To Wed A Highlander

Normally I am not a historical romance reader, much less a Highland historical romance. I find the heroines to be wimpy, weak and just too stupid to live (TSTL), and the heros to be overly arrogant and egotistical. This is not an issue with Michele Sinclair's books. Her characters jump off the page, Makenna not only stands her ground with a strong hero, but also against the stubborn short-sightedness of her clan. Her hero's are strong on their own behalf, and do not have to look good because everyone else around them are idiotic. Michele's characters are strong, passionate and well developed, moving smoothly through a fast pace plot that will keep you glued to the pages. The only downside of this book... it ended. Now I have to wait until her publisher decides to release the next installment. Oh well, I can always re-read!

Michele Sinclair makes characters come alive. I am one of the lucky people who got to read and review an advanced reader copy. From the opening sentence you are 'into' the story. Sinclair makes you SEE the characters, the scene, the country-side. If you have followed Michele Sinclair's planned books in this series and been to her web site, you'd know that her working title was 'A Highlander's Pride'. In reading this story, you'll see why that was her working title because 'pride' is another character in the story. Another winner from this new author. Now that I've read this one, I can't wait for #3 to come out!

I do not usually give 5 stars, but this book was by far the best summer read yet. You will fall in love with Colin and Makenna. There is such a romance that builds with them that leaves you feeling good inside. This author really made the pages come a live so that you could not help but laugh or cry with the characters. The research on the history was well done and I loved the mention and background on William Wallace. The first book in this series "The Highlander's Bride", with Colin's brother Conor, was lacking somewhat but was still a good read. This sequel makes any mistakes in the first worth while. I hope there will be more stories to come of the rest of the McTiernay clan and hope I can wait patiently for them.

Michele Sinclair fascinated and entertained Scottish Historical Romance fans with her debut, "The Highlander's Bride." In this sequel, the story of the McTiernay family continues with the youngest and first to marry McTiernay brother, Colin McTiernay, a highlander who married into a lowlander clan for political alliance and was briefly mentioned in the first book. Colin finds himself once again single, widowed, and being pushed by his father-in-law to marry his wife's sister, Makenna Dunstan, in order to keep the Dunstan clan strong and defended. The strong and handsome leader still has not been accepted by the Dunstan clan, despite his previous marriage to Makenna's sister Deidre. Besides his problems with the Dunstan people's mistrust and the surrounding laird's greed in wanting Dunstan, he cannot believe he is being forced into marriage with Makenna, who he constantly was at odds with during his marriage, and feels another marriage is not required to be a strong laird. Deidre was blonde, blue-eyed, and meek; a woman trained to run a large keep and be an important laird's wife, but she was also very fragile. Colin loved Deidre in his own way, but his heart was not really engaged. Thus, it was a comfortable marriage. Now he is being offered a red-haired, green-eyed, tomboy, termagant, to deal with and marry, who is willful, can wield a sword as well as, or better than, many of the Dunstan men, and worst of all, has no idea how to do woman's work. Makenna has many of the same feelings as Colin. She is afraid of him and her own feelings and lack of confidence to step into Deidre's place. She has seen Colin as the huge bellowing man that has done nothing but make her life miserable by not allowing her to sword practice and instead forced her to train at ladies work, where she was a complete failure and ridiculed by many of her people. From the time of the marriage and through the trials of running the Dunstan clan, Colin begins to see the colorful beauty and strength of Makenna and falls deeply in love with her, while at the same time, Makenna sees Colin as the strong leader needed for the clan, as well as one to awaken her womanly passions in bed. Can Colin convince Makenna that she is truly his first true love and save Dunstan at the same time? This is a well-written, interesting, and entertaining story that is packed with suspense. Adding to the suspense and mystery is that there are many enemies within, trying to sabotage the keep and Makenna and Colin's budding desire, passion and love. As Colin struggles with his leadership and feelings of a true marriage of passion and love, Makenna struggles as well with her growing womanhood and homemaking skills. They soon grow to realize that Makenna's father made the true match the second time around and that Colin and Makenna are perfect for each other, not only in bed, but in keeping the Dunstan clan strong, united, and protected from dangers within and without. As there are many McTiernay brot