The Chief

February 8, 2010
McCarty (Highland Scoundrel
) begins a new Highland romance trilogy, this one set in the early 14th century. While Robert the Bruce attempts to consolidate the clans against the king, clan chief Tormod MacLeod hopes to remain above suspicion as he begins a special ops force, but his allegiance looks questionable after he’s tricked into marrying Christina Fraser, the daughter of a nobleman once imprisoned for supporting William Wallace. Tor faces internal conflict as his growing feelings for his wife battle his warrior code. McCarty devotes too much time to the special ops story line, and romance fans will find little to engage with as Tor remains cold in the face of Christina’s efforts to breach his emotional walls, but readers who deplore “wallpaper historicals” will appreciate not only the romance but McCarty’s efforts to go beyond the superficialities of historical Scotland.

Starred review from April 15, 2010
With William Wallace dead and Scotland's fate now in his hands, Robert the Bruce quietly makes plans for a secret army: 12 of the best warriors in the landnotably West Highlanders and Islandersunited under a fierce Western Isle chief, the legendary Tormod MacLeod. Unfortunately for the Bruce, staunchly independent Tor wants no part of the planuntil treachery lands the tempting Christina Fraser in his bed, and he is forced to reconsider. Passion and politics abound in this exceptionally well-researched romance that skillfully interweaves fiction with history and sheds new light on a particularly fascinating and violent time. VERDICT Clear, accessible historical detail, strong, intricate plotting, and believable characters (both historical and invented) keep the pages turning in this adventure, the first in a new series, which hooks readers from the start. McCarty ("Highland Scoundrel") lives in Piedmont, CA.

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