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jscarpa14's review against another edition
3.0
Okay I've been following Donna Grant on social media for a while because her books have been in the never ending TBR pile pretty much since they came out. The plots look interesting so I follow her to make sure I don't miss one to add the TBR pile, I will admit however I just now have actually gotten around to reading this one.
My reviews are kind of mixed partially because I actually do agree with some of the complaints other have listed. The written Scottish accent comes and goes I honestly feel that's one of those things you need to either disregard all together or commit to fully. As all the warriors are supposed to have been descended from the original Celtic tribes it really should have been something Grant committed and continued religiously throughout dialogue in the book so that the reader could get used to and fall into that cadence of speech instead of being jarred by it the few times it did appear. Additionally Lucan thought about sex to an obsessive distracting degree. Like I get that guys do think about sex, and a guy that hasn't had any in 300 years will probably think about it a little more than the average man when he finally encounters a woman, but I have a hard time believing he'd think about it THAT much. Like Lucan seems to drift off into sexual fantasy during every single conversation he has. Almost every time the book was in his point of view he had a sexual fantasy. Also on the topic of sex it's a personal pet peeve of mine when the scene starts out by making everyone aware that the big bad of the story will be there in moments, and the lead characters look at each other and pretty much say okay we've got a minute or two lets have a quickie. Grant's not alone in that kind of scene it's actually a regular occurrence in books and movies but in my head at the beginning of the scene I'm hearing:
https://youtu.be/GuclYjRJ6jI
And it's like that with every book or movie I read or watch that has that scenario. There's a part of me thinking if you have this much trouble controlling your hormones I'm not really going to blame the bad guy for taking you out.
Other issues I had with the book were time lines, it wasn't really clear at first that these 300 year old warriors weren't the ones that fought the Romans. And while they know time has changed since the days when these guys were human and they speak about it Grant doesn't seem to remember that her readers didn't live in either the 1300s or the 1600s so some examples of how time changed would have been nice. Yes we're all taught major historical events and remembering battle dates in our high school history classes but I feel a writer whose chosen to write in historical time period regardless of genre has a responsibility to her readers to make the time periods she's using in her story seem realistic and to ground the characters as either being from a time or being in a time. Examples of change would have been really helpful in doing this. Also while I get this is a romance novel, Grant has created this really interesting mythology here with some intriguing allies as well as villains. These secondary characters are important enough to her to offer small scenes from their points of view so I don't understand why she didn't spend a little less time filling up pages with sex and sexual fantasy and a little more time playing up this great scenario she's created. The mythos of this world would have me turning pages a lot faster than the endless sex fantasies. Like Cara's a druid, she grows and kills a few plants and seems pretty fast to pick things up and that's pretty much all we get of her druidic bits. I just feel that Grant was so focused on keeping this a clear romance that she skipped playing into all the truly interesting bits about her story that I for one would love to have read more about. You can still have the romance even when you take time to explain the background and create the world. Sure the book may be longer but as long as that information is actually interesting the reader will keep reading. Finally when I read romance I sort of expect that most of the lose ends are going to be neatly tied up at the end of the book, even within a series, maybe a little tendril of foreshadowing into future titles will be offered but in general most aren't very opened ended. This book on the other hand, well the couple got together. But it's a romance so you knew that was going to happen. It leaves unanswered questions about every single character as well as the future dynamics of the relationship like you know the fact that he's immortal and she isn't. He's not going to find her nearly as sexy when she's 80 and looks it and he still looks like he's in his 20s or 30s you know? I really felt this book really needed more and should have answered more of those questions prior to concluding.
That said despite all this I liked the book and the characters and I intended to continue reading the series in hopes that future titles might shift the focus a little from constant sexual thoughts to the intriguing war and mythology Grant has created for her characters.
My reviews are kind of mixed partially because I actually do agree with some of the complaints other have listed. The written Scottish accent comes and goes I honestly feel that's one of those things you need to either disregard all together or commit to fully. As all the warriors are supposed to have been descended from the original Celtic tribes it really should have been something Grant committed and continued religiously throughout dialogue in the book so that the reader could get used to and fall into that cadence of speech instead of being jarred by it the few times it did appear. Additionally Lucan thought about sex to an obsessive distracting degree. Like I get that guys do think about sex, and a guy that hasn't had any in 300 years will probably think about it a little more than the average man when he finally encounters a woman, but I have a hard time believing he'd think about it THAT much. Like Lucan seems to drift off into sexual fantasy during every single conversation he has. Almost every time the book was in his point of view he had a sexual fantasy. Also on the topic of sex it's a personal pet peeve of mine when the scene starts out by making everyone aware that the big bad of the story will be there in moments, and the lead characters look at each other and pretty much say okay we've got a minute or two lets have a quickie. Grant's not alone in that kind of scene it's actually a regular occurrence in books and movies but in my head at the beginning of the scene I'm hearing:
https://youtu.be/GuclYjRJ6jI
And it's like that with every book or movie I read or watch that has that scenario. There's a part of me thinking if you have this much trouble controlling your hormones I'm not really going to blame the bad guy for taking you out.
Other issues I had with the book were time lines, it wasn't really clear at first that these 300 year old warriors weren't the ones that fought the Romans. And while they know time has changed since the days when these guys were human and they speak about it Grant doesn't seem to remember that her readers didn't live in either the 1300s or the 1600s so some examples of how time changed would have been nice. Yes we're all taught major historical events and remembering battle dates in our high school history classes but I feel a writer whose chosen to write in historical time period regardless of genre has a responsibility to her readers to make the time periods she's using in her story seem realistic and to ground the characters as either being from a time or being in a time. Examples of change would have been really helpful in doing this. Also while I get this is a romance novel, Grant has created this really interesting mythology here with some intriguing allies as well as villains. These secondary characters are important enough to her to offer small scenes from their points of view so I don't understand why she didn't spend a little less time filling up pages with sex and sexual fantasy and a little more time playing up this great scenario she's created. The mythos of this world would have me turning pages a lot faster than the endless sex fantasies. Like Cara's a druid, she grows and kills a few plants and seems pretty fast to pick things up and that's pretty much all we get of her druidic bits. I just feel that Grant was so focused on keeping this a clear romance that she skipped playing into all the truly interesting bits about her story that I for one would love to have read more about. You can still have the romance even when you take time to explain the background and create the world. Sure the book may be longer but as long as that information is actually interesting the reader will keep reading. Finally when I read romance I sort of expect that most of the lose ends are going to be neatly tied up at the end of the book, even within a series, maybe a little tendril of foreshadowing into future titles will be offered but in general most aren't very opened ended. This book on the other hand, well the couple got together. But it's a romance so you knew that was going to happen. It leaves unanswered questions about every single character as well as the future dynamics of the relationship like you know the fact that he's immortal and she isn't. He's not going to find her nearly as sexy when she's 80 and looks it and he still looks like he's in his 20s or 30s you know? I really felt this book really needed more and should have answered more of those questions prior to concluding.
That said despite all this I liked the book and the characters and I intended to continue reading the series in hopes that future titles might shift the focus a little from constant sexual thoughts to the intriguing war and mythology Grant has created for her characters.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Dangerous Highlander
3 Stars
Lucan MacLeod and his brothers are one of a number of immortal Highland warriors cursed by Druids to house evil ancient Gods. The MacLeod brothers struggle against the demons inside them and have shut themselves away in the ruins of their family keep. When Cara, a young woman from the nearby village, stumbles across their refuge, she sets off a chain of events that ignites a fierce war between good and evil in which the MacLeods will have to conquer their fears in order to survive.
A compelling premise with likable characters. Unfortunately, the romance fails to live up to its potential.
While there is nothing wrong with either Lucan or Cara per se, there is simply nothing about them that evokes any real interest or caring in their relationship. As the middle brother, Lucan spends a great deal of time fretting over his brothers (Fallon who copes by consuming large amounts of alcohol and Quinn who is losing the battle with his demon) both of whom are far more intriguing than their anxious sibling.
Although Cara is a sweet heroine, she is also overly trusting and naive, and exhibits quite a few TSTL traits. Moreover, the details of her mysterious background and abilities are underdeveloped and underutilized.
Lucan and Cara also lack the chemistry that would turn their otherwise lackluster romance into a scorching page turner.
The world building is much more appealing. The dichotomy between the warriors and their demons is reminiscent of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. However, the internal struggle is barely touched upon and the extent of the demon’s influence on the warrior is never fully realized.
All in all, an OK historical romance with a paranormal twist. The overall storyline and secondary characters are interesting enough to continue with the series.
3 Stars
Lucan MacLeod and his brothers are one of a number of immortal Highland warriors cursed by Druids to house evil ancient Gods. The MacLeod brothers struggle against the demons inside them and have shut themselves away in the ruins of their family keep. When Cara, a young woman from the nearby village, stumbles across their refuge, she sets off a chain of events that ignites a fierce war between good and evil in which the MacLeods will have to conquer their fears in order to survive.
A compelling premise with likable characters. Unfortunately, the romance fails to live up to its potential.
While there is nothing wrong with either Lucan or Cara per se, there is simply nothing about them that evokes any real interest or caring in their relationship. As the middle brother, Lucan spends a great deal of time fretting over his brothers (Fallon who copes by consuming large amounts of alcohol and Quinn who is losing the battle with his demon) both of whom are far more intriguing than their anxious sibling.
Although Cara is a sweet heroine, she is also overly trusting and naive, and exhibits quite a few TSTL traits. Moreover, the details of her mysterious background and abilities are underdeveloped and underutilized.
Lucan and Cara also lack the chemistry that would turn their otherwise lackluster romance into a scorching page turner.
The world building is much more appealing. The dichotomy between the warriors and their demons is reminiscent of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. However, the internal struggle is barely touched upon and the extent of the demon’s influence on the warrior is never fully realized.
All in all, an OK historical romance with a paranormal twist. The overall storyline and secondary characters are interesting enough to continue with the series.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
This was fab. I wasn't expecting it to end when it did - super abrupt- but overall a very good Highlander romance with some druidy magic thrown in.
tamreel_stitches's review against another edition
3.0
The story seemed slow, but I'm going to give this series a chance.
honeycupreads's review against another edition
I just can’t do it… sorry to people who enjoy this book but the male lead is awful
thegeekyblogger's review against another edition
4.0
Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thoughts When Finished: Dangerous Highlander is a great beginning to what might end up being another in my must read "KILT" series.
Story Thoughts: Dangerous Highlander(s) indeed! In fact, I think I may go searching for castles that are rumored to have 300ish year old highlanders living in them. Especially if they are bad ass and clearly on the side of good. If they happen to have a few special powers, I won't argue. This was a really entertaining read and a great start to a series. I had read Donna Grant's druid series and had expected a lot from Dangerous Highlander. I was not disappointed.
Character Thoughts: Lucan was just exactly what I want in my kilted warriors: hot, strong, conflicted, loyal, and agile. Cara was exactly what strong kilted warriors need in their women: someone not afraid to tell them exactly what is going on. She was very much deserving of Lucan and I loved her spunk. Lucan and Cara together were hot! I also enjoyed Lucan's brothers and the other characters that came in towards the end. I do believe this is going to be a fun series to read because of the characters.
Audio Thoughts:
Antony is actually a narrator that I totally enjoy and towards the end of Dangerous Highlander the narration finally clicked for me. However, in the beginning I just couldn't get my head around his voice for Cara. However, his pacing, emotions, and accents were brilliantly done! I will be continuing this series on audio though because I think the male voices were amazing. As always, please listen to a snippet before buying an audiobook as narrators appeal differently to each listener.
Final Thoughts: I have the rest of these on my Christmas list!
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thoughts When Finished: Dangerous Highlander is a great beginning to what might end up being another in my must read "KILT" series.
Story Thoughts: Dangerous Highlander(s) indeed! In fact, I think I may go searching for castles that are rumored to have 300ish year old highlanders living in them. Especially if they are bad ass and clearly on the side of good. If they happen to have a few special powers, I won't argue. This was a really entertaining read and a great start to a series. I had read Donna Grant's druid series and had expected a lot from Dangerous Highlander. I was not disappointed.
Character Thoughts: Lucan was just exactly what I want in my kilted warriors: hot, strong, conflicted, loyal, and agile. Cara was exactly what strong kilted warriors need in their women: someone not afraid to tell them exactly what is going on. She was very much deserving of Lucan and I loved her spunk. Lucan and Cara together were hot! I also enjoyed Lucan's brothers and the other characters that came in towards the end. I do believe this is going to be a fun series to read because of the characters.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Antony Ferguson / Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
Antony is actually a narrator that I totally enjoy and towards the end of Dangerous Highlander the narration finally clicked for me. However, in the beginning I just couldn't get my head around his voice for Cara. However, his pacing, emotions, and accents were brilliantly done! I will be continuing this series on audio though because I think the male voices were amazing. As always, please listen to a snippet before buying an audiobook as narrators appeal differently to each listener.
Final Thoughts: I have the rest of these on my Christmas list!
bookwife's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to re-read this whole series.. not just the Dark sword but all of them... but I forgot how much I disliked this first book. It was hard to get through to be honest. So I don't think I will be going back through these. None of them stand out enough for me to get through the bad ones. AT lease none that I can remember.... who knows though. I might get bored and do it anyways.
I didn't love it but I certainly did not hate it. I feel like it could have been a lot better. I just wasn't a huge fan of Cara. I like stronger female leads and all she wanted to do was hide. She got better towards the end but my dislike was already there. So I don't know. I will go and read the rest of the series just because I am going through all of Donna Grant's books but if not for my OCD about books order I wouldn't.
I didn't love it but I certainly did not hate it. I feel like it could have been a lot better. I just wasn't a huge fan of Cara. I like stronger female leads and all she wanted to do was hide. She got better towards the end but my dislike was already there. So I don't know. I will go and read the rest of the series just because I am going through all of Donna Grant's books but if not for my OCD about books order I wouldn't.
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
5.0
I recently finished Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant, the first novel in her Dark Sword series. The book was published in paperback by St. Martin's Press in 2010.
I don't usually give five stars to romance novels (though I am a big fan of them), but this one earned my respect early on. By chapter three I was completely hooked on this series. The three MacLeod brothers--eldest Fallon, middle brother Lucan, and youngest Quinn--are simply irresistible.
It's not just that they're gorgeous Scottish Highlanders, either. Thanks to the workings of ancient Druid magic, originally used to fend off the Romans, the three brothers share an ancient god trapped inside them. A madwoman seeks to capture them because of this, and because of their secret, their clan was slaughtered. For three hundred years, the immortal brothers lived alone in the ruins of their castle with only their vengeful god for company. When an innocent young nun-in-training, Cara, ventures near their forbidden hold, she senses there's something magical about the place, but she never expects to fall in love with one of the brothers. This book was the perfect blend of romance and sword and sorcery, with moments of action but also a great heart, great chemistry, and an unforgettable band of brothers.
I took Donna Grant's Dark Sword quiz on FaceBook, and the quiz suggested "my" brother is Fallon. Okay, so Fallon does slightly resemble my husband, but so far I think I like Quinn a little better. I won't really know until I get my hands on the next book in the series, Forbidden Highlander. (I have it, but I haven't read it yet.)
I don't usually give five stars to romance novels (though I am a big fan of them), but this one earned my respect early on. By chapter three I was completely hooked on this series. The three MacLeod brothers--eldest Fallon, middle brother Lucan, and youngest Quinn--are simply irresistible.
It's not just that they're gorgeous Scottish Highlanders, either. Thanks to the workings of ancient Druid magic, originally used to fend off the Romans, the three brothers share an ancient god trapped inside them. A madwoman seeks to capture them because of this, and because of their secret, their clan was slaughtered. For three hundred years, the immortal brothers lived alone in the ruins of their castle with only their vengeful god for company. When an innocent young nun-in-training, Cara, ventures near their forbidden hold, she senses there's something magical about the place, but she never expects to fall in love with one of the brothers. This book was the perfect blend of romance and sword and sorcery, with moments of action but also a great heart, great chemistry, and an unforgettable band of brothers.
I took Donna Grant's Dark Sword quiz on FaceBook, and the quiz suggested "my" brother is Fallon. Okay, so Fallon does slightly resemble my husband, but so far I think I like Quinn a little better. I won't really know until I get my hands on the next book in the series, Forbidden Highlander. (I have it, but I haven't read it yet.)
mia_may's review against another edition
1.0
DNF: I couldn't get through it. It's like somone who likes the IDEA of a fantasy novel tried to write fantasy but didn't have any foundation to actually make it interesting. It's soooo staccato and obvious which makes it really boring. If you like a mind numbing romance novel that checks every box without being unique in any way, go for it!
peacefulbookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0