Hello, today I am delighted to be sharing another of my ‘Off the Bookshelf reviews’ of Her Enemy Highlander by Nicole Locke, which is book two in the Lovers and Legends series, go and take a look!
In the wilds of Scotland…
Impulsive Mairead Buchanan’s only goal is to track down the man responsible for her brother’s death. Until a shameful encounter with Caird of enemy clan Colquhoun proves a distraction she can’t ignore…
Nothing could prepare Mairead for the path she’s thrown onto when the secrets of a jeweled dagger are revealed and she finds herself kidnapped by this sexy highlander! With Mairead’s recklessness a perfect foil to Caird’s cool command, can these two enemies set their clans’ differences aside and surrender to the desire that rages between them?
Review
Rating 💖💖💖💖
I have been a huge fan of the Lovers and Legends series for a few years (or should that be since I first discovered these books way back in the early days of the blog?). I have devoured each one and I had thought I’d read them all only to discover I had the first three sitting unread on my shelf.
How did that happen?
Who knows, another case of me going through life with my eyes shut and missing what’s right in front of me!
But one thing I do know is; that these three books are not passing me by – they have waited long enough for my attention!
Said that, I have gone and done my old trick of reading them out of order, why do I do this to myself?
Hmmm, I really should stop asking myself questions that can’t be answered and actually write this review!!!
OK!
Mairead has unknowingly stumbled into a nest of vipers all of which are ready to strike, but who and what are they striking at?
Well that is the question, isn’t it?
Without realising it when she stumbles upon a sleeping Highander in the ‘dishabille’ as she looks for the man who not only murdered her brother but stole a secret and mysterious dagger.
Ooh, that dagger causes a lot of trouble!!
Said dagger which she is banking on using as a way to bring her family out of the ruin her brother has left them in, but in that one simple act, she has found herself in the midst of intrigue and danger, betrayal, blackmail, murder, clan warfare, secrets and unknowns all pointing fingers (mostly in her direction).
Within a few hours, she is kidnapped by a huge, monosyllabic, grumbling ruthless, sexy-as-hell highlander who apparently hates and distrusts her. He calls her a liar, he drags her about and blames her for all that’s wrong in his life!
Charming!
Whears his brother would happily throw her in the river and his cousins either want to hump her or murder her.
What a family!
Yup, it’s a bad day, yet none of these growling, grumbling men explain themselves or their actions, only that she is a Buchannan and can’t be trusted!
Which makes perfect sense (to them!) at least they feed her, in between growls and threats!
Caird – firstly let’s just take a moment to fully bask in the eternal glory that is Caird Colquhoun!
My gawd, I would happily be kidnapped by him just for the chance to ogle his magnificent arse ….arms, I mean arms!!!
He’s a complicated man, though I have an inkling he never used to be complicated, it’s only since he became acquainted with Mairead that his life was completely turned on its head.
Being the middle brother of the three; Bram the Laird and Malcom the youngest, Caird is dependable, quietly calculating, responsible, picks up the pieces and always tries to keep the peace. So him taking Mairead along for their not-so-happy jaunt through the country and his animosity towards her is out of character.
It’s no secret that I have a serious love for Highlanders; rough-around-edges, rugged, proud, passionate, growling, seductive Scotsmen, so it wasn’t a surprise that I instantly from that very first sighting of Caird, his brother Malcolm and his cousins fell head over heels for them.
Yes, Caird is a pain in the arse, he’s so set in his ways, his opinions and his beliefs, he’s unmoveable (literal and figuratively speaking) and judges harshly and holds onto historical grudges (though nothing in comparison to Malcolm!) but putting all of his flaws aside there is a more to this large warrior then just a few grunts and a good tone backside, he feels things greatly, he holds lot of guilt and pain locked away.
I loved how he says he has to constantly touch her to feel at peace to still the pain, my heart broke and fused together, it’s a really beautiful scene!
Mairead; like Caird is holding onto a lot of buried emotion, huge amounts of guilt grief and loss but she battles that with her relentless determination, in an argument or fight she can give as good as she gets!
What confuses me is her sudden change at the end by following Caird’s plan (I won’t say too much as this does happen right in the last couple of chapters) up to that moment she has fought him all the way, never backing down, and yet that changes to follow Caird. I would have expected more of a show-down between them, more of an argument from Mairead instead of bowing down to him.
Don’t get me wrong I liked the ending (despite the unanswered questions) and I am so pleased that these head-butting enemies found their footing, but I expected something a little more.
I do love an enemies-to-lovers story and this one has all the tension, the bickering, the heated glances and huge amounts of complex emotional angst between Maired and Caird. Being from warring clans they have both been raised to hate the other, though the Colquhouns take their bitter feud with the Buchannans to another level, they are both strong-willed, determined, fiercely proud, stubborn and full of Scottish fiery passion = so having these two sharing a horse is full of fire and brimstone!
I am super excited to ‘properly meet’ Caird’s cousins; Hamilton and Cameron Graham in the next series; Lovers and Highlanders – which means I’m off on a book-buying binge as soon as my bank balance will allow me to, but Cameron and Hamilton will be worth the wait, I know it!
I Hate to be at all negative, but despite loving this book the story is compelling, the journey Mairead and Caird go on is fraught with so much danger (and not just from this unknown mysterious shadowy enemy) the mystery, the murder, the tension it’s all brilliantly written with Nicole Locke well-loved flare with words, I felt a little flummoxed the ending came up and I was still left with unanswered questions.
Who was this mysterious Englishman and Archer? (though I’m wondering if he/she pops up later in the series as I do remember an archer further along) Why does Malcom hate Mairead and her clan so much? (Is that in book one and I’ve missed it?) and why can’t Caird say anything about….well anything…..argghh!!!
He is so infuriating!
Good job he’s super sexy, and I have a weakness for Highlanders!
I just wish there was more closure, a bit more tying loose ends up than leaving all of these unanswered questions floating around, or maybe it’s a clever ploy to make me go back and read them all again?
I believe Caird’s eldest brother, Bram; Laird of Colquhoun is book three, I am really looking forward to reading his story, despite only ‘meeting’ him for a brief moment at the end of this book there is something darkly alluring about him so roll on his story (not before I go back to read the first book).
Overall, Her Enemy Highlander is a damn fine, exciting, sexy and edgy romp through the Scottish highlands.
With murder and betrayal, tension and lust, bitter arguments and sword fights plus the mysterious goings-on regarding this unknown ‘Englishman’ and a dagger all entwined around two complex and flawed individuals; it’s a definite keeper for any romance reader!
Chicks,Rogues and Scandals 