Review + Giveaway - The Guardian by Margaret Mallory

TITLE:    The Guardian
AUTHOR:    Margaret Mallory
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 354 pages
PUBLISHED:   Forever, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Book Tour

FROM THE PUBLISHER:    THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK I



Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.

PASSION IGNITED


After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past . . . and claim the bride he's long resisted.

As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas - and he won't take no for an answer.

MY TAKE:    I had heard of Margaret Mallory, but hadn't had an opportunity to read anything by her.  That was until I was introduced to her writing in this FREE bonus content from Hachette:  We Love Scotland.  It included a lovely sneak peek into The Guardian - I was hooked!  When I was offered a chance to review an ARC, I jumped at it.

The author now has a semi-rabid fan.  Her writing style draws the reader right into the world she has created.  I felt like I could almost feel the cold and damp in some of the scenes.  She is very descriptive without overloading you with too much detail.  The action flowed very smoothly, the danger felt real and the romance was sweet and steamy at the same time. 

Characters are what make this story a must read.  The four warriors:  Ian, Connor, Duncan and Alexander are what Highlander dreams are made of!  I want one..or all.  Ian is a bit of a mess in the beginning.  He is fighting his head against his heart with duty and honor weighing in.  When he was forced to marry his childhood friend Sileas, she was just that ~ a child.  He is away for five years and doesn't even recognize her when he returns.  His wife is a raving beauty who is thoroughly ticked at him, as he deserves.  You can't help but falling for Ian as the story progresses.  He is loyal to a fault, as well as stubborn. But, he is a Scot you know..

Sileas (SHEE-las) is a heroine that I found very easy to become fond of.  She is hard-working, loving and quite smart.  Her beauty is pretty much a distraction to all of the men around her, including her errant husband.  They all tend to overlook the fact that she has a brain and puts it to good use.  She has kept Ian's family intact while he's been away and he has a hard time processing that.

I really enjoyed this story and read it quickly as I had a few hours with no interruptions (how rare!).  It was very engrossing and I can't wait for the next installment, The Sinner, to be out in November - so far away :(  But I do know it will be well worth the wait as we will learn how Alexander fares with the lovely Glynis.  I highly recommend this series and am looking forward to reading the other series by Margaret Mallory: All the King's Men.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:  Amazon and The Book Depository

To learn more about Margaret Mallory and this fantastic new series as well as her other books, you can find her at:

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Goodreads

MargaretMallory.com

The lovely Ms. Mallory and Hachette Books are offering THREE of you equally lovely readers a chance to win your own copy of The Guardian!  Aren't you the lucky ones?

• Must be at least 13 years old
• US and Canadian residents
• NO PO Boxes
• Leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL and tell me if you'd prefer an Ian, Connor, Duncan or Alexander.  If my husband wouldn't complain, I'd order one of each!  Wouldn't want to break up a complete set :)
• Contest ends on May 16th
• Only one copy of this title may be won in any of the drawings being held in conjunction with this blog tour
• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to win notification

Good luck and as always,

 

~~~~~ 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.