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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed Fallon’s story but I did feel the romance was a little rushed in this. The plot gets increasingly better in each book.
I truly loved this one and many of the elements of the story had me captivated. I have recently fell in love with Grant's historical paranormal series, and this series is so unique and different and not what you expect, in fact I might lean toward a bit more fantasy. In Forbidden Highlander we have three brothers, who are immortal, and each of them have a beast inside of them, with godlike gifts. Fallon's brother has been taking hostage by their nemesis and he is desperate to find a way to free him, the key one woman...Larena Monroe. Larena is in hiding, from their mutual enemy and seeks refuge from being on the run every day of her life. What she doesn't expect to find is her future mate, a man to love and stand by her side. This story pretty much starts off after the first book left off, and I would highly recommend you read this series in order. the first book really sets the tone for the series, and even though Grant explains the background information, I feel you really need the first book to understand more fully what is happening in this story. i really liked the various qualities that made this story a true gem. Donna Grants has such a compelling storytelling ability, and draws you into the story in ways you don't expect. There is no dull moment in this book, and I was pretty much at the edge from beginning to end. What I truly loved was seeing the brothers and the complexity of the plot that works its way into the story, we see some very intense moments and boy did I just love this one almost as much as the first book. What a wild ride of adventure, dangerous villains, plenty of steamy action and sword fighting, and a powerful romance to steal your heart.
This is a fun series. Yes it's a Highlander romance, but add in some fantasy features and it's just got that something extra. In this, the second book, one of the three MacLeod brothers falls for an extraordinary woman, with a few secrets of her own.
I'm eager to read the next installment, in high hopes of seeing the heinous villain brought to her knees at last.
I'm eager to read the next installment, in high hopes of seeing the heinous villain brought to her knees at last.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement
"he didnt like the crowd or how close they moved around him, brushing against him as if it were all right to do so."
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
1 star - Forbidden Highlander by Donna Grant (Dark World #2)
CW: explicit rape, ableism, sexism, gaslighting, abuse, exaggerated nationalism.
Remember how I seemed to recall the second Dark World novel being better than the first? Yeah, I was very mistaken on that part. I cannot explain how Forbidden Highlander is simultaneously worse and better than Dangerous Highlander, but I swear that’s the truth.
Where to begin? This book has a strange structure: all the excitement is packed in the front of the story with sexual tension getting resolved almost immediately, then the middle drags on for an eternity. I found myself skimming at multiple points, because the two main characters have the emotional maturity of prepubescent teens. The conflict wasn’t as much a conflict as it was two people being dumb and not properly communicating. The fact that most internal monologues are excuses for elaborate exposition dumps didn’t help. Add on to that the repetitive humorous beats (Galen’s appetite’s) and the repeated use of ‘bitch’ to describe the flat-as-hell villain, and you have a recipe for lazy writing. These are just the hallmarks of an unexperienced writer though, as I recognize many of these techniques and tropes from weaker fanfiction authors.
From 2021 perspective, there were some elements that I cannot be so forgiving towards. First up is the rape scene between Deirdre and Quinn, which happens while the latter is unconscious. The entire scene is handled as any other sex scene, something to get excited about and enjoy, but it genuinely made me feel sick. I cannot even give it credit that it depicts a man in the less conventional role of victim, it’s simply handled with nothing of the gravitas it deserves. Equating rape to female empowerment is also really iffy and does nothing to deepen Deirdre’s characterisation.
Next up is the blatant ableism displayed by the characters towards physical disabilities and mental disorders. I think the author tried to capture some of the historical attitude in her depiction, but she wraps it in such tacky highland nationalism that it registers as extremely unsympathetic.
Last complaint is about a secondary couple (Anice and Broc) in which the latter one admits to basically gaslighting the former because he has the hots for her sister. Not to mention that our main couple also flirts with themes of possessiveness, abuse and sexism. Hardly any encounter felt sexy to me.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Dark World book without me having some editing nitpicks. Some words were squished together without proper spacing, names were being misspelled (pretty sure Naill is supposed to be Niall), and there were no proper scene breaks in the POV switches. The switches in itself were enough to give a reader whiplash and gave the entire story a very disorganized appearance.
There it is. I’m done complaining. I need a few months to get over this one before I tackle the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Rape, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism
Minor: Gaslighting
This second book was actually worse than the first. It's way more rushed and the author breezed through a lot of story material without developing the character potential. 170 pages is also a bit of a let-down. I can't help but wonder if the author was under time or budgetary constraints.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think this will be an insta-love series and I'm ok with it.
This was a bit too full of unnecessary drama as in the characters not knowing what to do, but they are quick reads that I'm enjoying :)
This was a bit too full of unnecessary drama as in the characters not knowing what to do, but they are quick reads that I'm enjoying :)
This was a great paranormal romance. Reasons why I like it: I want to go to Scotland terribly, I love castles, I love mythology in any form, I loved watching the Highlander TV show growing up (Don't judge. I watched it with my Mom.), I love anything with druids, evil villains, magic, and lots of fighting, and I'm a girl so I like happy endings for the most part.
I like how each book so far has changed point of views and how each book is the story about one of the main characters.
There are several sex scenes and lots of sexual tension in this book, just like the first one. You have been warned. Onto book three!
I like how each book so far has changed point of views and how each book is the story about one of the main characters.
There are several sex scenes and lots of sexual tension in this book, just like the first one. You have been warned. Onto book three!