Reviews

Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine

horsenerd's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

infinite_tbr's review against another edition

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3.0

2.5/5

The title is what got me to read this book, and I’m not going to lie — I was a bit disappointed that the hard place wasn’t a wall or a tree or something to that effect. I struggled at first with this book since neither of the main characters is particularly interesting to start. Athena seems dimwitted and naive at best while Symon is moody and sullen. Fortunately, things get better when Athena and Symon find themselves traveling across the Highlands, completely at odds with the other person. The romance didn’t develop as obviously as I would have liked it to as we went from Athena hating him to agreeing to marry him very quickly. But, I’ve certainly read worse books and I did find myself enjoying the story in the middle. However, the end threw me off again as it became all about setting up the next book, shoving Athena and Symon to the side. I probably won’t read the next book in the series, so I’m going to go with a big “meh” for this one. It was fine, but not amazing.

romancejunkie1025's review against another edition

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4.0

i really enjoyed this story and all the kidnappings were a bit over the top but fun to see her escape or be rescued from.

full review coming soon to the blog

blodeuedd's review against another edition

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3.0

I am really starting to hate the Edinburgh court and those dang lowlanders! Curse them all to hell! There is some hate from the previous books (you should read them and curse the court too).

To the book. Athena is English. She lives with her goldsmith uncle. A nobleman said he would marry her and she likes him. And obviously something is to go wrong because how else would a handsome Scot have her. That English nobleman, oh how I cursed his name and still did when I finished the book. But Athena is brave and ends up in Scotland.

Symon, aww, yes I have met him in so many books, and yes yes! We are finally getting Brenda's story after this (well I hope!). I have longed for her HEA. But yes Symon's too, because he does seem lonely and needs a woman.

These two meet, and if you have read the previous books you know which road it will take. But for the rest, I wont spoil it, but come one, he is a Highlander, ha. Sparks fly. They want each other, but she is careful. But oh trust him woman! He wants to marry you.

They do their little dance and then there is drama too. But there is also a build up for the next book at the end and I am on pins and needles! There was a cliffie regarding the next couple. But hey we all know a HEA will come there too.

I enjoyed this one! Passion and hellcats.

Narrator
Ferguson is a must for narrating a Wine book and I do adore his highlanders! Splendidly.

beckyschwartz's review against another edition

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4.0

The plot and characters were good- overall a great highland romance. The chapter length was odd, only six chapters in the book about 50 pages each. Too many bad guys and too many pieces of their perspective. Included two heroines which is always great and a lot of them rescuing themselves which is equally great. Book ends without a resolution for one character as a lead in for the next book.

piscespaperbacks's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

2.0

smilagros's review against another edition

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3.0

This book was given to me by Net Galley for an honest review
I am giving this book 3 stars. The reason being is that I felt the beginning was to rushed. I wished that the relationship between Galswell and Athena were more fleshed our. I think that the relationship between Brenda and Symon was really great and funny. Their relationship was better to me than Symon and Athena’s love story.

loverofromance's review against another edition

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4.0

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Between A Highlander and a Hard Place is the next book in the Highland Weddings series. Each book has added some depth of courtly intrigue and we definitely get some delightful and mysteries that come into play into this book. We have an edge of your seat, laugh your booty off fun that will keep you flipping those pages as fast as you can get them read. This might just be my favorite book of the series, it was SUPER DUPER FABULOUS!! Mary Wine has done wonders with this book and it had that old classic Highlander feel that I have missed lately but Mary Wine has revitalized this type of Highlander we see that occurs in this book.

In Between A Highlander and a Hard Place it begins with our heroine who is English. She is living in London, with her uncle. She has been courted by a lord with high hopes of marriage soon and thinking that his affections were genuine. However, her fiancee is not who she believes him to be. He has no plans to marry her, he makes a plan to make sure she is ruined in society's eyes, and will have no choice but to be his mistress or her uncle with be left destitute. But Athena, has no plans to be a mistress for anyone...she wants and knows that she deserves better. So she runs away and her uncle hides her with a good friend of his, who is traveling north to Scotland where she will pose as a boy.

Laird Symon Grant is a widower after his wife dies struggling to give birth. And now he is alone and knows that he will need to marry again, but this time he is determined for it to be his own choice. What Symon didn't plan on is sighting a beautiful lass at a may day dance and a woman who will turn his world upside down. Athena while traveling sees the festivity of the may day dance and she wants to participate and feel like a woman again. So she lets her hair down, and buys a dress and starts participating in some frivolity. Only she never expected to run into Laird Symon who kisses her breathless and she knows the chemistry between them is fiery hot. But she has no place with her life in shambles to even think about entertaining the idea of being with Symon. But Symon has his own plans for Athena and he refuses to let her get away from him ....even if it means a bit of kidnapping to make sure she is safe.
I crave you, Symon. God knows I should not.

What a delightful jewel Between a Highlander and a Hard Place turned out to be. I wish I could give this book the type of review this book deserves. Now I do want to say that this book won't be for everyone, and you just can't take certain things seriously. Like Symon putting Athena over his shoulder at times...I found it hilarious because of the way its written but I know some might take it too seriously. The bantering between these two is such fun times and boy can this boy KISS!! You will just want to swoon alongside the heroine because these two put together some fireworks that are EXPLOSIVE!!
I'm no' interested in fucking ye for the release it grants me. I want more, and I'll no' have ye unless ye swear ye are me wife because ye consider yerself bound to me as surely as I know I am bound to the very bottom of me soul to ye.

I love the way that Mary Wine developed the romance here. Its written in such a way that endears you immediately. Athena has been burned very badly, obviously. So she is wary of Symon, but she soon realizes that he is nothing like her ex fiancee. He does have honor and wants to see her safe even if he wants the time to court her and convince her to marry him. She is endeared to the clan pretty quickly, and many can see the chemistry between the two even if they are a bit resistant to others. But they see the way that Symon and Athena defend and protect each other in the small ways that make the big difference.

Now we have another aspect to the story that I really enjoyed....the bigger plot of the book that is outside of the romance. Now the primary focus of the book is the romance, but we also see some other elements that really make this story sparkle and shine. We have some side plot lines that come together. We have the ex fiancee, who is furious that Athena has some lands she didn't know about since she has Stewart blood in her. We have the leery and horrible man who tried to sell Athena into prostitution who was traveling with her and he wants money and is trying to entrap her. We have some plots among the court of King James who is merely a teenager and a Frenchman who tries to manipulate him.

Then we have something happen in the end with Symon's cousin who I have a feeling is going to be the heroine for the next book. Now she and another clan chief have some sizzles between them but its going to be a forbidden romance and I really want this book NOW because the plot in Between a Highlander and a Hard Place doesn't get fully resolved and I need to know what happens with all the other key players apart from our main couple. Gosh darn it Mary Wine....you are pushing my limits of patience hehe (love you though).

Overall I found Between A Highlander and a Hard Place to be a love story of adventure, laughs, steamy kisses and sensual overtones that keep your toes curls and a plot that keeps you on the edge....watch out for a story that will stun and delight you in the small and momentous ways!!







 



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sesquipedalian's review against another edition

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3.0

3 stars is a mite generous for this book. Like the previous one, it’s more of a 2.5. After I finish this series I doubt I’ll ever read a book from this author again. Disappointing drivel for the most part.

cmbwell's review against another edition

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2.0

It was decent, except for the abrupt ending that left the story unfinished in order to make the reader get the next book in the series. I don’t like that sort of thing.