sweet so I found it to be a good beginning to the series. I do hope the next books have a more meat on the bone though
Special thanks to Tantor Audio for the audiobook, which was given in exchange for an honest review
December 30, 2015
3.5 to 4 stars I thoroughly enjoyed this book Alex was instantly likable and i loved him more and more as the story went on, There are difficult topics covered in this story and if rape and abuse are triggers for you then maybe this book is not for you. I personally thought the author handled those scenes very well and they weren't overly gratuitous . Very likable characters and good story lines i loved Madelines strength and courage i look forward to reading the next one.
Re read 09/11/2015
I decided to re read this book because i wanted to read the rest of the series and i am on a highlander phase at the moment,i changed the star rating to 4.5 to 5 stars i enjoyed this a lot more second time around.I don't know why i rated lower the first time,The story was good and it might not be for everyone due to the sensitive subject matter but the characters are extremely well written.The supporting cast of interesting side characters are great,will be moving on to Brenna's story next can't wait for all the Grants to have their books would highly recommend.
Re read 09/11/2015
I decided to re read this book because i wanted to read the rest of the series and i am on a highlander phase at the moment,i changed the star rating to 4.5 to 5 stars i enjoyed this a lot more second time around.I don't know why i rated lower the first time,The story was good and it might not be for everyone due to the sensitive subject matter but the characters are extremely well written.The supporting cast of interesting side characters are great,will be moving on to Brenna's story next can't wait for all the Grants to have their books would highly recommend.
April 11, 2017
Madeline MacDonald has had a tough life. Her "stepbrother" Kenneth severely beats her. The scumbag beats her with his fists and kicks her and whips her back with a horsewhip and burns her breasts with a branding iron. He promises her hand in marriage to a man more evil than he is. Then, he sends her to the brute who rapes her to ensure they will be wed. Cinderella's life was blissful compared to Madeline's.
Fate leads Laird Alexander Grant to her door one day. After accepting Kenneth's hospitality, Alexander roams the halls and discovers Madeline, bruised and severely injured, sleeping on a pallet. Persuaded by the stable master's plea for help, Alexander and his brother Brodie rescue Madeline from her abusive brother and take her to the Grant keep.
To say that Madeline has trust issues is an understatement, but Alexander is patient with her and they develop a lasting love. There is a skirmish involving Madeline's brother and the evil man who wants to marry her, but I'll let you read about that for yourself.
Fate leads Laird Alexander Grant to her door one day. After accepting Kenneth's hospitality, Alexander roams the halls and discovers Madeline, bruised and severely injured, sleeping on a pallet. Persuaded by the stable master's plea for help, Alexander and his brother Brodie rescue Madeline from her abusive brother and take her to the Grant keep.
To say that Madeline has trust issues is an understatement, but Alexander is patient with her and they develop a lasting love. There is a skirmish involving Madeline's brother and the evil man who wants to marry her, but I'll let you read about that for yourself.
August 22, 2014
Wonderful Highland romance
Wonderful Highland romance
This was a wonderful story with one of the bravest heroines I have ever had the pleasure to read about. Maddie suffered greatly at the hands of her step brother and suffered a terrible rape by the man her step brother tried to force her to marry. When Alex sees her and notices her injuries, with the help of his brother and Maddie's loyal servants, he is able to sneak her and take her home with him. Alex was such a wonderful hero and I loved how patient he was with Maddie and her fears. Highly recommend this book!
Wonderful Highland romance
This was a wonderful story with one of the bravest heroines I have ever had the pleasure to read about. Maddie suffered greatly at the hands of her step brother and suffered a terrible rape by the man her step brother tried to force her to marry. When Alex sees her and notices her injuries, with the help of his brother and Maddie's loyal servants, he is able to sneak her and take her home with him. Alex was such a wonderful hero and I loved how patient he was with Maddie and her fears. Highly recommend this book!
October 12, 2014
sooooooooooooo enjoyed this book was beautifully written the baddies got what they deserved and ms montclair had me on the edge of my chair right the way through the story cant wait to read more in this series. if you like historical fiction taking you back in time then this series is for you loved every chapter.
August 16, 2017
Laird Alex Grant is requested in a missive to save Lady Madeline (Maddie) from her stepbrother, Kenneth. Kenneth has been physically and mentally abusing Maddie for some time. When Alex and his brother Brodie rescue Maddie, she is being whipped by Kenneth. Alex and Brodie take her to Grant lands to heal.
During her time with the Grant clan, Maddie and Alex form an affection for each other. Her abusive experiences keep them apart. Alex is patient and gentle with Maddie, helping her to heal and to learn to trust him. Will they have a relationship in a loving and nurturing sense? Will Kenneth disappear or seek revenge?
The first two-thirds of the story is well conceived. The pace kept me turning the pages wondering how the relationship between the main characters would play out. The last third of the story felt like the author was trying to tie up too many loose ends. I appreciate her doing this. I just wish the ending wasn't so crowded. The main characters are well drawn. The secondary characters are well developed also. They felt like one happy family. The villains moved the plot along. The tension near the end was due to the reader not knowing whether the last villain was alive or dead. There are steamy love scenes.
During her time with the Grant clan, Maddie and Alex form an affection for each other. Her abusive experiences keep them apart. Alex is patient and gentle with Maddie, helping her to heal and to learn to trust him. Will they have a relationship in a loving and nurturing sense? Will Kenneth disappear or seek revenge?
The first two-thirds of the story is well conceived. The pace kept me turning the pages wondering how the relationship between the main characters would play out. The last third of the story felt like the author was trying to tie up too many loose ends. I appreciate her doing this. I just wish the ending wasn't so crowded. The main characters are well drawn. The secondary characters are well developed also. They felt like one happy family. The villains moved the plot along. The tension near the end was due to the reader not knowing whether the last villain was alive or dead. There are steamy love scenes.
January 13, 2018
2.5 stars
It would have been better if not for the heroine. She was too weak for me. Too damaged. It took too long for them to really get together. It was also a cheese-fest.
The reason for the marriage made zero sense. I cannot imagine what Alex saw in her.
It would have been better if not for the heroine. She was too weak for me. Too damaged. It took too long for them to really get together. It was also a cheese-fest.
The reason for the marriage made zero sense. I cannot imagine what Alex saw in her.
May 31, 2025
Was this book terrible, yes. Did I enjoy it regardless, also yes. This is like hallmark movie vibes but with spice and some Scottish highlanders. Predictable but entertaining!
August 31, 2022
it was okay. a little cliche and more of "look at how much of an angel this fmc is!!! everybody talks so well of her" but you could deal with it.
it was a little bit of a boring read, and typical "villain explains his bad plan to stall for the hero to be able to stop him", but otherwise i can see some people enjoying this, probably.
it was a little bit of a boring read, and typical "villain explains his bad plan to stall for the hero to be able to stop him", but otherwise i can see some people enjoying this, probably.
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