Review: The Guardian by Margaret Mallory

The Guardian
~Margaret Mallory

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: April 26, 2011
ISBN-10: 044657516X
ISBN-13: 978-0446575164
ASIN: B0047Y0EZG


From the author's website:
THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK I
Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.

PASSION IGNITED
After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past . . . and claim the bride he's long resisted.

As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas - and he won't take no for an answer.

This is the first book in a new series: The Return of the Highlanders. In the prologue, four young lads go to visit the local wise woman to hear their fortunes. She gives each a snippet of the trials and tribulations they will face and sends them on their way...

Ian MacDonald and his three best friends have been gone from their village for five years, fighting in France. He comes home to find his father injured, his brother grown, and his clan being led by a heartless man after the death of their leader. He must help his best friend claim his rightful place as clan chief, which will not be easy since they keep getting attacked. He's also got to face his wife, Sileas, his childhood friend that he was forced to marry and hasn't seen since the day they married five years ago. He plans to end the marriage so he's free to marry someone else. When he gets home, he doesn't recognize the comely young woman sitting in his parent's room, and when his friend tells him it's Sileas, he can't believe it. He sees the lovely, smart, caring woman she's become; he also sees that another man in the village has been paying attention to Sileas, and Ian is jealous.

Sileas MacKinnon has loved Ian all her life and knows she'll marry him some day. Then, due to circumstances no one could predict, they're suddenly married, and it's nothing like she thought it would be. He's been gone since their wedding day. Five years later she's thinking about ending the marriage and finding someone else, someone who will care for her and wants to be with her. Then Ian comes home, and she finds he's still as handsome as he was before he left. But that doesn't make up for leaving her alone, and now he's going to have to prove he's good enough for her.

My thoughts: Margaret Mallory has introduced a great cast of characters in The Guardian. I liked Ian, then thought he was a bit of a jerk, then grew to like him all over again. Caught in an unfortunate (and innocent) situation, he's forced to marry gangly, awkward, 13-year-old Sileas, who's followed him around since she was small. He's angry and lashes out, then leaves to fight in France with his four best friends. When he came home he was all kinds of an idiot about how to treat his wife, but as Sileas made him work for her affections his character grew (just like in real life, sometimes they need a push, lol).

Sileas was a strong woman, enduring the pity of the villagers for her husband deserting her; becoming the glue that held Ian's family together while he was gone, nursing his father back to health. When Ian came back she refused to let him walk back into her life and take over, and I loved it!

Of course, you can't have a Scottish adventure without clan wars, intrigue, traitors and secret alliances, and The Guardian has plenty! Ian and his friends have to face treacherous relatives and land-hungry neighbors, and through it all attempt to guide their clansmen into choosing a new clan chief. There were some surprising twists that had me holding my breath to see how things would turn out.

The four friends who are the cornerstones of the series (Ian, Alex, Duncan, and Connor) are very engaging and I liked how they have different strengths to help each other out. The Sinner is book 2 in the series, and is his friend Alex's story. Alex is a bit of a womanizer, so I'm looking forward to reading about his exploits.

My Rating:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory

Knight of Passion is not your typical boy meets girl, boy wants girl, heaving bosoms and flirtations ensue story.

As the story opens, Jamie and Linett are young an in love/lust with each other and have been able to arrange a tryst in an empty room in the castle. Jamie doesn't know Lynette has arranged for them to be caught so that she might escape her father's promise of her virginity to Sir Guy, a snake among men. Naturally Jamie is devistated by her deception and leaves.

Five years later, we meet Jamie again, on his way to the castle to offer his protection to the newly widowed young queen. He meets an old man who's Lady is in trouble. As Jamie steps in to assist, he realizes the Lady is Linette. He hasn't forgotten her over the years, but her betrayal still stings. Lynette is on her way to see the Queen - a good friend. Of course Jamie and Linette end up spending time together, which neither of them wants. Jamie wants to find a nice, well-behaved wife while he's at court. Linette wants revenge against the person or persons who swindled her grandfather when he got to senile to realize he was being cheated; his death left Linette and her twin brother destitute and alone.

Lynette and Jamie keep ending up together and act on their passion,which has not quelled during their time apart. They agree it's temporary but exclusive. In reality Jamie wants to marry Linette but knows he must broach the subject slowly, building up to it so as not to scare her off. Linette doesn't want to be controlled by a man - she is single minded in her need for revenge.

Linette is the angriest heroine I have ever read in a historical romance. I was just as upset as Jamie that she would not give up her revenge for his love. I wanted a HEA for these two so badly, and every time it seemed they would get together, some clue would come up and Linette would go chasing it, leaving Jamie behind. I will say this about Jamie - he was not some pushover who waited around once he realized where Linette's intentions lay. Once he decided Linette was not going to give up her revenge, his courtship of Agnes was quite funny. Not to worry, for those of you who need a HEA - Ms. Mallory does deliver!

The secondary characters were quite engaging - the Queen was a bit of a ditz but you couldn't help but feel badly for her situation. Jamie's squire Martin was adorable - I hope we get to see him in a future book!

I know this review has rambled a bit - I didn't even get to the devil worshippers or the political intrigue! And, I totally guessed the wrong villian :)

As angry as Linette was, and as frustrated as I was with Linette and Jamie's lack of communication, I did enjoy this book. I give Knight of Passion 3 1/2 out of 5 stars!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.