Monday, May 2, 2011

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:



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,



Image and video hosting by TinyPic
 

~~~~~ 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.

29 comments:

  1. Ooo Umm Ian, every highland book with a Ian has always been amazing!! Thanks for the great give away!

    loveangel132@yahoo.com

    Heidi

    ReplyDelete
  2. Definitely, Ian McDonald. I like a man who come back with a punch trying to reclaim his title and win back his bride. The story sounds super good; i love historical romances!

    golaszewski.tw1(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like your idea of one of each! But if I were forced to choose, I would say Ian.

    I follow on GFC

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've always loved the name Duncan so I would probably choose him. I think The Guardian sounds awesome. Thanks for the great giveaway!

    user1123 AT comcast DOT net
    US

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Guardian sounds like a great book. I am very intriqued into the storyline and Ian and Sileas's 5 yr separation. I can't wait to see how their story ends. I agree with you that it's hard picking just one. I love my Highlanders and would keep all of them if I could.

    rjofus AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm so glad you enjoyed THE GUARDIAN! Thanks for the lovely review and for participating in my blog tour.

    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  7. This sounds like a good highlander story and I love me some highlanders :) So I have to say that I would agree that they (Ian, Connor, Duncan and Alexander) should some as a complete set so we don't have to choose, lol :P

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the name Connor.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

    smccar1 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. A Connor for me, please, haha! ;-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think your right, you can't break up a set...hehe. They all match so well..so I'd have to go with the set rather then an individual :)

    Thanks for the great giveaway!

    JaidisShaw at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't want to get too greedy. Let's start with Ian, then we'll go from there!

    Thanks for the review and giveaway. (Email in profile.)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm excited about Margaret's new series. Since I like the name Alexander, I'll go with him. Thanks for the giveaway.

    janie1215 AT excite DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good Review. New follower. Thanks for visiting.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would prefer a Connor :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!
    theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I will pick Ian. He sounds yummy.
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great review!
    I'll go with Alexander.

    marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  17. As I haven't read this yet...I am just going to have to pick a name...and since my daughter is named Alexandria I'll go with Alexander!

    Thanks! mmafsmith(at)gmail(dot).com

    ReplyDelete
  18. This sounds like a fabulous book. I have a friend named Duncan, so I would go with him.

    Thanks for the chance to win.

    Cheryl

    cg20pm00(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have not read them yet so I am not sure!

    lisasworldofbooks @charter.net

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would have to say Ian
    thanks for the giveaway!
    bookflamereviews@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would pick Connor!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think they all sound wonderful.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'll take Connor!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yes, I'd like to have one of each too, but I'll choose Ian. I love highlander books and this sounds like a really great series. I can't wait to read them.

    seriousreader at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  25. An Ian. :)

    headlessfowl at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Lol totally one of each ;) But they're all mmmmmmmmmmmm x) I'd love an Alexander please <3 (haha it sounds like I'm ordering a meal)! Thanks for the giveaway!!

    hsiu_an(at)hotmail(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow...I love your idea of not breaking up a set! And since I haven't read any of these yet, I'll go with Ian from this one....but I reserve the right to add to my clan. lol!

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I just discovered your blog and am a new follower. I hope I can still get in for this giveaway. A Connor for sure!! I dated a Connor once and he's still in my dreams. (sigh) Thanks!

    Margaret
    singitm@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I agree with the "one of each" theory! That works for me :)

    Thanks for the chance to win,
    JM
    machojeanne (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. Feel free to tell us what you think. (Please note that we have comment moderation turned on so we'll never miss a message from one of our readers.)