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A review by pomeloreads
The Chief by Monica McCarty
5.0
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Steam level: Open-door content
Thoughts:
Like all of Monica McCarty’s books, this wartime historical romance is written very well. It also serves as an excellent introduction to the Highland Guard series without sacrificing the quality of the central plot, characterization, or romance. Despite having several tropes that I don’t typically enjoy, McCarty’s writing is so descriptive, riveting, and evocative that I always make exceptions for anything written by her.
The Chief provides thorough historical context from actual events and lore which took place during the Wars for Scottish Independence, and McCarty even includes an Author’s Note at the end of the book describing the events and figures that she incorporated in her story. This information, although lengthy at times, set the stage for excellent world building, something that is rarely found in a historical romance novel.
Tor and Christina’s story was filled with angst, which had me feeling nervous for most of the book. As with all of McCarty’s books in this series, the central plot revolves around Robert Bruce’s secret, elite phantom league during a precarious time of war. This made the central conflict feel incredibly high-stakes and especially painful when considering Tor’s actions to keep these secrets and his wife safe. Unfortunately and reasonably, Christina, a wholesome new bride, internalized these actions as neglect, often making her feel like an object rather than a wife. Hurt and shame were written so authentically and emotionally that it was hard for me to finish this story without a break. These angsty plot events persisted until the very last moment, when the male lead confronted his feelings and surrendered to his truest desire of loving his wife.
One other note I would like to make is that the action scenes are also very moving. I typically skip these scenes in other romance books, but these moments convey genuine pride, hope, and faithfulness for the characters’ cause.
I would recommend this series to any lover of historical romance, especially those who love angst. Monica McCarty’s writing is so unique and worth giving a try.
Read this if you like:
- Major longing and angst
- Wartime romance books
- Excellent action scenes and world building
Tropes: Highlander romance, cold male lead, OW drama, major angst, secret keeping, compromised, wartime, stubborn male lead
Trigger warnings: SA, attempted SA, violence, abusive parent,
Steam level: Open-door content
Thoughts:
Like all of Monica McCarty’s books, this wartime historical romance is written very well. It also serves as an excellent introduction to the Highland Guard series without sacrificing the quality of the central plot, characterization, or romance. Despite having several tropes that I don’t typically enjoy, McCarty’s writing is so descriptive, riveting, and evocative that I always make exceptions for anything written by her.
The Chief provides thorough historical context from actual events and lore which took place during the Wars for Scottish Independence, and McCarty even includes an Author’s Note at the end of the book describing the events and figures that she incorporated in her story. This information, although lengthy at times, set the stage for excellent world building, something that is rarely found in a historical romance novel.
Tor and Christina’s story was filled with angst, which had me feeling nervous for most of the book. As with all of McCarty’s books in this series, the central plot revolves around Robert Bruce’s secret, elite phantom league during a precarious time of war. This made the central conflict feel incredibly high-stakes and especially painful when considering Tor’s actions to keep these secrets and his wife safe. Unfortunately and reasonably, Christina, a wholesome new bride, internalized these actions as neglect, often making her feel like an object rather than a wife. Hurt and shame were written so authentically and emotionally that it was hard for me to finish this story without a break. These angsty plot events persisted until the very last moment, when the male lead confronted his feelings and surrendered to his truest desire of loving his wife.
One other note I would like to make is that the action scenes are also very moving. I typically skip these scenes in other romance books, but these moments convey genuine pride, hope, and faithfulness for the characters’ cause.
I would recommend this series to any lover of historical romance, especially those who love angst. Monica McCarty’s writing is so unique and worth giving a try.
Read this if you like:
- Major longing and angst
- Wartime romance books
- Excellent action scenes and world building
Tropes: Highlander romance, cold male lead, OW drama, major angst, secret keeping, compromised, wartime, stubborn male lead
Trigger warnings: SA, attempted SA, violence, abusive parent,