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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Great start to a series. Thank you Goodreads for the recommendation.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would almost make this 2.5 stars rather than 2. You could tell Monica McCarty really did her research, but there were some parts of the novel that felt like text book reading. Additionally, some of the names were so similar that they became a bit confusing in parts. I also wasn't a fan of our heroine Christina and had a hard time believing Tor would be attracted to her, let alone fall in love with her. She's a naive disaster for most (well, all) of the book. I mean, I got her and she wasn't unlikeable, it just didn't feel like a good match.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although Christina is a bit timid and sheltered, she is not entirely naive. Badly used by her father and coerced into a marriage scheme to save the virtue (and life) of her sister, Christina gives everything and devotes herself completely to becoming the perfect wife for an island warrior king. Her patience and acceptance of the crumbs of his affection make her far stronger than I. She pushes Tor a bit in every interaction, but in truth doesn't actually ask that much of him. Instead, she allows the space for his feelings for her to begin to ask it of himself. For almost the entirety of the book he is just stubbornly certain he isn't capable of giving anything more to his second wife than his body and his pledge of protection. Anyone who looks at the two of them, however, recognizes his passion and tender care for the wee lass (lmao). Deny it all he wants, but he was obsessed with her and in love from moment one.
I wasn't sure about this book and it was certainly emotionally taxing to wait and wait for Tor to figure his shit out and stop crushing Christina's feelings, hopes, and dreams beneath the heel of his boot (I think the leader of an elite band of Highland warriors a la Seal Team 6 wears boots). My favorite part was definitely when she finally made the decision to leave him after he is a jackass one too many times and he realizes his mistake 😈. I wanted a bit more groveling, but his internal terror and grief was good stuff. Honestly, even though Tor was a jerk so often, he really was likable and even admirable. Taking into account his history and responsibilities, his behavior was completely understandable and he really turns things around in only a few months. He has all the makings of a true simp if he continues on the right path.
What really threw me off was why did he have a deceased wife? Why did he have two kids being fostered elsewhere? He didn't care for his wife and we never meet or even really talk about the kids. Furthermore, Tor's revelation at his ability to love Christina and his care for her feels icky when you consider he has two kids...guess they weren't enough lol.
I wasn't sure about this book and it was certainly emotionally taxing to wait and wait for Tor to figure his shit out and stop crushing Christina's feelings, hopes, and dreams beneath the heel of his boot (I think the leader of an elite band of Highland warriors a la Seal Team 6 wears boots). My favorite part was definitely when she finally made the decision to leave him after he is a jackass one too many times and he realizes his mistake 😈. I wanted a bit more groveling, but his internal terror and grief was good stuff. Honestly, even though Tor was a jerk so often, he really was likable and even admirable. Taking into account his history and responsibilities, his behavior was completely understandable and he really turns things around in only a few months. He has all the makings of a true simp if he continues on the right path.
What really threw me off was why did he have a deceased wife? Why did he have two kids being fostered elsewhere? He didn't care for his wife and we never meet or even really talk about the kids. Furthermore, Tor's revelation at his ability to love Christina and his care for her feels icky when you consider he has two kids...guess they weren't enough lol.
This is everything a romance book SHOULD be. It was so much fun and so well written. I cannot wait to continue with this series. I will go to my grave believing that fiction should leave you feeling happy. This book delivered.
My first highlander romance and my first HR with characters based on real people! As such, the history lesson was really cool and I was pleased to find that they were going to succeed (unlike in Outlander, which depressed me).
The attitude of the heroine was very genuine and loving and young, which is unusual in the books I typically go for (which lean towards witty and hardened). The romance was pretty sweet but didn't hit all the marks I usually go for (where both characters understand responsibility and are mature).
Overall, 4/5 and I will definitely read the other books in this series.
The attitude of the heroine was very genuine and loving and young, which is unusual in the books I typically go for (which lean towards witty and hardened). The romance was pretty sweet but didn't hit all the marks I usually go for (where both characters understand responsibility and are mature).
Overall, 4/5 and I will definitely read the other books in this series.
If you're looking for heroines that know their worth and heroes that treat the women they love or will grow to love with respect (as much as can be expected from a romance during this time).... this series may not be for you. Because so many people seemed to enjoy this series, I thought I'd give it a shot but...it didn't work for me. The hero would have been fine IF the heroine wasn't SO naive. But the hero with the heroine....well, she comes off foolish and he comes off cruel.
I went ahead and skimmed the rest of the series and the ONE book where the hero really chases, the heroine is so inconsiderate and callous it makes my brain hurt.
It is remarkably well written and researched, but the dynamics aren't for me.
But 2 stars just for the writing.
I went ahead and skimmed the rest of the series and the ONE book where the hero really chases, the heroine is so inconsiderate and callous it makes my brain hurt.
It is remarkably well written and researched, but the dynamics aren't for me.
But 2 stars just for the writing.
3,5
This book is really enjoyable, if you like reading about highlaners and them finding their women. It is well written and really interested. I enjoyed every moment of it!
The characters are amazing! I like the chief, he is just the kind of man I like sooo...This book is really good.
This book is really enjoyable, if you like reading about highlaners and them finding their women. It is well written and really interested. I enjoyed every moment of it!
The characters are amazing! I like the chief, he is just the kind of man I like sooo...This book is really good.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Tor is one of the greatest male characters in romance literature. The Chief is more than a love story; it's the story of how Scotland came to be a free nation under the golden sun. The chief, on the other hand, is more romantic; in fact, this is historical fiction with a romantic subtext. We all belong in a highlander's embrace. When I started reading The Chief, I was often half asleep, and I always went for the Christina and Tor portions, but I ultimately caught up with the historical sequences as well. I was seeking for them as much as I was for romance. The remarkable storyline never seemed misled or diverted. There are much too many names, yet the Scots have several Highlanders.
Mrs McCarty is the queen of Highland romance, and I'd want to read more of her work. I'm not sure if I'll ever find love. This series has officially hooked me, and I want to marry a Highlander.
Mrs McCarty is the queen of Highland romance, and I'd want to read more of her work. I'm not sure if I'll ever find love. This series has officially hooked me, and I want to marry a Highlander.