Lady Sarah Woodville is sent to the American colonies in disgrace over a scandal she doesn't even understand. Once in Albany, she plans to beseech herLady Sarah Woodville is sent to the American colonies in disgrace over a scandal she doesn't even understand. Once in Albany, she plans to beseech her uncle Lord William Wentworth for help but along the way to visit him she is kidnapped by Shawnee Indians and her entire future changes.
Major Connor MacKinnon is now in charge of MacKinnon's Rangers after Iain retired to take care of Annie and their children and Morgan was kicked out for his marriage to the French Amalie. Connor is in a bad place emotionally, he feels a lot of guilt for his harsh actions to French soldiers while he believed his brother Morgan to be dead. Lord William commands Connor and Joseph, his Mahican friend, to find Lady Sarah and rescue her. They go searching for her expecting to find a spoiled princess and instead find a courageous young woman.
Connor and Joseph arrive at the Shawnee village and go thorough some trials to save Lady Sarah, who impressed them with her strength and bravery in the face of her captors abuse. Connor wins her freedom, but not without consequences which bring him and Sarah together. Over the long, dangerous trip back to Fort Edward, Connor and Sarah forge a relationship based on mutual attraction and admiration but know there is no hope for a future between a high born English lady and a Scottish frontiersman. But then a surprising turn of events causes Connor, along with help from his family and friends, to fight to have Sarah in his life forever no matter the danger and obstacles.
I loved Connor's book! What I love about all three MacKinnon brothers' books is that they are wonderfully written romances that are actually romantic and a joy to read. The hero and heroine are both good people who stand together despite what the world throws at them. This setting and time period (American colonies during the French and Indian War) fascinates me and the author has a way of bringing it to life so I feel like I am hiking through the forest, running from danger along with Connor, Sarah and Joseph.
Connor is a great hero who rescues Sarah from a harsh fate then finds himself falling in love with his worst enemy's niece. He tried to do what he thinks is the honorable thing and let her go, but fights for Sarah (view spoiler)[ and his unborn child (hide spoiler)] when she is put in harm's way by a vengeful Lord William. Sarah is an endearing heroine, you feel her love of music which colors her life and feel sorry for her rigid upbringing. She faces a situation that is completely foreign to her but comes through it with grace and courage, learning a lot about herself in the process which helps her stand up for what she wanted when it counted. I like how she never betrayed Connor even when it might have made things easier for her.
The background characters help make the story. Joseph is a great part of the story, he and Sarah have a nice brother/sister bond. I hope to see his story soon! Wentworth first makes you want to hurt him badly, then pulls an act which brings some redemption - we will see what his story becomes when Ms. Clare writes it, I have faith she can make him redeemable as a hero. I loved seeing a bit of Iain, Annie, Morgan, Amalie and the children. The Rangers make some smaller appearances, plus there is a great farewell at the end of the book that will leave you chocked up!
Defiant is a brilliant finale to the MacKinnon brothers' story. I love all three books, which tell the story of how Iain, Morgan and Connor survive the frontier and find love despite the war they are fighting. The ending of Defiant made me tearful and nostalgic to be reaching the end of the MacKinnon brothers stories but it was a great ending. I love this trilogy, Iain, Morgan and Connor have a special place in my heart for being such sexy, honorable men who really know how to protect, love and care for their women....more
Lady Anne Burness Campbell was betrayed into 14 years of indentured service after her uncle accused her of being a thief because she knew he killed heLady Anne Burness Campbell was betrayed into 14 years of indentured service after her uncle accused her of being a thief because she knew he killed her mother. She chose to be branded a thief rather than return to her Uncle Bain's house and possibly be murdered herself. Her uncle branded her on her inner thigh instead of her thumb so that she would never be able to sleep with a man without being found out as a thief. Anne was sent to the American colonies where she was sold into service to a frontier couple in colonial New York. Her owners are a harsh couple who beat her often because she does not know how to perform the tasks they expect of her.
One day while she is in the barn milking the cow, she hears gun shots and screaming. Realizing that Indians and French are attacking the farm, she goes out the back of the barn and runs through the snow toward the woods. The attack party sees her and pursues her through the forest, intent on raping and killing her. She slips down a rocky slope where the men finally catch up to her but she doesn't give up and keeps on fighting. Just as she is about to be hurt, a big man comes out of the woods and kills all of the men attacking her.
Iain MacKinnon is an exhiled Scot whose family immigrated to colonial New York after losing everything at Culloden. His grandfather was The MacKinnon, laird over his lands until the Argyll Campbells and English defeated his clan at Culloden, killing women and children as well as wounded men. Iain and his brothers Morgan and Conner grew up on the frontier, learning how to hunt and track along with their Indian friends, the Muheconneok. Iain was pressed into service for the British crown after a British Colonel accuses him of a murder he didn't commit then offers him a choice of starting a Ranger company for the Crown or hanging. Since Iain was a Catholic Jacobite, he knew the courts would not listen to him over a British Colonel so he was forced to lead a company of Rangers who fought for the British along with his two brothers who joined with him.
Major Iain MacKinnon is on a scouting mission to Fort Ticonderoga under orders to move swiftly to keep from being seen. He is not supposed to help any colonials under attack because it would give away the location of his company of Rangers. He sees Annie running through the forest and has to make a terrible decision, to save her from being raped and killed which will bring danger to his men because the shooting will bring the French and Abenaki to their position, or let her be killed and follow his orders. Iain is an honorable man who cannot stand to see such a courageous woman harmed in front of him, so he makes the fateful decision to send the rest of the scouting party away and save her on his own.
Iain saves Annie's life but she is hurt from running through the woods barefoot. He carries her on his back through the woods trying to ahead of the large force of Abenaki on their tail who want vengeance for the men he killed saving her. Iain vows to keep her safe and carries her for the next few days on his back, always just ahead of the Abenaki. Annie realizes that no one knows who she is and she could be free from her indentured service if no one finds out. She tells Iain that her name is Annie Burns because she is afraid he will hate her if he finds out that she is an Argyll Campbell.
They reach the fort where Iain is sentenced to 100 lashes for saving her life. Annie tries to get the British officer to relent but he refuses. After being whipped, Annie nurses Iain back to health. They both have feelings for each other but fight the attraction for different reasons. Iain is stuck in the Rangers until the end of the war and does not have anything to offer a wife until he can take over his farm again. Annie cannot sleep with Iain because he will find her brand and know she lied to him. But the passion between them refuses to go away and eventually ignites, leaving Iain and Annie to come to terms with the consequences.
Surrender is a beautiful love story full of action, adventure and passion. Iain MacKinnon is one of the best heroes I have ever read - honorable, protective and caring toward Annie and revered by his men. He does so much for Annie, from carrying her on his back for days after saving her life to doing everything he can to keep her safe from those who would do her harm. Annie was a sweet girl who deserved the protection she gets from Iain after being betrayed by those closest to her and shipped from a life of privilege to a very different life on the frontier. The passion between Iain and Annie is intense and wonderful. The romance in the book just makes you feel good because it's so beautiful. If you like the movie and setting of Last of the Mohicans, you will enjoy this book. The characters and setting of this book come to life and take you on a great romantic adventure. I have read this book three times and enjoyed it more every time. Surrender has earned it's place as my favorite historical romance book....more
The MacKinnon brothers story started in Surrender continues with Morgan’s story in Untamed.
Morgan MacKinnon takes over as captain of MacKinnon’s RangeThe MacKinnon brothers story started in Surrender continues with Morgan’s story in Untamed.
Morgan MacKinnon takes over as captain of MacKinnon’s Rangers after his older brother Iain is allowed to leave the service and return to the family farm with his wife Annie and their son. Morgan gets captured by the French at Fort Ticonderoga after he is gravely injured while helping save the life of one of his men. The French intend to try to save his life so he can be interrogated then given to the Abenaki. The Abenaki want to torture and kill Morgan in retaliation for a harsh attack against an Abenaki village known for killing British citizens.
Amalie Chauvenet came to Fort Ticonderoga (Fort Carillon to the French) to be near her father who is a French officer. She is part Abenaki on her mother’s side but does not know much about her Abenaki heritage because her mother died while she was young and her father sent her to be raised in a convent. Amalie’s father is killed in the Battle of Ticonderoga by a Ranger sniper but she remains at the fort afterward because it was too dangerous to go back to the convent.
Amalie is asked to help care for Morgan in the infirmary because they are afraid the French soldiers would try to harm him. Amalie resents Morgan at first because her father was killed by a Ranger like him but she quickly comes to admire his honesty and integrity. Amalie and Morgan come to know and respect each other while he heals. They both fight the fierce attraction between them because they know Morgan is bound for death from the French or Abenaki as soon as he is healed.
Desperate to save Morgan’s life, Amalie convinces the fort commander to give Morgan the choice to fight for the French instead of being killed since he is a fellow Catholic who was forced to serve in the British army against his will. Morgan does not want to betray his fellow Rangers and brother Connor, but decides to pretend to join the French army to find out as much information as possible before he escapes. Morgan is forced to play a desperate game with his life on the line if he is found out, while fighting his strong attraction to Amalie as he does not want to hurt her when he leaves.
Morgan and Amalie’s love story is full of action and adventure and is quite a fun ride. Their romance was very sweet and passionate. Morgan manages to survive some harrowing situations with the help and love of Amalie, who shows a lot of courage and compassion in her actions. I loved catching up with Iain and Annie and am looking forward to Connor’s story. I highly recommend reading Surrender before this book because it sets up the story line and introduces the wonderful MacKinnon brothers. ...more
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