Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Review: Highland Spitfire

Highland Spitfire (Highland Weddings - Book 1) by Mary Wine

Publication Date:02/01/2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 1492602566
ISBN-13: 978-1492602569

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, iTunes

Mary Wine on the Web: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, goodreads

Synopsis:

New from Mary Wine, the queen of sizzling, page-turning Scottish Historical romance
Passion flares between enemies

Two hotheaded Highlanders, the offspring of feuding lairds, are tricked by the King's Regent into a desperate choice: marry or die. Bhaic MacPherson is more disposed to lead his clan into battle than stay married to the daughter of his enemy. But perhaps the intensity of his feelings has more to do with desire than hostility.

And the Highlands ignite

Ailis Robertson wanted a husband, not a savage-but when her family was faced with a deadly ultimatum, she had no choice. The union of a MacPherson and a Robertson could end three generations of hostilities between the two families, but can bitter rivals truly become lovers?


Thoughts:

Mary Wine brings readers the first book in her new Highland Weddings series, Highland Spitfire. Wine captivates readers with intriguing characters and a fiery relationship between the hero and heroine. This is a Scottish historical that readers won't soon forget. This one has everything from a shotgun wedding to feuding clans. Wine's extensive knowledge of the period from the food to the clothing makes this one hard to put down. A great new book from a trusted author!

What I liked:

As with any Mary Wine book, there is a lot to like here. Wine is an expert on this time period. Being of Scottish decent myself, this is something that is so important to making it a good read for me. I have read a lot of Scottish historicals and Wine is by far one of my favorites in the genre. Her powers of description are one of things that makes Wine's stories come alive. She describes in great detail the setting, the food, the clothes and every aspect of the Highland way of life. It's all in the details!

Highland Spitfire had a great premise as well. This story is about a three generational feud between the MacPherson clan and the Robertson clan. The son and daughter of the respective lairds are forced to marry under threat of death in order to build a better future for their fighting clans. It was not by choice and certainly couldn't be considered a marriage of convenience because it was anything but convenient. I loved the fact that Wine takes her detail even into the names she chose for her characters. Ailis is of course the Scottish version for Alice and Bhaic means barriers. When the King's Regent forces these two to marry the sparks begin to fly. A great idea for a captivating story.

Let's face it, most people read romance, for the romance. The sexy scenes, the passion and the banter between the hero and the heroine. Well, Mary Wine has a knack for giving the reader just enough heat to get the motor running but not enough to push this into the erotic realm, though she writes those kinds of novels as well. There were tender moments in this one, as well as, hot and spicy moments. The balance was perfect.

What I didn't like:

I loved a lot about this book, from the characters to the exquisite detail, but when I think of Scots, I think of warriors. There was a bit of action in this one, but I wanted more. Bhaic was obviously a very capable warrior, as was his brother and the rest of his clansmen. I guess I just wished we got to see a little more of that side of things in this one.

Bottom Line:

This was a great book from start to finish. Wine does a fantastic job with description and detail. There are not many Scottish historical writers who can top her in that area. I loved the hero and the heroine and wanted to know so much more about them after their shotgun wedding in the beginning of the book. Ailis suffers a great deal in the MacPherson stronghold and Bhaic fights jealousy throughout. When the finally come together both physically and emotionally readers will be jumping up and down. Not quite the most action filled Wine book I've read, but it really didn't make a difference.

Highland Spitfire is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!



About the Author:

Acclaimed author Mary Wine has written over 30 works of erotic fantasy, romantic suspense, and historical romance. An avid history-buff and historical costumer, she and her family enjoy participating in historical reenactments. Mary lives with her husband and two sons in Yorba Linda, California.

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