Official Upcoming Release Schedule!

Due to changes in how my publisher assigns dates, I won't have release dates until I finish the book. I'm currently working on:

Taking the Realm which is book 3 of Sha and Connor's trilogy (previously titled Shaking the Balance)

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Review of Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks!!

Hello lovelies! I had the amazing privilege of getting to read and review Maya Banks' upcoming novel, Highlander Most Wanted and let me tell you, I did the serious happy dance when my request was approved. I freaking ADORE her highlander series (well, pretty much anything by Maya) and this was no different. Shall we get to the review?



About the book:
Publisher: Random House - Ballantine Books
Expected Publication Date: March 19, 2013
My source for the book: NetGalley.com
Genre: Historical romance
Description:

Maya Banks, the New York Times bestselling author of erotic romance, romantic suspense, and contemporary romance, has captivated readers with her steamy Scottish historical novels, perfect for fans of Julie Garwood. In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.
Genevieve McInnis is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

 WHAT I LIKED:

Where do I begin? Maya Banks always writes such rich characters, I'm immediately drawn into her stories. I made the mistake of starting this book at 1am when I couldn't sleep thinking I'd just read a chapter or two. The next thing I knew, it was 3AM and I had to be up in 4 more hours. Still, it was so hard to put the Kindle down and I even snuck in some reading time before work. This picks up shortly after Never Seduce A Scot and I'd recommend reading that first. You'll understand this book just fine without it, but Highlander Most Wanted does reference events from the first book so you'll enjoy this more with the whole story.

One thing I love about this book is the heroine isn't physically perfect. Just as Eveline in Never Seduce A Scot was deaf, Genevieve has had her face disfigured in such a way that it inspires strong feelings of pity or disgust in most people who meet her. As a writer myself, I'm guilty of focusing on physical perfection. However, Maya does a beautiful job of crafting strong heroines who overcome their physical ailments and find true love. To do this believably in a historical romance is even more commendable. In addition to the scar, Genevieve is battling the emotional toll of having endured physical, emotional and sexual abuse, but through it all she's a very strong woman who you feel can truly overcome any obstacle, particularly with sexy Bowen.

The plot is intriguing, though in some ways not as exciting as some of her other highlander books. Bowen is everything you'd expect in a sexy highlander and certainly does not disappoint.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

There was very little I didn't like about this. In a very few places I wish things had picked up the pace just a little bit and there's a conflict throughout the book involving Genevieve and the McHugh clanspeople that I thought could have used a bit more wrapping up. I didn't feel like the conflict was completely resolved but it's hard to explain without giving away spoilers.


OVERALL VERDICT: 5/5 Blue Duckies!!


Maya Banks is without a doubt one of my favorite authors. She's one of the rare few who can write steamy contemporary, exciting romantic suspense, and sexy historical highlanders and do it well. You can always count on her books to deliver amazing characters, interesting plots, and rich descriptions that yank you into the story and make you sad the story has to end.

1 comment:

  1. What a great review! I would like to read this myself! :)

    ReplyDelete