Conquered By A Highlander-Children Of The Mist #4 {My Thoughts}

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Conquered by a Highlander by Paula Quinnebook
Published May 22nd 2012 by Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 1455510688 (ISBN13: 9781455510689)
seriesChildren of the Mist #4
 Source: Netgalley.com EARC AMAZON BARNES AND NOBLE My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Synopsis

BOUND BY DUTY

Colin MacGregor was born to fight-for his beliefs, his king, and his family's honor. After years away from his beloved Scotland, he yearns to return to its lush, green hills-and he can, after he completes one final mission for the king. Sent to infiltrate a traitor's home, Colin is determined to expose the treasonous plot and triumph on the battlefield . . . until he meets a sensual lass who tempts him towards other pursuits . . . .

BETRAYED BY PASSION

Lady Gillian Dearly is no stranger to temptation. Cast out of her family for bearing an illegitimate child, she's now the ward of a barbarian conspiring against the king. Her only desire: freedom for her son and for herself at any cost, even if it means making a deal with the devil. Yet when a mysterious Highlander appears in their midst, his braw strength and smoldering gaze give her hope for a future beyond the castle walls-and promise a desire unlike any she's ever known. But passion comes at a price . .

My Thoughts

It has been my pleasure to watch how author Paula Quinn
has managed to match the main characters story to their personality. From the very first book that I read there was no doubt in my mind that she had created something special that readers like myself who love Highlanders, Scotland and Romance mixed in with action, political intrigues and more would totally enjoy from beginning to end. Having read every book she has thus far released in her (3books in) "Risande Family" series , her (2books) "MacGregors" series
books and the previous (3books) in "Children Of The Mist" series   it was great to finally read this book.

I have been waiting for quite a while to read Colin MacGregors' story. He is a warrior, a man born with the need to do battle and win at all costs to himself, a Highlander to his very core! Colin is also the most favored among King James Stuart soldiers, he has won the right to call the king his friend and he has every intention of seeing him remain on the throne even if that means losing his own life to keep him there. At the young age of only 22, Colin has become hardened letting no one and nothing stand in the way of his mission. That all changes the day he spies a lone woman on the rampart walls of Dartmouth castle, where he has been sent to infiltrate and gather information about the arrival of William Of Orange. As a spy Colin has no equal, he is able to befriend his enemy and gather the needed information time and again without any qualms or pangs of conscience when it comes time to do battle.

The title of the book is in keeping with the series, however it is not so much the Highlander who does the conquering but the lovely English beauty whose 3 year old son makes Colin feel something he never thought possible, a yearning for a wife and child of his own. This is another one of the author's works that pulls you right into the scenes, the smells, the sounds and the characters become vividly real from the very first page! The beauty of the range of emotions that Colin experiences after his first encounters with both Edmund and his mother Gillian are totally eye opening to him because after watching his brothers fall in love he basically vowed that particular "affliction" would never be one he would have to worry about. Not only is the intrigue in the plot wonderful to follow but the romance between Colin and Gillian is as well, (even thought it develops slowly in my mind that makes it all the more worth the wait for the two of them).

Since this book has been reviewed thoroughly both since its May 2012 release and prior to it by others I am just going to say that of the 9 books written by Paula this is the one that "fit the character" the best, it was also to date my favorite read because Colin was a character that I really wanted to see fleshed out and made more three dimensional and I was in no way disappointed when read
"Conquered by a Highlander" as the book met all my expectations and even exceeded them!

This is a must read for all historical romance lovers, not only has author Paula Quinn
become an auto-buy for me just like author of the The Outlander Series Diana Gabaldon
but she is one I highly recommend as well!

[EArc copy from Net Galley.com . ]

 Places to find Paula:
GR AMAZON WS FBFP