Review + Giveaway - Sins of a Highland Devil by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

First installment in the magical new Highland Warriors series..

TITLE:    Sins of a Highland Devil
AUTHOR:    Sue-Ellen Welfonder
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 373 pages
PUBLISHED:   Forever, 2011
ISBN#:   978-0-446-56178-5
HOW I GOT IT:   Received from Hachette for Blog Tour & Review

FROM GOODREADS:   The first book in the Highland Warriors trilogy, in which three heroes make a pact to insure that a rival clan does not take over their Glen of Many Legends. At the same time, three women plot to marry these heroes to ensure peace.



In SINS OF A HIGHLAND DEVIL, James Cameron is concerned when the King's decree states all three neighboring clans must have a battle to the death in order to lay official claim to the scared Glen of Many Legends. James attempts to make a pact with the heads of the other clans to fight this decree. But he ends up fighting his own fierce desire when coming head-to-head with Lady Catriona of the opposing MacDonald clan, who has her own plan for peace.

MY TAKE:    This is the first book in a fantastic new series from bestselling author Sue-Ellen Welfonder.  I found it to be a very enjoyable read, in fact I stayed up with my little book light to finish it in one sitting.

The characters are well written and charming, if not difficult.  The heroine is Catriona MacDonald.  Frankly she is a head-strong, spoiled brat of a girl, but she has a heart of gold.  Unfortunately, that heart is pounding for James Cameron ~ her clan's sworn enemy.

James is a proud warrior who has the weight of his clan, if not the entire glen riding on his shoulders.  He's stubborn and what we women dream of in a hunky, kilt-wearing man.

I loved that the story is written with lots of humor.  Catriona teaming up with James's sister Isobel was great.  Poor men don't stand a chance when the women gang up them.

Ms. Welfonder's vivid descriptions of the glen make me want to move there NOW.  Scotland is my dream destination anyway and this magical place just seals the deal.

One of the things that I didn't particularly get was in the later part of the story when there is a mysterious group of men terrorizing the three clans.  I don't know if this might be a lead-in to the next book, but it wasn't really a favorite part of the book for me.  It didn't really flow for me. 

We meet many of the other characters that will be playing starring roles in the next two installments.  I can't wait to see how it progresses.  The next title in the series Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel will be out on August 1st!  Looking forward to it.
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Here are Five Fun Facts from the author:

1. Sue-Ellen is proud of her ancestral ties to the MacDonalds. For centuries, her family held the title of Hereditary Keepers of the Records for the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles.

2. Blackshore is based on Castle Tioram, once mighty stronghold of Clanranald. Tioram still impresses from its tidal islet in Loch Moidart. Catriona enjoys racing the tide to reach the castle. Sue-Ellen once tried this and was stranded at the ruin until the tide receded.

3. Rannoch, the magical stag, was inspired by Big Boy, a friendly red stag who loved greeting visitors in Glencoe. Deer have been beloved to Highlanders since time immemorial. Legends abound, including that fairy women took deer form. Sue-Ellen combined Celtic lore with Big Boy’s memory to create Rannoch.

4. Sue-Ellen loves dogs. Hector and Geordie are senior canines in Sins of a Highland Devil. The dogs in Sue-Ellen’s books are always loved and treated with respect. They’re all heroes and live forever. If she had one wish, it would be for dogs everywhere to be so blessed.

5. Catriona has an enchanted amber necklace. Sue-Ellen owns its twin: agedly beautiful ambers she kept on her desk while writing Sins of a Highland Devil. She suspects it’s the very same necklace.


To learn more about Sue-Ellen Welfonder, check out her WEBSITE.  For now you can
Read the Prequel to the trilogy HERE!

WHERE TO BUY IT:  Amazon, The Book Depository, Powell's Books, IndieBound

Hachette Books and the author have generously offered TWO of you your very own copy of Sins of a Highland Devil! 

• Leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL to enter.  Tell me your dream place to live.
• Open to US and Canadian residents.  NO PO BOXES.
• You don't have to be a follower, but you'll get an extra entry if you are!
• Only one prize will be sent per household, no matter how many times you win at various blogs.
• Drawing ends January 31st, midnight California time.
• Winners will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.  Please check your spam folder as winning notices get lost sometimes :)

Good luck to all of you and as usual,

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.